by Maggie Ryan
"Logan," she said quietly, pressing a hand against his heart. "I fell for you the moment I saw you, remember? You need to trust that they know what they are doing. They are both adults and can work it out for themselves." He grinned and bent to kiss her lips lightly.
"You're right. There is no time schedule for attraction or even love," he admitted, having wanted to meet and get to know the beautiful, petite designer the moment he had listened to her bid presentation for remodeling his parents' River Oaks home. "I guess big brothers just have a hard time giving up control when it comes to their little sisters." She smiled and nodded, leaning her head against his chest. "Good thing I don't have to worry about that with my own little girl," he said, patting her bottom as the elevator stopped. She moaned but had to admit that she adored the fact that he was solidly in control; she wouldn't have it any other way.
By the time Logan removed the gag from her mouth, Elizabeth was exhausted. He had wasted no time once they were safely in their room. After sending her into the bathroom to get ready for bed, Logan had piled the four pillows from the head of the bed into the center. It took all four to make a nice stack and he knew it would present her gorgeous ass exactly where he desired.
Elizabeth stepped from the small bathroom and saw that he was ready. She climbed up onto the bed, kneeling before the pillows, her hands going to cup her elbows behind her back. He would be the one to either put her into position or order her to do so.
When he told her to look at him, she turned her head to see the gag in his hand. "Do you know why you are getting my belt?" he asked, and saw her body tense for only an instant.
"Yes, Sir," she said quietly. "I moved out of the position you required, not once but a couple of times."
He nodded and stepped to the edge of the bed. "That's correct. When I tell you to put your hands behind your back and keep them there, Elizabeth, that is exactly what I require you to do. I don't like to have to use physical restraints on you, at least not in an unfamiliar environment where we might have to evacuate due to some sort of emergency. At home, I use quick release restraints that I can undo in an instant." She nodded having often been restrained during both punishment and play, both at home as well as at his club. "Open," he instructed, and she obediently opened her mouth to accept the large rubber ball-gag. Before he fastened the strap around her head, Logan made sure it was securely seated so that any sounds she made would be effectively stifled.
It had taken several times of his using the gag before Elizabeth had learned not to panic. She knew it was uncomfortable in the way it stretched her mouth and knew she couldn't help the saliva that would flood from her mouth as she accepted her discipline, but she also knew the benefits of being gagged.
"Liebchen, I also know that we are with family and friends this weekend. I know you are going to be in a swimsuit tomorrow. While I am still going to give you the whipping I promised, I will not be striping your legs. All your strokes will go across your ass."
She blushed but nodded, showing her appreciation for his concern. She had thought about having to explain the welts that his belt was sure to leave if used across the backs of her tender thighs. Though she thought she might still have a few on her bottom, she knew that they would be covered by her swimsuit. She watched as he stepped back from the bed, only to slowly unbuckle his belt and pull it from the loops of his pants. She felt her heart begin to beat a bit faster and her bottom clench. She watched as he carefully took the buckle into his hand and doubled the leather.
"Bend forward, breasts and face on the bed, that naughty ass right on top of the pillows," he instructed, and she nodded. She spread her legs just a bit wider and carefully lowered herself over the pile of pillows. Logan let her adjust herself, knowing that having to do so made her feel as if she were participating in her punishment. She sighed as she wiggled forward until she felt she was in the required position. She smiled around the gag upon discovering that Logan had placed a hand-towel on the sheet to capture the drool that was sure to escape her mouth.
She closed her eyes and simply waited, her mind going into Submissive mode, her bottom relaxing, rounding and loosening from its previous clenched state as she fully accepted her Dom's decision that his naughty Submissive had earned herself a whipping.
