Page 73 of The Devil's Heir
"Sasha. Who else would I be talking about?" Lily sits up in the oversized bed making her look so tiny amongst the quilted topper.
"Well, there is Carmen," I muse, removing my shirt and reaching for my belt.
"Did you fuck her, too, tonight? Sasha, I mean…"
I pause momentarily to look at the woman. The small lamp on her nightstand is still on, making it easy to see the jealousy burning inside the depths of her fiery, doe-like eyes.
She saw.
The realization that she witnessed what took place after I sent her away bothers me—for several reasons. One, she disobeyed my orders to send her to her room. I did it precisely so she wouldn't have to witness the rest of Sasha's punishment. The second reason is because I'm now going to have to explain it all to her. I want to be inside of her, giving her pleasure and helping out my cause, but now I'll be wasting time explaining shit I wouldn't have to be, had she just listened to me. The last reason is that at any time, one of my guests could have found her lurking outside and taken it upon themselves to take what wasn't theirs. It's been known to happen a time or two.
Putting herself at risk is not something I can dismiss.
Hardening my resolve, I muster my most harsh voice and order, "Bend over the edge of the bed."
"Jarek…"
"It's Sir!"
Lily jerks back and widens her eyes at me. "Why are you mad at me? I did nothing wrong—"
"I will not repeat myself, pauper."
It takes her a moment, but she finally throws the covers off, slides off the edge of the bed, and bends over it. With her chest and head now on the bed, I move behind her. I don't say a word as I pull her gown up and over her hips, then tear her panties off.
"Oh!" she cries out in surprise. Then she grunts when my hand comes down on her ass—hard.
"You will count, pauper."
"O-one…" she begins and doesn't stop until I've given her twenty-five swats.
I hear her sniffles when I'm done, but I'm too preoccupied with how her ass looks reddened from my hand. I'm harder than I want to be because now, we have to talk. Leaning over, I reach into her drawer, where I keep some soothing cream, and I apply it to her ass.
Once I'm done, I gather her into my arms and climb into the bed. She tries to move away, but I tighten my hold on her. She feels way too good in my arms for me to let her go.
"No, don't. We need to talk. Now that you've been punished, you've been forgiven," I explain. "We can now start this conversation over, but I suggest doing so respectfully."
I thought she'd ask what she did to earn her punishment, but she remains quiet, which tells me one of two things. Either she knows why she was spanked, or she's now giving me the silent treatment. It could be either or when it comes to my pauper.
"Before you put in your request again, I will explain something to you. When I dismiss you from my side, you must know it's for a good reason. Most likely for your safety, but there will be times when I'm trying to protect you from seeing things like tonight. I knew you wouldn't want to watch Sasha finish her punishment, so I sent you away.
You blatantly dismissed my order and came down here after I told you to retire for the evening. Not only did you disobey me, but you put yourself in danger."
Lily tilts her head back so she can see me better as she crinkles her forehead. "How did I put myself in danger, Sir?"
I hate that I told her to go back to addressing me as that—I love hearing my name on her lips—but I was angry. I'll leave it be for now.
"You must understand that the men I do business with are not good. They take what they want. Yes, for the most part, they will not hurt you, and most will protect you because I've instructed them to, but when they have liquor in their systems, anything can go wrong. Had one of them found you by yourself, they could have taken you to an empty room and done as they pleased with you, and I wouldn't have known until it was too late."
Lily remains quiet but I can tell by how she worries her lip that she's taking it all in. I take her chin between my thumb and forefinger, and she stares at me expectantly. It's in this moment that I know I need to be truthful with her, but I'm not used to shit like this. I'm Jarek Falcon, Mafia Don, and all-around playboy. I don't do relationships, but I know that I won't be able to let Liliana go.
"I will do whatever it takes to protect you, Liliana."
"I know, Sir. It's important that I bear you an heir…"
I shake my head. "No, even if that weren't true, I'd still protect you. There's always been a pull when it comes to you. I've always had this overwhelming feeling to be near you, and even after all these years, that feeling hasn't changed."
"W-What are you saying, Sir?"
