Catherine woke rested but a bit disoriented. Then it all came flooding back to her—being carried up the stairs of a grand hotel ala Scarlett O’Hara, having her mouth washed out with soap, getting spanked, being made to stand in the corner, and then being fucked there, all by a man she hadn’t even known existed a week ago.

Marco sensed her sudden restlessness and pulled her closer, offering her comfort even in his sleep. Once he’d settled down, Catherine extricated herself from both his embrace and their bed. Quickly and quietly she picked up her clothes and began to slip on her top and leggings. Sandals, bra, and panties could be added later after she got out of this room. And she knew she had to get out of this room and escape the web of seduction Marco was weaving.

She had flipped the deadbolt and was just reaching for the door when someone from the other side knocked, calling “Room service.” Catherine jumped back from the door and whirled around to see Marco had come fully awake. He looked pointedly at the bed and at Catherine. He said nothing but pointed to the corner.

“No,” she whispered.

“Yes, Catherine, or I will strip you first before I let the boy in with our meal.”

Catherine looked at the door and calculated her chances. If she could get to the door, perhaps the confusion of the room service person would give her time to get into the hall. Surely Marco wouldn’t chase her down in public.

“You’ll never make it and even if you did, I’d have no trouble catching you before you reached the stairs,” he said as if he could read her mind.

He got out of bed, crossed the room to her, and took hold of her arm. He cracked the door open and said, “Just leave it, I’ll bring it in the room in a moment.”

“Certainly, Mr. DeMedici,” the staff person said with appreciation as Marco slipped him a tip.

Marco closed the door and looked Catherine in the eye. “Naked. Corner. Now. Do not make me regret my largess in not allowing the boy to see your lovely backside as you stand in the corner.”

The low rumbling growl overtook her. She was becoming used to the sensation and could now distinguish between when the sound was angry, lustful, or just generally pleased. She shook her head.

“No, I won’t. I can’t explain what happened earlier, but I’m not up for a rematch.”

He surprised her by chuckling. “What happened earlier, my Catherine, was that you sought to deny and defy me and ended up with a backside full of my red handprints and a pussy full of my cum. The same thing that is going to happen to you once you have stood in the corner and we have something to eat.”

“I’m not going to stand in the corner.”

Marco said nothing but somehow managed to strip her clothes off her without any problem. He turned her toward the corner and marched her into it, accentuating each step with a hard swat to her still sore bottom.

“Now you stand there until I tell you different.”

She whirled around, her own anger flaring. “I won’t.”

Marco turned her to face the corner again before delivering several well-placed and hard swats to her sit spots, causing her to yowl in pain.

“You will.”

He let go of her but watched her for a moment. Catherine knew he meant to ensure she stayed put this time.

She heard him walk to the door and wheel the heavily laden trolley in. The smells coming from the food it contained made her stomach grumble.

“It seems my mate is hungry. I had planned for us to enjoy each other’s company while we dined. But I find myself wondering how best to use the food to reinforce the lesson it would appear still needs to be learned. Care to share your thoughts with me, my Catherine?”

“Quit calling me that. I’m not your Catherine.”

“But you are. And what’s more is that you know you are. As you once again seek to deny that, I fear we will need to repeat the entirety of the first lesson and add to it.”

Catherine turned around. “Look, I really don’t know who you think you are or why someone hasn’t come to check on me after that little stunt downstairs, but I’ve had enough. I’m leaving.”

With as much dignity as she could summon, Catherine boldly walked out of the corner. Marco caught her by the arm then wrapped it around her waist, bending her slightly before he landed a flurry of hard, well-aimed swats to her still very sore and now swollen buttocks.

“Ouch! God! Marco! Stop it! I’ll scream!”

“Go ahead,” he said in an amused tone. “I’m sure many a naughty mate before you has and many who come after you will. The walls are thick and the soundproofing insulation excellent. No one will hear you.”

He let her up and forced her to look at him. His smile was predatory and intimidating. He finished turning her back to the corner, pushed her gently and landed another stinging slap to her bruised derriere.

Catherine found herself going to the corner and standing quietly. She wondered how this had happened and why it felt perfectly normal. She also noted that her show of bravado had accomplished nothing more than getting her spanked.

“Marco?”

“Yes, my Catherine?”

“May I please come out of the corner and eat something. I’m hungry and haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“I would like nothing more than to share a meal with you. But do you have something to say to me first?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“I don’t know. For pissing you off?” she replied in a tone of voice that clearly showed her irritation.