Logan didn't make her wait long. He told her to lift her bottom, and when she did, he peeled down the pale blue panties she was wearing. He worked them down her legs and off her feet, tossing them onto the floor. She was wearing a matching blue camisole, which he wouldn't remove. He found it quite effective to have her wear something and then have her either remove her own panties or peel them off himself when the talking was over and the punishment about to begin. He put one knee up onto the bed and reached out to move one hand from her elbow, linking their hands and pressing them into the small of her back. Though he often made her count and thank him for each stoke when he had whipped her before, the gag made that impossible. He laid the belt across the crest of her buttocks and turned to look down at her face. Her eyes opened as if sensing his gaze.
"I gave you three warnings, Schatzlein," he said softly. "Three, which young lady, is at least two too many." She nodded, her heart rate increasing just the tiniest bit at his tone. "Thirty. Ten for each warning," he said softly, and though she moaned slightly, she nodded, allowing her eyes to drift closed. The crack of the belt across her bottom was sharp and crisp in the silence of the room. Each stroke was given with purpose, Logan allowing three to four seconds to elapse before placing the next onto her rapidly-reddening bottom. He had told her several times to keep her hands behind her back and even after warning her that she would be over these pillows getting the belt if she disobeyed again, she had earned this whipping by choosing to ignore that warning.
By the fifteenth stroke she was bucking and churning over the pillows, her bottom desperately trying to avoid the next stroke. Her wails and pleas were incoherent due to the gag in her mouth. Logan paused but kept the belt in contact with her hot skin. "Stop fighting, Elizabeth; we are only half done. You've admitted your disobedience and you need to submit to your whipping." She was sobbing, stunned that it was only half-over, positive she had already taken at least fifty strokes. Though they both knew she was a woman who could take a lot of pain, when her Dom used his belt, he left absolutely no doubt that she was being punished. Remembering his words of submission, she managed to nod and attempt to say 'yes, Sir' which came out garbled, but he understood. She managed to stay in position until she had only five more to go. As the belt licked at her sit spot for the second time in a row, she attempted to roll off the pillows, her ass on fire. Logan easily hauled her back. "Do that again, young lady, and we'll repeat this tomorrow morning before breakfast. Do I make myself clear?"
She nodded furiously, knowing it wasn't an idle threat. Once before she had fought like a tiger during a switching, and even after several warnings, she had continued to break position. The next morning she had discovered that her Dominant would never make false threats. He had walked her outside, made her cut her own switch from a tree growing in the grassy area behind her apartment building and marched her back upstairs. He had bent her across the breakfast bar in her apartment, lifted her dress onto her back, lowered her panties off her already-striped bottom and given her an exact repeat of the switching she had received the night before. She remembered having to sit on pillows for days afterwards, not able to hide her discomfort from her business partner.
Logan lifted the belt again and gave her the final strokes fast and hard so that her ordeal would be over before she rolled again. He had no desire to repeat such a harsh whipping anytime soon. Once the last stroke fell, he dropped the belt onto the floor and pulled her off the pillows. He cradled her in his arms as she buried her head against his neck, her tears soaking him. He used one hand to unbuckle the gag and gently remove it from her mouth. He picked up the towel and used the driest section to wipe her face, collecting the saliva from her chin without a word. He dropped the towel a
nd the gag onto the floor and stretched out on the bed, hauling her to lie atop him, knowing she didn't want any weight or anything touching her throbbing bottom. He held her, his hand stroking down her back until she begin to calm. It was a long time before her tears became only an occasional sniffle and her body totally relaxed in his hold.
"Okay?" he asked quietly, and when she nodded, he moved her so that he could sit against the headboard and hold her on his lap. She hissed a bit until he rolled her towards him, cradling her against his chest so that she sat on her hip and not her bottom.
"Thank you, Sir," she said softly, her hand at his heart. He bent to kiss her softly, his heart full of love and respect for what this woman offered to him voluntarily with absolute trust and love.
"I love you, Elizabeth," he said and she smiled against him.
Though her bottom throbbed, and she knew it would remind her throughout the next few days that her Dominant demanded obedience, she was perfectly content. "I love you, Logan," she said, as he kissed her again.
