Conviction (13 page)

“Thankyou Kelly, for your apology.” Gently he caressed the bruised side of her face and his stomach flip flopped when she leaned into his hand. She was starting to accept him. Not just as a friend. She was starting to accept him as her Sir, her Master, her Dom. “Can you tell me how you're feeling right now?”

“Um...I guess I'm a little surprised.”

“Not the reaction I was expecting, can you elaborate please?”

“I guess I expected more anger from you. But all I really felt was complete disappointment. I'd let you down.” Kelly paused for a minute trying to collect her thoughts.
I've come this far, why hold back now
? She thought to herself. “I guess I was surprised that I was disappointed in myself. I thought I would be angry with
you
for wanting to punish me, for hurting me. Instead I found myself understanding why I needed to be punished. I...I want to please you, not make you angry.”

Kelly heard the sharp intake of breath from James. His silence had her nervous and she started to ring her hands together waiting for his response.

“I'm sorry Kelly, I don't mean to make you wait...I'm just...well, if we're being honest, I'm completely floored...I never...I never thought that you would understand and
accept
so much in such a short space of time. Thank you for being so honest with me. I know you are placing a great deal of trust in me and I am so grateful and speechless at how far you have come today. Considering...last night.” Again he paused and shifted his body under hers, she could feel his erection under her sore and tender ass. He wasn't fully erect, but hard enough to make her want to wiggle on his lap to see what would happen. “Come on, I need to put some cream on that beautiful ass of yours or you won’t be sitting down for a week instead of a couple of days.”

Chapter 12 - James

James followed Kelly's reddened ass up the stairs, her clothes lay in his arms as he took each step slowly so that he could gather his thoughts enough to concentrate.

He stood watching her for a few moments as her breathing evened out and she managed to relax her muscles slightly. She was still terrified and rigid, but James noted the familiar scent of musk in the air. She was turned on. Hard once again, he had to adjust himself before going to the side of the bed and sitting down next to her.

“I’m going to touch you, to rub the cream in, okay sweetheart?” He asked softly.

“Yes…Sir.” She murmured into the crook of her arm.

“Look at me so you can see who is touching you, who is rubbing that beautiful red ass of yours.” He waited until she had turned her head and opened her eyes before he popped the lid off the cream, never taking his eyes of his.

“I want you to keep your eyes open at all times.”

“Can I blink?” she asked with a mock seriousness. “Sir.”

“Really? You’re going to be sassy after a spanking? Maybe you do have a slightly masochistic streak in you.”

“No, I do not. Sir.” Kelly’s voice had changed in an instant, and James knew he had taken her trust too far with his teasing.

“Honey, it’s okay to like what you like. Even if you’re experiences have led you to feel otherwise. This is a new experience for you and you need to try and see it that way, as something new. This isn’t a repeat of what he did to you. This is between you and me, and know that I would never,
never
willingly hurt you.”

Kelly remained silent but didn’t flinch from his touch while he had been speaking to her. He took note of how she relished his quiet, gentle voice and knew that would come in handy during stressful times for her.

James took his time smoothing cream over her aching ass, pausing each time Kelly's body went rigid at his touch. This occurred nearly every time his fingers wandered towards her core. What would normally take him five minutes to do, unless he was intentionally trying to prolong the experience, was going to take close to an hour. He had to be mindful and ease Kelly into getting used to his touch. Surprisingly the spanking seemed to have made it easier for her to let James touch her. At first she had protested and blushed at the thought of him rubbing soothing cream into her ass. But when he had simply raised an eyebrow at her and waited she had turned around and laid on her stomach on his bed, carefully taking in slow, deep breaths in an effort to control her nerves.

He longed to hold her in his arms and lay together for the rest of the day, instead he asked her to make them lunch. At first she had asked him if he’d installed fire extinguishers since yesterday’s lunch making attempt. He had chuckled at her statement until he realised she actually hasn’t been joking. After that he decided that a simple ham, cheese, and tomato toasted sandwich would be enough of an adventure for Kelly in the kitchen.

