Quinn helped her to her feet and removed the blindfold before shaking out her dress and lifting it over her head. He helped her find the armholes, as if he was dressing a child. When she was modestly covered once more, he sat on the log and lifted her onto his lap. He let her cry against his chest as he stroked her hair.
Dazed by what she’d just been through, Pepper wept with free abandon. It had been terrifying, thrilling. She’d been so frightened that he wouldn’t stop, that she’d go mad from the pain. Neither or those things had happened.
He kissed the top of her head. “Well done, sparrow. You’re made of tough stuff. You survived this. Just as you will survive the punishments you are certain to earn in the future.” He hugged her tighter. “You have a lot to learn. The capital is very different than your country town. It offers temptations that you can’t imagine. Dangerous temptations. So I plan to protect you. But I can only do that if you comply with my rules. Today you’ve learned what happens when you disobey me or show poor judgement. Consider your choices. Give me your obedience and you will have pleasures and rewards. Disobey and your sweet backside will suffer again and again.”
He spoke low, his voice a comforting purr. She leaned into him, grateful for his tenderness now. The sunny smell of his clean shirt filled her head and she could hear his heart beating. She felt tiny, curled up on his lap, as if she was as helpless as a kitten and he was there to protect her. Protect her? He’d just punished her in a way no one else had ever dared.
But she understood why he’d done it: he was protecting her from herself.
With that realization, her weeping softened to low sighing as she thought about what she’d just been through. The spanking reminded her of jumping off the rocks above her favorite swimming hole at home. The first time she’d done it, she’d been terrified. She’d gone to the pool early in the morning so the other kids couldn’t see if she lost her nerve. She’d stood, fixed to the spot for the longest time, looking down the void to the deep pool below.
Then she’d leapt. A second of weightless was followed by the thrill of jetting deep into the icy water. A few strong kicks and she broke the surface, gasping for breath, laughing at her own audacity. The shock and fear made her more alive than she’d ever been before. Every time she jumped, her heart raced as she left the rocks. She jumped again and again.
Pepper knew she’d jump again with Quinn. As certain as she was that the sun rose in the east, she knew he was right. She’d tease him into spanking her again before she returned to Rosemoor. Maybe more than once.
Not the daily spankings he’d promised either. She suspected those sessions might be routine and dull. She wanted something more exciting, something like this had been, full of dizzying heights and breathtaking leaps. Terrifying but at the same time exhilarating.
Her crying subsided after a while, replaced by a feeling of renewal. All her fears and anxieties of the early part of the day had been erased.
With a long, shuddering sob, she drew away from Quinn, wiping the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand. She sat with her head bowed, taking him in with her peripheral vision. Lust blackened his hair and darkened his complexion. She sensed rather than saw the look of concern in his eyes. The push of his enormous erection against her chastised thighs confirmed his hunger for her.
She grinned as the second bold impulse of that day seized her. She took Quinn’s face in her hands and kissed him, long and deep.
Chapter Nine: On the Road
Quinn kissed back. It was impossible not to. Having Pepper curled up on his lap, soft and womanly, was giving him a boner bigger and harder than he’d had for years. What magic did she possess to do this to him?
With her sweet mouth planted on his, he wanted to lay her down right there and fuck her until she screamed.
Her delicate tongue was pushing between his teeth, so he allowed himself to suck it hard for a minute before forcing it away. Setting her on her feet, he said, “I want you. But not here, not like this. Not now. We’ll wait to see if you still want me when your head is clear and your bottom has cooled.”
She smiled and shrugged.
He used his thumbs to wipe the last two teardrops from her face. Like a small child who’d wept away all her frustrations, she was recovering already. Brightness was returning to her eyes. Her mouth spread in a shy smile.
“You’re a bit untidy,” he said, trying to stifle his desire for her. Seeing her so vulnerable, so chastised, raised his lust off the scale.
“Thank you,” she said. “I look bad because you just flailed me half to death.”
