by Brianna Hale
Everything. I know everything, you asshole.
“I want to speak to Livia.” He sounds like a sulky boy.
Livia’s voice calls behind me, growing louder as she comes through the lounge, “Who is it? Oh.”
Her voice falls hard on the oh, and she comes to a halt by my side. I start to close the door, but she puts her hand on my arm.
“Wait. Let me talk to him.”
Livia steps past me and faces Piers. I want to grab this asshole by the collar and march him downstairs rather than let him spend even one second even looking at her.
She studies his face carefully. “You’ve been drinking.”
Piers rolls his eyes and gives an angry sigh. “I don’t remember that being against the law.”
“No, but I would have expected someone who wanted a serious conversation wouldn’t wait until they’d had three beers to do it. You don’t really want to talk, you just want to intrude on my life.”
“Jeez, Livia, when did you get so fake-deep? Has this lentil-eating douchebag been giving you self-help talks?”
“No. I just learned some basic self-respect since we broke up.”
His expression becomes bitter. “You mean you turned into a bitch.”
I step toward him and snarl in his face, “Don’t ever talk to Livia like that. Don’t talk to anyone like that, and get the fuck out of here.”
Piers stares me down, breathing beer fumes all over me, but he’s not as confident as he was a moment ago.
“I could say I feel sorry for you, but I don’t,” Livia tells him. “I feel sorry for whichever woman will come after me in your life. I wish I could go to her right now and tell her that she deserves better than you, like I deserved better than you.”
I look carefully at Livia’s face, wondering if she’s upset, but she’s calm and clear-eyed.
“Goodbye, Piers. Don’t come around here again. You’re not welcome.”
She shuts the door in his startled face.
I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head, and murmur into her hair, “I’m so proud of you.”
She squeezes me hard, and then smiles up at me. “Thank you, daddy. I can’t tell you how good it felt to say that.” Then her expression grows serious. “I wish I could pre-warn every woman he meets what he’s really like. It makes me angry to think that there’s nothing I can do to stop him from hurting someone else like he hurt me.”
“You did do something. You stood up to him and told him no. Maybe no one’s ever done that to him before and he needed to hear it.”
She thinks for a moment, chewing her lower lip. “He didn’t even seem like he was listening to me.”
“He heard. Maybe tomorrow, or next week, or sometime in the future what you said will get through to him.”
“I hope so,” she says, heading back through to the kitchen.
I follow her. I hope so, too. I hate the thought of any other women like Livia being subjected to a so-called dom like Piers.
I pick up the knife and resume chopping. “I got a new client last week, and from our first meeting I sensed that she might have been through something like what you’ve been through. I told her the things that made a difference to you, and slowly she’s relaxed into the place and is opening up to me a little.”
Sympathy wrinkles Livia’s brow. “Is she okay? Did she get away from the dom who mistreated her?”
“Yes. She was with this man for eight years, so her number one goal is to relearn her confidence. She says getting through her workouts is making a big difference, and seeing healthy power exchanges around her is showing her how the dynamics are supposed to work. That it can make her happy.”
“It will give her hope that she can have something like it in her personal life again.”
“I think that’s what I love best about Dom Fitness. It gives me the chance to feel like I’m making a difference in people’s lives.”
“And that’s why I love you, daddy.”
My eyes widen. We haven’t said I love you, yet.
Livia suddenly claps both hands over her mouth and turns red. “Oh, my god. I didn’t mean to say it out loud.”
I put the knife down and wrap my arms around her, kissing her cheeks and trying to get her to look at me. I can’t stop smiling. “You love me, bunny-girl? You love daddy?”
Livia starts laughing and hides her face in my chest. “I guess the secret’s out.”
I put my lips against her ear and whisper, “Don’t ever let it be a secret. Daddy loves you, too.”
Livia looks up at me with big eyes. “You do?”
