by Maria Monroe
He wanted to call after her. She deserved an explanation. But he didn’t have one, not even for himself. So he let her go.
* * *
In the morning, Kane was up early. He hated the fact that he wanted to be downstairs when Bella got up, wanted to be around to see her before she left. It was pathetic. Weak. But he couldn’t help it. In the kitchen he made coffee, then sat at one of the high-backed stools at the marble island while he drank it. After a while, he couldn’t stand waiting any more. He was good at taking his time when necessary, but impatience was getting the better of him right now. He poured a second cup of coffee, adding cream and sugar—he’d insisted that Charles tell him how she’d taken her coffee when the two of them met up one day—and headed to the office.
He knocked gently, and when he didn’t hear a response, he turned the knob and entered slowly.
She was gone.
“Fuck,” he hissed, disappointment coursing through him. And then anger, at himself for being disappointed.
He didn’t want to care about her. But fuck if he couldn’t help it. Lately he felt like his control was disappearing, and that made him angry. And unsettled.
She’d left all the clothes hanging up, except for the dress she’d worn the previous night. That was folded up on the coffee table. She must have put her old clothes back on. He’d have his housekeeper box everything up, and Bernie could drop it off at Bella’s house.
By Sunday morning he still couldn’t focus, his thoughts continuously betraying him by turning to Bella over and over again. He pulled on shorts and a T-shirt, laced up his running shoes, and headed out for a run. Nothing cleared his mind better than exercise, and what he needed was a clear mind. His thoughts were muddled, and unlike usual, he felt he had little control over them. His feet pounded the pavement as he pushed himself into a brisk pace, until he felt like he was flying over the sidewalk. The cool morning air felt good moving in and out of his lungs. He rounded the corner, passing a coffee shop bustling with people, and he saw her.
There was no mistaking the long blond hair, pulled back into a messy ponytail. No mistaking the gorgeous milky thighs with the short pink running shorts. The pale yellow tank top, which revealed her gorgeous arms, pumping as she ran, half a block ahead of him. He stopped for a second, panting as he watched her ass, then started again, picking up the pace so he could catch up with her.
Her speed was surprising, but he managed to get close, and anger coursed through him when he saw she had ear buds in. He come up right behind her, and she wasn’t even aware of it. He sped up so he was in front of her, and she stopped, short, to avoid running into his chest.
Bella scowled at him as she plucked the buds from her ears. “What the hell, Kane?”
“I should ask you the same.”
“What are you talking about? Move. I need to finish my run.”
“Do you have any idea how unsafe it is to run with headphones on?” he snarled. “Somebody could come up behind you and you wouldn’t know until it was too late. You’re less aware of sounds. Cars coming out of alleyways. People shouting. Do you have a death wish, Bella?”
“Do I have a death wish? Hyperbole much, Kane?”
He growled in frustration. “Think what you wish of me, Bella. But be rational. It is definitively more dangerous to run with headphones.”
Bella sighed. “You’re right. Fine. But don’t think you have any right to tell me what to do outside of your office on Friday nights. Two more Friday nights. And that’s it.”
“That’s the agreement.” He pretended the thought of only two more nights with Bella didn’t make his body run cold. “Although, Bella, if you’re putting your safety in jeopardy, I’m not sure I can just let that go.”
“What do you mean?” Her eyes snapped at him in anger, but he saw a quick flash of passion in them too.
“I mean that if you do foolish things that threaten your well-being, you won’t like the consequences.”
Bella’s face screwed up in anger, but she didn’t speak. She was probably struggling to think of a good comeback, thought Kane, and he fought down the urge to smirk.
“Look,” said Bella finally, holding up the ear buds, then winding the cord around her wrist. “I’ll run without music. Happy?”
“Ecstatic,” he answered wryly.
Then she took off, leaving him standing there. He ran after her, falling into place next to her, matching her pace.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m just out for a run.”
“I prefer to run alone.”
“Then go,” he said, knowing his tone was snide.
She picked up the pace, but he easily matched it.
“Asshole,” she muttered, but he saw her grin out of the corner of his eye.
They ran together for maybe half an hour. They didn’t speak at all. But Kane felt like they were, somehow, communicating all the same, their bodies in synchrony as their feet sped over the street, blood pounding, hearts beating, two people pushing themselves hard.
When they finally stopped outside her apartment, Kane watched as she put her hands on her knees, catching her breath. Sweat glistened along her forehead and on her neck. When she stood up straight and stretched her arms over her head, her breasts pushed forward, and Kane felt himself growing hard. He silently cursed himself for having so little self-control. She was sweaty, and they’d just finished a run together. There was nothing overtly sexual about that. Still, he couldn’t help the throbbing in his cock.
“So,” said Bella, looking up at him with her big blue eyes. “I’ll see you Friday.” She turned to the front steps of her building.
“No.”
“Huh?” Bella spun around to look at him once more.
“Is your roommate home?”
“Um, is that any of your business?”
“Bella.” He took a step closer to her, his voice suffused with warning. “Answer me, Bella.”
“She’s not home. No. But why…”
“There’s a matter we need to take care of, Bella.”
