Chapter 26
...
"How are you feeling, Little One?" I asked softly, running my hand through her hair.
She sighed from where she lay with her head against my chest, a heating pad between her legs, that were drawn up toward her chest. She was wrapped up tightly like a burrito in blankets, her eyes blinking as she stared blankly at the TV.
Her breathing stuttered as she screwed her eyes shut tightly, the hand fisting my shirt tightening as she turned her face into my chest, fanning her warm breath over me as she fought against the pain.
Her period had been heavy this month, leaving her almost bedridden from the pain of her cramps.
I'd hardly got to spend any time with her between work and the fact that she'd moved into her room since–according to her–she didn't want to keep me up all night with her restless tossing and turning so that a fresh-faced Senator could represent the state. As far as I was concerned, though, I couldn't sleep as well without her, my bed suddenly feeling too big and cold without her presence.
"I'm okay," she lied weakly, trying to smile, but it came off as more of a grimace.
"Would you like another bath?" I asked, knowing the warm water soothed her in a way that I was currently unable to.
I hated feeling so useless, forced to watch her go through something painful, while I sat back only able to give the smallest of comforts.
She shook her head, her grip tightening slightly as she arched, and a small whimper passing through her lips in pain. "I've already taken two today," she mumbled, her voice strained.
I felt like plying her ibuprofen in that moment, but she wasn't due to take anymore for a two hours. I sighed, placing a kiss against her forehead before returning to stroking her hair. "I just wish there was something I could do to help," I admitted.
Her smile was more genuine this time, her eyes reflecting it as she reached up and gently tugged my head down by my hair so that she could kiss me chastely. "You help me by just being here. You distract me, and I need that," she told me, stroking my cheek before lying her head back onto my chest.
We lay silently on the couch, the quiet hum of voices from the TV the only thing breaking the silence.
"Will you tell me a story, Papi?" she asked after a while in a small voice as she peered up at me from under her eyelashes, nibbling gently on her bottom lip. "It'll help distract me.”
"Okay," I complied. "What story would you like me to tell you?”
She shrugged. "I don't mind, Papi," she said, shifting her body so as to bury herself further into my arms as she slid her thumb into her mouth and closed her eyes, her eyelashes casting shadows across her cheeks.
I watched her for a moment, the raw innocence radiating off her body as she sucked on her thumb softening me as I brushed her hair out of her face. She was so natural and real as she sought comfort from me, her small body curled in my lap as she waited patiently for me to tell her a story.
I hummed softly as I wracked my brain for a story. "Once upon a time, in a place so very far away ... " I started, watching as the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.
"...There lived a little girl, but not just any little girl, a very beautiful little girl, with long dark hair and big, brown eyes. She lived a simple life with her mother and father, but she never truly felt like she fit in.
"Now, one day the little girl was walking through the forest when she was captured by a ...forest nymph who took her far, far away to another land, which was even father than the one she had originally been living in. Anyway, the nymph brought her to his king, who long ago fell in love with a human, but had fled from that land to rule his own.
"Realizing that the little girl who stood before was the daughter he had never known, he had her immediately crowned as a princess, one who would rule by his side until his death...”
Isabella giggled slightly against my chest, the apples of her cheeks flushing with color as she opened one eye, peeking up at me with amusement before closing it again.
"Now, the little girl turned princess soon found herself unhappy and like she-once again-didn't belong. No manner of jewels or silks could cheer her up, and no suitor vying for her hand could hold her interest. She was restless and unhappy, so she wandered away from the castle and into the forest. What she didn't know, though, was that in the forest, lived an evil warlock, and this warlock had asked for her hand some time ago only to be turned away like the rest.
"Stewing in his resentment, he vowed to make her regret the day she turned him away. The little princess stumbled upon the warlock's house, and he seized with the opportunity for his revenge, he tricked the little princess into entering his house and cast a spell on her, turning her into stone.
"Her father was distraught with the news of what had happened to his daughter, so he gathered together all the doctors and magicians in the land, but no one could figure out how to reverse the spell, until a little pixie came forward. She told the king that only true loves kiss could awaken the princess...”
Isabella snorted. "Cheesy," she mumbled around her thumb.
I quickly shushed her, enjoying my little story too much to stop now. "Anyway, the king offered up the daughter's hand in marriage to whoever could wake her up. Many princes, dukes, and all sorts of people from all different kingdoms came in hopes of awakening the princess with a kiss, but she never so much as twitched.
"Now, far off in another kingdom, there was very handsome, brave prince who was loved by all who met him, but was unhappy. You see, the prince harboured a very deep, dark secret, which he told no one about. It was because of this secret that he found himself unable to find someone to settle down with. Upon hearing about the frozen princess, he decided that he had as much chance as any, and went to seek her out.
"Upon finding her, he was enthralled by her beauty, and he quickly dismissed all who were in her chambers. Now, the prince's secret was that his mind was dark and twisted in a way that made him fickle with his attentions.”
I glanced down at Isabella since she had been rather quiet, only to find her fast asleep. Deciding that my storytelling had done its job, I picked up her sleeping form, careful not to jostle her, and brought her upstairs to bed, Yoda hot on my heels.
He scrambled up onto the bed beside his beloved mistress as I tucked her in, silently cursing when the phone went off.
I slipped out of the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind me as I strode quickly into my office, picking up the phone on my desk.
"Hello, Edward Cullen speaking?" I said politely.
"Do you know what day it is today?" Tanya crowed, not even bothering with a greeting.
"I hope it isn't your birthday because, otherwise, I'm in deep shit," I deadpanned.
I could almost hear her rolling her eyes. "No, but I still don't know how even after all these years you can't remember my birthday. I always have to remind you, but that isn't why I called. I called in case you forgot that your relationship is going to go live in a few hours...”
I let out a breath, having completely forgotten about the exclusive on E! where my publicist would be making an official statement about my relationship with Isabella, including her last name.
