Still, I work her nipples, giving one breast a slap while I suck and bite the other.

With my free hand, I touch her clit, work her juices around it.

She’ll come soon, and when she does, I’m going to shoot my load into her with the force of a hurricane.

A tropical hurricane.

But just as I’m about to erupt inside her, she pulls off me and stands.

“Baby?” I say.

“I need you.”

“I need you too. Get back on and—”

“No.” She shakes her head vehemently. “I mean, I need to feel, Dale. Make me feel.”

I thought that was what I was doing. I widen my eyes in question.

She lies down on the bed, face down. “Please. I need to feel something other than pleasure. I need the pain.”

I bit her nipples. Was that not enough? I’ve spanked her before. Perhaps that’s what she needs. The idea always turns me on—that gorgeous ass, pink from my hand.

I bring my palm down on her. Slap!

“More,” she says into the pillow. “Please. More.”

I spank her again. Again. Three, four, five times.

“More,” she says, her voice muffled against the fluff of the pillow. “Please, Dale. More.”

I spank her sweet bottom again, again, again…until my palm is stinging.

And still, her voice…

“More, Dale. Please. More.”

I slap her again.

Again.

Again.

Again.

She finally cries out, her sweet voice still muffled.

I stop.

Let her rest.

Smooth my fingers over the bright-pink globes of her ass.

A moment passes. Then—

“More.”

My cock is hot and throbbing, my palm nearly numb from spanking her.

I can’t. As much as I love spanking her beautiful ass, I can’t inflict any more pain on her.

Not now.

Not when I’m going to inflict emotional pain within days.

“Ashley…”

“More, Dale. Please.”

Instead, I slide my body over hers, my cock nudging between her legs. I lie there, bracing myself so I don’t give her the full weight of my body. I simply cover her body with mine.

“Enough, Ashley,” I say softly. “Enough.”

“No,” she cries into the pillow. “Not enough. Never enough.”

Never enough.

She’s punishing herself for something. But what has she done? Not a bit of this is her fault.

“Baby,” I say, “stop. Just stop.”

Then the tears come. The racking sobs that I’ve never seen except from my little brother. After…

I’ve never cried that way myself. Never allowed it.

But now, as I see the woman I love sobbing, I feel more than I’ve ever felt. More even than when my brother sobbed in my arms after a brutal rape and beating.

Even more than…

God, no. No. Not yet. Can’t go there. Not while Ashley needs me whole.

Whole? What a fucking laugh.

I’ll never be whole.

But for now… This moment…

“I can’t hit you anymore, baby,” I say. “I’ll hurt you.”

“I need it.”

“You’re already red as a beet. I can’t.”

“Please. I want to feel, Dale. Please.”

“I’ll make you feel, then.” I flip her over, and though my instinct is to shove my hard dick inside her, I spread her legs and bend my head between them.

She’s wet. So wet. The spanking she wanted for pain gave her pleasure as well. But as much as I love spanking her, I know when enough is enough.

Better than anyone, I know.

For I was forced to endure much more than enough, and I’ll never hurt Ashley. Not Ashley or anyone.

I won’t give her any more pain, but I’ll give her so much pleasure that it will become pain.

Climax after climax after climax, until she’s begging me to stop.

I begin with ferocious strokes of my tongue around her clit while I slide two fingers easily into her wetness.

She’s usually coming within a minute of this treatment, but she lies there as if her body is in some kind of dormant state.

“Baby…?”

“Can’t,” she says. “Don’t want to feel good.”

“But you said—”

“No. I said I want to feel. Not to feel good.”

But the spanking clearly made her feel good. Her wetness proves that.

What does she want?

What does she desire?

“I won’t hurt you anymore,” I say with conviction. “I can’t.”

“I need it.”

“You don’t. I love you, and you’ve had enough.”

Her eyes narrow. “Who are you to say I’ve had enough?”

I don’t have to think how to answer. My reply is automatic. “I’m your husband.” At least for the time being.

She opens her eyes then, sniffling. Her gorgeous face is streaked with the tears she’s shed.

“I’m sorry, Dale.”

“For what?”

“For asking you to hurt me. It’s not fair.”

“Pain for pleasure is one thing,” I say. “Pain for pain is another, and I won’t do that to you.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“No need to be sorry. Now lie back. I’m not done with you.”

Chapter Forty

Ashley

He eats me ferociously.

And though it’s difficult, I break down the barrier in my head and let myself feel good.

One climax morphs into two, into three, into four…

Pleasure. Pure pleasure, and I let go.

I grab Dale’s head, pull on his long hair, push him closer to my pussy, to my core, and I come again.

After several more orgasms, I let go of his hair. “Enough,” I say. “Can’t take any more.”

“One more,” he growls between my legs. “Give me one more.”

“Can’t.”

“You can.” He slides his tongue over my clit and massages my G-spot with his fingers.

And I erupt once more.

This one is the culmination of all the others. It’s explosive. It’s transformational. It’s full of love.