Catherine was pleasantly surprised that Marco had not anticipated her needing a train ticket. She decided on a private compartment. She was in no mood for idle chitchat or the company of anyone... including her own. The porter was old school and had questioned her lack of baggage. She decided to be polite but vague, answering that her things were back in Florence as this was just a day trip. He arranged for refreshments to be brought to her.

She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. She ached, not from the spanking he had given her and not from the dominant lovemaking they had shared over the past few days. No, she ached for Marco himself—his presence, his voice, his touch, his very essence.

Catherine stifled the beginnings of a sob. How was it possible that she could miss him so much when she’d known him for such a short period of time and hadn’t even known he existed a week ago? A little voice at the back of her brain reminded her that the latter wasn’t true. The man had been haunting her dreams for a long time.

The voice was persistent, if she missed him, why was she running? She told the voice to shut up.

Catherine drifted between drowsiness and wakefulness. She looked out her window as the beautiful countryside rolled by. The train made frequent stops but they were brief and often in very picturesque towns. She was still drowsy when she suddenly felt as though a huge gust of wind had blown through her being.

“No,” she whispered. “It couldn’t be.”

The door to her compartment flew open and Marco entered, turning to close and lock the door and pull down the shades.

She could feel the heat of his anger rolling off of him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she stammered as he turned to face her and the train lurched as it started on its way again.

“Did you think if you ran that I wouldn’t chase you down?”

Catherine went on the offensive. “You can’t just come in here. I was under no obligation to stay in Florence, much less your hotel room.”

Marco shook his head. “I was under the distinct impression, my Catherine...”

“I am not your Catherine,” she cried.

“You are most definitely my Catherine. And therein lies the fundamental issue we must settle between us. I had thought that as of last night we settled this, but apparently not. I assure you it will be settled once and for all by the time I am through with you.”

“If you think you’re going to spank me here on this train... think again. The walls don’t have the soundproofing that hotel did. Someone will hear.”

“Interesting that you already accept you are going to be spanked. I suppose that’s a step in the right direction. Not much of one but a small start.”

“No, Marco, you can’t.”

“Yes, Catherine, I can and will. I don’t care that anyone hears you cry when you are getting a spanking. Let them come in and watch for all I care. What they will see is a man taking his woman to task for being naughty and trying to run away. Anyone who might challenge me is either enough of a chauvinist prick himself to understand that there are times a man must discipline his mate regardless of where he finds her, or would get a vicarious thrill to watch me spank your beautiful bottom, innately understanding that when I’m through, I will most likely plow that furrow between your legs.”

She backed as far into the corner of the seat as she could get, shaking her head as she went.

“No, Marco.”

“Yes, Catherine. And while I prefer to have you naked when I punish you, I will have to settle for stripping your leggings off so they don’t interfere.”

He removed his silk handkerchief from his pocket. He offered it to her.

“What’s that for?”

“I thought you might want to bite on it to keep from crying so loud there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind that you have been naughty and are being punished for it.”

“You can’t.”

“I think we’ve already established that I can and will.”

“Marco, not here.”

“Here, my Catherine.”

Catherine watched as he took a seat across from her and reached out to bring her out of her seat. What was most shocking to her was that she didn’t resist him, not even the tiniest bit. She got to her feet and went to stand in front of him. She felt the cool, recirculated air in the compartment waft across her buttocks as Marco bared them. She shivered as his hand caressed them as he removed her leggings.

“Can’t this wait until we get back to the hotel?”

“No. Let this be a lesson to you that should you think to run or hide from me when you have been naughty that I will spank you wherever I find you. You will learn, sweetheart, that disobeying and angering your mate is never a good idea.”

He pulled her across his knee and once again offered her the use of his handkerchief. Catherine calmly took it from him and stuffed it into her mouth with as much dignity as she could. Marco’s hand braced her upper body while the other stroked her quivering backside gently.

“Good girl,” he crooned. “This could have been avoided had you chosen to mind me and stay where you were told.”

