He lifted a hand to her face, gripping her chin and tipping her head back so she was forced to look at him. "Hey, listen to me, Kitty. You're stronger than you think you are. You're just going through a rough time right now, but you'll get through it. You're going to go on to do great things one day. I promise you that," he said in a tone that made it clear he had no doubt.
She snorted, "Great things? Me? I think you've got the wrong girl."
He gave her a look and a tiny headshake, asking, "Are you going to say no to this punishment?"
"No, Jack. I mean, I'm not going to say no. You're right, I deserve it," she admitted.
"Yes, you do, and since you've agreed, I'm guessing you want me to keep bossing you around like this? You want me to act as a dominant to you?" he asked. He held her chin for a second longer and then his hand dropped away.
She nodded. "Yes, please, will you?" she asked. She gave him a needy, pleading look.
"All right, then, we're going to have a few rules, which we'll discuss in more comfortable surroundings, but for now, I'm going to show you what happens to brats. You're a beautiful and charming lady, but you clearly need a firm hand to keep your attitude in check," he said as he turned her around to face the sink and pushed her forward with a strong hand pressing at the center of her back.
He was right; she did need a firm hand, at least at first. Christopher had said so more than once, early in their relationship. Though, once she'd settled down and stopped acting out so often, her ex-lover had seemed almost disappointed because it gave him fewer reasons to spank her. That was probably because spanking always turned into sex with him, and his punishments were never very harsh, so they did excite her most of the time.
She didn't expect to enjoy this, the way she might have with Christopher. Her experience with Jack, thus far, had shown he had no intention of trying to turn her on with erotic punishment; he was teaching a lesson and he wanted her to learn it. This time was no different than the previous night had been, and she knew she was going to regret her behavior the second the first hard slap landed. It burned into her tender flesh, reigniting the fire that had faded to only the occasional twinge.
She braced her hands on the edges of the sink and prepared herself for what was about to happen, but the next slap didn't come. Instead, his hands reached around her, finding the button at the front of her shorts and unfastened it.
"Jack, wait! Please leave them up. We're in a restaurant," she pleaded.
He laughed and whisked her shorts down to her knees. "Don't think anyone would be too surprised to find you in the bathroom with your pants down, Kitty. It's a pretty standard occurrence, and besides, the door is locked," he pointed out.
It wasn't so much a fear that someone would see her, as he'd said the door was locked. It was just knowing that she was in here getting a bare bottomed spanking and all that was between it and a whole room full of people was one thin door. It added to the layer of humiliation in knowing that, at any time, the music could stop and someone passing by would hear the spanking, because there were very few things that sounded like a hand slapping bare flesh. The clothing would at least have made a muffled sound that wouldn't be so recognizable.
Her panties followed the shorts, leaving her bare from the waist down. She wished now that she'd put her clothes back on over her bathing suit, since it would have left her a thicker layer of protection. She'd been tempted back on the beach, to save time, but in the end, had decided it might be uncomfortable during the long walk. She'd have put up with that discomfort to save herself a bigger one had she known, though it would be just her luck if he'd stripped her completely naked to get the bathing suit off, too.
A yelp burst from her mouth as his hand cracked down again, startling her with the timing and the harshness of it on skin that had been tenderized by a long soak in the salt water that afternoon. Her fingers tightened almost painfully on the porcelain and she shot a look over her shoulder, pleading for mercy with her wide blue eyes.
"I don't like sulking, pouting, or rudeness, Katherine, and I'm about to make that painfully clear to you," he said, emphasizing the word 'painfully', just in case she needed another hint that she was about to be very sorry for her behavior.
"Please, Jack, I'm sorry. Let's go have dinner. It w-would be a shame to r-ruin such a wonderful day," she said hurriedly.
Another slap, the flat of his palm crashing down to leave a vivid red mark on her left cheek, and then before she could take a breath, it left a twin on the right side.
He didn't dignify her comment with an answer at first, but after a dozen or so—she lost count—spanks spread out evenly across her ass, he finally did reply. "I'm sure you're sorry now; people are always sorry when they have to pay the consequences of their behavior, but that doesn't really change the fact that you earned this. The only thing spoiling our day was your bad attitude. Once we take care of that, we'll go eat. I expect a sunny disposition during the meal, regardless of how uncomfortable it's going to be to sit still. Otherwise, we'll end up having a much longer discussion back onboard and you don't want that, do you?" he asked. His voice was stern, but calm, and raised only enough to be heard clearly over the music.
She squirmed, both in guilt and out of nervousness. "Yes, sir, I'm sorry, but the attitude is gone now," she assured him quickly.
"Oh, I bet it is. Too bad it left a little too late to save your backside, isn't it?" he asked, and then he began to spank with slow, deliberate firmness. This time it wasn't just a few hard spanks, but a long series of stinging swats that covered her entire ass in crimson splotches. Despite avoiding her thighs, the night before, so it didn't show below her bathing suit, this time, he even let his hand fall across the tender upper legs a few times—just enough to really make her jump, though not hard enough to leave lasting marks.
