Delayed Penalty (The Dartmouth Cobras #5)

by Bianca Sommerland

  Too easy to break. He loosened his grip, his lips thinning as he met Dominik’s steady gaze.

  Dominik sidestepped when Akira tried to dart by him, then framed her jaw with one big, black hand. His tone was low and firm. “Enough.”

  Akira stilled, eyes wide, practically panting as she stared up at her former Dom. “Sir, I—”

  “You want to play pretend, and that’s fine, but is there nothing in you that wants to please him?”

  “Everything in me wants it! I want him to know it’s okay to—”

  “It’s not. I’m not comfortable restraining you that way.” Cort wasn’t sure he could face the other man anymore. Fuck, he had no goddamn clue what he was doing. All he knew was focusing on not leaving bruises on her arms wasn’t much of a turn on. “If you want someone to wrestle with, it ain’t gonna be me.”

  Dominik let out a deep, dark laugh, full of danger and passion. “She doesn’t want to wrestle with you, Cort. She wants to be overpowered. Which can be done without hurting her.” He slid his hand up the back of Akira’s neck, combing his fingers into her hair, then fisting his hand close to her scalp. Ignoring her yelp, he barred one arm across her stomach and forced her facedown onto the desk. “Much.”

  Akira’s cheeks reddened. “Stop!”

  “Do you mean ‘red’?” Dominik asked like he sincerely doubted it.

  Cort’s Tiny wrinkled her nose. “No.”

  “Then be silent. And don’t move.” Leaving her there, Dominik retrieved two packaged ropes from a desk drawer and placed them on the desk by Akira’s head. While Cort observed with his arms folded over his chest, Dominik pressed Akira’s legs together between his knees, handling her as though she was a prop as he spoke to Cort. “There are many different opinions about topping from the bottom. Personally, I don’t like it. I can’t see you enjoying it either. Many subs—not all, but I’ve dealt with several—will try to top from the bottom without even knowing they’re doing it. They may be bratty or demanding. From my experience, it’s because they need to see who’s in control.”

  “She knows I’m not.”

  “Exactly. But she wants you to be, don’t you, pet?” Dominik tapped Akira’s cheek, grinning at her little scowl. “I’ve played games like this with her because it’s easier for her to leave her comfort zone. Which means sometimes I have an unruly little sub on my hands.” His teeth flashed as he set them into the side of Akira’s neck. She jerked, then moaned, squirming under the press of his body. “In this scene, you are her teacher and she needs to please you to pass.”

  Cort’s lips curved slightly. He had a feeling the other man recalled his original interest in this very room. Probably wasn’t too hard to put two and two together. What man didn’t have some kind of fantasy about the naughty schoolgirl? Not a real one—teenage girls were confusing creatures and he didn’t do kids—but a woman playing the part?

  Oh, hell yeah. He nodded, then jerked his chin at Dominik. “If I’m the teacher, what does that make you?”

  “The principal. I’m ready to expel our little delinquent biker wannabe, but you’ve convinced me to give her another chance.”

  All right, this he could do. Oddly enough, it didn’t bother him to see Dominik handling Akira. No matter how sexual things became, this was nothing but a way for Cort to become the man Akira needed. He felt strangely comfortable with Dominik—maybe because the man was straight-up about his intentions.

  The fact that he had other subs helped too.

  “Sir, he’s lying to you.” Akira batted her eyelashes and gave Dominik a sweet little smile. “My grades are excellent. I pass every test.”

  “You got an F on the last one.” Cort rested his hip against the teacher’s desk, his own smile sly. “You’re a smart little thing, but you must think I’m stupid. I see the way you look at me. You tease me, wearing those short skirts with no panties, sucking on those lollipops to make me hard before you leave with those boys who follow you like little puppies. I’ve been patient, but I’m done.”

  “Y-you can’t do—” Akira pressed her lips together, her brow furrowing as though she was considering how far she really wanted to take this. Then she rolled her eyes. “Fuck it. You’re an asshole if you fail me just because I won’t suck your fu—”

  Dominik slapped his hand over her mouth and arched a brow at Cort. “You allow your students to speak to you this way?”

