by Alta Hensley
Zoya wasn’t sure if it was the lighting change or the fact that they’d moved away from the wall, but was absolutely positive that the difference in his tone had captured her complete attention. The moment he reminded her that he wasn’t just Stryder, but her Dominant, she only had eyes and ears for him.
“Yes, Sir.”
“As I was saying, I understand that it will take time, and several trips to the dungeon for you to automatically assume the proper positions and attitude, but I don’t want you to stress. I’m not an ogre and won’t be jumping down your throat when you make mistakes. It’s all a learning process and I will answer any questions you—”
“Oh good, so…” His expression and his sigh had her pausing. “Um, I’m guessing interrupting is not allowed… Sir?”
“Definitely not a good idea, especially when you are about to be punished.”
She felt her cheeks heat again and was about to apologize but decided that giving a firm nod would relay that she was both apologetic and understood.
“Good girl. Questions are welcomed and will be answered but, and listen closely, only when we are playing. When we are here to address naughtiness, there won’t be any questions necessary. You’ll know that you are here to be punished and will need to trust me to make any and all decisions about how that punishment is to be delivered, which will include not only position and duration, but what, if any, implements will be used other than my hand. Is that clear?”
She nodded, her butt clenching a bit.
“Zoya, when asked a direct question, I expect a verbal answer. That way I’m sure there is no misunderstanding.”
“Oh, then, yes, Sir, it’s clear. You are in charge of everything to do with spank… spankings.”
“To clarify, I’m in charge of spankings as well as any other form of discipline I believe is required to teach you a lesson or relieve you of the guilt you are experiencing. Understood?”
She didn’t completely understand what he meant by other forms of discipline, but she did know that she trusted him implicitly. “Yes, Sir.”
“We’ll be discussing rules, expectations, and you’ll choose a safeword before we do any play, but for now, are you ready to start?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Tell me why I’m going to punish you, Zoya.”
Well, she thought she was ready but hearing the question threw her for a moment until she remembered that even when she had been bent over the fence that first time, he’d asked her questions… several in fact. Still, that didn’t make it any easier to stand here in front of him, confessing her crimes.
“Because I asked you to spank me?”
“Are you answering my question with one of your own?”
“What?” When she realized that was exactly what she’d done, she shook her head. “I didn’t mean to.” Shit, would she always sound so ridiculous when he was simply doing as she’d requested? Taking a deep breath, she tried again.
“You are going to spank me because I asked you to when we were at the picnic table.”
He smiled and gave her hands a squeeze. “Relax, babe. You’re right but I need to know why did you ask me to spank you?”
There were so many answers swirling about in her head, but she gave him the one that she knew spoke of why. “Because I’ve felt awful from the moment you stood outside my bedroom door and tried to talk to me. I’d just treated you so awful and yet instead of just leaving, you wanted me to know that you’d be back and that we’d talk. You wanted me to take care of myself when you were the one going into danger. You-you cared more about me and how I felt than about the way I’d made you feel. And when you came back, you weren’t angry. You held me and kissed me and I knew Jennie was right. You’d already forgiven me and yet-yet I can’t forgive myself.”
He released one of her hands to wipe away a tear that she wasn’t even aware was sliding down her cheek. Just the fact that he was so caring had her adding, “Please, Stryder… Sir, please help me… spank me.”
“I will.”
With those two words, she gave herself over to him completely. When he guided her back and then pulled her down over his left thigh, she reached forward, gripping the rug she just now noticed covered the area.
“Lift up,” he instructed as he began to pull her dress up and when she obeyed, the fabric bunched at her waist and her panties were lowered to rest at her knees. The pressure of his palm against her bare bottom had a shudder running through her and yet not a flicker of fear accompanied it.
Even knowing what to expect, the first swat had her gasping. It was followed by one to her other cheek, both instantly stinging. Determined to accept the spanking with dignity, she closed her eyes and unclenched her fingers, flattening her palms against the floor. His hand continued to swat, moving from cheek to cheek, the sounds of each individual stroke surprisingly loud, one’s echo about the cavern not yet faded before another followed. As her bottom begin to truly burn, she felt her determination slipping away. By the time she lost the battle to remain silent, she was not only positive that she’d never sit comfortably again, she didn’t give a damn if she sounded like some big baby.
“Ow! Please! Ow, it hurts!”
It was as if her breaking her code of silence had been what Stryder was waiting for. The next smack was delivered as he began to lecture.
“Spankings hurt. They are meant to make your bottom burn. They are supposed to turn your ass very, very red.”
Zoya was quite positive her butt had to be crimson, as it felt like the flames one would see in a fireplace. And yet, it evidently wasn’t quite red enough as he continued.
Smack! Smack!
“The intent is to make sure that the next time you decide to make bad choices, you’ll remember that doing so will have you right back over my lap getting your bare butt spanked again.”
Smack! Smack!
“And, young lady, just like you can be assured that I will keep my promises…”
Smack! Smack!
“You can be assured that every spanking I deliver as discipline, will hurt.”
Smack! Smack!
