He started raining down the smacks then. Her creamy-white globes soon took on a pinkish glow and then began to turn cherry-red. He paid close attention to her every reaction. She was holding on to the bed covers tightly, balling them in her fists. She hadn't tried to fight him. His Annie was taking her first spanking from him well. But she hadn't yet broken down and started to cry. She hadn't really let go of all the anger and hurt, which was what he was aiming for.
"Let it go, Annie. Get all that pent-up anger and hostility and hurt out. Cry, scream, kick, it's all right."
He heard a sob. After ten more with his hand, he said, "Okay, that was for all the screaming matches and not dealing with things rationally, like a normal, healthy married couple should do. I'm going to let you up, and then you will bend over the bed."
"Why? Isn't it over, Sir? Please say it's over."
"No, Annie, I'm afraid not," he said as he handed her a pillow to hold on to. "I'm going to give you ten with my belt. Those are for all the heartache you've given me over Russ what's-his-name. I know you say things were innocent, but I want you to think about it from my point of view. I walk into a club and see you on the dance floor, kissing him. Tonight, while we were talking, he comes up and slings his arm around you like you're his. His, damn it, not mine. Think about how that made me feel. When the shoe was on the other foot, I think you got just a tiny taste of it, but I want you to think about how it all looked to me."
"But none of it was my fault," she protested with a wail, tears falling down her cheeks onto the bed.
"I realize that now, but all the same, I want you to think about it. Had we not been at odds with each other, you would not have been at that club with Ang. Russ wouldn't have had access to you. Because we were fighting, you looked available to him. Think about that while I'm striping your butt."
"Oh my God, Dane. I never… I'm so sorry. I just didn't think."
"No, you didn't. But you will after this. I love you with all my heart, Ann Margret Daring. And I don't intend to give you up. I was going to, so you could have your happiness, no matter what it cost me. But I've decided I want to fight for you, for us. Seeing you with him made me realize just what I was giving up."
Without another word, he caressed her back and her red bottom cheeks before he picked his belt up from the floor and doubled it. He would go easy on her. But he wanted her to feel pain for the pain she'd caused him these past few weeks. She needed the release, he knew. Dax was right; he should have done this a long time ago. Maybe if he had, things would never have gotten to the point they had. He had no idea she was submissive at heart, but tonight had proven to him that this was the lifestyle they both needed in their marriage. He'd approached their relationship in the wrong way. He should have told her from the start that he was a dominant and let her decide if she could be his submissive as well as his wife.
Chapter 5
Annie lay over the edge of the bed with an already-sore butt, waiting for the belt to crack down against her sensitized skin. The fact that her husband had just admitted to her that he was a Dom should have surprised her. It should have frightened her. But instead, it excited her. She knew all about Doms and subs. She had read all kinds of romance novels where the hot alpha male tamed the strong, independent woman who secretly longed to be a submissive. Had she thought of herself that way? Well, not really, not until tonight. When he'd taken charge, it had turned her on—a lot. What did that say about her? That this was what she had been craving, what she needed? If the telltale dripping of juices running down the inside of her thighs were anything to base it on, she'd have to say yes.
She heard the swish just before the belt cracked down on her left cheek. It took her breath away, burning, stinging. The second fell on her right cheek, then her sit spots and the tops of her thighs before he started over. The last four were to her bottom, never slicing into the same part twice. Before he'd even gotten to number seven, Annie had gone limp, the sobs tearing at her broken heart. She felt all the anger ebbing away. She no longer wanted to fight with Dane. All she wanted was for him to take her in his arms and hold her, for him to tell her everything was going to be all right and finally, for him to relieve that growing need deep inside her.
She heard the belt hit the hardwood floor, and she was in his arms. He was doing exactly what she wanted him to do.
He whispered sweet words of comfort and love to her. "Baby girl, it's all over. We can start with a clean slate. I love you so much." He caressed her head, her face and her back, and then he just held her, placing light kisses to the top of her head while she cried and clung to him, her arms around his neck.
"I-I love you, too, Dane. I was going to a-apologize that next morning after we fought, but you were gone. Please don't ever leave me again."
"Baby, we'll talk about that. Right now, why don't you lie back, and I'll get you some water."
She nodded, and he gently positioned her on the bed and tucked her in. When he returned with a bottle of water for each of them, he said, "We'll sit down and make some lists soon. There will be a list of household chores, which we'll share equally from now on. Also, there needs to be a list of things we'd both like to do. We can save our money and then choose. For example, a trip or something new for the house. Finally, there will be a list of rules. You'll tell me what you expect of me, and I'll tell you the same."
She nodded and sat up, taking the water from him and unscrewing the cap so she could take a sip. The sobbing had lessened to tears and hiccups, and now, she was starting to calm. The ache between her thighs was worse than ever, though.
They sat on the bed together, sipping water and talking. Finally, Dane set the bottles down and took her chin in his hand. He leaned down and kissed her. Soon, they were right back to where they had been before the discipline session, for which Annie was very glad. The heat was spreading throughout her limbs as he kissed, tickled, teased and caressed with his lips and tongue and fingers.