She hated the fact that when he told her she was a good girl it seemed to matter to her so much. That thought was fleeting as his hand made a sudden sharp connection with her upturned seat. She took note that the handkerchief did seem to muffle the sharp cry she tried to bite back.

Marco began to spank her, his hand slapping her ass in a sharp, hard rhythm. Catherine could feel the fire burn as it spread across both of her cheeks. The spanking seemed worse than the one he’d given her previously and she wondered if it was because she actually felt guilty this time or because it was covering the same area he’d left reddened and swollen from their first night together. Oh, God, and did she have to start getting so aroused?

Dual sensations assaulted Catherine. On the one hand, Marco was peppering her backside with hard swats designed to leave a lasting sting. On the other, her pussy was soaked and beginning to spasm in rhythm to the spanking. What was it about this man that he so completely dominated every part of her being? And why did it feel so right that he did so?

Marco scolded her as he spanked her. “Your beautiful bottom will thank you if you remember that you are my Catherine. You will learn to mind me and when you don’t you will find yourself in the position you are in right now. You are not to run away because you are frightened of your feelings or because you are throwing a tantrum. In either event, I expect you to come to me so that I can reassure you of your importance to me, my commitment to you, and our feelings for each other.”

The hard, repetitive blows to her still tender backside interrupted any profound thoughts she might have had. She was now crying in earnest and grateful for the handkerchief that kept her from crying so loud the whole train would know she had displeased her mate and he was taking her to task for it.

After what seemed an eternity, he stopped spanking. He rubbed her bottom soothingly. With his other hand he reached down and removed the makeshift gag from her mouth.

“Whose Catherine are you?” he said quietly but with an underlying growl.

“Yours,” she said.

“Say it again.”

“I am your Catherine, Marco.”

“Good. Should you refute that again, you will earn yourself another well soaped mouth as well as a hard spanking. And if you are so foolish as to run away again, my Catherine, I will take my belt or a special strap to your bottom and leave a trail of welts across it. Do you understand me, mate?”

“Yes, Marco. I’m sorry.”

“Not as sorry as you will be when I get you back to the hotel. And there, my sweet Catherine, I will endeavor to make your pussy as sore as your backside. I had thought when I finished my business that by this time I would already have had you beneath me and brought us both great pleasure. You may get up.”

Catherine seemed unsure and rose unsteadily to her feet. Marco brought her onto his lap. Catherine was quite sure he enjoyed seeing her wince as her punished backside made contact with his hard thighs.

“But aren’t you going to... you know...”

“Fuck you?” he laughed.

She nodded.

“Is there a corner where my naughty mate can be stripped and sent to stand naked while she contemplates the error of her ways?”

“Well, no.”

“Then,” he said, sliding his hand between her legs and slipping a single finger into her drenched pussy. “Your need to be completely forgiven for this latest bit of nonsense will have to wait.”

Catherine groaned. Marco smiled. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. She supposed he was owed a little payback. He played with her gently, slowly bringing her to the edge of her orgasm and then stopped.

“Let’s get you back into your leggings. You are entirely too enticing this way.”

She reached for her leggings and Marco helped her back into them. He brought her back to his lap and made her comfortable there.

At the next stop, Marco and Catherine got off the train. Catherine wasn’t overly surprised to find a driver waiting for them. Marco helped her into the limo before instructing the driver where to go. They spoke in Italian and Catherine could only understand bits and pieces.

As Marco got into the back with her, she asked, “Will you teach me to speak Italian or can I get Sera to?”

“And you think you will learn to speak my native tongue?”

She leaned over to nuzzle him. “I suppose if I’m staying and will be sharing your life, it might be nice to understand conversations that are being had around me.”

Marco smiled and Catherine was happy to see the last of his anger begin to fade. “So, my Catherine...” He hesitated to see if she registered any protest at his assertion that she was his. Catherine said nothing but nuzzled him again. Marco smiled. “If you want to learn to speak Italian, we will teach you. And your friend Seraphina is always welcome at the villa.”