Isabella had been nervous about the idea at first, but upon realizing that we were running out of time before someone else caught wind of it and splashed it all over the magazines, she had relented.
We both knew what this meant: the can of worms we were opening by revealing her full name meant that it would only be a matter of time before the fact that she was an ex-call girl would come out of the woodwork. I liked to think that we were prepared for it by being the one's to put it out there in the first place.
I wasn't looking forward to being hounded over it, or the backlash we were both likely to get from it, but I knew at the end of the day, she was worth it.
I was certain that Isabella had forgotten about today, her cramps forcing her to forget everything outside of the pain.
"Fuck," I mumbled, raking a hand through my hair nervously.
"There's still time to defer it," Tanya said, giving me an out.
I sat in my chair behind my desk, leaning back in it as I calmed myself down. "No, postponing it will just make things worse," I told her.
"How, exactly?" she asked, and I sighed. Tanya hadn't made it a secret that she didn't agree with the idea of making Isabella's name known to the press any way, but I knew that, either way, it would come out eventually, and I didn't want to have to be constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for the headline to come when I had a measure of control.
I knew it would create bad publicity for me, especially on top of the claims about me having previously been to see a sex therapist.
"Tan, I'm not going to let Isabella think for even a second that I'm hiding her away like some dirty little secret. If there is quickly that I can control the media, it's by releasing information myself. I'm not ashamed of my relationship, no matter how it'll look to the public, and I want this over with as quickly as possible," I informed her.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You love her and want to have her brown-eyed little babies," Tanya said dryly, causing me to sigh.
It seemed that the closer Isabella and I got, the more dispassionate Tanya became about it. I knew that she felt like she was losing me, but whenever I tried to talk to her about it, she blew me off or came up with some lame excuse to excuse herself.
I honestly didn't want to have to be put in a position where I had to choose, but Tanya was so used—maybe even too used—to having me solely for herself that she reacted like a possessive dog, raising her hackles and bearing her teeth at anyone who tried to come near me.
I used to like it since it scared off any unwanted attention, but now it wasn't so welcome, and she really needed to step back and let me live my life.
It wasn't as though I had expected her and Isabella to become best of friends when they met, but they had seemed to get along well enough at first. However, it seemed that from our return from Italy, things had slowly started going south.
"Tanya, what is going on with you recently? I feel as though I'm losing my best friend," I told her.
She huffed. "Seriously Edward, you're losing your best friend. That's rich coming from the guy who never seems to be around anymore.”
"What are you talking about?" I said with a frown. "I see you every day.”
"At work," she pointed out, and as much as I hated to admit it, she was right.
"You're right. I haven't really been making time for you, and I've been a bit wrapped up in Isabella; but if you cared so much about it, why didn't you say something sooner?”
"And what, sound like a jealous bitch? No thanks," she shot back.
"How do you expect me to know what's going on with you if you don't tell me? All I knew was that you kept blowing me off, so how exactly was I meant to spend time with you when you kept avoiding me?”
"I avoided you because work isn't the place to rip you a new asshole. At work, you're my boss, and how would it look if I undermined your authority?”
"And making sarcastic, scathing remarks about my relationship is approved behavior?"
"That's different," she argued.
"Of course it is," I replied condescendingly. "I hate to throw this in your face, but you weren't exactly around when you started dating Irina. While I admit that I've been a little neglectful of you, it's pretty normal at the beginning of a relationship to spend a lot of time with your partner. That doesn't excuse me, but give me a fucking break. Between work, my girlfriend, and jetting back and forth between D.C. and here, it isn't easy.”
She was quiet for a moment before she spoke up. "You're right. I'm not being completely fair to you, but answer this question: are you going to fulfil your term?”
"I...uh...what?" I stuttered, my mind suddenly going a mile a minute as I tried to come up with an answer, only to realize that I didn't have one. I would be completing my fourth year in January, leaving me with two years left in my term.
Before Isabella, there wouldn't have been a doubt in my mind that I would finish my term, since—as bad as it sounded—I had nothing better going in my life other than my job.
Now, though, I had something so much better and fulfilling in life. While it wasn't something I'd talked about with anyone, I wanted out. I was turning thirty-six soon, and I wanted to settle down and have a life outside of politics before it became too late for me.
The stress and the long hours just weren't doing it for me anymore. I hated having to travel so much, and each day, my mask felt a little heavier and a little harder to slide into place.
Was it so bad that I wanted to be free from all the pressure bearing down on me from every side? Everyone wanted something from me, and I wasn't sure if I had anything left to give them. I took the job in hopes of making a difference in this world, no matter how small, and I liked to think that I had tried my best to, maybe even succeeding, but I was close to snapping.
"I don't know," I finally admitted, both to her and to myself. "Part of me wants to, but the other part tells me I won't make it. I honestly want this all to be over. I want a fresh start far away from here, where I can be myself all the time with no secrets and no lies. I want to be able to wake up in the morning without regretting the fact that I chose this life.”
"Have you thought about going back into therapy?" she asked.
"Therapy isn't what I need right now. I need to sort out everything cluttering up my mind before I can even begin to try and make a firm decision about my future. All I know is that my future isn't here.”
"Running away isn't going to help you. Do you really think that, by moving to Italy, your past will cease to exist?" she questioned exasperatedly.
"No," I told her with a sigh. "I don't, but I can't move on from it if it is staring at me in the face everyday. I'll never be free as long as I stay here, and the best place for me to start over is somewhere familiar, where I can recapture who I was before all this. This isn't just for me, Tan, it's for Isabella as well. She's never going to be free of her past, unless she's able to leave it behind, and with the press now aware, it can't happen here. It doesn't mean that I'm leaving you behind, but if I want to move forward, then I need to get out of this country. Can you please try and understand that?”
She sighed heavily. "I guess I just thought that I'd have the full six years before you jetted off to Italy.”
