Page 112 of Strictly Forbidden

“I am a billionaire,” Kage said from behind me.

As I tipped my head over my shoulder, noticing he was placing a blanket on the soft sand along with a picnic basket full of goodies, I realized just how much in love with the man I was.

“Yes, you are. Several times over.”

He grinned as he plopped down on the blanket, bending his knees and staring out at the water. Max was enjoying his first time at any beach, already frolicking in the gentle waves cresting alone the shoreline.

“Come here, my woman.” He patted the blanket, giving me one of his infamous looks.

“What if I don’t?”

“Hmm… You’re going to make me chase you? You know I will.”

Just being with him was amazing. Just being able to live our lives was so special.

I gave him a coy look before sitting down. When I started to reach for the handles of the basket, he issued a tsking sound.

“Not yet,” he growled. “Only good girls get rewards.”

“Oh, yeah? What do bad girls get?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Without any hesitation or warning, he yanked me over his lap, immediately jerking up my dress. As he brought his hand down across my bottom, I fought and moaned.

But secretly inside, I adored everything he did, including his usual rounds of discipline.

He wasn’t soft-selling the discipline, spanking me long and hard. Max glanced over a couple of times but ignored his parents. He was enjoying himself immensely.

I’d never thought I’d be a woman stalked and kidnapped. I also never thought it could happen a second time. But it had.

Yet even with all the terror, the horrible nightmares, and the disturbing images that had played out in my mind so many times, if the horrible experience hadn’t occurred, I would never have met the man of my dreams.

Maybe there was something to the concept of a silver lining.

Whatever the case, I was in love with a larger-than-life man, someone who’d fought for me, protected me, and taught what love was really about.

In my mind, I was the luckiest woman in the world.

The End