Raw Burn (Touched By You) (4 page)

There was no discussion of the exhibition in the concert hall. Natalie rode home with Tanner
in silence, unclear how she felt about displaying her emotions in public. It was hot, she had to admit that. But she had trepidation about encouraging him in that direction.

“Go to the playroom and undress,” he commanded as the front door shut.

Natalie was surprised at his tone, thinking that she’d had her punishment. Could there possibly be more?

“Obey me,” he growled. “I’m not in a mood to be toyed with.”

She should have been rebellious. After all, he’d already had his way with her. But rebellion wasn’t the feeling that coursed through her veins. His stern look, and order for her to undress had her turned on.

Natalie did as Tanner asked, and standing naked in the playroom, she waited for him. The wait produced anxiety over what he had in mind
, exactly as he’d intended. She took a deep breath, trying to still the flutter in her stomach.

Nervous or not, her body responded to the anticipation of Tanner’s domination with a sensual tingling. She could see
her tight nipples in the mirror. The wetness between her legs, and the tightness of her clit, betrayed her. She wanted him, and wanted anything he might do to her.

The door opened.
Tanner stepped inside, looking cool and in control.

He gave her one glance
and said, “Down on your knees. Now. Hands on your thighs. Look down at the floor until I’m ready for you.”

Natalie blushed at
the admonishment, and dropped to the floor. The submissive position aroused her, and her sex throbbed.

She could hear Tanner undressing, the rustle of clothes
loud in the otherwise silent room. She stole a glance, hoping he wouldn’t notice, and heat flooded her belly. Naked, he stood near a cupboard getting an implement of some sort.

His naked ass was hard and athletically shaped. Just at the base of his spine was the tattoo of her name, carving his love for her into his taught skin. His lean thighs an
d muscular back were like Adonis. She sensed him turning around, and swiftly glanced back down at the floor.

For background,
Tanner played a dark song with strong bass on the sound system. He padded over to her, and she gazed at his bare feet. There was something so masculine and sexual about his feet. She’d heard of feet fetishes, and could understand why. The sight of his feet and ankles, spiraled her excitement higher.

“Stand,” he said, and helped her up.

She looked into his deep blue eyes, lust filled and angry.

“I didn’t say you could look at me,” he said. “Look at the floor.”

Natalie dropped her gaze to the floor, looking at her own feet, and feeling very naughty.

“You know you deserve punishment, don’t you?”

Natalie gulped and nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. You disobey and think I won’t punish you for it. But I will.
You push too far sometimes, and you need to know that I’m in control.

You belong to me. I won’t allow you to dress in a way that invites other male sexual attention. I’m a jealous man. I’ve never made a secret of that.”

Natalie’s face burned with embarrassment. She’d so flippantly worn the sexy dress, without a thought for Tanner’s feelings. Or, maybe she did. Was it true that she liked his punishments and went out of her way to incite his rage?

The question needed no answer. The punishment
loomed in any case.

Tanner
guided her over to a pole, and cuffed her hands above her head. She’d tried not to look at him. But she couldn’t resist glancing at his face, noting his jaw clenching and his biceps flexing. The music, playing its deep notes through the sound system, foreshadowed what was only seconds away.

“You may look up.”

Natalie looked up at Tanner, and her eyes widened, seeing the implement he held. The long willowy cane draped over his hand. She swallowed thickly.
Oh
God, will it hurt?

Tanner smiled a quick smile that did not show in his eyes. “It hurts. Caning hurts, so be prepared.”

Their gazes locked, and an unspoken agreement passed between them.

“You will use
the safeword if it’s unbearable.”

Natalie froze, wondering how painful it would be.

“Did you hear me? You’ll use the safeword if you need to. Nod if you understand.”

She nodded.

Tanner stood back, a good distance from her, and before her very eyes he whipped the cane through the air, making a very intimidating sound. Natalie looked away.

“Lean forward
and spread your legs,” he said, sounding no softer than he had earlier.

Natalie took her position, the expectation of pain sending a thrill through her. Fear and excitement seemed blended as one erotic elixir.

The frightening “whick” sound in the air came just before the sting of the reedy cane. “Ahhh,” Natalie gasped, expelling air from her lungs with the strike. The frightening sound alone caused her to quake under Tanner’s ministrations.

