*{RUE}*

"Why the fuck are you holding that?" I screeched.

My eyes remained fixed on the leather whip coiled in his hand. The dark, braided length swayed slightly as he adjusted his grip, and my heart slammed against my ribs, the pulse in my throat pounding hard enough to make me dizzy.

Damon's smirk stretched wider, slow and wicked, the kind of smile that told me he'd been waiting for this exact moment.

"Because I can," he said simply.

"Damon—"

The rest of his name lodged in my throat as the whip cracked against my ass.

Fire bloomed across the already stinging flesh, a sharp burst of pain sending sparks...