“This is for your stubborn insistence onwillfully endangering us both.” Smack! Corbin continuedtalking and spanking but after a while I lost track of what he wassaying. I was stretched out on his lap, my hands clenched intofists as he blistered my bottom, struggling not to cry. It was sodemeaning, so humiliating…especially when I heard Celestelaughing at me.
And though I didn’t want to admit it, ithurt so much. I hadn’t been spanked since I was a child andI had forgotten the stinging pain a really harsh whipping canbring. My stepfather had gotten it down to a science but that hadbeen years ago—I had never expected to have to endure such abjecthumiliation and agony as an adult.
But worse than the pain was the sense ofbetrayal. I had let Corbin into my mind…and maybe just a littleinto my heart. He had treated me, up until now, as an equal—someoneto respect, someone to be reckoned with. And now I was nothing buta naughty child in his lap, one who had to be disciplined for herown good. That hurt—hurt a lot.
The tears of rage and pain standing in myeyes abruptly overflowed and streamed down my cheeks. I bit my liphard enough to draw blood but despite my desperate effort to holdit back, a hoarse sob escaped me. And then another and another.
Immediately Corbin flipped me back over andpulled me into his arms.
“All right, Addison,” he murmured, rubbingone hand over my back. “It’s all right. Everything will be allright.”
I wanted to push away from him but I was tooweak. Instead, I crumpled against his chest and sobbed, feelinglike he had broken me. Here I was, a strong, respected vampireAuditor, able to look any vamp in the eye and push the kill buttonas casually as flipping on a light switch and Corbin had reduced meto a sobbing bundle of emotion.
“I hate you,” I whispered against his chest,knowing he could hear me. “God, I hate you.”
“Nicely done,” I heard Celeste say with alaugh in her voice. “Exactly what she deserved—the little humanupstart.”
“A good show, I’ll admit,” Roderick replied.“But this isn’t over, Corbin. Expect to reopen the issue when Icome to inspect your territory tomorrow night. Come, Celeste.”
I didn’t hear them go but suddenly the roomfelt empty—empty of the vampires, anyway. Then there was a softshuffle of feet, which must be the two human “snacks” they hadbrought with them leaving as well.
Finally the door to the club closed then itwas just Corbin and me, alone.
Chapter Thirteen
I yanked at my panties and dress, pullingone up and the other down, covering myself and my wounded dignityas well as I could. Then I tried to get off Corbin’s lap but I wastoo weak and besides, he wouldn’t let me go.
“Addison…” His voice was low and soothing ashe held me by the arms, his grip gentle but completelyunbreakable.
“Let me go, you son of a bitch.” My voicewas still thick with tears and I couldn’t look him in the eyes.“Let me go, you’ve done enough for one night.”
“What I did was save your life.” He soundedboth angry and regretful.
I swiped angrily at my eyes. “Right, ofcourse—by humiliating me in front of those bastards.”
“Isn’t a little humiliation better thanletting Roderick mind-rape you?” he demanded. “He is strong,Addison—I couldn’t have kept him from breaking through your shieldsmuch longer. I did the only thing I could—the only thing that wouldsatisfy him.”
I knew in my head he was right but mybruised heart and stinging bottom told a different story.
“You should have let me shoot him,” I said,wiping my eyes again, this time on the gauzy material of the reddress. It wasn’t very absorbent. “I could have killed the fucker—itwas point blank range.”
“You would only have enraged him.” Corbin’svoice was grim. “You would have gotten off one shot and then hewould have ripped your head off before I could have stoppedhim.”
“You don’t know that,” I said. “Howcould you know that?”
“Because I have seen it happen before—onlythe one who tried to kill Roderick was a were—a powerful one atthat.”
I knew he was telling the truth—I could tellit by his voice. And if Roderick was quick enough to kill apowerful werewolf, he was certainly quick enough to kill me. But Iwas still too angry to let it go.
“I couldn’t let him do that to Taylor,” Ipointed out. “That slimy bastard. I promised her I’d neverlet him touch her again.”
“Never mind what you promised, she is undermy protection now,” Corbin said sternly. “Do you reallythink I would have given her over to him?”
“Well, wouldn’t you?” I demanded, glaring athim.
“Of course not.” He sounded exasperated.“You do not know Roderick as I do. He is one of those males whowill take what is nearest to hand. I would have given him an excuseabout Taylor when he came and offered him a willing female at thesame time. He would have forgotten your friend between oneheartbeat and the next.”
“Vampires don’t have heartbeats. And Ithought you said you don’t hire prostitutes,” I snapped.
Corbin frowned. “I don’t. But I dohave several vampire females in my employ that would probably jumpat the chance to curry favor with one of Roderick’s stature.”
“He’s a sick, sadistic asshole,” I saidbluntly. “And he likes to play rough. Who in their right mind wouldwant to be with him?”
“Anyone who wanted to be introduced atcourt, for one thing,” Corbin said blandly.
“What, you mean the Vampire Court? Like somekind of royalty?”
He nodded. “And as for ‘playing rough’ asyou put it, most of our kind are not adverse to such practices. Weare much more durable than you humans and we like to pay theCrimson Debt. So our sexual practices often tend to be slightly…sadomasochistic.”
“Are you kidding me?” I looked at him withdisbelief. “You’re saying you consider the things he did to Taylornormal?”
“Not exactly. Even for my kind, Roderick
