Sweet Surrender

CHAPTER 17

Gray stood in the doorway, arms crossed, a fierce expression on his face. What on earth was he doing here? Mortification gripped Faith as he continued to stare at her, tension rolling off him in waves.

But then she shook her head. No, she had nothing to be ashamed of. She didn’t know what the hell he was doing here, and she didn’t care. She gazed defiantly at him, determined not to back down in shame.

Her head slowly lowered, and she shut her eyes tight in disappointment as another tap landed on her behind. It wasn’t real. None of it was real. A tear dripped down and hit the floor beneath her.

Clearly this was all for show, a spectacle more for the observer than the participant. Or maybe it just didn’t do it for her. She felt so close. On the cusp of something.

Her skin crawled with need. She felt edgy, restless, and she’d had enough.

Once again, she raised her head and opened her mouth to halt the entire process. Her mouth continued to gape open when she saw Gray standing just a foot away, his eyes blazing with promise. Promise of what?

Brent stepped back, then moved toward Gray. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two men size each other up. Then Gray turned his head to Damon. “May I?” he asked as he gestured toward the paddle in Brent’s hand.

Damon shook his head resolutely. “Absolutely not.”

“Ask her,” Gray said in a steely voice. “Ask her if she wants it.” His blue eyes caressed her face, challenging her, baiting her.

God, he wanted to spank her? Her body prickled to life, and her blood roared like a raging river in her veins. She gulped, trying to breathe around her heavy tongue.

Damon looked between her and Gray, his expression questioning. “Faith? Is this something you want? He isn’t a member here. He’ll be escorted out. All you have to do is say the word.”

She licked dry lips, trying desperately to work up the nerve to go where she dared. Slowly she nodded.

“No, Faith, I have to hear you. You tell me what you want,” Damon insisted.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes,” she said in a louder voice. “Please.” Her voice cracked, and she relaxed her neck for a moment, the strain of holding her head up uncomfortable.

She was crazy. This cemented it. But Brent wasn’t doing it for her. In fact, for as turned on as she was by the visuals she’d experienced, as soon as Brent had touched her, she’d gone as flat as day-old Coke.

The idea of Gray touching her, of him being the one to dominate her…She shuddered and felt a surge of moisture between her legs.

A firm hand cupped her chin and directed her gaze up. She met Gray’s eyes and blinked as he stared piercingly at her.

“Can you take it, Faith?”

He’d thrown down the challenge now. Her eyes narrowed.

“Don’t play games,” he said softly. “I’ll take you where you want to go, but you have to be willing to get there.”

He stared at her for another long second before letting her chin slide from his hand. She cocked her head to the side to watch him as he turned to Damon.

“Tie her hands,” he directed.

She swallowed in surprise and started to protest, but she bit her tongue. No, this was what she wanted. And she knew Damon would call a halt if she so much as squeaked.

Damon bent and tied one wrist to the leg of the stool with a leather thong. Then he secured her other one.

“And her ankles,” Gray said.

She closed her eyes, anticipation nearly undoing her as both ankles were tied to the wooden legs. Lord, but she felt vulnerable. Tied hand and foot, ass in the air, pussy exposed for the world to see.

And it stirred her as nothing ever had before.

She heard his footsteps as he moved around behind her. One finger trailed down the seam of her ass and paused just above her pussy entrance.

Touch me. Oh please touch me.

But he didn’t.

He pulled his hand away, and then the paddle met her flesh in a stinging smack. Her body lurched forward, and her eyes flew open in shock.

“Wait for it,” he murmured from behind her.

The burn radiated from her buttocks and was soon replaced by a hazy glow that bled into her body. Before she had time to fully process the sensation, he delivered another stinging blow.

Her eyes closed, and she relaxed her head. A moan escaped her as the heat simmered over her skin. Again, the paddle connected. One side. Then the other. Soon her body was awash in what she could only describe as an edgy, euphoric shimmer.

He placed the swats strategically, never hitting the same spot twice. She strained against her bonds, nearly weeping with her need to achieve her release. She wanted more, craved more, and yet she wasn’t sure she could handle more.

What was happening to her?

Ten? A dozen? She lost count. Then nothing. Silence fell. Cool air washed over her burning bottom. She let out a low wail.

“Please,” she whispered.

He leaned over her. She could feel his shirt against her shoulders. “What do you want, Faith?” he whispered in her ear. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want to come,” she gasped out.

His fingers found her pussy. As soon as he touched her clit, she went off like a firecracker. Her head arched, and she cried out as the explosion rocked her to her core.

He continued to massage and manipulate her clit until she cried out for him to stop. She collapsed her tense muscles, lying over the stool like a limp, overcooked noodle.

Gentle hands untied her wrists, and she pried open her eyes to see Damon in front of her, his gaze questioning.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She nodded, unable to do more than that.

Gray put his hands around her shoulders and pulled her up to stand beside him. When she got enough nerve to look him in the eye, she saw a mixture of confusion, desire and anger in his eyes.

“Get dressed,” he muttered.

Damon handed her clothes to her, and she yanked on her skirt and blouse, not bothering with the underwear.

“She’s going home,” Gray threw out in Damon’s direction.

Damon lifted a brow as he looked at Faith for confirmation. She bit back a smile. Then she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I think I found exactly what I wanted.”