Praise (Salacious Players Club #1)(68)

“Because I…um,” I stammer. It’s because of the money, isn’t it? “Because I cost you seventy-five thousand dollars?”

He growls, stepping toward me. As he drapes the fabric over my eyes, he coldly replies, “No.” The room goes black as he ties the silk at the back of my head, and my breathing picks up. Everything instantly becomes more intense, my legs wanting to fight against the restraints because I feel so exposed.

When I feel his soft hands stroking my cheeks, I flinch. “You cost me so much money because you are worth it, Charlotte. I put you on that stage, hoping you would see that for yourself, but I could tell as I watched you up there that you still wouldn’t believe it.”

What? This is about me believing I’m worth so much money? He can’t be serious.

“I don’t like impact play, and if I remember correctly, you didn’t like the idea of being paddled or spanked, correct?”

“Um…yes, I mean…”

He strokes my head. “Relax.”

I have to force my chest to inhale. I just want him to touch me again.

“Luckily, there are other ways of teaching you a lesson. And I’ll admit something to you…”

I hear him doing something across the room—opening a drawer, moving things around, placing things on the bed. I can’t tell what any of it is, but I’m overwhelmed with curiosity.

“What?” I ask.

He brings his mouth close to my ear as he whispers, “I memorized every single thing you wrote on that list.”

Fuck. My mind races, trying to remember what I scored those items, but there were over two hundred of them. Could he really have memorized it?

“Deep breath,” he mumbles against my ear. Right as I inhale, something clamps down hard on my right nipple, and I let out a shriek, twisting and contorting, trying to move away from the pain, but it won’t let up. It takes me a second to realize it’s a nipple clamp.

My chest is heaving as I accept the pain, letting it settle in.

“How much did I pay, Charlotte?”

My brain scrambles for an answer. “Seventy-five…” I breathe.

“Do you think that was too much?”

“Yes.” I sigh, knowing what’s coming before I can even get the word out.

When the second clamp tightens, I don’t let out a shriek because it’s not as surprising as the first, but it somehow hurts more.

Warm, wet lips press against the flesh of my breasts, and I hum in response. “Do you understand why I’m angry?”

“No,” I reply.

His hands draw deep lines down my sides, over my hips, digging under my panties. And I know what’s coming before he does it. With a quick jerk, he tears apart my thong, ripping it easily in two. I’m lying naked, bound to the bed, and being punished. It’s hot and terrifying, and I sort of don’t want it to end.

When his fingers touch me between my legs, I cry out. I’m so turned on already that one touch has me feeling ready to explode.

“Because you are mine, Charlotte. And I don’t appreciate when anyone talks badly about something that is mine. Do you think I have bad taste?”

“No…” I gasp. He runs his index finger between my folds, and I ache for more. Then he presses his finger inside me, as if he’s playing with me, teasing me.

“Do you think I’m stupid for paying so much for you?”

“No!”

He circles my clit, and I struggle against the restraints.

“Are you worth seventy-five grand, Charlotte?”

I’m trying to lean into his touch, hungry for the pressure. But he eases up every time I get close to my climax. “Answer me,” he urges.

“No,” I reply, knowing it’s not what he wants to hear. And the second the word comes out of my mouth, he pulls away. I could have lied. I knew what the right answer was, but for some reason, I don’t want to get out of this punishment.

He disappears for a moment, and I hear him gathering more things, opening drawers and setting something down. Then I hear the unmistakable sound of him lighting a match. The odor of sulfur wafts to my nose. A second later, I hear him blow the match out.

What does he need fire for?

It’s quiet for a moment, then I hear the sound of clothes rustling and his belt unbuckling.

“I wish you could see what I see,” he mutters, and I feel his weight on the bed next to me, “and I hate to punish you for always talking so badly about yourself, but I’m not going to lie, Charlotte. I’m going to enjoy this.”

His mouth lands against mine, our lips tangling as his tongue slips into my mouth. I hum against him, trying to deepen the kiss.

My nipples are numb, and the pain has faded. But something about his kiss has made them ache again.

“Deep breath,” he whispers against his mouth, and I do as I’m told, inhaling a warm breath that smells like him.

He has me relaxed and at ease, just as a burning hot pain lands against my chest, making me scream.

“Shhh… Don’t make me gag you, baby,” he mumbles against my mouth.

“It hurts!” I scream, squirming away from the heat, but it’s already starting to cool down.

Wax. He just dripped fucking candle wax on me!

“Do you need mercy?” he asks, but it takes my brain a minute to catch up. He’s asking if I want to stop. Do I? God, that hurt, but he’s doing this for a reason. And aside all of that, my body is awake, sensitive and a little horny behind the pain.