With This Collar (8 page)

She realised he’d done it again. He’d kept her talking, engaged her brain to the point that she was thinking intellectually rather than descending into fear. He was making this matter-of-fact. “And reinforcement?”

“If I were administering a reinforcement spanking, we would discuss my rules and your understanding of them. We’d agree to a number of strokes you’d receive. It wouldn’t be as painful as a punishment, but it would sting enough that you would associate breaking of the rules in future with how bad it would hurt your butt.”

“Let me get this straight, you’re telling me this will hurt—”

“A great deal.”

She scowled.

“And understand this, Julia. You have to ask me to do it. Tell me your safe words.”

“Do we have to do this again? You heard me go through it with Master Damien. And I remember the house has a safe word, too.”

Implacably he crossed his arms.

After sighing, she said, “Green is for everything being okay. Yellow means slow down.” It also meant they had to talk, something she was getting a bit weary of. “Red is for stop. Halt is the house’s safe word.”

“Will you saying the word stop prevent me from continuing?”

She thought about that. “No.”

“Will you saying no prevent me from continuing?”

This time she blinked at him, understanding dawning.

“A lot of times, subs will shout no when they don’t mean it. If you need no to mean stop immediately, you need to tell me now. We have to both understand the way you’re communicating.”

“I get it.”

“If I discontinue the scene and ask if you want to proceed, the only answers I will accept are yes, Sir and green, Sir. Yeah or uh-huh will not work. Neither will nodding. Anything less than yes is equivocation, and I will not proceed. Do you understand and accept these conditions?”

“Are you always so formal?”

“We’ll go through this every time we play.”

“And since we’ll never play again…”

“Then you only need to hear them once. Tell me what colour you are on.”

“Green, Sir.”

“In that case, kneel and place your hands at the small of your back.”

Her pulse raced. Here was the moment of truth. She’d insisted, to herself as well as to him, that she would never do that.

“I can force you,” he said. “That little trick you saw Gregorio perform? He taught me. Your choice.”

She regarded him in silence.

“I prefer you to do this of your own free will. You have five seconds.”

Deciding there would be something slightly more humiliating in being physically overpowered, she swallowed her pride and lowered herself to the floor.

If there had been any doubt in her mind that she was submitting to him, it disappeared in that moment. Being on her knees while her Dom claimed the space above her changed her state of mind.

She stared up at him, mesmerised as he shrugged from the leather blazer. He moved methodically, hanging the garment on a hook near the wall that held the spanking instruments.

He unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt then unfastened the ones at the cuff. He rolled the material to his elbows, exposing the sinews of his strong forearms with an appealing scattering of dark hair.

Her mouth dried. His hands were huge. And he intended to use them on her bare rear. And he’d been matter-of-fact that it would hurt.

Fear nearly stopped her heart.

He moved in closer until he stood directly in front of her. She had to tip her head back uncomfortably in order to see his eyes.

“I’m going to sit in the chair,” he told her. “And then I’m going to ask you to stand, walk over to me and drape yourself across my lap. How many spanks do you deserve?”

She didn’t know how to answer that question. “Uhm, how many is customary, Sir?”

“Excellent question.”

He was so masculine, so powerful standing above her. She had never been more aware of her femininity than she was in this very moment. “A better one is how many do you think I deserve, Sir?”

“You are a natural,” he said. “You know you’ll crave this from lovers in the future, and you won’t get it unless you seek it out.”

He hadn’t phrased it as a question, rather as a statement. It would rankle if she didn’t intuitively know he was right, even though she didn’t want him to be.

“A sub who misbehaves generally rates twelve over-the-knee spanks, and another dozen on the horse. And in a punishment spanking, I generally deny him or her an orgasm. But tonight…”

“Tonight, Sir…”

“I think eight and eight. And if you take them appropriately and ask nicely for each, I might give you an orgasm at the end.”

Damn him, damn it, he had done it again, scrambled her brains so that she wasn’t objecting to what would happen. She was thinking about the fairness of whether she would orgasm or not instead of the pain she’d have to endure. She was recalling the climax in the sunroom and desperately wanting another.

