by Riley Murphy
“Yes, I am yours to do with as you want.”
He let out a relieved breath and began the next step. “Put the phone down on the credenza and collect the smaller parcel. Hand it to me.”
She did as instructed and seemed glad that they were moving on when she commented, “It’s got some weight to it.”
“Yes, it does.” He put the flat, square box on the desk behind him. “Now collect the bigger package and open it.”
He knew she was dying to see what was in it. Her hands shook as she tore at the paper and eased one end of the box apart to peek inside. She frowned as she pulled a mass of clear bubble wrap out, trying to get a good look at the contents. When she did, her hand stilled and she looked up at him.
“Restraints?”
He didn’t blink or nod. He just calmly stood there while he let her absorb the nature of the items in the box. He could tell part of her was turned-on, while another part of her was frightened as hell. They’d talked about getting something more stable than silken cord before they’d had problems. She was probably wondering if this was a good time to be introducing new items into the mix.
“Unpack them.”
“I would have thought handcuffs would be more your style.”
“Handcuffs are for amateurs. Unpack them.”
Kneeling, she tipped the box so that the contents slid out onto the floor. Without a word she set about slowly unwrapping each leather cuff. Tearing away the packing material as she undid and then rewound the length of rawhide straps. Each of which sported a loop on the end of it, much like a leash handle.
“Do you like them?”
Even he couldn’t deny the expert craftsmanship. He’d had these specially made for her. The black and tan leather was lined with quilted silk that boasted a delicate tobacco flower pattern he knew she loved. It would feel soft to the touch and wouldn’t chafe that exquisite skin of hers.
“They’re beautiful.”
She cleaned up all the debris and stuffed it back into the box before she drew her delicate fingers over the double buckles. When she paused to examine the cutwork metal filigree more closely, he said, “They’re sterling silver.”
“I love them.”
“I love the thought of restraining you with them.”
He noticed she’d almost made the mistake of looking up at him. Almost. Now she was ready to be good? Ready to behave and follow rules? Damn, why couldn’t she have found her way back to center before she’d broken his command by going into the office?
“I want you to pay attention, Alexis. I have another list of things for you to do. Are you listening?”
She nodded.
“I want you to take these restraints upstairs and place them neatly rolled on each corner of my bed. Then I want you to take the clothes I’ve laid out for you on our chair into the bathroom. I want you to wash up and change into that outfit. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“I also want you to remove all your makeup and put your hair into a high ponytail. A tight one with no loose strands.” She licked her lips, but he wouldn’t let her nervousness sway him. He had to go through with this no matter how difficult it would be for both of them. “I want you to make a choice now between right and left.”
Although her head was still bowed he could see that she frowned as she answered, “R-right.”
“Good. After you have your ponytail tied I want you to go to my bed and attach the restraints to each bedpost. They’re long enough to be secured below the underside of the mattress. You can do a slipknot through the cuffs around the posts. The buckles will fit through the handles on the end of each tether. When they’re secure, I want you to bring them up on the bed and position them the same way you do the cord. Only, make sure that each buckle is undone and ready for use. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
He walked around behind her. “After the restraints are perfectly placed on my bed, I want you to go to my nightstand drawer. I want you to open it and pick up the item I placed in there for you. I want you to hold it against your chest. I want you to do this for one full minute. You’ll use the digital clock as a gauge. When you’ve done this I want you to place the item on my chair and sink to your knees. I want you to rest your cheek against the seat of my chair and close your eyes to better contemplate. Then I want you stay that way until you can return to me here and tell me why you think you deserve to be punished. I want to know that you know why I am going to punish you. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
He came around in front her. “Look at me.” She did and he almost groaned. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes glassy. Clearly she was uncomfortable. He hated that for her. That’s why his voice softened and he offered her another chance. Maybe if she was smart and took it, he wouldn’t have to be so thorough. “About your punishment. Think of every possibility. Even ones that may not have been discussed today in this room.”
“I will.”
Alexis’ stomach did flip-flops the whole way up to the bedroom. There were only two times Rene had ever spanked her for punishment. Both were deserved, yet it didn’t change the fact that it was humiliating and painful. It was nothing like the sessions where he incorporated spank play. Those times were fun and a huge turn-on. He always used his hand and she was, most times, bent over his knee or propped on pillows on the bed. Nothing at all like the two times he’d meted out corporal punishment when he deemed she needed to be pulled back from a line she’d knowingly crossed. Those two times took place on “their chair”. It was a huge, overstuffed piece of furniture with a rolled back that was perfect for absorbing her cries, tears and the pressure of her arms as she’d squeezed herself and burrowed up against it for support.