Her previous experience with the flogger didn’t begin to compare with the caning she was receiving now. Thinking she’d reject the severe punishment, she was shocked that it only served to excite her beyond her capacity to resist. The sting of the cane lashed against her backside,
rocking her body with the punishing strokes and tightening her clit into a hard pebble.

The blows
made red marks on her bare ass, and that thought sent her close to orgasm. Unsure if Tanner would allow her to come during the rough spanking, she did her best to hold it back. She lost track of the number of times he whipped her with the stinging reed.

It never entered her mind to say
the safeword. Tanner seemed able to control the cane very precisely, never striking hard enough to injure her, only enough to sting smartly. She’d opened to her sexual desire and allowed Tanner to share it with her. Yet, still he took her to places she’d never dreamed, and she continued to discover her inclination toward his possession of her.

He knew she wanted to be punished, and
that she enjoyed spanking. Whipping was a relief for his jealousy. Also, a satisfaction of a deep desire he knew she harbored. The pain of the whipping felt good and Natalie was aroused by it. Given permission, she would have come without him touching her.

The sting of her ass from the biting strokes was blotted out by the
raw burn
she felt from the raging desire Tanner had freed within her. Every nerve ending was alert with pleasurable pain, raw with the delicious punishment.

The punishment stopped, and Tanner slid his fingers over her wet pussy. It felt so good, his tender touch magnified by the burning sting of her buttoc
ks. He spread her outer lips, and flicked across her clit. A long moan deep in her throat drowned out the music, and Tanner’s cock swelled.

The sight of her bent forward, the red stripes of the cane glowing on her ass, sent him perilously close to the edge. Pre-cum dripped from the tip of his cock. He ached for her, and looked away in a feeble attempt to regain control.

She was so hot, so turned on that it made it impossible for Tanner to delay gratification. Her pussy was dripping, and her clit begged for his touch.

He touched the tip of his cock to her wetness, and she groaned. Panting, he slid his huge cock deeper. Her raspy breathing and
sustained moans, stirred animal passion within him. He slid his cock further and further, down to the base of his stiff stalk. Her sweet pussy felt unbelievable good.

Natalie pushed her hips back, letting him
fill her with his throbbing erection.

He buried his cock deeply inside her, but didn’t move, knowing any motion would be his undoing. Placing one palm across her abdomen, he used the other to finger her clit.
Her squeal at the welcome touch was a clear message.

Sweetly, he fingered her clit and heard her yell as the throes of orgasm engulfed her. Her hot, wet
pussy tightened around him as she fell into the beginning of her release. Tanner fucked her from behind, moving fast, wildly stroking her.

She screamed loud and long,
like a woman in pain, from the dynamic orgasm pulsing through her. The punishment, the pain, and the lust, combusted into intense pleasure and she opened to the powerful sensation.

Tanner rolled his balls in his hand, and gripped the base of his cock, fucking her with furious strokes. It took little to propel him into his own release, one he’d held back for longer than he
’d preferred. He shouted a deep male groan at the peak of his orgasm, harmonizing with Natalie’s sensual long-winded scream.

Spe
nt and weak, they stood in a post-orgasmic embrace for some time, Tanner supporting her with his arms around her waist. Their breathing and pulse gradually slowed. A glow radiated through their bodies and a warm calm settled in their veins.

When he could
move again, Tanner loosened the cuffs and freed her wrists. He stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist. She leaned against him, the tender skin of her ass still burning.

He turned her around to look into her eyes for assurance
that she was okay. She leaned up on her toes and kissed him. His pulled her toward him, leaning down to kiss her, again and again. So sweet. So loving. So Tanner.

Lifting her in his arms, he carried her to the
sunken tub where they bathed together. The warm water was soothing and peaceful. After drying her, he babied her aggravated skin with a soothing balm and wrapped her in a soft robe. Natalie knew he hadn’t made permanent marks. He knew how to use his implements of torture, more for thrill than pain. Imagination was its own tool of passion, and with that he was expert.

“So, my bad girl, how do you feel?”

“I feel like being bad again,” she smiled seductively.

