Chapter 13
thirteen
It took me several moments to get control of myself. First, I rushed to clean myself off, forcing my mind to go blank as I used a wet towel to wipe myself, my pussy clenching again when I thought about Baz’s head between my thighs.
Then I stood in the doorway, looking out at the garden. The cool wind soothed my red cheeks, and I fixed my dress and found my boots.
I gathered a tray of refreshments when I heard a soft knock from the pantry.
“Can I come out now?” Gretel pleaded.
“Quiet!” I ordered, heading upstairs to deposit the tray in the parlor.
You couldn’t find two men more opposite than one another. Baz’s blue eyes found me the moment I entered. Rufus hardly looked up.
Baz leaned back in his chair, his dark hair messy and a light smile on his face. I knew he hid his true feelings, but Rufus couldn’t know it. Though I doubt he cared about Baz’s perceived friendliness.
Rufus sat on the edge of his chair, a walking cane in his hand. He was only in his late forties, but he seemed so much older. Sterner. Stuffier.
His suit was impeccable. His hair combed. His lips naturally turned down into a frown.
If I’d been clever, I would have stood near the door, listening in to find out for myself about this impromptu visit. I’d focused on cleaning myself up instead, but I could feel the stale, tired air in the room.
“Any tea?” I asked.
Both men had a glass of liquor in front of them.
“Not necessary,” Baz confirmed. Rufus didn’t blink. Didn’t speak. I don’t think he understood how I had the audacity to ask the owner of the Manor a question.
Baz’s stare warmed my back as I left. This time I did stand just behind the door, but heard nothing. I left them to their stilted conversation.
Gretel continued scratching at the pantry door.
“Not yet!” I hissed, moving to make tea. I needed something to do. My body hummed from all the mixed-up thoughts. Flashes of my body bucking as Baz pinned me to his desk mixed with the sting of harsh truths we spoke about. Gretel, Baz, and I. All three combined. And now Rufus sat in the parlor.
My hands moved on their own, filling the kettle. Waiting for the water to boil. I should’ve gone outside again into the cool air, but I wanted to be by the stairs. My intrusive thoughts insisted that Rufus, for whatever reason, might come down them.
I added tea leaves and debated about dinner. And compiled a to-do list, housework that I would use to keep myself and my mind occupied with for the rest of the week.
Steam kissed my face as I stood, holding my mug of tea. The warmth slowly soaked through. The pricks of nerves abated, and my mind emptied.
And that’s when I noticed how truly silent the kitchen was.
Gretel rarely kept quiet.
The mug landed on the counter with a thud, and I marched to the pantry, flinging it open. I’m not sure what I expected. Perhaps I’d find her passed out, or somehow she’d managed to get kidnapped.
She didn’t even notice my arrival. Balancing precariously, she leaned over a barrel, digging into an open sack.
Sugar, I realized a beat later.
She’d occupied herself by getting into our storage of sugar.
I should’ve known. She and Baz shared the trait, their love for all things sweet.
All I saw was her round ass, one leg bent upward as she leaned over. She licked her finger, still not noticing that I’d caught her in the act.
“Little thief!” I cried indignantly. Stealing and eating sugar went against everything I stood for.
Based on the way Gretel scrambled to get up, she knew it too.
But I acted before I even understood. Before I even made a conscious choice.
Maybe it was in me all along. And maybe after that day, after speaking to Baz, I could never go back to just treating Gretel like I had.
Where I wanted her so badly, but refused to act on it.
Where I tried to keep her at just arm’s length because otherwise I would stare at her for too long.
She tried to right herself as she peeked over her shoulder.
My hand pressed flat against her back, forcing her torso down again. My other hand spanked her ass.
“Good girls don’t steal sugar, Gretel.” My hand landed on her other ass cheek.
A startled cry fell from her lips, her toes straining for balance. “I-I—”
“What?” I asked. “I didn’t just catch you stealing? Baz and I are trying to keep you safe and you’re in here helping yourself to sweets.”
“You left me here!”
I swatted her again. “Talking back will only make the punishment worse, Gretel.”
Noise rattled in her throat.
“What?” I asked innocently, lifting her skirt up. I wanted to see if her skin had bloomed red yet. “Did you think only Baz could give you punishment?”
The image of her on her knees in the garden was the reason behind a harsher spank. She jerked, and I took the opportunity to twist her panties, something deep inside me needing to see her bare skin.
She yelped, tearing out of my grasp. I think my efforts to rip off her underwear surprised her more than the spanking.
