Nevertheless her struggles continued urging him to exercise stronger dominance. He took hold of her arms and pulled them down behind her back. Holding her wrists in one hand, he loosened his belt and pulled it out of the loops of his black trousers. He wound the leather around her wrists to secure them behind her back. She moved backwards wriggling her hips to try and bring her skirt back down. He shook his head and smiled down at her backside he had been shielding from the gaze of his security men enthralled by the swivel of her hips. He pushed her back against the cool wall, sheltered from the warm sunshine in the enclosed alleyway that led to the back of the small Lakeside town.
Alexander turned to Ryan still holding the roses.
“Ryan, give me your belt.”
The man handed the flowers to one of the others and obeyed without question. Alexander heard Scarlett give a small shocked cry when she listened to Ryan unbuckle his belt and whip it out of the loops of his trousers in one fast motion. The American billionaire continued stroking her butt giving a cheek one tight squeeze before reaching his hand out behind him without looking to take the folded over belt prepared to deliver its first punishing strike.
“It’s time now, darling. Brace yourself,” he told her softly, seductively weaving his fist through her long mane of hair to pull her head back hard at the same time as aiming the leather belt at the seat of her bare bottom.
He watched her tense as the belt made a whooshing sound through the air before making contact with her skin, striping it a hot stinging red. The sound reverberated around the alley giving him a sense of contentment he was now able to ram his message home. Her first cry was one born more of shock than pain. But the second, third and those after produced a steady of flow of tears and panted whimpers from her lips.
“You will learn who is in charge here if it kills me. You put your life in my hands, Scarlett and I will have your respect and trust. In time, I will break your will.”
Alexander broke into his stride quickly aiming every strike with precision and the correct amount of firmness determined she would not see any leniency from him. It was time for her to fully submit to his rule and he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
The men remained silent watching him just as they had done many times before. They were Doms in their own right, hand-picked to be his security team. Her bottom was turning a bright shade of pink. She was no longer pushing back against his hold. Resignation had taken over. Now the only movement he saw from her was the way each cheek quivered and trembled when he struck it with force. Her sobs became louder when he turned his attention to the delicate skin lining the backs of her thighs just where it was most tender to color them a hot red to match her bottom. Finally, when he believed she could take no more, he allowed the belt to make contact one last time and ended her punishment. Now the only sound that could be heard in the alleyway was Scarlett’s gentle sobbing. The urge to instantly pull her into his arms was strong but he fought it for a while. She needed his strength and resolve and to know the boundaries he was setting for her. For that he needed to apply a little cruelty and remain distant and aloof just a while longer. Her life depended on it. He would lose no one else because of his carelessness in letting his guard down. He would keep Scarlett safe whatever the cost. He listened to her cry and hardened his resolve waiting for her to apologize for her reckless behavior.
He'd soothed her in his arms and rubbed the soreness on her bottom to calm her afterwards when she had suitably offered her apologies. Too concerned that Litvenko and Ross were still in town he took her straight back to Hanover Castle.
She sat in the car next to him for the half an hour journey, tired. He knew she was also nervous Litvenko and Ross were so near. They had been living in a bubble for the last week and now it had been burst. He held her hand and noticed she had fallen asleep. He let her rest for now as he planned to take a firmer stance with her. No one was going to take her from him. He’d waited too long to possess her and he was going to make damn sure Ross and Boris Litvenko knew she was his property not theirs.
Chapter 12
Scarlett woke surprised to find herself lying flat on top and in the middle of a snooker table and not in the car. Looking down at her body she realized she was completely naked and illuminated by the low lamps overhead. When she tried to utter an exclamation of shock she found she couldn’t make a sound. There was something round in her mouth that appeared to be tied to some leather straps on either side and fixed tight around the back of her head. Her eyes widened. Instinctively, she tried to lift her arms but found she couldn’t move them or her legs. The frustrated growl she uttered when she looked down the length of her body to see her legs bent and her feet flat to the green velvet surface spreading her pussy lips wide was muted against the ball gag.
Closer study revealed her ankles were bound in silken rope and tied underneath the snooker table as were her arms that had been placed above her head. She heard the soft pot of a ball and held her breath as she sensed it moving towards her. Scarlett gave a small gasp