He sat at the breakfast bar, watching her prepare the light meal. She took great care in cutting the tomatoes after he had requested that the sliced not be too thick. He knew he could have made the same sandwiches in half the time, but he wanted to help her with her realisation that she actually enjoyed pleasing him.

Twenty minutes later she looked up from placing the sandwiches carefully on to a place a look of pure achievement on her face. James couldn’t help but start to laugh. And the more Kelly looked perplexed the more he laughed.

“
What
are you laughing at?” Kelly asked exasperated as tears began to leak from her eyes.

“Oh, Precious, you really have no idea just how cute you are when you are concentrating do you? You kind of stick your tongue out, like this,” James tried to mimic the way her tongue had stuck out just slightly from one side of her mouth, he furrowed his brow in mock concentration before the laughter took over once again.

“I cannot believe you are laughing at me when I actually made a lunch for you that doesn’t require the house being aired out for several hours afterwards!” Kelly stomped around the other side of the kitchen bench and pushed him playfully in the arms. The small stool wobbled perilously before finally toppling over completely sending James sprawling to the floor. He barely took a breath in between laughing as he took in Kelly’s horrified face before she started giggling. Her breasts jiggled under the large t-shirt of his that he had picked out for her to wear. It was one of his favourites but he had decided it looked better on her then it did on him.

“You did
not
just hit a Dom, did you Kelly?” He asked in as serious a tone as he could muster considering he was still chuckling under his breath.

Kelly looked horrified, as the colour drained from her face James flew up from the floor to try and calm things down. Another mistake. His fast movements had Kelly dropping to the floor in fear, protecting her face with her hands as she used her feet to scurry back from him until she hit the cupboards behind her.

James stopped in his tracks, knowing that he needed to tread very carefully in case he sent her into full panic mode. Slowly he lowered himself until he was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed in front of him. He sat silently and as still as he could as he waited for her to realise that he wasn’t moving towards her. Gradually Kelly stopped shrieking, her whimpers coming less and less often. James had no idea how long they had sat on the kitchen floor for before her sobs and whimpers stopped completely and she lowered her hands from their protective position above her head. Slowly Kelly raised her head and took in her surrounds, finally realising where she was and who she was with.

“James?” Kelly’s eyes widened before she drew in a sharp breath and her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!”

“It's okay, Sweetheart. Are you okay?” James said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Instead of answering Kelly half crawled, half scooted herself towards him and climbed into his lap. James’ heart pounded in his chest at her willingness to come to him for comfort after he had been the one to cause her distress, albeit by accident.

Once she had settled into his lap, her legs drawn up to her chest and her head on his chest James slowly inched his arms around her until he was able to pull her tightly against him. Expecting resistance instead a single tear escaped his eyes as she sighed and snuggled against him further in his arms.

Chapter 13 – Kelly

Kelly hit the black boxing bag in front of her with a fierce left hook. She had been able to surprise a lot of her sparring partners with that left hook. Being right handed, it wasn’t common for boxers to have a strong opposing hook. She let the bag take the emotions that were bouncing around in her head. James had held her on the kitchen floor until she had quietly asked to get up to go to the bathroom. She wasn’t angry at James. She was finally starting to understand the full extent of what Devlin had deprived her by kidnapping her and keeping her as an unwilling slave for so long. She had gone to him for solace and he had accepted her with trepidation but gentleness.

She punched the bag as she listed things in her head that he had taken away from her. Things that she had missed out on that
normal
teenagers would have experienced. Her first kiss. Her first boyfriend. Losing her virginity to someone she was in love with. Graduation. Sneaking out at night to meet her friends or a boy. Learning to drive. First dates. Drinking alcohol underage. Birthdays. Christmas. Each time she would think of something new she punched the bag until she couldn’t breathe before letting herself rest until she thought of something else.

“Well at least you’re not sitting around eating junk food and getting fat now, Scraps.”

“Sarge!” Forgetting her anger Kelly barrelled across the room and flew into the older man’s strong, safe arms, surprising not only herself but the rough gentlemen who she had grown to turst.

