“Go to your room and wait for me. Don’t make me come looking for you.”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she walked to the second floor and stopped. After several minutes consideration she moved toward her room, stopping before she opened the door. Then, she shook her head and moved back to the stairs, taking them as quickly as she could and going to the office.
She attacked one of the piles, going through papers quickly, sorting them into the various piles that she’d already made. She was partway through it when she sensed his presence in the doorway.
“This is not what I asked you to do.”
“No, but it’s what I’m doing. I called your bluff, you called it back. Now that I’m sure you’re serious, I’ll just, um, work.”
“I don’t think so.” He was still in the doorway. “We made an agreement, and you broke it, deliberately. You wanted to see how I would react, and now I’m prepared to show you.”
She swallowed hard, but stayed seated on the floor, with her back to him. There was silence for a few minutes, neither of them willing to give any ground. Finally, he spoke.
“Michelle. Stand up.”
“No. If you want to spank me, you’re going to have to make me submit to it.”
“I’m prepared to do that.”
Did his voice never change pitch? It was the same, slow somber tone he’d used with her in almost everything.
“You can’t do that. I’ve read enough of this Dom/sub thing to know that Doms don’t force women to submit to them.”
“Ah, but as you so eloquently put last night, that’s not what this is about. It’s not about sex, or a relationship. It’s about an agreement between an employer and his employee. You agreed to it, and now you’re backing down.”
She stood quickly, wheeling on him. “So fire me then! Screw you!” He had moved into the room and she made to pass him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. When he spoke this time, his voice was deeper, and it made her shiver.
“I think not. Something tells me your inability to find a job at home has more to it than your felonious former boss. You’re rather high-spirited, aren’t you?”
She tried to pull away from him, but he tightened his grip. “And, I’ve decided that using the paddle for our first spanking isn’t a good idea. To get my point across, a more personal touch is required. A good old-fashioned hand spanking, with you across my knee.”
“Now who’s breaking the agreement?”
“Yes, well since you broke it first, I feel no guilt.”
“Something tells me you wouldn’t feel it anyway.”
“You’d be surprised.” He stared into her eyes and she swallowed hard.
“No.”
“Yes. We made an agreement. You broke it.” He was standing right in front of her now, her right forearm clasped in his hand. “You have a choice. You can be a good girl and take your spanking, or you can fight it, and it will be the worse for you. What will you do?”
The silence grew thick, and then she shook her head. “If you think I’m going to just lie down and let you spank me, you’ve got another thing coming.”
There was a gleam in his eyes that made her shiver. He turned her quickly and slapped his hand against her behind, the sting hard even through the sundress and thin panties she wore. He slapped her ass twice more, each one harder than the last. Then, he pulled her back against his chest.
“No! Let me go!”
“Oh yes. But first, we need to dispose of any impediments. I’m happy you’re wearing a dress. It makes it that much easier. But, the panties will have to go. A bare bottom is how a spanking should be given. I’ll give you two seconds to take them off. Otherwise, I’ll do it myself. What will it be?”
She struggled against him, her heart beating wildly. “Go to hell, Alliot.”
“So be it. You have only yourself to blame for the spanking you’re about to receive. Make sure you remember that.”
Chapter Four
The room seemed to spin. Michelle’s breath left her lungs swiftly, causing her to gasp for air. He still held her close, and then he turned her, one arm going around her upper body, grasping her wrists together, the other reaching under her dress to grasp her panties and pull.
The thin material gave easily, the ripping sounds making her cry out in frustration.
“I only have two other pair since they lost my luggage, you creep!”
“I warned you.” Alliot’s grasp was firm, and as much as she tried, she couldn’t break free from him. He gave another tug and she felt her panties rip from the elastic, the stretchy material biting into her waist.
“Ow!”
“If you’d listened to me, this wouldn’t be happening.”
“It’s no wonder your employees don’t last.” She struggled against his hold, surprised that he hadn’t spanked her more, or moved to take her across her knee. “I’m sure there’s some sort of charge I can bring you up on.”
“Give it a try if you like,” he said, his voice uninterested. “But, it’s my decided opinion that tomorrow’s work performance will be much better than today’s.”
She was surprised that he still stood rock still, holding her tight. She thought about lashing out at him, about kicking her foot backward, trying to hit his knee, or his shin; or slicing it upward so that she might hit a vital part of his anatomy.
After a few minutes of silence she relaxed her shoulders somewhat. And that was when he struck, spinning her again so that she was again facing him. He let go of her hands and lifted her skirt, bringing his hand down on her now bare bottom.