“Temper, temper, my Catherine. Losing yours with me will not serve you well. Let’s try having you repeat after me again as that seemed to work for you last time. You are sorry for leaving our bed without waking me.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, hoping to stem her rising anger. “I’m sorry I left our bed without waking you.”

“And you’re sorry for getting dressed without my permission.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No, my Catherine. In the future a repeat of either of those will earn you a trip over my knee. Say it.” The last he growled and smiled as she shuddered.

“And I’m sorry for getting dressed without your permission.”

“And you are sorry that you thought to yet again deny my call and sought to sneak out of the hotel.”

“And I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to your call and didn’t get a chance to get away from you.”

“Naughty mate. Are you really wishing to add to your punishment by continuing to misbehave?”

“You are not going to spank me again.”

Marco laughed. “I most assuredly am. What I’m trying to determine now is whether or not I will use my belt on you and leave a trail of welts across your beautiful ass.”

“You wouldn’t,” she cried as panic started to settle on her.

He nodded. “I will if I believe it to be in the best interest of correcting your behavior. Behavior earlier today you led me to believe I wouldn’t see again. Tell me, my Catherine, did you knowingly lie to me earlier today?”

The question was asked softly, but she could hear the steel that lay beneath it.

“I never said I wouldn’t try to get away.”

“That is true,” he said, chuckling. “I assumed when you admitted you had failed to heed my call that you understood you were my fated mate and that being with me was implied. But, as you say it is not, let me be clear. You are my mate. Your place is at my side and in our bed. You will not leave our bed without waking me to tell me you are doing so. If you do, you will be spanked. When you enter our bedroom you will strip naked and naked you will remain unless I give you leave to cover yourself.”

“Should I kneel in your presence and bring you your slippers?” Catherine muttered sarcastically.

“Careful, my Catherine. You have already earned yourself a spanking. Were I you, I would be trying to soothe my mate’s anger, not encouraging it to grow. You implied that I had not been clear in my expectations. I am attempting to remedy that.”

“So you expect me to give up my life and stay with you. And when we go in our room I’m to get naked. And what, you’ll fuck me whenever you like?”

Catherine watched as he raised his head and sniffed the air before replying. His smile was at once predatory and lascivious.

“Yes, and given the state of your arousal, I do not believe that you find the prospect of my taking you again to be unwelcome. Now where was I? Ah, yes, being more clear about how I expect you to behave. You will mind me and be respectful...”

Catherine couldn’t help herself. She started to laugh.

“Can you hear yourself? Do you actually believe the crap you’re spewing? First, I’m not even convinced I believe in this fated mate bullshit. Second, I don’t know that I want you for a fated mate. Third, I’m not going to wake you up in the middle of the night if I have to pee. Fourth, I’m not getting naked for your fun and amusement. And as for the rest of that claptrap—not happening.”

Catherine was now on a roll. She could feel her strength and belief in herself and her abilities come surging back to the forefront of her being. She strolled out of the corner. It occurred to her that it would probably be more effective if she had clothing, but she had a point to make.

“And let me tell you another thing,” she continued. “I’m not sure what came over me earlier when I allowed you to spank me and then fuck me without any kind of protection, but neither of those things will ever happen again. As far as you dictating to me what I will or will not do, that would probably be more of a concern if I were planning to be anywhere around you, which for the record I won’t be.”

Marco watched her quietly. When she took a breath, he growled long and low. As always it wasn’t so much the sound that rattled her as it was the feeling it evoked throughout her entire being. And as she had a few other times, she also felt a wave of energy that felt a lot like a gust of wind knocking her back.

She watched with a kind of fascinated horror as Marco sat down and spread his legs.

“Are you quite finished with your tirade, my Catherine?”

“I am not your fucking Catherine, you arrogant jackass,” she shouted.

He said nothing but patted his thigh.

Catherine could not explain the sudden burst of apprehension that started to gather in her belly. As she noticed that feeling, she could also feel the well of desire beginning to pool below it.

Marco patted his thigh again and growled at her.

All of the power, energy, and determination she had been building deflated like a balloon that had been pinched shut and now was opened. In its place was a feeling of dread, which only fed the feeling of arousal that was coursing throughout her entire body.

She shook her head, “No, Marco.”

“Yes, my Catherine.”

“I’m sorry I lost my temper.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Apologizing without my having to prompt you is a step in the right direction. However, apologizing after the fact will not negate your punishment for doing so in the first place. And I would have thought that a taste of soap would have given you pause before using foul language with me again so quickly.”

