by Alice Raine
Finally, I felt him shift slightly, then my hand was covered by the warmth of his palm as he laid it over mine, but still he didn’t speak.
Keeping my eyes tilted down reverently, I waited in pained silence, where the only thing to break the quiet around us was a deep, sarcastic laugh to my right. ‘Seriously? You’re going to let her get away with that, Oliver? She needs punishing.’
Within a split second, Oliver had leaped to his feet and darted around me. I heard a small scuffle then Oliver’s furious tone. ‘Do I tell you how to treat your trainees, Dominic?’
Dominic. The huge guy I’d met on my very first night here. I’d seen him several times since then, and he always made my skin crawl. I knew that things between him and Oliver were already strained, and now I’d just added to it with my stupid outburst. Damn. I was the first girl Oliver had let close for years, “his trainee”, as he’d just called me, and I’d let him down in the worst way. If possible, I felt even guiltier, and had to really fight not to let my shoulders hunch with mortification.
‘Well?’ Oliver demanded, his tone the lowest and deadliest I’d ever heard.
‘No.’
‘Then mind your own fucking business!’ These words were roared out in total opposition to Oliver’s usual cool, calm demeanour, and it didn’t pass my notice that he’d sworn in English, which he never did, but I didn’t dare look up, instead forcing myself to remain rigidly in the correct submissive position.
‘Don’t you all have better things to stare at?’ he snapped, and around us I heard people start to shift and talk again, before music once again filled the club.
Through my lowered eyes, I saw Oliver’s black boots and dark jeans enter my vision as he moved back to the sofa and took his seat. He didn’t speak or touch me at first, and as much as I wanted to look up at him, I didn’t. Instead, I stared at the seam on his jeans, trying to retain my position and focusing on counting the small stitches to ground me.
It felt like an age had passed, but it was probably no more than a second or two, when he gently laid a hand on the top of my head and caressed down to my cheek, which he cupped gently. ‘Stand up, Robyn, and assume the standing ready position.’
My ready position. Oh God. His gentle touch had tricked me into thinking that I had got away with my slip, but was he actually about to punish me right here?
I didn’t want to further upset him, so I didn’t question it or hesitate, and instead stood and took up my position. Feet spread, hands on my thighs, back straight and eyes averted.
My gaze might have been turned towards the floor, but I could still see Oliver as he also stood, and slowly rolled up the sleeves of his pale grey shirt.
Oh God. In our time together, I had learned that this was sort of his “thing”. If we were doing a scene where he wasn’t undressing, then he always, always, rolled up his shirt sleeves. He took his time until the cotton was folded meticulously just below his elbows, then walked around me in a painfully slow circle, as if trying to decide exactly what he should do with me.
My heart was beating so hard and fast that I could feel it drumming against my ribs, and roaring in my ears, but I centred my entire focus on Oliver to stop me from completely freaking out.
Oliver leaned in close beside me; he trailed his nose through my hair, and his breath warmed my skin until I actually shivered from the anticipation of what might occur.
‘Good girl. I accept your apology, cariño.’ He murmured the words in a tone so low that only I would be able to hear them. A choked sob broke in my throat, which I swallowed down before speaking. ‘Thank you, Sir,’ I whispered, my voice thick with the tears now flowing readily from my eyes.
‘Look up at me, Robyn.’
Sniffing hard to try to make sure I didn’t have a runny nose, I raised my head and locked my gaze with his. As soon as he took in my pathetic look, his expression softened, and he looped a hand behind my neck and gently cradled my head against the firmness of his chest.
‘Hey, sshhh. It’s OK,’ he murmured softly beside my ear, running his warm hands up and down my arms to soothe me.
Around us, I was vaguely aware of the noises from the club; the clinking of glasses, murmur of interested voices as they watched our scene unfold, and the low beat of the music, but I blocked it all out. None of it mattered; all I cared about was the man standing before me.
Oliver lowered his lips into my hair and placed a kiss on the top of my head. ‘You’re trembling, cariño, are you OK?’
