Page 54 of Sin & Sapphire

“Not sweet enough?”

She shook her head. “It’s fine, sir.”

Valentin and I shared a long look. We hadn’t broken her yet, but this docile, sweet Ana would be a joy while it lasted.

“How do you normally take it?” I asked her, keeping my voice bland.

“I said it’s fine, sir.”

“Slut,” Valentin snapped. “What are the rules?”

Ana took a shuddering breath and looked at me from under long lashes. “Perfect obedience,maître,” she breathed, holding her gaze on me, the hazy green of her eyes barely visible from where she hid her face with a sheet of long, blonde hair.

“That’s right,” he answered before she could continue. “Answer the fucking question.”

“With hazelnut syrup and oat milk,” she said, her voice so soft I had to strain to hear it. “Maître!” she added quickly, her eyes widening with fear.

No, not broken yet, but doing her best not to get into any more trouble this morning. I bet her ass hurt something fierce after her earlier punishment. She’d let me hold her as she cried herself back to sleep, it had taken everything I had not to roll her over and take her like I’d wanted to for a decade, to bury my cock in her tight cunt and fuck her until she forgot about anything but the pleasure I’d force on her.

I swiped open my phone and called one of my men. Ana’s eyes widened when I ordered him to the nearest American coffee chain to get her order, and I couldn’t stop myself from dropping a tender kiss on her forehead. Her surprise was so fucking adorable. Did she not realize I would give her the moon and the stars in exchange for her obedience and submission? That now that I had her, I’d do anything to keep her?

Of course she didn’t. She couldn’t, not until we’d broken through her tough exterior to reveal the submissive begging to break free, who liked the pain, who thrived under strict boundaries, who needed us to tear down walls even higher than Valentin’s. And once we did, I’d spoil her rotten.

“Thank you, sir,” she whispered. Her eyes flicked to the espresso still in her hands, as if uncertain what to do with it. I saved her the awkwardness by taking it from her and setting it on the counter.

Valentin grunted his amusement, then turned back to the stove where he was making omelets.

She moved toward him, then froze, her hands twitching toward her chest and cunt.

“Don’t cover up, angel.” She flushed, the pink spreading outward from her cheeks and down her chest until her breasts were rosy.

Valentin ignored her, serving a vegetable filled omelet on a plate and handing it to me.

“Come,” I said to Ana, enjoying watching her cheeks darken with humiliation. She took a deep breath, as if she were about to protest, and then meekly walked over to the dining area.

“Go fetch a pillow from the sofa,” I instructed her, my eyes glued to her as she brushed past me, then bent over, her ass a perfect peach begging me to bite into it.

Valentin’s eyes followed her as she returned, the pillow clutched to her belly, as though she could hide from us.

“I said, don’t cover up,” I told her, yanking the pillow away from her and dropping it to the floor, annoyed that she’d defied me. I sprawled in one of the chairs at the dining table. “Kneel.”

Ana looked at me. She looked at Valentin. She looked at the pillow. And then she slowly shook her head, backing toward my bedroom, her hands in front of her as if she could ward me off.

“Slut,” Valentin snapped. “He said kneel.”

She froze, her eyes wide with shock.

Valentin snatched something from the counter beside him, then stalked over to our girl, predatory and furious. His wrist snapped out, and a short leather snake whip snapped across her breasts before slapping into her nipple and drawing away.

She screamed in pain, leaping backward. He followed. “Angelo told you to do something, slut. The only reason you’re here and not on your way back to Tchérnov to marry his asshole son is because I think Angelo will enjoy training you. So you’d better fucking obey when he tells you to do something.”

My heart clenched as he threatened her with Grégoire. I knew he didn’t mean it when he said he’d ship her back to the Tchérnovs, but did she know it? No, she couldn’t possibly.

Her chest shaking and shuddering, Ana stepped toward me, then dropped to the pillow, gasping for breath.

Valentin knelt in front of her. “Princess, what’s the first rule?”

“Obedience,” she whispered as her eyes flashed with anger.

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