Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
RUBY
O w, ow, ow, fucking ow, Beckett! Goddammit!
The words she refused to give voice to ran through her mind over and over as Beckett’s hard hand connected with that same damn spot yet again. It hadn’t been so bad when he’d been alternating sides, but now that he was spanking her several times in a row in the exact same spot before moving on, she was having a much harder time bearing the pain silently.
And it didn’t help in the slightest that her breasts swayed with every single swat, making the weighted clamps tug on her nipples, more painful reminders that she was in this situation because she’d been a big fucking brat.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed her lips together tightly when he switched sides again, taking aim now at the tops of her thighs.
She was currently feeling very sorry for herself. Sorry that she’d lied to Braden, but even more sorry that she hadn’t thought to check her surroundings before hiding Lottie. But then again, how was she supposed to know that would be the one time Beckett would actually follow through on his teasing threats to punish her?
And how was she supposed to know she’d end up trapped in a bet where she had to prove she could out-brat a man who apparently had the patience of a goddamn saint? She knew how to brat against Doms who let their annoyance show, or who tried to win her obedience through brute force. But she’d never been up against a Dom like Braden, one who was willing to simply… wait.
The whole experience had knocked her off-kilter, and her pride was taking just as much of a beating as her ass currently was.
When it finally felt like her entire backside was on fire, he stopped, running his hand over the punished skin. “What’s your color, Ruby?”
She hadn’t been expecting a check-in after just a spanking, and it took her a moment to unlock her lips so she could answer. “Green, Sir.”
“Good girl for remembering my honorific. Are you ready for the cane, or do you need a moment?”
Warmth washed over her at his words, immediately followed by disgust at herself for being so easily moved by his praise. It had always been a weakness of hers, and she hated that it still had such an effect on her even now.
“I said I’m green,” she replied, aware her words had a bit more of a snap to them than was probably advisable under the current circumstances.
Once again, he surprised her by not immediately punishing her with another spanking for her attitude. A moment later he appeared in front of her again, concern in his eyes when he crouched down to her level. “Are you sure you’re alright, sweetheart? We can take a break if you want. There’s no shame in needing a moment.”
To her horror, tears pooled on her bottom lashes, blurring her vision slightly before she managed to blink them away. Where the hell had Beckett Stone been her entire life? Maybe if she’d met him when she’d been eighteen instead of…
Shaking off that thought, and the messy emotions that came with it, she forced a smile. “I promise I’m fine, Sir. I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
His entire face lit with pride at her apology, making her insides tremble as he cupped her cheek. “You are a very good girl, Ruby. And you’re going to have to be a very strong girl for me now. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Thank you. And you still have your safewords if you need them, even though this is a punishment. Understood?”
How had he known that was exactly what she needed to hear when she hadn’t even known until some of the knots in her stomach loosened? Knowing that she could safeword, even when she was being disciplined, was a comfort she hadn’t realized she’d needed. But now that she had it, she found the courage to nod. “I understand, Sir.”
“Good girl. We’re almost done. Ten with the cane and then you can have your cuddles with Ivy.”
Right. With Ivy. Because it was well known that Beckett Stone didn’t give aftercare to subs he didn’t have a relationship with.
Why that should be breaking her heart right now, when she’d known all of that going in, she didn’t know.
But he didn’t give her much time to wallow in her heartbreak. A few moments later, something thin and heavy tapped against her backside and her entire focus became him and the punishment he was about to hand down.
“Six for the lie, four for not answering me properly, which is a total of ten.”
I can do basic math, thanks. She nearly let the words fly, but she was already dreading the ten and wasn’t really keen on adding more to her count.
“For the first six you will count and say ‘I will not tell lies, no matter how small’ after each one. For the final four the response is a count and ‘I will answer properly when asked a question’. Understood?”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. She hated counting even more than she hated the cane. “Yes, Sir,” she ground out through clenched teeth.
“Good girl. Here comes the first one.”
Agony exploded in a thin line straight across the top of her ass a second later and she had to clench her jaw so tightly it ached in order to keep silent. Breathing in through her nose, she waited for it to ebb a bit before opening her mouth to count.
“One, I will not tell lies, no matter how small.”
“One, Sir.”
“You don’t have to call me Sir.”
The response slipped out without her even meaning for it to. Instinctive bratting, she supposed. But there was no new explosion of pain, no growled threats.
He simply… laughed.
Loud and rich, his laughter burrowed under her skin, and it was her who was left wanting to growl. What the fuck was wrong with this man?
“Fair enough, Ruby Red. What I should have said is, the count is the number, followed by ‘Sir’ or the stroke doesn’t count. But I didn’t tell you that in the beginning, so you’re off the hook for the first one. Ready for number two?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You do. You always have your safewords if you need them.”