‘I’m so sorry, Sir, I really wasn’t thinking …’ I mumbled again.
‘And I already accepted your apology. You don’t need to repeat it.’ His voice was soft, but firm, reminding me that repetitions irritated him. ‘Now. What am I going to do with you, hmm?’ Oliver murmured, tilting my head back so he could look into my eyes. His expression was intent and fastened on me so securely that I didn’t dare to even blink, even though my mind was racing through possibilities of what he might do next. ‘This isn’t because of Dominic’s comments. I will not have others dictate how we run our relationship,’ he stated in a low tone. ‘I have never, and will never punish you because I’m feeling irritated. That’s not how our relationship works. We might not have been together long, but we’re more than just this club and the life it represents, you know that.’
A small smile tugged my lips upwards at his sweet words, but I was intensely aware that curious eyes were still watching us as we stood together by the sofa. ‘But you hold a senior position, Sir, and you need to set an example.’
He nodded, seemingly pleased by my understanding of the situation. ‘Indeed. I have a certain status within these walls, and as such I cannot allow your actions to go unaccounted for.’
‘I understand. You … you should punish me, Sir,’ I mumbled, replaying just how hideous my outburst must have looked to anyone here who lived this lifestyle and knew of Oliver’s position within the club. ‘It’s what I deserve, and it’s what would be expected of you here.’ And as insane as the words sounded, I meant every single one of them. I’d become accustomed to this lifestyle and what would be expected of me if I chose to enter it, and enter it I had. My eyes were wide open, and I had a full understanding of the path I had chosen.
‘Indeed. The members will be outraged if I allow you to get away with your outburst.’
My cheeks heated again at his reminder of my foolishness, my blush deepening when I tried to imagine what he was planning on doing to me. Would he flog me? Paddle me? Strip me naked and spank me right here, for everyone to watch?
As if reading my mind, Oliver barked out a short, low laugh. ‘There’s zero chance that I’m letting anyone else get a look at your gorgeous body, Robyn, but perhaps we can put on a little show with your clothes on.’
‘Yes, Sir,’ I agreed, surprised by how arousing the idea of doing a scene in public with Oliver was.
‘Good girl. We’re going to move to the small side stage. Follow me, and resume your standing ready posture when we get there.’
With that, Oliver stepped away from me and pointed to the spot directly behind him before starting a slow pace through the large room. I followed behind him, with my eyes lowered, and hands joined, and tried to look as sorry for myself as I could.
He walked directly to the side stage and pointed again, indicating where I should stand, then spent several moments fetching a wooden chair and sitting himself down onto it.
‘Eyes on me, Robyn,’ Oliver announced. His tone was loud enough that I knew people around me were now looking, but I kept my focus on him, and him alone. He made a show of patting his thighs and smiled wickedly. ‘Across my lap.’
This was new. There was no bench like we’d used before, and he didn’t appear to have any toys with him, so it seemed I was about to receive a traditional spanking. Whereas that might have put some people off, it did the complete opposite to me and I was aware just how wet I already was between my legs.
Oliver had only spanked me once before, back on o
ur first night together in Barcelona, and he’d gone light and only given me four repetitions. Since then he’d done a good deal of exploration with my limits, so I had a feeling he wouldn’t be quite so forgiving this time.
A nervous swallow forced its way down my throat, and as I began to make my way towards him an excited murmur broke out across the crowd around me.
Remembering how he’d taught me to make these scenes like a show, I edged forwards and wondered how on earth I was going to manage to crawl across his lap and make it graceful. Thankfully, Oliver seemed pick up on my hesitation and raised his hands to assist me, handling my body as if I were light as a feather. Once I was settled, he flicked my skirt up to expose my knickers, and gave a satisfied hum of approval.
The strength of his legs was now below my stomach, my breasts were draped across his thigh and only just restrained within my bra, my palms and toes were on the floor and my arse must have been displayed to perfection for him, and all the club goers nearby. Thank God, I had chosen a nice pair of knickers today!