“Little sparrow, that was just a starter. You don’t know what real punishment is like yet.”
Brazen confidence flashed in her eyes. She was already challenging him again. Good. Weak women bored him.
Her smile didn’t falter either. “I can handle anything you can dish out.” She uttered the challenging words knowing she might come to regret them. She didn’t care. She sounded brave and undaunted.
He reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a blindingly white handkerchief. “Take this to creek and wash your face.” He nodded in the direction over her shoulder to indicate where she’d find the water. “You can use my scarf as a towel. Before we go back to the rest area, I want to see your hair tucked back into your cap like it was when we started this walk. You must be composed. Don’t let others know of your disgrace.”
She glanced over at the log where he’d laid her bra and drawers. She gave him a questioning look.
“No, you may not wear them. What did I tell you about underwear?”
“I must earn the privilege of wearing it, sir.”
“You’re a fast learner. I like that.”
In fact, he liked her. A lot. More than he thought he could like any woman, especially after such a short time. She had fire and spunk, taking a serious spanking in her stride. He enjoyed her feistiness and impulsive surprises, even if he had been furious when she’d bolted. The kiss threw him off balance. It felt genuine but she might be trying to keep him that way, biding time until she could figure out a way to get home.
He’d have to keep a sharp eye on her. She had a dangerous, unpredictable quality that enticed him. However, it would be inappropriate for him to use his position of authority to do anything more than spank her. If he was going to fuck her, she’d have to demand it.
After that kiss, his hope rose. Maybe he wouldn’t have to wait too long for that red-letter day.
* * *
Pepper walked over to the creek, enjoying the swampy warmth between her legs. He wanted her. Maybe as much as she wanted him.
Being spanked by him, being touched and comforted, had released another person inside her. She wanted this type of protective love. She glanced back to where he sat on the log, his face tilted toward the sun as if he rarely had a free second for that simple pleasure.
His jacket bulged slightly with her folded undergarments. She smiled knowing he’d placed them so close to his heart. She gave silent thanks that someone handsome and hot had come to take her away from Rosemoor. She shuddered at the thought of how Daedra might have handled it if she’d collected Pepper.
Pepper soaked the large handkerchief in the cold creek before wringing it out and laying it over her face. Crouched beside the creek for a few minutes, she savored the sensation of her skin rehydrating, of her pulse returning to normal. She might have stayed there all day if Quinn hadn’t crept up behind her.
“Are you okay?” he asked, startling her from her reverie.
She let out a short hiccup of surprise. “Could you please not sneak up on me, Brother Quinn?”
He grinned. Maybe he liked the way she’d shifted back to the more democratic form of address now that her spanking was over. One thing was for sure, if he didn’t like it, he wouldn’t have hesitated to say so.
“I thought you might need a comb.” He took one from his pocket and handed it to her. “And this.”
“Thank you.” He
r face lit up when he held out her modesty cap. A few short minutes later and, other than a minor tear and small grass stain to her dress, she looked tidier than when they’d started the hike. Would anyone guess what had happened to her?
There were no witnesses and she’d never admit it. Besides, if she spoke of the experience, the warmth of her voice would betray the fact that she had enjoyed it in some deep, primal way.
* * *
At the rest area, Quinn took Anna’s basket, plus the basket with his own purchases, and carried them to a picnic table. “Now we eat. We’ll get to Torpeth late this afternoon and stay for the night.” He reached for a muffin. “It you’re a very good girl between here and there, I might even let you have your drawers back.”
She wanted to thank him sarcastically but knew what a mistake that would be. “Thank you, Brother Quinn,” she said in an even voice, looking at the lovely spread of food and wishing she had more of an appetite.
Quinn opened the heating box he’d brought and took out a dish of cheese- and spinach-stuffed mushrooms. He offered them to her.
“No, thank you. I don’t eat mushrooms,” she said.
Next he offered her fried chicken.
