Something Brave

by Victoria Blisse

  Felicity danced from foot to foot and turned her head to check who was watching. Most of the stall owners stood alone, gazing into the air looking tired and bored. There weren’t many customers left as the clock ticked round to six.

  Felicity saw a few gazes firmly fixed on her, the man and the crop.

  She looked back just in time to see him swishing the crop downward in a rapid motion. It made the air vibrate with a clearly audible whistling whoop. He repeated the process and got an appreciative clap from the lady on the corset stall. He turned her way and bowed. A ripple of laughter spread out around them.

  Felicity thought she’d been blushing all day, her cheeks had felt so warm but she’d been wrong. She hadn’t seriously blushed until that moment. Her cheeks bloomed with raging heat. They ached with it. It was embarrassing having so many people looking their way. All those people were thinking about what he was going to do with the crop and whom he was going to do it to—her.

  Luckily, an announcement that the fair was closed set people to packing up, taking the attention away from her little predicament.

  “Not bad, Felicity. Not bad,” he announced, slapping the crop against his thigh. “I think you made a bold choice. I like it.”

  Felicity beamed with pride. She was inordinately happy at that announcement.

  “Pack up now. We have a new crop to break in.”

  It was as she carefully and neatly put her stock and accoutrements back into her suitcase that she became aware of his heat behind her.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Nearly,” she replied. His tut reminded her of his expectations. “Sir.”

  “Hurry up, Felicity. I’m eager to play with my new toy.”

  He could have been talking about the crop, but Felicity suspected he meant her.

  “Okay, Sir, nearly done. Erm, can I ask a question?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Good question. We’ll go back to my—”

  “No, I’d never go back to a man’s place.”

  “Let me finish,” he snapped. “I was going to say my office. It’s five minutes from here and manned, so you can lay your fears to rest. The only nefarious plans I have for you are strictly to bring you pleasure.”

  “Sorry.” She apologized, zipping up her case. “I mean…sorry, Sir.”

  “You’re slipping, Felicity. I’m keeping check, you know.”

  He tapped her thigh gently with the crop and she nearly jumped out of her seat.

  “Pass me your suitcase and let’s go.”

  “It’s okay. I can—”

  “Felicity.” His tone was sharp, his look stern. “Don’t answer back.”

  “Sorry, Sir.” She bowed her head and let him pick up the case. “I’m not very good at this, am I, Sir?” She sighed.

  “You’re only a beginner.” He put the case back on the floor and placed a hand on each of her arms. “Don’t put yourself down. You will be magnificent. I can see it in your eyes. You just have to learn to trust me, trust your instincts. I’m in charge now, so you can relax.”

  The back of Felicity’s eyes prickled when she looked into his and saw only sincerity. It had been a long time since she’d seen such concern shown for her and it was almost overwhelming.

  “Thank you, Sir,” she whispered.

  He squeezed the tops of her arms with a smile then bent to pick up the luggage once again. Felicity shook her head, purposefully flung her handbag over her shoulder and followed him. He strode with an air of confidence. People moved out of his way, and she glided along in his wake, receiving several envious glances from men and women alike. They walked over to her car, and he packed her case safely away in the boot.

  “Okay, this way.” He hooked his arm toward her, and she slipped her fingers into the warm crook. She would have been content to walk arm in arm with this handsome man if it wasn’t for the fact he had the crop clenched in his other hand. Anyone watching would be able to put two and two together and come up with kinky, freaky sex.

  Luckily, they didn’t have far to walk, and she only noticed a few dropped jaws and shocked stares as they pushed their way down the busy Manchester street. He led her into an impressive marble-and-glass-fronted building after only a few minutes’ walk.

  “Hello, Joseph,” he greeted the smartly dressed security guy sat at the desk.

  “Good evening, sir. Going to your office?”

  “Yes, we are.”

  Joseph smiled at Felicity, who pursed her lips and tried to prevent her cheeks from flushing further.

  “Okay, sir. I will let Pete know to knock it off his rounds.”

  “I’d appreciate that, Joseph. Thank you.”

  Felicity cringed into his arm, trying to hide her face. The guy couldn’t miss the fact that his boss was wielding a riding crop. She didn’t want to know what he thought about that in conjunction with the fact that his boss was also escorting a woman to his office after hours.

  She wondered if this was a regular occurrence, if she was just the latest in a run of flustered women taken up to see his office. Her thoughts were cut short by the ping of the lift. They walked in, and as the doors closed, he leaned closer and whispered in her ear.

  “You blush the most wonderful shade of red, Felicity. I wonder if I will be able to get your other cheeks to the same color.”

  She opened her mouth to reply and nothing, not one single solitary retort, came to mind. He laughed and kissed her cheek.

  “Come on. This is our floor.”