This was an incredibly vulnerable position to be in, and if I had been with anyone but Oliver I would probably have panicked at how helpless I was, but with him, I felt utterly safe. Almost protected, somehow, which, given what he was about to do to my bum, was probably stupid, but was most certainly the case.
A warm hand landed on my bottom and softly caressed over the lace. Oliver gently trailed the fingers of his other hand up my back, across my shoulders, and into my hair. ‘I always like to see your beautiful face, but when we’re exploring new positions it’s even more important to me.’ He encouraged me to turn my head so it was facing in his direction, then carefully brushed my hair back from my face so I could see him. ‘I can judge your reactions better this way.’
Stroking my cheek, he smiled down at me. ‘OK so far, cariño?’
Cariño. Sweetheart. My heart melted just a little every time I heard that nickname from his lips. He always sounded so loving when he said it, and I nodded, a small smile tugging at my lips, regardless of the peculiar position I was in. ‘Yes, Sir.’
‘Good girl. Please remind me of your safe words.’
‘Green, amber, and red.’
He nodded and gave me an intent look. ‘Use them if you need to. So, you understand why this is happening?’
Images of me yelling at him in the club swum in my mind, and my eyes fluttered shut in embarrassment. I still couldn’t quite understand why I had overreacted in that way. Maybe I was due my period and was hormonal. ‘Because I’m an idiot,’ I mumbled. The hand at my bottom suddenly paused and gripped the flesh hard enough to make me wince.
‘Robyn, look at me.’ His tone was harsh, and I opened my eyes immediately to find him frowning down at me. ‘Enough with the self-critique. You are far from being an idiot, but I wish to know that you understand why I am going to spank you.’
Swallowing hard, I tried again. ‘When we’re in the club I’m your sub, and I should act appropriately. I showed you up. It won’t happen again, Sir.’
‘Indeed. So, how many spanks do you think you should receive, Robyn?’
I knew from experience now exactly how this type of question was supposed to be answered, so I didn’t hesitate in my response. ‘As many as you wish, Sir.’
Oliver hummed his approval of my reply and nodded. ‘Twenty it is, then.’ The hand on my arse gripped tighter, his fingers biting into the flesh, and he bent forwards to speak near my ear. ‘These will be harder than last time.’
I had expected him to go harder, but twenty? That was certainly a big step up from the four I’d received in Barcelona. Trusting him completely, I simply nodded my head and relaxed my body across his lap. The close position of our bodies pressed his erection into my side, and the warmth of his hand continuously stroking across my bottom was making me shudder with desire.
He lifted his hand from my bum, cool air rushing in where his skin had been just a second before, but before I could really register the cold I heard a faint swish in the air then yelped as he landed his first spank. It was definitely harder, and I sucked in a deep breath, one of my hands leaving the floor and flailing briefly before I gripped at his firm calf muscle to ground myself.
The painful heat on my buttock quickly bloomed into pleasure, then I counted and expressed my thanks, making sure it was loud enough for everyone around to hear.
Absorbing the sting of the second blow, I arched my back and lifted my bottom, shamelessly indicating that I wanted more. Warmth tingled across my skin, and adrenaline flooded my system, mixing with desire so potently that I dropped my head and moaned in a low, needy tone.
‘Eyes up, Robyn. Let me see your face,’ Oliver reminded me crisply, and I quickly looked up and met his gaze. His pupils were dilated, and his eyes almost glowing with desire as he nodded and gave me a reassuring wink.
The next eighteen seemed to blur into one long succession of pleasurable pain. Before Oliver, I would never have dreamt that a little pain could heighten my desire like this, but the way he worked my body was like magic, prolonging and building my pleasure as he played my sensitive skin like a skilled musician.
The final spank landed, and as soon as I had drowsily murmured my thanks, the room tipped as Oliver lifted me with ease. He encouraged me to wrap my legs around his waist and drape my arms around my neck, then strode from the room.
Chapter Thirty-three
Robyn
With me safely enclosed in his arms, Oliver walked through the bar towards the corridor that led to the rooms which could be hired out. A relieved breath left my lungs as we left the scrutiny of the club goers, and I further relaxed as he skipped the private bedrooms that I disliked so much and carried me up a further flight of stairs towards his office.