Tears welled up in her eyes, making the blue look washed out and pale, when they met his in the reflective surface of the mirror. He paused, hand still raised to deliver the next slap, debating if she'd had enough for the moment. It hadn't taken her long to get to the point of true regret, not when she was still sore from the last spanking, but as much as he wanted to let her off, he could tell she was the type who needed to know her limits. Stopping too soon wouldn't do either of them any good, he reminded himself.
But there were other things that could be done to make the experience more memorable, and they really couldn't stay in the bathroom for much longer, not if they were going to get food before they had to embark. "You're lucky I don't have the time to really drive the point home," he told her. "I'm going to finish this up, so we can eat before we have to go, but your behavior for the rest of the excursion is going to determine whether we need to discuss this further on the ship, am I clear, Katherine?" he asked.
She hesitated, bottom lip quivering, and then nodded before her head ducked down so she could no longer see his stern face in the mirror. "Yes, sir," she whispered softly. It was funny, she'd gotten used to being called Katherine because Christopher preferred it, but after only a day of being Kitty again, her full name was jarring. It seemed to emphasize how much trouble she was in when he dropped the childish nickname for the more formal version.
His hand cracked down with a good firm swat across her left cheek and a pale visible handprint stood out against the reddened skin for a second before it began to fade, By the time it had vanished, he'd done the same to the right cheek. These were harsher, each one landing hard with a long pause between them for her to catch her breath. Her backside trembled in anticipation, waiting for his arm to swing, and she counted each one mentally because it gave her something to focus on besides that interminable wait.
Eight searing spanks lit up her backside before he paused. Her heart jumped hopefully, thinking he might be done, but the hand at her back stayed there, keeping her in place.
"Do you think you've had enough now to remind you to keep that attitude in check?" he asked. His free hand began to rub her stinging cheeks with smooth, gentle
motions that immediately soothed the fire.
"Y-yes, sir," she replied quickly.
"Next time you get frustrated, what are you going to do instead of making a scene?" he asked.
His hand was still on her ass, gently massaging the burn, and she struggled to find the answer he wanted. When a few seconds of silence passed, she felt his warm palm lift away, only to return with a crisp spank of encouragement that caught her just at the base of her cheeks, lifting them with the force, and she yelped.
"l-I'll just tell you what's wrong," she blurted, hoping it was the right answer, the one that would make him stop.
"Good, why don't you do that now then," he suggested.
"What? I told you I was tired and—"
He interrupted her with a light warning slap. "I know what you said. I want to know the rest of it. That's an awful lot of fussing just because of being tired," he pointed out.
She sighed, dropping her head down until it was almost in the bowl of the sink, and when she answered, her voice was too low to be heard until he leaned down, too. "I just…I don't know why you're being so stubborn about the chain," she explained, confusion in her voice.
He straightened with a sigh. "Yeah, I thought that was it. Look, darlin', we've only known each other for two days, and I don't know where your feelings are right now about this guy, but I suspect you're still pretty hurt. I get the rebound sex and even the revenge sex, but I'm kind of hoping for more than that from you. If we have sex before you're ready, I'm going to end up part of the bad memories for you to walk away from. So, you can sulk and pout all you want, but this is what it's going to get you." He paused and his hand slapped down twice, once for each cheek, before he continued. "Not what you're hoping for."
Message delivered, his hand returned to the gentle rubbing, and after a few seconds, he leaned over and tugged her panties and shorts up into place before letting her rise. She kept her head down as she adjusted them and fastened the buttons, only turning to look at him afterward.
"I'm sorry, Jack. I-I know you didn't really sign up for any of this when you decided to take a cruise," she whispered. She was disappointed in herself, in her behavior, and it echoed in her voice.
He wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her up against his body with a chuckle. "You'd be surprised, actually," he said. Before she could ask what he meant, he was squeezing her in a tight hug and turning her around to face the sink again. "Now, why don't you wash your face and we'll go eat. Pretty sure our table will be ready by now."
She sighed heavily, not looking forward to sitting down to eat, but bearing in mind his warning, she had every intention of keeping a smile on her face no matter how uncomfortable it was. It didn't take long to wash the tears off her cheeks, though there was nothing she could do about the red eyes, and a few minutes later, they were settled into a cozy patio table where they could watch the ocean in the distance.
To her surprise, the bathroom adventure hadn't taken nearly as long as it had felt to her, while he was heating up her seat. Barely fifteen minutes had passed, and they still had plenty of time to eat. She squirmed as she looked over the menu, trying to find a comfortable position on the unpadded, wooden chairs.
"I could ask them to bring you a cushion," he said, laughing as he noticed her predicament.
"Thanks, but no thanks," she said quickly, her face flaring with new embarrassment, which only made him laugh more. The spanking hadn't been especially harsh or long, and the pain probably would have died down pretty quickly if it hadn't been for the hard seat. Instead, she was left with heat and a dull ache to suffer through as they ate.
"I can't get over how much you eat!" she exclaimed as she watched him plow through his meal like he was ravenous. "We did eat twice today, remember?" Really, she was in awe, and also jealous, because if she'd eaten like that, she'd have gained thirty pounds by the end of the trip.
