Page 48 of Collateral Damage

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“What?” She frowns at my displeasure. Am I really about to give her a lesson on painting? I thought she was meant to be creative?

“Look…” I approach with caution, giving her more than enough warning as I grab the wrist holding the brush, her hip buried into the side of my upper thigh as I lean in calmly, guiding her hand as I move from one side of the panel to the other in rhythmic fashion and her depraved little body is calmly heaving at the bit. This physical touch drives her mad and I love watching her internal struggle.

“What's this for?” She hums softly, her focus glued to the strokes of the brush.

“I'm rebuilding a trailer.” My mom was so adamant to get this thing on the road for us but it was a heap of junk for years, even more so when I came back. He wouldn't help. He didn't want us going anywhere so our hope of freedom became a gravestone in the front yard.

Play - ‘When You’re Around - Jutes’

“Never saw you to be the travelling type.”I'm not.

“And I thought you could paint, so I guess we're both disappointed.” She clearly didn't like my come back, ready to throw hands, wielding her brush as a weapon.

“Hey-!” she dunks the bristles again and I know exactly what she's thinking, her narrow eyes and mischievous grin are going to get her bent over my knee.

“Don't you da-”~Splat~

“Right. You asked for it.” My hand finds the bucket, drowning it in paint and she jumps away like a frightened cat.

“OMG-! HAYS!” She runs faster than the day I let her out, towards the other side of the bucket moving as quickly as hertiny feet will let her.“I'll tip it, I swear to God!” I know I said the house needed it. But not the bloody carpet.

“And I'll have you over my knee,Puppet.” If she dares, I will smother her from head to toe and make hereatit.

“You'll have to catch me first.” She smiles so hard it looks like it hurts and her dimples only make me grin back. She doesn't learn, does she? I never make an empty threat, no matter how adorably cute she is.

“I'd like nothing more...” She doesn't even get out of the living room before I scoop her up with one arm, throwing her feet off the floor, marking her skin with me wishing it was something else and Shep immediately joins in on the commotion, trying to play as his tail wags at an abnormal rate, pawing at my denim jeans.

“No, no, NO, N-o! Eewwwwwwww ew ew ewww!!” I smother her in it as she fights against my grip. Giggling like a child. She's definitely ticklish and that sound never gets old. I suck it out of her, pinching gently under her arms and she sounds disgustingly adorable, collapsing to the floor getting paint on my carpet anyway. She’s fighting my grip trying to escape me but secretly she loves this. She's getting a taste of vulnerability. Letting her hair down. Havingfun. And it looks good on her. In this moment. She actually looks,

Happy.

“You're gonna pay for that.” She bites playfully, tugging her brows into her forehead as she glares at me, and by pay for that she means give me exactly what I want. She just doesn't know it yet.

My knee rests between her legs, inching its way up her thigh and her flushed cheeks scream at me through her porcelain complexion. She's so frail and delicate. A China doll I want to smash into tiny little pieces.

“I need a showerrrrrrrr-” she wriggles beneath me, showing visible discomfort as she catches me wrong, pushing her groin into the ball of my knee, hiccupping with surprise.

“Soooooo you, didn't? Want to be smothered in paint? Because if I remember rightlyyyyy. I could have sworn you started it?” She smears the excess paint against my inky skin, gripping at my forearm like a vice and she's lucky Ilikeher because I’d of shoved her fingers in her own mouth.

“Technicallyyyyy you started it when you insulted me?” She's not wrong. But that's what we do. She bites and she will learn that I bite harder. I will leave a permanent indent on her ass if need be.Which reminds me.

“How's that delightful little bite mark by the way?” I speak at a volume only she can hear as my voice vibrates against her ear drum. Her head tilts, rolling her balls of honey at me and she knows exactly what I'm referring to. I wasn't gentle. And she attempts to shove me off her in embarrassment. “What did you say again? It's sat on the tip of my tongue… Oh yes. My LittleBitch…”She loathes how much I'm subconsciously right but I can almost hear her heart beating out of her chest.

“Your ego is so unattractive.” I'd half believe that if she wasn't tucking back a smile with her tongue.

“Showerrrrrr…I'm going now.” She's trying so desperately to avoid how she's feeling right now and all I want to do is fuel it, feed it. I want her to indulge in those cravings niggling beneath her skin.

I let her run, following her towards the bathroom. She knows the drill and each time it tethers my control, because I don’t know how long I can keep my hands off her perfect little body before I stain her with my lustful need to rip it all away.

C H A P T E R 28

VULNERABILITY

Puppet

Play - ‘Butterflies - Isabel LaRosa’

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