by Ivy Nelson
He grinned. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.” He gave her a nudge, indicating he wanted her to stand.
“Now then, Miss Kent, I believe we have some disrespectful behavior to deal with and a wager to settle. The wager was for two orgasms as a result of punishment, correct?”
She nodded. “Yes, Sir. I’m sorry for not listening to you tonight.” She was genuinely contrite now that she’d had time to think about it.
He tapped the end of her nose, “Ah. Now you see the benefits of time in the corner, don’t you?”
“Is that what that was for? I didn’t like it, but that makes sense now.”
His pleasure with her was evident in his grin, and she relaxed under his gaze.
“Good girl. Over my lap. Time for your spanking.”
As she lowered herself across his denim clad lap, her breathing became somewhat erratic as nerves overtook her once again.
“Steady, Angel. Remember your safeword. All of this stops the instant you’ve had enough. I’ll ask you to give it a chance, but don’t push yourself to enjoy something you aren’t enjoying. Is that clear?”
Her voice trembled as she said, “Yes, Sir.” This was it. There was no turning back now.
His hand caressed her ass gently and he spoke in a low tone as he explored her curves.
“As a submissive, it’s your role to listen to me. Did you do that tonight?”
“No, Sir,” she whispered.
His hand raised and landed again on her left cheek. Not terribly hard, but hard enough to sting.
“Was I asking for something outrageous, Angel?”
“No, Sir.” Was he going to interrogate her the entire time? It was unnerving. His hand landed again, harder this time, in the same spot. She squirmed.
“Be still. Why did you flip me off and hang up on me, Angel?”
She didn’t answer. Three swats landed in quick succession on her right cheek. She cried out in surprise.
“I asked you a question.”
“Because you pissed me off with your bossy tone.”
“Hmmm.” He rubbed the sore spot on her ass. “What’s the proper reaction when you’re pissed at me?”
“Suck it up?” she asked. Genuinely unsure.
The deep rumble of his laughter shook her as she lay across his lap. “As much as I would love for that to be the answer, it’s not. If you’re angry with me, tell me. Give me a chance to explain. Don’t act disrespectfully.”
“OK. I’m sorry, Sir,” she whispered.
“I can tell you mean that, Angel. But you’re still getting a nice long spanking.” He patted her bottom gently. “I think we’ve talked enough.” And just like that, he was done talking. His hand landed on her ass over and over again, causing her to squirm and whimper. None of the smacks were unbearably painful on their own, but the sting in her ass began to build. And to her surprise, so did the ache between her legs.
Every twenty smacks or so he would stop and caress her ass gently. His fingers would trail between her legs in soft flutters that nearly drove her over the edge. Her competitive streak kicked in and she did her best not to fall over that ledge into an orgasm. After the fourth round of spanks followed by caresses, he chuckled. “I can tell what you’re doing, Angel. Don’t fight it. You know you’re enjoying having your naughty bottom spanked.” His fingers were fluttering over her clit, and as he spoke, he increased the pressure there.
A moan escaped her lips. The combination of his words and gentle fingers brought her to the brink and she nearly toppled over. But he stopped her before she could fall, and the spanking started again. Why did him calling her bottom naughty send such a rush of pleasure through her? It was embarrassing. Here she was being spanked like a disobedient child, complete with scolding, and she was on the brink of orgasm.
With his boot, he kicked her legs wider apart exposing her pussy to the open air. She cried out in shock when he landed a spank directly on her delicate folds. One more smack there was her undoing. She fell over the edge and cried out as she came hard. She felt Michael’s erection grow beneath her as she rode the wave of the orgasm.
“That was almost too easy, Angel. Let’s move on to something more intense, shall we?”
“That was pretty fucking intense,” she muttered.
His hand landed hard on her ass and she yelped.
“What was that?” he asked sternly.
“I meant, yes, Sir,” she whimpered.
He laughed. “No, you didn’t. But I’ll let it slide.”
He picked up a wooden backed hairbrush from beside him. “I know I sound like a broken record but just remember, this stops when you say so.”
“I appreciate the reminders, Sir.”
“Mmm. I like hearing you call me Sir, Angel.”
There was no way she was admitting out loud that it gave her a thrill to call him Sir. She didn’t fully understand it, but she was definitely enjoying this.
He rubbed the brush over her well warmed ass. Flipping it over, he dragged the bristles across her sensitive skin and raked it over her pussy. She gasped, still throbbing from her recent orgasm.
“I think you’re learning your lesson well, Angel. This is just to drive my point home.” With that, he brought the brush down hard on her ass. It stung and she wanted to curse, but she bit her tongue because the sting faded to a warm tingle of pleasure that shot straight to her clit. She wasn’t sure how many of these she could take, but she wanted to find out. The brush landed on the opposite cheek this time, equally hard. She couldn’t hold back the curse.
“God fucking damn it,” she cried.
“Such language,” he tsked as he rubbed the sting away. Her body was thrumming with need again and she was already seeking the second orgasm. There definitely wasn’t a spa day in her future.
“Curse like that again while I’m spanking you and I’ll stick a bar of soap in your mouth.”
