The Betrayal by Shayla Black
“Really, precious? You want me to make you?” Hammer’s voice lowered dangerously. She’d trampled over every submissive rule. Insulted him utterly. Challenged him in a way he couldn’t let pass. And damn if he didn’t want her even more. The girl had fire; she would burn him in bed.
The way she’d thrown herself at him told Hammer that she was crying out for attention. But if he gave Raine what she sought, she’d be damned. All he could do was punish her defiance and pray it drove some extra distance between them. Hammer didn’t lie to himself. The thought of spanking her bare ass made the pervert in him get hard all over again. He’d do the job thoroughly, too. Sitting would prove painful for days.
With long strides, he prowled toward her, gripped her silky hair in his fist, and yanked her head back. As he pressed their bodies together, her lips trembled right beneath his. He fought the urge to kiss her. Why did Raine stir such insatiable hunger? What was it about her that drove him to crave her? Made him want to rip her clothes off and sink into her over and over?
As Hammer struggled for control, he stared into her tumultuous eyes and looked past her anger, through her soul, all the way down to her shattered heart. He’d done that, and her agony split his chest. He wished to fuck they could go back in time, when his relationship with Raine had been easier. Guiding her had given him great joy when she hadn’t been quite a woman. But he’d been unable to ignore her passionate beauty for long, and thoughts of claiming her had begun to plague him relentlessly. Rejecting her now made him feel like a first-class asshole. This was hardly the first time he’d questioned whether he was protecting her from himself or simply hurting her more, but the answer was always the same. Keeping her at arm’s length was for her own damn good. Her dented pride would heal faster than her crushed soul.
So he had to step carefully. If she suspected for a second how close he was to throwing all caution to the wind, Raine would never stop trying to break through his walls. The tenacious little vixen would wear him down because he wanted her too badly to fight her off for long. And that would make him a completely selfish bastard. Despite what Liam thought, he was never going to be whole again. He didn’t deserve to be.
Raine would have to be content with his guidance from afar, and he’d pray that someday, she found the right Dom to treasure her as she deserved. Even if the thought made him homicidal.
“Just what do you think you’re going to accomplish by throwing toys at me? Have you lost your mind?” he demanded in low tones. “On second thought, don’t say a word. You want to be treated like a submissive? You got it,” he snapped, releasing her abruptly. “Strip!”
Yes, he was a stupid bastard, testing his already precarious control. But any Dominant would have to peel back the defenses she hid behind so desperately. He needed her naked, physically and emotionally. Exposed. Maybe then he could make her comply.
Her eyes widened, then suddenly narrowed as she glared daggers at him, crossing her arms tighter. Her breasts lifted in a mouthwatering offering. Forcing himself to ignore the view, he snatched her wrists, flung her arms to her sides, then wrenched the skimpy black lace bra from her chest. It hit the floor. Her breasts bounced free.
Raine rushed to cover herself with her hands, but he blocked her—and tried not to stare at her luscious breasts with their perfect rosy nipples. “The rest, precious. I said strip. Not when you feel like it. Not when it suits you. Now!”
Her plump red lips pursed as she scowled. “You let your opportunity pass, sport. Since you have no intention of doing anything more than pulling my hair and stroking your own cock, we’re done here.”
She jerked free and turned her back to him, revealing her lacy thong and delectable ass as she marched away, leaving her bra on the floor between them. The infuriating minx was on a roll, using every tactic imaginable to challenge him. Hammer wasn’t having it.
He sucked in a deep breath and snagged her by the neck, then spun her around. She crashed against him, head snapping back. Her gaze, silent and furious, locked on his. Fuck, all the ways he wanted her raced through his head…
“Enough! This defiance ends here and now.” Hammer hoisted Raine over his shoulder.
At her shriek of indignation, he smacked her bare ass and carried her through the deserted dungeon, down the hall, and back into his private bedroom. The second they cleared the portal, he kicked the door shut, tossed Raine on the bed, then tore the black lace thong from her hips. And stared.
Shit!Her pussy was bare, plump, and pink. As her heady scent filled his nostrils, he nearly staggered back. The room swayed. His cock throbbed painfully. He couldn’t fucking breathe.
