Page 48 of Royal Deception (Royals of the Underworld #2)

RORY

A s we settle into our new lives as parents to our son, things only seem to get better between us. It’s hard to be a new parent, but we tackle it with as much grace and aplomb as we can. Clary is a champ, breastfeeding Sean during the day and pumping just before bed so I can take the night shift.

I take some time off as head of the business, leaving the reins to Lucky while I spend time with my new family.

It isn’t easy letting go, but it’s worth it when I get to wake up to Clary’s beautiful face beside me, see our son smile at me for the first time, or be able to help give him his first bath.

Anatoly is still rotting away in jail for now, thankfully. And Aleksey and the rest of the Russian syndicate have been quiet. Our client list has grown substantially after it was “leaked” that Blackthorn Security, our company, was the one to help get Anatoly arrested.

He was already waning in popularity, but this helped push us over the edge. On top of that, we manage to unearth another criminal conspiracy.

It turns out that Clary’s stepmother, Kate, had secretly changed Clary’s father’s will. Clary’s entire, sizeable inheritance, meant to ensure Clary’s comfort for the rest of her life, had been stolen by the horrible bitch, and the Feds were only too happy to take her away for it.

A few months after Sean is born, I take Clary back to the same spot in the forest where we had our first proper date and get down on one knee, asking if she would allow me to be her husband for the rest of our lives.

The wedding is a whirlwind because Clary doesn’t want to wait another second. We get married three months later and head off to our honeymoon on a beautiful little tropical island, far away from the happenings in Thornville.

The first night of our honeymoon, I bring out a box and gently place it in Clary’s hands.

“What this?” she asks, curiosity written on her face. Her eyes are wide, and she stares at the box, her brow scrunched.

My heart pounds in my chest. This feels so much harder than the proposal for some reason, but I open the box for her, displaying her collar on a velvet cushion.

“I had it repaired,” I say, a lump in my throat as I explain.

“I’m not going to force you to wear it, but I’d like to know if you’d consider…

” I pause, swallowing. “If you’d consider ever wearing it again? ”

Clary’s eyes light up and my heart squeezes in my chest. “Yes,” she says, reaching out slowly to touch it, as though afraid it might break if she’s too rough. “Will you put it on me?”

This isn’t just about love and commitment—it’s about trust, something we’ve fought for and earned. Knowing Clary wants this too has my hands almost fumbling as I lift the necklace from the box.

As I place it around her neck and lock it shut, I lean down and kiss her on the back of the neck before sitting up and pressing something into her hand.

“This is an extra key,” I say. “I know you won’t use it, but it’s there if you ever need it.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I can feel the change in the air. The weight of the necklace around Clary's neck is subtle, but it carries a promise—one of commitment, trust, and a return to something we both know and desire.

I run my fingers gently over the curve of the collar, my voice low. “You’re mine, Clary. In every way. Do you trust me?”

She nods, her eyes wide with a mix of anticipation and something softer—like she’s waiting, ready for something but not entirely sure what.

I can feel her pulse under my fingertips, beating in sync with mine. It’s a quiet reminder that we’re both in this together, but I’m still the one who leads. “Good,” I say, my tone firm, a little more commanding. “Then I need you to kneel for me.”

Clary doesn’t hesitate. She drops to her knees immediately, the motion smooth, practiced, but this time, it’s different.

It’s not about obedience. It’s about trust, about knowing she’s giving herself to me because she wants to, because she knows I’ll take care of her, just as much as I’ll demand from her.

“Beautiful,” I murmur, my fingers brushing through her hair, tugging her face up to meet mine. Her lips are soft, but there’s a spark in her eyes that I can’t ignore. “Now, are you ready to remember what it feels like to surrender?”

She nods again, her breath quickening.

I move behind her, my hands gently coaxing her back onto the bed, positioning her just how I want her—on all fours, her body stretched out before me. Her back arches slightly, the curve of her spine making my pulse race.

My hand slides over her bare skin, the smoothness of it almost too much to bear. I can’t help but admire her—how she’s so willing, so trusting, even now.

“I want you to know that every touch, every command, every moment tonight is about us,” I say, my voice taking on a deeper tone, one that holds weight. “But I need you to be mine. To surrender to me. Can you do that?”

She responds with a soft yes, and it’s all I need to hear.

I turn and fetch something from my suitcase and glide it over the curves of her bare ass, gently stroking her with the object so she can feel it.

“What is that?” Clary asks, her voice low and soft.