With my arms around her, I settle back against the counter, her body against mine. I breathe in her warm, sweet scent. These are the moments that mean so much to me. Private, quiet moments with my girl when I can feel her love and happiness, and it makes mine complete.
I plant a kiss on her plush, pink lips. “Every bit of you, and I plan on telling you every day. I love my bunny.”
Livia’s eyes shine. “I love my daddy.”
Epilogue
Trey
Six months later
It’s late afternoon on New Year’s Eve and Dom and I are the last trainers in the gym. We’re closing early today so there are only a handful of members working out.
And our girls, Peaches and Bunny, also known as Amelia and Livia.
They’re supposed to be working out, anyway. Mostly they’re chatting over their exercises and reps as if they have all the time in the world, which they don’t. Dom and I are standing by the water fountain, discussing the big changes that have happened this year. Dom Fitness has grown more and more popular. It’s rarely quiet in the gym so this is our time to chill. We’ve earned it.
The girls, though…
I pause what I’m saying to frown at Livia, which would normally be all it takes to pull her up and make her focus. Except it doesn’t work because she’s so deep into her conversation with Dom’s girlfriend and sub to notice my expression.
Livia’s asked me to be stricter with her now that we’ve grown closer and she trusts me, including at the gym. She’s asked questions about what it feels like for me to lay down the law, a bright, interested expression on her face. So far I haven’t needed to punish her for anything as she’s followed all her rules that we agreed upon together. Maybe today’s the day that that changes.
As Dom and I talk, each with an eye on our subs, we notice how they’ve stopped doing their exercises altogether in favor of talking.
Dom calls across the gym to his girlfriend, “Peaches, baby. Have you forgotten that the gym is closing early tonight for New Year’s?”
Livia and Amelia jump and glance at the clock.
“Sorry, daddy!” Amelia calls back, and they head over to the stationary bikes together for the last thirty minutes of their workouts. I relax back against the wall, because one reminder to focus is all Livia ever needs.
Except that a few minutes later, the two of them are so deep in conversation that their pedaling has slowed right down until they’re barely moving.
Dom’s noticed, too. “Sorry, Trey. My girl’s distracting yours.”
“I think it’s mutual distraction,” I observe, eyes narrowed as Livia stops to exclaim over something Amelia has said. It’s not that they’re not allowed to talk, but they’re supposed to be working out, as well. Dom might be louder and shoutier than me and look scary with his flashing eyes and dark beard, but he’s actually a big softie on the inside. I’m the one who gets told he has a lovely smile, and I look sweet, but then I’m strict as hell.
Let’s just say I don’t have a thing for good girls because I like to be disobeyed.
I push away from the wall and make my way over to my sub, eyes still narrowed. Livia asked me to be stricter with her and if that’s what she wants, that’s what she’s going to get.
“Livia. Care to explain to me what you’re doing right now?” I ask.
Her eyes snap to mine and the smile drops from her face. “U
h…uh…I was getting on with my workout because the gym is closing early tonight. That’s what I was supposed to be doing, anyway. Sorry, daddy.”
She puts on her best good-girl voice as she says sorry, daddy. Usually that would make me melt and have me smiling at her. Actually, it does make me melt, on the inside, but not enough.
Today, I want more.
“How many times were you reminded to get on with your workout?”
She starts pedaling fast. By her side, so does Amelia, who’s shooting furtive looks at her own dom. “I’ll get on with it now, I swear.”
“Did I ask you to get on with your workout, or did I ask you a question?”
Livia bites her lower lip, sensing that she’s crossed a line. “Sorry, daddy. You asked me a question. Twice now, daddy.”
I point to the center of the room. “Off the bike, and go over there, please. Kneel on the floor.”
Livia stares at the spot on the mats and then back at me, her eyes wide. She hesitates. Then she slips from the bike seat and walks quickly to the center of the room, head down.
Blushing furiously.