Again, he patted his thigh.

“No, Marco,” she said as she walked toward him like a man on his way to the gallows.

She stopped to stand between his legs. He said nothing more; didn’t pat his thigh; didn’t offer to take her hand to help her into position; just waited. He never took his eyes off of her.

“Marco?” she asked quietly, trying to keep from pleading.

“Now, Catherine.” His voice was quiet but the command in it was unmistakable.

“Help me, please?”

Something about the tone of her voice must have broken through his steely resolve. He took her hand and instead of guiding her over his knee, he pulled her from between them, closed his legs, and helped her to sit on his lap.

She didn’t realize she’d begun to cry until he took a handkerchief and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“Tell me why you’re crying?”

“I... I don’t know. I don’t seem to know anything anymore.”

With that confession the tears started to fall freely. Marco wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close into his massive frame. She snuggled into him and had her head tucked under his. He rocked her quietly and just let her weep. He seemed unconcerned about time and sought only to comfort her. Finally, she was able to regain her composure.

She was still unsure as to what to do, but seemed content just to sit in his lap and accept the solace that he offered. Her quiet reflection was interrupted when her stomach rumbled again.

“I think, my Catherine, that before we do anything else, I should feed you. I want you to stand up and go back to your corner. Yes?”

She nodded. “Yes, sir.”

He helped her stand and she went to stand quietly in the corner. She could hear him roll the trolley from just inside the door to what sounded like over by the settee. She could hear him lift the cloches from over the plates. Wonderful, tantalizing aromas wafted across the room to her. She wanted to turn around to see what he was doing, but refrained from doing so.

“Catherine, come here.”

She turned and saw that Marco had resumed his place on the settee with the trolley full of food within easy reach.

“Come and sit on my lap, tesoro.”

“I don’t suppose I could put something on.”

He said nothing, but merely quirked his eyebrow at her.

She sighed. “That’s what I thought. You do know I find all of this extremely embarrassing, right?”

“There is no reason for you to be embarrassed. You have a beautiful body and it gives me great pleasure both in how it feels and how it looks. I think you spending some time unclothed will remind you to behave yourself and that you are no longer in charge. Now come sit with me.”

She walked over and made to sit beside him.

“No, Catherine—on my lap.”

“Fine,” she said, sitting delicately and reaching for the trolley.

The light tap on her hand made her draw it back.

“No, Catherine. I will feed you.”

“I don’t want to be fed.”

“Then you can go back and stand in the corner until I have eaten. When I’m finished, I will give you your spanking, followed by having your mouth washed out with soap and perhaps, depending upon how you act from this point forward, another spanking.”

Catherine inhaled deeply. “No, Marco, please?” she cried forlornly.

“Yes, Catherine. Before I claim your beautiful body again, you will get your mouth washed out with soap and be spanked to tears again. And this time, my mate, I will ensure that your spanking is harsh enough that you remember that minding me and behaving is a much better choice. Here, try the bruschetta. It is especially good here.”

He held up the bread and offered her a bite. She was hungry and knew the only way she was going to get any food was to allow him to feed her. She took a bite and sighed with immense pleasure.

“Oh, my God, that’s good. Wait, I can say that without getting my mouth washed out, can’t I?”

Marco chuckled. “Yes, my Catherine. You can also appeal to the Gods when I am pleasuring you.”

He offered her another bite and then popped the rest in his mouth.

He fed her the rest of their meal, always offering her the first bite and insisting she take at least one bite of anything with which she was unfamiliar or said she didn’t like to eat. She was full before he was but was content just to sit curled up on his lap as he finished. They’d shared half a bottle of wine, DeMedici of course, but only used one glass.

She nuzzled the hollow of his throat.

“Marco, can’t you just accept my apology and take me back to bed?”

“I could if I was not the mate you need. If I did not care for you and wish to see you at your best, then I would simply let you do whatever you want and just fuck you when the mood suits me.”

“Sounds good,” she said and made to hop up off his lap and make a beeline for the bed.

His hand reached out to stay her and brought her back to his lap. The thought that at least she was sitting on it and not face down over it did occur to her.

“Catherine, you wound me. I am not such a man. You are my fated mate and I will see you at your best... always. You were not raised in a pack and therefore do not understand. I will make allowances for that, but there is a baseline I will insist you recognize and abide by. That includes the use of vulgar language, losing your temper in front of others, and being unclothed when we are alone in our chambers.”