“Hmm, if I didn’t know better I’
d think you enjoy punishment…that you might go so far as to seek it out.”

“I’ll never tell
,” she smiled coyly, noting that his eyes were soft. His anger was only a memory.

“I love you,” he said deep in his throat, suddenly choked with emotion, “
so much more than you know.”

The incident in the theater hung over them. Tanner continue
d to nag about her wardrobe, but Natalie held her ground. She wouldn’t be bullied, although she didn’t like the tension between them. And she feared his retaliation, even though she wouldn’t show it.

An email from Alexei
Petrov, the boutique owner in Moscow who’d agreed to carry her fashion line, got her attention. It said curtly, “No need to come to Russia until further notice.” That could be bad or good, depending on how she read it.

She tried t
o call Dani, and just got voicemail. Normally, he returned her calls promptly. But it had been days since she’d left the message. The lack of callback concerned her. It felt as though he were shutting her out, even though she hoped she was making too much out of it. He was just busy. That had to be it.

She tried to take all this in str
ide. It was just business. She sat at her computer, reading the message from Suzanne Dumond, concerning her enterprise in Paris. Natalie had planned to visit there soon, to check on the operation. There were some details that she thought she should address firsthand. Suzanne’s message puzzled her. “We may have an issue,” was all she wrote.

Natalie’s rise to success had been supported and forwarded by Tanner. She was under no delusion. She’d never have gotten so far
, as fast, without his connections. And Dani’s too. Thwarted at every turn, she began to wonder if the rug had been pulled out from under her.

She tried to brush it all aside. Once she reached everyone, personally, she’d sort it all out. She was reading
more into their communications than existed.

Then, Thomas in London didn’t take her call. His assistant answered and said he was involved with an important matter and couldn’t be interrupted
. Not alarming, except that she was brushed off with a rude, “I don’t know when he will be able to speak with you. He’s a busy man.” He knew Thomas carried her fashions, and yet his behavior indicated that she was not in good standing.

The last straw was when she called Susan, her assistant. Surely, she would have insight into what was going on. Before she could fully convey the situation, Susan cut her off
saying, “You need to talk to Tanner.”

Natalie slumped into her office chair, and tried to think. Don’t overreact, she told herself. But it was hard. Too many doors seemed closed, and all at the same time. Her pulse speeded up. The idea that her company, Natalie Baker Designs, would be dropped was possible. After all, nobody owed her anything.

No, but they owed Tanner. His power and status had opened the door for her. And, as horrifying as the thought was, he could have the door closed, just as fast. Her heart fell. Tanner! He was mad at her, and she’d refused to give an inch.

Well
, he was using his power and influence, to show her who is boss. She was furious. She couldn’t believe that he’d use his credibility, money and relationships to control her. And that’s what it was. Control.

He couldn’t persuade her to subdue her sexuality, at least in her choice of clothing, so he was going to wield his power. He wasn’t fighting fair
.

Natalie
arrived at Tanner’s office in record time, urging the driver to edge above the speed limit. “Hurry please,” she’d said, over and over.

She stormed into Tanner’s office, wearing a royal blue mini skirt that hugged her ass, and a tiny silk top that exposed her midriff. Too late, she realized it was overly sexy and would
incite further wrath from him, the last thing she needed to do right now.

But
she wasn’t going back to change clothes. She strutted into his office and right up to the desk in her four-inch blue leather heels.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She demanded, a little too loudly.

Tanner put the phone down, just finishing a call.

“What do you mean?”

Natalie’s eyes filled with tears that streamed down her cheeks. She was further frustrated at her display of emotion. She wanted to be cold, but she always cried when she got angry. Nevertheless, she plunged ahead.

“You know what I mean,” she shouted. “
…my company. Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

Seeing her distress, Tanner shifted gears. He walked around the desk, and put his arms around her. She was shaking.

“Please tell me what you are so upset about,” he pleaded.

Natalie began to doubt her sanity. He didn’t seem to realize what he’d done, and she could not seem to suppress her emotion. She started sobbing.

Quickly, Tanner switched off his phone and locked the door to his office, not wanting to be interrupted for any reason. He led her to the sofa, and sat her down. He kept his arms around her, waiting until she could speak again.

