Chapter 9 Not Real

• Annie
• I should hate him.
• I should want to slap him across his smug face. His handsome face. To knee him in the groin or run out and call the police.
• But for some reason, I don't. I don't want to do any of that.
• Even as I stare into the mirror at my punished ass and see dark pink hand prints across my cheeks. I don't hate Daniel. Even as I wince as the suddenly too-rough-for-comfort material of my panties makes contact with my behind, I don't hate him.
• But I should.
• I stand in the mirror and admire his handiwork. My ass is sore and there isn't a single spot that isn't painted a dark shade of pink. Even down to mid-thigh, it's thoroughly punished and hot to the touch. There's no part of my ass that hasn't suffered the wrath of Daniel's large palm. There was no escaping his punishment. I reach behind me and try to rub the pain out of my cheeks. My hand dips lower to my sex. I'm more than ashamed to realize that despite the fucked up punishment, I'm wet. Some part of that turned me on, I'm not sure which part but I can't deny my body's reaction.
• I'm confused and mortified. I can't believe that after I was beaten I found solace in the arms of that royal bastard who was the one who beat me in the first place. I held on to him for dear life and sobbed and that was shameful. That's why I ran into the bathroom, I couldn't stand looking at his face. He pulled me over his lap and spanked me like a child and a fucked up part of me liked it.
• What is happening to me?
• I should hate him. But all feelings of hatred disappeared when he held me in his arms and comforted me. I expected him to shove me off his lap angrily and storm off, leaving me to deal with the aftermath alone, but he didn't. He let me cling to him like a little girl as I sobbed into his chest. And while I did, he rubbed circles into my back and stroked my hair. He was a sadistic bastard and an asshole, but in that moment, he felt like my tender lover, someone who didn't blackmail me into a forced marriage and child bearing contract while punishing me shamefully when I broke their bullshit rules.
• And they are bullshit. That much I know for certain.
• I pull out my phone and type in a quick message with my shaking fingers.
• Me: Can't make it to drinks tonight.
• Of course, she answers immediately.
• Aline: OMG WHY
• I bite down on my lower lip.
• Me: Explain later.
• A knock on the door pulls me out of my thoughts. "Annie? Come out."
• Me: Can't talk now. Gotta go.
• I shake my head stuff my phone back into my pocket before burying my head in my hands. This is all so confusing. How am I supposed to face him? And more importantly, where's a whole to drop into when I need one? "No. I'm just going to stay in here."
• "Are you disobeying me?"
• I wince again at the reminder of what happens to my poor defenseless ass when I'm disobedient. What just happened five minutes ago is something that I don't want to repeat. I quickly wipe my blotchy red eyes with some toilet paper and wash my face. I open the door. Daniel's there, towering over me, a look I would mistake as concern on his face if I didn't know better. I'm not going to let him intimidate me just because he hit me. I straighten my spine and raise my chin. "What do you want?" I can't keep the venom from my voice.
• Daniel raises a brow but says nothing of my tone "Lift your skirt. Pull down your panties. Turn around. Let me see." I glare and reluctantly do as he commands, my face heating up in embarrassment as I lift my skirt, pull my panties down mid thigh, and present my punished flesh to him. He rubs my ass and gives my globes a firm squeeze causing me to whimper. He chuckles and I frown in annoyance. His hands travel down to my thighs and he strokes the heated skin. "Such a Good girl...So fucking beautiful... I love these thighs... they're my American Thighs."
• I snort and spin around, dropping my maids skirt. "What did you say?"
• He grins. "American thighs." I can't help the smile that finds its way on my lips. How ridiculous. American thighs, just like that song. I can see he likes the classics. He holds out his hand and grabs mine in his own. "Come here."
• I reluctantly follow him until he moves toward the bed again, pulling my panties back as I go. I dig in my heels. "No. Don't hurt me again." I'm panicking. I don't want another spanking. My ass hurts and I don't want him to hit me again. "Please."
• "Relax my little American. I am not punishing you." He turns around and grabs my face in his hands and brings my eyes up so I have no choice but to look at his face. "I will tell you when you are being punished, but you will probably already know."
• I roll my eyes. "You assume you'll punish me again."
• He smirks knowingly. "Oh, I know I will. Just now you proved my point. You rolled your eyes. That's disrespectful. You have a sharp tongue and a feisty attitude and I know you will be over my knee again, Annie." He must see the look on my face. That's me, how can I change who I am? I'm loud mouthed and free spirited and unapologetic and he knows it. And I also know it's going to get me in trouble.
• A lot of trouble.
• "Now, come here. Lay on your stomach on the bed. And don't move."