He stepped away from her. "As intelligent as you are beautiful. Except this is punishment for the crime of eighteen years apart. Years that you have kept us separated."

He cracked the whip again, allowing it to bite into the flesh of her thigh and curl around to mark her ass cheek. "Count it!" he snapped.

Tears dripped from her eyes, but she managed to glare at him and say from between gritted teeth, "Two."

He nodded his head and, walking behind her, cracked the ...