Blake’s gaze skimmed a path over her body, his cock throbbing with the sight of her slender, perfect curves before settling on the thin strip of lace between the cheeks of her gorgeous backside. He reached for the delicate lace and he ripped it away. Kara gasped and he leaned forward, her hands gripping the sheets in front of her. His hands down beside hers, his mouth finding her ear. “I’m going to spank you, Kara.”

“What?” She gasped, trying to jerk around, but he had her pinned, pressed fully between him and the mattress.

“That’s right,” he said. “I’m going to spank you.”

“No,” she said, sounding urgent, almost panicked. “No. You aren’t.”

“Do you trust me, Kara?” he asked, resisting the urge to nibble on the delicate spot behind her ear. This wasn’t the time to be gentle. This wasn’t the time to show her how much he loved her. Not yet, but soon.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, Blake, but—”

“There is no ‘but’. There is only trust or no trust.” The feel of her body pressed to his was driving him crazy and he curled his fingers around the sheets, forcing himself not to touch her. He couldn’t touch her. Not like this. Not until she understood what he was trying to tell her.

“I don’t understand why this is important.”

He didn’t miss the tremble of her voice, the shiver of her body against his. “It is,” he told her. “And I need you to say yes, Kara.”

Her head fell forward, the soft strands of her silky hair draping her face, and it took everything in him not to lean forward and inhale the sweet scent, to taste the salty sweetness of her skin. And he would taste her. Hell, he was going to lick every damn inch of her before this night was over. Just not right now. Right now he held his breath for her answer, the seconds ticking by like hours, until finally she whispered, “Yes. For you. Yes.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, letting the relief flow through him, absorbing the impact of how much trust she’d just given to him, promising himself he would never take that for granted. “Lean forward on the bed and flatten your arms and hands on the mattress.”

She shook her head. “No. I can’t do that. I need some control. I need to stay upright.”

Yes. She needed control. That was part of his message, part of why he needed her to understand where he was at inside, and what he’d become. He covered her hands with his on the bed. “Then promise to keep your hands right here. No matter what, don’t move them.”

“Yes. Okay. I promise.”

He began to pull away but she grabbed his wrists, pulling him forward. “Wait. Will it hurt?”