"Do you still believe them?"
"I don't know. No. No, I don't think so." But I think I do to some degree.
"That will never do." A nip to the nape of my neck, a flex of his fingers. "I can't have you thinking these untruths about yourself. Get a pillow and put it on the coffee table. Good girl. Now I want you to lean forward and put your head on it."
His hands trail down my body as I lower myself, his muscular thighs supporting my torso. I rest cradled within his lap, arms and legs spread over his thighs and my face cushioned by the coolness of the throw pillow.
A moan escapes me when his strong grip forces the tension in my shoulders and back to dissipate. Working out the knots there, his rough palms inch their way down. Down to my lower back, so taut with apprehension. Down further still.
"It's just me. Notgonnahurt you." Spoken as he lightly massages my bare cheeks, his words settle me. "You were told nobody wanted you. That's a lie.Iwant you."
Pop!The first smack lands directly in the middle of my right cheek as his words hit my soul.
"Ahh!" I gasp and clench his legs with my hands and thighs, a zing of arousal shooting through me.
"You're all right, baby. Just surprised you, huh?" Amos croons. It did. I wasn't prepared for him to trick me by massaging me with one hand and spanking with the other. Cheater.
"Relax. You need to relax right here." He pushes down on the tensed muscles of my lower back and runs his hands across my thighs. "You're not worthless. I would give up everything I had in the world if it meant I could have you. You're everything to me, Mercy."
I am, aren't I? Iamhis everything.
Pop!My left cheek burns so good with the heat of his hand.
"Amos..." My moan fills the room.
He laughs throatily. "Good girl, letting your man show you how much he loves you. What's the last one again?"
You're an ugly runt.
"I'm...ugly."
"After this, I never want to hear those words leave your mouth again. Don't even think them. Never again. You're the most beautiful woman in the world to me. Do you hear me? You are beautiful. Every inch of you is gorgeous andmine!"
His third strike comes on the last word.Pop!
"Ahh!"
"Tell me you're beautiful."
"I'm..."—tears fall unexpectedly from my eyes—"...beautiful. I'm beautiful."
"That's right. You're my beautiful woman. And youlook so gorgeous with my mark on your ass. With my bites on your back and neck. God, kitten, you don't know what it does to me to see you belonging to me, wearing my marks. But you know what? That was three. I know that's not your favorite kind of number. What do you say we go for two more?"
He doesn't even give me time to tense up again, striking me twice more scarcely before he ends his sentence. The last one is the hardest, but the force of it sends liquid arousal seeping from me.
My breath leaves me in a rush. It's over. I made it through without breaking down. The relief is so great that I tremble as my body releases the adrenaline that it didn't get to use in fight or flight.
"We're not done yet." Amos lifts me up and holds my hands on my chest as he stretches his legs out on the coffee table, my legs still hooked over his. His free arm reaches to my pussy, rubbing furious circles on my clit.
I cry out, twitching in bliss.
"There's my girl. Let me make my woman feel good. She's so beautiful. So precious to me. So loved."
Every word combined with every touch breaks down the walls of insecurity in my mind.
I'm wanted.
I'm valuable.
