“I—”
“Silence,” he ordered tersely. “This cannot go unpunished.”
She sucked in a ragged breath, and nodded. Whatever he decreed: keelhauled, boiled in oil, strung up by her toes, she deserved. His sentence, however, stunned her.
“Malik, take her downstairs, put her in her room, and lock the door. And, before you leave her to think about what she’s done, that she may not have merely crippled the ship with this stunt, but could have very well stranded us in the middle of nowhere vulnerable to whatever lowlife parasites might happen across our path—”
“Jaylin, please let me explain,” she cried in desperation, but he continued as if she hadn’t spoken.
“Spank her mischievous little ass, and make every swat count. Fifty should do for a start.”
“Fifty!” she squealed at the same time Malik shouted, “Spank Dani?”
Then, they replied in unison, “No way!”
He ignored them both and went right on issuing orders. “Once you’re done, send her to a corner to wait for me. I’ll join you to give her the rest when I get this cleaned up and fix whatever components she has fried. And,” he added further, “I want her hands on her head, her spanked ass on display when I walk in.”
“I can’t spank her. You know how I feel about that. I’m sure this was all a mistake.”
“How can this be a fucking mistake, Malik? She crawled out of bed in the middle of the night and sabotaged our ship.”
“Not with intention,” she cut in weakly.
His eyes burned into her with such fury, she jumped back, as if they might scorch her skin.
“You”—he pointed at Malik—“will follow orders. My word is law on the Renegade, and I stand as judge and jury. Her carelessness has threatened not only our livelihood, but our very lives if I can’t do the repairs and pirates happen upon us.”
“Wait until after, then you can carry out your own damn sentence and spank her yourself.”
They squared off, nose to nose, two large, angry men, light versus dark, captain against first mate. Shame filled Dani as the ripples of her colossal blunder widened and engulfed everything and everyone around her.
“Stop!” she cried out, unable to stand by and watch them argue. And she couldn’t allow Malik to get in trouble for disobeying his captain when this was all her fault. “I’m the one who screwed up. Don’t be angry at him because of me. I’ll take the punishment.”
Two sets of angry eyes flicked her way. Silence reigned for a moment. Malik’s face relaxed as he gazed at her, his body visibly releasing its tension.
Not so with Jaylin, who still stood rigid, still humming with rage.
“She realizes this is warranted, and you have your orders,” he said in a deadly tone. “Take her below, now, before I do something I will regret!”
Malik’s long fingers curled around her upper arm, guiding her to the auto-lift.
“He’ll calm down, Dani. He just needs time alone to do so.”
“I don’t think so. I saw murder in his eyes.”
“He isn’t going to kill you,” he reassured her as he closed the gate.
When they began to descend, she caught a last glimpse of Jaylin, head bent, hand wrapped around the back of his neck, body vibrating with anger as he stood alone amidst the shambles of his bridge.
***
Like a death row inmate taking the last long walk before execution, she moved forward, her feet dragging.
“I’ve never been spanked before,” she told him when they came to a stop in the open doorway to her quarters. The navy comforter was thrown back, the linens mussed, and the thick pillows indented from where she and Jaylin had lain not thirty minutes before. Oh, why hadn’t she stayed in bed beside him? He’d been resting so peacefully, his arm around her, as though protecting her while she slept, much better than having the full force of his fury aimed at her in condemnation.
“I’m not surprised,” Malik replied. “You seem like a good girl, Dani. What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t, obviously.” She glanced up at him, though stopped at his chin, stubbled like Jaylin’s with a scruff of beard. She couldn’t meet his gaze and doubted she ever would again. Not after this. “I’m sorry you have to do this.”
“It won’t be the first time.”
Proven wrong, just like that, she looked him in the eyes and asked in surprise. “You’ve done this before?”
“Plenty of times.”
“On Jaylin’s orders?”
“Sometimes. Other times on my own account.”
“To who? Other passengers?”