  She was cowed, just seeing the hallway. Everything was very minimal, very tasteful and obviously cost an arm and a leg. Felicity had felt out of her depth since she’d met Sir, but she had managed to tread water. As the realization of just how important, powerful and clearly rich he was hit her, she felt like a current was dragging her down and she was about to drown.

  He let go of her arm, fished a set of keys from his pocket and pushed open the door. He stood in front of it and waved her in. She could only see the corners of the nameplate behind him. The office was huge. Felicity was fairly confident her complete flat would fit inside it. One wall was glass paneled and had a stunning view of the city, blazing bright with the reds and yellows of a setting sun. Pulling away from the gorgeous view to the confines of the room, Felicity noted that it was all dark wood and practicality.

  The desk sat prominently in the middle of the room, angled toward the vast cityscape. It was perfectly positioned, because with a twist of his head, he’d be able to see anyone who walked in. The table wasn’t at all modern—a huge hunk of mahogany with a green leather top, studded with brass. It was chunky, bold and infinitely sexy. The comfy-looking chair behind it was the same, green leather and dark wood studded with brass.

  Felicity was so absorbed in looking at the behemoth of a work area that she physically jumped when she felt his breath on her ear and heard the one word he uttered.

  “Strip.”

  She turned, swallowing the request for leniency before it tripped off her tongue. He had taken off his jacket and hung it on the rack by the door. He meant business, and the stark reality of what she’d agreed to do hit her as she stared into his uncompromising blue eyes. He walked around her, angled his chair and lowered himself into it. It framed him beautifully. He sat with his back straight, his head tilted to the side and resting on his left hand. He watched her intently.

  Felicity blew a calming breath through the corner of her mouth, directing the air up her face and ruffling the curls that had worked out of her practical bun to sit across her forehead. Her bouncing curls inspired her. Reaching back, she loosened the clip in her hair and let it fall and skim at her shoulders.

  That should have felt okay. It was just letting her hair down, something she did several times a day, but under the intensity of his stare, it felt way more intimate than that. Her hands shook as she pondered her next move. She didn’t trust herself to manage any fine motor skills, so she kicked o
ff her flat, practical shoes.

  “Oh, now, Felicity, stop faffing about and strip for me. You do have very pretty toes and your hair looks to be just the right length to bunch in my fist, but I want to see so much more of you.”

  An image of her naked on all fours with him behind her, his fist in her hair, pulling her head back, flicked through her mind and did nothing to improve the jitters of her hands. However, she didn’t want to anger him, so she quickly shrugged out of her jacket and cardigan. Then she lifted her fingers to the cute little rose buttons on her top and tried to undo them.

  They were pretty and intricate, which wouldn’t normally be a problem, but with shaking fingers, she found it almost impossible to co-ordinate her movements to free them.

  “Just breathe,” he encouraged. “You can do it.”

  Felicity took a deep breath and tried again. Her tremors still made the maneuver difficult, but eventually she managed to undo every button. She looked up, only to be pierced by his unerring gaze. She held her head up confidently, tipping her chin defiantly, his hunger for her giving her the push she needed to shrug off the shirt and bear the red lace bra beneath.

  “Very sexy.” He growled, Adam’s apple bobbing. “And unexpected. Felicity, you minx.”

  Heat jumped to her cheeks again. No doubt, they were flushed as scarlet as her expensive, silken bra. She’d treated herself to it after her first big commission, along with the matching briefs she was about to reveal.

  One small button and a slide of a zip was all it took to remove the floaty skirt. It fluttered down and lay like a fallen angel’s halo on the floor. She stepped forward and out of it. Removing her outer layers had been easy once she started, but removing her underwear was another thing entirely. She worried about her wobbling boobs, one of her nipples pointed lower than the other did, and she’d always been self-conscious about it. She really didn’t want to think about what lay beneath her knickers and what his reaction to her might be.

  She forced herself to glance up at him again. He was busy eying her up and down. She held her breath as she watched him trace the outline of her breasts to the curve of her hips and thighs. He raised his head, taking in the rounded mound of her stomach and back up to her breasts.

  He finally noticed her watching him and boldly returned her gaze. There wasn’t anything in his look that made her feel unwanted. In fact, the lust there made her skin prickle uncomfortably, but that was unexpectedly arousing. Reaching behind her, she unclipped her bra.

  In for a penny, in for a pound.

  She felt the clips give and dropped her shoulders, encouraging the straps to slip down, slowly revealing more of her milky-white flesh. When the straps reached her wrists, she shook them off and threw the bra behind her.

  Her first instinct was to cross her arms in front of herself and cover her nakedness. She only got her hands halfway to the wanted position when he made her jump again with one simple word.

  “No!”

  She curled her fingers into fists and dropped her hands to her side. It took a few moments to build up the courage to take down her knickers, but when she looked into his eyes, she saw his impatience growing and knew she couldn’t delay any longer. Hooking her fingers into the soft material, she then drew them down her thighs, bending forward and letting her breasts swing free as she pushed her knickers low enough for gravity to take over. She straightened, and her pendulous breasts swung and jiggled before settling back to their natural position.