Her pink cheeks remind me how cute her ass looks after a spanking, and a ripple of pleasure goes through me.
When Livia’s settled into place, I raise my voice slightly so it carries to everyone in the room. “I’d like you all to please observe that my trainee, Livia, is kneeling in the center of the room for punishment.”
Everyone’s allowed to look at my sub. Everyone’s allowed to witness her punishment. On the floor, Livia blushes harder. She was curious about this when she first started at Dom Fitness, and now she gets to find out what it feels like for herself. Now’s the perfect time as the gym is almost empty, and I won’t draw it out too long. Just long enough.
To my right, I see that Amelia has redoubled her efforts on the bike, because if Livia’s being punished, then she’s definitely going to catch it from Dom.
I stand in front of Amelia, my arms folded, gazing down at Livia kneeling on the mat. She risks a peep up at me, her eyes widen, and then she drops her gaze again.
“Livia. Do you know why you’re being corrected?”
She takes a deep breath. “Because I wasn’t doing what I’m here to do, which is workout.”
“Do you know why that’s important?”
“By not following the rules I’m distracting everyone who’s trying to be good.”
“And what are you going to do now?”
She’s witnessed this happen to other subs so often that she knows what comes next, and she winces. “Now I’m going to apologize to everyone and promise to do better.”
I nod. “Off you go.”
Livia gets to her feet, and I watch closely as she approaches each of the trainees in the gym, making sure they’re as respectful to her as she is to them.
Their responses are murmured “Okay, Livias” or “Thank you, Livias.” Their expressions are mostly sympathetic, because they’ve all been through the same thing themselves and know how embarrassing it is.
When she reaches Dom, she visibly quails. Dom has his arms folded and he’s a foot taller and his shoulders a foot wider than she is. He’s also glaring at her with an expression that could melt metal.
Dom stays silent as Livia stumbles through her apology, then he gives her a silent nod, and she scurries back to me and kneels before me again.
“Is there anything else you want to say, bunny?” I ask in a softer tone.
“Sorry, daddy.”
“Anything else?”
“Thank you, daddy.”
I hunker down on my heels so we’re eye to eye and I cup her cheek. “What did you learn today?”
“That I should focus on my workout when I’m here, because it’s not time to chat, it’s time to work.”
“What else?”
She looks confused for a moment, and I glance meaningfully over at Dom and Amelia, who are working through the same thing that we are, only with more huffs and eyerolls from Amelia.
“Oh—not to distract other subs from their workouts and get them into trouble?”
I nod. “That’s right.”
My hand is still against her cheek and she looks so deliciously penitent that I want to lean forward and slant my mouth over hers. Livia seems to know what I’m thinking.
“It’s a shame about the rules, isn’t it, daddy?” Livia whispers, her eyes getting back their sparkle. “That you can’t kiss me here.”
My mouth twitches, and I notice how she’s squirming where she sits. I whisper, “Are you horny, little bunny?”
Livia nods, a shy smile on her face.
I raise my voice back to normal level, and she jumps. “You should have thought of that before you were disobedient. Back on that bike.”
“Yes, daddy,” she squeaks, scrambling to her feet and hurrying to obey.
A moment later, once she’s settled, I pause to check the settings on her bike and murmur in her ear, “We’ll finish this at home.”
Livia blushes again, but from pleasure, this time.
She finishes her workout and hits the showers, and Dom and I close up the gym and change back into our street clothes. Livia’s waiting for me in the foyer and I take her hand and we walk the short distance to her apartment.
As soon as we get in the front door and I close it behind me, Livia falls to her knees. She presses her face against my thighs.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry. I know you’re mad at me. I deserved that.”
“Bunny, I’m not mad at you. I’m never mad at you.” I cup her chin and make her look up at me. “I’m holding up my side of our agreement, remember?”
Sometimes Livia needs reminding that just because she’s punished, it doesn’t mean I’m mad at her. It’s not her fault she still thinks this way sometimes. It’s that fuckface’s fault, but we’re working through it.