But I’d fallen off the cliff. And whether it was right or wrong (and trust me, I’ve thought a lot about this interaction in the years since), I couldn’t be stopped.
When she whirled to face me, my hand moved again.
Her mouth fell open as I spanked her pussy.
“B-but, but. . .” Nonsense came out of her. And then, “Wystle.”
The word slipped from her, a plea and a desire coiling around my own name. Her cheeks stained red as wide, green eyes pierced into me.
She started to sob.
Gretel might be a silly person, but other than the extreme injury she’d endured, she didn’t go around sniffling.
Part of me stood stunned and wondered what I had just done. Then she stomped her foot.
“It’s not my fault,” she argued, face red. “You left me in here!”
“That doesn’t give you the right to eat all the sugar.”
“What else was I supposed to do, you left me here for ages.”
“Barely half an hour,” I lied. I hadn’t looked at the clock in ages, so I wasn’t sure.
“Well, I didn’t want to be alone.” She wiped her face.
“No, so you just thought you’d cause some trouble.” At the spark in her eye, I realized the truth. I wondered who she thought would catch her—me or Baz. “You wanted your ass spanked?”
Her lips wobbled, but she didn’t deny it.
“You like having your ass spanked?” I couldn’t believe it. But my hand twitched as if to give her what she wanted. “You know only bad girls get spanked.”
A light tremble shook her shoulders.
“Only dirty whores.” I’ve no idea where the words came from. “It’s not a punishment if you want your ass spanked, Gretel.”
Her shoulders sagged, a ragged breath leaving her. Her brow creased more at something behind me.
“What’s this?” Baz asked. His sleeves were rolled up, his hands in his pockets. He leaned against the doorframe, blinking curiously at the pair of us.
The air grew tight. But it didn’t snap. Rather, it swirled and bent, pressing the three of us closer.
“Gretel’s got into the sugar,” I said. His brows lifted at the way I said it.
He hummed under his breath. “And so that’s why you’re talking punishment.”
“It’s only fair,” I replied.
“But it sounds like you’ve already figured out that our little pet likes her ass being spanked.”
Gretel sucked in a breath the moment he said, ‘Our little pet.’
“If she wants something sweet then she’ll have it,” I said.
Her breathing shallowed as her lips parted. And her eyes rounded like I’d just offered her dessert.
“Well, that still doesn’t sound like much of a punishment,” Baz mused.
He was right about that. “Why not make one’s punishment into another’s pleasure,” I decided, darkness swirling along with my words.
Truthfully, I didn’t know anything. I’d barely discovered my own secret desires, but I felt safe and brave enough to come up with a plan. And Baz let me take the lead, though, he did help me out.
“Come on then,” he sighed, a look of boredom on his face. This was just another part of his day. Watching his playthings. “Upstairs.”
We both exited the pantry, heading to the stairs, when he snapped.
Gretel tore her dress off and sank to her knees, and my mouth dropped open.
Baz lost his mask of aloofness for a moment, his eye twinkling when he caught my reaction. There was still so much I didn’t know. But he nodded to me, silently reassuring me.
“To the bedroom, pet,” he said, and my mouth dried as Gretel crawled to the stairs and began climbing up. Her breasts swaying with each move.
He took my hand, squeezing it, offering me more support, and then pulled me along the stairs. I watched Gretel’s ass the whole time as she crawled to Baz’s room. She waited at the door until he pushed it open.
“Inside,” he instructed, and she crawled again. She paused in the middle of the room, eyes cast down.
Baz looked to me, but I surrendered control, my stomach tightening as I watched his handsome features darken.
“Up on the bed, Tangwystle. Show Gretel what it means to be a good girl. See how she follows orders, pet? I told her not to wear her underwear and she followed directions.”
My mind emptied as I lay back on the bed, among the pillows, near the headboard, and lifted my skirt. I glanced at Baz before staring up at the ceiling.
He stood on the side of the bed and lifted my arms over me, positioning them back. He didn’t say anything, but I instinctively understood his order not to move.
“Fairy’s done an awful lot for you hasn’t she?” Baz said. I desperately wanted to lift up so I could see Gretel on all fours on the floor. “I think she deserves a reward. You’re going to eat her pussy and make her feel good. Do you understand?”
Gretel’s affirmation was a breathy moan.
“On the bed.”
Gretel practically leapt up.
I’d never felt so vulnerable yet so excited as Gretel crawled between my thighs and Baz watched.
“What do you say?” he asked.
Gretel’s green eyes found mine. I’m not sure what she made of me. What comparisons she might be making between me and her other lovers. But I knew her cheeks were flushed and she licked her lips.