“I’ve decided.”
My eyes rolled all the way back to my brain. His level of audacity was astounding.
“Well, fucking good foryou, but—”
“Bend over.”
I stiffened when I felt him behind me, his firm chest grazing my back. He leaned into me, applying gentle pressure that pushed me against what I now worried was some type of rustic spanking bench… or a sacrificial altar. Two strong hands seized my hips in a firm grip as the blocks of ice encasing my skates casually slid apart, until I was almost forced to obey due to my wide stance.
“Bend over, baby,” he coaxed, with a gentle nuzzle on the back of my neck. “Last chance if you want your present.”
I shivered and fought the immediate urge to do as he said. My knees teetered on the edge of betrayal, ready to give out.
“You also said punishment,” I contested and dug my fingernails into the blankets.
His laugh rumbled through his chest and into me. “I have a feeling you’re going to enjoy that, too. But probably not as much as me.”
When I didn’t put up any further argument, his hand left my hip, skimmed up my spine, between my shoulder blades, and anchored on the back of my neck. His fingers clamped down, keeping me still as he brought his mouth to my ear.
“Do you trust me?”
I nodded, the flutter in my stomach too powerful to allow for talking. Between the butterflies doing cartwheels in there and my heart pounding like it was at a rave, it was all I could do to focus on the here and now. A punishment? What? Who cared when everything in me demanded to see what Ezra would do next.
There was a little pressure, and he had me head down, ass up in seconds. The hard ice pushed into my hips and lower stomach, but the layers of blankets were enough cushion to keep it from being uncomfortable.
Bossyandthoughtful.
His hand remained on the back of my neck, strong and secure; unbreakable. My face was turned to the side, allowing me to gulp down air as I panted through the knee-buckling arousal his gentle but relentless control unleashed.
“Are you going to be able to stay like this, or do you need restraints?”
Well, that fully depended on what he planned to do to me.
I licked my lips and met his challenging stare. “Skip the punishment and I’ll do whatever you want.”
He shook his head, bottom lip trapped between his teeth as he tried to hide his smile. “Not a chance.”
He enjoyed this far too much, and I hoped my dirty look spoke volumes. It was my fucking birthday! There were nopunishments allowed; it was a well-known and respected rule… by everyone except Ezra.
“You’re not going to stay put, are you?” My scowl deepened, and he nodded, like he already knew the answer. “Restraints, it is.”
Even with one hand occupied, it was too easy for Ezra to direct my right arm up, his fingers searing a chilly path of tingles that traveled all the way to the top of my head. The bench was deep enough that only my fingertips dangled over the edge, and only if I stretched my hand out. A frigid band of ice bracketed my wrist, securing me and sending my heart rate into overdrive.
When the other wrist followed, frozen lower down and beside my head, I swore it was just one giant vibration in my chest. I wiggled at the feeling of being bound. My thighs were too far apart to rub together, so my hips tilted to try and find some friction, sending my ass into Ezra’s crotch. He fell over me with a groan.
“I’m already dying to take you right now.” He nipped my ear in warning. “Don’t tempt me.”
That only made me squirm more, forcing him to pull away. But not before I felt how bad he wanted me.
“Are you comfortable?” he asked, adjusting the temperature of the cuffs so they didn’t burn my skin. Their slightly cool temperature was actually a welcome relief from how overheated I felt. “I’m going to need the words, Rani, or this all stops.”
Ezra came around and brushed the hair from my eyes, exposing me to his ruthless gaze. His fingertips traced my cheek and jaw, fueling the tension already flaring between us. My lower half clenched. When I attempted to reach out and touch him, the cuffs held firm, and the knowledge that Icouldn’t movemade everything flutter.
“Yeah, you’re okay. Aren’t you, baby? Tell me.”
More. I needed more.
I whimpered. “I’m okay.”