She cried out in anger as his hand struck again and again. She pushed against him but it didn’t seem to faze him one little bit. Instead, he moved aside and she staggered, giving him just the right angle to push her so that she landed on the couch, ass up. When he moved next to her, and pulled her over his knee she struggled, but he captured her tightly with his free arm, and then stared to spank her.
Michelle cried out as his hand came down, each slap progressively harder than the last one, her bottom stinging. After the first few slaps, she refused to cry out, refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream or beg for him to stop. Although the sting was harsh, the slaps painful, there was no way she was going to cry.
The spanking continued, and she thought he was hitting with more than his hand. Then, she decided that he wasn’t hitting with anything harder, it was just that her behind ached, the pain growing with each slap. She tried not to think of what she must look like, upended over his knee, her skirt bunched up, her bare behind growing redder by the minute.
The sound of his hand striking her ass was loud. Finally, after a particularly harsh volley of slaps, she gave upon her strategy to remain silent. She sobbed softly, and then sighed. “Alliot.”
He gave each cheek one hard slap. “Yes?”
“Please stop.” She stayed completely still.
“Why should I?” Two hard slaps fell on each side of her bottom.
“Because, this isn’t right!” The whiney sound of her voice made her cringe.
“You knew it was coming. It’s not like this is a surprise.”
Unfortunately, she had no answer for that. He was right, it’s not as if he hadn’t warned her. She cried out when he slapped her ass several more times, stopped and caressed her skin, and then let his hand come down again.
She counted four on each side before she whispered, “Please, Alliot. Stop.”
For a long moment, she thought he was going to listen to her. He sat below her, silently. She put her hands on the couch, in preparation to rise up
“I didn’t say we were finished.” The steeliness in his voice made her stop.
“But you gave me much more than ten. You’ve slapped my ass at least fifty times. Can’t there be a plea bargain or something?”
His laugh gave her hope. “What are you saying, Michelle?”
“That I goaded you on purpose, to see what you’d do. I’m sorry.
It won’t happen again.”
Alliot put his hand on her bottom and she flinched. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“I hope so, because now you know I’m not afraid to spank you, if it gets me the results I desire. I’m going to give you the ten swats we originally agreed upon, just as extra incentive to keep you from ‘goading’ me in the future.”
She wanted to argue, but she was afraid if she did, the ten would turn into twenty, or even more. Her already aching behind convinced her to just stay silent.
“The spanking you just received was for breaking our agreement. The ten swats I’m going to give you, with the paddle, are part of our agreement. I don’t think I can let the ten original ones pass.”
The tears she’d held back threatened to fall, but she pushed them away. She would be damned if she would let him see her cry. Still, she couldn’t just take it without an argument. He was still sitting, with her across his lap and he made no move as if to rise. That in itself was a good sign.
“That’s so unfair. You can’t do both.”
“Why not? I’m a lawyer, remember? Convince me.”
She grasped the ray of hope he gave her. “May I stand up?’
“No.” His hand caressed her bottom. “I rather like your reddened behind. I’d like to redden it more. You’d better start talking, or I’ll go and retrieve the paddle.”
Michelle swallowed hard. “Earlier, you said you were breaking the agreement, since I’d broken it.”
“You’re right, I did.”
“So, I don’t think it’s fair for you to decide to enforce it now, when you said you wouldn’t earlier. Don’t you agree?”
His silence was almost unnerving. She could hear the ticking of the wall clock, and when he finally chuckled, she closed her eyes in relief.
“All right. This time, I’ll go with what you say. But, you have to give me a boon in exchange for it.”
“What?”
“You will stand in a corner for ten minutes, with your dress raised to display your red bottom.”
She wanted to tell him hell no, that she wouldn’t embarrass herself like that. Then, she thought of the alternative. Ten more swats on a bottom that was hurting more as each minute passed. She weighed her options, knowing that he was telling the truth, that he would do exactly as he said. He’d proven that.
“Fine.”
“Then stand up.” He stood next to her then took her hand and led her to a corner of the room. “Right here. Turn your face to the wall.”
She did as he asked, and when he lifted her skirt and tucked it into the elastic of her torn panties she flinched.
“It’s all right. I’m just displaying your bottom, just as a reminder. Now, clasp your hands behind your back. I’ll let you know when your time is up.”
Michelle closed her eyes and put her forehead against the wall. She felt embarrassed and on display, which she was, and she knew that was what he intended. Standing here like this with an inflamed ass would have its desired effect, almost more than the spanking had. She would behave from now on, she knew that.