“Well, if all I had to do to get you in my arms was not see you for a few days I would have done this a lot sooner!” After a minute she pulled her away from him by her shoulders, gently so not to startle her. “How you doing here, really?”

“Did James tell you why I’m here? What we’re doing?” Kelly probed.

“Xander did. James introduced us the other day actually. Turns out there was no need for introductions. We used to work together.”

“Let me guess, the unit that doesn’t and didn’t exist.”

“Nah, nothing that cool. I couldn’t have been in the military, wasn’t my thing. No, we worked together years ago, Xander was fresh out of the academy. I was actually his training officer for a while when he first went into the field.”

“Oh. Wow. Small world then?”

“Don’t avoid my question, Scraps, how are you
really
doing with all…this stuff? I know you have more triggers than an armoury of weapons and you still have a million flash backs. Not to mention the nightmares. Despite what you want me to think, I can see it in your eyes, Honey.”

Kelly looked at her boxing mentor with fresh eyes. She saw genuine concern, affection and something that she had forgotten the look of a long time ago. Love. Not couple love, but paternal. He loved her like a daughter. The idea took her by surprise and soon she was crying into his shoulder and he gently held her until she calmed.

“Not doing so well, huh?”

“It’s not that…” she started, unsure what to say to him. “I mean…It’s just…”

“Spit it out Scraps, it’s not like I’ve got
all
day you know.” Sarge grinned at her.

“Fine. Thankyou. For your understanding, your concern and your lo…love.”

“Oh, Kelly. You’re finally letting yourself feel again. Feel things you deserve to have felt for a very long time. Maybe I was wrong about James and what he is trying to do here.”

“It’s hard, Sarge. I mean,
really
hard. And it’s only been a few days! I’m on a roller coaster with my emotions with him. One minute I hate him and want to use him as my punching bag, the next I actually
want
to have his arms around me making me feel warm and safe,
content
even. Then I want to make him happy and the next I want to be sassy and make him a little annoyed.”

Sarge’s booming laugh echoed around the barn and out into the open air.

“Sounds like you’re reliving some of those teenage years after all here, Scraps!” he continued to laugh as he lead her over to the weights. “How’s the head going?”

“It’s okay, I need to have the stitches out in a couple of days. To be honest they are already starting to pull a little, which I’ll take as a good sign that it’s healing. The bruising looks worse than it is.” Kelly raised her hand to her face, gently running her fingers over the bruised part of her check at Sarge’s unconvinced glare. “Honestly.”

“I doubt that, but let’s get you to work. I’m not being paid to chat today.”

“He’s paying you to come and see me?”

“Oh no, the seeing is free. The training on the other hand, hell
yes
I’m charging him. I wouldn’t charge you, Sweetheart.” Chucking again to himself Sarge get about putting her through a fairly gentle weight training session. Kelly couldn’t help but enjoy the familiar company and the fact that Sarge had called her sweetheart. She was starting to like hearing it from the men in her life.

Men in her life?

Since when did she have
men
in her life?

Kelly didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh but didn’t have time to ponder as Sarge drew her thoughts back to the present as he made her count reps of sit-ups and push-ups.

Sarge held the door for her as they went into the house and both gulped down a few glasses of chilled water from the fridge. Kelly found herself clinking glasses with Sarge as they celebrated their companionship and the effort she had just put into their session.
“Kelly, when you have finished your drink, please go and have a shower. I’ve laid out your clothes on the bed for you.” James was in the kitchen behind them staring at Sarge, Kelly couldn't tell what mood he was in so she decided to roll with it. Have Sarge there had made her day, and she wasn't about to ruin it with a spanking.

“Yes, Sir.” Kelly answered and quickly finished her drink, placing her glass straight into the dishwasher and heading off towards the bedroom.

“Good girl, Kelly. Thankyou.” James called after her. Maybe he wasn't in such a bad mood after all.

Kelly’s breath hitched and her steps faltered slightly at James’ words before she managed to compose herself and continue walking to the bedroom. What was with her? How did his words have such a dramatic effect on her? Stripping off her sweaty gym clothes and placing them into the hamper she turned the shower on and stepped in under its cold stream. Shocking her body with iciness until it started to heat. Her well worked muscles began to warm up as her nipples hardened and puckered into small buds.