Both those times Rene had chosen the instrument he’d punished her with, a leather strap. Oh he’d shown her the nasty-looking wooden paddle, and the intimidating black crop he owned as well, but she’d always figured he did it to heighten her anxiety because he never wound up using them on her. Today, however, it was different. He’d made her choose. Right or left, he’d asked. She prayed she picked the nightstand drawer that had the strap in it. The thought of the paddle or, worse, the crop made her shiver, which turned into a quake when she stepped through the bedroom door and took in the state of the room.
Their chair was positioned away from the alcove it usually sat in and had been dragged closer to the center of the room. One of his shirts was neatly folded on it and on top of it was a pair of her undies. This was to be her outfit. Opposite “their chair” was “his chair”. It was an ancient run-of-the-mill ladder-backed dining chair, which creaked whenever he moved on it. Sitting center stage as it was now? It looked like an austere throne. She tried to control her breathing, which was suddenly light and thin, and turned to the bed. That’s when she nearly tripped. The bed had been stripped of everything except the fitted sheet. Even the pillows were gone.
She put down each rolled restraint as he’d instructed and set about doing everything he wanted her to do just as he’d said. By the time she’d gathered up the shirt and undies and went into the bathroom to wash, dress and put up her hair, she was focused. When she was done she came out and fastened each restraint to the bed, positioning them just the way he liked. They looked bold stretched across the beige Egyptian cotton sheets. Bold and powerful.
It seemed as if she arrived at the right-hand drawer too soon. Was she ready to face the item he’d be putting to her backside? She went through her mental list and realized it didn’t matter whether she was ready. It was time. She’d completed everything he’d asked her to do. Just as he’d asked. With a deep breath and an accompanying wince, she eased the drawer opened as if whatever was in there was going to jump out at her. It didn’t. Instead, the shiny black crop lay horizontally in the otherwise empty drawer, looking smart and tidy. Screw that, it looked efficient.
Not good.
Almost gingerly she picked it up and turned it over in her hand. It wasn’t terribly wei
ghty, but when she took it in one hand and smacked it into the palm of her other, she nearly dropped it. It hurt the bejesus out of her. It also left a stripe-like welt on her skin. Quickly, before she could change her mind, she hugged it up against her chest and waited for the digital clock to tick over.
After it did, she watched a full minute pass and then went to his chair. Just as he’d instructed she placed the crop across it and dropped to her knees. She had to half-kneel, half-lean over so she could press her cheek on the surface of the seat. When she’d managed the position, she closed her eyes and concentrated on why she thought she was being punished. Rene had given her a good clue when he’s said that maybe they hadn’t even discussed it today. He never set her up to fail, so she was fairly confident he was ready to deal with her for her part in the fight they’d had that night. After all, she had greatly overstepped certain boundaries. Taking the bull by the horns, or more correctly the crop to her ass, Rene would be able to move them forward so they could put the whole thing behind them.
She was so convinced with her decision that twenty minutes later she went down to the study and stood before him. Only this time she was in her bare feet, wearing one of his dress shirts that covered her to mid-thigh and had on a tiny pair of red-lace panties underneath. She didn’t give her scantily clad form a second thought as she told him, “I know why I’m to be punished.”
“Tell me.”
“I overstepped a boundary when I made that horrible accusation and brought your honor into question the night we fought.”
For a minute she thought she’d hit the nail on the head because he looked relieved and a little surprised. But then those fleeting expressions disappeared and he sighed. “I do appreciate that you recognize this, but as I recognize my part in that night as well, I’d never punish you for it. That’s not why you are being punished today. In this you’re not even close.”
“But I thought—”
The rest of what she was going to say died on her lips as he took her by the arm, turned her around and pulled her along with him, exiting the room. She’d be really freaking out right about now, if he weren’t so calm and his voice almost soothing.
“If you’d been thinking you wouldn’t be in trouble.”
He turned toward the kitchen and she was totally confused. “Where are we going?”
“Why? Are you nervous?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t say anything and for some reason that fact bothered her more than if he’d said “good”.
Rene led Alexis’ reluctant little ass right to the answering machine at the built-in desk in the kitchen. “Press play.”
She did, but five words into Michael’s message she punched the stop button. Turning toward him, she said, “Rene, I’m—”
He put his forefinger to her lips, effectively cutting her off. As gently as he could he told her, “Go upstairs and get ready for your punishment. Leave the panties on, but take off my shirt.”
She looked completely dejected as she walked away. As if she were really sorry, which was good because he wasn’t bending on this. He’d given her every opportunity to ’fess up about going into the office and she’d chosen not to tell him. Maybe if he hadn’t let her wobble for the last six months, she wouldn’t have had the nerve to deceive him. He sighed.