“What are you talking about?” There was fire in her eyes as she looked at him, her body taut with insubordination.
“The headphones, Bella,” said Kane, making sure his voice was calm but firm.
Bella’s eyes widened, and the shock in them turned all of Kane’s senses on high alert.
“I took them off, Kane,” she said.
“You did. But we need to make sure you don’t make the mistake of wearing them while running again.”
“Kane, you can’t… this isn’t part of our agreement!”
She was absolutely right. It wasn’t part of their agreement, and even as he took another stride closer to her, Kane knew he was crossing a line. But damn if he couldn’t help it. The thought of Bella putting herself in harm’s way, so carelessly and with so little thought for the consequences, terrified him. And that, in turn, ignited a fire of anger inside him.
“You’re right,” he said softly. “And if you tell me to leave right now, I will. We’ll see each other on Friday as scheduled. But we both know you deserve to be punished for your carelessness. I intend to take you inside your apartment, pull your shorts and panties down, and spank you until I’m sure you’ve learned your lesson.”
“Kane!” Bella glanced around furtively as though making sure nobody had heard what he’d just said.
“Tell me, Bella. Tell me if you think you deserve to be spanked right now.”
Chapter Nine
What was happening? Bella stared up into Kane’s face, which was calm except for his eyes, intense and angry, enough to make her want to back up. But she didn’t want him to know how nervous he was making her. And she didn’t want him to know how her pussy was suddenly throbbing at the turn of events that had just occurred.
Her mind reeled from the idea that Kane wanted to deviate from their agreement and spank her right now, outside of their scheduled sessi
ons, because she’d been running with headphones on.
“What will it be, Bella?” His low voice broke through her thoughts.
She was still sore from her last session with him, but in that moment she knew what she wanted. What she deserved.
“Come in, Kane,” she whispered, reaching out for the door handle.
Kane’s arm shot out, and he pushed the door closed before she could pull it open.
“Tell me why, Bella. Why do you want me to come inside?”
He was going to make her say it! He seemed to find great pleasure in forcing her to put into words the embarrassing things that were going to happen.
Bella sucked in a breath, then looked up into Kane’s eyes. “I want you to come in and spank me for running with my headphones in, Kane,” she said. She knew her cheeks were bright red. But the surge of wetness between her legs countered the humiliation she felt.
“Good girl, Bella,” said Kane, reaching out and pulling the front door open. Silently they made their way up the stairs.
At the door to her apartment, Bella hesitated. Was it too late to tell him she was having second thoughts? Because she was. Sort of, at least. The truth was her body wanted him to take control; her entire self craved his touch, even if it was harsh rather than gentle. The fact that he was doing this because she deserved it sent delicious shivers all throughout her body. Still, though, she felt if they went through with this there would be a change. A shift, however, small, in their relationship. And that—the unknown—scared her.
Sighing, she pulled open the door to her apartment. “Come in,” she said. She’d made her choice.
“What the hell, Bella?” Kane’s voice, filled with fury, surprised her.
“What?” She looked up into his angry face.
“Your apartment isn’t locked? I was already angry about the outside door being open, but your actual apartment? Do you have any idea how unsafe that is?”
“I don’t like to carry a key when I’m running, and…”
“No excuses. It’s dangerous, and you should have more sense than that.”
Uh oh, thought Bella. “Look, I’m sorry, Kane. I usually lock it. And I’ll lock it every time from now on. I promise.”
“Over the couch, Bella. Now.”
“Kane…”
“Now, Bella.”
As she headed to the couch and slowly bent her body over the arm rest, she heard Kane slamming the door shut, the lock clicking closed.
“You should have a better lock than this,” he muttered.
Bella wanted to tell him the landlord was in charge of things like that, but she knew arguing right now wasn’t a great idea. Not when she was bent over the arm of her couch, about to be spanked.
She heard Kane approach and involuntarily tensed her butt in anticipation, but his first touch was just a light caress over her running shorts.
“I’m going to spank you hard and fast, Bella. And every time you think about putting on headphones to run outside, I want you to remember this. I want you to remember me spanking you until you cry. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” murmured Bella, her heart pounding in her chest.
“Good. Then let’s get started.”
There was a moment’s hesitation, and then his hand landed hard on her right cheek, then her left.
“Ow! Kane, that hurts!” she squealed, which was ridiculous, she knew. She’d taken much worse from him, and she knew this was supposed to hurt.
He didn’t respond, just kept spanking her, his big hand smacking down over and over, alternating between her cheeks. After a few minutes she was wriggling against the fabric of the couch, both in pain but also the now familiar tingling in her clit that took over every single time he punished her.
Then, suddenly, he stopped. Bella knew what was coming next, and her suspicions were confirmed when she felt him tug at her shorts.
“Lift up,” he growled.
She did, and he yanked her shorts down.
“You’re not wearing panties,” he mused.
“The shorts have a built-in…” she began, but she was interrupted by a hard spank, so hard she couldn’t speak any longer. Instead, she murmured, “Ow!”
“Does it hurt, Bella?” he asked in between spanks.