"Me too, but maybe the press was right when they said this job was too much for me," I said.
Tanya scoffed. "I know for a fact that is bullshit. You are the strongest man I've ever met, and don't let anyone tell you any different. This a very big decision you're making, and while I don't necessarily believe that resigning is the best option, it's your choice. When you're ready, we'll gather the team together to tell them. We'll hold a press conference with your official statement, and you'll have to answer a couple of questions. You'll also need to send your resignation to the vice-president before we do all that. Just know that it will take a few months before you can officially step down," Tanya rattled off.
"Whoa, Tan. Slow down! I haven't even made the official decision yet. I need to talk to Isabella about it since it affects her as well as me, and then we'll talk again. You also need to figure out what you are going to do with me gone. You'll need a new job and source of income. We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves with this, okay?”
"Okay, but I'm just being prepared for the inevitable. Think it over, talk to your girl, and get back to me. We'll discuss it then. Anyway, it's late, and I promised Re that we'd go out tonight.”
"When are you going to put a ring on that girl's finger?" I asked, chuckling when she made a noise of disgruntlement.
"I don't need a piece of paper and a ring to prove that I love her. She understands that, and, right now, we are both very happy with how are relationship is," she said matter-of-factly. "When are you going to propose to Isabella?”
"It's a little too soon for that, don't you think?" I countered, not actually answering the question.
"Whatever you say, but need I remind you of the fact that she moved in with you two months after you decided that you wanted more than sex out of your relationship? Like you said earlier, you're getting old now, why wait when we both know you want to.”
"Because, if I rush it and it blows up in my face, I'm going to have to deal with a very messy aftermath," I told her matter-of-factly.
"This is the point where I say that ridiculous quote you always in Italian, but since I have no idea how it goes, I'll say this instead: Stop being a pussy. As much as I am loathing to admit it, the girl is head over heels in love with you. Fuck, any woman who lets you take them over their lap and spank them must be. I'm not saying 'do it now,' but at least start thinking about it. Just make sure I'm your best man.”
"Will you leave me alone if I agree to think about it?" I asked.
"No, and as much as I would love to continue this conversation, I'm late, and Re is tapping her watch, so you go do whatever it was you were doing before I called, and I'll talk to you at work tomorrow. Ciao.”
She barely gave me time to open her mouth before she had put the phone down, and I sat back in my chair, the dial tone ringing in my ear and wondered what the fuck I was going to do.
...
Anger coursed through my veins as my hands flexed around the steering wheel. The silence was thick and heavy in the car as I stared straight ahead, not even able to bring myself to look at her.
"Papi... "she started.
"Don't," I interrupted. "Not while I'm driving.”
My jaw was clenched tightly as I tried to rein in my feelings, feeling them bubble up inside.
I couldn't even begin to fathom what would have caused her act the way she had, but her behavior had been inexcusable.
We had accepted an invitation for Sunday brunch with Alice and Jasper, who—as was their usual custom for the weekend—had been heavily involved in a scene. It had been interesting to watch how she responded to his commands as she served us, eyes down, body language demure and open, but Isabella had decided to act out.
I knew it hadn't been caused by them, in fact, at first she had been fine. It was only as time went on that her behavior began to deteriorate until she had blatantly disrespected me.
It had the final straw on the camel's back, and I had been forced to make us leave early, giving my sincerest apologies to Jasper and Alice before I dragged Isabella out of the house and into the car.
We had barely shared two words since, and I was trying to calm myself down before I arrived home. I needed to be calm and controlled for administering Isabella's punishment, and right now, I wasn't in the right mindset, let alone mood.
I could feel the tension between us fizzling angrily as it reacted to our moods, and I knew that before I could do anything we would need to talk and get to the root of the problem. I knew Isabella wouldn't act out for no reason, and it was with that thought in mind that I pulled into the garage of my house.
We sat silently in the brightly lit garage, the line of cars, shining and glinting in the light as I swallowed back my feeling and turned to her.
"Would you like to explain to me what that display back at Jasper and Alice's was?" I asked, my tone cool.
She bit down hard on her bottom lip, refusing to look at me as she stared down at her lap, fiddling with her fingers. "I'm sorry," she whispered apologetically. "I just...I wanted...and I-I don't know why I acted like that.”
Her lie hung in the air like a bad odor, lingering and setting me on edge. My hands were practically white from the tight grip I had on the steering wheel, and it was with effort that I managed to let it go, smoothing my hands down the pant legs of my slacks.
"You didn't just embarrass yourself in there, Isabella. You embarrassed me, by behaving like that. I need you to be honest with me, Isabella, and tell me what is wrong. Am I not giving you something that you need, is that it?”
She hesitated before nodding, finally turning her gaze to me, her eyes brimming with tears. "I was jealous," she finally admitted. "You've been so busy and distant recently because of work that we haven't been able to spend any real time together. We haven't scened in what feels like forever. I understand that you're busy and that your job is really important, but I guess I've been feeling...neglected? And seeing Jasper and Alice today just made all these feelings come up, and I didn't know how to deal with them..." she trailed off as she reached up to brush a stray tears away.
I scrunched my eyes closed tightly, letting my head fall back against the seat as my body slumped.
"Fuck," I muttered, running a hand over my face as I realized that I had failed. The fact wasn't easily swallowed, but the truth of had just slapped in the face with her words. I had neglected her, too wrapped up in my own problems to realize that I had let her fall to the wayside.
Don't get me wrong, she was still going to be disciplined, because no matter what I had done, the way she had reacted was inexcusable. She couldn't control how I acted, but she could control how she did. She had failed in that by letting her emotions get the better of her.
She should have come to me and forced me to see the problem that I was stubbornly oblivious to, instead of letting it fester until she held all this resentment.
I wasn't excusing my own behavior either, my lack of communication had caused this in the first place. I should have talked to her about what was going on with me, instead of shutting her out and trying to work through it on my own. The whole point of being in relationship was being able to lean on someone, and yet I had disregarded that completely.
