Page 48 of His to Honor

CHAPTER 15

Giulia

From the moment Damiano had me escorted out of his club and shoved into the back of a car, I’ve been itching for a fight I know I won’t win. I wanted to show Matteo it’s not okay to react to me speaking to another man by having me dragged home like a naughty child. I needed to show him he can’t control me, but I guess I was wrong about that. He’s made a pretty good job of taking charge. He’s got me exactly where he wants me and I barely resisted.

I don’t understand why I’m letting him do this to me. I guess deep down I want to surrender. It would be so simple to put myself in his hands and allow him to set the rules for our relationship. A part of me wants to, but my desire for independence isn’t easily quelled. I don’t know how to resolve the conflict raging inside me. Perhaps I don’t have to. Perhaps I need to stop thinking and just feel.

I try to make myself comfortable on the bed, but with nervous anticipation rippling through my body, it’s impossible. Thedistinctive snap of leather as Matteo readies his belt does nothing to calm my racing pulse. I don’t know what to expect from this punishment. How badly is this going to hurt?

“Let’s see if ten is enough to convince you of my right to protect you, to punish you, to own every fucking part of you.”

The harshness of his tone surprises me. Matteo means what he’s saying. As far as he’s concerned, I’m his to do with as he pleases. I should have expected this. He’s not a man who does things in half-measures. If I’m not careful, he’ll take over every aspect of my life.

This is the time when I should assert myself and refuse to let him railroad me into accepting his terms. For reasons I don’t want to examine too closely, I don’t speak up. I simply brace myself for what’s coming.

The first crack of leather across the full width of my ass is as unpleasant as I feared it would be. The sound it makes is startling and it stings like a zap of lightning shooting across my butt. I cry out and wiggle my hips. If that’s what the first felt like, I don’t know how I’m going to take ten of them.

“Poor baby,” Matteo croons behind me. “This is going to be a painful lesson for you, isn’t it?”

He’s being an asshole, and I know it’s deliberate. Matteo and I have been friends for a long time. I’ve seen him act this way before. His dickhead behavior is usually directed at other people, but I know why he’s doing it. He’s trying to goad me into saying something that will give him the excuse to assert his dominance in an even stronger way. He enjoys the push and pull of a power struggle. I have to admit it turns me on, but on this occasion, Iwon’t give him the satisfaction of subduing my rebellion. He has the upper hand already. It’s enough.

“Yes, Matteo,” I say meekly.

His response isn’t verbal, but I feel the displeasure in it all the same. It comes as another lash of his belt, this time on my right butt cheek. It’s harder than the first one. Tears spring to my eyes and I hiss loudly. Matteo doesn’t wait long enough for the deep ache in my flesh to settle before striking again and again. He lands one blow after the other in different spots across my bottom, ensuring every inch of my tender flesh is throbbing. Discomfort has me writhing on the bed, but pride prevents me from begging him to stop.

My fists curl in the sheets as Matteo pauses. Are we done already? I wasn’t counting, but as much as that hurt, it didn’t seem like ten spanks.

“Two more,” Matteo murmurs as if reading my thoughts.

The leather strap lands across the backs of my thighs this time. Fuck! That hurt. I shriek loudly and wiggle my ass. My flesh feels as if it’s on fire. It’s painful, but something else is stirring deep inside me. A tingling sensation twists its way to my core where it takes root, growing into an intense need to be filled by Matteo’s massive cock. It’s all I can do to keep from pleading with him to fuck me.

As the belt comes down on my ass for the last time, I yelp. It was a harder stroke this time. Pain fans out from the point of impact. A tear leaks from the corner of my eye as I try not to reach back to rub the ache away.

There’s a thud from somewhere across the room as Matteo tosses the belt aside. I breathe a sigh of relief, but it’s premature.He isn’t done with me yet. Taking my arm, he pulls me to my feet.

“Did that spanking make you wet?”

I shake my head in denial. Matteo smirks, knowing that I’m lying. He stares at me for a moment as if challenging me to double down on the lie and then uses the back of his hand to wipe away the stray tear making its way down my cheek. It’s a tender gesture, but there’s no gentleness in his eyes. There’s undiluted lust, determination, and a touch of something that might be anger.

“On your knees,” he commands.

I sink to the floor, making sure not to rest my poor punished ass too heavily on my heels. Before I have the chance to settle into position, Matteo shoves his pants and briefs down. His cock is fully erect. I guess that answers any question I might have had about whether he enjoyed spanking me.

He reaches down and traces the outline of my mouth with his thumb. “Open.”

I obey immediately, parting my lips. Matteo slides two fingers into my mouth. Rather than closing my lips around him, I tilt my head back and open wider so he can watch as I run my tongue back and forth along the length of his long, thick fingers. He groans and pulls his hand away, curving it around the back of my head to hold me in place as he shoves his cock into my mouth.

Startled as his rigid erection hits the back of my throat, I reach out and grab onto his taut ass to anchor myself. He isn’t giving me time to explore or to get comfortable. I don’t get a chance to tease him. Matteo isn’t playing. My cheeks puff out as I draw panicked breaths in through my nose. For a moment I think I’mgoing to pass out, but Matteo pulls back a little and I’m able to suck in air.

His ass clenches beneath my touch as he thrusts. He shows me no mercy, fucking my mouth with ruthless intent as I struggle to deal with the pace.

“This mouth is mine,” Matteo growls.

My jaw already aches and I know I’ll regret it, but I shake my head, as much as his hold on me will allow. I’m not going to grant him ownership over me. Though my body undeniably belongs to him, this is about something more. It would give him carte blanche to do whatever the hell he wants with me. While that might be appealing in the bedroom, I fear Matteo will try to carry his control into other parts of my life. I have my own ambitions, plans for the future. I will not give him the power to dictate every aspect of my life. Though I love this man, I’m under no illusions about him. He could become a tyrant if I let him.

“Fuck!” Matteo curses.

He pulls out of my mouth and hauls me to my feet. He drags me over to the dresser and pushes me down so my breasts are squashed against the cold, hard wooden surface. For several beats, he stands absolutely still behind me. I suspect he’s going to spank me but he doesn’t. Instead, he surprises me by trailing kisses down my spine. My skin comes alive beneath his soft, warm lips. I wriggle my hips restlessly.

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