She gasped. He wouldn’t. Would he? She didn’t want to find out.
The brush landed twice in quick succession. She had to literally bite her tongue to keep the expletive from escaping. They would have to negotiate the no cursing rule for future punishments. What the fuck? Why was she thinking ahead to future punishments? Surely that wasn’t a normal reaction. There wasn’t time to give it further thought because the brush landed again, and again, and didn’t stop. Tears pricked at her eyes as she cried out. It hurt, but her pussy was throbbing as if she might come any second. Just when she thought the pain might be unbearable, he stopped and shoved the handle of the brush between her legs. The instant the handle brushed her clit, she was a goner. As the orgasm ripped through her, she cried out in pleasure. Michael groaned, threw the brush down and jerked her up to straddle his lap. His hands dove into her hair and he kissed her hard.
“Damn it, Adara. That was hot,” he said when he broke their kiss.
Though she agreed, she still didn’t like losing. “I guess that means I don’t get my spa day,” she said as she rested her head on his chest.
He lifted her head to look him in the eye and grinned. “I think you’ll enjoy being mine for a week more than a spa day anyway.”
She scowled but didn’t mean it.
“Since I’m nothing, if not a gentleman, I’ll give you an out. If you didn’t enjoy that enough to experience more of it than you can imagine for the next week, just say so and I’ll find you the best spa in town.”
“I don’t like to lose but I’m not a sore loser.” She giggled. “Well, OK, I am sore, but you won our bet fair and square. I won’t lie. I’m nervous though.”
His arms circled her waist. “What exactly are you nervous about?”
“Everything. Not living up to your expectations. The seriousness of this. Everything I’ve read, and the relationships I’ve witnessed, tell me that submission isn’t just a fun sex game. I don’t want to disappoint you, and I want to treat it with the seriousness it deserves.”
“I promise you, Angel, you’re not going to disappoint me. T
he fact that you understand that about submission tells me you’re going to do just fine. Ultimately though, this is a game we are playing with each other. I’m not going to turn into some power-hungry oaf just because I won our bet. Not much will change. I expect obedience, respect, and honest communication from you. The latter two of which you’ll also get from me.”
A yawn escaped her despite her attempts to hold it back.
“Come on, Angel. Let’s go to bed.”
“I guess this means you’re not sleeping on the couch?”
A grin slowly spread across his face. “I hope I’m not, but me winning doesn’t change my consent practices. If you don’t want to share a bed with me, you don’t have to.”
That surprised and delighted her. “I just kind of assumed you would insist on sleeping with me.”
“Oh, I want to. But I told you, I’m a gentleman. So, what do you say, Angel? Can I share a bed with you?”
“Of course,” she said as she stood from his lap.
A flash of disapproval filled his eyes and he pulled her back to him. His hand landed hard on her still bare bottom.
“Try again, Angel.”
“Yes, Sir,” she whimpered as she rubbed the stinging spot.
“Better. Now, take off your sweater and get in bed.”
“Bed sounds fun,” she said with a grin as she pulled her sweater over her head.
“For sleep, silly girl. It’s after four in the morning.”
Though she was disappointed, he was right. They needed sleep.
She discarded her bra along with her sweater and climbed into the king-sized bed. Appreciation of the male form filled her as she watched Michael strip out of his jeans, boxer briefs, and button down. His muscular body was delicious to look at. The erection he was sporting wasn’t a bad sight either.
“Are you sure you don’t want to have sex?” she asked shyly.
“Oh, I definitely want sex, Angel. But we need sleep. We’ll do it right in the morning,” he said with a grin as he climbed between the covers and pulled her close to him. “Thank you for trusting me,” he whispered.
Chapter Nine
The next morning, Michael woke to the sound of his cell phone. Christ, what time is it?
He picked up the phone and scowled. Unknown number.
“Silas,” he answered gruffly.
“Detective Silas, it’s Stephen Miller with Homeland Security. I’m calling as a courtesy. We’ll be bringing Adara Kent in for more questioning today.”
Shit, that couldn’t be good. His arm snaked protectively around the sleeping woman beside him.
“What for?”
“We got the results of her DNA test back early. She is not who she says she is.” Damn it.
“What the fuck do you mean?” Adara stirred beside him. He slipped out of bed and walked into the living area where Hamilton was snoozing in his bed.
“It means her DNA does not match her supposed birth parents. More importantly, it is a familial match to a known terrorist in our system.”
“How the hell do you have a terrorist’s DNA?”
“Long story. I don’t have time to explain. I just wanted to give you a heads up.”
“You’re certain about the DNA results?”
“One hundred percent sure, detective.”
“Miss Kent is still a part of an ongoing trial.”
“We need to question her again. No arrest is being made at this point, but she does have some questions to answer.”
“She’s still in my custody. I’ll arrange to have her in your office by noon today.”
“Sooner would be better but noon is acceptable,” Miller agreed.
Damn it. He had planned on having a fun day with Adara. Why the hell were they working on this on a Saturday? He padded back to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. His girl sat up with the covers around her waist. A worried look on her face.
“What is it?” she asked.
“The DNA test came back.”
“It’s not good news, is it?”
