Page 30 of Witch’s Heart

This time, her nod came quicker. So did her breaths.

He struck her again—not yet hard enough to leave a mark. She wanted to hurt for him. She had admitted as much just recently. Still, he hesitated, waited.

A garbled word fell from her lips. Harder.

So he brought the crop down again. This time, it left a dark red mark. He ran the tips of his fingers over it, tracing it. She shivered beneath his touch. He whipped her again, and again, and again, alternating between her back and her ass, painting every part of exposed skin an angry shade of red. With each slap of the crop, he felt more in control. On the twelfth, she let out a soft whimper of pain.

He’d told her he wouldn’t stop, not once he got started, and still— “Had enough?” he drawled, daring her to take the coward’s way out, daring her to see what would happen if she did.

Another whimper and a shake of her head had something inside him—something dark—taking notice. Perhaps a piece of the thing living in her had burrowed under his skin, too. No, that wasn’t it. It was probably something more fucked up. Something left over from his childhood.

He began again, putting more force behind the punishment until her back and ass cheeks were a tableau of red welts. His only displeasure was seeing them heal whenever he slowed.

She began to snarl and tug at the restraints on her wrists, turning the skin beneath them red. He hated knowing that if she wanted, she could magic her way out of this. But he didn’t let himself think about that, falling instead into the fantasy of it. He needed to feel like he had complete and utter control.

“Is this making you wetter, little witch?” he wondered. “Let’s see.” He reached down to rub the pads of his fingers along her slit and cursed. She was soaked—fucking soaked—so much so that the insides of her thighs were slicked.

“Fuck,” he breathed. “It’s hardly a punishment when you enjoy it so much.”

But gods, he was glad she did.

She let out a challenging growl. Like she had bested him at this. A low, sinister chuckle grated against his chest.

Already, he was feeling more himself. She pressed backwards, shimmying her ass for him in a signal that she wanted more—of his fingers, or the riding crop, he couldn’t be sure. He circled her opening but didn’t yet enter, even if he was desperate to feel her grip him. When he did it again, and then again, ignoring her clit, she let out a cry of frustration.

“See, I know something you’ll enjoy a little less than pain.” As if she knew what he had in mind, she pushed back harder against his hand. “What’s the matter? The thing inside you doesn’t sound very happy right now.”

Something garbled that sounded a lot like fuck you burst from her lips.

His laugh was depraved. “I’ve still got more punishment in store for you, little demon, so no.” He tossed the crop aside and began to tease her with his fingers, bracing one hand on the wall in front of her. He swirled her arousal around and around, pressing at her opening but never entering, never filling her. Every time he grazed her swollen clit, she jerked and whimpered. Pain was one thing—she thrived on it these days, or the thing inside her did. But edging? Edging would be her true punishment. He only wondered how long he could keep it up before his own cock made demands.

His fingers were soaking as he dropped to his knees, fanning his breath against her swollen flesh. “You want me here?” he asked.

Her cry of pleading told him enough. He huffed and licked a path up her center that had her pressing back into his face. Setting a punishing pace, he began to clean her up, eating her cunt like he’d been starved for it—and he had.

But he knew his lady witch. He knew every time she was on the brink of coming. Knew exactly when to slow his pace. He followed the same pattern, bringing her to the edge, then slowing, until she was sobbing, pleading against the strap in her mouth.

He stood and leaned in, nuzzling her ear with his nose. “You’re doing so good, Mina. Being such a good girl for me. I’m going to make good on my promise now, yes?”

She whimpered. Her cheeks were wet. His tongue darted out and tasted the salt of her tears.

“You want that, don’t you? My cock buried deep?” He reached between her legs and gave her clit a gentle smack.

She jerked then nodded vigorously.

“When I remove your gag, are you going to apologize?” Her expression morphed suddenly to one of defiance. “No? Maybe I should remove it anyway and put you on your knees, stuff your mouth full of my cock. Yes?”

Something that sounded a lot like, I’ll bite it off if you don’t put it in me right now, had him huffing with affection.

“My little demon.” He brushed a possessive hand through her mussed hair. “I’m going to ask again. When I remove that gag, are you going to apologize?”

“No.” That was was clear enough.

“Something tells me you want to, and are merely being defiant. Have I not punished you enough?”

She shook her head. Gods. She was playing with him. Damned if he’d be the one to give in first.

“I thought of you every day,” he said, lazily sliding his fingers through her folds, then rewarding her as he pushed one inside. “I thought of you every moment. I thought of you before I fell asleep, each night. I jerked my cock to thoughts of you, imagined it was your hands on me, your wicked little mouth. I imagined a thousand scenarios where you forgave me for what I’d done. But something tells me, when you do forgive me, it will be sweeter than anything I could have dreamed. Am I right?”