She was not getting all ooey-gooey over a Dom just because he kept reminding her that she could use her safewords. She was not . “I don’t. I’m ready, Sir.”
“Then here’s number two. Don’t forget your count.”
A second line of hellfire scorched her ass, and again she had to breathe through the pain to keep quiet. Now it was a matter of pride as much as bratting to keep him from knowing how much it fucking hurt . “Two, Sir. I will not tell lies, no matter how small.”
“Good girl. Again.”
Tears blurred her eyes with the third. “Three, Sir. I will not tell lies, no matter how small.”
Her breath hitched when he ran his fingers gently over the welts that were already being raised on her ass. “Actions have consequences, Ruby. What do you think those consequences would be in any other job if you lied to your boss?”
An unwelcome heaviness settled in her chest. “It was just a prank.”
“That wasn’t what I asked you, little girl.”
Fuck. This was no longer just a fun, somewhat playful punishment. Now her emotions were getting involved, and if anything would tempt her to use her safeword, it was that. “I-I don’t know. I guess I’d get written up. Maybe fired.”
“Why is that?”
Whatever emotion it was sitting in on her chest grew even heavier, making it hard for her to breathe. “I don’t know .”
“You do know, Ruby. What happens to trust when you lie to someone?”
“It breaks,” she whispered, just managing to get the words out past the tightness in her throat.
“Good girl.” His praise washed over her, easing some of the ache in her chest. “I know it wasn’t a very big lie, and I know you were only trying to help a friend. That’s why I’m going easy on you.”
Jesus Christ. This was him going easy on her? “Gee, thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” he answered without a hint of sarcasm. “The count is four, in case you’ve lost track.”
Four, five, and six. I will not tell lies, no matter how small. By the time that final line was delivered, she was indeed feeling very sorry for letting Lottie drag her into her shenanigans.
But even with her ass on fire and Beckett’s lecture burning in her ears, she knew she wouldn’t have changed a damn thing. Lottie was a friend, and she would always do what she had to in order to help a friend, even if it meant her ass would pay for it later.
Laying a hand on her backside, Braden gave it a gentle squeeze that nearly made her weep. “Now, Ruby. If you’d been a good girl and answered my questions correctly, we would be done now. But you chose to be a brat instead, which means you have four more coming. I want you to think about that while I cane you. How you could be coming all over my fingers right now instead of getting punished again if you’d just been a good girl.”
The need that had somewhat ebbed during her punishment flared to life between her thighs at his words. Dammit. Her toys were going to get a hell of a workout tonight.
“What’s your line for the next four, little girl?”
“I will answer properly when asked a question.”
“Good girl.”
Number seven caught her sit spots and she could no longer hold back her reactions to the pain. Her foot stomped against the wooden platform beneath her seemingly of its own accord and even with her teeth gritted together, a screech of pain escaped.
That really fucking hurt .
“Seven, Sir.” She forced the words out through clenched teeth. “I will answer properly when asked a question.”
“Again.”
“Eight, Sir. I will answer properly when asked a question.”
“Again.”
Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks, but she was too caught up in her own misery to be embarrassed by them. “N-nine, Sir. I will answer properly wh-when asked a question.”
“One more, sweetheart. Just one more.”
Ten dragged a scream from her lips. “Ten, Sir! I will answer properly when asked a question!”
“Good girl.” A gentle hand came to rest on her back, rubbing slow, soothing circles over her skin as she dragged in deep, ragged breaths. “It’s all over now, sweetheart. You’re forgiven. Just breathe for me, Ruby Red.”
Forgiven . The word washed over her, a sea of calm that loosened the band around her chest. She’d fucked up, she’d been punished, and now she was forgiven. A clean slate, just like he’d promised her.
A small, nasty voice in the back of her mind said it wasn’t that easy. Nothing was ever that easy. But she did her best to ignore the voice and focus on Beckett’s soothing words.
“There we go,” he said, his tone filled with pride when she let out a deep, shuddering breath. “Are you feeling better now, sweetheart?”
“Yes, Sir.” The honorific slipped from her lips without a second thought.
“Good girl. Would you like a reward for taking your caning so well, my sweet little Ruby?”
She hadn’t taken it well. She’d been a huge fucking brat and pushed him every chance she could get. But if he still wanted to reward her, even after all that, who was she to say no? “Please, Sir.”
“Such a polite little thing when you want to be.” His fingers brushed over her welts, making her shiver as little jolts of pain raced along her nerves, down between her thighs. And she felt his chuckle deep in her core when he found her dripping with need. “It looks like someone enjoyed her punishment quite a bit.”
