Page 61 of Blood and Trouble

Ava exhaled and curled up next to me. “Poe should do what she said. You two should go back to Montana and save yourselves.”

“Stop that,” I said. “I swore to love, honor, and protect you for the rest of my life. We’re not leaving you.” She opened her mouth, about to call our vow fake again, but I cut her off before she turned into the second liar I’d have to reprimand tonight. “How was your time with Madeline?”

“Good,” she said. “She gave me a tour and told me about the pack.”

“What did you learn?”

Ava shrugged and smiled, almost like she was hiding something or being bashful. I put a finger under her chin and tilted her face back toward me, but it wasn’t hard to read her thoughts. Since the transition and the marriage and whatever this blooming thing was between us, I’d been able to hear her inner monologue loud and clear. I tried not to read too much into that. My magic still hummed in her veins like a plucked cello string, low and deep and steady.

Her thoughts tripped over each other as they raced, images of Poe and me skipping through her mind’s eye like a projector on speed. Her focus caught on the way I looked at him, the hunger laced with venom behind my gaze. She’d also seen how Poe stared at me when I wasn’t looking. His hollow eyes. His furrowed brows. The steady ache in his lips.

“She thinks you and Poe were throwing off bonding scent when we first got here, and when I told her you were doing it for each other, she laughed and shook her head and called me naive. I’m ridiculous, and I don’t have time for whatever this is. I can’t give you what you want.”

I shook my head at the self-doubt. She seemed to realize what she’d done as soon as it happened, looking at me with wide eyes and pursed lips.

“Uh-oh.”

Uh-oh, indeed. I wouldn’t stand for her beating herself up, even mentally. I’d made my rules very clear. Now I planned to follow through. Even if I was an evil, selfish bastard, I was a man of my word, especially when it came to her.

“I told you what would happen the next time I heard you talk about yourself like that,” I said.

“I didn’t… It wasn’t…” She stumbled over her words as she tried to backpedal, but it was already too late.

I raised an eyebrow. “You can take your punishment now, pet, or we can do it after you’ve had some rest. Tell me what you’d prefer.”

She looked down to her lap. “Now, sir.”

I shifted my weight, righting my hips to take her across my lap. “Stand up. Take off your pants.”

Ava twisted her fingers and hesitated, her thoughts turning toward further self-loathing.

“Ugh, I’m an idiot. I knew better. Why can’t I listen to anyone? Why do I do this to myself?”

“Hey.” I ran a finger down her cheek and leaned in to kiss her temple. “I’m the one that punishes you. You give me that power so you don’t have to. That’s the whole point of this. Let me make your mind go quiet, yeah?”

She swallowed and slowly pushed to her feet. When she stood in front of me, she kicked off her boots and unzipped her trousers, shoving them down to her ankles before stepping out of them. Clad only in her black lace panties, she took a step toward me, but I dropped my gaze to the scrap of fabric between her legs. “Those, too, pet.”

Ava paused, hooked her thumbs under the waistband, and pushed them down her long, beautiful legs. Her scent enveloped me, coconut and female, and I guzzled the hint of her taste on my tongue. Gods, she was delicious, and if I didn’t have to take my time reminding her of who she was, I’d have her sitting on my face until the fucking full moon rose tomorrow. But priorities. I wouldn’t tolerate any submissive of mine talking to themselves like that. They were meant to be cherished, and if they couldn’t do it themselves, I’d remind them of what would happen when they didn’t.

The space between us grew taut with anticipation, the rush of the upcoming scene kicking in my lower abdomen. My cock jerked, still half hard from my encounter with Poe. The two blended in my mind, and maybe it was fucked up. It should have scared me into stopping this before it continued. It didn’t. Instead, it made the whole thing more intense. And I wanted it.

When Ava knelt on the outside of my leg and draped herself over my lap, I clenched my fists to keep my fingers from shaking. How did I get so Godsdamned lucky to have such a magnificent female in my clumsy fucking palms?

“What’s your safeword, pet?” I ran a hand down her lower back and over her plump, rounded ass, marveling at how soft she was. She’d bruise so easily, and if I weren’t careful, I’d ruin her. Best to take it slow.

“Paris,” she said.

“That’s good.” I squeezed her flesh, sinking my nails into all that beautiful skin, just begging to be turned red. “Say it anytime you need a break. I won’t be mad at you for using it, and I’ll never admonish you for taking care of yourself. Understand?”

She nodded.

“Use your words.” My heart pounded as I tried to keep my voice steady. Hell, I’d had so many submissives in this same position. I’d doled out punishments to dozens, if not hundreds, of people before. But her? Like this? I almost couldn’t handle it. I wanted her in ways that were depraved…indecent.

She’s my wife, and she’s all mine.

“Yes, sir,” she said. “I understand.”

“Good. I think ten ought to do it for tonight.” I ghosted my fingertips up the back of her thigh, brushing over the tender spot where her ass met her leg.