“Once before, but also on Trilor. It is a common punishment.”
“Oh.”
He guided her inside, coming to a stop by the bed.
“Will it hurt?”
“Yes, it’s meant to be a punishment. Except you won’t be harmed. It will sting, and your bottom will be sore, though nothing long-lasting. I promise.”
“But fifty is so many.”
“I’ll be careful with you, Dani. And though I disagree and think Jaylin should do this himself, you’ve earned every swat. You should have come for one of us right away, not tried to fix it on your own, or cover up your mistake.”
“I know,” she whispered, looking away.
He turned her to face him. Like Jaylin often did, he nudged her chin up to his, searching her face for the truth. “Tell me the reason you went upstairs in the middle of the night.”
“After the scene with Jaylin yesterday, when I awoke with him beside me...”
“I didn’t know he went to your bed.”
She nodded. “Still angry, I got up to get away and think. I didn’t want to wake either of you and went up to the bridge. It was innocent at first, then I started exploring. Your maps are really too easy to use.”
He blew out a breath. “That explains it. There is something wrong with the interface. We don’t set course from there because of it. It sends us into hyperdrive. The sudden increase in speed and to such a high rate always overheats the engines.”
She blinked. “If you know it’s a problem, why don’t you deactivate it?”
“We could, but saw no need since Jaylin and I know of the defect.” His fingers tightened, and lines around his mouth made him look angry. “We didn’t expect anyone else to change course from the maps, especially a guest we rescued, who wandered up where she didn’t belong while we slept.”
She flushed. Guilty as charged. “Please, can we get this over with before I dig a bigger hole for myself?”
“Smart idea.” He sat on the edge of her bed and patted his thighs. “I want you facedown, right here, Dani.”
“Can I ask a favor first?”
“What’s that?”
“After, can you, um...well, erase this from your memory? Because this is really embarrassing.”
He stared at her a moment, his expression puzzled, then his lips flattened into a hard line. “Is that why you’re going along with this so easily? Because you see me as a cyborg, rather than a man?”
“Oh, please, don’t be offended. But Jaylin, if he did this, I don’t think I’d be able to face him ever again. If I wanted to, that is. He deserved to be angry tonight, but I’m not over yesterday.”
“Good, don’t let him off the hook, just yet.”
“So, will you?”
“Erase your spanking from my memory banks?” He stared at her, and for a moment she thought he might erupt, but this was Malik, not Jaylin. His features relaxed, the glimpse of anger she thought she’d seen gone, his usual impassive expression in its place. “I’ll see what I can do.”
She breathed out slowly. “Thank you.”
“Let’s get these tights down and see this punishment done.” His fingers dipped beneath the hem of her tunic, and into her waistband. He pulled the stretchy fabric over her hips, hooking her panties with them, and tugged both down to her knees. Before she could blush at being so exposed, he upended her over his lap.
“This is a lesson, Dani. I want you to remember it well so you never repeat such a reckless act again.”
“I’ve learned my lesson, Malik. I promise.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not quite true, however, it will be soon enough.”
She couldn’t speak any more, because the spanking began.
His large hand came down swiftly on the fullest part of her cheek. When the flat of his palm met bare skin, the loud crack resonated in the small room. It stung, a lot, much more than she’d expected. The intensity built with each successive swat as one after another fell on the exact same spot. She counted to five before he moved to the other cheek, and repeated the process.
For the next set of five his hand moved lower, swinging in an upward motion which made her fleshy bottom jiggle. Mortified, a whimper escaped when she hadn’t made a sound over the sting. Five more repeated in similar fashion on the other side then he switched it up, applying one smarting spank at a time, back and forth on each cheek.
She’d lost count by the time he paused. “Halfway there.”
Twenty-five more to reach Jaylin’s decreed sentence and already her bottom burned and stung. Tomorrow she wouldn’t find sitting easy.
When Malik’s hand returned, it was to rub lightly over her hot skin.
