Page 37 of Matthias’s Protective Embrace (Cardinal Falls #3)

It’s weird how strange my name sounds on his lips.

I prefer it when he calls me Firecracker.

“They’d find out eventually.” When he said it, I had a brief moment of complete panic, followed by what can only be described as relief.

Everything was on the table for once. At least then when they rejected me, it was all of me. The whole version of the story.

“But it should’ve been in your own time.”

The silence returns, this time a little bit lighter.

A few minutes later, we pull into Matthias’s garage.

I’m not sure exactly what happens now. Not with him, specifically, but in general.

Do I go get my stuff? I don’t have anywhere to go yet.

I’ve been looking at places, but I figured I had another couple of weeks before I needed to commit to anything.

With the holidays, tracking down landlords and setting up showings has been hit or miss.

The two places I looked at were straight out of a horror movie.

Which might be the best I can manage, but I want to be sure before I sign up to play the lead character in the film.

“Frank—” Matthias says at the same time as I say his name.

“You first,” he says.

“I wasn’t completely honest with you. I’m moving out of my parents’ basement, but not completely of my own free will.

” His face doesn’t change, so either he figured this all out or he’s good at poker.

“They said I could either get a new job that they deemed appropriate, take a position with Ethan, or move out. They didn’t want me wasting my life anymore.

” I try to hold it together, to keep the tears filling my eyes from spilling over, but gravity wins, and they start streaming down my face.

“That’s why I said I needed to get out. It’s why I’m getting my own apartment and couldn’t pay my tuition.

” At this point, I’m not even sure he can understand me.

My tears have turned into sobs, and I barely manage to gasp in a breath every few seconds.

“Firecracker.” Matthias’s hands are on me, holding my chin and gently brushing his fingers over my cheek.

“ Take a deep breath for me. In and out.” I try to follow his instructions, breathing when he tells me to.

It takes a few rounds before I manage to get myself under control.

“That’s good. You’re doing so good for me.

” His words pierce through the dark cloud around me, hitting me directly in the heart.

It’s enough to make me almost start crying all over again. Almost.

“Sorry,” I mutter, wiping my hands over my eyes, trying to get rid of the evidence of my breakdown.

“What are you sorry for?” he asks gently.

“For crying all over you.” I break into a laugh. This poor guy is seeing all the worst parts of me.

“You never need to apologize for that. Not to me. I’ll take all your tears.” I hope not. If I could stop embarrassing myself in front of this man, that would be fantastic. “Let’s go inside so we can talk.”

Yeah, I know what that means. We can talk, and he can tell me all about how he doesn’t want to date me anymore.

I’m too complicated. Too young. Too much in general.

All the reasons bounce around in my head as we make our way into the house.

I expect him to lead me to the living room, but he bypasses it and takes me into the bedroom instead.

Weird place to break up with someone, but okay. Maybe he wants me to get the small collection of personal items that are here out.

“Firecracker, why didn’t you tell me what was going on with your parents?” Matthias’s voice is gentle and soothing. He beckons me to sit down next to him on the edge of the bed, patting the comforter a few times.

“Um… because it’s embarrassing.” Although, that seems to be a theme in this relationship.

“I mean, getting thrown out of my parents’ house?

Refusing to take a pity job from my brother?

” Eww. Now that it might cost me Matthias?

I wo nder if it would be that bad. They have an office here in Cardinal Falls, so I wouldn’t have to move.

No, I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror every morning if I did that.

“Firecracker, do you remember what we talked about? That I can’t help you if you don’t tell me the truth?

That’s part of my role here. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s embarrassing.

I’m not going to think any less of you. That’s part of a relationship.

We get to know all the embarrassing things about each other that no one else knows.

And those pieces are part of what bonds us together; makes us stronger. ”

I hang my head. I know he’s right. I did promise him that I would confide in him. Twice now—once after the car and once after my grades came out. This man has seen so much of me already; I don’t know why I thought I needed to hide.

