Page 24 of Filthy Little Lies

“I just said I won’t let you.”

“Let me?” He laughs. “Sweetheart, there isn’t a thing in the world you could do to stop me from having what’s mine.”

“I’m not yours.”

He cocks an eyebrow. “You’re in my house. In my bedroom. Under my protection, and you think you’re not mine?”

“I think I don’t belong to anyone.” I didn’t mean for it to sound so pathetic. Even if it is the truth. It’s not something I’ve been ashamed of, being on my own. I can and have handled myself just fine up until now. I don’t need him. I don’t need anyone.

“I should tell you lying to me is always a bad idea. Lying to me when you’re about to be punished is even more dangerous, which means you’ve broken the rule about not putting yourself in danger.” His hands move to his belt. “I think we should get started before you cause yourself any more trouble.”

“I’m not letting you use that thing on me again.” I cover my ass with both hands, backing up until my thighs hit the edge of the bed.

He stalks me. Predator to the prey.

And he doesn’t stop when his toes touch mine, he keeps pushing forward until I can’t bend backwards anymore and fall onto the bed.

“Do you like this shirt?” He asks, hooking a finger into the neckline. When I don’t respond, because he’s broken my brain again, he asks again. “Does this shirt have special meaning to you?”

It’s a Cubs shirt I bought at the thrift shop a year ago. I don’t even like baseball. Part of me wants to lie, but then I remember his threat only a few seconds ago, and I’m not sure now is the time to test him.

“Not really, why?”

He answers by ripping the shirt in two, neckline to hem, with no more effort than if it were made of paper. I gasp and grab for the edges, but he brushes my hand away, reaching next for my bra.

“Wait!” I barely get the word out before it’s ripped apart, too. The cups fall to my sides, spilling my breasts out into the open.

He stares down at me like a starving man seated at an all-you-can-eat buffet. His tongue runs along his bottom lip as his eyes drink me in.

When he reaches for the elastic of my leggings, I grab hold of his wrist.

“Please. I only have two pairs of these I like.”

He gives a curt nod. “Then take them off. You have two seconds and then I do it.”

Powered by the panic of losing the best pair of leggings I own, I shimmy out of them, dropping them to the floor.

He eyes my panties and I’d like to crawl back into the nearest hole. My cheeks heat with embarrassment. When I’d showered after waking up on the couch, I’d thrown on the first pair I found.

Light blue cotton briefs. Full coverage.

“Do you like these too?” He snaps the thin elastic band.

“No. I mean, they’re not special.”

A grin tugs on his lips as he slides his fingers into the elastic. “Lie back.”

“I’m not sure I should.”

He levels me with a glare. “You definitely should.”

Swallowing my rebellion, I do as he says but clench my thighs tight. Maybe he won’t notice the wet spot on my panties from where he’s made my pussy soaked.

He hasn’t even touched me yet, and my body reacts as though his tongue has been everywhere.

“Open these pretty legs for me, Savvy.” He wiggles his hand between them, digging his fingernails into my skin until I comply. Only the pain doesn’t just make me obey him, it sends a new rush of arousal through me.

“What’s this?” He trails a featherlike touch across my pussy lips, over the wet spot of my panties. “Soaked through already and your punishment hasn’t even started yet.”