Kelly
The sharp sting exploded across the skin of her right butt. A startled gasp escaped her lips before she could stop it.
Her fingers instinctively tightened around the luxurious silk bedsheets as a wave of intense, thrumming warmth bloomed across her flesh, radiating far beyond the point of impact. For one suspended heartbeat, her entire body forgot how to breathe.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Not because it hurt.
Because the sudden shock of it threatened to summon a dark ghost from her past.
A polished gymnasium floor.
Heavy tactical boots.
Harsh shouting.
The oppressive smell of sweat and rubber.
The hands of another trainee who hadn't stopped when she had told him to, using the ruthless NYPD academy hierarchy to try and crush her spirit. Her trainer, the commander who stood