Gritting his teeth, he sat on the edge of the bed beside the little hellcat, forcing himself to remember that she was mostly naked in his bed for her punishment, not his pleasure.
In one fluid motion, Hammer flipped her over his knees and gripped her hair. He ignored her yelp while he threw her shoes across the room, then shredded her silk stockings impatiently.
Now she lay completely bare across his lap. Swallowing back the thick swirl of lust as he stared at her smooth, supple ass, he drew back his hand. He hesitated, fantasizing that he could slip his fingers into her pussy, collect her juices, then slide them back to her puckered rosette, properly prepare her like a Master should—like he fucking wanted to—before driving balls deep into her ass and claiming her. That fantasy had played over and over in his head a thousand times.
Not happening, man!
Dragging in a steadying breath, Hammer closed his eyes to center himself. A responsible Dominant always handed down punishment in a calm, cool manner. It didn’t matter that Raine had taunted the sexual beast seething inside him. He’d be damned if she’d provoke him into something he’d regret.
He silently counted to ten, then focused on the lesson she needed to learn. “You will count for me, precious, loud and clear. I have no qualms about spanking you hard until you follow instructions and respect the boundaries between us.”
“No…you…won’t!” she vowed as she wriggled to work free of his hold.
She squirmed all over his cock, her alluring scent assailing him with every twist of her body. Hammer glimpsed the delicate folds between her thighs and cursed under his breath. Raine was drenched.
“Don’t you even think of—ouch!” she yelped as he landed the first stinging blow across her ass.
As she struggled to get away, he felt her molten honey seep through his trousers, scalding his thigh. Her intoxicating scent breathed more life into his already painful erection.
“Count,” he snarled.
“One, you rat bastard. You’ve made your point. Now let me go!”
“Rat bastard? Oh, precious, I haven’t even started to make my point, and you have no idea how big a bastard I can be. Just wait.” Landing another blow on her silken backside, he clenched his fist to quell the burn she blazed across his palm. “Now count, without your smart-assed commentary.”
She hissed as she struggled over his rigid cock. Damn it, Raine was going to massacre every shred of his control before he finished her punishment.
“Fine. I’ll count.” She slipped into a sing-songy voice dripping sarcasm. “One, two. I don’t belong to you! Three, four. Go fuck your little whore. Five, six. Oh, look who’s got a hard dick. Seven, eight. If you want me, asshole, guess what? It’s too late.”
Hammer barely managed to smother his stunned bark of laughter. Only Raine would still be dishing out insults while he smacked the hell out of her ass. This punishment wasn’t going to put a dent in her attitude. He was pretty sure the only way to strip her sass was to settle himself between her legs and fuck her blind. As incredible as that would feel, once he started, he would never stop.
Landing two more quick blows to her bright red ass, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Nine, ten, guess we’ll have to start again.”
She screeched in fury, and he swung his hand back to land another blow. Then her supple thighs fell apart—and his mind went blank. Before he could summon his sanity, he drove two fingers deep into her seeping cunt. Oh god… Tight. Slick. Swollen. Everything he’d ever imagined. His lust raged, melting his brain and good intentions. Fuck.
Gasping, she rocked against his embedded fingers. The sound of her pleasure cut into him like a white-hot spike. He’d never touched Raine sexually. Now his cock pulsed in time with the pounding of his heart.
Driving his fingers deeper, he turned his hand and brushed his thumb over her pebbled clit, his heart galloping as she melted against him. “Am I a bastard now, precious?”
“No,” she whimpered and bowed her head in surrender. “Please…”
It was the singular most arousing moment of his life. God, she looked so beautiful, her dark hair spilling around his thighs, her nape exposed, her bare ass reddened by his hand. He fought hard not to roll her over, pin her to the bed, and shove himself inside her wet, snug cunt.
“Do you think I don’t know what you want?” Strumming her clit as she mewled so beautifully, he inhaled a ragged breath. “See, precious. I do. Now, who is the Master?”
“You, Sir. Please... You. You’re all I’ve ever wanted.”