“I’m sorry, Daddy.” He feels like my Daddy right now, my protector and guardian. The white knight who rides in and saves me.

“I’m going to punish you for this, for not telling me, and then it’ll be over.”

I suck in a breath at the word punish. We talked about this, but at the time, it was purely hypothetical. When we sat down and discussed limits and other topics, I consented. Though, I honestly didn’t expect it to ever happen.

“Take off your clothes.”

A shiver goes through me as I obey, stripping off everything but my briefs.

It’s weird standing here, almost naked, in front of him while he’s fully dressed.

Even his shoes are on. That little fact makes me even more aware of the power differential in the room.

My dick seems to like it, though, chubbing up in anticipation of fun times.

I try to tell it that naked in Matthias’s bedroom doesn’t equal sex this time, but it doesn’t want to listen.

“Those, too.” Matthias motions toward my briefs. As if tonight could get much more humiliating. At least with them on, the clear evidence of my excitement isn’t waving around in front of us. I sigh and step out of them, adding them to the pile of clothes on the ground next to me.

Matthias stands and takes off his grey slacks and button-down shirt, leaving him in only a pair of navy boxer briefs and a white undershirt. I wait for him to take off the rest, to join me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he sits back down on the edge of the bed.

“Good. Now over my lap.”

I hesitate for a second, not sure what that means exactly. Matthias’s eyes burn into me, staring until I start moving toward him. I don’t need to guess at his words because, as soon as I’m close enough, he helps me get into position, bent over his lap with my cock between his legs.

“Comfortable?”

Not really. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

A shiver races down my spine. “Yes, Daddy.”

When Matthias puts his hand on my ass, I flinch.

Even though all he’s doing is rubbing the skin and kneading my flesh, my mind is bracing for the next step.

I bury my face in the comforter, afraid he’ll see how red I am.

Although, in this position, with all my skin on display, he can likely see my whole body blushing.

“Ten spanks, that’s the punishment for not talking to me about these issues. As soon as we’re done, all is forgiven. We don’t need to talk about it again unless you have an issue.”

I nod, not trusting my words.

“What’s your safeword, Firecracker?” It takes me a minute to pull it from my mind, especially since we haven’t used it in the bedroom, only at social events.

“Octopus, Daddy.”

“Good boy. I want you to count these for me out loud.” He removes his hand, and I immediately miss the contact. “And, Firecracker, no coming.”

I almost laugh at his final comment. I highly doubt there’s any chance of that. Except, my half-hard cock is still there, between his massive thighs, hopeful that all of this eventually leads somewhere more pleasurable.

The first smack against my skin surprises me more than anything else. It doesn’t hurt so much as sting. I’m pretty sure it’s worse in my head than it is on my ass. “One,” I count. I can do this.

The second one lands on my other cheek. This time, I’m ready for it, the sound not startling me as much. “Two.”

“That’s good, Firecracker.”

When he reaches four, I break. A sob wracks my body before tears spill over. Great, I’m crying. Again. I thought I’d run out of tears back in the car, but my body apparently made more.

He switches back and forth between my cheeks, but randomly, so I never know where the next one is going to fall.

“Six.”

I’m a complete mess. With every smack of his hand, some piece of me falls apart.

Or maybe it’s falling together, I’m not sure anymore.

Tears stream down my face, but it’s not because of the pain.

Yeah, it hurts, but not that much. It’s more of a warm, tingly sensation.

It’s like somehow he’s managing to push out all my emotions.

Over my parents asking me to leave, and lying to Matthias about my need to find a new place to live.

All my concerns over school, work, and home. Our relationship.

At the same time, my cock is hard as steel. Each time he spanks me, the bit of movement creates the perfect amount of friction. All those early days, wanting to rub myself off on Matthias’s thighs. Well, here I am doing exactly that.