He slid closer to her and wrapped an arm around her. “No, but we knew you weren’t going to match your parents. That’s not the problem. The problem is they have your father’s DNA in their system. At least, I assume it’s your father.’
“Shit.”
“Yeah. My thoughts exactly. I have to have you in their office by noon today. That gives us six hours to strategize with your attorney. I so wanted to wake you up and make love to you, but we have to get moving, Angel. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. This is serious, Michael. I think we have to set aside our little wager for now.”
“Not so fast. You’re still mine for the week, and I expect you to behave that way. Is that clear?”
He watched her swallow. “I want to say yes, Sir. I know that’s what you’re expecting. But I feel like I need to make sure you’re hearing me. This is serious. I could go to jail or get deported. It seems like a bad time to be playing games.”
His hand slid beneath her chin and he tilted her head so she was making direct eye contact with him.
“I’m hearing you, Angel. I’m cognizant of your very valid concerns. Here’s a question for you. What is my role as a dominant to you?”
When she tried to turn her gaze away from his, he tightened his hold on her chin. “Answer me, Angel.”
She shrugged. “To control. To dominate?”
“That’s it on the surface, but it’s more than that.” He let go of her chin and brushed stray hair away from her face. “Part of my job is to protect you. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Believe me. I understand the gravity of the situation we’re facing. That’s why it’s even more important that you remember your role in this game. I can’t protect you if you don’t play by the rules. What did I tell you I expect?”
She leaned into his palm which now rested on her cheek.
“Obedience, respect, and honest communication.”
“Good girl. Give me those and I’ll do my best to keep you safe.”
When she nodded, he dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Now get up. We need to get your attorney on the phone.”
Adara crawled out of bed and picked up her cell phone. He would let her lack of appropriate response slide this time. It was going to be a stressful day for all of them.
Thankfully, Tabitha Kelly was an early riser and was already in her office when Adara called. Less than an hour later, she appeared in their suite with a list of invasive questions for Adara. Peter and Carrie showed up in the middle of the conversation with coffee and donuts. God bless them.
“Adara honey, you’re looking rather pale,” Carrie said with concern. “Why don’t we go for a walk with your adorable dog.”
When Michael objected, she said, “Don’t worry. One of Peter’s men is downstairs. I’ll have him follow us.”
“Good girl,” Peter murmured from his spot on the couch.
“Come on, honey. It will do you good to clear your head and get some fresh air.”
Michael finally relented. He could use the time to talk straight with Peter and the attorney as a law enforcement officer, not as Adara’s lover. No sugar coating. When the girls were gone, he looked at the attorney. “This is bad, isn’t it? Tell me the truth.”
“Honestly, it’s a pretty damn sticky situation. Especially if Miller really does carry a personal grudge against Hadawi. But it’s not the worst I’ve seen.” Oddly that relieved Michael.
“Are they going to arrest her?”
“They may try. But we’re going to fight it. We should be able to get something in front of a judge to do our own third-party DNA testing. That will delay the process by at least a few days. We need Adara’s financial records along with anything that proves she has solid ties to the community. Considering that she has a job, a pet, pays taxes, etcetera, it’s likely to convince a judge that she’s not a flight risk. The fact that she’s still in your custody increases those odds.”
Michael nodd
ed. Those things calmed him.
“We have to prove that she hasn’t made contact with terrorists. We need to prove that despite her birth, she is an American, and they should grant her the legal citizenship she has assumed she’s had all these years.”
“If she is arrested, where will they hold her?”
“It’s still just an immigration case as far as I can tell so she would be held in an ICE detention facility. They could park her at any number of places around the country. Again though, we’re going to fight that.”
“Carrie is also working an angle, but I don’t have much information. She’s tight lipped until she’s got the evidence she wants,” Peter said.
“I appreciate all she’s doing for Adara.”
“Of course. We’re family.”
Michael was eternally grateful for his chosen family. His own family was not close. He hadn’t seen either of his siblings in years and he rarely visited his parents. It wasn’t that they disliked each other. They were just all in very different places in their lives. Meeting Darci and being introduced to the BDSM community was probably one of the better things that had happened to him aside from meeting Adara. Twenty minutes later the girls came back, and they got back to work preparing Adara for her interview. She seemed a little less tense and he knew he had Carrie to thank for that. She had a way with people and could easily calm anyone. It’s why she was so good at getting information out of people. He wanted to ask her about the theory she was pursuing, but he wouldn’t. She would tell them when she had something.
When they were done prepping Adara, Tabitha Kelly left, promising to meet them at the federal building at noon. Michael and Adara would spend the next couple of hours gathering documents that might be helpful in keeping her out of a detainment facility.
After Peter and Carrie left, Michael pulled Adara into his arms. “How are you, Angel?”
“Better. Thanks to you and your friends.”
“I noticed you seemed more relaxed when you came back from your walk. Want to tell me about your talk with Carrie? You don’t have to.”
Her head rested on his shoulder. “It wasn’t anything secret. She’s just easy to talk to. I told her I wasn’t sure about continuing our game during all of this and she told me a little bit about her and Peter. She said if I would trust the dynamic, it might help center me in the middle of the storm.”