She looked at him incredulously. “You’re serious, aren’t you? You just expect me to fall into line and do what you say or else you’ll beat my ass again.”

He smiled benevolently at her. “No, my Catherine, I do not expect to you do anything of the sort. Yours is a wild and free spirit—one which I will cherish and never see squelched, but that does not mean you will not submit to my authority over you. I am worthy of your love and respect and will keep you safe and loved. When your behavior requires correction, I will provide it.”

She shook his head. “Do you hear yourself? What did you just step out of, some time travel machine? I don’t need you to keep me safe and loved. I can take care of myself and I have a life I love waiting for me back in the United States.”

Marco looked at her, his dark eyes starting to glow. “You have no mate; in fact, there is no man who has ever made a claim on you.”

“Because I didn’t want one. I was perfectly fine living my life the way I wanted and when I wanted to get laid, I found someone suitable and we enjoyed each other’s company.”

“And is that what you think this is?”

“Well, I’ll admit it was a bit more intense... okay, a lot more intense than usual and I wouldn’t mind spending more time with you provided you don’t spank me again. My ass still hurts.”

“So, when you told me that you accepted you were my fated mate and as such understood that when you misbehaved, you would be punished, you were lying to me?”

Catherine realized that she may have just backed herself into a corner. Why was he able to throw her so off balance and why did she care?

“No, I just... I can’t do this, Marco.”

His body lost its angry tension as did the look on his face.

“What is it you feel you can’t do, my Catherine? Answer me truthfully.”

“I can’t do this... this whatever this is. You just make me feel unbalanced. You throw off my equilibrium. I don’t like it.”

“Ah,” he said, nodding. “That is to be expected. You have not had a man worthy of your submission and so have withheld it. That was wise of you. But I am your mate. I take my responsibility to and for you seriously and it will always be uppermost in my mind. It may take you a while to learn and to settle in as my mate, but I will help you. And when you go awry, I will help you modify your behavior so that you can embrace all that our life has to offer.”

“I’m not going to make a life with you.”

Marco laughed. “Of course you are.”

He brought her face to his and kissed her softly but with intense passion. She felt him coax her mouth to soften and yield and accept the sweet gift he gave to her.

“I must apologize to you. It would seem that I forgot that to you this must sound very strange. Like something you have longed for all your life but feared would forever be denied you. You will need time to learn to trust that our way of life is better. I will help you learn and try to be clear about what I expect of you. But I will also always answer your questions or ease your concerns. But you must be honest and open with me.”

“Marco,” she started.

He kissed her again. “No, my Catherine. I will accept that the greater part of the fault for this latest misbehavior lies at my doorstep. Had you been born to a pack, you would have understood. You would have been raised to see yourself in your proper light. That you were not is something of a mystery, but one that can be remedied. I fear I was not clear before we rested and then overreacted when you were attempting to sneak away. For the record, even had you gotten outside the hotel, I would have found you before you ever left Florence.”

“You can’t just keep me in your hotel room.”

“Of course not. As soon as I can conclude the last of my business here in Florence we will go home to the villa. But between now and then I am going to insist that you remain here in our room. I believe your proud spirit needs to be redirected, not eradicated. As I feel that your latest misbehavior is as much, if not more, my fault as it is yours, I will forego your punishment if you apologize for using foul language and acknowledge that you now understand that you are my mate.”

“You can’t just expect me to give up my life,” she said, feeling as though she were losing the argument and uncertain as to how she felt about that.

“Not giving up your life. You will simply be building a life here with me and with our pack.”

“What pack? What are you talking about?”

He chuckled, the sound rumbling from within his chest. “Ah, that may require a longer, more detailed conversation. But it can wait for a later time. Do you want to apologize to me and acknowledge what you know to be true... that you are my mate?”

She shook her head, not trusting her voice.

“Catherine, you know it is true. I have haunted your dreams as you have haunted mine. You have heard me call to you. And when I do so, you feel it deep within you and every part of you wants to respond and yield to me. Will you lie to me... to yourself?”

“No,” she whispered.

“No, what—that you will not yield or that you will not lie?”

“You... you weren’t supposed to be real. You were only supposed to exist in my dreams.”

“Is it not better to have me be flesh and bone?”

“No.”

“Once again your mind is in conflict with your body. For I am quite sure when I possessed you earlier, your body was very glad I was not just an apparition. Explain to me why you believe you would choose me to remain a mere specter,” he said quietly.

