by Riley Murphy
“You’re still angry.” He was pleased that she’d done as he’d told her and put her hands to her sides, but he didn’t like the slumped shoulders. She had a lot to learn, and she would. Starting now.
He let go of her and ordered, “Open your legs.” Tonight there’d be no please or thank you. When she complied, he reached under the bed and pulled out the restraints. These were actually wrist cuffs that attached to coil leashes for surfboards, but they worked as well as chains and leather cuffs when tied properly. He made a point of letting the coil brush over her as he stood to stretch them out on the bed behind her.
When he stepped away she tried to shift, but he stopped her. “Don’t close your legs. I like them open. It pleases me.”
Again she had an expression of mild shock on her face. Had he been that easy on her before? “Don’t underestimate me, Lacy, and don’t overestimate yourself. You think I’m angry? I am. But anger can be gotten to very easily. It’s qualifying it that takes skill and strength to control.
“Before I explain your punishment, I want you to know the steps I go through to qualify it. I’d like you to listen carefully as I will only do this once. The next time we find ourselves in a similar situation I won’t be so accommodating.”
They were no more than three feet apart. Her seated and him standing, while he stared down at her. Willing her to drop her gaze. He wasn’t going to ask, by now she should know better. So he waited until she did and then he began.
“This is the list of questions I asked myself prior to dealing with our current situation. Do I have a right to be angry? Yes. You did the exact opposite of what I expressly asked you not to do. Is the offense irrefutable? Yes. As I’m sure you knew what you were doing was wrong. Have I given myself enough time to calmly handle the situation? Yes. Is the punishment fitting? Yes. Will we both benefit from the way I have chosen to mete it out? Yes. Is discipline in order? Yes, as a message has to be sent.”
He stepped closer and put two fingers under her chin, tipping it up. Not so high she could look him in the eyes, but high enough she’d be paying rapt attention to his words. “Punishment is administered as a physical reminder for you to obey the rules. The lessons in discipline I will occasionally require you to complete are to teach you self-control. You need accomplishments to bolster that and I’ve found the best way to stack up those achievements is to reach attainable goals.”
He let go of her and walked around the bed. Reaching for the cuffs, he said, “I’m going to tie these restraints to the bedframe. Once I’m done, I’ll ask you to get up and go to the footboard. You’re going to bend over it, stretching your arms out over the bed so I can gauge how much slack I need.”
She twisted, shooting a quick glance over her shoulder. She probably thought he didn’t see that.
“Lacy, eyes straight ahead until I tell you to stand.”
He took his time with the slip knots. Making sure he’d be able to easily adjust length once he had to. “Okay. Get up and go to the footboard. Position yourself in the center of it and bend over, stretching your arms out straight in the direction of the top of the bed.”
“Are you going to use that?” She pointed to the chair where he’d left the crop.
“I don’t recall giving you permission to speak.”
“That thing smarts.”
Not as much as a dozen other things he could name. However, this wasn’t about intimidating her any more than punishment was about physically hurting someone. Clearly she didn’t get that, but she would. “Every time you talk without being asked to I’ll be adding five minutes on the clock.”
She leaned forward to bend over the curved fabric on the footboard, then stopped and looked at him. “There’s a clock?”
He finished with the last knot and stood. “With an additional fifteen minutes added on.”
“That’s not fair. I didn’t know those first two times.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and stared. “Twenty.”
“But—”
“Twenty-five.”
She opened her mouth as if to say something and he beat her to it. “Thirty.”
“I didn’t even say anything.”
“Now you did. Thirty it is. Are we going to make it thirty-five?”
She was wise enough to compress her lips and do as he’d asked. The sight of her stretched out with her ass in the air and her cheek pressed to the mattress, waiting for him, was a beautiful thing. He didn’t think the visual could get any better, but he was wrong. Once he fit the cuffs around her wrists and had her tied, the sight was even better.
He checked the tension around her hands. Feeling his way down her body. Dragging his palms over the sleekness of her back until he got to her bottom. He gave her a squeeze and then said, “I’ll be right back.”
There was no need to get fancy here. If he pulled out steel manacles and all his leathers they’d only distract her. Instead he went to his closet and picked out two of his silk ties. Then thought better of it and grabbed a third. He’d be doing her a favor using this last one to gag her.
“See? That didn’t take long. Now.” He knelt on the bed and curled over her. “I want you to lift up your head so I can get this around you.” He dangled his tie in front of her eyes. “That’s right. Just move a little more. Open your mouth so I can—perfect.” He was careful not to catch her hair as he fastened it on her. Amazed that she wasn’t making any noise. There wasn’t a muffle or a groan…yet.
He slung the two remaining ties over his shoulder and came off the bed. Walking to the bottom where her bottom was prominently displayed, he went to work. He slipped his hands between her hips and the material of the footboard, making sure her pelvis was cushioned against the fabric before he circled both hands around one of her thighs. Steadily he went down the length of her limb until he was in a crouched position and had a hold of her ankle. Then he pulled her foot, bringing it closer to the leg of the bed so he could tie her to it. When he was done with that one he stood and moved to do the same to the other.
