Page 97 of Point of Contention

I shivered as he trailed a finger down my spine, then followed the waist of my panties across my lower back.

“Your choice, Ms. Blake.” He paused, then dipped his finger in to tease the crease between my cheeks. “On or off.”

I swallowed hard, then straightened my shoulders as I took a deep breath. “Off, Sir.”

He hummed in agreement, then tugged the lace down over my hips, and my panties joined my dress on the floor.

Cabot spun me slowly until I faced the crowd. “Eyes on me,” he whispered.

I swiveled my head and focused on him.

He snapped his fingers and the lights dimmed, both inside the viewing room and directly past it, though where the crowd gathered was considerably darker. “You’re incredible,” he told me, then he moved behind me and I gazed into the darkness beyond the viewing room. He swiped my hair to the side and laid it over one shoulder, then draped a necklace around my neck. I lifted my hand as he secured the clasp, brushing my fingertips over the cool teardrop that settled perfectly into the notch of my collar bone.

Settling his hands on my shoulders, he leaned forward, bringing his mouth to my ear. “It’s a rare chocolate diamond, the same shade as your eyes.”

I gasped as emotion tightened my throat. When I was able to speak again, I whispered, “A collar?”

“Mm. If you’ll accept.”

I swallowed hard and nodded.

He had my heart, my body,me… but here, in his sanctuary, this necklace implied more than I’d probably ever understand.

This was more significant than anything else he could give me. And the fact that he’d given the necklace to me in front of a crowd of onlookers spoke louder than anything else we might to in front of them tonight.

The significance was not lost on me.

After a moment, Cabot nudged me and I moved to the spanking bench, then settled myself upon the leather and wood. As I positioned my knees on each plank, I leaned forward and dropped my head into the cradle. The large plank for my upper body was tilted, so my head was now a bit lower than my backside. I gave it a little wiggle, just to reassure him that I was game for this.

“What is your safe word?” Cabot asked, amusement in his tone as he secured my left wrist.

“Lavender, Sir.”

“You are in control,” he said, so softly I barely heard him. “Never forget that.”

I nodded and he moved down to my left ankle, then around my high heels hanging off the back to secure the right ankle, then my right wrist.

When he was finished, he ran his hand down my spine, then dipped his hand down between my legs, hissing in a breath when he discovered how much wetter I’d become.

“Christ,” he breathed. “I don’t deserve you.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Cabot

From the way she challenged me when she felt like sparring to her ability to acquiesce when it was time to do so, Rylan Blake was the woman I’d waited nearly forty years to find. And I hadn’t even known I’d been looking for her. She was perfect for me.Madefor me.

I loved her more with each beat of my heart.

Dressed in nothing but her custom Le Vian necklace and perched on the whipping bench, she was a vision of absolute beauty. Pale flesh, supple and ready for my marks, this woman’s body was a work of art.

I rose to my feet and pushed the bench until she was displayed in side view of the onlookers. I’d considered placing her head toward the back of the room, her legs spread for the audience, but an uncharacteristic flare of jealousy had swayed my mind last minute.

The paradise between her thighs was for me alone.

I strode to the cabinet on the wall and retrieved my other leather hood, then slipped it into place over my head. Next, I selected my tools for the scene and laid them out on a table. The crop, because Rylan enjoyed it. The flogger, because I knew the brush of its strands across her flesh would become a new favorite for her.

And the paddle.