Page 44 of The Viper

“Look at me.” Slowly, she lifts her head, but she can’t meet my eyes. “Look at me.” She flicks her gaze up to me and purses her lips together like she’s holding in tears. “I’m honored you gave me what you did. And I loved every single moment.”

The tiniest of smiles tugs at her lips. “Are you sure?”

“Do I need to remind you?” I squeeze her butt. She shakes her head. “Good.” When will my woman understand that she’s my lioness?

My mouth will need to keep showing her.

Chapter twelve

Rose

I can’t believe I did that.

I also can’t believe he loved it.

Nor can I believe he spanked me.

And I certainly surprised myself that I got off on it. No, it was more than getting off on it, I loved every single moment.

My backside is a delicious reminder of what he did to me last night as I lay in bed and cheekily smile. I have to snap out of this, or I’m going to find myself seeking him out for more. “Get it together,” I say as I attempt to focus on anything but the ache on my butt.

I push the covers off the bed, and head into the bathroom to take a quick shower before I have to head to work. I also need to begin the process of replacing all my things, not to mention sourcing a car and an apartment.

The warm water of the shower stings on my butt and when I twist at the waist I see the visible marks of Dominic’s hands. I can’t wipe the stupid smile off my face. I’ve had sex before, but I’ve never been spanked, not until last night. I could lie to myself and say I didn’t enjoy it, and I’m horrified that I’m into that, but there’s not a single thing about it that I hated. Even today, with dark bruises forming on my ass, I love it.

The shower is quick because I don’t trust myself not to keep looking at the beautiful dark coloring on my butt. Sick, I know. “Is it?” I mumble as I towel my body. “Is it sick? I’m not hurting anyone, so why is it sick?” I furiously dry my legs, and when the towel reaches the apex between my legs, I burst into a wide smile. “Stop it.” Maybe I need to see a doctor and get my head looked at.

I push the memories of last night to the side, change into jeans and a light sweater and head down to the kitchen. “Miss Hopkins,” Alba, the chef, announces as she hurries around the kitchen.

“Good morning,” I reply with a gentle greeting. The first thing I do is make a beeline for coffee.

“The dining room is set up for you.” Alba smiles eagerly and with a flick of her eyes encourages me to head to the dining room. “Please, let me do my job.”

Alba is a lovely lady, maybe in her late fifties with hard wrinkles around her eyes, but pitch black hair. There’s not even one gray hair on her head, which leads me believe she colors it.

“Sure,” I say softly. “And it’s Rose.” I wouldn’t want to offend Alba. She’s been kind to me since the day I arrived.

I head toward the dining room to find Dominic already sitting at the table, sipping coffee while looking at his tablet. Marco is beside him and is the one to notice me walking in. “Rose.” He gives me a curt nod as he stands. Dominic lifts his eyes to look at me. “I have work to do.” Marco takes his coffee and leaves the dining room.

Dominic lowers his tablet, stands, and walks over to give me a kiss but I turn my head away. “Sit.” He pulls out the chair beside him and waits until I’m seated before pushing it in and returning to his seat.

“Um, Dominic,” I begin. “What happened last night can’t happen again.”

“Like hell it can’t.” He picks his tablet up, completely disregarding what I just said.

“No, it’s not going to happen again.”

He looks at me from above the tablet, exhales an irritated breath then lowers the tablet to the table. “And why not?”

Alba enters and places a coffee in front of me, then leaves. I’m not exactly sure what to say to him. “It’s not right.”

“Why not? Have you been promised to someone?”

I shake my head, indignant. “Are you being serious right now or are you trying to...” Alba returns with two massively overloaded plates of food. She places mine down first, then Dominic’s. “Thank you.” I smile at her and wait until she leaves before I continue our rather difficult conversation. “First, there’s no one who has the right to promise me to anyone, and second, we are in the twenty-first century, right? Promised...” I scoff as I lift the fork and stab at the scrambled eggs on my plate. “Promised. How ridiculous,” I mumble with a derisive chuckle as I jab at the eggs.

“Have the eggs upset you so much that you’re attacking them?” Dominic’s amused by my irritation.

“You’re provoking me to fight with you.” I fork some egg and shove it in my mouth.

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