Christ, she’d sliced open her chest and shown him all the feelings she’d been holding inside. Unlike him, she had the balls to confess everything in her heart. His pride swelled at her courage, even as his heart seized. Maybe for this—for her—he could try to heal the past…but then he’d have to confess his greatest failure to Raine. Fuck, no. He’d rather have her idolize him from afar than loathe him to his face. Or worse, fear him.
“You’ll always have me, just not on your terms.” Unable to stop himself, he arched his hips, driving his steely cock against her soft belly. “I won’t deny that you make me hard when you’re naked and poised over my lap, your soul open and raw. But I won’t give you anything more. And you can’t demand it, as if it’s your right. Don’t pin your hopes on me, precious. I’m not good for you.”
Now that he’d made his point, he should pull away, set her on her feet, and send her out the door. But with the feel of her silken pussy clutching his fingers, making his cock scream in need, he couldn’t bring himself to dismiss her yet. Just a few more moments to savor her… It was unlikely he’d ever touch her this way again.
Calling himself a fool, Hammer squeezed another finger into her sodden cleft and found the bundle of nerves hidden deep within. He massaged the soft, sensitized tissue, his body stiff, breathing harsh, as her nectar spilled over his hand. “Do you want to come for me?”
Raine panted and nodded frantically, whimpering in desperate need. He felt her folds flutter as she tensed like a tightly drawn bow, her entire body humming.
“Please...Yes,” she begged. “I want it. So badly. From you.”
Probably every bit as badly as he ached to give it to her. But he had to do what was best for Raine. She needed a lesson about respecting the boundaries between them—or there’d be disaster in their future.
Steeling himself against her soft pleas, he withdrew his fingers from her sweet cunt. “No, you may not. That’s the punishment for your bratty behavior, your insults, your brazen seduction, and most of all, your blatant manipulation.”
As he set her on her feet, she cried out in frustration. He resisted the urge to growl along with her. But he couldn’t stop his gaze from sweeping over her naked body. Her glistening pussy, those red nipples puckering in the morning chill, her hypnotic eyes lost in sexual splendor, all tempted him. And he’d put that look on her face.
Swallowing back his desire, he stood and handed down the rest of her punishment. “You’re denied orgasm for three days, girl.”
Her jaw dropped. “You drive me to the brink of madness with those big fingers, then expect—”
“Yes.” He tilted his head, silently warning her not to defy him. Her mute stare gratified him. “Go pick up your mess in the dungeon, precious. We’re through here.”
Turning his back and dismissing her, he strode into his private bathroom, locking the door behind him with a ragged breath. Shoving his trousers off and flipping the shower on, he looked down at his angry cock throbbing—again.
Cursing, he leaned against the cool tiles. But now he had new fuel to add to his fire, the feel of Raine draped over his lap, her intoxicating pleas as she begged him to let her come. Squeezing his eyes shut, his mind filled with more images of her. Regretfully, he soaped up and began stroking his shaft once more, the distended veins and swollen head aching for attention.
It didn’t take long. His overloaded brain threw in a replay of her sucking his cock, and he was done for. Heart drumming, Hammer threw his head back and pressed his lips together to smother a hoarse cry.
Still panting, he washed himself, then turned off the water and wrapped the towel around his waist with a heavy sigh. Having to jack off like a pubescent teen, not once but twice, totally pissed him off. “And whose fault is that, dumbass?”
His own.
He prepared himself to act as if she hadn’t ruffled him a bit when he saw her around the club. If not, it would encourage her. He couldn’t risk that. Raine had proven that she could wear his restraint down to nothing. He hoped like hell her unruly antics were over because if he had to punish her again—touch her at all—he would cave. He’d spread her open, sink deep, and fuck her into oblivion. Nothing would stop him, least of all his regrets.
Raking a hand through his hair, he opened the bathroom door in a cloud of steam and stepped out—then froze.
In the center of his bed, Raine lay naked, her sleek legs spread in decadent invitation with a hot pink vibrator thrust into her pussy, her head thrown back in sexual abandon. Fuck, she looked so beautiful. His nostrils flared. His jaw locked and his heart pounded. And holy shit, his unruly cock sprang to life again.
