Page 72 of Clawed
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Spiraling Events
––––––––
RUNNING HIS FINGERSthrough her glossy mane, Lawes groaned.Hannah’s mouth was so fucking good around his cock, and as she licked the remnants of his cum from the base of his dick, he struggled to remember how he’d survived so long without her reverence.
He needed it, needed her in a way he’d never have thought was possible.What had started as lust for vengeance against the woman who’d betrayed him was fast amplifying into something greater.Towering over her kneeling body, he couldn’t imagine a life without her in it.
“I certainly feel more thanked now.”He grinned down at her, enjoying the soft blush on her cheeks.“How about you?Feeling more grateful?”
“Much more grateful, Mr.Lawes, sir.”Her tongue collected the last of his seed from her top lip.“Thank you.”
The version of Hannah at his feet was far calmer than any he’d known.In the time she’d been there, she seemed to have settled back into her submission.Initially, she’d resisted—he’d expected nothing less—but as he’d loosened his grasp, she’d blossomed before his eyes, and he was giddy at the new reality.Finally, he not only had the woman he craved, but he’d managed to bring her to heel with a smile on her face.When she gazed into his eyes, he got the sense she was truly listening, as though her surrender had helped to ground her.
I’ve given that to her.
Buoyed by the thought, he realized he cared less about the things he’d lost—the years served behind bars and the career he’d worked so hard for—and more about the possibility of what was to come.For the first time in a long time, he was excited for the future.
He wasn’t sure exactly how he’d achieved the damn near impossible feat, but he knew he wanted more...more passion, more intimacy—moreof Hannah.There was no sensation he’d ever found that compared to what was happening between them.It wasn’t just the power dynamic he loved or the incredible sex they enjoyed.It was something exponentially better, as if the two of them had been suspended in some kind of ethereal bliss he’d done nothing to deserve.
What’s happening to me?
Gripping the leather handle of her leash harder, he pulled in a breath.The room around him had hushed, as though the two of them had become the center of the entire universe and the world outside its four walls was swirling into a nameless abyss.
He stroked her hair, trying to recall what had occupied his time before that moment, and who had seemed important before her, but nothing came to mind.
There was nothing.No one.
There was only her.
I’m falling in love with her.
His lips twisted at the absurd idea.
In love?
He couldn’t have any feelings for Hannah except the unadulterated tug of revenge that had driven them both to that point, but even as the thought flitted through his mind, he knew it was bullshit.
Hedidhave feelings for her, emotions that spiraled well beyond his raging lust.He’d punish her all right—as often as she merited the penances—but she also warranted much more.She deserved his time, his devotion, and his care—things he’d never wanted to bestow on any woman before her.
Bemused by his conclusion, one hand rose to rub at his temple.Whatever the hell was happening to him, one thing was for certain.
He never wanted it to end.
“On your feet.”He tugged loosely on the leash and offered her his palm.Climbing to her feet, she clung to his fingers, her breath labored as she met his eyes.“Are you hungry?”
“Yes, Mr.Lawes, sir.”She nodded, her cheeks a wonderful rosy color, but there was something in her eyes, something he hadn’t seen before.The glow there was celestial, her pupils dilating as she pressed her bound hands against his torso.
“It will be served in your bowl.”He cocked an eyebrow at her, knowing how well the gesture was usually received.Right on cue, her lips tugged into a shrewd smile.
“Yes, sir.”
That was all she said.No complaints.No obvious gestures of shame, shock, or disgust.Only an acceptance of her place and perhaps, if he was truly the luckiest bastard in the world, an acorn of something more—recognition that she might also have feelings for him.Euphoria swelled in his chest, making it difficult to focus on anything but her face.