His cock twitched in his pants, but he knew she had to be exhausted. He moved again only to lay her on her side while he went into the bathroom and returned with tissue. He held it to her nose, and she blushed, but blew when told. He went back into the bathroom and rummaged through his shaving-kit, returning to the bed with a jar of salve. Her eyes lit up seeing it and she immediately moved to lie on her stomach. He didn't usually offer her comfort after a disciplinary spanking and very rarely did so when she had earned more than his hand, her hairbrush, or a paddle, but she was extremely grateful he was being lenient tonight. He carefully covered her entire backside with the soothing salve, making sure to apply a generous coating to the tender area where her bottom met her thighs. By the time he was done, he smiled, seeing that at some point his beautiful Schatzlein had fallen into sleep. He picked up the towel, gag, and belt, and after washing and drying the ball-gag and slipping in into his bag, he stripped off the rest of his clothes and joined her in the bed. He reached out to turn off the light and was prepared to sleep apart, so that he wouldn't jar her bottom. However, the moment he lay down, Elizabeth moaned just a bit and turned onto her side, her body pressed to him, her hand going to lie against his heart, one slender leg thrown over his thigh. He smiled, stroking her arm and her hair until sleep claimed him as well.
Chapter 7
Craig smiled when his alarm went off a little after two in the morning. He climbed out of bed and after splashing water on his face tucked his keycard into his pocket and left his room. He and Barbara had parted only a few hours earlier after sitting on the wall out in the parking lot. He had been pleased when she had come to him after wishing her parents goodnight and asked if she could talk to him. He had been surprised when she asked if they could go outside. However, when she walked to the wall, he understood. He had stepped over the wall and sat. When she had started to sit beside him, he had guided her onto his lap instead. Though she had hesitated and stiffened for an instant, she relaxed in his lap, pressing her head against his chest. Even though she was the one to ask if they could talk, she remained silent for several minutes. Craig found no need to speak, knowing she needed to handle this in her own way.
"I know you think I owe you a spanking," she said softly, and then immediately corrected the statement, "I mean, you owe me one." Craig smiled but nodded, not teasing her for being flustered. "I've been doing a lot of thinking today," she admitted, and he nodded again, still not speaking. "God, I'm an attorney and I sound like an idiot," she said, taking a deep breath and lifting her eyes to his.
"No," he said softly, his chocolate eyes filled with care for her. "You don't have to ever worry about how you sound with me, Bun … Gracie," he said. "Just be yourself, tell me whatever you need in whatever way you need, little one."
She studied his face to see if he was teasing in any way but saw nothing but honesty in his eyes. "Thank you," she said softly. "In my defense, I'm thinking that I really don't need another spanking. I mean, you already gave me one this morning." If she hadn't paused, Craig would have let her continue. Her pause, though, told him that she was waiting for him to agree, but unfortunately, he had no intention of doing so.
"You know, that's yet another reference to the fact that you are an attorney, Barbara. Honey, I don't care if you are a Supreme Court Justice. You can't make a case to convince me that you aren't just attempting to weasel your way out of what you know you need to forgive yourself. Those pops you received this morning, little girl, were just that—pops. Even though you aren't a stranger to spankings …" When she began to speak he shook his head. "I'm not a mind reader or a seer, but if I had to bet, I'd be willing to wager that not only did your ex-husband never bother to show his love by taking you in hand, I'd also bet that part of your being a very unhappy woman stems from that lack of devotion."
Barbara had been planning on speaking the moment he paused, but when he did, she found that instead of instantly spouting some type of defense, she was actually considering his words. Craig remained quiet, having said what he needed, allowing her to think about his words.
"You spoke about forgiveness," she said. "I apologized to everyone, Craig. Everyone has already forgiven me."
Shaking his head, he ran a finger down her cheek. "Not the most important person," he said.
