Page 48 of My Ex's Billionaire Brothers

I press a kiss to the top of her head, then reach out for a towel and dry her off. Slowly. Methodically. Silently. And then Idry myself as well. No words yet. She needs time to think, and speaking will only muddy that up.

“Are…are you mad?”

“No, doll, not in the least. I wished to give you a moment of silence to clear your head. But there are better ways to accomplish this task. Come with me.” I hold out my hand.

She takes it. We head into the larger of the two bedrooms where she slept with Gage last night. I would have been more jealous of him winning that coin toss, save for the fact that he needs a larger bed than either me or Hunter.

But I missed sleeping next to Anya. I’ve had it only once, and I want it again. The comfort of her body next to mine, the rhythm of her breaths as she sleeps. Her scent all night long.

I’ll have to settle for the forty minutes I have left.

“Lie in the center of the bed. Face down.”

She blinks at me before following the order, her wet hair draped over her right shoulder as she pulls up the blanket over herself. She turns her head to the left to ask, “Like this?”

“Almost.” I peel the blanket back, revealing all that perfect skin. Her breathing hitches—must be the cold air on her warm skin again. It’s by design. A touch of discomfort will keep her in the moment.

I sit next to her on the bed and run my fingers over that round ass of hers. Lightly, at first. But soon, I can’t help myself. I knead the flesh until she’s practically purring for me.

And then, I swat her there.

She braces, a short breath sticking in her lungs. “What was that for?”

“Fun.” Her skin goes slightly pink, nothing too devastating. “I like seeing my handprint on you. It suits you. That first night when I spanked you, you practically ran away.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Hardly.” I swat her again, relishing the way her ass jiggles. Mesmerizing. But this isn’t the time for that. I clear my throat. “I know your body enjoys it, but do you?”

She takes a beat. “Yes.”

“Do you object to me spanking you now?”

There’s something off about her quietness. She’s preternaturally still, and I cannot assess whether it’s because she’s scared or into it.

And then, her voice ghosts the word, “No.”

“Good.” I lay down three more smacks, light, airy things. Not enough to truly hurt, but enough to hold her attention. And make her squirm against the bed.

“Spread your legs for me, doll.”

Her thighs open up, giving me a lovely view. She’s glistening. “I feel a little exposed?—”

“Precisely. You are exposed for my pleasure. Raise your hips for me.” When she does, I tuck a pillow beneath her. The new angle makes her even more vulnerable to me, displaying her pussy, her ass, taking a bit more control out of her hands. “Good girl. Now, stay still until I say otherwise.”

If she were a regular submissive, I’d have her bound and gagged by now. We held her down last night, nothing too serious. But she is new to this sort of play, and I can’t rush that aspect of things, no matter how much I’d love to see her bound up in shiny pink rope and a ball gag.

The mind fuck of being on display and being told to hold still will have to do for now.

I stroke up the insides of her thighs, coming close to her pussy, before stroking back down, over and over until she’s twitching her hips as though seeking my touch. Her breaths come short now, her skin pebbling. Her hips come ever closer to my hand, even when I change up the stroke.

So I spank her again, five in a row, harder this time. The act is symbolic, but it’s enough to wake that urge in me. The one that needs to control her, to manage her pleasure. To make her come screaming.

She fists the sheets in response, but doesn’t safeword. Her body, however, goes still.

“Better.” I take my hands off her warm skin, a torture for both of us. “When I said hold still, I meant it. Now you know what happens when you break the rules?—”

“So if I don’t hold still, I get a spanking?”