SERAPHINE
Leroi advances on me, his eyes hard. Raising my chin, I meet his gaze, trying to contain the surge of anticipation and desire. This is madness. I should be terrified after seeing how he slammed Rosalind against the wall and ran the tip of his gun over her face, but heat slams into me as he grips my chin.
“You disobeyed a direct order.” His voice is so cold that a shiver runs down my spine. “And you lied to me about having a gun.”
“I didn’t—”
“I asked if you had handed over all the hidden weapons, and you nodded, knowing there would be consequences for not telling the truth.” He strokes my chin with his thumb, infusing me with a delicious tingle.
My stomach flutters, and my heart rate ratchets to its maximum capacity. I take a deep breath, trying to remain composed, but the intensity of his stare makes my skin flush.
His gaze drops to my lips, and my brow breaks out into a sweat. My arms twitch, but I hold them at my side, resisting the urge to kiss him.
“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie.”
“It’s too late for apologies,” he says, his pupils dilating. “But I will give you a choice of punishment.”
My breath catches, and every butterfly in my stomach takes flight. Will he finish what he started when he attached those nipple clamps in the fetish store, or will he bring out one of the other toys?
I run my tongue along my bottom lip, and his eyes track the movement, even though his face remains an impenetrable mask.
“What.” I gulp, my throat suddenly dry. “What are you going to do?”
“That’s entirely up to you,” he says. “Are you ready for your punishment, or would you like to have it tomorrow?”
My chest deflates, as does my anticipation. Leroi was so ruthless with Rosalind, yet he’s being soft with me. “Why are you giving me a choice?”
“Opening up about your past had to stir up old traumas. You might not be in the right state of mind to face being chastised.”
“But we’re still going to kill those men?”
“Of course.”
I nod. “Then I’ll take my punishment now.”
He releases his grip on my chin, robbing me of his warmth. I whimper, my body trembling with the suspense.
Leroi stands back and says, “I’m leaving to fetch some of our purchases. By the time I return, I want you in your room, kneeling. Is that understood?”
My heart skips a beat. “Alright.”
“You will address me as sir,” he says, his voice stern.
Arousal hits me straight in my core, making my knees tremble. It takes every effort to keep my voice even when I reply with “Yes, sir.”
Leroi turns on his heel and stalks toward the dining table, where we left the bags of toys and equipment from Wonderland. I stand transfixed, my gaze glued to the muscles bunching and releasing beneath his shirt as he moves. It’s no wonder Rosalind went to such desperate lengths to see him again. Leroi has an amazing body.
He reaches the table, turns, and arches an eyebrow. “Go.”
I bolt into the room and pull off my shirt, thankful that everything I’m wearing is easy to remove with shaking fingers. After folding each item and arranging them into a neat pile at the foot of my bed, I kneel on the wooden floor and face the doorway.
Every second that passes feels like an eternity of torment. I’m so eager for Leroi to return that it’s hard to be afraid, but as he turns the handle, my spine stiffens with dread.
Leroi steps in, bringing in a cool draft that makes my skin prickle into goosebumps, both with excitement and with the change in temperature. He pauses at the doorway for several frantic heartbeats, his breath catching, his eyes fathomless pools of black.
Replaying his instructions, I remember he only wanted me kneeling, not naked. Heat floods my cheeks, spreads down my chest, and tightens my nipples. Maybe he’ll punish me with the clamps?
My gaze drops to what he’s holding—I don’t recognize the pink leather. Without looking in my direction, he walks around my kneeling form and places it on the bed. The gentle clink of metal tells me it’s some kind of restraint.
Arousal surges, and I squeeze my thighs. All the leather items we bought were buttery, soft, and lined with a velvety suede. They don’t even compare with the twins’ rope.
Leroi walks to the table on the side of the room and lowers himself into a chair. “Turn, so you’re facing me.”
“Yes, sir.” I shuffle around on my knees and fix my gaze on the parquet floor.
“Eyes on me,” he says.
I raise my gaze, running my eyes from his black leather shoes, to his black pants, and up to the black shirt that clings to his prominent pecs. His chest rises and falls with even breaths, as though he’s used to dealing with a woman kneeling in front of him naked. I’m torn between looking into his face and glancing over to see what he deposited on the bed.
Disobedience might worsen my punishment, so I decide to look him in the eye.
He picks up a glass of whiskey and takes a sip before setting it back down. The movement stretches my anticipation until it’s agonizing.
“Do you know why you’re here?” he asks.
“Yes, sir,” I rasp.
“Explain.”
“I disobeyed an order and lied about not having any more weapons.”
He leans back in the chair, his dark eyes studying me with a level of concentration that’s as intimidating as it is thrilling. I’m not tall and curvaceous like Rosalind, and I’m not a brunette. My eyes are too large for my face, making me look like I’m constantly surprised. The only men who find me attractive are predators, who tend not to live long enough to regret it.
There’s no lust in Leroi’s gaze, only determination. Determination to mold me into the kind of disciplined killer that doesn’t get caught.
“Do you understand why lying to me was wrong?”
I nod. “Yes, sir.”
“Tell me why.”
Shivers skitter down my spine. Every man I’ve encountered in the past five years would have made some kind of lewd comment by now, yet Leroi remains completely in control. It’s both terrifying and exhilarating. He’s playing a game I don’t understand, and I’m desperate to learn the rules.
“We had an agreement,” I rasp. “You were going to help me control my urges, and I was going to follow your orders.”
“Crawl to me.”
The muscles of my core clench, but I get down on my hands and knees. The floor is cool against my palms as I make my way toward him, and I keep my gaze fixed on Leroi’s face.
There’s no trace of the furious man who slammed that woman against a wall, just a blank mask. I want to ignite that kind of passion in Leroi, to make him lose control, but I know better than to push a killer too far.
When I reach him, he trails a finger down my cheek and watches me with that same detached curiosity.
“If you can’t be truthful or obey my orders, then being here with me is a waste of time. You may as well move into the apartment next door.”
My stomach drops, and the excitement I felt moments ago vanishes, replaced by cold fingers squeezing my heart. Darkness creeps to the edge of my vision, reminding me of the endless stretches of time I spent alone in that basement.
“I’ll do better,” I say, meaning every word. “Don’t cast me out.”
Leroi studies my face for several painful moments before nodding. “You will submit to a spanking.”
“Yes, sir,” I rasp.
“Get up.”
I stand on shaky legs, my heart galloping around my chest like a wild horse. The thought of Leroi’s hand coming down hard against my bare ass makes the pulse between my legs quicken.
When I reach his side, he pulls me down so I’m lying on his lap, my head dangling toward the floor and my ass cheeks positioned between his spread thighs.
“Your punishment should be harsher, but I will be merciful since you’ve had a hard day and these are your first offenses.”
My skin tingles and my nipples tighten to the point of pain. “Thank you, sir.”
“You will count them. Fail to do so, and I will reset the count.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and try not to moan.
This is either going to end in tears or my very first orgasm.
