Chapter Thirteen

Past the Breaking Point

Tucker

His palm tingled as it landed over her reddening backside, the noise of the impact ringing around him as he pressed his hand against her warm flesh.

“How are you doing, little girl?” He glanced toward her face, still buried in the sofa’s cushion.

He’d been spanking her for some time already, her coloring ass a testament to how many swats she’d taken, but Ella had been stoic as she received the strikes. Barely a whimper had left her lips in that time, but he’d noticed the way her hands had balled into small fists by her face. She was finding the onslaught every bit as grueling as he’d imagined she would, but she wasn’t letting it show.

“It hurts.” She pushed the words out in one long rush of air. “Thank you, sir.”

His brow rose at the expression of gratitude. The fact he hadn’t demanded it meant he appreciated it all the more.

“You’re welcome.” He squeezed the orbs of her behind gently. “I know you didn’t mean to offend me with your quip about the cabin, but…” He hesitated, trying to decide how to best articulate his viewpoint. “That place means a lot to me.”

“I know.” She squeaked from over his lap. “I understand that now.”

“How hard are you finding the swats?” Tucker hadn’t been holding back, and his throbbing cock was desperate to discover if she’d found the strikes as alluring as he had. Brushing his fingers over her heated cheeks, he dipped between them and skimmed a line over her labia. Just as he’d hoped, her lips were damp with need.

Fuck.

He pulled in air as his fingertips teased her, fucking her in a deliberate and measured way.

“Oh God.” She panted at his intrusion, her raspy voice communicating how much she wanted him.

“That was a question, little girl.” He adored how much his discipline aroused her. Tucker hadn’t believed he’d ever meet a woman who was so warmed by his natural proclivity. “On a scale of one to ten, how hard are you finding this?” His dick strained beneath his towel, ensuring they both knew how hard he was finding it.

“Eight.” She pulled in a shaky breath as his fingers withdrew. “I know you’re trying to send me a message, sir, but they hurt a lot.”

“Okay.” A pang of guilt resonated despite the way she stimulated him. It was an emotion only Ella seemed able to evoke. “I hear you, and I see your cute ass needs a rest, so we’ll wrap this up.”

“How many more, sir?” She turned her head to reveal her flaming face.

“Good question.” He massaged her ass cheeks roughly as he mused aloud. It was a liberty he didn’t need to take, but he enjoyed it just the same. “How about I reduce the number to five with your new favorite implement?” His attention darted to the hard, plastic brush at his side.

“The brush?” She clenched over him, twisting to try to catch his gaze.

“Yes, the brush.” He met her wide-eyed stare with a smirk. “It was your idea, little girl.”

“I didn’t mean it.” Desperation flickered in her gorgeous green eyes. “Please don’t use that thing!”

His cock lengthened further at her pleading tone, and fleetingly, he wondered if she realized how much her anxiety was turning him on.

“There will only be five.” He slowed his words, spearing her with what he hoped would be a reassuring look. “You can take them, Ella, then I promise you pleasure.”

Her lips parted at his vow, and he swore he could see the deliberation in her eyes as she considered his bargain. Stroking her backside, he accepted that was what this was—a negotiation. She was still his, but the days he could compel her with ropes and intimidation were gone. Ella was in his penthouse because she wanted to be; she was stretched over him for the spanking because she sought the punishment. Everything from this point on had an air of consent that had previously been missing.

“Only five, sir?” She sounded breathless.

“Five,” he confirmed with a small nod. “And I want you to know this isn’t about hurting you, little girl. I know you love this, and I want to push your boundaries and see how far we can go.”

Rising to her elbows, she turned to face the sofa again. “Okay.” Her ass clenched under his palm at her admission. “I’ll take them, sir.”

A swell of pride mushroomed inside him as he folded over her and planted a kiss on her rosy behind. He’d expected gratification at her capitulation but not the rising emotion at this latest acquiescence. The fact he’d been able to talk her around with such little fuss conveyed just how far they’d come in such a short space of time. The wildcat he’d known in the forest would have scratched and clawed to avoid such a penance.

“Good girl.” Rising over her, he grasped the handle of the brush and eyed the base. Rectangular and comprised entirely of plastic, he suspected it could do some serious damage if he didn’t use sufficient levels of care. “I’ll count them, but you will continue to thank me.”

She gulped at his verdict, pressing her pretty features into the cushion and apparently, bracing for what was to come. He lifted the brush, grazing its flat surface along the back of her thighs on the way to its destination. Her gasp was scarcely audible when he finally commanded it from her skin.

“One.”

He only gave her a few seconds before the brush landed against the curve of her ass, the impact provoking a delicious ripple across the expanse of her tempting backside. He didn’t use as much force as his palm had delivered, his attention turning to her face as he awaited her verdict on the strike.

“Fuck.” She spat the word into the couch, her feet rising at the shock. He allowed her a moment, watching as the tension eased from her shoulders, suggesting the swat wasn’t more than she could bear. “Thank you, sir.”

“Good girl.” His free hand moved to the small of her back, stroking small, circular caresses onto her skin as he raised the brush again. “Here comes two.”

The brush whipped down on her bared bottom, this time drawing only a wince from her lips.

“Thank you, sir.” The words came in a rush as she pushed her forehead against the seat.