“I’m sorry!” The spanking he’d given her over the fence had been nothing. This was a spanking. Her ass was on fire and yet his palm kept falling. “Please! That’s enough! I’ll be good…”
Smack! Smack!
“You are good, but what you won’t ever do again is shut me out. You won’t run from me, you’ll run to me. You won’t bottle up your feelings or your fears, you will share them with me. I love you, Zoya, and am here for you for everything, and if it takes me spanking your ass every day until you accept that fact, then, young lady, that is exactly what I will do. Is that clear?”
“Yes! Yes, Sir! It’s clear!”
“Good, then let’s finish.”
Finish? Oh, God! She was positive that her butt was going to burst into flames at any moment and he wasn’t finished! Zoya discovered that she didn’t need to worry about her butt as Stryder lifted his knee, tilting her forward. The reason for the move became instantly clear when his hand slammed into the spot where her butt met her thigh. She’d never felt anything like it. Her head reared back and her legs kicked up as she wailed.
Evidently, he didn’t care about the position of her head or her cries because all he did was lay his right leg over both of hers, pinning her in place as his hand continued to fall. It took only a few strokes before she collapsed, no longer twisting or attempting to get away, her fingers no longer threatening to pull every fiber from the rug free. Though her tears continued to fall, her feet stopped drumming against the floor as she finally and fully accepted her discipline. She allowed every smack, every flash of pain to drive out her guilt, to cleanse her of the awful feelings she’d harbored until with great sobs, she felt herself being lifted, repositioned on Stryder’s lap, his arms wrapped tightly around her, his voice uttering soft words of comfort as she sobbed against his chest. There was no doubt that her ass burned, that the tops of her thighs stung as if she
had sat in a bed of nettles, or that she not only accepted the fact that he’d forgiven her, she was able to forgive herself.
Zoya had no idea how long they sat there as she gradually quieted, her sobs became hiccups and then sniffles. His shirt was soaked and wrinkled from where she’d been clutching it and yet he’d never said a word or tried to hurry her up in regaining her composure. With a final sniffle, she sat back, wincing a bit as the move put pressure on her butt as she looked up.
“Better?”
“I think you’d better clarify the question,” she couldn’t help saying. “If you’re asking if I feel better inside because my guilt is gone, then the answer is yes. However, if you’re asking if I feel better outside then, Sir, all I can say is thank you.”
He grinned. “Thank you? For the spanking?”
She smiled back. “I mean thank you for not using anything on that wall. Your hand, Sir, is more than enough.”
Stryder laughed. “You’re welcome, but just know that if you ever give me cause to give you a serious session, items will be coming off those hooks.”
“A serious session? You’ve got to be kidding!”
“Nope, this was just a standard over the knee spanking. There are countless positions you’ll be learning if you aren’t careful… some for fun, of course, but I’m talking about what will happen if you’ve really earned a more severe punishment.”
Zoya would never understand it—her ass truly did ache and yet she felt a dribble of moisture flow from her core. Not wanting him to think she wasn’t paying attention, she nodded. “Yes, Sir, but may I ask a question now?”
“Yes.”
“I heard Adira say a phrase that makes no sense.”
“Are we talking about the submissive having control?”
Zoya shook her head. She had no desire to be in control… not in this room, at least. “No, she said ‘my ass is grass.’ While I understand the gist of it, the phrase doesn’t make sense to me.”
Stryder laughed. “I’ve never really thought about it but I can see where it would be confusing. The original saying is ‘Your ass is grass and I’m the lawnmower,’ which again, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense except that the lawnmower is in control and will be cutting the grass.” He paused and then chuckled. “Or, I suppose cutting out the bad behavior.”
Zoya shook her head. “If you ask me, neither grass nor lawnmower make any sense. It should be ‘My ass is on fire’ but seeing as how you are the one who started that fire, that would make you an arsonist when what I so desperately need is a fireman’s hose.”
“Hose, huh?” The way his eyebrow lifted and his lip curled up had her forgetting about the burning of her ass as the rest of her body heated. He stood and carried her to the bed she could barely make out. When he dropped her onto it, she squealed and yet giggled as he said, “I can get into role playing and have always wanted to play fireman and rescue a beautiful damsel in distress.” Her heart skipped a beat as he began to strip out of his clothes until he stood, legs slightly apart, hands on his hips, smile on his face and his ‘hose’ ready for duty.
“I got a call, ma’am. Can you direct me to the fire?”
Zoya had lost her panties some time ago but couldn’t get her dress and bra off fast enough, throwing them to the floor and then swooning onto her back.
“Oh, help me, Sir, I swear I’m about to spontaneously combust.”
Stryder managed to put out the fire only to set another and then another as he brought her to climax after climax. By the time he had her on her hands and knees, his fingers gripping cheeks that still burned as he thrust into her again and again until she screamed and he roared, collapsing on top of her, she knew exactly what boneless meant. She didn’t have the strength to even squirm beneath his weight but managed to find just enough to snuggle into him when he rolled off and pulled her against him.