Hammer stumbled to the edge of the bed, where her feminine fragrance filled the air and enticed him. He swallowed tightly. He should stop her, but instead, he sank to the mattress, mesmerized, as the toy disappeared between her slick folds.
She squeezed her eyes shut. As her back arched, she dug her heels into the bed, then cried out and shattered before him in a stunning display of pleasure. Hammer could only stare.
After years of pampering him with coffee, his favorite baked goods, and other little gestures meant to please him, this brash behavior, while sexy as hell, came across loud and clear as a giant “fuck you.”
It was obvious that she needed sterner punishment, but it couldn’t be by his hand.
“Before you strive for orgasm number two, I’ll take that.” He swatted her hand out of the way and withdrew the toy from her pussy. His mouth watered. He craved a taste of her.
Raine collapsed on the bed and flashed him a languorous stare. Then her gaze dropped to his tented towel. “Are you going to try to tell me you didn’t enjoy the show as much as I liked putting it on?”
At her razor-sharp question, he speared her with his sternest glare. “I’m very disappointed in you. You’ve blatantly disregarded my punishment.”
Scrambling to her feet, still naked, she blinked away the tears starting to form. “Maybe I’m disappointed in you, too. Somewhere in there, you want me and you won’t admit it. At least I’m honest! I came to you with a genuine desire and revealed exactly how I felt. I gave you every opportunity to take what you want from me. But no! You made me feel like a child, then jacked off because you want it and aren’t man enough to take it. You know what? That’s fine. I think I know someone who is man enough. Thanks for absolutely nothing, Hammer.”
Cut to the core, he wrapped his fist in her silky mane and led her to the wall by her hair, lifting her to her toes. “Hands behind your back. Nose against the wall, girl. Don’t say another goddamn word. Listen to me,” he demanded. “Did you ever think that maybe if you stopped acting like a child, I’d stop treating you like one? I’m not sure what prompted this bratty behavior, but I don’t like it and I won’t tolerate it. Do I make myself clear?”
She didn’t reply, but he knew she’d heard. It was enough for now.
“Tell me, precious, would your mythical Dominant save you from living in an alley, give you shelter and food, put clothes on your back, then finance your education, and never demand a goddamn thing in return?”
The starch left her body instantly. Fat tears trailed down her cheeks, and every one of her sniffles was a blade to his heart.
“My attitude has nothing to do with you rescuing me. I’ve always been grateful. I always will be. Did you need to hear that? Is it not enough that I owe you everything I have? I’m just so goddamn tired of being ignored. Every freaking day, I’m here. You see me, but you don’t see me. Why? Am I not obedient enough? Pretty enough? Smart or cultured enough? Or is it because I’m not a carbon copy of one of your plastic whores?”
Every word broke his heart a little more. Raine finding him with Marlie had, no doubt, kindled this defiant fire. Her insecurities and his own rebuffs had fed it. Was Raine really so broken she couldn’t see that everything about her put Marlie and those like her to shame?
With a sigh, he brought her around to face him. “None of that, precious. I don’t ignore you or look through you. Why would you think such a thing? Because I won’t let you bring me to my knees? Because I won’t give you attention the way you want it? I see the gorgeous, vivacious woman you’ve become, but your behavior suggests that you’re only willing to submit to your own desires. If you’re the one setting the bar, how can you ever blossom into the submissive that yearns inside you? If your tantrum today is because I spent the night with Marlie, then I regret if that hurt you, but you don’t get to choose what or who I do.”
Raine bowed her head and closed her eyes. He could feel a palpable hopelessness wash over her.
“But I can’t compete. I have almost no experience.”
Her little, broken voice ripped at him. Hammer couldn’t stop himself from cupping the back of her head and caressing gently. “It’s not a competition.”
“It is! I don’t get a chance to submit and learn and grow,” she went on with a sob. “No one will touch me because they won’t cross you. I’ve had sex twice in the last five years. I’ve never really scened. Every man here avoids me. I feel...damaged and ugly. If you don’t want me, show a little mercy and let me go.”