“It’s a paddle,” I tell her, tone dark and teasing. “There’s lace over it so when it comes down on your skin, it will leave behind a beautiful imprint.”

Clary shivers, glancing behind her to lock eyes with me. The excitement in her eyes is undeniable and she lifts her ass a little higher.

“I’m going to give you fifty,” I tell her, knowing she can handle it, knowing that she loves that kind of pain play. “What’s your safe word if you want me to stop?”

“Pumpkin,” she says, so quick to obey. I stroke the paddle over her ass again before lifting it up.

“Count them,” I order, just before I let the paddle fall.

She arches her back a little, a soft grunt coming out of her before she gives me a soft “One.”

Continuing my onslaught of her ass, I rain the blows down with varying degrees of force, my blood surging in my veins as I watch her skin blossom from pink to red.

I smack her ass, her voice starting to grow higher in pitch as she counts. “Twenty-seven!”

Another strike follows, harder this time, and Clary’s body stiffens, a soft whimper escaping her lips. Her back arches again, and I lean in close, brushing my lips along her ear. “You’re beautiful when you’re like this,” I whisper. “When you surrender everything to me.”

“Twenty-eight,” she says, her voice a breathy moan, her body shaking with a mixture of desire and anticipation. It’s the same as before, but now it’s different—deeper, more intense. And it makes me want her even more.

I continue to guide her through it, each touch, each stroke, each command drawing us closer to that familiar edge. But tonight, I’m in no rush. I want to savor every second.

The more I spank her, the more her walls break down. She’s starting to tremble, her entire body shaking as she tries to hold herself back from the tears.

But I want them to fall. She’s so exquisite when she cries for me, when she’s surrendered herself fully to the pain, to the pleasure.

Her ass is hot now as I run a hand over it, rubbing soothing circles into her skin. She sniffles as she counts, and I know that she’s almost completely broken now.

“Thirty-nine,” she counts out, and I bring it down harder this time, relishing the way she writhes around, trying to escape the pain. She sobs on the count, and I know I’ve gotten her right where I want her.

“Last ten,” I tell her. “Can you take it?”

“Please,” she whispers, and I know she’s ready for more.

The last ten come in quick succession, her sobs filling the room as I step back to admire my handiwork. She’s all but collapsed now, and I know she’s ready.

Without another word, I position myself behind her, aligning our bodies as I slide into her, filling her completely. The moment I’m inside her, the tension, the restraint, everything shifts. She’s mine, and I can feel how much she needs me, how much she wants this.

I move slowly at first, savoring the feel of her, the way her body clings to mine, but soon, I increase the pace, my thrusts deep and controlled. With each movement, I hear her soft gasps and moans, and I’m lost in her, in the pleasure we’re sharing.

“Let go, Clary,” I command, my voice steady but full of need. “Let me take you.”

She obeys, her body writhing against mine, her moans becoming louder, more desperate, until finally, she’s on the edge, teetering between control and surrender.

“Now, Clary,” I demand, and she falls apart in my arms, her body shaking as she comes undone beneath me.

And just as she reaches her peak, I follow, my own release surging through me as I hold her close.

“I love you,” I whisper as we lie together.

“I love you too,” she says, reaching out to touch my cheek. “But my ass is on fire.”

I chuckle and stroke her hair out of her eyes. We’re going to be on our honeymoon for the next week so she has plenty of time to recover. Darcy is watching Sean for us, insisting that we take the time for ourselves.

“You know,” Clary murmurs, a yawn on her lips, “I hated you when I first met you.”

“I know,” I say, a fond smile on my face. “I was tough on you. But you proved you could handle it. I didn’t care if you hated me, so long as you got the job done. But everything changed when you were in that car accident.”

Clary hums, remembering the incident. She was bringing Rose home from the hospital for Darcy, and the Russians targeted them, forcing her to run a red light and get hit.

Something about hearing the news had turned my stomach, sent me into a state of shock. I barely remembered running out of the office and driving like a bat out of hell to get to her.

“I realized that day that I was starting to have feelings for you, but I didn’t want it to be true, so I forced myself to ignore it. At the wedding, it got to be too hard to ignore. I thought I could get you out of my system if I just slept with you a few times.”

“I guess it doesn’t work that way,” Clary says, a playful smirk on her face. “It made us more attached to each other than ever. Literally, since that’s when we conceived Sean.”

“I’m glad it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to,” I confess. “I wouldn’t have ended up with everything I never knew I wanted.”

Now I have a family, a beautiful wife, a wonderful son… What more could I ask for?