Page 178 of Fall Before Her Throne

“Come here,” he commanded. My feet rooted in place. I knew exactly what was coming, and I did it on purpose. Just to make it worse. Better? Better.

“No.”

His nostrils flared, but his eyes shone with playful heat. “You have ten seconds to get over here.”

My lips pressed together. “Count it down, then.”

Wynn laughed while sitting down on the couch and stretching out. “I can’t wait to watch this.”

Ciel stood behind him, hands braced on the back of the couch. “Me neither.”

“I can’t wait to join in.” Ryu rubbed his hands together. “Since this is both Obi’s and my punishment.”

I swallowed, suddenly prickling with fear. “Since when did I do something to you?”

“Since the gauntlet,” he said.

“What happens in the gauntlet stays in the gauntlet!” I protested.

He walked closer. “You kicked me in the balls.”

I grimaced and dodged his outstretched hand when he tried to snatch me. “Let’s just be reasonable about this.”

Cas closed in on my other side, blocking me in. “Get on the bed, princess.”

“You’re supposed to be my bodyguard!” I argued. “You’re supposed to keep me safe!”

Ryu got even closer. “He’s on my side today, little vixen.”

I hopped over the couch and darted away, but Max came out of nowhere and caught me with an arm around my waist. I squealed and kicked, but he picked me up.

He looked around. “So where do I put her?”

“Nowhere!” I screeched. “Down!”

“On the bed, please, Max,” Obi said.

Max dragged me over and plopped me on top of the mattress.

“We’re really going to use our sacred space, the big bed, for this?” I tried to give Obi my best pleading eyes.

“There’s no better place to remind you of who you belong to.” He smirked. “Now take off your dress.”

We needed this. He’d been threaded with tension for weeks. Tonight had stressed us all out. I knew I needed some kind of release just as much as he did. But I resisted because I knew it would piss him off even more and drive him wild. “Nope.”

His finger slowly trailed up my chest until he made it to my neck, where he hooked his finger around the O ring on my necklace. “Do it.”

Desire pulsed between my legs. I rolled over, exposing my entire back. “Unzip me, then.”

He drew the zipper down slowly until it reached the top of my ass. “Take it off.”

I rolled back over and stood before I slowly drew the straps over my shoulders. I wasn’t wearing a bra since the dress was structured. He already knew I wasn’t wearing panties. So when the fabric pooled at my legs, I was completely naked in front of them all, wearing only my choker and my diamond bracelet.

“I love when you obey me, ifunanya’m.”

Heat built through every nerve, every muscle in my body.

“This is a punishment?” Max breathed.