“Oh, yes. I remember.”
“So what am I feeling?” I ask her.
“You’re not mad, you’re disappointed.” Her brow creases as the agony of that washes over her. Her gaze lands on my belt. Then the zipper of my jeans. She reaches up and runs a finger down it, and I feel it in my cock.
She’s agonized, but still horny.
I’ve been semi-hard since lecturing her at the gym but now I stiffen completely. She reaches up and unthreads the belt from my jeans, and hands it to me. Then she unzips my jeans and draws me out. I give a hiss of pleasure as she takes the head of my cock in her mouth.
“You’re still getting spanked after this,” I say, showing her the belt that’s gripped in my hand.
She looks up at me with big eyes and a mouth full of my cock, and nods. Jesus Christ, that’s a perfect picture of a good little girl. I gather her silky blonde hair up into my fist and start to fuck her mouth. Leather belt in one hand, my girl’s hair gripped in the other as she works her mouth up and down my cock, what a perfect way to end a wonderful year. Wonderful, because I found Livia.
I push deep into her throat and hold it there, counting slowly to three as her eyes grow wide.
Then I pull out. She gasps for air, a thread of saliva between her lower lip and the tip of my cock.
“Good girl, Livia,” I murmur, stroking her cheek. She smiles up at me and licks her lips. I know that look. She really wants to come. “Now go and get ready for your forgiveness.”
Livia goes over to the sofa, pulls her pants and underwear down her thighs and then gets on her hands and knees, her ass in the air.
I go over to her and squeeze her plump flesh. Goddamn, she looks especially incredible like this. “Why am I doing this?”
“To forgive me,” she whimpers into the couch cushion, and wriggles her knees so she pushes her ass into my hand.
We don’t call this part punishment. We call this forgiveness, because it’s the final part of the ritual and she knows I want her to feel good, even when it stings.
“Good girl.”
I lay the belt aside. I want to spank her with my hand first
. I love doing this, and so does she. I start gently, giving her a smack, and her shoulders sink further into the sofa. I keep spanking her, increasing the intensity until her flesh is glowing with heat and turning bright red, and she’s moaning with every smack.
“How does your forgiveness feel?”
“So good, daddy,” she moans.
“I’m going to finish with my belt now.”
“Okay, daddy.”
God, her voice is insanely hot when she’s being forgiven. My cock aches to be buried inside her. I wrap the belt around my hand in a loop, test it lightly against my palm, and then position it carefully and stroke it across her ass. The leather against her already reddened flesh makes a pleasing smacking sound, and Livia yelps.
I pause for a second for the stinging to die down, and to draw this part out. I only ever give her three of these so I want us both to enjoy it. I stroke her again, and she yelps louder. Her thighs shake but she holds herself obediently still. Then finally, a third, right across her bright red skin. I drop the belt and lean down and kiss her panting mouth.
“Am I a good girl, daddy?” she asks breathlessly.
“You are, baby. You’re daddy’s very good girl.”
“How good?” she asks, edging her knees open and arching her back. Damn, she’s so horny after her drawn out punishment and forgiveness that she doesn’t even want a cuddle before she comes.
I sit down on the sofa beside her and take her hand. “Get over here and sink down on my cock. I want to hold your red ass while I fuck you.”
Livia does as she’s told, stripping off her pants and straddling my thighs. I grip the base of my cock and tease it against her wet pussy. Then she slides down my cock, tight and delicious and absolutely perfect. I cup her ass as she bounces on me, driving me deeper.
Livia pouts. “Ow, daddy, you made my bottom all red and now you’re squeezing it.”
“You know I can’t resist your cute ass when it’s all hot like this.”
She smiles as she works herself up and down my cock. “Am I cute?”
“You’re the fucking cutest. You’re daddy’s good little girl and he can’t get enough of you.”