She had never felt more loved, more content than she did at that moment. They hadn’t moved from the bed, hadn’t taken a thing off the wall, hadn’t used any of the equipment that had captured her attention and yet, she didn’t care. There would be time enough for that. Closing her eyes, she smiled, wondering what his next role would be and knowing that hers would always be the damsel needing her hero to rescue her and take her to places she’d never even imagined.
Chapter 21
Within two months, Zoya had cried as seven more women were rescued. She hadn’t known them well but that didn’t matter. The first day Anson asked her if she’d like to move the save to its proper place beneath the line, she’d cried with joy as she added a woman named Elizabeth to the line that had her own photo as well as Sophia’s. Each subsequent time had her giving thanks to every man, so many she’d never actually meet, who had risked their lives to get them to safety. Learning that the women had been returned to their families and would have a chance to heal was the most important thing. The Steeles, working with Hadi, whom she learned had insisted on financing the incredibly expensive operations, were able to hire teams of men and organize rescue operations around the world. Now only three photos remained at the top of the screen, Natalia’s still in the first position.
When no intel had come in threatening the Steeles or indicating that the ranch was a target, regardless of Poplov’s posting the location, security was relaxed enough that the women were given permission to go into town. Of course, Zoya wondered if that decision had been spurred on by the fact that one night at dinner Jennie announced that unless she got to the grocery store, the menu for the foreseeable future would only include the vegetables she’d yet to harvest, mostly consisting of large, beautiful beets.
“I’m sure Zoya wouldn’t mind whipping up another vat of borscht.”
Zoya had giggled as every man at the table had looked at each other, desperation clearly written in their expressions. “I’d love to, and this time I can add a few slices of raw ginger. It gives it a special zing even though it’s a cold soup.”
“No!” Maddox and Stryder said in unison before Stryder waved a hand to his older brother. “Go ahead.”
“No, that’s all right, you can—”
“No, no, as the eldest, I give you the floor.”
“Gee thanks,” Maddox muttered and then sighed. “What we mean is that we prefer our ginger to be used in… um, different ways.”
Zoya had to wonder why his words had Adira blushing and squirming on her chair. She also had to wonder why Stryder grinned and cocked his eyebrow when she looked at him. She didn’t have to wonder why her nipples instantly hardened as she knew they did that every single time he had that look in his eyes. “Okay, I’ll leave the ginger out of the next batch and just add more onions and cabbage. How’s that?”
Drake shook his head. “I never thought I’d see the day that my sons were too chicken to tell you the truth. While we love you, Zoya, we can’t say the same about your soup. It might be a favorite in Russia, but frankly, a bowlful of bright red goop with a bunch of chunky vegetables congealed in a cold broth just isn’t our cup of tea.”
“Well, unless I get to the store pronto, that’s what you’ll be having for breakfast, lunch and dinner!” Jennie announced.
The next morning, Zoya was climbing out of the truck and taking a few of the empty canvas bags that Jennie had brought along. As they walked across the parking lot towards the super Wal-Mart, she couldn’t help but remember the last time she’d been inside. Even then, without yet loving her, Stryder had been so understanding. She smiled, wondering what had become of the high heels she’d left on the floor. The moment the trio walked through the door, the aroma that assaulted her had her remembering that there was an actual fast food restaurant just inside. Her stomach clenched and her mouth started watering.
“You all right?”
Forcing herself to look away from the bright yellow arches, she saw that Jennie already had a cart.
“Um, yes, but I need to use the bathroom.” She wasn’t lying—not exactly, as she felt her bladder clench as well.
> “They’re right over there,” Jennie said with a nod towards the restrooms. “Here, I’ll take those and you can find us when you’re done. I’m going to get some more mason jars for canning and then be in the grocery department.”
“Thanks, I’ll find you,” Zoya said, handing her the bags and turning towards the bathrooms. Once she was done, she stepped out and looked around. When the coast was clear, she practically sprinted to the restaurant.
“Welcome to McDonald’s, what can I get for you today?”
Zoya didn’t even bother looking at the menu above the counter. Instead, she looked at the young teenager and asked, “What is the largest hamburger you have?”
“We have the sirloin burger—”
“I’ll take that. Does it come with cheese?” When he said it could, she smiled. “Great, I want two… no make that three slices. Oh, and what about bacon?”
“Well, it doesn’t normally come with bacon but I can ask. That would cost extra though.”
“I don’t care, just add a lot, please.”
“Do you want fries and something to drink?”
“Just water. Oh, it’ll be quick, right? I mean, I don’t have a lot of time.”
The look the boy gave her said she was acting a little strange but she didn’t care. She was afraid that if she didn’t get her hands on the hamburger immediately, she just might jump over the counter and fix it herself. “We’ll have it right out.”
Once he’d consulted his manager and rung up the burger, she paid and then paced back and forth, her eyes scanning the area and muttering for them to hurry up. When her number was called, she grabbed the tray and sat at the closest table, barely catching herself from whimpering as she tore off the wrapping. The first bite was pure nirvana and she couldn’t contain a soft moan. The second and third just as fabulous and she finally paused to take a sip of her water. God, who knew that food could be so delicious? She’d taken another bite, pondering if she had time to order another when she heard, “Zoya?”