Catherine shook her head and Marco growled. “Oh, hush. I’m merely shaking my head because it seems so normal to be sitting on my sore ass on your lap planning a future. A few days ago, I thought you were arrogant and manipulative.”

Marco chuckled. “I would plead guilty to both. But I was manipulating things only to make your time in Florence more enjoyable and to show you what life with an indulgent mate could be like. I was never trying to buy you, my Catherine.” He took her hand in his and kissed her palm. “I never thought you were for sale.”

Catherine could feel tears welling up in her eyes. “Now why’d you have to go and say that? Now I feel like a total bitch...”

“Catherine,” he growled. “I will not warn you again.”

She smiled. “Regardless, I feel like one for ever doubting your intentions.”

“Then why did you leave Florence?”

“Can we not talk about that?”

“Answer me.”

She took a deep breath. “Because you scare the hell out of me. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before and even if I’d felt something similar, the feelings I have for you are far more intense. I worry that I’ll lose myself in you.”

And Catherine knew that while that was true, it was not the only reason she had left. Part of her wanted to confide everything in him, but she feared he would look at the evidence rationally and conclude there was no hope of finding Shannon and would prevent her from continuing her search.

“Would that be so bad?” he said softly. “I have already lost myself in you. That is the nature of fated mates.”

A single tear started to roll down her cheek.

“Do not weep, my Catherine. There is nothing to fear.”

Trying to lighten the mood, she quipped, “Why does a single tear bother you, but when I’m crying my eyes out when you spank me, it does nothing to move you?”

He smiled. “The single tear shows the depth of what you’re feeling. Your caterwauling when I am expressing my displeasure at your behavior is simply part of your tantrum throwing.”

“Tantrum throwing?”

He nodded. “Yes. But it is of no consequence. It is, after all, supposed to hurt enough that you refrain from doing it a second time.”

“And what if a woman doesn’t have a mate to discipline her?”

Marco leaned over and kissed her. “If she is part of a pack, then she has her alpha and her beta to provide her with the structure and correction she needs. If she is allowed to be on her own, as you have been for far too long, she becomes unsettled and unruly. It is then up to her mate, when he finds her, to give her boundaries within which to live happily and to correct those bad habits that have been allowed to flourish.”

“Pack? Alpha? Beta? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Calm yourself, my Catherine. That is a discussion best left for a better time and location.”

“And what if I want to discuss them now?”

Catherine wasn’t sure why, but she knew the answer to those questions was important and would impact her life greatly. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.

“Do not fret, tesoro. I am here now and will give you what you need...” He laughed. “Even when you don’t want it. I will not allow you to merely twist in the wind or to be blown about and not be able to enjoy all the sweetness that our life will give you.”

“You know, Marco, I’m pretty damn good at taking care of myself.”

“Are you? Then why are you not already mated? Why has no one ever given you the loving guidance you so desperately need?”

“You’re a few years older than me. Why aren’t you already mated... or are you? Sera said you had plenty of secrets... is that one of them?”

“I am not mated because you have been good at staying hidden... just enough out of reach that I couldn’t find you. I knew you were my fated mate and would settle for nothing less. And that had best be the last time you ever accuse me of infidelity.”

“See what I mean? You make me unsettled and then I get nasty. I just don’t think this will work.”

Marco growled low and seductively and watched as her body responded. She softened and her body quivered in response. He knew if he scented the air in the backseat of the car he would be able to smell her arousal.

“Shhh, my Catherine,” he said as he pulled her unrelenting body closer to his. “It will be all right.”

Catherine struggled, but could not get away. Marco did nothing but hold her in his arms and gently rock her as though she were a small child to be comforted. His gentleness... his somehow knowing what she needed even when she didn’t were her undoing. Once again, she started to cry.

“There, there, sweetheart—your mate is here. I have you. There is no need for you to fight any longer. That is my duty and responsibility. I will keep you safe whether the danger be physical or emotional, real or imagined.”