He kept it up until she was very nearly over the edge before looking up at her. "Baby… I've missed you so much; I've missed us, this," he whispered in a hoarse voice before returning to his torture of her senses.
Her body was on fire, and with each stroke of his expert tongue, she felt as if she would explode into a million pieces. Finally, when she couldn't hold back any longer, she gave in to the sensations he was stirring, crying out as her world exploded.
"Annie, oh, baby, yes, let it go…" He raised himself back up to eye level and kissed her again, holding her as she shuddered in delight, still reeling from the intense orgasm.
"Dane, please… I need you…"
"You don't have to ask me twice, baby," he replied as he positioned himself above her. He entered her slowly at first, his gaze never leaving hers as the exquisite sensations overtook them both. "Annie, oh my God, Annie. I have missed you."
He began moving inside her, building a rhythm that she quickly matched. They moved together, the heat building with each thrust, until the fire between them was white-hot and flaming out of control. Her senses swirling, her body responding to his every move, she whispered, "I love you, Dane."
Her hands caressed his butt and his back, and as her nails dug into his back, he moaned, "Annie, I can't hold back…"
"Now, Dane!" She cried out in rapturous delight as the ecstasy enveloped her once again. Shuddering, oblivious to anything but the feel of her husband inside her, she surrendered to him completely, mind, body, heart and soul.
And as he joined her in oblivion, he whispered in her ear, "I love you, too."
When the shudders of delight had finally subsided, he rolled off her and pulled her close. Kissing the top of her head, he said, "Annie, baby, that was the best it's been in a long time."
She winced as she replied, "I know, honey, and I'm so sorry I was such a bitch the past few months. I've needed to show you how I really feel about you. I-I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance again." A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked up at him.
"Don'
t cry, baby." He leaned down to kiss her.
They cuddled, both quiet, before falling asleep. In the middle of the night, she woke and began fondling him. Immediately, his eyes flew open, and he was ready to go again. He pulled her on top of him, and they had another mind-blowing sensual experience before finally falling asleep in each other's arms once more.
When Annie awoke, Dane was sleeping soundly. She gently caressed his face before she quietly crept out of bed and headed for the bathroom. After a hot, steamy shower, she dried herself with a soft, fluffy towel and donned the robe that had been hanging on the back of the bathroom door. She padded softly through the bedroom, toward the kitchen. She stopped along the way to pick up the clothes strewn on the floor and smiled as she remembered how they'd gotten there the night before. She put her own clothes in the hamper and neatly folded Dane's things before setting them on the chair in the bedroom. When the coffee was going, she searched for the ingredients for strawberry waffles, Dane's favorite breakfast. She quickly found everything she needed, took the waffle iron from the cabinet and was just mixing the batter when Dane appeared in the doorway.
"Do I smell coffee?" he asked, grinning as he stood and watched her.
"Of course, you know me and my morning caffeine," she replied with a giggle.
"Oh, boy, do I ever. What are you mixing up over there? Not waffles?" he asked as he walked to her. As he stood behind her, he kissed her neck before pulling two mugs out of the cabinet and pouring coffee for both of them.
"Yes, and I even have the strawberry topping and whipped cream you like so much," she said as she poured the first batch of batter onto the hot iron.
"I could think of other things to do with the whipped cream, you know," he teased.
"I know you could," she replied with a laugh.
"I'll set the table," he offered.
As her eyebrows shot up in surprise, she bit her tongue.
"No comment?" he asked.
"No comment," she replied.
After breakfast, he took a shower while she cleaned up the kitchen. When he walked back into the kitchen, she handed him another mug of coffee. "Do you want me to go over to Dax's with you and help you pack?"
"Annie… about that… sit down, baby. We need to talk," he said in a serious tone.
"Dane, what is it?" she asked warily as she sat at the kitchen table.
He sat down in the chair across from her so that he was facing her as he spoke. "Baby, I'm going back to Dax's, but I'm not packing my things and moving back in here… at least not yet."
"What do you mean?" she asked in a shaky voice. Her lower lip was trembling, and her palms suddenly became moist. She fought to fight the tears that threatened to flow. She thought they were working things out. After last night, everything seemed to be going well between them. They had a new understanding, or so she had thought.
Dane took her hand in his and caressed it with his thumb. "Annie, one night of sizzling make-up sex doesn't repair a damaged marriage. You have to admit that when I moved out, we were pretty damn damaged. I think we should take things a little slowly at first. I want you to think about those lists I talked about last night. I'll make mine, too. We'll compare them."
"But I never wanted you to move out. I was ready to apologize for my behavior and make it up to you the morning after that last awful fight. But… when I got up, you were gone."
"Baby, listen to me. I know you want to work things out. I realized last night when you walked away from Russ. I didn't run out like I did the last time I saw the two of you together. I decided to stay and see what you'd do. When you went back to your table, I asked Robin to dance. That was also to see what you'd do. I wondered if you'd run back to Russ or come to me. I got my answer."
"You know that girl? You know her name?"
"She introduced herself to Dax and me when we first got there."