Kelly paused on slightly before reaching up and gently touching her own nipple. Surprised at the hardness of them she giggled slightly before reaching for the other and gently running a finger around the tip of the tight peak. Kelly felt her body tingle in response to her own touch and quickly removed her hands, unsure of what she was doing and not sure if she wanted to feel the way her body wanted to. Instead she set to work scrubbing her body and washing her hair keeping her thoughts at bay.

Kelly stepped in to the bedroom with one white towel wrapped around her and another wrapped in her hair. She was still trying not to think about how her body had reacted to her own delicate touch.

“Kelly?” James stood in the doorway, leaning against it in the most casual way. She jumped at his voice, not because she was scared of him but because he had genuinely startled her.

“Sir?”

“Do you still want to continue with your training? With me I mean?”

“I’m not sure why you’re asking? Do you think I’m not strong enough? I am…I will be…I thought I was doing well…okay not
well
but at least progressing.”

“You
are
, so much,” James walked over to her and gently placed his hand on the side of her face, his lips turning up slightly at the edges as Kelly leant into his hands. “I just don’t want you to…I mean…I’m so proud of you Kelly. What you are doing here with me, what you are doing for your daughter. No person should have to go through this a second time, it wasn’t fair that you had to endure him once. Just know that I am so proud of you, for trying so hard and for...for bringing some sunshine into my life.”

“Um…I…” Kelly took a deep breath and then looked into his eyes. For the first time she saw uncertainty there. His calm façade unmasked and his emotions on show. “You know as well as I do that the only way to get her out is to go through with this plan. So, no,
Sir
, I do not want to stop my training with you. It would be like starting again and I’m not sure I could do
this
with anyone else.”

“I just wanted to make sure, Sarge has some concerns over what we are doing and how it’s going to affect you in the long run,
after
we get Abbey out of there.”

“Concerns? About me? He should be focusing on the gym and his own life.”

“Do you really underestimate that man’s feelings for you? He loves you, just as much as…” James stopped abruptly realising where his words where going. “As a father would...of course.”

Kelly stood back from his touch a small frown creasing her forehead and dropped her towel to get dressed. On the bed lay a pretty pink and white corset, its delicate lace just begging for her to run her fingers over. Picking it up, Kelly was surprised at its weight considering the delicate fabrics it was made from. Underneath lay a matching G-string. There was nothing else on the bed.

“Do you need help putting that on?” James asked with a small smirk.

“Is this it?”

“I told you your clothes were laid out, did I not?”

“Yes, Sir, you did. I’m sorry.” Kelly answered quietly.

“What for Kelly?”

“For questioning you.”

“Good girl. Now turn around and hold the corset up to your body so I can lace it up.”

Kelly felt the rush of blood spread though out her body once again at his words. Why couldn’t she control her betraying body better? Didn’t he know what he was doing to her? Kelly turned slightly and held the corset up to her chest, trying to place the cups over her breasts. As James began to lace the white ribbon down her back his fingers were grazing over her skin and she felt herself break out in goose bumps.

“Are you cold, Kelly?” James asked as he pulled the ribbon tight causing her to take in a sharp breath.

“No, Sir.”

“Hmmm,” was all he said as he picked up the scrap of material that was supposed to be underwear and swung it around on his finger. “I’m not sure you need these.”

Kelly said nothing and dropped her eyes to the floor. Not willing to argue the point in case he took the corset off her as well.

“Really, not going to argue with me on that? I’m impressed, you’re beginning to show restraint with that mouth of yours.”

“Thank you, I think, Sir.”

“Go down to the dungeon and wait for me.”

Cringing, Kelly walked through the house towards the room she was the most uncomfortable with. The door was open and soft music was playing in the background. She dropped to her knees and assumed the pose that was expected of her. If she wasn’t shaking like a leaf at the uncertainty of what was about to happen, she would have felt pride in her ability to close off her mouth.