Catherine gave up whatever fight she had left in her and nestled deeper into his lap, burrowing into his chest and seeking his comfort. Part of what left her feeling a bit disoriented was how quickly she vacillated from one extreme to the other. One minute all she wanted was to feel his cock thrusting in and out of her like a battering ram and the next all she could think was how to get far, far away from him.

Catherine wasn’t sure when she’d fallen asleep or for how long she’d slept. She started to stir as Marco got out of the limo with her cradled in his arms. She felt him enter the hotel and once again climb the grand staircase. This time he negotiated the door on his own, closing it before laying her on the bed.

“Why are we back here?”

“There are a few remaining things I need to do. That will be more easily accomplished if I am here in Florence and they can bring papers for my signature here to the hotel. I will not leave you again, sweetheart, to worry and fret. I will be here to reassure you and see that you get what you need—whether it be food, spanking, or my cock stroking your pussy. I’m going to order dinner. Is there anything special you’d like?”

“No,” she said quietly. “Whatever you want.”

He leaned over and kissed her, igniting the spark of passion they both knew he would fan into flames later. “What I want is for you to get naked. You will remain so until we leave for home.”

Marco watched her undress and demanded she surrender her clothes to him. She had resisted but acquiesced as soon as he growled at her. Once she was naked, he ran his hands over her body possessively. He smiled at her shivered response and then sent her to stand in the corner to await his forgiveness for running away.

He sat back and observed her demeanor. He was learning to read her body language quite well. When she was first made to stand in the corner her spine would be straight, her shoulders back, and her overall posture rigid. As he continued to watch her and she accepted not only her punishment but his authority, her body would soften, her shoulders would slump, and often she would lean against the wall.

It was only then that Marco knew she was ready to be forgiven.

* * *

Catherine felt him close in on her. She felt his hands come up to reposition her body to be more easily mounted. This very act—putting her body where he wanted for his use—was both humbling and arousing at the same time.

He fondled her breasts and nipples with a degree of roughness that served only to inflame the arousal that had begun as he watched her undress. She swore she could actually feel her body producing the amount of lubrication he would need to mount her without causing either of them any physical distress. He nuzzled her neck and she moaned in response. It seemed so easy for him to produce his desired effect. She wondered how he could make her body respond to him by seemingly doing so little.

Her nipples were beaded and hard and her breathing was more shallow and erratic. Having his body so close to her, feeling his cock probe between her legs and nudge the entrance to her sheath made her go weak at the knees. She leaned against the wall to help hold herself up, but it was Marco’s strong embrace that kept her where she needed to be.

“Please, Marco.”

“Are you ready to be forgiven, my Catherine?”

“Yes, please.”

“Then ask me,” he commanded quietly.

“Marco, please forgive me.”

“What for? Were you a naughty mate who got her bottom spanked and now needs to be fucked to know she is forgiven and reminded that her mate loves her above all else?”

“Yes,” she cried.

Catherine knew it to be true. She had disobeyed him and found herself beginning to accept that she needed him to punish her for that and then to forgive her and reestablish the sensual dynamic that existed between them. She needed to know she could rely on his strength and love and that she could surrender to both.

With no further preliminaries, Marco powerfully thrust home, causing her to orgasm in response.

She heard him make the provocative half growl/half chuckle that made her feel as though the sound itself skittered across her skin. She knew that he knew she had a primordial response to that sound and to the dominant way he possessed her, taking them both to heights of sexual bliss she had never experienced before.

His thrusting was strong, deep, and practiced. If nothing else, the man knew how to fuck a woman to complete and total satisfaction. He never even began to seek his own release until he was assured she’d climaxed at least twice and usually more than that. Catherine found she was becoming used to being a bit tender in her feminine parts... and was enjoying that.

Anger gnawed at Catherine’s insides. She wasn’t even angry at Marco. She was angry with herself. She should be looking for Shannon and instead she was falling hopelessly in love with a man she knew very little about. She could hear her heart and soul cry out that the latter wasn’t true. She knew Marco the way he knew her—in a way she had never experienced and had come to believe didn’t exist. But why then did she feel the need to hide her true reason for coming to Florence from him?