The minutes ticked by, and seemed to flow for hours. Finally, he cleared his throat.
“Your time is up.” She turned to find him in a chair, facing her. She couldn’t read the expression on his face, and she didn’t stay around long enough to question him. She pulled her skirt down from her ruined panties and fled the room, her cheeks now as red as her bottom, she was sure.
*****
At three the next day, Michelle came down from the office to find her lost suitcase sitting on her bed. It was a nice surprise, seeing as how her day had not been too perfect so far. Her behind ached. She consoled herself with the fact that, if Alliot had not agreed to the corner standing instead of the swats from the paddle, it would ache even more.
She hadn’t seen him that day, a mixture of luck, and planning. Being late for breakfast had gotten her a stern look from Mrs. Thaxton, but it had meant that Alliot had been gone. Then, she’d deliberately skipped lunch, opting to work and try to catch up.
Bea had called after one to say Alex was sleeping now, and she would bring him up that afternoon.
“He’s been fussy. I think he misses you.”
Michelle had laughed, and was surprised when she said, truthfully, that she missed the baby, too. As reluctant as she was to take care of him, she had grown attached, which sort of frightened her. Of course growing attached to the baby was better than feeling the same way about Alliot.
She was surprised he hadn’t come to the office to check on her, to see if she was working. But then again, he probably figured his spanking would have its desired effect. Which it had.
Michelle patted her suitcase as if it were an old friend before quickly opening it and emptying the contents. Her clothing looked as if it had been drug through a wrinkle machine, if such a thing existed. She separated her clothes into piles of laundry, then gathered up the first one, intent on taking it to the laundry room.
On her way there, she met Mrs. Thaxton, who stepped in front of her.
“Where are you going?”
“To wash my clothes. My suitcase came, in case you didn’t know it.”
“Yes, I saw. Give them to me.” The older woman held out her hands.
“I’d rather not. I’m not here as a guest, and I’d rather not have you wait on me.”
“And I’d rather not have you in my laundry room. I have things set up just as I like them.”
Michelle clutched her clothes tighter. “Listen, I get the feeling you don’t like me. I’m not sure why, but I’m not going anywhere. And I’d rather do my own laundry.”
The dark look on Mrs. Thaxton’s face made Michelle take a step backwards. “I don’t care what you…”
“Is something wrong?” Alliot’s voice sounded from behind her. She didn’t turn, just shook her head.
“My suitcase came, and I’m going to wash my clothes.”
“Nonsense. You have other things to do. Give them to Mrs. Thaxton.”
The look of triumph on the other woman’s face made Michelle want to slap her. She shoved the clothes at her.
“There’s more. I’ll bring them down later and you can wash your little heart out.” She turned and stalked past Alliot, who called her name. She ignored him and marched across the huge room to the stairs and started up.
“Michelle!”
“What?” She stopped at the first landing and turned to him.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Are you kidding me?” She threw up her hands in disgust and started back up the stairs, praying he wouldn’t follow her. When she reached the office, he was right behind her, pushing the door shut after them.
“Are you angry about last night?”
“Duh.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Plus, you just cut me off at the knees where the witch is concerned.”
“Mrs. Thaxton? A witch?”
“Yes. She’s snarled at me since I got here. And you taking her side when I’d rather do my own laundry doesn’t help.”
He seemed to consider it for a moment. “I’m sorry you feel that way. But you do have other duties I would rather you attend to.”
Michelle studied him as he looked around the room. “You’d made good progress this morning.”
“I was motivated.” She growled out the word, then narrowed her eyes at him when he laughed.
“I’ll have to remember that.” She wanted to smack the grin off his face, but it disappeared almost immediately. “You don’t have to starve yourself, you know. I expected you at breakfast, and at lunch.”
“I did eat breakfast. Just later than you did.”
“Ah, avoiding me. Well, it’s a good thing I have a tough outer shell, or else that might hurt my feelings.”
“I don’t think you have any.” This time, the look on his face made her regret her words. He looked sad, but he quickly schooled his face, leaving his expression blank when he said, “I’ll
see you at dinner, then.” He turned and left, coming back inside long enough to tell her to take the rest of her laundry down to Mrs. Thaxton.
She went to her room, gathered up the rest of her clothes and took them to the kitchen, dropping them just inside the door. She ignored Mrs. Thaxton’s command to come back and take them to the laundry room and went back upstairs to work.
It was almost four when Bea showed up, Amelie in tow and Alex in her arms.
The Reluctant Au Pair Page 5