“Your skin is very fair,” he murmured, his voice so soft she wondered if he was talking to her, or merely making an observation. On the verge of telling him to get on with it, so she could begin trying to forget, his fingertips grazed the seam between her cheeks, near her thighs. She sucked in a breath as a tingling spark shot straight through to her clit. She knew what would come next, a surge of wetness.
Mortification consumed her. Here she lay getting a bare-bottom spanking from a cyborg—pretty much a machine—and she was becoming aroused. The only thing keeping her from groaning in utter humiliation, the unexpected yelp she let out when he shifted. She rocked on his thighs, which tipped her head down toward the floor. Gripping his leg, her other hand flew out reaching for the floor, hoping to catch herself before she landed on her head.
Maybe she’d be knocked unconscious and get a case of situational amnesia.
“I won’t let you fall, Dani. I’m simply broadening my canvas.”
She noticed, although she dangled close enough for her hair to touch the floor, he held her securely with an inflexible arm around her waist.
His comment about a broad canvas penetrated as the spanking resumed. Two by two, he peppered her lowermost curves catching her upper thighs in the process. Knowing he would see her wetness, and guess what it meant, she clamped her legs together. Unfortunately, this made her butt cheeks clench too, and being spanked while tense hurt twice as much. Who knew?
“Relax, tightening up will only make it worse.”
Okay, Malik knew. But then he’d done this before, as he’d said.
“Just get it over with,” she told him, her voice breaking on the last word.
“Not until you unclench your muscles. You’ll bruise.”
“I don’t care,” she sobbed.
“I do. Spread your legs, a bit. It will help with the final ten.” When his hand slid between her knees and began moving higher, she couldn’t bear any more.
“Stop!” she shrieked, while kicking and squirming, no longer willing to take what she knew she deserved, not if Malik would see it aroused her.
“Dani, stop this, now,” he said sternly, “before you get hurt.”
“Like you care. You’re spanking me, remember? Isn’t that your intent?”
He shifted her again, dropping one of his legs over both of her own to keep her still.
“My intent is you learn to never do something so foolish again. My intent is also for you do what you’re told. Now stop this nonsense. You have ten more swats, afterward, we’ll talk.”
“No. I won’t stop. I hate this, and I hate you, and I hate this fucking ship.”
“What in the name of the Creators is going on in here? I could hear the commotion above. I said spank her, man, not kill her.”
Great, now Jaylin is here to witness my shame.
“I was going easy, I swear. Out of nowhere, she went wild. I’ve never had a woman react this way before.”
“Let me up,” she demanded, while pounding her fist against his leg. “I said, let... me... up!”
His hands fell away, while others slid under her arms and pulled her upright. Before she could blink, she stood on her feet, her hair in disarray over her face. She tossed her head, sending it flying then all she could see was Jaylin’s shocked expression.
“What’s come over you?”
“He was spanking me, that’s what.”
“I know, I told him to, but I’ve never heard such carrying on from a few little swats.”
“Little swats! Obviously, you’ve never been spanked by a cyborg.
“This is really starting to get old,” Malik grumbled behind her.
Jaylin spun her around and bent her over his arm. “Baby, you’re barely pink.”
“I told you I was going easy. She acts like I took a strap to her.”
His big hand stroked over her tingling skin, like Malik had. Moisture flooded her pussy, so much a little trickle meandered down to her thigh. She clamped her legs together again.
Neither man had noticed yet. When they did, she’d have no choice except to launch herself into space down the refuse chute. No way could she spend the coming days with them knowing she became aroused by having her bottom bared and smacked.
Jaylin picked her up and sat beside Malik on the bed, with her perched upright on his thighs instead of over them. She squinched her eyes shut. It was only a matter of time before her wetness transferred to his trousers, and her embarrassment would be complete.
She tried to remember if she’d seen the trash receptacle. It had to be in the galley, or close by. Maybe she’d use the air lock in the cargo hold and eject herself into the nothingness of space, it couldn’t be worse than this.
