Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

A lexandra

Shock.

There was no doubt I had shock written all over my face. I wasn’t entirely certain I’d heard the man correctly. “What did you say?”

“You heard me, Alexandra.”

Gah, I wanted to scream at him not to continue saying my name like I was nothing but a bad little girl. But I dared not do that. I could tell the man was serious. He wasn’t gloating or gleeful in his request, just matter of fact.

I jerked up from the table before I even realized I’d done so, almost tipping over the chair given the force used. “First of all,” I huffed and even emphasized the moment by slamming my palms against the table, “I’m twenty-five, which in case you need help with numbers means I’ve been an adult for a very long time. Second, I had a legitimate reason for doing what I did and you know it. You might not like that I have friends and you don’t, but the few I have mean the world to me. I didn’t have and still don’t have any idea about what these men are capable of. I was acting on friendship and adrenaline. After what I’ve been through, I deserve a break, maybe a little bit of compassion.”

I could tell my great speech had fallen on deaf ears.

He looked at me dryly, even shifting his chair back by a few inches. “Since you’re uncertain what Adonis Dimitriou is capable of or his usual behavior, I’ll be happy to tell you. The Greeks are notorious savages, men rivaling the brutality of the Bratva in every country. The family has been at war with ours for generations, once burning down three houses with people trapped inside to make a point. Adonis is cruel, enjoying torture. That’s something you should have noticed through your initial interaction with him. He particularly enjoyed using various construction power tools in his methods of interrogation. Now, if you’d like, I can describe just how effective he is in extracting information from his victims, spending days breaking them down both physically and mentally.”

My stare of horror turned into one of full-on anger, my body shaking. “You are a cruel bastard. Yes, what I did was reckless, and done without thinking, but I cared about someone and I still do. I’m not you. I’m not used to killing people or seeing them die. I wasn’t reacting rationally. I’ll agree to that, but your attempt at making me feel so small makes me furious. Who the fuck do you think you are?”

I hadn’t thrown a tantrum in years. Right now, it felt good.

Including spinning around and heading for the door.

Only he was too fast, snapping his massive hand around my wrist, yanking me backward with so much force I was required to grab his shoulders to keep from pitching all the way forward. There had been no warning for the shot of current jetting through me like a live wire in the middle of the thunderstorm, making me lightheaded. I dropped my head, my long hair skimming his face and neck. The man didn’t flinch at all, his eyes unreadable in their darkness.

I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move a muscle, and my lust-filled thoughts grew instantaneously. I was mortified, but there was nothing I could do about my desire. Only as the flicker of pain from how tight he was holding me kicked in could I drag myself out of my ridiculous hyper fantasy.

“Who do I think I am?” he asked, his hot breath skipping across my face and neck. “I’m the man who stood in the middle of a church on a beautiful day, one that was supposed to be filled with happiness after so much tragedy. I’m also the man who held his best friend in his arms as he bled out, begging me to take care of his baby daughter. I’m the man who had no clue how to raise a child yet knew I would honor my pledge at all costs. And I will continue to do so. Am I a bad man in this world? Yes. I’m considered a ruthless man to be feared, but I’m not a monster like Adonis. I assure you of that. I’m also a man who handles issues as they come along. What you did wasn’t just reckless, it was dangerous and kept them hunting you. You need discipline and you’re not getting away from it.”

There was shock and awe at his words, a humbling feeling. I had a feeling we were destined to spar. I wasn’t entirely certain how I felt about that. Maybe I was more numb inside than I’d originally believed.

He refused to let me go, cocking his head. I concentrated on his curls and how both his thick hair and his long black eyelashes framed his carved face. It was ridiculous, but in the last few days, so many things had been, that it was insane.

“Do you understand me clearly, Alexandra?”

“I understand you have a God complex, but yes.”

He was no longer amused, exhaling in an exasperated manner. “We can do this like adults, or I can treat you like the child you’ve turned into. It’s entirely up to you.”

The man was giving me the choice. “What do you want?”

“I’ll let you go and you will not try and run. You’ll lower your shorts and panties and I’ll help you over my lap.”

I was no expert on spankings, but over his lap? That seemed far too intimate in my mind. I was still breathless, my pulse increasing every few seconds. I had no idea how I was supposed to deal with this. Yes, it was his house and his world and he’d saved me, but this was ridiculous. Momentarily tongue-tied, I just stared at him.

