Chapter 2 #2
It had been a long time since he’d heard a ‘Yes Sir’ from her. Hearing it now… made him feel like things were going in the right direction. Finally.
He took a minute to prepare himself mentally. Punishment required a certain headspace, and it had been a while since he’d dipped into it. While she was in the bedroom undressing, he searched for the stern dominant energy he was going to need.
He had to admit he was looking forward to disciplining her. Punishment was a tricky thing when it came to emotions. Sometimes he hated to have to do it, dreaded it even. At other times, like now, when it was so obviously what was needed, he couldn’t help but feel the anticipation rising.
When he was ready, he took a deep breath and joined her in the bedroom.
Allegra was waiting exactly as ordered. Her head was pillowed on her arms, and her bare ass upraised and presented like an offering. He took a moment to look at her, to enjoy the sight. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed seeing her like this.
It wasn’t that she was naked or on her knees. Despite the lapse of their dynamic, Allegra had still been very much a bedroom submissive, but that was sex. That was about the arousal, the excitement, the way they brought each other pleasure. There might be pain, but it just added to the sensations.
This wasn’t the same. This required a different kind of trust. The vulnerability of undressing and positioning yourself to be punished, knowing that it would hurt and there would be no arousal to cushion the pain…
this was the gift she gave him with her submission.
Gave them both really, because his wife needed the catharsis that came with punishment.
Of course, as much as she needed it, she still dreaded the process, and he could see it in the tenseness of her muscles. The way she trembled, fidgeting as she felt the weight of his gaze on her, was beautiful. The vulnerability … only he got to see her like this.
Fuck, it’s been way too long, he thought to himself.
He drew in a deep breath and saw her freeze.
“So, it seems we have a few things to deal with tonight. Actually, I suspect the list is probably pretty long after all this time, but given the situation, I think we’ll just focus on the recent problems. What do you think? ”
She didn’t look back but the sigh was answer enough. “Yes Sir.”
He rested his hand on her lower back, just above the sweet divide. He wasn’t ready to start yet, but he wanted the connection. They’d already discussed most of the issues, but he liked to be very clear before he started, so that the punishment was connected to the crime. “Lying is a big one.”
“I—”
He cut her off immediately. “Hiding things from me still counts as lying, sweetheart. Don’t bother trying to argue. Just be grateful I’m not slipping a bar of soap between those beautiful lips of yours.”
She shuddered, but there was silence from her, so he continued. “Not taking care of yourself, and we’ll add not letting me take care of you, as well. You knew I wouldn’t have allowed this to go on.”
A long pause, but this time he waited until she finally said, “Yes, Sir.”
“You know it’s my job to help you when you’re struggling and I can’t do that if you hide things from me.”
“But I can’t just expect …” The words trailed off and it was a few seconds before she tried again. “I wanted this career. You helped me so much while I was working on my degrees and I needed it, but after I graduated it was different. I couldn’t keep running to you every time I had a problem.”
“Says who?”
“I-I mean… I just…”
“Allegra Cassidy Dalton, I am your Dom and your husband. I can, and will, help you with any problems in any part of your life. It sounds like somewhere down the road you convinced yourself being an adult meant never needing help.”
“Not exactly, but I should be able to handle my own job, or else what is even the point.” There was such a note of self-derision in her voice that he was tempted to start the spanking immediately.
He swallowed back a growl. “Girl … you know that’s not how this works. When we decided to live this dynamic, we each agreed to certain things. Do you really think getting serious about a career wipes all that away?” He stopped and frowned as things clicked into place.
“Was this why you started to get such an attitude every time I acted like your Dom? Sulking for days after punishment? Ignoring me when I tried to get you to slow down? Rolling your eyes when I gave you advice?”
“Um …” She buried her face in the blankets and mumbled something he couldn’t make out.
It didn’t matter. He was pretty sure he knew what her answer was. “That was why I thought you no longer wanted this lifestyle!” He’d felt guilty for letting it all slip away, but now he realized that she’d sabotaged them both.
“I’m sorry. I just thought an adult shouldn’t need someone else helping them to do a job they were getting paid to do. You already have a job; you shouldn’t have to do mine too.” Her voice sounded thick and the words kept catching.
He sighed. “Sweetheart, I wasn’t trying to do your job. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I know nothing about marketing, but what I do know is how to take care of you. That doesn’t change because you finish school and move into a career.”
“Oh sure, bring logic into it.”
Carter snorted and gave her backside a light slap. “Someone has to.” He shook his head as he stared down at her. “You are desperately in need of a spanking, and I think it’s about time we get started.”
She tensed, her backside clenching automatically in anticipation—not that it would do her any good once he started.
When it came to punishment, he usually skipped the warm-up. The slow steady build was for sexy spanking, but it had been a while. Just this once he’d start off slow, giving them both time to reacclimate before he got to the real heart of the matter.
His left hand stayed at the small of her back, a subtle reminder to stay right where she was, and then he began to spank with his right.
The slow sweeping swats were easy enough to take at first. If anything, she was leaning back into them, enjoying the slight sting and the warmth that each one brought.