Her nipples ached. Her pussy felt wet where minutes ago she’d been dry.

“The first eight will be with my bare hand. The second will be with my tawse.”

She watched as he crossed to the horse and placed the strap on top of it.

He sat in the chair, and terror returned. He looked so imposing, so threatening. She knew she could end this at any time, and, with a flash of insight, knew she didn’t want to.

“You are welcome to hold onto the chair leg and me for balance. Since you’re new, I will trap your legs with one of mine to stop your thrashing. In the future, I’ll make you control your own motions.”

“There will be no next time, Sir.” Wildly, she wondered if she were trying to convince him or herself.

“I will wait until you ask me to begin the spanking. Please count each and then ask for the next. A little gratitude will go a long way to ensuring my good nature at the end of the beating. Any questions?”

She had at least a dozen concerns, but she couldn’t find her voice. Trepidation swam in her. Goosebumps raised on her arms.
Now or never.

Chapter Four

Marcus regarded her. They both knew she’d soon be across his lap. He wondered how quickly she would she do it, how much fuss would she put up, how much would she endure to get to that elusive orgasm.

If she truly had submissive tendencies as he suspected, she’d be across his lap within the next thirty seconds. If she was doing this only out of curiosity, she’d need to ask another dozen questions first, and she’d bolt as soon as the first stinging slap seared her skin.

He remained silent and watched the silent struggle wage on her features. Waiting was easy when you knew you were going to win.

Finally, without another word, she stood. Their gazes met. She looked away first.

He offered his hand, and she stared at it for several seconds before accepting his help. “Perfect,” he said.

He expected her to say something, anything, but she didn’t.

She held onto the chair with one hand and gripped his trousers with the other. As he’d promised, he secured her lower body with his legs, and he placed his left hand, fingers spread wide, in the centre of her back.

 She looked so appealing, wriggling on his lap, trying to get comfortable. Her blonde hair tumbled down towards the floor. Her breaths sounded more like tiny gasps. He would happily watch her for hours, but he wasn’t sure his cock could take the torture.

Ever since he’d reached his hand beneath her skirt to play with her pussy, he’d wanted to sink himself in her hot, wet depth. Generally, restraint wasn’t an issue for him. But he knew how responsive she was.

Finally she stilled.

“Oh,” she said after another few seconds. “I’m ready, Sir.”

Instead of immediately spanking her, he ran his fingers up her thighs, feeling the softness of her skin. Women in general appealed to him with their soft curves. But Julia, a heady combination of beauty, innocence and sass, made it difficult for him to focus. “Keep still,” he told her. “Remember to breathe. I’m going to warm up your skin a bit so that you don’t bruise as easily.”

“Okay,” she mumbled.

He rubbed her ass cheeks, slowly at first, then more vigorously to stimulate blood flow to the area. After a few moments, she no longer held herself rigidly, and he felt the tension ease from her body.

“How are you feeling?”

“Okay, Sir.”

Honestly, he could do this all day. “You are very pleasing,” he told her.

“I wish you’d get it over with.”

Who was he to deny a needy woman?

Without any warning, he delivered the first smack, just below her ass cheeks, on that tender spot where her thighs and buttocks met.

She gasped and tried to pull up, but he held her still. “Good fucking hell!”

“I’ll take that to mean it hurt.”

She thrashed for long seconds, swore again, but she didn’t use a safe word, nor did she try to really get away.

Oh, yeah, this woman was terrific.

She reached back to soothe the ache, and he let her…for a few seconds. “Stalling might earn you extra reprimands.”

“Then do it,” she said.

“Do what?”

“Hit me.”

“Spank you,” he corrected.

“Fine. Spank me.”

He waited for a moment, giving her time to collect herself. “How many was that?”

She fisted her hands. “One,” she answered. “Sir.” She settled her nerves then placed her hands where they were supposed to be. “May I please have the next one?”

“This will be easier if we find a rhythm,” he told her. “Surrender rather than fight. Accept the pain and release the struggle.”