“I’m not really hungry.” She couldn’t have sounded more indifferent.
“We had this conversation before your attitude correction in the forest.” His voice turned steely. “I’m surprised you’d test me again so soon.”
Their eyes locked. Pepper heard the unspoken threat. She would eat or her already tender bottom would get more of Quinn’s undivided attention.
She reached for a drumstick and started to chew.
“Good girl,” he said, popping a mushroom into his mouth. “Although I wouldn’t have minded the chance to put you over my knee again.”
To Quinn’s satisfaction, a pale blush rose up her neck when he said that. She smiled.
There was much to admire in this feisty little firebrand. She’d taken her punishment well and, by her reaction at his threat of more, hadn’t hated it.
Her most compelling qualities were her resilience and her poise. After her thrashing, she’d tidied herself up so well that it was impossible to tell she’d been tear-streaked and begging for mercy only moments before. She hiked back to the rest area with her head held high. Her demeanor was gracious and untroubled even though he knew she was struggling with all that had happened in their short acquaintance. She was a rare jewel.
* * *
The receptionist at the Raven’s Lair Hotel in Torpeth was an elegant Devmaerean woman, almost as tall as Quinn. Her ID tag read Ezmar, a name as exotic and beautiful as she was. She wore a midi-dress the same color as Pepper’s, but all similarities ended there. Ezmar’s frock was cut to fit like a second skin from the shoulders to the waist. No modesty cap hid the long blue locks of hair that cascaded over her shoulders.
Pepper, in her rumpled midi-dress with its torn and mud-splattered hem, felt scruffy and disheveled. She hung back, half-hiding behind Quinn.
Ezmar greeted Quinn warmly. “Commander Quinn, how lovely to welcome you again.”
“I was here just last night in case you’ve forgotten, Sister Ezmar.” He leaned over the counter and kissed the woman on her forehead, sending her into trills of laughter. Their private joke made Pepper feel awkward and excluded. Jealousy pinched her as she witnessed their obvious affection for each other. Somehow it made her humiliation at Quinn’s hands earlier that day seem so much worse.
“You have company tonight.” Ezmar looked at Pepper and then back at Quinn.
“I do. It’s my pleasure to introduce Sister Pepper Thornback, the only massage therapist in our entire nation known to be able to relieve the symptoms of the Waking Illness. She’ll be a great asset in the city.”
“By happy coincidence, I’ll be in Rosewyld later this week,” Ezmar announced.
Pepper held her breath wondering if the woman was hinting that Quinn and she should get together.
Pepper tried to shrink away but, ignoring Quinn, Ezmar swept around the reception desk and reached a long, elegant hand toward Pepper. “Maybe I could take you shopping some afternoon.”
Pepper placed her hand in Ezmar’s, enjoying the warmth of her skin and the strength with which she shook.
“I’d like that very much,” Pepper said. “But the commander would have to approve my leave and I have little money.”
“With your skills, lovely girl, you’ll have credits all over town in a matter of days. As to the commander...” Ezmar smirked at him. “I think he must realize you can’t make an impression in this getup.”
She hugged Quinn quickly. “Honestly, Quinn, people will stare if she parades around in old gear like this.” She smiled at Pepper. “I know where we can find some great deals for you.”
Pepper’s brain stuttered over the unexpected offer. “Thank you, Sister Ezmar, that’s very kind. Do you have Brother Quinn’s address?”
“I hope so, being as he lives in my parents’ house. Or what was my parents’ house.”
Quinn laughed, a deep happy rumble. “Ezmar is my true blood sister. She knows more about me than any person on Devmaer,” he said.
“Yeah, and for a small sum of money, I won’t tell anyone what I know.” She handed him a brass key. “The suite is ready.”
“Sister Pepper, you’re on the fourth floor with Quinn but unfortunately, he has secured you a room where you can be locked in. You must have got on the wrong side of him. Hope you didn’t get your ass paddled too badly.”
