by Maren Smith
Reaching Blake’s side, Lauren stared up at him with large, fearful eyes. “It’s someone from home, Sir,” she explained with a sigh.
“A friend?” he asked, reaching for her small hands.
Swallowing, she shook her head. “No,” she replied firmly. “Definitely not a friend. This is someone I owe money to.”
Blake inhaled at the admission. He wasn’t shocked that she owed money, but he didn’t like the way she’d responded to the unknown caller. “Someone from the bank?” he inquired, squeezing her hands gently.
She laughed softly, but it sounded sad rather than happy. “No, Sir,” she went on. “More like a loan shark, someone who lends money without the help of a bank.”
Blake scowled. He knew what a loan shark was.
A loud knock at the door ended the conversation all of a sudden. “Your meal, Sir!” a male voice called from beyond it.
The idea of a loan shark wasn’t good, and it troubled him, but they could talk about it later. Right now, they had a meal to share. Ushering Lauren toward the place where they’d been sitting before, he stalked to collect the food. Lauren curled up in a ball, watching as he received the pasta and moved back toward her with two large bowls of food.
“I hope you’re hungry?” he laughed, offering her one of the pasta dishes.
Her eyes landed over the portion in the bowl. “Wow, thank you,” she replied. “That’s an awful lot of pasta. I’m not sure I can manage it all.”
Blake’s eyes narrowed at her words. “Just do your best,” he assured her. “Eating well is part of respecting yourself. That means it applies to rule one. I don’t expect you to overeat, but I do want you to take care of yourself.” His voice trailed away, but the point had been made by his tone, and Lauren’s eyes grew larger in response.
“Yes, Sir,” she said softly, taking the cutlery that he offered her.
She took a bite of the hot pasta and chewed it slowly. Their eyes met as she swallowed the first forkful.
“Is it good?” he asked her, as he eyed his own dish. He was starving, and knew he’d soon devour the whole thing.
She nodded her head, offering him a coy smile. “Yes, thank you, Sir,” she replied, looking relaxed for the first time since the mysterious phone call. “It’s really good.”
Chapter Eight
It felt strange to Lauren, being with Blake, and yet at the same time it felt like the most natural thing in the world. So far, things had gone amazingly well, especially considering her own immature performance. She’d always had a tendency to pull away when things got tough. It was like her innate fight instinct was missing, and all she could do was run when the going got too demanding.
Blake’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Ready to go on with the rules now, sweetheart?” he asked, as he swallowed down his pasta.
Rules? Her mind reeled, did he just call her sweetheart again? Her heart raced at the mere idea of it. Lauren glanced up to see Blake’s dish now virtually empty. The guy must have a huge appetite, as hers was basically still full. She pushed a piece of rigatoni around in her sauce and swallowed hard. Was she ready?
“I think so, S-Sir,” she replied, stuttering over the final word.
Blake smiled, but said nothing on the matter. Instead he placed his bowl onto a nearby table and shifted to address her. “Rule two is real easy,” he assured her.
She blinked up at him, barely able to take another breath. “Okay…” she murmured, eyeing her pasta. Just something about him laying down the law this way made her half panicked and half horny. Her head was full of the contradiction, and the very real possibility that if she messed up, she might find herself over his lap. Reflexively, her gaze wandered there, surveying the size of his thighs and his groin.
Evidently ignoring her lustful stare, Blake continued. “I’d like us both to be honest with each other.”
Their eyes met momentarily, and his gaze narrowed as though there was something in Lauren’s expression that troubled him.
“Sure,” she mumbled, forking the same piece of pasta he’d already watched her attack three times.
“I mean it,” he said, adding emphasis to his tone this time. Her body tensed in response, and once again her eyes flitted north to find his. “Honesty is really important to me, Lauren. I’ve been burned by relationships based on deceit before, and I don’t want to go back to that place again.”