  “No.” Cort frowned at Akira, which took an effort because her little pout when Dominik moved his hand was adorable. “That’s another issue I’ve had with her. The language.”

  “She deserves to fail. And to be expelled.” Dominik straightened and shook his head. “Such a shame. With my recommendation, she could have gotten in to Harvard.”

  Akira shook her head quickly. “No! Please, Sir! You’ll ruin me!”

  Dominik smirked. “I’d like to, but the way you flaunt yourself around, I’m not sure you can give either meme or Mr. Nash anything worth having.”

  “I can! I might tease a lot, but I don’t sleep with those boys. I only want . . .” Her teeth worried her bottom lip as she lifted her eyes to meet Cort’s. And damn, that look melted his heart. That look wasn’t part of the game. “I only want you.”

  “And I want you, but you’ve been so very bad.” He couldn’t stand aside anymore. He had to touch her. Smoothing one hand over her cheek, he tilted his head to one side. “You need to be punished.”

  “Then punish me. I’ll do anything—just don’t fail me.” She pleaded with him with her eyes. “Don’t send me away.”

  Taking the rope out of its plastic wrapping, Dominik glanced up at Cort. “I’ll leave this up to you, Mr. Nash. If she will accept my punishment, and you are willing to give her a pass, she may stay.”

  Cort trailed his fingers down Akira’s throat, over her shoulder, then down the bare expanse of her back. She looked all hot and badass in the biker chick costume, but, somehow, still delicate and . . . so damn gorgeous. Not just her body, but the little things, like the quiver in her lips as she tried to stay serious about playing her part. The glow of excitement in her eyes as she waited for him to make his decision. Yes, she trusted him not to hurt her, but there was more to it. She was trusting him to follow through. To go down a dark path with her, balancing on a kinky fucking line of things most people wouldn’t understand.

  But he understood. As her eyes drifted shut, he could sense the peace coming over her. She felt safe with him. Not only physically, but emotionally. This place, these people, took her away from all the things that haunted her.

  And so would he.

  “She’ll take the punishment. I think this one’s got potential.” He kissed her cheek, then backed away, falling into character. “If you can make her a little more manageable, I think she’d make an excellent little sex toy.”

  “I agree.” Dominik rolled her skirt up over her ass, then laughed. “Apparently she only forgets panties on test days. She remembered them today.”

  Kill me now. All the leather and metal and she was wearing a white transparent lace thong. The contrast made him feel like he was taking something pure. And really, he was. No matter how many times he was with her, she retained that innocence. How could a girl be kinky and yet come off as almost virginal? He traced a finger down the soft edge of the thong along the soft curve of her ass. You’re fucking damned, man.

  His lips quirked.

  “Highway to Hell’s” has always been one of my favorite songs.

  “Do you have a knife?” Cort’s jaw tensed when Akira stiffened. Fuck, so much for just going for it. He’d fucking scared her.

  Dominik shook his head even as he pulled a folding knife out of his pocket. “I do. And I like the way your mind works. She won’t be needing these.”

  Cort watched Dominik stroking Akira’s back, not saying a word, but somehow getting her to relax. She didn’t move as he slid the blade under the thin strip of lace on her hip.

  Shit, he didn’t want to pull her out of her
zone, but he had to ask. “Bringing up the knife bothered her, but you used it anyway?”

  “I know Akira’s limits. It’s good that you noticed, but a reaction doesn’t always mean you have to stop. If it makes you more comfortable, vocalize your concerns. Make sure she hasn’t forgotten her safeword.” Dominik tugged at Akira’s hair. “What color, little one?”

  “Green.” Her eyes held a daze that made Cort smile. He hadn’t ruined this for her. “But I was bad. Will it hurt?”

  “Not this time.” Dominik continued his instructions even as he took a knee behind Akira, rope in hand. “Akira and I have played together for months. She can read my intentions, feel assurance from the slightest pause. I gave her enough time to remember that I would never use a knife on her flesh.” He began wrapping the rope around her thighs, over her knees. “You’ll know when you reach that point.”