Pepper wished she could hide her embarrassment but knew her face was turning beet red. Another couple was standing behind them, waiting to check in. They stared at Quinn, eavesdropping with eager faces.
“Let’s just say Sister Pepper will be more thoughtful about some of her actions in the future.” Quinn picked up both suitcases. “Please have a dinner sent up for us in about half an hour. We’ll have jemduck, mashed patchers, and a loaf or two of bread.”
As he led Pepper over to the elevators, she felt the eyes of the other people in the lobby following her. Their attention worried her. The more people looked at her, the more they’d be able to identify her if she decided to make a break for it.
But that was another problem for another day.
In the elevator, Quinn keyed in a code and seconds later they were on the fourth floor of the building. Pepper had never been in such a high building.
When the doors opened, Pepper inhaled sharply. There it was again. That smell of wealth and comfort, so alien to her normal world. They’d arrived in the middle of a single open suite. Like the executive rooms where she’d met Daedra, this one was also luxuriously furnished. Thick rugs covered the floor. Pictures in bright colors, rendered in extravagant layers of oil paint, decorated the walls. The kitchen was bigger than the one in the meeting hall in Rosemoor.
Even though all the citizens in the country of Elsinania were said to be equal, some people were obviously more equal than others. The most equal of them all loomed beside her.
With an effort of will, Pepper made herself keep a neutral expression at the unexpected luxury, just as she had stifled her reaction to the sumptuous suite at the Rosemoor Hotel. How many people in Rosemoor had ever seen anything like these lavish places? A second, more troubling thought occurred to her: she was seeing things most people would never lay eyes on. Once she’d seen all these riches, maybe they wouldn’t allow her to go home in case she told others about the way the Tribunal members lived and traveled.
Quinn barely glanced at his surroundings.
“This way to your room,” he said, indicating an open door on the far side of the kitchen. He closed the door and showed her the deadbolt on the outside. Behind the heavy wooden door was a large room with twin beds, a dresser, and a nightstand separating the beds. Even in this room there was a beautiful painting on the wall. Like the ones in the living area, it was a picture of a wild landscape. The others had been forests and mountains. This one was an ocean scene, waves cra
shing into a rocky beach. The silvery two moons of Devmaer lit the beach and raging sea.
Across from the beds was one large window. The curtains framed a panoramic view of the sun setting over the distant horizon. The lights of Torpeth spread out immediately below. Pepper wanted to stand there and marvel at the sights.
Quinn’s voice commanded her attention. “You have twenty-five minutes to tidy yourself before dinner. We will retire early. Tomorrow morning, we will be on the road before dawn. There is a washing machine in the kitchen if you want to launder your dress overnight.”
Pepper nodded silently. So much had happened, and she needed to be alone, to think, and get her bearings again. She went into the en suite bathroom and gasped at the size of the tub. It was so wide and deep, there was room for two people at least. The Handbook forbade bathtubs in private houses. They were considered a waste of water.
The only bath Pepper could remember having was at the lighthouse. It had been an exquisite treat that she’d longed to repeat ever since. She wasn’t going to miss out now, even if the time was short. She reached for the vildehair bubble bath from the bottles on the shelf but changed her mind and selected lavender instead. Vildehair fragrance might relax her so much she’d fall asleep.
There was a skylight over the tub, and she lay as long as she dared, watching the scudding clouds above as daylight drained from the sky.
When she joined Quinn, her skin shone, her nerves were steady, but her bottom still throbbed from the spanking. She’d checked herself out in the mirror. Both the welts from the switch were red but the spot where one stroke had landed on top of the other shone brighter. Her eyes teared slightly at the memory of the punishment but she told herself she’d never earn another spanking like it.
Her hair, drying from the quick shower she’d taken after the bath, was plaited into a single braid down her back. She didn’t put on her modesty cap and wondered if Quinn would comment.
He looked up from the room service trolley that he was unloading onto the table.
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