She swallowed hard at his words, anxiety knotting in her stomach. “What do you want me to be honest about, Sir?” she asked eventually.
He smiled at her, tilting his head to the side as he scrutinized her face. “Well, everything, sweetheart,” he laughed. “When you’re ready, and if that’s where we both want this to go.”
She nodded at that, but not before her teeth caught her lower lip between them. It was something she did whenever she was nervous.
“I just don’t want there to be any secrets, that’s all,” he concluded gently. “If you’re worried about something, then tell me.”
“I understand,” she replied meekly.
“I’ll always be here if you want to talk, and remember, you can tell me anything without judgement, okay?” One of those large palms made its way to her left knee and patted it as he spoke. Something about the gesture was absurdly calming, but as her gaze rose to meet his again, the whole situation suddenly felt overwhelming. She’d known Blake properly for what—three hours?—and he was already setting her rules and demanding her complete honesty. In so many ways it was what she’d always wanted, but the dose of reality was disconcerting.
“What is it, Lauren?” he asked, watching her responses carefully.
She sighed, feeling overwrought by it all. This is what she’d wanted, so why couldn’t she just go with it? “It’s nothing,” she answered him, her eyes returning to her dish of cooling pasta.
In a second, he shifted his entire body weight, and was now pressed right up against her left leg. “Don’t give me that,” he snapped.
The unexpected movement and the brusqueness of his tone made Lauren jump, capturing her attention immediately.
“This is where it begins, Lauren,” he said, his voice calmer this time. “These rules, and the honesty between us. If something is wrong, then you need to tell me. I’m not in your head, and I don’t know you well enough yet to try to read your mind.” His words faded away, the exasperation in his tone more than evident.
She stared up at him again with large eyes, and the look of her seemed to make him soften.
“Come on,” he told her, snaking his right arm around her small waist. “You want to tell me, don’t you?”
She nodded. “Yes, Sir, I do, it’s just…” She paused, that lower lip disappearing back between her teeth again. “I’m not used to this.”
Blake watched her closely. It was obvious he knew something was making her uncomfortable, and evidently, he wanted to find out what. “What aren’t you used to?” he probed, kissing the top of her hair gently as he urged her on.
She steeled herself, and she was certain that he physically felt it. “I’m not used to there being anyone else with me,” she admitted softly, her gaze lowering to her lap. “I’ve never really done this before.”
The confession made his brow arch, and he leaned his face around to catch her eye. “No hiding from me,” he commanded with a smile, and she glanced up guiltily. “What haven’t you done before, Lauren? Discussed a list of rules, established the type of dynamic you’ve always longed for?”
Her gaze flitted to Blake’s, holding his stare for a long moment. It was a bold move, considering her very obvious embarrassment. “Yes, that,” she agreed. “But more than that. I’ve never really had a partner before, Sir, and this level of honesty frightens me.”
That made him still, those dazzling blue eyes widening. “You’ve had boyfriends though, right?” he asked, assessing her face again. “What are you, twenty years old, at least?”
She laughed, her gaze darting from his face to the bowl of pas
ta still wedged in her hands. “I’m nearly twenty-five,” she replied, “and sure, I’ve had boyfriends, but nothing serious. They were just all stupid little boys, and I’ve always wanted someone older, someone more experienced…”
Someone like you, she thought, although she kept that last line to herself.
The smile he offered her made her want to kiss him again. Hard.
“Well, now you’ve found him, sweetheart,” he said with a smile, and he threw her a wink as he completed the sentence. “And I know it can be scary opening up, but please, it’s really important to me that you try.”
Lauren nodded. Anything that was important to him was worth trying. She would be honest about everything from now on. She assumed his rule didn’t extend to revealing things about her life prior to this moment though. A woman still needed some privacy.
Looking up at his penetrating eyes, she realized that he was still waiting on her answer. “Yes, Sir,” she responded finally. “I will try.”
