Page 28 of Stone (Claimed and Protected #3)

D aniella

Stone had always been one powerful man even when he was younger. His command of every room he’d walked into had been legendary. He’d commanded the football field as well, his reputation as being rough and tumble earning him several nicknames over the years.

I’d adored his prowess and his domination of the field. I’d also enjoyed his control over me, always taking full command of my heart and my body.

But this… This was crazy.

He wanted me to cut a switch for him to use on me? Was the man out of his mind? Evidently, he believed he was all that and a bag of chips and that he could control me once again. Nope. That wasn’t going to happen.

I folded my arms instead of taking the switch, lifting a single eyebrow as I glared at him, “You are out of your mind.”

“I’m being safe. You need a solid reminder of your situation and it’s obvious you can’t control your actions. Prepare the switch.” Even his tone was more commanding than before.

“Not a chance.”

“If you don’t and I’m forced to, trust me in that you won’t be able to sit down for a week.”

“You’d do that?”

“You bet your sweet ass I would. Anything to ensure your safety. That’s what I was hired to do.”

His words of being hired bothered me more than they should. The playfulness had been amazing, almost as if the barriers had been knocked down. But this was a reminder that I’d been a job to him.

I glared at the knife, the stream of sunlight sliding in through the thick canopy of trees highlighting the metal blade. I could tell by the look on his face there was no getting out of this. While he pissed me off, what bothered me even more was the fact my pussy was throbbing.

What kind of woman had I turned into?

“You’re a horrible person. I just want you to know that.” I offered the proclamation as I ripped the two items from his hands. What in the hell did I know about cutting a switch? Maybe if I mutilated it I could get out of this.

“So you keep telling me.”

All I needed to do was to look up at the huge tree in front of me. There were enough limbs and fallen twigs to create hundreds of switches. It was best not to give him any ideas. I knew how his mind processed things.

I studied the knife then the piece of wood, gritting my teeth as I tried to figure out how the hell to peel away the bark.

“You don’t need to take that much off, Dani. Just the skin. The reed is the perfect size already for maximum flexibility.”

“Fine.” I chipped away at the bark, absolutely floored I was following his instructions.

“Do you want to know why I didn’t pick a dead one?”

Why did his voice have the sound of happiness all over it? I lifted my gaze, ceasing all movement.

“Keep going. I’m sure you don’t want to prolong the anticipation.”

I must have had a sneer on my face since he offered a bright smile in response.

“As I was saying, you need a recently cut branch because it’s still alive and as you continue peeling, you’ll notice the hint of green on the inside.

That’s the cambium, a thin layer of living cells that allows for either bending in the sense of shaping wooden pieces of furniture or art, or in this case, providing the perfect measure of pain when inflicting punishment. ”

There was absolute glee in the man’s voice. How had I ever fallen in love with him? “Let me ask you a question.” I didn’t stop. I had a feeling he’d only add to the number of strikes he offered during my… punishment.

“Of course,” he said, still joyful. Still grinning. “You can ask me anything.”

“How is it that you know so much about switches and their uses as well as the perfect kind of wood to use?”

He shrugged as if his knowledge was no big deal. “Let’s just say I’ve dabbled in issuing punishments from time to time.”

I wasn’t certain whether I was hurt or shocked. I lifted my gaze once again, realizing he hadn’t taken his eyes off me. “Is that so?”

“Yep. That’s so. There is a technique involved in all my methods of discipline.”

“I don’t think I want to know.”

“Well,” he offered as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his swim trunks. “You’re going to find out shortly.”

I continued peeling away the bark, grumbling under my breath the entire time. He was torturing me with this on purpose, but even worse, the warmth between my legs kept growing. Damn him. I shifted from foot to foot, almost nicking my finger.

“Be careful. My knife is sharp.”

As soon as I peeled away the last of the bark, he edged closer. “Is this good enough?”

“Let me see.” He took the switch from my hand, taking a step away and rubbing his hand down the reed. When he swooshed it in the air, I jumped from the sound it made.

Holy crap. My hands flew to my bottom, and I had the feeling the punishment was going to be extremely painful.

“I think that will do nicely. You did a great job. I’ll remember that for the future.”