“Because in my dreams I could wake and you’d be gone. I could go on with my life as before.”

“But did you not choose to change the course of your life when you were injured? You have great courage, my Catherine, you have shown that you have the ability to change your destiny. What if all you have come through was only leading you to this greater path before you? The path you will share with me.”

“But you expect me to be some subservient, meek woman who does your bidding.”

Catherine was surprised as Marco began to laugh out loud.

“It’s not funny, Marco. Not to me.”

He stifled his laughter, but his eyes retained their amused light. “I adore you and believe you are capable of accomplishing anything you choose to do. But it is not in your nature to be subservient or meek and I would never expect that of you. You are wild and free, proud and fierce and I love you all the more for it.”

“But you’ve said repeatedly that if I don’t mind you, you’ll spank me.”

“Which I will, but I expect to have to correct you. Can you imagine a woman such as you describe being happy with me? As you have pointed out on more than one occasion, I am an arrogant, overbearing what was it you called me? Ah, yes, either a prick or a jackass. Both of which are probably apt descriptions but inappropriate. I would never want my mate to be frightened of me. A meek and subservient woman would never suit me. Besides, as you have now experienced, a good spanking often leads to intensely pleasurable feelings.”

“But you said I was to be naked when we are in our bedroom.”

“Yes, at least for a while. You are extraordinarily beautiful, my Catherine. Gazing upon your naked body gives me great pleasure and arouses me. Besides it makes you a bit uncomfortable and I believe will serve to remind you that you are not the dominant one.”

“So you just expect me to wait around in our bedroom until you join me, get a hard-on and fuck me?”

She had become relaxed sitting on his lap and the swat he landed between her legs, catching her sensitive lips and inflicting more than a bit of heat and sting was unexpected.

“Mind how you speak to me, my Catherine. Are you in need of another taste of soap?”

“No.” She started to struggle to get off his lap.

The growl that accompanied her trying to extricate herself from him stopped her cold and she could feel the pool of her aroused state begin to drip on his leg.

“No, what?” he asked calmly.

“No, sir,” she said sullenly. “Then what do you expect?”

“I expect us to be happy. What had you planned to do with your degree from Cooper? Do you wish to paint? There is a salon at the villa that has excellent light that we could easily turn into a studio for you.”

“I don’t know that I’m good enough. I had really thought I might try my hand at restoration.”

“If that is what you want, you can easily do that at the villa. I’m sure there are environmental concerns and conditions you would need to institute but we can do that. It isn’t that I don’t want you to have what you want. I merely want you to share it with me.”

“Really? You don’t want me to give up my life?”

He chuckled and captured her mouth with his. “No, tesoro, I want you to be happy and fulfilled. There are things I will need for you to do for me, such as act as hostess when we need to entertain, but you will have a large staff and can delegate much of the mundane work. In addition, I sit on several boards that deal with the arts. I haven’t a clue most of the time what they are talking about. I believe both our interests and those of the institutions would be far better served were you to undertake those responsibilities.”

The life he described didn’t sound so bad... especially if having sex with Marco on a regular basis was part of the bargain. “Really?”

He nodded. “Really. But I don’t want you to give up painting. It has been a part of you for most of your life and if nothing else provides you with an outlet for your creativity and brings you joy, does it not?”

“But I don’t want to be spanked. My ass still hurts.”

“And probably will for another day or so. If you wish to avoid being spanked, then behave yourself. Let me be clear, when you misbehave, I will hold you accountable and you will get your pretty bottom spanked.”

“But you’ve decided that it’s your fault I didn’t wake you and tried to sneak out?”

He chuckled again. “I have decided that while the naughty behavior is yours, that my not being clear led you to act out and so I will forego spanking you this time.”

“And my language?”

“For that I should still give you a mouth full of soap suds.”

Catherine smiled seductively and rubbed her hardened nipples along his chest, tickling them with his chest hair.

“I can think of something we’d both prefer you fill my mouth with,” she said, nuzzling his neck.

Marco inhaled and growled low at her. This time though there was nothing angry or commanding about the sound. It was merely a reflection of his own growing arousal.

“Can you,” he said, running his hand up between her legs. He smiled as she parted her legs eagerly. “I believe, my Catherine, that we would both prefer that I fuck your pussy as opposed to your mouth.”

Marco stood, lifting her as he did so and carried her back to what she now thought of as their bed.