Cowboy Casanova(22)
She stopped by the door with her hands clenched at her sides, her eyes closed. “But when Murphy knelt in front of her, the gratitude, love and admiration in his eyes for Layla was far from horrifying. It was beautiful. And I never would’ve believed any of this if I hadn’t seen it firsthand. If they hadn’t let me be a part of something so intensely personal for them.”
Ben had known Angel was smart, but that didn’t guarantee she’d be intuitive. It also didn’t guarantee she truly knew what she wanted. He waited for her to regain her balance. The longer he waited the more he realized her epiphany wasn’t making her happy. In fact, she seemed to have closed herself off from him again.
He crowded her against the door, relying on the power of his voice, not his body, to keep her in place. “Talk to me.”
Her haunted hazel eyes burned with indecision.
“Is there something else about Murphy and Layla’s scene that’s bothering you?”
“Yes. No.” Her gaze fell to his chest. “It’s something I realized about myself while watching it.”
“What?” Ben expected loss of eye contact would encourage her to speak openly, but she remained mute. “Answer me.”
Her voice was barely a whisper. “I can’t ask you.”
“Can’t ask me to do what? Fuck you? Whip you?”
“I don’t want to be whipped. Ever.” She gnawed on her lip.
“Still waitin’ for an answer, Angel.”
“Fine. I can’t ask you to spank me.”
“But you liked watching that redhead get her ass smacked last night.” That’s when Ben understood. “You need me to take the choice away completely. Like Murphy did with Layla. You need me to decide when to paddle your ass.”
She nodded, a bit shyly.
“I don’t like usin’ a spanking as punishment.”
“I’m not usually much of a rule breaker anyway, so see my dilemma?” She peered up at him. “I’d be worried you’d use more than your hand on me.”
“There’s no need for you to worry because it’d be my decision.”
She pursed her mouth into a scowl.
“Ah-ah. None of that.” His lips grazed the plumpness of hers, hovering a breath away, waiting to swoop in and claim the kiss she’d denied him last night.
This time when she opened her tempting mouth, Ben denied her a kiss. Moving his lips to the tip of her chin and cruising up the left side of her jaw. He nuzzled her ear, licking, blowing, nibbling. The more he nuzzled, the harder she squirmed. Coarse hair brushed his cheek and he itched to remove the wig, so she wasn’t hiding anything from him.
Her fingers inched up his chest and she clutched his shirt.
“Hands by your sides,” he reminded, nipping her neck.
She gasped, twisting away from his mouth.
“Stay still.” His tone turned sharp and he forced her hands back down.
“I-I don’t know if I can.”
“Not a request.” When Ben sank his teeth into the section of skin between her shoulder and throat, her knees buckled and she shoved him away hard.
Her mouth was open in shock when she realized what she’d done. She took a defensive posture, wrapping her hands over herself, attempting to melt into the wall. “Sorry. God, I’m sorry, Bennett. I forgot for a second.”
“Then it’s time I give you a very clear reminder about who’s in charge.” He uncurled her fingers from her biceps, forcing her hands by her sides. “Repeat after me. Bennett is in charge of me tonight.”
“Bennett is in charge of me tonight.”
“Say it again. Bennett is completely in charge of me tonight.”
A spark of irritation darkened her eyes but she repeated, “Bennett is completely in charge of me tonight.”
“Good. But because you inappropriately used your hands, you’ve lost the use of them for as long as I see fit.”
“What? No. That’s not fair—”
Ben got right in her face. “Keep it up and I just might rethink my stance on not usin’ spanking as punishment for talkin’ back. Understand?”
She swallowed hard. Then nodded.
“Turn and face the wall.”
She didn’t hesitate at his command. She didn’t move when he unzipped her corset and tossed it aside. She didn’t protest when he tugged her leather skirt down her legs, leaving her in a tiny peach lace thong and the three-inch black patent leather pumps.
But she did tremble when he rested his hands on her hips. “You’re shaking.” He pressed a kiss on the slope of her shoulder. “Why?”