After taking the time to examine things, he now knew for a certainty that she needed him as much as he needed her. Sure, their relationship wasn’t perfect. They had plenty of things they needed to work on. In this, they were the same as everyone else. The only difference seemed to be the extremes. The high-highs and low-lows. Ken pointed this out along with the fact that Rene needed to find some middle ground with Alexis now that she’d gone from being his obedient sub to becoming his bratty sub-wife. He began to see that he’d successfully walked them through an unconventional courtship that was as much an awakening for him as it was for her. They’d both loved the power exchange, yet when it came to their marriage he’d neglected to make a proper path to continue to enjoy this kind of relationship. There were no rules in place. He had no specific structure for her either. She’d made her own, the only way she knew how. Pleasing people. It was no wonder his CFO promoted her, time and again, and no surprise a guy like Michael latched on to her. Alexis was back to living the life she’d been living before he’d met her.
But that was going to change.
He left her upstairs for a half hour. Letting her worry in silence about what was to come. He’d already decided that there would be no holding back. No soft pedal.
He stalked into the room and went directly to the bed. Putting down the small, unwrapped package on the nightstand, he systematically checked each restraint. Straightening one, smoothing another. When he’d examined all four he said, “You did a good job with the buckles. They’re well placed and easily accessible.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was perfectly positioned. Kneeling on their chair. Her arms folded over the top of the bolster while her breasts squashed nicely into the fabric. She’d angled herself so that her naked back dipped down and her ass was predominately displayed. The fact that she was wearing her tiny red panties only lent to the eroticism. He might find it challenging to punish her when he had to, but he always got a thrill from seeing her like this. So vulnerable and ready for him to do as he pleased.
He walked by his chair and scooped up the crop. Smacking it loudly against his thigh, he asked, “Do you like what you chose for me to use?”
“No.”
He ignored her answer, rolled up his sleeves and asked again, “Do you like what you chose for me to use?”
She got the message. “Yes.”
“That’s better. Now,” he bent and slid the crop between the chair and the undersides of her breasts, “make sure this doesn’t fall. I want…” He didn’t finish, he just wrapped his hand around her thigh and gently pulled, spreading her knees farther apart. “There, that’s better. You’ll be more stable. And your shoulders, they’re too high. Drop them.”
When she did, the crop started to slip. She attempted to press herself harder against it, but it didn’t work. Without a word he wedged his hand on her rib cage and shoved up, waiting for her to get a better angle to capture it. Pleased as she did. “Very good. But you’re going to have to be careful, I don’t want that crop to slip.”
He made a few more adjustments until he was fully satisfied with the results. One last check and he left her and went to his chair. He could only imagine how terrible the creaks and groans sounded to her as it bore his weight. An audible reminder that he was there and she was captive while he leisurely watched her. Free to think all manner of things she wasn’t privy to.
“Can you tell me now, why I’m going to punish you?”
“I wasn’t allowed to go into the office today and I did anyway.”
“I don’t want specifics. You could have gone into a store of your choosing, into a movie theater or a bank and it would be the same thing. What do you have to say to that?”
“You gave me instructions and I deviated from them.”
“Good, but I want better from you.” He could tell she was having a hard time maintaining her position. “Tell me what I want to hear.”
“I willfully disobeyed you.”
“And?”
“And I misled you when I told you the reason I was late was because Ken had trouble finding your order. Although that was the truth, I should have told you that I’d gone into the office.”
“Yes. I am greatly displeased with you because you never gave me the chance to allow or deny you the option to go some other place. You assumed I would say no, so you took a gamble that I wouldn’t find out. This is a twofold deception, isn’t it? Not only did you defy me, but afterward you tried to cover it up. You will never attempt to deceive me like this again. In the future, you will always give me the option, do you understand?”
“Yes.”
; “Your punishment is as follows. You will take twenty strokes. Double what I normally give you. Do you agree that this is a fair exchange?”
“Y-yes.”
Her voice was so muffled and soft he leaned forward and said, “I want to hear your answer. Say it again.”
“Yes. Yes it’s a fair exchange.”
Leaning back, he purposely shifted in the chair to make it creak loudly as he devoured every inch of her. “There are other things we need to discuss. Are you paying attention?”
“Yes.”
Alexis had learned a long time ago, the first time he’d taken the strap to her, to keep her answers short and to the point. No dramatics and certainly no theatrics as those things only served to draw out the already uncomfortable situation. Rene, she’d quickly learned, had no time for this. He never reacted, he just continued with what he had in mind to do with calm authority. Much like he was doing now.
“I’ve told you, you are to receive twenty strikes. You will call each one out as it lands. If you fail to do this at any point we start again. Is that understood?”
“Yes.” This was a ritual of sorts. And she’d learned the hard way that he liked his rituals. The second time he’d punished her she’d gotten all the way to eight and made the mistake of not calling it out. True to his word he started at one all over again.
“We will discuss where you went wrong in your thinking between each strike. I want you to tell me your deepest thoughts. Whatever they may be. No withholding. Is that understood?”
“I will.”
“Then when I’m done and I’ve put down the crop, I’ll take you into my arms and you can cry.”
Strangely enough, Alexis already felt like crying. He was being so patient and purposeful. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a brat.”
“I’m glad you recognize this.”