"This is my fault," I said with a sigh. "I should have talked to you, and explained why I have acting strange recently. I guess I just hoped to sort my head out first, but I shouldn't have disregarded your feelings. I failed you as your Papi and as your boyfriend, and for that I am deeply sorry," I told her, trying to convey my sincerity through my eyes.
She reached over, taking my hand in hers and holding it tightly. "I forgive you, but you worried me, and I got scared so I lashed out. I shouldn't have let my emotions get the better of me like that, but I could feel you pulling away from me. You would tell me if there was something wrong, right?" she asked.
I sighed, and nodded before swallowing. "I've been thinking about the future lately, and I think I want to resign," I told her, tensing as I awaited her reaction.
She seemed confused for a second before understanding dawned on her face. "Your job?" she clarified, her eyes widening and a look almost akin to horror crossing her face as I nodded in confirmation.
"But that's your...you can't...why?" she spluttered, shocked.
"You have to understand that this decision isn't something that I take lightly, but I'm finding it harder and harder to enjoy and find fulfilment in my job. It just doesn't call to me as it used, and I'm tired. Not physically, but mentally tired of trying to keep on top of everything. I took the job to try and save the world and make a change, and I hope that I have, but it's draining me to the point that I feel like I'm losing myself again. If I didn't have you to drag me back up everyday, I don't know what I would do," I admitted.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" she asked imploringly, running her hand over the nape of my neck.
"I don't know. I guess I was scared. Old habits are hard to break, and I guess I expected you to react badly like I know my parents will.”
"I'm not either of your parents, Edward," she murmured. "I'm not here to dictate what you do...that's your job," she teased, and I felt the corners of my mouth turn up.
"You're right, and I shouldn't have compared you to them, but my head is all sorts of fucked up right now. I know that doesn't excuse how I've been treating you, and as warm and comfortable the car is, I think we should take this inside." I told her, releasing my seat belt and opening the door as I pulled the keys from the ignition.
I walked around the car, opening her door for her and offering my hand to help her maneuver herself safely out of the car. I closed her door behind and moved to guide her into the house, only to have her pull me back toward her.
I turned, mildly perplexed, wondering what was wrong only to be met with a pair of warm, soft lips. I pushed her back against the car as my hands naturally gravitated to her body, one threading through her hair and the other grasping a handful of her ripe ass.
I hissed as she bit down on my bottom lip to the point of pain, almost breaking the skin before I yanked her head back by her hair, and pushed her body away from me.
"I want my punishment," she demanded. Her eyes met mine defiantly, challenging me as I felt the diminished anger flare back up.
Every instinct in me rose to the surface, demanding that I assert my dominance over her. She was stepping over clear boundaries by demanding me, as her Papi, to do something. It wasn't her place to tell me what to do, but it seemed that her place was something that she had forgotten and needed a clear reminder of.
My hand tightened in her hair as I met her gaze, hardening myself until I slipped out of my restrictive skin, brushing everything away as I became my own paradox, strung tightly to the point of snapping, yet still loose in another sense. I had honestly missed the feeling of my mind expanding and clouding over, blocking any and all needless thoughts from my mind as I sunk into my role.
I stood a little straighter, pushing my shoulders back as I planted my feet in a firm stance, my nails digging into her flesh through her dress at her hip. My top lip curled up into a sneer, and I watched as she noted the change in body language, her pupils dilating as a fire kindled in them.
She dropped all pretence, speaking to me through her gaze, communicating what she wanted, no needed, from me.
It wasn't gentle caresses and reverent touches that she longed for. What her eyes pleaded for was to be slapped, choked, spanked, and humiliated. She wished to be forced down until she felt small and insignificant as she knelt before me. She needed me to reaffirm myself in position as her Papi, and Dominant over her.
She was like a young tree-while strong and growing-still small and in need of nurturing. She needed to be molded and manipulated, to have her pliable mind twisted and reformed like clay until it became something breathtaking.
I didn't give her the satisfaction of speaking as I yanked her by her hair out the garage, dragging her along behind me, a sense of anticipation and excitement running through my veins.
She whimpered, stumbling along behind, trying to keep up with my long strides so as to minimize the pain I had only just started inflicting on her. I was barely through the entryway of my bedroom before I spun her around, slamming her up against wall beside the door.
I pressed myself flush against her body, immobilizing her completely as I dragged my nose up the column of her neck until my lips were level with her ear.
"Let's get something straight, mia Bellezza," I hissed. "You do not demand anything from me. Do you understand?”
She swallowed, her tongue flicking out of her mouth and sliding along her lips, leaving a layer of saliva on them as she nodded slowly. She gasped as my hand rose, gripping her by the neck hard enough that she struggled slightly to breathe.
"When I ask you a question, I expect an answer," I growled.
"Yes, Papi. I'm sorry," she whimpered, already bending herself back into her rightful place.
"Are you?" I pressed. "Because it seems to me that you've forgotten your place. Did you really think that acting like a brat would get you the attention that you wanted?”
Her eyes darted down, refusing to meet my piercing gaze. "No, Papi," she mumbled.
"I think you did. In fact, I think that you like acting like a brat, and I bet that it made you wet.”
Her breath hitched at my words, a slight tremble going through her body as she shivered, spreading her thighs as I jammed my knee between them. She struggled slightly against me, her cheeks flushing as I dipped my hand under her dress, trailing it up her thigh before tugging her panties aside.
Just as I had predicted, she was wet, her pussy hot and slick with arousal.
I tutted her, shaking my head as if I was disappointed in her. "Such a dirty little slut," I murmured, retracting my hand and smearing her wetness over her parted lips. I could see the internal struggle in her eyes as she forced herself not to let her tongue clean up the mess I had made on her lips.
