SERAPHINE
I don’t like it when Leroi broods, which is most of the time. He’s always so preoccupied with irrelevant details, when he should enjoy the fact that he’s free. This was the only way I could think of to distract him from brooding.
The only sounds left when he turns off the engine are the hiss of airbags and my ragged breaths. His gaze bores into me with an intensity that makes my heart flip and my fingers release the seat belt.
Now, I’m wondering about this punishment.
Leroi shoves down his airbag, his nostrils flaring, his black eyes burning so hot that my skin tingles from the reflected heat. I haven’t seen him this angry, not even when I got blood all over his apartment and he slapped my sandwich out of my hands.
Prickles skitter down my spine and settle between my legs, making my core clench. It’s a strange mix of anticipation and fear that makes me wonder if I pushed him too far.
“Do you remember your safe words?” he asks, his voice cold.
“Yes, why?” I ask.
He pushes down my airbag, filling my vision with a puff of powder. “Because this punishment is going to hurt.”
The pulse between my legs throbs in time to the beat of my pounding heart. I don’t know if I’m scared or aroused, but I know I’m ready.
Before he can make his move, I grab for the car handle and swing open the door. “You’ll have to catch me first.”
“Seraphine,” Leroi growls.
I bolt into the trees, my heart thudding in my ears. Leroi curses and yells at me to come back, but I don’t even bother to spare him a glance.
Shrubs and tree trunks blur as I race further away from the road, making sure not to run a straight path. Leroi will probably waste time locking his car before giving chase, so I have to take advantage of this opening.
“You have a count of five before I catch you,” he roars from the direction of the road. “One.”
Every inch of my skin skitters with excited tingles, and my nostrils fill with the mingled scents of pine and damp earth. I can’t remember the last time I ran through the woods, but the feel of branches brushing my arms and twigs snapping underfoot is exhilarating.
“Two.”
Brambles tug at my clothes, but I keep running. Leroi’s voice grows fainter and fainter until all I can hear is the pounding of my heart and the roar of blood between my ears.
“Three.”
My heart soars. I have never felt so free.
“Four.” There’s so much distance between us that I’m sure it’s my imagination. Even when I think I hear him say five.
I like Leroi. A lot. He’s the only man who makes me feel safe and warm and protected. He’s the only one who looks beyond the surface and sees who I am and doesn’t recoil or attack. I like the way his veins bulge when he’s agitated and the way he makes my toes curl with his kisses. I like his temper, his possessiveness, and his intensity. I even like his punishments.
The canopy thickens, letting in dappled sunlight. Up ahead, I catch glimpses of a tall brick wall covered in ivy. I run away from it, not wanting to get too close to the estate.
Movement in the corner of my eye makes my heart flip. It’s Leroi, charging through the trees like the terminator.
With a squeal, I pick up my pace, duck behind a tall shrub, and catch my foot on a creeping vine. I tumble forward and land on my hands and knees.
Shit.
Scrambling to my feet, I try to ignore Leroi’s footsteps thundering from behind, but every fine hair on the back of my neck stands alert.
He’s going to catch me.
This is the first time I’ve enjoyed feeling like prey.
I run faster, dodging low branches and leaping over fallen trunks. My heart pounds, my lungs burn, but the adrenaline pumping through my veins keeps my limbs light.
All those years of exercise machines in the basement have finally paid off. I’m outrunning Leroi.
Strong arms wrap around my waist and lift me off my feet. I scream, my legs cycling uselessly in the air.
Leroi’s hot breath tickles my neck. “Bad girl,” he growls. “Now your punishment’s about to get a lot worse.”
My pussy clenches with anticipation as both his arms encircle my middle, pulling me against his broad chest.
“Get off.” I shove my elbows back, but he only tightens his grip.
So I spin around and knee him in the balls.
Leroi snarls. “You’re about to learn what happens to naughty little brats.”
His threat leaves my mouth dry and my core quivering. I try to wrestle free, but it’s futile. He’s too strong. I’m powerless, but for once, it feels good.
“Tell me your safe words.”
He carries me through the trees, further away from the wall until we’re heading back toward the road.
“Red to stop and yellow to slow down,” I say between ragged breaths.
“Good,” he says, his voice deep and rough. “I’m going to fuck your tight little cunt so hard your legs will tremble for a week.”
He punctuates the word by tugging on my shirt, ripping through the fabric like paper. Cool air swirls over my exposed chest, contrasting with the way my pussy floods with heat. My clit throbs. I can’t believe how much I want that to happen.
When we reach a grassy patch beneath a tree with wide, twisting branches, he sets me down on my hands and knees. My torn shirt pools around my waist, leaving me completely exposed. Every inch of my skin shivers with anticipation and my nipples tighten into hard peaks.
“No bra?” he growls.
Leroi drops to the ground with me and presses his chest against my back. He pinches my nipple, triggering an explosion of pleasure and pain.
His other hand tugs down my panties and leggings in a sharp movement that has me gasping.
“I’m going to fuck you like an animal,” he snarls in my ear. “Pound your perfect little pussy into the dirt until you scream. Would you like that, my fallen angel?”
I shiver, my nipples tingling against the dry grass.
He grabs an ass cheek and exposes my puckered hole, triggering a spike of emotion. It’s a mix of arousal and alarm that has me kicking backward and breaking free.
“Seraphine,” he hisses.
I’m already on my feet, running, and pulling up my leggings. If Leroi wants me, he’ll have to work for it. My feet pound against the ground, the sound of his frustration echoing in my ears. I’ve just made my punishment worse, and I don’t care.
My breasts bounce, and my veins course with undiluted exhilaration. The breeze blows through my hair and caresses my skin. This is the freedom I hadn’t dared to dream of in that basement. Having the choice to run half naked through the woods, pursued by a man who wants to give me orgasms.
Flying past the trees, I barely register each slap of the branches against my bare skin. A tall shrub stands twenty feet straight ahead, it’s thick enough to create a hiding spot. I’m almost within reaching distance as Leroi tackles me to the ground. My arms shoot out to break my fall, but he’s on top of me in an instant.
He flips me onto my back and pins my wrists above my head. Sunlight filters in through the trees, coloring the ends of his black hair a bright shade of mahogany. The shadows cast his eyes in darkness, making them look even more intense.
“You think you can escape me, angel?” he asks in a low growl.
“Let go of me.” I raise my pelvis, trying to buck him off, but he’s too heavy. Even twisting to the side is difficult, with him straddling my hips.
He leans down and says in a low voice, “You’re in a world of trouble. Now, I’m going to make you beg.”
As he sinks his blunt teeth into my neck, my pussy responds with a rush of wetness and heat.
I’m helpless.
For the first time in my existence, I’m aroused at a man having me at his mercy. I can’t wait to find out what he’ll do next.
