Page 45 of Hideaway

“Good. Because I would find no pleasure in having to punish you again. I’ve had a very long, tiring day, and I would like nothing more than to administer aftercare and go to bed.”

“Aftercare?”Kara asked warily, fearful to be met with some other form of torture.“What the fuck is that?”

“I need to tend to your welts,”Cade answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“If you actually gave a damn about my well-being, you wouldn’t have given me welts in the first place!”Kara shouted back, entirely confused by his methodology of wanting to hurt her and then help ease her discomfort. Was he a sadist plagued with a messiah complex as well?

“As previously discussed, you earned them. But that doesn’t mean I want you to suffer unduly,”Cade explained as he moved closer to her with an outstretched arm, longing to touch her, comfort her, make her see reason.“I understand you’re upset—”

“I’m not upset, I’m fucking livid,”Kara replied hatefully, slapping his arm away from her in aversion.

Cade stilled where he stood, stunned and perplexed by her over abundant expressions of aggression and anger. Why was she acting as though she had been wronged in some way? It wasn’t as though he had assaulted her in anger. He had calmly requested Kara submit to the whipping she’d earned. She had consented.“You accepted the punishment,”Cade said confidently as though his assessment would prove the illogicality of her feelings and would put an end to their argument.

“Like I had a choice! If you think I willingly gave you permission to beat me, you’re insane.”

Cade’s jaw clenched tightly in frustration. He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to formulate a response that would inspire rationality in the increasingly confounding woman.“You broke your promise,”he reminded her, confused as to why he had to constantly reiterate her transgressions—her own bloody decisions—that had brought about the punishment she apparently found so offensive.

“Yes, I broke my promise,”Kara affirmed through gritted teeth, annoyed to be readdressing the minor events of the day, yet again.

“You ran.”

“Because I’m a fucking prisoner! That’s what sensible prisoners aresupposedto do.”

“You knew there would be consequences if you were caught,”Cade replied darkly, the harshness in his voice covering for the faint stabbings of guilt he felt at her accusation of being a prisoner. If he was entirely honest, that was exactly how he had treated her all day. The knowledge did not sit well with him, but he resolved to deal with it at a moment when he was more rested and less exasperated.

“I knew you would act exactly like the domineering twat you’re being right now,”Kara responded bitterly, turning dismissively to walk in any direction that Cade wasn’t.

Cade caught her viciously by the arm, jerking her around to face him and entrapping her tightly against his chest.“I have warned you not to turn your back on me, Kara Caine,”Cade rebuked in a tone simmering with violence.“And I would thank you to watch your filthy fucking mouth.”

Kara struggled against his hold, but battling against the strength of his arms was like trying to demolish an iron wall with bare fists. Finally, Kara conceded and went still against him. The moment Cade felt her submit, he relaxed his hold, stepping back so he could look at her face. Unsurprisingly, her eyes glittered with unconcealed hatred. Gently, Cade brushed his knuckles along her cheek, willing the tension in her expression and anger in her eyes to dissipate. He bent down until his forehead hovered a mere breath above her own, gazing deeply into her eyes in an attempt to disarm the defenses he watched her forge higher and more impenetrable with each passing moment.

“You earned your punishment. You paid for your disobedience. Now get over your self-righteous anger and let me tend to your injuries before they get worse,”Cade entreated almost amicably, as though offering a truce.

Taking advantage of his softening attitude, Kara pulled herself from Cade’s loosened grasp and threw her fists into his chest, shoving him away as hard as she could. Surprised by her aggression, Cade stumbled back slightly before regaining his balance.

“I would rather drink a hemlock cocktail than have your hands on me again after what you just did,”Kara retorted spitefully.

Cade stepped toward her slowly, intentionally keeping his movements unthreatening as he reached for her again, driven by a singular need to right things between them, despite believing his actions were completely justified. Kara matched his step forward with another step backward, refusing to allow him to close the space between them.

“Get the fuck out of my room and let me suffer in peace, Caden,”Kara ordered, her tone one of unflinching resolve.

Cade’s jaw clenched tightly at her insolence, but his expression slowly softened into resignation. He had gotten what he came for, she had paid for her sins, and the least he could do was allow her privacy to lick her wounds. He had taken enough from her for one day.“As you wish,”Cade agreed shortly.“There is arnica cream in the top drawer of the bathroom vanity. It can be applied topically to ease the pain and swelling from the bruises, though you may find it difficult to apply yourself.”

“I’ll manage,”Kara answered curtly, eager to be free of his presence.

“Very well,”Cade said in a mildly disapproving tone, making his way toward the exit. He opened the door, turning to glance at Kara one last time from the threshold. Cade knew she expected an apology, and he wished he could bestow one for the sake of smoothing things between them. But he regretted nothing of his actions, only that her choices had warranted them. Regardless of her feelings, her punishment had been an unfortunate necessity, and he would do it again if required. With nothing left to say, Cade walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Kara tensed anxiously, waiting for the scrape of the lock turning to announce that she was once again a prisoner. But the dreaded sound never came, just the soft tap of retreating footsteps. Alone at last, Kara sighed heavily in relief as she forgetfully fell back onto the bed in exhaustion. She yelped out loud, agony searing through every nerve in her body as her battered skin collided with the bed linen under the full weight of her body. Jolting upright, Kara headed for the bathroom in search of anything that would offer relief from the pain. Opening the drawer, Kara sifted determinedly until she found the tube labeled as arnica. Her nose crinkled at the strange, medicinal smell, but at that point she was willing to try anything. Standing in front of the full length mirror, Kara turned and gingerly lifted her nightgown to inspect the severity of the damage. She gasped sharply at the horrifying reflection.

Fuck.

Deep purple and maroon blossomed across her entire backside and thighs, speckled with pricks of red where Cade had delivered the harshest of lashes. He had marked her body with a collage of bruises, welts, and blood blisters. She knew the belt had hurt, but she had no idea Cade had delivered that level of destruction. He truly was a vindictive bastard. She would never forgive him for hurting her. She would never forgive herself for sleeping with him. Somehow, the intimacy that they had shared made the offense so much worse.

Hesitantly, Kara applied some of the cream to her fingertips and began to rub it on the welts. She inhaled sharply as the sting from the cream set in, pushing past the discomfort to thoroughly cover her injuries. Begrudgingly, she had to admit Cade was right about the challenges of self-application. The angle was difficult to manage, relying on only the mirror for direction, and she found it hard to brace for the incoming sting and apply the cream liberally at the same time. Difficulties be damned, she wouldn’t allow Cade to touch her again. Not after what he put her though. She still couldn’t believe that he had hit her with a belt. Worse, that she had allowed it. Perhaps the weeks in captivity were fucking with her rationality.

Having completed her task as adequately as possible, Kara walked achingly to the bed. Learning from her previous mistake, she slid awkwardly onto the bed on her stomach, careful to keep her nightgown from touching the punished flesh. Kara pulled the duvet up to only the bottom of her thighs, risking the chill of the winter night rather than the abrasion of fabric on her tender skin. Too exhausted to process her physical discomfort, Kara closed her eyes and willed sleep to come and steal away thoughts of Cade.

Twenty two. The bastard had hit hertwenty twotimes. And that was exactly how many times she would stab Cade in his most valued appendage with the nearest pointy object the instant he put himself within an arm’s reach of her.

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