Matthias must know how turned-on I am. If he misses my hard cock, he likely can’t miss the way I’m leaking all over his inner thigh. Not the kind of thing that’s easy to ignore.

“Two more. You doing okay?”

That’s a tough question to answer. I’m on the verge of something, but I’m not sure what. I’m worried it might be my orgasm after getting strict instructions not to come.

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Good boy.” Almost the minute the words leave his mouth, his hand lands on my ass again.

I moan and rock forward, pushing my cock against his thigh. All that does is make me moan again. Harder. “Nine,” the word is shaky as it leaves my mouth.

When the last one lands, he leaves his hand there, kneading the sensitive flesh. “Ten,” I whisper.

“You did so good, Firecracker.” He rubs his hands gently over my skin. It takes a second for my brain to come online and realize he’s got lotion or something. It tingles with a cooling sensation as he spreads it around. “Taking your punishment for your Daddy.”

I groan and cant my hips, looking for friction.

“Do you need something?”

“Please. Need you.” I don’t know that I’m supposed to ask for something like that after a punishment. He did say the whole situation would be done. Does that mean sex? Please let it mean sex .

“I need you, too, Firecracker.” Before I can say anything, his finger pushes inside me. I tense briefly before relaxing.

I’m still partly offline after that whole experience.

All I can do is relax and let him prep me, alternating between pushing back into him and thrusting forward to rub my cock against his thighs.

It’s so good I almost don’t realize how close I am in time to stop.

It’s only when Matthias pegs my prostate a few times that I notice my orgasm sneaking up on me.

“Now,” I demand. “Please.”

Matthias moves me onto the bed, laying me on my stomach and moving a pillow under my hips. I wouldn’t want it all the time, but on a night like this when he takes charge, I’m okay with him manhandling me into the exact position he wants.

I hear the tear of a condom wrapper and wait expectantly, knowing exactly what comes next. It’s only a few seconds before the tip of his cock notches against my hole.

He takes me in three deep strokes, burying himself deep inside me. “Fuck, Firecracker. You look so good like this. Your red ass taking my cock so nicely.”

Shit . I wish he could take a picture and save it for me, but I definitely don’t do that. Not that I don’t trust Matthias, but those things have a way of getting out.

I expect him to take me hard tonight, both of us pent up and on edge. Instead, he takes me gently, long strokes that set my whole body on fire.

“Matthias,” I moan into the pillow. “I—” Each thrust rubs my cock against the pillow, giving me the hard friction I crave right now. It’s perfect, but my body is ready to explode, balls drawn up tight.

“I’m close, Firecracker.” He sounds wrecked, his voice low and raspy. “Come with me.”

It’s all the permission I need before I come, my body clamping down tight and squeezing Matthias’s cock. He stutters and manages a few more strokes before I feel him fill the condom.

I must fall asleep because the next thing I know, I wake up under the covers, tucked into Matthias’s side.

“You okay, Firecracker?”

I shift experimentally. Yeah, my ass is going to be sore for a few days. “A little tender, but okay.”

“You let me know if that changes, okay? Promise?”

“I promise.” I curl further into him, if that’s even possible.

“Firecracker?”

“Hmmm…”

“I think you should move in with me.” That comment is so out of the blue that I sit up straight, almost clocking Matthias in the jaw with my movement.

“Before you say no, we can call it a test run, if it makes you feel better. There’s no reason for you to pay rent on a place when you’re here most of the time.

Besides”—he takes a long, deep breath—“I want you here. I’ve wanted to ask for a while, but I held back.

I think that was the wrong choice. You should be here. You belong here.”

“Okay.” I don’t know where that answer comes from. I had a hundred arguments for why it’s a terrible idea in my head, but now they’re all missing.

“Frank, I don’t want to pressure you into this…”

I lie back down, using his furry chest as a pillow. “You’re not. I want to.”

“Good, then it’s decided. ”

Decided. I like that word. It’s settled, the same way I feel here tonight. Like for once, everything is coming together exactly as it should.