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Grunting softly, Saul moved over to the bed, throwing the blanket over the corner of the mattress and setting his goodies on the nightstand. Reaching out, he stroked his hand over her hair gently…then grabbed her wrist and hauled her effortlessly across the sheets.
She didn’t make a sound.
“When I ask you to do something, I generally expect you to do it.” A few swift moves had her pants pooling around her ankles with as much life as the woman herself. He dropped onto the edge of the bed, yanking her over his knees, using his toes to push the thigh under her hips higher. “This isn’t a punishment, little rabbit, but it is going to hurt. Can you remember the word that makes everything stop?”
She hung limply over his thighs, no ounce of fight left. “Red.”
“Good girl.” Resting his palm on the topmost curve of her ass, Saul began to rub the pale flesh, slightly concerned that her less-than-ample butt would bruise easier than he expected. From the bottom of her spine down to the middle of her thighs, he brought the blood rising beneath her skin. “Whatever happens, don’t fight it, bunny. Let it out, and remember you’re my good girl, no matter what.”
Palm met ass with a sharp crack. Heat speared his hand, and he knew the same sensation would be spreading through her. By the time he was done, she would be wallowing in it.
The blows were light enough to start, more noise than intent. But as the spanking continued and Caera remained unresponsive, he increased the force behind them, the speed, the pattern. His hand connected with her ass, over and over again, to the quiet chant of, “You’re my good girl.”
Her bottom was a pretty shade of rose when he felt her hips shift. It was the first sign of discomfort she’d shown, and he found hope in it. Half a dozen spanks later, her fingers were trying to find purchase on his leg. Tiny whimpers joined the hum of his words, the smack of flesh on flesh.
“Come on, bunny. I’m waiting.” He paused, rubbing the heat into her flesh and taking a moment to inspect his work. Brilliant pink, a little redder in spots, but no bruising. “Be my good girl and give me all the shit choking you.”
She shuddered.
Saul waited, allowing her a moment to find her voice, but she refused to surrender. Without hesitation, he jumped back into the rhythm, ignoring the sting of his palm. His pain was negligible compared to hers, and he wouldn’t stop until she broke, one way or another.
She was stronger than he gave her credit for, and her tolerance for pain was certainly surprising. His shoulder was aching before he felt her stomach lurch, and heard the sob.
Soft, quiet, barely more than a hiccup.
Anticipating what was coming, Saul didn’t stop. Any leeway at this point and she might have the willpower to suck everything back from the pinnacle. He could do it all over again, pull her right back to the edge, but why fight the same battle twice?
Smack. “Good girl, Caera.” Smack. “Submit, little rabbit.” Smack. “Trust me.”
Caera’s pain released on a haunting wail. The stiff form pinned over his thighs went limp as she was wracked with heaving sobs he felt in his goddamn soul.
Slowly, he eased the spanking down until his hand simply caressed her burning skin, soothing away the pain he was responsible for. Gently, he slid his arm beneath her breasts, curling his other around her thighs, and stood to turn and lie her down on the covers, just as she was. Settling onto his back beside her, he wasn’t shocked when she crawled on top of him, crying as though a century of misery had caught up with her.
“Brave bunny,” he crooned, stroking her from nape to butt, always careful to touch no lower than where the redness of her flesh began. “Keep it coming. Let the tears wash it all away.”
Fuck, the sounds she made…they incited a riot of emotions in him. He wanted to hunt down every person who had ever given her something to lock away in that damn vault. His heart was determined to wither and die inside his chest every time she tried to catch her breath and ended up choking on it.
The guilt of pushing her so far was only negated by the fact Caera needed this.
When she started to calm, he nudged her again, bringing on a fresh round of messy tears. His shirt was wet with them, and with the copious amounts of snot she couldn’t control. He didn’t give a fuck—both shirt and skin could be cleaned.
What was killing Caera couldn’t be dealt with so easily.
By the time she finally quieted, almost an hour had passed. The tiny body on top of him was damn near lifeless, corrupted by purging and exhaustion. Only the slight movement of her breathing told him she’d survived.
Carefully, as though she were a fragile porcelain figurine, Saul maneuvered her onto her side. He’d broken her, that was for sure. Her eyes were barely open, red and swollen to match her dry lips. She was pale, color reluctant to return to where it belonged.
Sitting up, he reached for the water, twisting the cap off before slipping his hand beneath her head and angling the bottle so she could drink without drowning. The first few mouthfuls trickled back out to seep into the sheets.
“Come on, little rabbit. I promise you can rest soon. Drink some for me. Good bunny,” he murmured when she sipped hesitantly. Bit by bit, he got over half of the water into her, then fed her a few squares of chocolate. “Are you comfortable here?”
Her eyes closed completely, finding refuge, so he took that as a yes. Leaving her cost him, but he escaped into the bathroom, rummaging through every space he could find for what he required, not entirely sure he’d find it.
Kissing one of his friends—Atticus or Connie, he didn’t care—crossed his mind when he discovered a tube of arnica ointment in what he thought of as the amenities drawer. New toothbrushes, toothpaste, and condoms were amongst the stash.
Returning to Caera, he took his time smoothing the cream over her ass, rubbing it into tender flesh. By God, she would feel his hand every time she sat down for the next day or so. No bruising, but he’d woken the sensitive area and set it on fire.
For an instant, he was tempted to slip his fingers between her thighs and see if she’d responded to the spanking in a more pleasurable fashion. Would he find her wet or had his measures simply turned her off?