Once he’d kicked the door shut behind us, Oliver crossed the room and lowered himself into his large leather office chair, with me still attached to him like a baby chimpanzee.
I made no attempt to separate us, and instead burrowed my face further into his neck. I hated that I felt so needy, it wasn’t a usual emotion for me, but after my stupid outburst, and the intensity of that scene in the club, I did. I think I was still recovering from the guilt I felt, too, because it was quite clear to me just how massively I had overreacted and caused Oliver embarrassment. He could quite easily have just finished with me there and then.
As we sat quietly for a few seconds it occurred to me that I still didn’t know who had paid for my membership, but before I could dwell on that, Oliver spoke.
‘So, perhaps we should talk, hmm?’
Swallowing, I raised my head and met his eyes. He looked calmer now, but there was still something darker swirling in his denim blues. ‘I came down tonight to join the club, and when I paid I found out that someone had subsidised my membership. I assumed it was you, and I … well, I freaked out. As you saw.’
Oliver frowned, but nodded. ‘I can check the account later to see who paid it. What I don’t understand is why the idea of me paying it upset you so much?’
Now that some time had passed and I’d cooled off, I had to admit that I wasn’t entirely sure myself. Remembering back to my heated words with Chloe, I shrugged. ‘It made me feel cheap.’ I whispered. ‘Like you were sort of paying me for sex, or something.’
‘Dios.’ Oliver cursed, his word hissed out angrily, and I shifted as he hastily sat himself up straighter and took hold of my chin between his forefinger and thumb so he could stare into my eyes. ‘How could you even think that?’ he demanded. ‘Even if I had paid your subscription, it would be because I care about you and wanted to help you out, not for any other reason.’
With the closeness of our faces there was no way I could mistake the utter truth behind his words, and my shoulders sagged in relief.
I stroked his cheek, the slight stubble tickling my thumb. ‘I’m so sor …’ My words were cut off by Oliver as he closed the gap between our lips and placed a short, hard kiss on my lips.
‘We’ve
dealt with it, there’s no need to keep repeating, Robyn,’ he reminded me, and so I decided to show him how sorry I was in a different way, and closed the gap between our mouths again.
My kiss wasn’t short and sharp like his had been. I still had lust burning in my system from the spanking, so I took my time, licking a path along his lower lip, dotting kisses onto his jaw, chin, and lip before opening my mouth and pressing my tongue against his lips, requesting entry. He complied on a groan, his warm mouth opening to me as he slid one hand up my back and cupped my head. Our tongues twined lazily, but there was a heated undertone to the kiss, one that promised naughtiness to come in the very near future.
Pulling back slightly, Oliver parted our lips. ‘You were so perfect in your submission just now. You looked beautiful across my lap, and seeing you drop to your knees in the middle of the club made me so hard that my balls are still aching.’
He was still hard, too, because I could feel the solid heat of his erection below my bottom, and so I teased him by giving a wiggle before climbing from his lap and taking my time arranging myself into a perfect kneeling position by his feet. I didn’t avert my gaze as I should have, because I wanted to watch his reaction, but I placed my hands on my thighs, spread my knees, and gave a flirtatious smile. ‘You mean like this, Sir?’
Oliver sucked in a harsh breath, and leaned forwards to rest his elbows onto his knees as he observed my position. ‘Tease,’ he murmured. ‘But I’ll let you off, seeing as you look so fucking gorgeous.’
My smile widened at the obvious pleasure in his eyes, and I giggled at his lusty tone. It was the second time tonight that I’d heard him swear in English instead of Spanish, and I took the slip as a further compliment.
He leaned forwards to run his thumb across my lower lip, and I couldn’t help but briefly suck it into my mouth and swirl my tongue around the tip.
Oliver’s eyes blazed. Then, with a grin, he sat back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. His jeans were bulging at the front, and with the way his legs were spread and he was grinning at me, he looked well and truly sinful.