His grin was practically evil. “There isn’t going to be a next time.”

As he laughed, I backed away. He arched an eyebrow, scrutinizing me as if I was being a very bad girl.

“What now?” I asked, although I don’t know why I was egging him on.

“Now, you take off your bikini bottoms, turn around, and lean against the tree.”

He did not just say that. “I will do no such thing.”

“Then we can find a fallen log and you can lie across it if you prefer. I also have some rope in the Jeep if I need to secure your hands against the tree. That might be helpful. I know how you get.”

I think my mouth was hanging open. After clamping it shut, I slipped my fingers into the waistband of my bikini, glaring at him before lowering the material. “You could give me some privacy.”

“Okay. Sure.” He threw up his hands, laughing while he turned around.

He was enjoying the hell out of this. Meanwhile beads of sweat were rolling down the back of my neck.

Worse again, my pussy was wet, juice already trickling down both thighs.

This was insane. Yes, he’d spanked me during our relationship before, but this felt different.

I fought nerves and the ugliness in my mind as I lowered the bikini bottoms, finally cursing under my breath as I removed them entirely. With a quick glance at the huge tree, I moved closer. Maybe this was the reason he’d taken me to a more private cove.

“Hands over your head and keep your hips out,” he instructed.

“You’re bossy.”

“You’re mouthy. Get in position and stay there.”

I did as I was told while every muscle in my body tensed. If I managed to get through this, I was going to kill him with my bare hands. With my arms over my head, my hands on the tree, I jutted my hips out as he commanded.

“Legs open wide.”

I threw a hateful look over my shoulder. He cocked his handsome head. The man was still enjoying the moment. I opened my legs and I’d never felt so vulnerable in my life. Not once. Including when I’d been with the kidnappers.

But with Stone everything felt entirely different.

He moved behind me with the stealth of a large cat, stroking his hand down my spine while taking several deep breaths. He was killing me with the anticipation, driving the point home that my actions had caused him more than a few gray hairs.

I’d never seen him so angry with me or so concerned. I hadn’t thought that teasing him would cause such a reaction. When he took a step back, I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the inevitable.

The first thing that caught my attention was the whooshing sound before the reed hit my bottom.

But the moment it did, tiny explosions went off in both my mind and body.

I threw my head back, clenching my jaw to keep from screaming.

The flash of pain was strange, sending tingling sensations through my bloodstream.

Almost instantly, my body jerked away from the horrible piece of wood. He moved me back, cracking the switch against my butt three more times and I moaned as a fire roared through me.

“Fuck. Don’t. I won’t do that again.” I was already prepared to swear on my mother’s life I’d never defy him again. I shifted back and forth, my nails clawing at the bark on the tree while I bent a single leg.

“Just breathe. We’re not done yet.”

Why did his deep voice need to shower me with excitement?

As if there was anything good that could come from this.

I beat my fist on the tree before gasping for air.

While allowing me a few seconds of recuperation, he swooshed the piece of wood in front of my line of sight.

Was he kidding me? Why taunt me with what was about to come?

Stone didn’t wait for long, striking the reed across both buttocks and the tops of my thighs. I covered my yelps with my hand, yet my pussy clenched and released several times. It was crazy I could have that kind of reaction. How could I be so wet?

“Good girl. You’re doing so well.”

And why was the term so appealing? I pressed my face against the tree, clinging to it as if it were a lifeline. I was certain I’d never survive even a single additional smack.

Yet I did.

He wasn’t gentle, remaining methodical in his actions, leaving my body hot all over with deep, intense vibrations coursing through me. It was almost magical what he was doing, the sheer power of his control over me something I would debate for weeks to come.

Maybe deep down inside I wanted him to take command, to use a firm hand when necessary.

He stopped once again, crowding closer until I was able to feel the extreme heat of his body.

Every breath he took was labored and he rubbed the rough pads of his fingers across the stripes I knew I’d wear for a couple of days.

“So beautiful,” he whispered, his voice husky and dripping with lust. He took his time, caressing my skin for a full minute, which allowed me to breathe. His touch was enigmatic and I arched my back as soon as he slipped his hand between my legs. “You’re wet. God, you’re wet.”