He shook his head, grinning. "I told you, very fast metabolism." He paused and his face took on a serious look for a second, but it vanished so quickly, she wasn't entirely sure she'd seen it before it was gone. "It's common in my family. It will probably slow down, eventually. When I stop traveling," he added.
It seemed an odd thing to her, that traveling made him have to eat more, but she couldn't deny the evidence as he demolished several plates of food. "I hope your appetite slows down when your metabolism does or you're going to end up as big as a barn," she commented doubtfully.
He just shrugged, flashing a smooth grin at her before he went back to his meal. In the time it took her to delicately work through her entrée, he'd cleared two main courses and a couple of appetizers, and all she could do was shake her head in wonder. They shared a dessert and then it was time to head back to the ship.
It was about a mile walk along the waterfront to get to their ship, but despite the long day, she didn't regret skipping the taxi he'd offered. The scenery was beautiful, and as the sun slowly sank, it sent all the colors of fire rippling across the water. She didn't quite have the courage to take his hand as they walked along, but gradually, she moved in until occasionally they were bumping shoulders. He laughed, reached down, and took her hand in his, completing the romantic moment and recording it in her heart.
She felt content, fingers twined in his and a romantic setting in the background. Her heart felt like it was starting to recover, and when she looked at Jack, she wondered if she wasn't falling in love with him already. It was way too soon for that, she told herself. Two days wasn't nearly long enough, and she barely knew anything about him, but still…something was growing.
Her body was sore, and she was tired, but it was the good kind of tired from a busy day and a lot of fun, not the soul-sucking weariness that she'd been living with. When they were safely back onboard, she turned to him, hesitating. "It's seems a little early to go back to my room, but I'm not sure how much energy I have left," she said, still holding onto his hand and reluctant to let it go.
"How about a soak in the hot tub? We can relax with a drink and watch the stars?" he suggested.
That sounded heavenly and she was nodding before he'd even finished his sentence. She patted her bag. "We've already got our suits, and I think they have changing rooms up by the pool so we can go straight there," she said. There was an eagerness to keep the night going, especially if she could lead it into romantic activities, because while she'd learned that an attitude wasn't going to get her what she wanted…she hadn't ruled out seduction yet.
They were just slipping into the whirlpool when the ship smoothly moved away from the dock, with barely the slightest jarring as it left the mooring. "It was a good day," she said softly as she leaned back against the wall to look up at the darkening sky. Stars were just starting to peek out and she pointed at one. "First star, make a wish," she said playfully.
"I already got my wish; you make one," he replied, giving her a pointed smile that made her realize he was talking about her.
"Oh," she said and then stopped and moved closer, burrowing against his side, because she felt the same. If she'd been able to voice her desires or list what she most needed, it would have been him, so it did feel like her wish had already been granted.
The slight evening breeze kept the hot water from getting uncomfortable, and there were too many activities going on for there to be a crowd. They were in an adults-only area, secluded with a hedge of potted plants, which kept things quiet and serene, so after a while, they started to talk. She told him about her childhood and how miserable she'd been growing up with alcoholic parents. She told him about busting her ass to put herself through college and how lucky she'd felt to get a job right away. It slowly led to discussing Christopher.
She felt guilty for once again bringing up her ex, but Jack didn't seem to mind. He listened, making the occasional comment but mostly just letting her talk as he held her. It wasn't until later, when he escorted her to her room for an early night of sleep, that she realized he'd said almost nothing about himself.
&nb
sp; After two days, she still knew almost nothing about him, except that he traveled a lot, had no family left, and had originally come from West Virginia. At least, that's all she knew about his past. There were other things she'd been able to glean from spending time with him. He liked to spank, he hated lying, he could be strict when he wanted to be, but he had a good sense of humor and, unlike Christopher, his default tended to be mellow and relaxed, unless she pushed.
She was about to push, but not in a way that would get her spanked, she hoped. She offered him a drink from the bar in her suite, but he shook his head. "I should head back to my room to get some sleep," he said.
"You could…stay?" she suggested.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Kitty," he said, his eyes fixed on her as she moved up close to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She tugged his head down and brushed her lips over his lightly, a tease.
He groaned and suddenly claimed her mouth in a bruising kiss that made her legs weak and her heart race. His tongue, pressed into her mouth, exploring hungrily as he pulled her up tight against him. One hand dropped down to her ass and squeezed the sore cheek, making her gasp and pull back from the kiss in surprise.
"This is why it's not a good idea," he said. His voice seemed strained and his body was tensed like a tightly coiled spring. His dark eyes seemed nearly coffee-black and she found herself staring into them transfixed.
"I don't mind," she whispered. "We don't have to have sex. We can just make out a little," she suggested in a husky bedroom voice that made him groan again.
"You wouldn't be satisfied with that," he said with amusement in his eyes.
"It's better than nothing, so I'd have to be," she retorted. She could feel the hard bulge of his erection pressing against her through his thin swim trunks. They hadn't bothered to change back after the hot tub, coming straight to her room, and now there was very little between them but a few scraps of fabric.
In Time for Love (Timeless Love Book 1) Page 10