Just One Taste (Topped #2)(11)

She didn’t want him to know she was close to crying. She took a steadying breath. “I’m a yellowy green.”

His hand stilled on her, cupping her right cheek even as he steadied her over his lap. “Can I continue? Or do you need a break?”

She could likely get out of this. It was too intimate. She hadn’t expected the pain to be so…painful, or the fact that it was Eric giving it to her to be so meaningful. She could feel tears squeezing from her eyelids. How long had it been since she’d allowed herself to cry? She had to be strong. Since the moment Eddie had walked out, she’d told herself she wouldn’t shed a tear over what had happened, and she hadn’t.

“Please continue. I’m fine.” She’d held back for so long she wasn’t sure she could let go now.

His hand came down again, and she held on to his leg. The pain flared, flashing through her and making her shake.

“That’s right, sweetheart.” His voice was calm and flowed over her, reminding her that he was here with her. This wasn’t something she was alone in. This was the intimacy of D/s. “Hold on to me. You’re doing beautifully. Do you have any idea how gorgeous your ass is? It’s beautiful and round and now it’s a lovely shade of pink.”

He spanked her again and again and finally she felt the tears begin to flow.

She was crying and holding on to the very man who was making her weep. But it wasn’t a bad thing. He was giving her something she needed. The tears wouldn’t come without this fire and they felt good. The pain she felt somehow opened her up. She lost count, though she suspected Eric hadn’t. He wasn’t counting out loud, but he was measured and controlled.

With a singular exception. While he might have total control over the rest of his body, she could feel his cock. It had gone hard, and the man had a supersized dick. He had an erection. Her body responded to the feel of that cock against her belly. For the first time in forever, she felt herself get soft and wet even as her ass seemed to be on fire.

One harsh thwack ended her punishment and she found herself being lifted up like she weighed absolutely nothing. He set her on her feet and she was happy she hadn’t been able to afford to buy new shoes. Subs were given the option of bare feet or stilettos. She was fairly certain if she’d sprung for the heels, she wouldn’t have been able to stand. As it was she wobbled a bit.

Eric was right there. He towered over her, his hands coming out to steady her. When she looked up, she was caught by the heat in his eyes, the rigid line of his jaw. Maybe he wasn’t as controlled as she’d thought. Maybe this had meant something to him, too. After a moment, he released her and held out a hand. “I’ll take those now.”

It took her a moment to realize he was talking about her undies. Hell, she’d been so caught up in staring at the man and trying to process what had just happened that she hadn’t pulled down her skirt. She tugged it down before stepping out of her undies. Though it seemed such an odd thing to do, she handed them over. He took them and stuffed them in his pocket.

“Do you need a moment, Deena?” Master Liam asked in that lyrical, oh so sexy accent of his.

“He’s asking if you need aftercare,” Eric explained. He didn’t have an Irish accent, but the deep tones of his voice seemed to do something to her insides, making them soft and mushy and willing to do anything the man wanted her to do.

Which was bad. She wasn’t sure she could handle aftercare from this man. “I’m good. Let’s continue.”

He nodded and before she could move back to the rest of the class, he swept her up into his arms. She was cradled against that big chest of his, looking at the scarred side of his face. The long line that cut the right side of his face from above his brow down through his cheek did nothing but enhance how gorgeous and manly he was.

He sat down in one of the empty chairs, settling her on his lap. His arms forced her to curl into him. His big body was so warm, the skin covering his muscles so damn smooth and silky. “You did beautifully, sweetheart.”

She let herself relax against him. This was definitely not so bad. When she’d thought about finding a Dom, she was looking for someone who would fulfill her needs to explore her sexuality. Maybe that man could be Eric. If she was careful and didn’t get overly involved.

He leaned in and whispered into her ear. “Next time, we’ll go somewhere private and I won’t let you up until you’ve had a proper cry. I think you need that, sweetheart. I hated stopping before you got what you needed.”

She went stiff in his arms. Yes, this was why she’d stayed away from him. He saw too much, would want far more of her than she would be willing to give.

He was the deep end of the pool and she wasn’t ready to jump in.

Master Alex began talking, but all she could think about was the man whose arms surrounded her.





CHAPTER THREE



Eric looked over the boxes that were being sent to McKay-Taggart. Sure they were sandwiches, but they were for Chef’s older brother and not so silent partner, Ian Taggart, and his crew. Well, the ones who were at the office. Eric had been overseeing the weekly catered lunches for months, and he knew the names and typical orders by heart. Simon Weston and Jesse Murdoch were apparently on assignment in LA. The only regular orders he hadn’t made were Simon’s smoked salmon on rye and Jesse’s turkey and Swiss. It looked like everyone else was home for the week.