“Have you ever been spanked?” she asked, hostility in her tone.

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

“
What?
”

“I’ll explain more to you later if you’re interested. I wouldn’t put a sub through something I wasn’t intimately familiar with. Breathe.” He caught her right cheek with a blazing spank. “Don’t hold your breath,” he told her.

She screamed.

The door opened and Damien entered the room.

“We have company,” Marcus told her, meeting the other man’s gaze.

“Oh, God!”

“You can stay in place,” Marcus assured her. “Or you can get up. Your choice. I’m sure Master Damien is here to check on your safety after that racket. He’ll want your assurance that you’re not being mistreated.”

“I was afraid you were using a cattle prod on her,” Damien said. “Maybe a paddle wrapped in barbed wire.”

They looked at each other. Marcus saw Damien battle a smile.

“I’ll try to be quieter,” she whispered.

“How many spanks have you had, Julia?” Damien asked.

“Two, Sir.”

“What colour are you on?”

“Mortification,” she mumbled.

Marcus pinched her thigh. “Master Damien asked you a question. Show a little respect, girl.”

“Green. I’m green, Sir.”

“Are you under duress?”

“It just hurts more than I thought it would.”

“Master Damien needs a yes or a no,” Marcus said.

“No. I’m not under duress, Sir.”

“Might I suggest a gag?” Damien asked before leaving.

“Relax,” Marcus told her when they were alone again. “I’m going to rub you again.” She sighed and all but melted under his touch. Her responsiveness made him want to hold her and cherish her.

“I don’t suppose we can do this all evening, Sir?”

“We can.”

She made a sound almost like a purr.

“As soon as you’ve taken your punishment.

“Then please, Sir. May I have the third?”

He blazed another onto her left cheek.

She gave a shortened screech, catching herself almost immediately. She resumed the correct position within seconds.

“Cease your struggles,” he said softly. “Breathe. Accept. Enjoy.”

“I suppose it’s rude to question Sir’s sanity.”

He laughed.

She moved about a bit, but then settled.

“Please, I’m ready.”

He delivered the fourth strike, and she cried out, but much softer this time. She gripped his leg tighter, but she didn’t let go.

“I’m ready for another,” she said, much, much faster than he imagined she would.

He obliged, catching her, again, beneath her butt cheeks.

Her body went rigid, but she didn’t protest.

“Breathe,” he coached. “Exhale when I hit you. I promise, it will make it easier.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Inhale.”

He waited until she did, then he rained a harsh smack, again on her left ass cheek.

“Oh, Sir!” she said. “That was…”

She squeezed his leg.

“I…”

She didn’t have to tell him that she had stopped the struggle. He felt it.

Blood rushed to his groin. There was nothing more exquisite than the surrender of a supplicant.

He gave her a break to absorb what had happened. Honestly, he needed it, too. He’d been a Dom long enough to recognise this moment for the gift it was. And if she wanted it, he could take her deeper, giving her experiences she’d never dreamt possible.

“I’m ready for another.” She breathed in and relaxed.

“I’m ready for another,
Sir
.”

She repeated what he had said, then breathed in again, letting her body go slack.

“I’m going to give you two,” he said. “Finish it off.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

He waited until she was ready, then he spanked her twice in quick succession.

She whispered her thanks, but so softly he barely heard her.

He turned her over, and she blinked to focus on him. “You’re built for a firm hand,” he told her. He wanted to fuck her. He wanted to drive into her until she screamed his name in submission. What the hell had he been thinking in promising her just one night? He wanted to possess her.

She smiled. Her scowl was gone, replaced by peace. “That was hot,” she said. “I think I’m starting to understand the whole whips and chains thing.”

“That was only a little taste,” he said. “And it wasn’t meant to arouse.”

“And if it did?” she asked.

Like a feline seeking heat, she snuggled into him.

He smoothed her hair over her shoulders and caught her chin. “I’m glad it did. But that may mean you need more spankings to atone for your behaviour upstairs.”