"You say you got your answer. I don't understand then. Why are you going back to Dax's?"
"Because we both need some more time to think about this. I don't want a divorce, Annie. As far as I'm concerned, that's no longer on the table. But I do think we need to take some more time and think about everything that was wrong with us. I believe you, when you say you didn't contact Russ to come back to town. It just happened, like you said it did. Maybe it was a good thing he came back right now. It gave you a chance to see, once and for all, what you really want."
"I still don't get why you won't come home. I need you, Dane."
"I need you too, baby, but if I come back, I'm never leaving you again. That's why we have to take things slowly. If we love each other, we need to do this for us, Annie. I also threw some pretty heavy information your way last night. I want you to take time to think about the lifestyle, too. What we shared last night was phenomenal. It was intimate and personal, a whole new level for us. I'd like for things to always be like that. But it's going to take time for us to get to that point. It won't just happen overnight."
"If you come back?" she asked. "Does that mean you think there's still a chance you won't?"
"I'm not coming back right away. I should have said when I come back. I guess it depends on how things go from now on, how soon we can start living together again. I can't come back to the fighting and anger. Things have to change. You surely see that, don't you? I know we won't always agree on everything, but you have to admit, things were pretty bad between us when I left. We need to take the time to make sure we both know exactly what we want and what we expect from each other before I move back in. Like I said, once I come back, I'm never leaving again."
"I do love you, Dane, and I want things to be good between us again. If this is what it takes for us to get back to where we need to be, I'll agree to it. But I want you back; I never wanted you to leave in the first place. And I sure as hell never wanted a divorce. And as for the D/s stuff. I think I needed that all along. I just didn't know it. I don't have a problem with it, once we sit down and discuss it all, the rules and everything."
He got up and put his coffee mug in the sink. When he walked over to where she sat, he pulled her out of her chair, holding her close. He kissed the top of her head and cupped her chin in his strong hands. As he looked deeply into her green eyes, he said, "I love you, Annie Daring; don't ever forget that." And he kissed her goodbye. When he released her, he walked out the front door and got into the truck, leaving his wife standing in the middle of their kitchen, crying like a baby.
The days went by slowly for Annie as she tried to maintain a normal routine. She went about her daily chores at home and at work in an attempt not to pick up the phone and call Dane. She was determined to let him make the first move, and she was surprised when a dozen red roses were delivered to the office one afternoon.
As she read the card, she smiled to herself. So, he thinks he's courting me now. I could get used to this.
Two days later, she baked his favorite cookies and had a messenger deliver them to him at work. He replied with a text message, telling her if she was trying to seduce him with food, it was working.
A week later, he still hadn't called, though. He'd sent text messages and emails, sexy, suggestive messages, tantalizing her senses, driving her nearly mad with desire for him. She'd been working on her lists and wondered if he had been, too.
Finally, one night he called. "Annie, are you awake?"
"Yes, I'm awake. I'm in bed, reading a book, since I don't have anyone here with me to distract me," she teased.
"You'd better not have anyone in there with you, distracting you," he teased back.
"Well, I could be distracting you—"
"Annie, behave yourself. I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me Saturday night."
"Are you asking me out on a date?"
"I guess I am. That's taking it slow, isn't it?"
"But how's the evening going to end, Dane? I can't guarantee I'll be able to keep my hands off you."
"You're worried about that? I'd think it would be the other way a
round."
"Oh, so you admit you can't keep your hands off me. This could turn out to be an interesting date."
"It might at that, baby, it might at that."
"I'll have dinner with you. Pick me up at seven," she said, smiling to herself.
"I'll be there, and I want you to wear something hot and sexy for me," he added with a chuckle.
"Goodnight, Mr. Daring."
"Goodnight, Mrs. Daring. Sleep tight."
She hung up the phone and laughed. Oh, Dane, I'm going to knock your socks off Saturday night.
She walked around for the next few days with a grin on her face. Her joy was so evident, Kate finally asked if she and Dane were back together.
"Not yet, Kate, but we're working on it. We're having dinner together Saturday night."
"That's a step in the right direction. I've felt so bad for you the past few months. I didn't know what to say to make you feel better."
"Thanks, but I know something you can do for me."
"What's that, Annie?" Kate asked curiously.
"Go shopping with me at lunchtime. I need to find an outfit that will really get Dane's blood boiling… in a good way."
"Now, that is definitely something I can do. You know how I love to shop."
"Yes, I do. That's why you're the perfect person to come with me. Angela just doesn't get the whole shopping thing."
"She doesn't like to shop? How can that be?" Kate asked in a shocked tone.
"Oh, she shops for the essentials, but she doesn't get the joy out of it that you and I do." Annie giggled.
"That woman just isn't right in the head," Kate said, shaking her head in disbelief. "How is it that you have been friends for years?"
"I've been telling her that for years, believe me. Even in high school, she hated to shop."
"Well, never fear. I'd be happy to help you pick something out for your date with that hunk of a husband of yours. We'll make sure you get his undivided attention."
"I'll meet you out here in the lobby at one. Will that work for you?"
The Daring Doms Page 6