  “Okay. But if I have to ask, it won’t be as intense as it is now.” Cort looked down at the ruined panties, crumpled on the floor near Akira’s feet. “I don’t want her to feel like she has to teach me.”

  “She won’t have to. Besides myself, there are many Doms here that can help you. If you want to keep some anticipation in your play, do the negotiations with them in private. Your discussions with Akira can revolve around any current issues she has. Lingering pains. Insecurities. Anything about your last scene that didn’t work for her.” Dominik neatly tied the rope midway down Akira’s calves, then went to the head of the desk to tie her wrists together. “You’re impulsive, and that will work for her, but you have to find a way to manage your own doubts. And your limits. She can’t set them for you any more than you can set hers.”

  “Got it.” The way the man put it was so fucking logical. But he didn’t make Cort feel like an idiot. Dominik was a lot like Cort’s auto body teacher in high school. The teacher knew Cort wouldn’t graduate—his stepfather’s lifestyle was too tempting with all the money and the women—but he’d seen something in Cort that he wanted to reach. That teacher was the reason Cort had gone back to trade school so he could work on cars for a living instead of using pain and threats to collect debts.

  Akira could do better than him. She could find a man whose only prospects didn’t involve coming home covered in grease every day. But taking this step toward learning to be her Dom gave him an edge. Because other men may have more to offer financially. And in breeding and all that crap. But they couldn’t give her this.

  Dominik studied him for a moment, then grinned and smacked Akira’s butt. “Lines on the chalkboard, girl. ‘I will not swear. I know my manners.’”

  “Okay . . .” Akira shook her hair away from her face as she stood up straight. Then she looked down at her bound wrists and legs. “But how am I supposed to—”

  “I’ve hobbled you before, pet. You know how,” Dominik said.

  “Ugh! Fine!” Akira jutted her chin up, moving with stilted steps to the blackboard. She struggled to position the chalk in her hand, the way her wrists were bound making it difficult. “How many times?”

  “Until we think you’ve learned.” Cort didn’t wait for Dominik to take the lead. He had his own expectations. He wanted to see the submission he’d earned on a few wonderful, rare instances. There was no way he’d miss that coming from her if it was real. But he knew his own limitations. “Or if we can’t keep out hands off you any longer.”

  Akira pouted as she lifted her hands, chalk at the ready. “Meaning you can now?”

  “Meaning I will. It’s gonna be tough.” He kissed her shoulder and let out a heavy sigh. “But you deserve better than a pushover. You need a man.” He forced himself to put some distance between them so she could carry out her punishment. “And I will be that man.”

  * * * *

  Being hobbled was horrible. Akira hated having to take tiny steps, hated the restricted movements, hated the ropes digging into her thighs and making it almost impossible to bend her knees.

  And yet . . . she loved it.

  Her biggest fear in submitting to Cort and Dominik had been that they would be an unbending force that would smother her, take all the fun out of what she had with Cort. Instead, they’d managed to set up a nice, big playground for her to let loose in. Not in a way that she could run wild, but in a way that she could truly express herself. Feel the give and take of a D/s relationship.

  Still, she was a little pissy about having to write lines with chalk she couldn’t hold right and every restricted step along the length of the blackboard a struggle. She could picture both Cort and Dominik behind her, Dominik reclined in the big chair behind the teacher’s desk. Cort propped up on one of the smaller desks. Here she was, sizzling inside and out with desire, and they were just watching her. Waiting.

  She hated the waiting more than anything. Because sometimes it was hard to know what was expected. Would pushing for another punishment be more fun? Were they waiting for her to act up so they could step it up a notch?

  But no, she knew Dominik better than that. Her wrist grew sore as she moved on to the fifth line. The ropes around her legs dug into her skin. He was behaving pretty relaxed—for him anyway—but there was no mistaking this for “funishment.” He might not have made it obvious to Cort, but he wasn’t happy with her.

  “I will not swear. I know my manners.”

