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His breath caught in his throat when he saw Evangeline standing just as he’d instructed her at the end of the couch, her bare skin glowing in the low light. Only a lamp was on in the far corner, lending an intimate air to the room.
He walked up behind her, unable to resist such beautiful temptation. He brushed her hair over one shoulder and pressed his lips to the curve of her neck. She shivered beneath his touch and tiny chill bumps danced across her skin.
“So responsive,” he murmured. “So fucking beautiful.”
He heard her soft sigh, as beautiful as she was.
“Stay right where you are,” he commanded.
Then he left the room to get the crop from the bedroom. This would be her first experience with anything other than his hand and the few smacks he’d administered to her ass, and therefore he wouldn’t graduate to something harsher. Not until he was certain she was ready and with him all the way.
When he returned, she was still standing there, as still as a statue, her pale skin glowing in unearthly light. She was a goddess and she was all his.
He trailed the end of the crop down her spine, eliciting another shiver from her. He continued his gentle exploration, letting her become accustomed to the feel of the leather before he marked her gorgeous ass.
He moved to the side of her so he could see her face, her expression.
“I’m going to administer six lashes,” he said in an even voice. “Just to remind you in the future that you are not to disobey me. But fair warning, Angel, if it happens again, I won’t be as merciful.”
She shifted her weight, an almost imperceptible movement, but he was tuned in to her completely and missed nothing. He was about to administer the first blow, still to the side of her, because he wanted to watch her reaction. The moment when the initial pain faded into pleasure. He wanted to watch her eyes go hazy at the pleasure he gave her.
But a sudden flash of pain and obvious distress briefly chased through her eyes before it was gone, leaving him to wonder if he’d imagined it. But no. He’d clearly seen it. He frowned because he hadn’t done more than stroke her skin with the flogger.
He let his hand fall to his side as he continued to stare piercingly at her.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded. “Evangeline, look at me.”
Slowly she turned her head so that she faced him fully and he was no longer just seeing her profile. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears and it gutted him.
“Nothing is wrong, Drake. I won’t disobey you again,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I was being a petulant little child and I was a bitch. You didn’t deserve that from me.”
And then her weight shifted again, and he saw that she moved most of her weight to one leg instead of having both feet planted solidly on the floor. She winced, pain once more flashing in her eyes before she visibly got herself under control and turned to face ahead. She leaned forward to plant her hands on the couch as he’d instructed her earlier, but all Drake could see, remember, was the pain in her eyes. Pain that he had in no way caused.
His gaze dropped down her body, searching for any discernible source of discomfort. Then his eyes narrowed when he saw what the couch had effectively hidden from his view. A bandage on her knee.
He went immediately to his knees, turning her to the side so she faced him, and he could now plainly see the dressing over her knee.
“What the fuck?” he murmured, purposely pitching his voice low so that his emphatic words held no bite or anger directed at her.
He stood rapidly and then picked her up, cradling her against his chest, and then walked around to the front of the couch and carefully laid her down. Then he gently lifted her legs, wanting to cause her no further pain, and draped them across his lap so he could get a closer look at her knee.
“What happened?” he demanded.
She sighed. “It’s nothing, Drake. I promise. It was stupid of me and I was clumsy. Zander and I went out to buy groceries and then he insisted I needed a pair of sunglasses and so he stopped in a boutique and bought two pairs of hideously expensive sunglasses.”
She shuddered and closed her eyes, and he realized she was more upset over the cost of the sunglasses than she was over the injury to her knee.
“When we walked out, I tripped. I’m not even sure what exactly happened except one minute I was standing and the next I was facedown on the sidewalk and Zander was freaking out. He wanted to call you immediately, but I begged him not to. So he called Justice to come get us. Only Justice and Silas arrived, and then Silas insisted he bring me to your doctor.”