“Yes, Kane,” she whimpered, her hips gyrating against the couch.
“It’s supposed to, right? You know that by now, yes?”
“Yes, Kane,” she repeated.
“Good. You need to be more careful. That’s why you’re being punished right now.” He kept on, spanking her over and over. Then, abruptly, he stopped. “Get up,” he ordered.
Bella stood, reaching behind to rub her ass gently while she looked up at him through her teary eyes.
“Are you going to run with headphones in again?” he asked, running a hand through his hair and glaring at her, though Bella swore she saw a hint of compassion for her too.
“No. I promise. I won’t.”
He nodded, staring into her eyes for a few moments. “Good,” he finally said. “Now about the door being unlocked…”
“No! You can’t spank me more, Kane!” Her ass was on fire from the bare-bottomed hand spanking she’d just received. And he wanted to continue?
“I can, Bella. And I will. Go bring me your hairbrush.”
“My…? No! Please!”
“Bella.” He said her name like a warning. “Go. Now.”
Fighting back a sob, Bella began to pull up her running shorts and head to the bathroom to get her brush, but Kane’s harsh voice stopped her.
“Leave your shorts down.”
Once more Bella’s face blazed. Walking to the bathroom with her shorts mid-thigh was humiliating, and she was positive Kane was staring at her ass, which was most likely bright red right now. It sure felt like it was.
In the bathroom she picked up her hairbrush, wishing it wasn’t so wide. Wishing it wasn’t made of wood. Why in the world had she chosen this old-fashioned heavy thing? Because, she reminded herself, she’d never in a million years have imagined someone would be using it to spank her. It was going to hurt. She sighed, feeling tears gather in her eyes once more as she headed back to the living room, walking funny in her pulled-down shorts.
It was hard to look into Kane’s eyes, to see the intensity there as she stood in front of him and held out the brush. He lifted an eyebrow as he took it.
“What do you think I want you to say, Bella?” His eyes held hers, unwavering, demanding.
“Please spank me with this brush, Kane,” she whispered, almost unable to get out the embarrassing—yet thrilling—words.
“Ah, perfect, Bella. Bend over the couch again.”
She did, trying to get as comfortable as possible, though she knew she’d be anything but comfortable during this punishment.
“You know,” said Kane casually. “I think I’d like your shorts all the way off now, so you can spread your legs nice and wide for me.”
Oh, god, thought Bella, but she held still as Kane pulled the shorts all the way down and off.
“Open up,” demanded Kane, and Bella felt her pussy surge with new wetness at his command.
She moved her feet farther apart, then farther still when Kane pushed against the inside of her right knee, urging her legs to go wider.
“You’re wet, Bella,” said Kane in a matter-of-fact tone. “I can see it.”
It was true. She was wet, and her clit was throbbing, wanting attention she knew she wouldn’t get. She knew Kane was teaching her a lesson, but she couldn’t help the way her body responded to his punishments.
“This is going to hurt, Bella,” said Kane, moving up behind her.
Bella jumped when he gently tapped her pussy with the brush, a moan escaping her lips. More, she wanted to tell him. Please do that more. But this wasn’t about pleasure. This was a lesson.
“You like that,” he said softly. “But you know this is supposed to hurt,
not feel good. Right?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Do you have any idea how much danger you’re putting yourself in by not locking your apartment door?”
“I do. I’m sorry.”
“You’re going to be even sorrier, Bella. I don’t want you to forget this lesson for a long time.”
“OK.” Her voice was tiny.
“Good. Shall we start?”
“Yes,” she said, though she wasn’t sure at all it was what she wanted.
Kane brought the brush down hard, right in the middle of both her cheeks, and she gasped at the pain. The next spank was lower, landing on the inside of her spread-wide cheeks, and she moaned in pain but also at how it made her pussy throb even more.
“Hold still,” Kane warned when she jumped at the next spank.
It took all her strength to stay in position while Kane rained spanks, over and over, with the hairbrush. When he finally finished, when he set the brush down in front of her on the couch, she was weak with the effort of staying in place.
But as he said, simply, “See you on Friday, Bella,” and left her apartment, the real reason she found it hard to stand was the torturous throbbing between her legs. As soon as she heard his steps descending the stairs, she locked the door, then leaned against it, her hand finding her clit. She came almost at once.
* * *
As soon as Bella got out of the shower, she sat down gently on the couch with a cup of coffee. Claire had returned home while Bella was in the bathroom, and Bella was grateful Claire hadn’t returned earlier. What would her roommate have thought if she’d walked in on the scene between Kane and Bella just half an hour earlier?
Claire looked up from her phone and smiled at Bella. “So, where were you last night?” she asked, giving Bella a curious look.
For the past three weeks, Bella had told Claire that she’d spent the night at a guy’s house. She’d said it was just some random guy she was seeing, and Claire hadn’t pried. It wasn’t unusual for either one of them to casually date a guy that the other never met. But she felt like she needed to come clean with Claire, mostly because she was craving someone’s advice and input. But she was nervous. It was a strange situation, and she wasn’t sure how Claire was going to react.