“Do we have an agreement?” Nico asked a few seconds later.

“Do I have a choice?”

“No, you do not.”

Somehow, I knew he’d force me into succumbing to this. That was the kind of man he was. “Fine. One time. Never again.”

“As long as you follow the rules, then there won’t be a next time.”

I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. At least I was able to smile, maybe a little slyly but it was a smile. “Then let’s get this over with.” I didn’t wait for him to release me, snatching my hand from his clutches.

There was something so pointed about his dark gaze that I was unnerved. It was as if he was seeing right through me.

He nodded as if he was a true godfather. I wasn’t certain what emotions I felt other than disgust. I also had no clue how to go about this. No one had touched me in this manner and I already felt my cheeks burning. I backed further away, turning slightly. A part of me wanted to continue arguing with him, but knew there was no point in doing so. I’d simply get through the act of humiliation.

Right here in the dining room, for God’s sake.

I tried to shove that out of my mind as I lowered my shorts. I wanted this over with so I could sulk in my room. Great. Now I was acting childish. As soon as my shorts and thong were lowered, he wasted no time pulling me over his lap.

It felt as intimate as I’d thought, perhaps even more so. I was pushed into a strange moment where everything around me was surreal. All I could do was close my eyes and endure.

Nico adjusted me, yanking me closer to his chest. I could swear he was getting hard over this, the bastard. How could anyone become excited over punishing another? He was a sadist.

He brought his hand down four times, moving from one side to the other and I honestly thought I’d jump out of my skin. While the pain wasn’t horrific, the jarring effect of being treated this way stood out like a sore thumb.

I squirmed and wiggled enough I almost fell off his lap. He said something in Italian, which I was certain was chastising the bad little girl. Well, tough for him. He wasn’t the one getting spanked.

He cracked his hand down a few more times, the agony building to the point I bit my lower lip. I also shifted once again and his hard jerk of my body was followed by throwing one leg over both of mine.

Being captured by him felt strangely invigorating, the sheer electricity overwhelming and my desire off the charts. I was shocked how wet I’d become, catching a slight whiff of my hunger. It was as embarrassing as this moment, maybe more so. I certainly didn’t want him to think I had any impure thoughts.

I did what I could to shove them aside as the spanking continued. His hand was large, his palm even more so, and I was shocked just how painful the experience was. Over his lap, with his leg controlling both of mine as he turned my ass red, I’d never felt more in someone’s power.

And the man was powerful.

When he took a deep breath, adjusting the way he was sitting on the chair, I thought for certain the ugliness was over. I was wrong as usual. He took a few seconds to caress my bottom, acting as if he would soothe the ache. My buttocks were on fire, sensitive to the light touch.

“You’ll learn I have few rules in this house, ones that are meant to keep you safe. But do not defy me. I don’t accept people disobeying the rules kindly.”

I had to wonder if he spanked his employees. The thought was silly, but kept me momentarily sane.

He continued the horrible round of discipline, bringing his hand down over and over again. Straining over his lap was fruitless, but the pain was almost as bad as the knowledge that he must be able to see my glistening pussy. I tried not to whimper or make a single sound, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

Finally, he caressed my aching butt one more time and sighed.

“That will do for now, Alexandra. I’m not trying to hurt you, simply provide you with a decent reminder.”

He’d done that alright. But his reminder was to stay far away from him.

For two reasons.

As he started to help me off his lap, I took control by shoving my hand down on his huge thigh. I was certain I’d stained his two-thousand-dollar trousers with my pussy juice. Oh, well. Maybe he deserved it.

My face was flushed all over again, my entire body trembling more from adrenaline and anger than anything. I kept my head down, concentrating on yanking my thong and shorts back into place.

When I was finished, I brushed both hands through my hair, shocked the long strands weren’t damp.

I remained embarrassed enough I couldn’t lift my head and look into his eyes, even defiantly. That wasn’t like my personality at all. I was a strong woman. I guess I’d been reduced to someone I didn’t recognize.

All I could do was concentrate on breathing.

“Take a few minutes and I’ll show you around the estate. I need to make a phone call. I’ll be back in less than ten minutes.” He didn’t wait for me to respond, rising to his feet. He shocked me by pushing in his chair like a good boy.

Was I warped or what?

He left the room, obviously dismissing me. I wasn’t certain whether to be incensed or not. I stood watching him leave, wondering once again how I’d gotten myself into this predicament.