Page 60 of Hideaway

“If you’re so overheated that your cheeks are blazing, you should welcome the relief of removing some of your clothing,”Cade explained tauntingly.

Kara blanched at his words, knowing that her own deception left her with little chance of escaping his command. She should never have underestimated Cade.“Please, sir,”Kara pleaded desperately, the embarrassment of what he suggested unfathomable.

“Did you have a drink, Kara?”Cade asked plainly, his lips still pressed against her ear.

“Yes, sir,”she admitted weakly in defeat.

“At last, we have the truth. You will not lie to me again, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,”she agreed sheepishly.

“Good girl. Now, take off your dress.”

Kara turned around sharply to look at him, aghast that Cade still made the same request.

“The confession does not absolve the sin without penance, love,”Cade instructed with the pretentious air of a man without fault.“Come now, hesitation merely prolongs the discomfort of the situation.”

It was easy for him to say, having made it through the night without degradation, reproach, or the removal of his clothes. Kara regarded him hatefully as she contemplated her options, which were not plentiful. Disregarding her dignity and pride for what felt like the hundredth time in the span of an hour, she turned away from Cade and let go of the dress she had been clutching tightly to her chest. The dress fell to the floor, leaving Kara in only a revealing black bra and black lace panties. She cursed herself for wearing the seductive pair for Cade’s pleasure, assuming she would have an opportunity to reveal them in a far more intimate setting than in front of company in the dining hall.

“You may return to position,”Cade dismissed with barely a glance in her direction. Undressing her wasn’t about gratification or exploitation, it was about power.

Using her arms to cover what she could of her exposed body, Kara stepped out of the dress and made her way around the table to her designated place at Cade’s right side. She sank to her knees, grateful for the first time that night that her place on the floor might put her below their notice or attention. She tried to tell herself that she was no more exposed than she might be on a beach in front of throngs of strangers, but Kara couldn’t seem to mitigate the humiliation she felt as she knelt practically naked at the disposal of two fully clothed men. Hot tears of shame slipped down her cheeks before she brushed them away in irritation.

Kara sat in abject misery as Cade and Finnian continued their discourse, oblivious to her discomfort. Eventually, misery turned to anger. After a time, anger fizzled into emotional indifference. No longer being overwhelmed by emotions made way for the physical realization that she was very cold, very hungry, and very tired. Kara wrapped her arms around her chest for warmth and nestled her head in the curve of her shoulder, allowing her eyes to close briefly as she waited to be released from the purgatory of the evening.

A scrape of chairs against the floor startled Kara from her momentary respite. Both men had risen from the table, apparently making their way to Cade’s study to continue their discussion. Finnian headed for the doors, but Cade remained in the dining room to address unfinished business.“I’ll be there in a moment, Finn,”Cade called to his friend.

Finnian’s gaze lingered on Kara, his expression unreadable though hinting at mischief, before turning from the room.

Kara waited in place expectantly, more than ready to be free of the evening’s excruciating torture. Cade stood above her, but Kara kept her eyes on the marble floor, avoiding his gaze with a sulkiness that masqueraded, perhaps unbelievably, as subservience. Cade caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger and gently forced her to look at him. His eyes were warm and alit with something that very much resembled adoration; Kara felt her irritation soften slightly in spite of herself.

“Don’t move from this spot,”he commanded with a wicked smile before turning to follow Finnian out of the room.

Any momentary feelings of congeniality toward Cade evaporated as Kara found herself kneeling on the cold, hard floor. Alone. The minutes ticked by slowly. Literally. The large, faceless clock mounted to one of the walls obliterated the tranquil silence of the empty room, its shifting gears sounding with a rhythmic auditory assault that tallied every second of torment suffered. Cade knew exactly what he was doing when he allowed her to escape the belt that afternoon. He no doubt relished the challenge of contriving punishments not nearly as forthright and quickly concluded as a whipping. Instead, Kara had been subjected to prolonged torture, one borne of her own obedience to Cade’s commands. Something about her willing participation in his punishment made the humiliation and discomfort sting a bit more. Next time, she would forego the negotiations and simply submit to the fucking beating. Which, now that she considered it, might have been his exact intentions behind the whole theatrical production. Forcing her to her knees. Treating her like some sort of pet or slave. It was so over the top so ridiculous so entirelyCade. He’d forced her into ready compliance without having to lay a finger on her. He could fuck her body like a pro, but he could fuck her mind like a goddamn rockstar.

Well, fuckhim.

And that was exactly what she wouldn’t be doing ever again, not while she was in possession of her life and her sanity. That bastard had seen the last he was ever going to see of her pussy, so she hoped he enjoyed the view while he had it. And while she appreciated the adequately skilled appendage between his legs, the world was full of cocksnotattached to psycho egomaniacs. She’d get over the loss.

Three thousand, six hundred excruciating ticks later, Kara found herself still sitting bare-kneed on the cold floor. A fucking hour had passed, and Cade still hadn’t come to dismiss her. Did he plan on leaving her there kneeling all night? Her heart stuttered in panic at the thought. Minute by minute, Kara’s resolve faltered. After another thirty passed, she was willing to submit to anything Cade could possibly imagine if it would get her off the fucking floor. Forget abstinence, she’d take his cock any way he gave it if he did it on a bed and let her sleep afterward. Slowly, the incessant din of the clock grew quieter, fading alongside consciousness as slumber struggled to overwhelm her senses. Her eyelids grew heavy. Her head lolled. And, at last, she slipped into sleep.

"KARA,”a soft voice called through the void, disrupting the peaceful darkness.

“Hmm?”she answered half-awake, begrudging the interruption.

“Kara,”the voice called again, this time louder—clearer.

Suddenly, Kara recognized the voice invading her dreams. Anxiously, her eyes flashed open to find Cade staring down at her, his expression surprisingly gentle as he stroked his knuckles against her cheek. Kara straightened her posture quickly, casting her eyes downward in submission. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep before Cade returned, and she was afraid of what further discipline she may have brought upon herself. Cade’s fingers traveled slowly down Kara’s cheek, curving under chin and gently pressing her head upward. His eyes found hers, and there was nothing threatening or malicious in his gaze. Cade’s golden-green eyes were warm and indulgent, having lost the sadistic glimmer he sported earlier in the evening. Kara couldn’t help but melt beneath him, relieved to be dealing with the familiar side of Cade that she actually enjoyed rather than the cold bastard she’d been subjected to all night.

Cade couldn’t help but smile as he watched Kara soften before him. Instinctively, Kara nuzzled into Cade’s arm as he continued to stroke her beneath her chin, unencumbered by the thought that she was behaving like a good little pet. After allowing her a moment of tenderness, Cade grasped Kara’s jaw firmly and demanded her attention.“Have you learned your lesson, love?”he asked sternly.

“Yes, sir,”Kara responded obediently without a moment of hesitation.

“Are you going to lie and behave recklessly again?”Cade questioned as his grip on her jaw tightened slightly.

“No, sir,”Kara answered somberly, and she’d never spoken two words with more sincerity.

“Good girl,”Cade crooned, chucking her under the chin.“Now, come here.”Cade offered his hand to help Kara escape the uncomfortable position she’d been holding for over two hours. Kara accepted his assistance gratefully, rising shakily and stumbling as she struggled to stand on numb feet. Without a second thought, Cade swept Kara off of her aching feet and into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.

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