His fingers trailed an invisible line along the length of her spine to her shoulder and massaged the creeping tautness there.

“Three.” He struck her right cheek that time, observing the impact, before he rapidly added the fourth swat to the left. “And four.”

“Thank you, sir.” She pulled in a languid breath, peering over her shoulder at him.

“Are you okay?” He held the brush against her ass as he asked.

“Yes, sir.” Unbelievably, her lips tugged into a tiny smile. “I’m okay.”

“One more then.” He winked at her. “Shall I make this one count, little girl?”

“Yes, sir.” She sucked her lower lip between her teeth as her head fell forward again. “Go ahead.”

He grinned at her compliance, uncertain which lucky star he’d been born under to discover such an attractive and astonishing woman, let alone persuade her to engage in something as red-hot as the spanking.

“Here you go.”

He scraped the brush over her tender skin before raising it and bringing it down hard upon both cheeks. She rose at the strength of the final impact, blowing out the breath she’d been holding as his free palm pushed her gently back to the sofa.

“Okay, little girl.” He cast the brush to the other side of the couch. “It’s done, and I’m so fucking proud of you.”

“Thank fuck.” Her breaths were labored as her voice broke, and heaving in air, a low sob caught in her throat.

“Come here.” Tucker reached for her, encouraging her from his lap and into his arms.

She went to him wordlessly, burying her hot face into the crook of his neck as her tears fell. Wrapping her in his embrace, he cradled her like a child.

Neither of them spoke as she released her emotion, but holding her, Tucker couldn’t help but feel as though something had shifted. She’d ceded to the brush when she could have resisted, and he’d acknowledged a rush of feelings he’d never known before. Yes, he was proud of her surrender, but more than that, knowing he’d been responsible for pushing her so low, he wanted to lift her gently back from the depths and love her.

His heart skipped a beat as the idea reverberated.

He wanted to love her.

I do love her.

Tension knotted in his chest until it was painful, and the hand supporting the back of her head splayed at the sensation.

He loved her.

There, he’d admitted it to himself at least, but there was no way he could confess it to the woman unraveling on his lap. He’d done this to her, after all, had insisted on the punishment because he’d been triggered by her quip. What she needed now was care, not pointless platitudes.

“Ella.” In the end, his hoarse whisper splintered the silence. He’d waited until her sobs had died away and her breathing had returned to normal before he attempted to stir her. “What do you need?” It was a crazy question from the man who’d just taken a hairbrush to her backside, but he couldn’t hide his concern any longer.

She rose from his chest, her hair matted against her face and her eyes red and swollen when they found his, yet he couldn’t remember her ever looking better. The woman before him wasn’t as polished and perfect-looking as the one he’d collected bound in the sleeping bag. Her submission and the way she’d suffered for him in the last hour meant she was exponentially more than that, easily the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

“I don’t know.” She sniffed. “That brush hurt like hell, sir. Especially that last strike.”

“I know.” He wanted to kiss her again, to snake his tongue inside her mouth and let it soothe away some of the pain, but he hesitated, unsure if she wanted the caress. “You did so fucking well, little girl.”

“Thank you.” The corners of her mouth twitched at his praise. “I wanted to make you proud.”

His heart swelled at her breathy admission. “You more than achieved that. I’ve never wanted you more.”

“Really?”

Her eyes widened as though she couldn’t believe it was true, which only proved how little she understood about herself. Ella’s true beauty had never been about her Vogue-worthy pout or pert breasts, although Tucker admired both of those assets. Her allure originated from the free spirit living inside her and the mindblowing reality that she was prepared to surrender that spirit to his pleasure.

“Yes, really.” He chuckled as the hand at the back of her shifted to wipe the tears drying under her eyes. “I want to thank you, little girl, for putting your trust in me and succumbing to the spanking.”

“You didn’t give me much choice, sir.” Her wry tone was accompanied by the mischievous smile he’d come to know and love.

“True,” he replied. “I made my feelings on the subject clear, but you still had the option to deny me, and I’m so thankful that you didn’t.”

“It’s okay.” Straightening, she wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. “Deep down, I wanted you to spank me.” Her gaze slid to find where he’d flung the brush. “Just not so much with that thing.”

“Got it.” He laughed gently at her obvious disdain for the implement. “In the future, I’ll save the brush for when you really deserve the penance.”

“Okay, sir.” She seemed to be coming back to life right in front of his eyes. “Thank you, and I wanted to say thanks for pushing me because…” Her words died in her throat as her brow creased.

“Because?” Placing his hand on her shoulder, his thumb stroked her skin.

“Because underneath all the agony, you can take me somewhere I’ll never be able to go on my own.” Her green eyes blinked at him. “You help me to feel rather than just think.”

“Wow.” He’d never thought about it that way before. “Thanks for sharing with me, little girl. That’s truly something.”

“It is.” Her smile widened as she brushed her lips against his.

“What’s this?” His recently subdued cock sprung back to life at the intimate contact. “Does my little girl have more needs I should attend to?”

“I think so, sir.” Reaching her arms around his neck, she pressed her body against his. “All that ‘feeling’ has left me wet and horny.”

“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” His tone was dry as he met her challenge. Capturing the back of her head, he pulled her down for a punishing kiss.