Somewhere, deep inside her mind, she knew she shouldn’t be embarrassed by the fact that she enjoyed pain. That she enjoyed being punished like this, in front of an audience.
And yet, humiliation still heated her skin at his words. “I did not,” she protested, well aware she was whining and yet unable to stop herself.
Pumping two fingers inside her pussy, Beckett grabbed her ass with his other hand and squeezed. Hard. “Do you need another lesson in honesty, little girl?”
Fresh pain sliced through her and she jerked in response, sending the weights on her nipples swinging again, which only added to her torment. “No, Sir!”
“Then be honest with me. Did you enjoy getting your bottom spanked like a naughty little girl, Ruby?”
His fingers were distracting as hell, and he was hitting just the right spot inside her to make her eyes cross. “You’re the one with your fingers in my pussy. What do you think?”
“I think you obviously haven’t learned your lesson about being a brat. What a pity.”
To her absolute dismay, he pulled his fingers from her and a moment later the top of the stocks lifted and she was being helped to her feet. Forced to look him in the eyes as he gripped her chin with the fingers he’d just had inside her, forced to smell her own arousal as he smirked down at her.
“I told you upstairs, I don’t reward naughty girls with orgasms, Ruby Red. And I was even willing to overlook how much of a brat you were during your punishment because I know submitting to someone new can be hard. But since you are still choosing to be a brat even when I am offering you pleasure, you can spend the rest of the evening with your pussy wet and needy as a reminder to behave yourself the next time we play.”
Hearing him say he wanted a next time with her was a thrill she hadn’t expected. Even if it meant she’d failed spectacularly at proving she could chase him off by being a big enough brat.
Still, she wasn’t quite done putting on a show. Despite the pounding of her heart, the ache in her ass, and the heat between her thighs, she managed to smirk right back at him. “You’re not the only one with a play bag, you know. I have plenty of ways to take care of myself with or without you. Sir .”
“You could.” Leaning in, he brushed his lips over hers, just the barest hint of a caress. “But you won’t.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because it would please me very, very much if you didn’t. And at your core, you want to be a good girl. The brat is just for show. Isn’t that right, Ruby Red?”
Jesus. When was the last time someone had ever seen her this way? “You don’t know me.”
“I know you better than you think. Be a good girl for me, Ruby, and I’ll make it worth your while. Do you work tomorrow?”
Her head spun a little with the sudden change in topic. “Yes. Eight to close.”
“Good. I’ll be here.” His gaze shifted to something behind her, and she could swear she saw disappointment flicker in his eyes. “Ivy’s here to take care of you, sweetheart. But she has my phone number. Call me if you need anything, even after you leave the club. Understood?”
She would never. But arguing with him wasn’t going to get her anywhere. “Yes, Sir.”
“Good girl.” Glancing down, he grimaced. “We’re going to have to get the clamps off you, sweetheart. It’s going to hurt.”
Fuck. She’d forgotten about the stupid clamps. And now she was really regretting not earning an orgasm. While it wouldn’t necessarily hurt less to take them off while she was getting finger-fucked to oblivion, the pain would have at least served to heighten her pleasure.
Now, there was just going to be pain. “I know. I’m okay.”
“Hands behind your head. I’m going to take them both off at once and then you can go have your snuggles and some chocolate with Ivy.”
Dragging in a deep breath, she laced her hands behind her head and closed her eyes, bracing for the pain to come. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“Good girl. On the count of three. One. Two. Three. ”
A million stabbing needles stung her breasts just as his lips closed over hers, swallowing her scream. It was comfort, almost as much as if she’d been allowed to come, and she drank it greedily as he kissed her.
And then, without warning, the kiss changed. She was in his arms, her sore nipples pressed up against his chest, clinging to him like a life raft as he ravaged her. The world around them faded away, and all she knew was want and need and him.
Lifting his head, he stared down at her, and she saw her own need reflected in his eyes. Along with a confusion that might have made her laugh if he hadn’t just scrambled her wits.
For several long moments, they simply stared at each other, their ragged breaths mingling as they each watched, waiting for the other to speak.
He broke first. “Ivy’s waiting for you.”
Disappointment was like a knife, slicing straight through her heart. She hadn’t even known she was hoping he’d changed his mind until right then. “Right. Um. I’ll see you tomorrow, I guess.”
“Tomorrow.” Lifting a hand to her face, he brushed the tips of his fingers across her cheek. “Be good, Ruby.”
He passed her off to Ivy, who wrapped a soft blanket around Ruby’s shoulders before guiding her toward one of the aftercare rooms. And it wasn’t until Ruby lifted a hand to her own cheek, her fingers brushing over the spot he’d just touched that she realized she was crying.