In no time at all she was spread eagle with a twist. Now came the hard part…for her.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lacy expected the crop to her butt. Especially after David went through the trouble of gagging her, but the painful strikes never came. He didn’t even touch her. All he’d done once he had her completely immobile was drag that upholstered chair from the side of the bed and position it at the bottom.
She’d felt the breeze caused by his presence between her legs. On her thighs and ass and all she’d done was close her eyes and try to forget what was taking place. But the thought of him sitting in that chair staring at her. So close to the heart of her where she was open and exposed, was mortifying. Until the quiet expanded around her and she recalled something Jo had said to her once. About how shame could sometimes be a more stringent punishment than a spanking. And here she was finally getting it.
After what seemed like hours went by, David’s warm hands wrapped around her right foot and rubbed. Creating a wicked heat she didn’t know was possible. The sensation was a cross between the pins and needles from a limb that had fallen asleep, combined with the prickly burn the skin experiences when it’s been out in the cold and then is confronted with heat. Amazingly enough, the sensation traveled upward and when he switched feet she almost groaned. There was an edge to these feelings. A lick that stroked her insides in a dare. A dare that demanded she fall in with them. A dare that whispered for her to let go. But when he released her and she felt the leather flag of the crop—she’d forgotten that had been on the chair—slide up the inside of one leg and down the inside of the other, she shuddered.
“Your thirty minutes are up.”
Her eyes popped open at that statement. All this time. All the humiliation. The shame she experienced had been her own. She’d caused it and brought it on herself. Oh boy. They hadn’t even gotten to his punishment yet and she felt humbled and so soft she didn’t know if she’d make it through a sp
anking without crying.
“Ten strokes. That’s what I’m going to give you. This is not a game. Make no mistake, you’re not going to enjoy it. Don’t tense up because it will only make it harder.”
When the first strike landed she breathed though the biting sting. It wasn’t too bad but then the second one landed slightly harder and the third slightly harder still. “You’re tensing up.”
She knew she was and it couldn’t be helped. It was like she was on a roller coaster. Climbing higher and higher toward the top of the biggest hill. Anxiety flooding every part of her.
Smack
Scared to reach the pinnacle to see what waits for her beyond it. Could she take it? Once there, what could she do about it?
Smack
She should have counted. How many had landed?
Smack
That one stung so bad she moaned and automatically pulled against the ties at her wrists and ankles.
“Do you need me to stop? Four more to go. Do you need a break?”
Only four? She could do it. She didn’t want this dragging out. She shook her head.
Smack
Three more. Only three more. He didn’t make it easy on her. In fact, he was a little heavy handed with the last three, but then she didn’t care because he untied her. She didn’t even think about complaining when he took the silk from around her mouth. All she could think of was burying herself in his arms. Pressing her face against his chest and breathing in his scent. Wanting his forgiveness. Completely grateful when he rubbed her arms and legs before he gathered her up and carried her to the chair.
She made note of how careful he was to adjust so her bottom wasn’t pressed against anything. It was odd she supposed, given that he was the one who’d caused her bottom to be tender. But then he was tender when he whispered, “We’re almost done with this and then we can put it behind us. Would you like that?”
A tendril of hope wound through as her pulse picked up speed. What if such a thing were possible? She wanted this to be true, so she vigorously nodded. The heavy weight that had been pressing her down started to ease and she clung to him tighter.
“Good. I want to know why you left the resort today.”
“I don’t know,” she spoke against his neck. Wanting the one real reason to disappear.
“I think I know.”
The thought he might made her hold her breath. “You do?”
“I left you all by yourself today. I thought you’d spend the day with your friends, but I understand they had other commitments.”
Relieved, her released breath heated the space between them before she leaned back to look at him. Infinitely glad of the reprieve. “Why do you work so hard when your business partners don’t have to?”
He searched her face and then asked, “Why do you run away when you know you don’t have to?”
She was dead serious when she answered, “I was running away from the bad. I had to.”
He curled down, touching his forehead against hers. “This is the second time you’ve mentioned something like this. What bad?”
She couldn’t even see him. He was so close to her he remained a blur. “It hasn’t happened yet, but it will. It always does. This time, though, I won’t be able to take it when things fall apart because…”
He didn’t let her turn away. “Because?”
“You matter to me. Now the bad is coming.”
There, she said it and it was going to happen. The people she loved most got hurt. That’s the way it was. She didn’t want David to get hurt. She was the one who deserved to be hurt. She was the one at fault. Intentional or not she’d read his letter.
“There’s no way to measure the good in life without the bad. Never run from it. Always stand your ground.”
She wished she could do that. “It’s not that easy. I get scared.”
David dipped his head until he caught her eye and she had to look at him as he spoke, “You aren’t alone anymore, angel. I’m the constant, remember? When the bad happens, I’ll be here. Right beside you, I promise.”
