Dmitri continued his relentless assault, alternating between my right and left cheeks or my upper thighs. By the time the twentieth strike landed, my skin had gone numb. And as the numbness set in, a bewildering sensation crept over me, a growing need for satisfaction that I couldn’t comprehend.How could something so excruciating awaken such a primal desire within me?
“Thirty,” I whimpered, my body trembling uncontrollably and drenched with sweat, a desperate need for release consuming me, tears cascading down my face in torrents.
Dmitri paused his relentless punishment and began to gently rub my tender, reddened skin. “You did so well,kukolka,” he murmured, his fingers skillfully soothing the rawness and easing the burning sensation. “If you attempt to run again or defy me, your punishment will be far more severe.”
“Yes, sir. I understand,” I replied, fully aware that he meant every word.
His hand glided between my cheeks, and his fingers expertly found my clit, sending electric shivers through my body. I let out a moan, feeling the throbbing intensity as I instinctively moved my hips, seeking more friction from his touch. Dmitri slid his finger down my slick folds to my tight entrance, teasingly dipping his finger inside. The searing pain on my ass and thighs faded into the background, eclipsed by the overwhelming sensation of his finger moving within me.
“Please,” I moaned softly, rotating my hips as he expertly moved his finger in and out before adding a second, intensifying the exquisite pressure.
“Please what,kukolka?” he taunted, his voice low and commanding, as he plunged deeper inside me, his thumb circling my clit with deliberate precision. “Would you like to come? All you have to do is beg me to give you what you need.”
I bit back my response, a stubborn determination refusing to let him know he held the power over my pleasure. Rocking my hips, I edged closer to the brink of release, needing just a little more to tip over.
He continued his tantalizing tease, never quite giving me the satisfaction I craved.
“I can do this all night,kukolka. All you have to do is beg me to let you come,” he persisted, his barely-there touch driving me to grind against the mattress in a desperate search for relief. He knew he had the upper hand. He knew what my body craved.
“Please, let me come,” I breathed out finally, conceding this momentary victory. He might control my pleasure, but he would never own me.
“You’re even more beautiful when you come. Soon you will be screaming my name. I will own every one of your orgasms.” My eyelids remained closed and I was still reeling with my climax, but I could sense his gaze lingering on me with satisfaction, the evidence of my release vivid and exposed.
Dmitri carefully unfastened the restraints around my ankles; his movements deliberate and controlled. He then moved to the head of the bed, where he removed the leather cuffs from my wrists. The urge to crawl under the covers and hide was strong, but I remembered his warning about concealing myself. As I shifted to sit up, a sharp pain seared across my aching thighs and ass. Dmitri extended his hand, and I bit back a moan lodged in my throat as I gingerly slid across the cool expanse of the comforter.
“I have something that will make the sting less painful,” he offered, his voice a blend of authority and concern, as I placed my hand in his.
I followed Dmitri into the spacious bathroom, my eyes tracing the way his crisp white shirt stretched tautly over his muscular back. He was a man of formidable strength, yet his grip on my hand was unexpectedly gentle, a contrast from the pain he inflicted moments ago.
Releasing my hand, I watched him pull open a drawer, extracting a tube of ointment. “Turn around,” he instructed, twisting the lid off with ease.
I turned to face the door, my back presented to him. “Ow,” I yelped involuntarily, the sudden coldness of the ointment a stark contrast against my heated skin.
“Sorry. I should have warmed this for you,” he apologized, a hint of remorse coloring his words.
Dmitri squeezed a small amount of the soothing ointment onto his palm, carefully massaging it into my sore ass and thighs with expert precision. His touch was gentle, ensuring he didn’t exacerbate the discomfort I already felt. Once finished, he placed his hands on my shoulders, turning me to face him once more.
“Get dressed. There are some papers I need you to sign,” he said, his tone shifting to one of businesslike efficiency.
He gently placed a kiss on the top of my head, a tender gesture that contrasted sharply with the tension in the air. I remained frozen in the bathroom as his footsteps echoed down the hall, and only when I heard the soft click of the door closing behind him did I dare to move. Turning slowly to face the mirror, my heart sank when I twisted my hips and saw my refection. Angry red welts marked my skin, vivid against my pale complexion, while the deepening bruises hinted at the pain that was yet to fully surface.
“This is your own fault, Lara,” I whispered to myself, the words heavy with regret and self-reproach as I lightly touched the welts. “You never should have tried to escape. You shouldn’t have tested his patience.”
Chapter Twelve
Dmitri
After this evening, there would be no more holding back. Once Lara signed the marriage license, she would be bound to me forever. Yes, there was a wedding planned, but that was merely for appearances. After three years of searching for her, Larissa was finally mine. It took every ounce of self-control not to lose myself in the depths of her warmth. As my hands traced the delicate contours of her hips, the soft curve of her backside, I reveled in the sharp intake of breath through her teeth—it was a delicious torment. She was impossibly tight, virginal tight. The thought that I would be the first to explore such intimate depths filled me with a sense of possession and anticipation. I would be the sole presence to fill her desires, the only one she would ever crave. The last to ever claim her heart and body.
I was headed down to my study when Stepan met me with a serious expression at the bottom of the stairs. Something was up. I knew that look.
“Whatever it is, will have to wait.” I pushed past him. Getting Lara to sign the marriage license was more important.
“Another shipment has been highjacked,” he revealed, keeping in step with me.
“Where?”
“At the shipping docks. While they were being loaded for transport.”