Satisfied for the time being, his gaze fell south to the bowl still between her small palms. “You’re not intending to leave the rest of that pasta, are you?” The question seemed innocuous enough, but his intonation made it clear where Blake stood on the matter.
She gulped again, her eyes flying between the food and his relentless gaze. “Erm, maybe?” she offered, trying to keep her tone upbeat, but failing.
Blake shook his head beside her. “No way,” he declared at once. “You’ve eaten virtually nothing, Lauren.”
She sighed. The urge to resist on this issue was strong. She’d always gained weight really easily, and had to control her food intake to stay the shape she wanted to be. This was especially true for carbohydrates, which filled her up fast and made her feel bloated if she overdid it. “I’m genuinely full,” she told him, appealing to the man with the large puppy eyes she’d developed over the years.
“Full?” he repeated, his tone sardonic. “What have you had? Five pieces of pasta, maybe six?”
She glanced down at the dish, realizing he was probably right. “I… I just…” She hesitated, sensing his growing irritation.
“We will have to agree to disagree on that point, Lauren,” he said, his stern tone making her catch her breath. “But whatever you have eaten, it’s insufficient. I would like you to eat some more, please.”
“But it’s cold?” she countered, pouting at him in response. “I don’t want to eat cold pasta.” Her tone had become churlish, as though she’d slipped back into being a small girl again.
He arched his brow at her, as though his body was responding to her impetuous display. “What’s the issue, sweetheart?” he asked her, genuinely keen to know where Lauren’s resistance originated. “Why don’t you want to eat?”
She sighed. “I don’t generally do lunch, Sir,” she explained. “I find it easier to manage my weight if I just skip a meal.”
Blake shook his head at her. “Manage your weight?” he repeated. “But Lauren, you have an amazing body. You’re perfect the way you are. I don’t think skipping meals altogether is a good idea.”
Lauren knew she was scowling as she answered him, but he’d struck a nerve, and somehow, she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “I appreciate your concern,” she muttered, “but it’s really not up to you. I’ll eat what I like, Sir.”
Blake’s blue eyes appraised her severely, and as she looked into them, she saw the strength of his iron will. That look made her heart race, and her panties wet.
Chapter Nine
So, this was the side of Lauren Roberts that needed his guidance and his correction? Blake’s cock twitched at the challenge. He couldn’t wait…
“I’m going to give you one more chance, Lauren,” he replied calmly. “I’d like you to look after yourself, but you’re right, that is your call. More important right now, you need to be respectful, and I didn’t care much for your tone just then.”
“I’m… sorry, Sir,” gasped Lauren, shaking her head. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.”
Blake smiled. “I know,” he answered her, “but please be careful how you speak to me.”
Lauren nodded, her expression contrite.
“Now please,” he began again. “Can I persuade you to eat just a little more of your lunch?”
Lauren eyed the pasta sullenly. They both knew she could probably fit a few more pieces in—hell, she’d only had one mouthful—but Blake could see rebellion rising in her eyes. It was like she wanted to challenge this new man in her life—this dominant. Perhaps, she needed to test his mettle, to see whether he’d really carry through with the things he’d threatened? He suppressed the pleasure the thought inspired, knowing he’d definitely deliver for her.
“I don’t want any more,” she moped, lifting the bowl from her lap and placing it down on the plush rug by her feet. “I’m sorry, but you can’t make me eat!”
The insolence in her tone surprised him, and she blushed as she realized what she’d just done. She had openly defied him, and now all she could do was wait to see how he would respond.
“Well, that’s just where you’re wrong, young lady,” asserted Blake, rising from his seat and towering over her. “Because I can make you eat. I just set out the rules for this liaison, and you just agreed to follow them. That means submitting to my authority, or facing the consequences.”
She swallowed at the menace in his words, her gaze revealing the truth. Lauren was half thrilled and half terrified.
“Are you going to force feed me?” she asked, her eyes wide as the adrenaline no doubt pumped around her senses.
