“We have not begun,” he said gently. “Not like this. Therefore, on this occasion, I’ll give you a choice. One, your punishment will be me withholding myself from you. You shall wait here—order room service, watch television, read a book—and I’ll leave, returning after your potion has matured. Only later, after we’ve located Abel’s brother, will we move forward the way we both want.”

“And my other choice?” she prompted huskily when he stopped speaking.

“You take your punishment as you would if we’d already begun,” he answered instantly.

“That being…?” she pressed, and Yuri shook his head.

“No, my sweet,” he said softly. “You don’t know until you choose. That’s part of the punishment. In future, when you will have no choice, not knowing the punishment until you earn it, and get it, will always be part of it.”

Her blue eyes held his and he took her in—her agitation, her anticipation, her excitement—and he enjoyed every part of it.

Finally, she wet her lower lip and asked, “Will you be gentle with me?”

His sweet, little witch feared it, but she was up for it, wanted it, and that was perfect.

Yuri wanted to shout his elation.

Instead, he shared, “I will always be gentle with you, Aurora. You will not ever receive more than you can take.”

She studied him.

Then she whispered, “Okay, then I pick option number two.”

Staring into her eyes, slowly, Yuri smiled.

Aurora’s heart skipped a beat.

“Lift your skirt and pull down your panties.”

Aurora’s heart tripped over itself.

“Now, my sweet,” he ordered when she didn’t move, and he released her hand.

He heard the soft pants blowing from her lips as she lifted her skirt at the sides. His eyes dropped there, but the folds were enough that he saw nothing as she hooked her thumbs in her panties and pulled them down.

His Aurora, always the tease.

One side of his lips hitched up.

The panties dropped to her ankles and his cock started throbbing.

“Step out of them,” he commanded.

With less hesitation, she did as told.

He opened his thighs. “Closer, Aurora.”

Rubbing her lips together, she moved between his legs.

Yuri bent forward and wrapped his hands around the backs of her knees, his head tipped far back to hold her gaze captive. Then he watched, he listened, he smelled, he heard her anticipation heighten as he slid his hands slowly up the backs of her thighs until he cupped her bare ass.

Her lips parted.

She liked his touch and he very much liked touching her.

He smoothed his thumbs against the soft skin at the sides of her cheeks. “This will be sore, Aurora,” he noted, carefully taking in her response in order to ascertain if there was fear that was not the good kind, aversion, or anything to indicate she didn’t desire that.