“They’re
all against me,” she sobbed.

“Who?”
He asked, in all earnestness.

Natalie leaned back and looked into his eyes. If he was faking, he was certainly doing a good job of it
, because he looked like he didn’t know what she was talking about.

“Thomas won’t speak to me. Suzanne says we have an issue.
Dani isn’t returning my call,” she accused.

Tanner looked at her, puzzled. “That’s what you’re upset about?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know what the problem is.”

“Well, you better. Because when I called Susan she said to talk to you.”

Tanner g
ave a nod. “Ah, that,” he said.

“Yes, that,” Natalie affirmed.

Tanner held her face in both his hands, and kissed her. His tenderness unbalanced her, and she blurted out, “I demand an explanation.”

For some reason, Tanner wasn’t getting upset, nor was he reacting approp
riately. In fact, he didn’t seem at all concerned. He was more worried about Natalie’s reaction.

“
Well,” she said.

“I didn’t want to u
pset you,” Tanner started. “But Susan will be leaving the company. She’s had a better offer, and I don’t want to hold her back. Don’t worry though. I’ll see that she’s replaced. I agreed to break the news to you, as she didn’t want to do it herself. She wants you to know that she likes working for you, but she is making a change. It’s just a business decision.”

Natalie couldn’t think of anything to say.

“But that can’t be why you are so upset,” Tanner said.

“No….no, it’s not,” Natalie said. “What about the other things?”

“Well, I’m sure there’s an explanation. I’ll call Dani myself…and the others. Who knows? In business, sometimes it’s hard to reach people. But you needn’t be so upset about it,” he said, trying to reassure her.

Natalie was confused. If Tanner had orchestrated t
he subterfuge she thought he had, it puzzled her why he wouldn’t admit to it. She pressed on, “I thought….well, I thought that you….”

For a moment Tanner didn’t know what she meant, and waited for
her to complete her sentence. But seeing the look on her face, and her devastation over the events, the light began to dawn.

“You thought……,” he said, encouraging her to fill in the blanks.

“That you….well, you’ve been so mad at me. I know my success is fragile, that I’ve advanced far beyond what I deserve because you’ve helped me. And you could take it away just as easily.”

Tanner shook his head in disbelief. “You think that I told the others to cut you off. Is that what you think?”

Natalie realized her error. She only wished she’d realized it sooner before launching into her unfounded accusations. But what was she supposed to think?

“Listen
baby,” Tanner said. “You make me mad when you dress like you have been lately. But how could you think I’d be against you? Sure, I suppose I could use my influence to do such a thing.

But
I love you. Don’t you know that? I may get angry and I may punish you,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye. “But I wouldn’t damage you. I’m stern, but I’m not heartless.”

Natalie started to cry again. She was losing it. The relief that Tanner wasn’t against her should
have made her feel better. Yet she felt worse. She could fight against him, if only he would be mean. But he was being so nice. He really did love her.

Tanner wiped the tears from her eyes, and in a soft voice asked, “What’s really going on here?”

Natalie hadn’t realized the magnitude of unexpressed emotion she’d held inside, until he asked that innocent question.

Switching subjects so fast Tanner had to w
ork to keep up, she said, “Oh Tanner. I’m so sorry. I don’t really doubt you. It just looked bad, and I didn’t know what to think.

And very recently, I guess I’ve been overly emotional. I thought it was PMS, but then…. I never told you. I missed my period.”

Tanner turned pale, but he didn’t react.

“It’s okay. I had the pregnancy test, and the doctor says I’m not having a baby. And finally, my period st
arted. But the whole ordeal has me unraveled.”

“I thought you were still getting the birth control shots.”

“Yes, I am. I have had them on time, but they’re not foolproof. And I was so worried. When I have a family, I want it to be the right time. I don’t want to trap you. I don’t. I should have told you, but I didn’t want to upset you,” she sighed, and reached up to touch his cheek. “But, it’s okay now. It’s fine. I’m relieved I finally told you.”

Tanner
hugged her to his chest, his hand behind her head, holding her to him. Her words carved deeply into his heart, “when I have a family…” That’s what she wanted, wasn’t it? And what did he want? That was a good question.