I don't know how he manages to make his bossy words sound so sexy. Is it the rough timbre of his voice? Or the way he holds his lips so close to my ear?
Still, I'm not falling for it. Not now that I know how hard he spanks. "No."
He nips my ear, then traces the shell with the tip of his tongue. "Sí, mi amor. I need to show you I care enough to do this. I won't let you put yourself in danger."
My heart beats double-time. I feel he's telling me something important but it's all mixed up in sex and pain so I can't quite untangle it.
"Now go back to the wall and put your hands on it. Tip that perfect ass back for me so I can paint it red. And next time you think of risking your safety, you'll remember how much I cherish you." He's massaging my ass with both hands now and I can't stop grinding my pussy down on his hard thigh pressing between my legs.
"Th-that doesn't make sense." I sound completely breathless.
"Doesn't it?" There's a smile in his voice. "We'll see if it makes sense when I'm done." He grips my arm and propels me toward the wall.
I'm too curious now not to obey. I put my palms on the wall and tip my pelvis back. The panties fell to the floor when I jumped back the last time, so my ass is bare, legs quivering as I wait.
~.~
Glory to the fates, Sedona is right here, offering herself up like the most delectable morsel in paradise.
She's beyond beautiful with my handprint painting her creamy skin, her thick chestnut hair falling in waves down her back. I take a mental snapshot, wanting to remember this image forever. The boots, the muscular thighs, her exquisite bare ass. I add it to the ones that haunt me from our shared cell in Monte Lobo.
I would've torn those dragons apart, limb from limb, if they'd challenged me for Sedona. I'm sure that's why they didn't. They would have caught my scent embedded in her skin and deciphered that she is mine. No smart shifter gets between a male and his marked mate, no matter what the species.
And all that aggression seeks redirection now. If Sedona showed fear or anger, I'd back down. But I can smell her interest. Her nipples are taut, her breaths make those perky tits rise and fall rapidly. And her eyes are glassy, like I've already fucked her.
She needs this. We both do. It will release my aggression, show her how worried I was.
I draw my hand back and bring it down with a resounding slap. She jerks, but incredibly, stays put this time. I spank her again, striking the other side, then pepper her perfect round globes with a volley of slaps that leave her breathless, panting.
Her ass looks so pretty with the blush of my handprints coloring the lower half. Just enough to warm it. As a shifter, the pain will only be momentary, fading completely within minutes.
I squeeze a handful of her ass in one hand and wrap a fist in her hair, tugging her head back. "What were you thinking?" I growl and land another hard slap to her backside.
She jerks, but my grip in her hair keeps her from moving. "I-I knew you'd follow," she confesses.
I go still. She'd known I was there. Of course she had. I'd been so caught up in the moment, I didn't note her lack of surprise when I shoved in to rescue her at the bar.
"I just wanted to draw you out."
What does that mean? She wants me here?
I ease my grip on her hair and move into her line of sight, leaning my head against the wall. I need to see her face, try to understand. "You knew I was here? For how long?"
She nibbles her lower lip. "I saw you at dinner."
I can't help but smile. Clever little she-wolf. That's why she disappeared from the restaurant. I'd been frantic trying to figure out where she went after she paid her bill. With the rain, I couldn't catch her scent when I moved in to scout the building, but then I'd looked up and seen her climbing in a taxi.
I stroke my knuckles over her luminous skin, tracing the line of her cheekbone. "Were you angry with me, beautiful? I was just trying to give you space, but I needed to look after your safety, too."
She moistens her lips with her tongue, which sends my cock surging against my zipper. "I was angry, yes. A little."
Her eyes are dilated. I'd be a fool if I chose this moment for a heart to heart. My female is ripe for the plucking right now. Maybe my trip to the sex shop wasn't such a bad idea.
I pinch her chin between my thumb and forefinger and lift it. "So you punished me by putting yourself in danger?" I arch a stern brow.
Her lids droop like she loves being scolded by me. "I didn't mean to put us in real danger. I just meant to tease you. Make you jealous of the attention I might get in there."
My wolf growls at the suggestion of males giving her attention, but I don't want to miss what she's telling me. My mate was teasing me. That can't be a bad thing. It means she wants something from me-but what? Attention? A declaration of intent? The upper hand? Whatever it is, I'm taking it as a win, just as I'm taking this moment. I have my glorious mate nearly naked and trembling for me, legs spread, ass red, lips swollen from our kiss earlier.
"That was naughty, Sedona," I chide, stroking her hair back from her face. I lower my voice. "I'm going to have to punish you again."
I see the flare of excitement in her at the same time she turns and lunges away.
I catch her by the waist and haul her into the air, tossing her on the bed.
She shrieks, laughing as she rolls for the edge. I dive on top of her, tackle and pin her down.