I chuckled sinisterly, enjoying watching her struggle for a moment before leaning down and capturing her mouth in a hard kiss. I held nothing back as her lips yielded under mine, and I prised her mouth open with my own, pulling her bottom lip into my mouth and lapping her arousal off them before repeating the process with the top lip.
She was helpless, crushed up against the walls as I devoured her mouth, not drawing back until my lungs protested from lack of air. I barely allowed her time to take in a lungful of air between her plump, swollen lips before I yanked her away from the wall by her arm. Spinning her as I turned toward the bed so that her back was pressed up against my front.
I pushed her forward roughly, causing her stumble as she attempted to regain her balance, almost falling into the ottoman at the bottom of the bed.
"Strip," I ordered. "I want you naked and kneeling with your hands against the headboard in one minute. Don't keep me waiting.”
My eyes stayed glued to her as she started stripping out of her clothes, pulling her dress over her head as I unbuttoned the cuffs of my shirt, pushing them up to my elbows in preparation. I felt a burst of pride as she assembled her clothes into a semi-neat pile, not just kicking them aside like she used to, reminding me that my lessons, while unconventional, had sunk in.
She climbed up onto the bed, kneeling as she placed her hands on the headboard her legs spread shoulder-width apart. I drifted into my closet, going to the back, where I kept my treasure trove of toys, picking out what I wanted before walking back into the bedroom. I was pleased to find her in the same position that I had left her, her hips shifting impatiently as she waited.
I climbed up on the bed, placing the toys beside me as I kneeled behind her, gathering up her hair in my hands before loosely braiding it into pigtails, tying the ends with ribbon.
There was something very intimate and calming about taking care of her in such a simple way, and I let the familiar motions soften the edges of my turbulent emotions.
I picked up the velvet rope by me, grasping her wrists and binding them together before interlacing it through the headboard and securing them tightly.
I trailed a lone finger down her spine, watching the way she reacted to me, her breathing stuttering as she arched forward, pushing her ass further out toward me in invitation. I skimmed my nose along the curve of her ear before biting down on her lobe, her answering whimper desperate as I let my hands wander over her thighs teasingly.
"Tell me, Bellezza," I purred. "Why am I punishing you?”
She swallowed tightly, her breathing shallow as she shivered, goosebumps rising on her skin. "I don't know," she lied, and I retaliated by bringing my hand down on her bare pussy, the slap sounding loud as she keened, squirming against me and tugging at her bindings.
"Why don't we try that again, but with the truth this time?" I growled. "Why am I punishing you?”
She stayed silent for a long moment, ducking her head and letting out a long breath before speaking. "Because instead of talking to my Papi about what was wrong, I let my emotions best me so I disrespected my Papi, embarrassing myself and him in the process," she said.
"Yes, you did," I agreed. "And while I was also at fault in this situation, you should not have reacted the way you did. There are consequences for your actions, and by the time I'm done with you, you'll never make that mistake again.”
The warning was clear in my voice as I snaked my hands over the globes of her tits to her nipples, gripping them between two fingers as I tugged and twisted roughly, feeling them swell and tighten beneath my ministrations.
She mewled, throwing her head back and leaning it on my shoulder as her chest heaved, and she tried fruitlessly to worm her way out of the ropes holding her to the headboard.
My chest rumbled with a chuckle, enjoying this way more than I probably should, but feeling her already trembling against me when I had hardly done anything just made me eager to see how she would fare when we got down to the nitty gritty.
"We're going to do something a little different," I told her as I nipped my way across the length of her shoulder, pinching her skin between my teeth before laving it with my tongue. "I want you to beg for every spank I give you, and when I believe you've proved to me that you've learnt your lesson, your punishment will end," I told her.
By not giving her a specific number, I knew that she would have to work hard, humiliating herself by asking for discipline, and begging and pleading to be spanked. I could stop at any time I chose, drawing it out for as long as I wanted until every scrap and layer of skin had been stripped away, leaving only bone—metaphorically speaking.
I shifted back slightly, pulling my body away from hers as I gripped her hips, forcing them back until her body was stretched out, her ass high in the air as she kept her balance by leaning on the headboard. I pulled her thighs apart roughly, spreading her body open for me before moving into an appropriate position.
"Are you ready?" I asked evenly, my hand already itching to start.
"Yes, Papi," she breathed, bracing herself as I raised my hand and delivered a firm spank to her ass. My fingers tingled from the impact, my eyes hungrily taking in the way the blood rushed to the surface of her ass, the mark angry as she jerked against me. She cried out, her breathing quickening as she quivered, her body compartmentalizing the pain.
I gripped her pigtails, forcing her head back, knowing that by the hiss that escaped her that her scalp was burning from my callous treatment.
"Are you already failing at the simple task I gave you?" I sneered.
She closed her eyes, swallowing tightly as she geared herself up for what she was about to say. "Please, Papi, spank me," she murmured quietly.
"I can't hear you," I taunted, not giving her any leeway whatsoever.
"Please, Papi, spank me," she repeated, louder this time.
"Better," I said, letting go of her hair so that her head fell forward.
I knew asking her to beg for what was essentially pain while I administered her punishment was harder for her than taking the punishment itself. She was used to being vocal during punishments, something that I encouraged, but today I wanted something a little different, and I could see the way she was reacting to that every time my hand came down on her ass, alternating from the curve to the center of each cheek.
"More. Please give me more!”
I wanted to push her boundaries by testing the strength of her obedience against the strength of her instincts and pride.
The sound of my hand connecting to her ass kindled a fire in my groin, and while I didn't get off on hurting her, I did get off on seeing her completely submissive and at my mercy, begging to be given repentance that only I could give her. I couldn't deny that feeling her soft, pliable flesh give way to the force I exerted didn't excite me, or the way she trembled, short pants escaping her as her muscles tensed and contracted didn't appeal to my darker, sadistic side.
"Oh, God! Please, Papi.”