Each brutally honest word that tumbled from her mouth burned him like acid. In allowing other Dominants to look but not touch, he’d kept her captive, like a bird in a gilded cage. He could hardly blame her for her submissive shortcomings. How was she supposed to flourish if he constantly impeded her growth and refused to give her up? Liam was right; he’d done her a huge injustice.
You’ve known for years she’s in love with you, and you, you sick, twisted fuck… How long have you cared for her? Ached for her? Guilt burned bitter on his tongue.
Goddamnit, he wasn’t what she needed. That truth hurt like a bitch. Furious at himself for not being the man she deserved, Hammer knew he should set her free.
But letting go would be so fucking hard. Fear that she would, indeed, find a better Master punched him in the gut. The pain didn’t bring out the best in him, and at the thought of losing her, he lashed out, knowing exactly how to scare her into obedience.
“You want a taste of someone else’s dominance? I can arrange that.” He gritted his teeth. “You’re due a punishment. How about an evening with, say…Beck?”
As soon as Hammer spoke the threat, he wished he could call it back. Jesus, he had to stop letting his emotions take over, but Raine had him so unhinged that he was acting more like a bully than a Dom.
Her eyes flew open wide and her body shook. “But he—he’s…”
A tremendous sadist who took pleasure in torturing submissives. Raine was not a pain slut. Still, Hammer had to ensure that she ceased pushing him for what he couldn’t give, no matter how much her lesson hurt them both. And he couldn’t take his threat back now without undermining his own authority.
She tore herself from Hammer’s grasp and glared at him with panic in her eyes. “Dear god, haven’t you hurt me enough? Would you hand your perfect little Marlie to him? Of course not. You give a fuck what happens to her. You care whether he terrifies or marks her. Me? Oh, let’s just throw the little girl to the big bad wolf. Will you stand there and laugh while he marks me?”
Her angry taunt shamed him to the core. “Since you’ve never acted out this seriously, I’ll show you mercy and rescind your punishment if you say you’re sorry.”
Hammer prayed that she accepted his leniency. Instead, her eyes bulged in shock.
“You want me to apologize because I was dumb enough to confess my feelings so you could tear them to shreds? No. You know what? I’m done! So done.”
Just when he thought her temper tantrum couldn’t get any worse, she stormed out of his office, hell bent on...what? He had no clue. She disappeared into her room at the end of the hall, slamming the door until the walls shook. Then she reappeared a minute later, barely dressed in a miniscule skirt and a cleavage-hugging halter top, sans bra. Without warning, she launched her office keys at him. He caught them before they smacked him in the chest.
“I won’t be in your way anymore. I won’t stare at you with stupid puppy dog eyes. I won’t bake for you. I won’t do your filing. I won’t order your booze. I sure as hell won’t masturbate to thoughts of you. Just erase me from your memory bank because I’m gone. And I’m never coming back.”
No. Fuck, no!
Before she could blaze out the door in an F5 cyclone of fury, he chased her and snagged her arm, his fingers staying her in a desperate grip.
“Stop! Are you really going to act like a child and threaten to run away from home because you’re not getting your way?”
“Since you just had your fingers up my pussy, I would have hoped that you’d figured out I’m a woman. I’m also perfectly within my rights to leave. Buh-bye.”
Leave it to clever little Raine to throw his stupidity back in his face. He had to bite back the urge to shout at her. As it was, they’d already been so loud that the other Doms and subs sleeping nearby in their private rooms were getting one hell of a wake-up call.
Instead, he gripped her harder. “You cry because I’m not paying attention to you, but when I command you to hold your orgasm to drive your submissive needs, you defy me—on my own bed. You swear that you want a Dom, so I give you one. But oh, he’s not the one you want! See a pattern here? You’re only willing to submit to your own bratty self. Guess what? It. Doesn’t. Work. That. Way!”
Suddenly drawn by movement down the hall, Hammer glanced over Raine’s shoulder to find Liam watching them, slowly buttoning his trousers and wearing an unmistakable scowl.
