Under my hands, her chest rises and falls in a too-rapid rhythm. The sounds of her strained breathing fill the room.
“I’m sorry,” she says in a pitiful wail before bursting into tears as suddenly as she came.
6
Anna
Now that I’ve started crying, I can’t stop. The orgasm that ripped through me ripped something else free too.
I can’t even say why I’m crying.
It was too much. Everything he did felt too good for comfort. I can’t explain it. Toward the end, I was crazy—near mad with a desperation I’ve never experienced in my life. And that climax—fresh tears spill down my cheeks—I didn’t know it was possible to orgasm that hard.
Mortified by my behavior, I hang my head. Mason’s spanking confirmed everything that terrified me when I read those books, confirmed every niggling fear lingering in the dark corners of my mind. I’m not supposed tolikethis.
With every strike he delivered, heat-filled tingles exploded over my skin, bringing me closer and closer to the edge. I’d gotten so excited, so wanton I tried to masturbate against the bench for simple relief. It was humiliating.
I’m a nice, normal girl. Innocent. I’m not depraved.
I cry harder.
Mason picks me up as though I’m a rag doll. Big, strong arms envelope me as he cuddles me to his bare chest.
I draw in a shuddering breath. Safe. He’ll keep me safe. Take care of me. That’s who Mason is.
The knot of panic in my stomach eases as I bury my face in the curve of his neck, sucking in his clean, spicy scent. He carries me across the room as though I weigh nothing before sinking into an oversized chair and settling me in his lap. An ultra-soft, fuzzy blanket covers my naked skin as I shake, nestling into his warmth.
My bare breasts scrape over his chest, sending a shock of awareness to my lower belly. I bury my head, using the cover to shield my face, dismayed at the trickle of arousal still present despite my distress.
He kisses my temple, rocking me slightly. He’s so warm, and I need him so much. My emotions are rioting out of control. He strokes my back, murmuring nonsense as I attempt to calm myself.
I have no idea how long I sit here, curled in his arms, soaking in his warmth, but eventually the trembling eases, and I blink at him with watery eyes.
A gentle smile curls his lips as he brushes damp, sticky curls from my tear-tracked cheeks. “Better?”
Chin quivering, I manage a tiny, “Yes.”
“I overwhelmed you.” Threads of concern lace the low rumble of his voice. “I’m sorry.”
I bite my lower lip. “I-I didn’t expect that.”
“I know.” He traces the bumps of my spine one by one. “Tell me what upset you.”
I rest my cheek against his chest, listening to the steady, reassuring beat of his heart. “I…” My words squeak with my embarrassment. “I don’t want to like it.”
“Why not?” His capable hands still soothe.
I take a deep breath. “I came here determined not to like it.”
“Go on.” He doesn’t sound upset, and there’s no tension anywhere. He seems completely relaxed.
I shrug, feeling silly and childish. “When I read the books and visited the websites, I didn’t like the way they made me feel.”
He curves a finger under my chin and lifts my face, forcing me to meet his gaze. There’s no censure in his expression, no annoyance or frustration. “How did they make you feel?”
“Ashamed,” I admit. “And with a kind of horrified excitement.”
He nods, as though unsurprised.