She wanted to believe that. More than anything, she wanted to believe that he’d be in her corner. Placing her palms on either side of his cheeks, she steadily held his gaze. “You swear?”
“Yes.”
Honesty is what she read. Truth. Maybe steeped with a whole lot of ownership, but she could deal with that. In fact, if he really meant what he’d said earlier and all this was over, she was on board with it. The spanking and discipline she could handle it. “Are we really done then? No more fighting?”
He grinned and it nearly tore her up. He was so handsome. “We weren’t fighting, honey. You took a wrong turn, is all. Now you’re back to square. It will never be mentioned again.”
That was it? He wasn’t mad anymore? It didn’t seem so, he was grinning and relaxed. It couldn’t be as simple as that, could it? Her mind was racing a mile a minute. So much so she barely heard his next question.
“Do you want to put on your robe and come downstairs for something to eat?”
“What?”
“I’m starved and you should eat something too.”
She wanted to, but there was something holding her back. A worry that this wasn’t real. That he was going to start asking questions again. She’d learned from experience to distance herself. Step away until enough time passed and no one asked anymore. “Thanks, but I’m really not hungry. I’m more tired. It’s been an exhausting day for me.”
He looked like he was going to question her so she threw in a yawn for good measure.
“Okay. You’re going to bed early then?”
She nodded. Wishing for all the world she wasn’t too scared to spend more time with him. But at this point she couldn’t afford to. What if it were true? What if that was all there was to it?
By the time she sank under the bed covers and David was gone, she’d calmed her racing heart. The joy and excitement of learning that things could be different nearly overwhelmed her. That the bad could be dealt with and then forgiven was a concept she’d ever considered before. Thinking about it now, as she closed her eyes for sleep, she was comforted for the first time in her life, or for as long as she could remember. David had absolved her. To most people his methods would seem weird and not right, but to her they were perfect. But then who was she? A woman who’d spent her life paying for a bad she couldn’t even remember.
***
Lacy opened her eyes and blinked. It was dark and she was in a bed. She had to think for a moment before she remembered she was at David’s house. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw her paddle on the chair by the bed. Her robe was slung over it too. That meant their things from The Carlton had been delivered at some point.
She flopped over onto her back and wondered why she was awake after falling asleep so soundly. David had given her that peace. He’d simplified something that had consistently complicated her life. Her guilt and what to do with it. He probably knew what a gift this was, but until last night she hadn’t.
She was just about to close her eyes when she heard something. The faintest strains of music and sat up, cocking an ear. It was the piano. Slipping out of bed she crept to the door and peered into David’s room to see if he was there. He wasn’t. Was that him downstairs playing?
As she went to get her robe on, logic told her it was, but the sound was so beautiful. So haunting, it could have been one of his records. By the time she’d reached the music room, confirming it was him, she was content to hang back and listen. He was playing one of her favorite songs from Les Miserables so artfully, goose bumps rode her arms and she felt the sting of tears as she listened, drinking in the sight of him.
He still had on the black pants and dress shirt he’d worn last night, but the outfit looked different somehow. Not so tailored, more rugged. Elegant-rugged if there was such a thing. The sexy effect could have more to do with his bed-head hair, or the deeper shadowy stubble that covered his jaws and cheeks. If you put all
that together with the way his talented hands effortlessly stroked the piano keys, it was no wonder she was falling deeper in lust with him by the second. That fluttery feeling was back in her lower belly and the ache between her legs started up again.
When the song ended she waited to see if he was going to play another, but he didn’t. He just sat there with his eyes closed and head tilted back while his hands rested on his lap. He looked to be contemplating. Probably the mess she’d made of yesterday. No, she wasn’t going to think that way. He’d said it was over with and she believed him. But then she thought about what Alex had said. About how Lacy should anticipate David’s needs and make her need for him known.
Quietly she went to him and without a word she slipped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him from behind. When he spoke her whole body vibrated.
“I’m sorry, did my playing wake you?”
The warmth of his hand as he pressed it against her forearm under the sleeve of her robe felt like heaven. “You play beautifully. It got me all misty-eyed.”
“Thank you.” Looking down, he tapped one high-note key. “It’s been a while.”
“Will you play another song?”
“Not right now. I don’t want to wake up the rest of the household.”
Lacy stopped twirling the lock of hair that was curled over his collar. “Rest? Who else lives here?”
He disengaged her arms, but only to turn and lift his legs over the bench until his feet were firmly planted and he was facing her. “Andrew, Francesca and her two grandsons. One is away a college right now, but the other goes to the local high school. They’re good kids.”
She looked around. “Where do they sleep?”
He mimicked her by sheepishly scanning the room the way she had, before he stopped and told her, “In the guest house. That’s where Francesca and the boys sleep. Andrew sleeps in the butler quarters on the other side of the kitchen.” When he smiled and opened his arms she didn’t need any more of an invite than that. In a very unladylike move she picked up the hem of her robe and straddled his lap, making him chuckle.