Heat filled her cheeks, warming them. “I am so sorry, Sir.”
His hand dropped to her naked breast, her nipple hard as ice—whether from arousal or fear, or both, she wasn’t certain.
“I wondered if you ever wagged your tail to display happiness,” she mumbled. She winced, pressing her face against his warm, fuzzy chest.
But he laughed!
“Wh-what?” she asked. “Are you angry?”
“I don’t wag my tail, no. I suppose it’s because—” he broke off in lilting growls, growls that made no sense.
“Please don’t growl at me, Sir,” she said desperately. Now she felt vulnerable, the way she should have felt all along, perhaps, naked and carried in his arms.
“I don’t mean to growl,” he said. His voice changed, now he sounded very serious. “One of my—afflictions—is that I can’t always communicate the way I would like to. Sometimes I am more Beast than man. But with you, Beauty, I want to be as much of man as you’ll allow.”
“Are you—are you a man, Beast?”
He looked at her with those intense green eyes. “I’ll let you decide, in time.”
“Beast?” she whispered.
“Beauty.”
“That thing you did that first night I was here—”
“I’m so sorry, Belle. I took advantage of you. You must have been horribly frightened.” He brought his face close to hers, almost as if to comfort her, to cuddle her. “I forgive you for wounding me with that wicked saw. I suppose I’m lucky you didn’t ask the ah, fairies for an ax to chop off my head.”
“Yes, I was frightened,” she admitted. “But that’s because I thought you might eat me. I’m afraid of dying, Beast, not of having a pleasurable experience.” Belle blushed.
The Beast grinned. “I’m glad we’re on the same page, then.”
“Will you do that thing again?” she asked. “Will you touch me the way you did that night?”
“Ah, Belle,” he said. “I could, but first you must earn it. From now on, you shall earn your pleasure.” The Beast set her down on her feet. “Let’s go to the parlor, where we can be more comfortable.”
Belle followed him, naked. It felt so strange to walk freely through the castle without clothing, but since no one but the fairies could see them, she supposed it didn’t matter much.
What did he mean, she’d have to earn it?
Would he spank her again, as Frederick seemed to imply in her dream
(was it a dream?)
last night? And where was Frederick, if not only in her dreams? Would the Beast tell her where he had imprisoned the handsome prince?
5: Belle’s Punishment
The Beast took her into the parlor and stood before the fireplace. “Fire,” he commanded, and flames burst to life behind him, crackling.
“What do you want me to do, Sir?”
She was nervous, yes, but after her unusual evening with Frederick, she had to admit she was intrigued. Why had Frederick told her that she must love the Beast? Belle would never be able to love the monster who held her captive, who kept her from her Papa. The monster who knew exactly what to do to make her writhe with pleasure…
“Come, sit on my lap,” he said, his words thick with desire. “To earn your reward, you only have to ask me two questions, and answer one.”
Belle walked over to him and sat on his large lap, the fine wool of his trousers soft beneath her flesh. For some reason she wished that she could feel his fur on her bottom, on her thighs. What did the Beast’s most private parts look like?
“If I may be so bold,” she said, “why do you want me to ask you questions?”
“I want you to get to know me, and I want to get to know you.” He didn’t smile, but his reason seemed friendly enough.
“I’m scared to say the wrong thing. I don’t want you to spank me again.” Belle blushed as she spoke, but mainly because she wasn’t quite sure that wasn’t a lie.
When Frederick had told her that the Beast enjoyed spanking her, and that Frederick would spank her and make her love it, she believed him. Maybe she could love it, or some aspect of it. Maybe she didn’t have to feel hurt or humiliated by a spanking in an adult setting. After all, she was no longer a child.
“I will never harm you,” the Beast said. “You don’t need to be afraid that I’ll spank you, because I will spank you. As long as you know for a fact that I will, there is no need to fear it.”
Belle inhaled sharply. That made a twisted sort of sense. It wasn’t a question of if, it was a question of when. Still, her stomach tumbled at the thought.