Page 78 of Raine

I nod my head, and he brings his hand down again four more times. The pain begins to merge into something like pleasure.

“Seven, eight, nine, ten,” I cry out, tears collecting and falling onto the timber floors while his cock grows harder against my belly and his breaths come out more ragged.

His palm collides again with my flesh, my ass jiggling with the movement, and my head feels dizzy with both agony and bliss.

“Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen,” I force out on a whispered breath.

In a nanosecond, I’m twisted around and cradled in his big arms. My eyes are closed, but his hand caressing my cheek and wiping away the tears that had fallen has them fluttering open.

He’s smiling down at me, his features soft as he admires me and it makes these feelings inside of me more intense.

“You did perfectly, Sweet Girl,” he praises, lifting me up in his arms as he starts walking.

“You’re not going to fuck me?” I ask confused. A sticky feeling clings to my insides, but I try to play it off with a smile even though I feel like I’ve displeased him - like I’m not enough for him.

“Oh, sweet thing, I’d love nothing more than to bury my cock in that snug cunt, but I need to tend to you and look after you after I just sent you to subspace, going off that dreamlike trance on your face.”

“Subspace?”

“How do you feel?” he asks, laying me down on the bed, and I curl into him.

“I feel floaty, kind of light, happy… and safe.”

His arms tense around me, and I try to look up at him, but he strokes my head and I give up the fight, instead falling into the warmth and safety he’s providing me.

“That’s subspace, baby. Now rest easy, Raine; I’m not going anywhere.”

He begins humming; I’m unsure of the melody or what song it is, but the vibrations from his vocal cords are relaxing and moving through my body while his chin rests on my head.

He continues stroking my hair, but he pulls the blanket up over us, and I snuggle in closer, loving the scent of smoky cedar on his skin. The last thing I remember feeling before I drift off is that I don’t think I’ve ever felt this safe before, not even in Arrow’s arms.

And that thought scares me more than anything on this earth right now — something I’m not ready to admit, much less to myself.

Chapter25

Raine

Ifeel too fucking hot, like I’m wrapped around a furnace or some shit. However, when I peel my eyes open and spot a shirtless Gabe beside me, I still. My ass cheeks burning with the memory of his palm against them as last night comes back to me like a Hollywood movie playing right before my eyes.

His chest rises and falls in steady movements, and I take the moment to appreciate his beautiful, inked muscular body.

My fingers itch to trace around the dragon breathing fire on his chest, right down to the tail that disappears underneath the blanket. I feel the blush heat my cheeks as I wonder if he’s naked underneath. I fucking blush. Me, Raine Voroniva.

His graying black hair has fallen over one of his eyes, his mouth parted slightly as he breathes deeply. I bring my hand up and carefully move the hair out of his eyes, soaking up the sight of him right before me.

Here in this moment, there is only Gabriel, a man, no walls built between us, and I can see the years of pain etched in the small lines on his face.

He’s forty-one but he looks younger, even with the slight wrinkles around his eyes. My hand slides down his cheek and the stubble tickles my palm, the feeling too intimate for whatever we are.

I snatch my hand away, but his catches my wrist before I can move too far. His sleepy, dark blue eyes snare mine, and I simper, hiding behind my embarrassment of being caught.

“Good morning, baby,” he says, his voice thick with sleep.

“Good morning.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Good.”