  The words hadn’t meant much before, but looking at them—really looking at them for the first time—she suddenly understood. She wasn’t being fair to Cort. She’d said as much, but the “I know my manners” was Dominik’s way of saying he’d taught her better than this.

  Cort’s interest in the lifestyle stemmed from pleasing her. As a sub, she craved her Dom’s approval, but had she ever really tried to earn his? After all he’d done to earn her submission, her respect . . . her love.

  A single tear traced a warm path down her cheek. Then another. Cort had given his all, but she hadn’t done the same. And she had no excuses. She’d been spoiled by a Dom who could cut her off at every wrong turn. And had taken advantage of one who couldn’t.

  “‘I will not swear. I know my manners.’” She said the words even as she wrote them, blinking away the blinding tears. “‘I will not swear. I know my manners.’”

  “That’s enough.” Cort strode up to her and took the chalk out of her hand, tossing it aside. His brow creased as he held her face between his hands. “I’m not mad at you. Do you get that? I’m not crazy about you swearing because it’s not you, but . . . whatever. Just tell me you’re okay.”

  Her bottom lip trembled as she tipped her head back to look into his eyes, darkened with a fierce protectiveness she’d never expected. Dominik had given it to her, but she never expected it. Not from anyone. Her father loved her, but even he couldn’t stop what those men—

  No! Don’t think of them!

  But it was too late. She was already hearing their words. Their threats. Her father was so close, but even if he knew, he couldn’t stop it from happening. He hadn’t even been able to testify at the trial because he knew the men’s families. Anything he said could mean his death. If the men who had raped her condemned themselves without his testimony, only they would pay. But if he got involved . . .

  Thankfully, the prosecutor hadn’t needed anything other than Akira’s statements. And the reports from the doctors about the damage that had been done. She’d needed stitches because they’d—oh, God, she could almost feel her flesh tearing again as they ripped into her body—

  “Akira, now is when you say red.” Dominik’s wide chest filled her vision. Through the corner of her eye, she saw Cort, whose face was pale, as though he believed all this was his fault.

  But it wasn’t. And she didn’t want to say red. She didn’t want to stop. Her whole body was shaking, but she refused to give the men who’d hurt her that kind of power five years later.

  But she had to say something. Dominik had taught her not to ignore her reactions. Had taught her how to face them head-on. She swallowed and pressed her eyes shut. “
Yellow. I need a second. I saw . . .”

  “Tell me.”

  That sounded like something Dominik would say, but it was Cort who made the request, his tone gentle, his eyes full of concern. She managed to bring herself back to that room. A playroom in Blades & Ice.

  “I saw them taking me. R-raping me.” She shook her head before either Cort or Dominik could think it was anything they’d done. “The way you both look at me—like you want to protect me . . .” Damn it, Cort would believe this was all on him. But she’d been here before. “It’s happened with you, Dominik. I’m really okay.”

  “I know you are.” Dominik approached her, then brought her head to his chest. “In cases like this, it’s better to continue slowly, but continue nonetheless. She’s with us. There’s no point in letting her dwell. It’s good that she feels we could have protected her, but the present is what she needs.”

  “Fine, but she’s been punished enough.” Cort’s tone held a finality Akira had never heard before. No one questioned Dominik.

  She wasn’t sure how she felt about Cort doing so now.

  Dominik frowned. “If you let this shift the direction of the scenes, it may do so in the future. She needs consistency.”

  “She’ll have it.” Cort nuzzled her cheek, putting a bit of pressure on her shoulder to bring her to her knees. “She knows I won’t punish myself for her mistakes. And I want her now. If she’s very good, I may let her enjoy it.”

  On her hands and knees, Akira looked from one man to the other, unsure of who was in charge. Which made the solid floor under her hands unsteady. Her instincts led her to Cort, to trying to anticipate his desires. But he was so hard to read. Her palms slipped on the floor as she remained where he’d placed her, waiting for a clue of what she was supposed to do next.

  “How much is an A worth to you, Tiny?” Cort was still in the game, but not completely. He knelt behind her, his knees outside hers, and held his body close. “Can I have you? Can I use your body and let the man who brought you to me take whatever I can spare?”