Page 47 of Tell Me Why
He shrugs one shoulder. “Aidan is a big guy, but he’s also dumb as fuck. I knew I could take him.”
I scowl at him. “So, what, you just did all that for show?”
Tilting his head to the side, he pulls his teeth over his bottom lip, his gaze flicking over my face. “Everything is a show in this world, Eve. We’re all just players, acting out our parts.”
The statement makes me pause. What does he mean by that? But before I can ask, he continues, “Andyourpart is doing what I say, when I say it.”
My ego bristles at that statement. I’ve always hated being bossed around—it’s one of the reasons my aunt and I never really got along. Only my brother has been able to do it with a small degree of success—and even then, not really. More often than not, I do what I want, regardless.
Right now, though, I don’t have much choice but to do what I’m told. For now. “Fine.”
With a self-satisfied smile, he hauls me back through the French doors and into the living room. Most of the guests are enjoying the party, but there are still several people watching us closely as we walk in.
Christian doesn’t seem to notice as he pushes me against the pool table and yanks my shirt up, exposing my breasts. I stiffen, fighting the urge to cover myself. But his earlier words echo in my head—You do what I say, when I say it.
This is a test, I realize.
And fighting him would give him an excuse to kick me out, which can’t happen. I have to do what I came here to do, no matter the cost to my pride.
“How should I punish you for lying to me earlier, hm?” he asks, his thumbs brushing over my sensitive nipples, causing them to tighten into hard peaks. “Would spanking get the message across, you think?”
It’s an impossible question to answer—because if I sayyes, then he may actually do it, and if I sayno,then he might choose something even more humiliating. So I reach for the safe answer. “I’ve learned my lesson,” I mumble.
“Really?” He slaps my left breast, making me wince. “Because I don’t think you have.”
I open my mouth to say something—I don’t even know what—but my words are cut off when he flips me around and pins me down so I’m bent over the pool table, my left cheek pressed against the green felt.
Humiliation burns hot in my chest, tears stinging the backs of my eyes. He’s doing this in front ofeveryone, and all I can do is bite my tongue and pray it ends quickly. If I say anything, or fight back in any way, I know he’ll use it as an excuse to prolong this…
It takes literally every ounce of determination I have, but I don’t respond as he shoves my skirt up over my hips and exposes my ass to the room. I’m still wearing panties, thank God, so I’m not completely vulnerable—unless he decides to remove those, too.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I watch from my peripheral vision as Christian approaches a guy holding a cue, who’s watching this whole thing with stunned curiosity, just like everyone else.
“I need that,” Christian says, holding his hand out. The guy hands the cue over without even a beat of hesitation. “Thanks.”
Smoothing one hand over the globes of my ass, Christian grips the pool cue with the other. From the corner of my eye, I can see his bicep flex as he repositions his grip on the polished wooden cue. “Why are you receiving this punishment, Eve? Tell the people.”
The music has been turned off, so the room is oddly silent, like everyone here is collectively holding their breath, waiting to see what happens next.
“For lying to you,” I choke out, trying hard not to cry.
“I couldn’t hear you.”
“For lying to you,” I say, just a fraction louder.
“That’s right,” he replies, and without a word of warning, he brings the stick down hard, causing white-hot pain to explode across my skin. The thin barrier of my panties does absolutely nothing to dampen the blow, and a sob is ripped from my throat before I can stop it.
Squeezing my eyelids shut, I only have a few seconds to adjust to the searing pain before another blow, then another in quick succession. Three in total.
When it’s all over, my hands are gripping the thick wooden frame of the pool table, tears flowing freely down my face. My ass is on fire, but it’s my pride that’s suffered the most painful blow. Humiliated doesn’t even begin to touch what I’m feeling right now…
I’m lying there like that for several seconds, trying to catch my breath, when Christian grabs my arm and flips me back around, so I’m standing, but leaning back against the pool table, facing him. The wood against my ass makes me wince, but he doesn’t seem to care. I pull my shirt down to cover my breasts, preserving the microscopic amount of pride I still have left.
Reaching up, he brushes the pad of his thumb across my cheek, smoothing my tears away. “There,nowI’m convinced you’ve learned your lesson.”
Judging by the bulge in the crotch of his designer jeans, he’s turned on by this power-play. Fucking lunatic.
“I hate you,” I say through clenched teeth.