It was never the pain though, rather the power and control I wielded that had my groin tightening and my cock swelling. She had no reason to truly fear me, and she knew this, the trust we shared running deep between us until all doubts were diminished.
I gazed with unconcealed fascination the way her quivering body bruised and darkened, a light sheen of sweat forming a layer on her skin as she arched and twisted her body with each stroke. She was exposed, vulnerable, and bare in every sense of world, ripped open and laid before me as I cleansed her of her guilt. It continually amazed me how with the simple flick of my wrist, I could inflict enough pain to mar her body.
"I need it. Please give it to me!”
There were times when I found my emotions at war with themselves, part of me knowing that it was needed, cathartic even, for both of us, but the other part lamenting over the pain she was going through to reach that place.
I forced myself to be calm in those situations, never allowing my feelings to take control of my movements, each stoke controlled and precise. I stayed sharp and focused, never letting my mind stray from my immediate task until it was over.
"Harder. Spank me harder!”
There was something so beautiful about seeing her like this though, the delicate arch of her spine bowed as her plump, ample tits reached forward, her eyes squeezing shut. The way she arched her face upward, accepting the pain, greeting it as she pushed her ass out toward me, and taking it into her body down to her bones and sealing it in her mind humbled me.
Each guttural and choked cry for more spurred me on, kept my mind where it was supposed to be as her ass turned an angry red, the blood pooling at the surface.
"Please spank me, Papi!”
The loose strands of her hair were dark and plastered to her skin from the sweat trickling down her body. Her body was flushed, the quivering more pronounced than before as she gasped for breath, the fifteen spanks having taken a lot out of her. I pulled back momentarily as I discarded my shirt, not caring where it landed as the adrenaline coursed through my veins, my heart practically beating out of my chest.
I pulled her head roughly to the side as I bit down on her neck, taking the skin between my teeth and sucking it hard, marking and bruising her once flawless flesh.
"Why am I punishing you?" I asked her once I was fully satisfied with my work. We both already knew why I had to discipline her, but I wanted her to say it.
"Be-because I was bad," she stuttered out.
"Yes, you were," I agreed, snaking my hands around her body, fondling her tits briefly before delivering a harsh spank on her swollen, sensitive pussy.
"Fuck!" she screamed, her hips bucking as she yanked on the ropes around her wrists.
"Please, Papi," she pleaded. "No more.”
I grasped both of her pigtails in one hand, tugging her head back by them as I lowered my mouth to her ear. "See, that right there is problem. You do not tell me what to do. I will decide when you have had enough, and then and only then, will I stop. Have I made myself clear?" I spat.
She nodded. "Yes, Papi," she breathed, and I released my hold on her hair.
"I honestly think that you could take a lot more, mia Bellezza. In fact, I know you can, and I'm sure you do too. No, I think the problem is that you're enjoying this too much, isn't it, my dirty little slut?”
She shook her head furiously. "N-no!" she protested.
"Really, then how do you explain this?" I asked, dipping my hand into her, pussy collecting some of the arousal gushing from her body and lifting my hand so that my glistening fingers were level with her face.
She swallowed, her mouth opening and closing, but having no way to deny that her pussy and thighs were coated in her wet arousal.
"You like begging to be spanked, don't you, my little slut?" I taunted before whispering in her ear. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. It'll be our little secret...unless, you want me to tell people.”
I could tell by the way she averted her eyes that she was embarrassed, and I was doing nothing but spurring that embarrassment on with my taunts.
I painted her arousal around her nipples, never quite touching the swollen buds as I made her areola slippery and wet. I knew she was uncomfortable with me exploited what she thought to be her weakness for my own enjoyment, but I liked watching her squirm.
I brought my hand down on her pussy, causing her to jerk against me as she cried out pitifully. "You didn't answer the question," I said, my voice as hard as steel.
I could feel her discomfort rolling off her in waves as she nodded. "Yes, Papi," she answered.
"Yes, Papi, what?" I prompted.
She inhaled a deep breath before expelling it noisily. "Yes, Papi, begging to be spanked made me wet," she admitted grudgingly.
"Of course it did," I said condescendingly. "You are a little slut after all.”
I swear she let out a little kittenish growl under her breath in response, and yet I could only respond with a chuckle, knowing that I still needed to take her down a few pegs. I was pushing her boundaries, I knew that, but I also knew that she could take it. My Little One wasn't a weakling, and while she might protest, we both knew that she loved every dirty, humiliating aspect of it.
I could feel the heat radiating off her skin, hovering in the air between our bodies as the tension rose. The electricity between us flickered and sizzled, reacting to our bodies and emotions as we mapped our way through her punishment.
I reached between, flicking open the button of my pants before slowly sliding the zipper, groaning as some of the pressure was relieved. I didn't dare take myself out, knowing already by the way my cock was peeking out of the waistband of my boxers, leaking and twitching, that I would not be able to control myself.
"The better you beg, the sooner this punishment is over," I reminded her, pulling my body away from hers as I readied myself to continue the punishment.
She squared her shoulders, preparing herself as she breathed heavily through her nose.
"What color are we?" I asked.
"Green," she confirmed, and I took that as my cue to bring my hand down on her sore ass.
"Oh, God! Yes, Papi, please more," she keened.
I could feel sweat trickling down the back of my neck, and I pushed back the pressure in my chest that longed for me to just end this and plunge myself inside her. My brows furrowed in concentration as I spanked her again, her cries escalating in noise as I finally broke through to her. She fell, scrambling to find her footing, her place, as sobs tore through her chest, her pleas holding a new note of desperation.
She sagged forward, breathing heavily, tears-tracks glistening on her cheeks once she realized I was done, the twenty-three spanks having had their desired effect. She was a goddess, my goddess, and I didn't hesitate to catch her before she fell too far, worshipping her.