His scowl softened, and he laughed gently. “Of course not,” he chuckled. “I’m not a monster. I am going to punish you for your defiance, and the way you spoke to me, and then, when you’re suitably contrite, you are going to eat some of the pasta yourself. We can always reheat it, sweetheart,” he added. “The cabin is well-equipped.”
Blake closed the remaining distance between them with one small step. Now he was right next to her, his intention to punish her already pronounced.
“Are you going to be a good girl and take your spanking, Lauren?” His tone was mildly condescending, but it seemed lost as she absorbed his words.
“I… I’ll be good,” she stammered, her voice raising inexplicably as the emotion within her burgeoned.
He eyed her for a moment, before taking her left wrist and yanking her away from the seat. She ran after him, trying to keep up as best she could with his large, powerful strides.
Blake glanced back, watching the hot, torrid yearning building in her eyes. Oh, yes, there was no denying what Lauren wanted—and what she needed. He’d never much understood the origins of the desire they seemed to share, but Blake believed it was somehow laced into their genetic coding. Lauren needed a strong, dominant man like Blake to take her and control her, and he needed someone to guide and protect. He caught her eye, sensing her trepidation. Inevitably, his dominance produced a flicker of fear in her. He was so much bigger, so much taller than she was. He really could do anything he wanted with her, and frankly there was very little she could do to stop him. This was all about trust. Blake hoped she knew that, and understood it, because this was crunch time—the acid test. The trust began now.
* * *
They started for the large stairwell, but Lauren’s small strides couldn’t match Blake’s massive ones. At the bottom of the steps, he paused, waiting for her to catch up. Once she was alongside him he swooped, seizing Lauren in his strong arms before carrying her up the staircase. On the top landing, he crashed into the closest bedroom, Blake’s left arm slamming the door open as Lauren gripped onto his muscular neck. Her eyes blinked around the room, its luxurious décor apparently lost on her at this moment.
He sat down on the bed, releasing her onto his lap. “Stand in front of me,” he instructed, his voice calm despite the abrupt show of his authority.
She obeyed, her heart threatening to rise into her throat as she raised her eyes to lo
ok upon him. His earlier words swirled around and around her head.
Are you going to take your spanking? Your spanking…
It was like every deed, every moment, every illicit fantasy had all been leading her to this moment. This moment with Blake Anderson.
He nodded. “Thank you,” he replied, “although your display of obedience at this juncture isn’t going to save you from this spanking.”
“I know,” she croaked. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Blake lifted his palm to halt her words. “Enough,” he said sharply. “There’s little point, sweetheart. We both know that you did mean to. In fact, I wonder if this wasn’t your plan all along?”
She blanched, shifting her weight awkwardly between her legs. Perhaps he was right? She had been dreaming of this spanking for so long, it was possible that she’d pushed him on purpose, refusing to eat more just to enact the consequences.
“Well, you wanted a date filled with spanking, Lauren, and it begins now.” He stared at her, his expression gleeful. “Over my lap.”
Lauren gulped at the order, although her feet were already moving, doing Blake’s bidding. She stumbled to his right side, positioning herself at his knees before turning and bending over his thighs. There was silence as she yielded, the only sound her ragged breathing as she finally got into position. Lying upturned over a man’s lap this way was a lot more uncomfortable than she’d ever imagined. His thighs pressed into her lower ribs and belly, and her behind felt absurdly vulnerable.
“Thank you for doing what I’ve asked, sweetheart,” murmured Blake from over her. As he spoke, his hands yanked at the back of her dress, pushing the linen up toward her shoulders. “I know this is your first spanking, so I’ll try to go easy on you, but I want this to hurt. I want you to remember the sting of my palm, and what happens to you when you defy me. You got it?”
She pulled in a shaky breath, her eyes searching his legs from her upside-down view of the room. “Yes, Sir,” Lauren whispered. She was aware of every inch of her body, and of the adrenaline racing around it. “I understand.”
