you had no way of knowing I didn’t mean you harm. I can even accept that you probably didn’t comprehend the urgency of the situation or the extreme danger facing us both. For those reasons I would be content to accept your apology and your assurance that you will commit no further acts of violence, either against me or any other Vahlean. Then we can consider the matter closed.”
He could almost have laughed out loud at her stunned, incredulous expression. He doubted any such apology would be forthcoming.
“You can kiss my arse if you think I’d ever apologise to you.”
Just as he’d expected.
Phahlen shrugged. “Kissing your arse is not what I had in mind, Caria, though your bottom is where I intend to concentrate my efforts to rectify your unfortunate attitude.”
“ My attitude? My attitude is not the problem here, you arrogant prick.” Her chin jutted at him, her beautiful azure eyes blazing as Caria warmed to her theme. She knelt up again, tossed her tangled locks over her shoulder and continued her tirade. “You think you can just announce that I’m to be some sort of baby-making machine, that it’s all been sorted out, agreed between your planet and mine? You think I’ll just smile sweetly and sayokay, thank you for saving me, shall I spread my legs for you now, sir? Is that what you had in mind?”
She’d stated the case somewhat starkly, but her assessment of the matter wasn’t far out all the same. “Yes, the actions I require of you are along those lines,” he agreed. “From your tone I take it you’re not yet ready to accept the reality of your situation.”
“Like I said, kiss my—”
He’d heard enough. Phahlen believed in action rather than words in any event and this discussion was at an end. He lifted Caria bodily from her perch on the sofa and slung her over his shoulder. He ambled across the room to the food station, but this time his instructions into the audio system had nothing whatsoever to do with nutrition.
“Rope, please. Carbon compound, one metre in length.” The required item materialised in the next moment and he took it from the delivery hatch. He ignored her furious squirming, screeching, and beating on his back with her fists as he returned to the sofa. He sat down and calmly upended her across his lap.
Caria fought like a tiger. She struggled, screamed, flailed her arms, and kicked her legs at him, but none of it made the slightest impression. He was four times her size, and she was getting a spanking. He caught her legs under one of his to hold her still, and grabbed first one wrist, then the other. He secured both behind her back and held them there with one hand while he wrapped the rope around them. When he had her bound tight he produced a small laser scalpel from his pocket.
“I always spank on the bare, Caria. Without fail. On future occasions you will remove your clothing for me in order to facilitate that, but this time…” He regarded the all-in-one suit with regret. She really had looked very fetching in it, but the garment was to be a casualty of this moment. He would replace it for her. Eventually.
He plucked the fabric at the waist away from her body and sliced it cleanly with his blade. Caria let out a shriek that he was certain would have brought half the galaxy running if they had heard it. Phahlen blessed the soundproofing qualities of the Empyrean ’s construction as he cut the lower half of her suit from the upper portion, separating the two parts. He opted to just rip the fabric from her upturned bottom rather than risk setting her on her feet again to slice the front of the garment and risking her getting injured if she were to fight him. In any case, he had achieved his objective. Caria’s beautiful heart-shaped bottom was bared for her punishment. He tugged the material lower to reveal a good length of her thighs too. He intended to give her sit spots some serious attention.
“Let me go! Get off me, you bastard.” Caria’s