Rush (Breathless #1)(47)

He paced back and forth in front of her, stopping to glare at her. He sucked in his breath and then shook his head. “I can’t even talk to you right now I’m so pissed.”

She arched an eyebrow, unimpressed by the fact that he was the one angry. She was pissed. She had a right to be.

“You’re pissed?” she asked incredulously. “What the hell for? Did your floozy turn you down after all? I can’t imagine that to be the case. She was pretty hot to get into your pants.”

Confusion wrinkled his brow. “What the hell are you talking about?”

When she would have been more than happy to explain, he raised his hand, cutting her off. “First you’re going to listen while I explain just why I’m so goddamn pissed off. Then, when I’ve had a chance to calm down, I’m going to redden your ass.”

“The hell you will,” she snapped.

“You disappeared,” he bit out. “I had no idea where you went, what happened to you, if some ass**le had taken you or if you were sick or hurt. What the f**k were you thinking? Did it ever occur to you to give me the courtesy of an explanation? If you had said you wanted to go home, I would have taken you myself.”

She surged to her feet, angry at his obliviousness. Was he really that thick?

“If you weren’t so glued to your father’s date, you might have noticed!”

Understanding flashed in his eyes, and he shook his head as he sighed. “So that’s what this is about. Stella.”

“Yeah, Stella. Or whatever the hell her name is.”

He shook his head again. “You were jealous. For God’s sake, Mia.”

“Jealous? You’re so damn arrogant and self-centered, Gabe. It has nothing to do with jealousy and everything to do with respect. You and I are in a relationship. It may not be a traditional one. But we have a contract. And by God you damn well belong to me and I’m not sharing you with some blond bimbo.”

He looked completely startled by her vehemence. Then he threw back his head and laughed, which only served to piss her off more. His shoulders still shaking, he said, “You just managed to curb the edge of my anger enough that I’m going to spank that pretty ass of yours. Get in the bedroom, Mia. And strip.”

“What the f**k?”

“And watch your mouth. Jace would wash it out with soap.”

“Don’t be a hypocrite. You and Jace have toilet mouths.”

“Bedroom, Mia. Now. For each minute you delay, you get an extra five smacks, and if you don’t think I’m serious, try me. You’ve already earned twenty.”

She openly gaped at him, but when he glanced down at his watch, she bolted for the bedroom. She was insane. She should so be out the door, and yet here she was, stripping down to nothing in his bedroom so he could spank her.

A shiver worked up her body. Anticipation coiled in her belly. Anticipation? It made no sense to her. The idea of being spanked was repugnant, and yet somehow it all seemed so…enticing and erotic. His hand on her ass. Marking her. Exerting his dominance over her.

She was out of her damn mind. But that wasn’t a new thought. Signing the contract in the first place made her sanity questionable.

When Gabe entered the bedroom, she was naked and sitting on the edge of the bed, hesitant and worried, her mind fried over what was to come. She wasn’t at all sure she was going to like this. She was fairly certain she wouldn’t. But there was that small part of her that was intrigued and aroused by the idea of his hand on her ass.

Her heart leapt into her throat when he stopped in front of her, his presence powerful and consuming.

“Get up, Mia,” he ordered calmly, all traces of anger gone.

Shakily, she rose and he went to the bed to sit. He scooted to the headboard, leaning back against the pillows, and then he held out his hand to her. She climbed onto the bed, and hesitantly took his hand. He pulled her across his lap, positioning her facedown, her belly over his thighs so her ass was perched within easy reach.

He caressed the plump cheeks, rubbing lightly over the entire expanse of flesh.

“Twenty blows, Mia. I expect you to count them. At the end, you will thank me for spanking you and then I’m going to f**k your brains out.”

Her mind exploded with whoa and what the f**k and oh, yes please. All at the same time. She was crazy. There was no other explanation for it.

The first smack startled her and she let out a brief exclamation. She wasn’t sure if it was because it hurt or if it just surprised her.

“You get one more now,” he said grimly. “Count them out, Mia.”

Oh shit.

He rubbed his hand over her ass and then the next smack came.

“One,” she choked out.

“Very good,” he purred.

He soothed the area with his palm and then smacked a different part of her ass. She nearly forgot to say the count and rushed to say, “Two,” before he tacked on yet another.

Her entire ass tingled and after the initial burn, arousal hummed, sweet and deep, coiling in her belly. Her pu**y clenched, and she shifted restlessly to alleviate the unrelenting ache.

Three. Four. Five. By the time she got to a dozen, she was breathless, overheated. Squirming all over Gabe’s lap. His caresses drove her insane. A contrast to the harder blows of his hand. And yet he never struck her too hard. He used just enough bite to deliver the edge, and by the sixteenth blow, she was begging for…more. Harder.