I grabbed the lotion from the bedside table, my hands immediately moving to knead and massage as I placed a kiss on the column of her neck. Her trembling lessened as she started to relax, allowing me to ease her discomfort. My hands slid down her arms to her wrists, untying them and rubbing the agitated skin where she had been bound.
She sank back into me, her breathing staccato as I brushed the wet strands of hair off her neck before letting my fingers trace along the line of her jaw as she flexed it.
"You did so well," I murmured, nuzzling her hair and brushing away any stray tears with the pads of my thumb.
Her breath hitched and she jumped slightly as I placed my moisturized hands on her ass. A slightly whimper left and her eyelids fluttered shut, her teeth gnawing on her bottom lip as she allowed me to massage some of the pain away.
"You were so beautiful submitting to me like that," I told her quietly. "You have no idea what it did to me. Thank you for giving me that.”
She let out a breathless laugh, turning her face so that she could look at me. Her make-up was smeared, black smudged under her eyes leading down to tear-tracks. Her lips were swollen and pouted, her cheeks flushed and her eyes alight with wonderment.
"I should be the one thanking you. I needed that, so badly, and I didn't even have to ask you for you to know exactly what I wanted," she revealed.
"So forcing you to beg for your punishment wasn't too much?" I questioned.
Her nose wrinkled adorably as she contemplated the question. "No, it wasn't. Humiliating? Yes. Arousing? Yes. Liberating? Without a doubt. I feel as though I am where I am supposed to be, and I'm not sure you could have accomplished that by not forcing me to humiliate myself like that," she explained.
"That's good, but I still feel as though I have much to make up for. There was no excuse for my neglect, important job or not, and I'll do whatever it takes to get you to forgive me for my callous behavior," I told her sincerely, wrapping my arms around her waist loosely.
She hummed, nuzzling the corner of my jaw. "You've more than already made up for it, Papi," she murmured, pulling me to lie down before turning in my arms to face me. She slid one of her legs between mine, hooking the other over my hip as she pushed my hair out of my eyes. She tucked it behind my ear, her hand lingering a moment as she cupped my cheek.
"It was as much my fault as it was yours. Yes, you were distracted a lot and dismissed me and how that would make me feel, but I let you. I should have talked to you about it, knowing that there was something wrong, but I didn't, and by doing that I neglected you.I tried to ignore that there was a problem between us. You were lost in your head, oblivious to what was going on around you, and I wasn't, so both of us are at fault in this situation. We were both too stubborn, and we are reaping the consequences of that. I have nothing to forgive you of. Just knowing that we are both on the same page again is enough for me," she told me.
I leaned forward, cupping her neck as I brushed my lips over hers softly, feeling the soft, plump flesh of them. Her lips parted slightly as a she let out a stuttering breath, and her eyes fluttered closed. My chest expanded, the cord in my stomach stretching as I slowly applied more pressure into the kiss, loving the taste of her lips.
I groaned in protest as she pulled back from the kiss, pushing against my chest until I got the hint and rolled onto my back. She straddled my hips, pressing her hands firmly into my chest as I tried to sit up, stopping me.
"Let me take care of you," she murmured, somehow knowing what her words meant to me. I swallowed tightly, feeling my Adam's apple bob up and down before letting out a long breath and nodding my consent, my mouth suddenly too dry to form a coherent sentence.
I licked my lips, wetting them with saliva. "Aren't you sore?" I asked, skimming my hand lightly over the curve of her ass.
"I'm fine," she said, leaning down to press her lips back to mine, kissing me slowly and deeply. My hands splayed over her back as I returned the kiss with equal fervor, feeling the passion flare up between us as we reconnected. I pulled her bottom lip into my mouth, sucking on it gently as her hands drifted slowly down my chest until they found the material of my pants.
I lifted my hips wordlessly, giving her the room she needed to tug my pants and boxers down, my erection literally weeping in relief as it was freed, slapping against my stomach.
"Fuck," I hissed, releasing her lip, my hands rubbing up and down her back in an attempt to soothe and bring myself back from the edge. "Please take you hair down for me, mia Bellezza," I requested.
She didn't hesitate to pull the ribbons out, raking her hands through the braids until her hair fell down in thick, slightly curled waves around her shoulders. She fluffed it up a little, tucking any stray hairs behind her ears before leaning down to fuse our lips back together.
Her hair fell like a curtain around us, separating us from the outside world as our kisses deepened, our tongues massaging and twisting together.
"Papi," she whimpered, "let me...let me...”
"What is it?" I mumbled against her lips, pulling back slightly for air.
"I want to take care of you," she breathed. "Let me love you.”
"You already are," I responded as she slid down, raising herself up onto her knees and grasping my cock in her hands. My hips bucked up into her grip, and she looked between us, seemingly mesmerized by the way the skin drew back from the head of my cock with each down stroke.
My shaft was well lubricated with pre-cum, and I let my head fall back amongst the pillows, my breathing shallow as I rolled my hips upward.
"Fuck!" I moaned. "Bellezza, please, no more. It's been too long. I need you," I said, my voice strained with need. My need didn't stem so much from the fact that we hadn't had sex in a while, because distracted or not, I would have noticed something was wrong if we hadn't had sex.
Instead, I had held back a part of myself from her, not giving her what she fully needed, my mind not fully engaged with the task until it became the kind of sex I had once loathed; mediocre, routine sex. Just imagining how she must have felt at my dismissive behavior had a pang thrusting into my heart like a serrated blade.
Her eyes never left mine as she guided me into her pussy, dragging my cock through her wet furnace, coating my bulbous tip with her juices before placing me at her entrance. My hands, which were grasping her hips, strayed, moving to entwine with hers as she sank slowly down on me until I was buried inside her to the hilt.
Her thighs trembled, and it was as if we both held our breaths for one long moment, the tension swirling around, threatening to break until we exhaled, sinking into the feel of completeness.
Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips as she moved our entwined hands down on the sheets on either side of us. She rolled her hips gently, testing the waters as my hips copied the motion beneath her.
Her eyelids fluttered as her swollen lips parted in a silent cry of pleasure, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she started moving over me. I detangled one of my hands, reaching up and threading one of my hands through her hair as I guided her lips down to meet mine.
She moaned against my mouth, the vibration thrumming through me like electricity. There was no rush in our movements, each thrust long and deep, our hips rolling and rocking in a soothing rhythm. It was like the calm after the storm, the waves of pleasure rolling gently over us, as we re-acclimated ourselves to each other.
She dragged my hand from her hair, allowing it fall down around us like a curtain as she placed it on her hip, coaxing me to lead, even from beneath. She closed her eyes, resting her forehead against mine as I grasped her fleshy hip tightly, moving her over me. Her eyes sought out mine, the brown depths filled with lust and love as our lips touched lightly, not kissing, just breathing each other in.
We connected, clicking together on every level, tightening our bond as we moved. My hips flexed upward as she rolled hers down, sliding up and down my cock slowly yet purposefully. Her hands were twisted in my hair, gripping handfuls of it as the swollen buds of her nipples brushed up against my chest.
"I love you," she said, her eyes imploring me to return the sentiment.
"I love you more, mia Bellezza, so much more than you could ever comprehend," I murmured back, trying to soothe away any doubts that may be festering beneath the surface. It was in situations like this that I remembered just how fallible and imperfect I was. All the turmoil and hurt could have been so easily avoided, but between me having my head up my ass, and Isabella's stubbornness, we had stumbled.
We still had far to go in our relationship and so much to learn, not just about each other as separate beings, but us together as a couple.
"Impossible," she breathed, crushing her mouth to mine before I could protest. Her lips were soft and wet, the taste of her tongue, ambrosia as I devoured her like a starving man, trying to draw her from her body and into mine.
We shadowed each other's movement, our bodies synchronized as we performed the age-old dance. Our lips meshed together, teeth crashing, tongues delving as we reaffirmed ourselves.
I sat up, my arms wrapped tightly around her as I pulled her flush against me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, her fingers playing absently with the hair on the nape of my neck as I lowered my hands to her hips, moving her over me how I wished as my head ducked down to capture one of her nipples between my lips.
I thumbed the neglected nipple as I suckled the other, her body arching into me as she keened loudly, her breaths coming out in quick pants.
She ground herself down on me, twisting her hips slightly so that the tip of my cock hit deeper inside her. "That's it, mia Bellezza, take your pleasure from me," I encouraged her, thrusting up into her as her hips crashed down against mine.
I reached between us, sliding my thumb into her pussy, parting her folds as I sought out the engorged flesh of her clit, rubbing circles into her slick flesh.
"Oh, God, baby," she breathed. "Yes!”
Her walls clenched down around me, her muscles fluttering as she bounced on my lap, completely unhinged as she threw her head back, her hair cascading down her back. She rode me hard, her chest heaving, and her plump tits jiggling. Her hands flexed from their position in my hair, grasping handfuls of it as she tried to gain some semblance of control.
I could feel a tightening in my groin as I responded in kind, one hand gripping the sheets behind for leverage as I slammed up into her, plunging my cock into her slick, tight pussy. I could smell sex in the air, taste it on my tongue and feel it dripping down my skin. It was her and me fused together to create one, and I wanted to stay like that, breathing her in, forever.
"I'm close," she whimpered, and I redoubled my efforts on her clit, palming her tit with the other as my lips attached themselves to her neck, sucking and licking her sweaty skin. I let out a groan as she yanked my head, pulling my mouth away from her skin as her own descended along my throat, nibbling and sucking desperately as her hips stuttered, and her muscles convulsed around me.
"Come for me," I strained out, feeling her shaking body let go at my command. Her mouth went slack against my skin as she shattered on top of me, her hands grasping onto me tightly as she fell, dragging me along with her. Her pussy clenched and contracted around me, squeezing and milking me for all I was worth as we let go, throwing ourselves over the cliff and into oblivion.
She mewled, crying out my name over and over in a mantra as she shuddered, her body releasing all the tension in it as I followed, spilling myself deep inside her.
I felt almost dizzy as I fell back against the bed, Isabella slumped against my chest, as I panted heavily, the spasms in my body slowly diminishing. My mind was quiet, almost silent, as I basked in the moment, feeling her little fingers tugging at my coarse chest hair as her warm breath fanned out across my skin. She hummed lowly, shifting her hips slightly as I slipped from her body with a hiss. I rested one hand behind my head, and the other one stroking languidly through her hair.
"I missed this," she finally murmured, glancing up at me from under her eyelashes.
My lips twitched as I stared up at the ceiling. "Me too," I agreed.
"I say that we vow to never be this stubborn and idiotic again," she suggested.
"Do you want it in writing, or is a verbal contract enough?" I teased her.
She giggled, climbing higher up my body until she was hovering over me, her swollen, plump lips close to mine. "I'm serious," she whispered, her eyes twinkling and her lips turned up in a smile.
"I can't promise that I won't be that idiotic again, but as long as you kick my ass when I am, I think we'll be fine," I told her earnestly.
"Good enough," she mumbled, pressing her lips to mine softly.
I couldn't honestly tell you for how long we lay there, making out and touching, but it took us a while before we detangled ourselves, neither of us bothering to get dressed as we wandered down to the kitchen for food since we hadn't eaten since we were at Alice's. She sat, nude, on my lap as we ate some quickly heated up leftovers from the night before, taking turns in feeding each other.
Just having her there, safe in our own little bubble, brought back the conversation that I'd had earlier with Tanya, and I realized that, as we made tentative plans for the future, it still felt as if it was more of a dream, a fantasy. It was with that realization that I knew, for better or for worse, I wanted-no needed-to change that.
...
Papi = Daddy.
Bellezza = Beauty.
