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Pain

A flash of horrendous pain

My eyes flew open The wondrous stor me with darkness and hell

I was ice cold

I was terrified

Q planted both hands on the sideboard, driving intored handprint on h where he’d spankeder-flushed face

He’d hit me to come

He’d needed to punish me to find release

He took his pleasure from my pain

The bricks I’d tried so hard to destroy lurched into formation The foundation of the toent from rubble to stacked in a blink

My toanted to claiain It wanted to save me

The pain made me want to hide

With a war-cry, I s I had left that I was strong enough

Strong enough to survive

Strong enough to survive Q

Chapter Four

Stroke me, provoke me, adore me, I implore thee, take all of me, ensnare h

It’d been too quick, too ta hard and fast, I kneouldn’t sate

It wouldn’t satevanilla Sex wasn’t what gave ot ah bodily control

The one strike I’d delivered had been enough to send ut foran arm over my eyes

Tess was still in the bathroom She’d been in there for at least forty ?

My eyes travelled around the suite Froe and part of the drawing roos were concluded Each rooe s bordering the view of the seaside, colourful umbrellas, and lobster-red sunbathers

I threwThe suite consisted of soothing shades of white: eggshell, alabaster, and chalk I knew because the hotel stupidly provided a decoration guide con, carpet blends, and colour swatches

As if I’d coh theit as a spanking device I’d discarded it because the slick glossy pages were too heavy--it would bruise And although I wanted Tess to pant and a few tears to be shed, I also hated the thought of ut with perplexity

ITess could take it Now, I had no fking idea what she wanted or even what I wanted

Did I want to hurt her?

Yes Fuck, yes

Did I want to make her cry?

Yes I loved her tears

Did I want to protect her and never lay another finger on her?

More than anything

I would’ve castratedin my blood Tess didn’t deserve any of that Tess deserved to be made love to Not fked Not used by aocean

The door opened

Tess came out of the bathroom I sucked in a breath as she made her way toward the bed Her nad body was flushed and scrubbed Droplets fro through the

My eyes dropped to the red outline of led ret, whilejoy The blush The thrill The knowledge I’d put it there sickened as well as bewitched me

I wanted more

No, you don’t, you sick bastard

My eyes fell to the ugly yellows and greensabuse fro women

How can I be like theled to suck in a breath as Tess cli my eyes Every movement was understated, carefully orchestrated as if she was invisible Her hair was coiled uphile da to her neck Her spine stood out, her collarbone a stark necklace She looked so innocent and young

But strong So fking strong

I waited to see if she’d come to ainst htmares would never find her

But she didn’t coainst a pillow, staring upward Her eyes were large and lost Her face tense and ti about in the bathroo had to have happened for her to become so withdrawn

It didn’ther She’d come She’d wanted e’d shared I knew that with ut me blatantly how much she enjoyed it

So why? Why the silence and sadness?

Confusion itchedmy temper flare