A tear escaped and rolled down her face. Great. Now they’d see she was also a big cry baby. Would her humiliation never cease?
Tenderly, one of them wiped the wetness from her cheek, and a warm hand brushed back her hair. She didn’t dare look to see which of them—or if both—were responsible for the comforting touches, she couldn’t.
“Dani, sweetness, are you really in such discomfort?”
“I’ve never hurt a woman, Jaylin. You know that.”
She couldn’t let him go on thinking he’d done her harm. She shook her head, still not looking at either one of them. “It wasn’t you, Malik. I mean it stung, but more so my pride than my bottom.”
The bed shifted, as did she, and she found herself in Malik’s arms which held her tight against his chest. “Then what happened?” His hand stroked up from her knee to her hip, the gentle touch so close to where she ached it made her need burn stronger.
“Uh, Mal. I think I know.”
She cracked an eyelid and, as she feared, Jaylin stared at the wet spot on his buff-colored pants where she had been sitting.
With another mortified whimper, she tried to sprint from Malik’s arms, but he anticipated it and held her fast. “Becoming aroused by a spanking is nothing to be ashamed of. Many women react the same way.”
Unable to run, she decided to hide, burying her face against his chest. “Can we not talk about this, please? As in ever, again?”
“I’m sure Malik can tell you the physiological response behind it.” Jaylin went right on dissecting things as if she hadn’t said a word. “Proximity to a lot of other nerve endings, and then there’s the carnality of it all, and, to some, being dominated, stripped naked, and made to submit is very arousing.”
“Not the technical terms I would have used, but he’s right, Dani.”
“I find it hot.”
Hearing the grin in his voice, she peeped at him with one eye, the other and most of her face still hidden against Malik. “What?”
; “You’re drenched, Dani. Your bottom is pink, not to mention bare.” He inhaled. “And you smell fucking fantastic.”
“I thought you were furious with me for damaging your ship.”
His face went taut, and she regretted bringing it up, since he had appeared to have mellowed with all the sex talk. “You made a damn mess, that’s true. But I put out the fire before any of the vital parts went up in flames. I replaced a few components, and we’re back online. I have a few more tweaks to do, and there is the orange residue on everything to deal with.” His head tilted as he contemplated her. “You, sweet Dani, have a mop and bucket in your future.”
She sat up, feeling a glimmer of hope well up in her chest. “Can I swab the deck instead of taking the other swats?”
“Absolutely not.”
She scowled at him, feeling her lower lip curl down and stick out. He leaned in and kissed her. “Finish up, Malik. When you’re done, send her on up with the mop.” Once he stood, he looked down at her, his thumb gliding over her pouting lips. “Afterward, we’ll take care of your wet spot.”
Her jaw dropped open and a soft gasp escaped.
He didn’t say more, only winked at her, before striding out the door. After she stared long and hard at where she’d last seen him, she turned and asked Malik, “Any chance we can pretend you gave me the rest?”
“No.” His answer came with a tilt to the corners of his mouth.
“You two are cut from the same cloth.”
He choked on a laugh, which surprised her.
“What’s funny?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” He firmly guided her back over his knee and without further delay, delivered the last ten swats. His broad hand and rapid pace reheated her skin, and the sting resurged as though she hadn’t had a reprieve at all. It only took four smacks before she pleaded for forgiveness, and by the time he stopped, she’d promised to never set foot on the bridge again.
When he set her on her feet, he helped set her clothes to rights, including pulling up her tights. The heat coming off her singed behind got trapped in the clingy fabric making the discomfort worse. She rubbed, except it was tender and only made it hotter.
She didn’t suppose she could go around with her bright-red, steaming butt taking the air, and she certainly didn’t plan to ask. He didn’t give her time to anyhow because he took her hand and led the way to the storage area where they kept the cleaning supplies.
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