"Who, you?" she said, attempting to sit up straighter on his lap, her head no longer resting on his shoulder. "I don't think that's fair. I mean, I wasn't even speaking about you … I hadn't even met you really."
"Not me, Barbara. I'm speaking about you. You need to forgive yourself. Baby girl, if you make a sincere apology to anyone, regardless if they offer you forgiveness, you've done all you can. However, deep inside here," he said, moving his hand to tap a finger against her chest, where he knew her heart was beating, "this is where you and only you can find forgiveness." He lifted her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. "I'll make a deal with you, something I'm not known for doing, by the way. If you can look inside your heart and your soul and then look me in the eyes and tell me that you feel absolutely forgiven, then, baby girl, I'll drop the entire incident and promise never to speak of it again." He watched her eyes widen and her mouth open. "But if you can't, then you know what needs to be done."
Barbara sat stunned and speechless on his lap. Never in her life had she ever encountered anyone like this man. She briefly wondered if this was how Elizabeth, or even Ariel or Nancy, felt when trying to come to grips with something they had been asked but fought against. Craig bent to kiss her cheek and then further surprised her by lifting her off his lap and back over the wall.
"There is no hurry, Gracie. You take all the time you need. Now it is time for you to get some rest."
She thought about protesting but understood that she did need to be alone. She needed to process everything he had said and exactly what she was feeling. He held her hand as they entered the hotel and then the elevator.
"What floor?" he asked, pushing the second-floor button when she responded. She pulled her key from her pocket, and when the elevator stopped, she guided him to her room. She had a brief thought that once at her room he might ask to come inside and realized that she didn't know how she would answer.
When she started to insert the card into the lock, he put his hand over hers. "I'll leave you here. Get some rest, and I'll see you in the morning. I had a great time with you today, thank you." He bent to kiss her cheek and then turned to retrace his steps back to the elevator. Barbara's hand was shaking slightly as she unlocked the door and slipped inside. Once in, she brushed her teeth and washed her face. Opening her suitcase, she pulled out her pajamas and was soon in them and between the sheets. She knew it would take her forever to fall asleep but was out within moments of her head hitting the pillow.
Her brain registered a persistent sound. She realized that someone was softly but steadily knocking on her door. She looked at the clock and then looked again as if not believing the red numbers. If it were truly half-past-tw
o in the morning, then who in the hell was knocking on her door? Perhaps it was a hotel guest whose key wasn't working, returning from some bar, too inebriated to find his own room. She groaned when the knocking didn't stop and finally threw back the covers and got out of bed. She was about to pull open the door but remembered to first press her eye to the keyhole.
"Craig?" she said as she simultaneously flipped the security bar and pulled open the door. "What's wrong? Is everyone okay?" she asked worriedly, her mind instantly thinking about her parents.
"No, honey, everyone's fine. I'm sorry, I honestly didn't mean to scare you; I was just planning to surprise you."
Relief flooded through her, and then she remembered the time. "Why in the he … I mean … world, are you in my room at 2:30 a.m.?" she said.
His eyebrow rose as he spoke. "First of all, great save. Secondly, I'm not in your room; I'm standing outside in the hallway."
She shook her head and opened the door further. "Come in before you wake everyone up," she said quietly.
He followed her back into her room, shutting the door behind him. Craig grinned as she turned on the light on the bedside table. She was wearing an actual set of pajamas. The top was light blue with what he knew was an appliqué of a white rabbit wearing a vest holding a pocket watch like in the famous book. The bottoms were short, blue-and-white striped, with a small ruffle at the hems.
His grin caused her to look down, and she almost squealed upon realizing that he was seeing her in not only her pajamas, but pajamas that were far more suited to a young teen than a professional woman.
She was about to dash to the bathroom when he caught her hand. "Please, not on my account. You look adorable," he said. She hesitated and then allowed him to draw her to him. She thought he was going to kiss her and wondered if that was why he had come to her room.