  “Look at me,” he commanded.

  Felicity stared intently at her toes as if there were something infinitely entertaining down there, then she raised her chin reluctantly.

  “You are breathtakingly beautiful.” He framed each word carefully, running them through his lips as if he was savoring a fine vintage. She smiled, the hesitant curve strengthening as she saw the way his tongue lapped over his top lip and he shifted in his seat. He was definitely affected by her nakedness.

  “Come here.” He beckoned her forward.

  She stepped once, twice, three times then stopped. She noticed the crop lying on top of the desk as she flitted her gaze around her.

  “Closer,” he bid.

  She stepped once more until her bare legs were almost touching his trousered knees.

  “Now, unfasten my shirt for me.”

  He purred the request, and she raised her hands to obey. She couldn’t quite reach to unbutton his collar, but when her legs knocked his, he parted his thighs around her, allowing her to step closer and reach him. Her fingers shook as she pulled open one button and the next, revealing his chest, smattered gently with black hairs that tickled her fingertips. She moved lower, bending her back to get down to the bottom button and free it too.

  Felicity straightened and went to step back, but he raised his hands and grabbed her hips, stopping her while sending a jolt of electric desire through her whole body. She stood stock-still, very aware that his gaze naturally rested somewhere just around the level of her breasts. Her nipples prickled. He leaned forward, purposefully took one between his lips and sucked.

  Felicity gasped and automatically pushed her chest out to put more of her breast into contact with his mouth, but he stopped sucking immediately, letting the nipple go with a pop.

  “Oh, your body is such a wicked distraction, Felicity,” he gasped. “But I have a job to do. I have to spank you and test out my new crop. Turn to face the desk.”

  Felicity turned, and he shifted the chair in time so that they both ended up facing the table with him just an inch or so behind her. She clasped her hands in front of her. He was so close that his breath tickled the upper curve of her arse to the bottom of her back. He could see her generous posterior. Possibly it was all he could see.

  She bit her bottom lip and clamped her hands tighter together. She wanted desperately to move or to cover her bottom from his sight, but she knew it would make him angry. His soft touch startled her as he stroked his fingertips down from the dip at the bottom of her back, over her buttocks and down to the crease at the top of her thighs.

  Felicity no longer wanted to pull away from him. She wanted to push back, to encourage him to place those fingers between her thighs to satisfy the desire building there. She wasn’t brave enough—not at that moment—so she stayed still and waited.

  “Move the crop and lean over the desk.”

  She picked up the instrument of her future punishment and, with trepidation, laid it down on the right side of the desk. Then Felicity braced herself, settling her hands on the startlingly cold surface and pushing her bottom out toward him. She tensed, fully expecting him to start hitting her straight away and was startled to feel his lips and the tickle of his beard on one buttock then the other.

  “Okay, Felicity. Some ground rules. You will speak only when spoken to. When you are asked a question, you will answer and you will always refer to me as Sir…or Master is also acceptable. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Sir,” she replied without hesitation. She wasn’t sure how much pain she could take but she knew she couldn’t handle the waiting for much longer. It was also weird to have him addressing her arse, as he was still in his chair, his clothed knees occasionally brushing the backs of hers.

  “Good girl,” he praised.

  She smiled.

  “Now, remember all this is for your pleasure. If it becomes too much for you, if the pain is no longer pleasure, then you need a word to call out. Not ‘no’ or ‘stop’, as I’m hoping to carry you past those barriers. No, a word so random it would never be uttered during such intimacies. Do you have one?”

  “Jewelry,” she blurted. It wasn’t a great word but she was certain she’d remember it.

  “Okay, if you say ‘jewelry’, I will stop what I’m doing immediately and we’ll talk. This is for your own good, Felicity. Don’t be afraid to use it. I will make no judgements based on how much pain you can take. Using your safe word won’t upset or disappoint me. If you need to use it, use it. Is that understood?”r />
  “Yes, Sir,” she replied, shifting from one foot to the other, her back aching a little from being in the same position. She was very appreciative of his care for her. He’d read her so well. She was worried that she’d let him down, that she wouldn’t be able to take the pain. His words took some of that fear away.

  “I think that’s covered everything so far. Now stay still and enjoy.”

  At that moment, she noticed the vista before her, the reds and golds sinking into the dark, artificial lights sparkling from windows all around. Her stomach dropped. What if someone was watching? What if she could be seen, stretched out over this desk, waiting for a spanking?

  There was a creak of leather and wood, and the displacement of air behind her indicated that he had stood. He cupped her buttock, the heat of his hand radiating through her. She was vibrating with lust and fear, holding her breath and waiting. Everything else faded into insignificance. Her only focus was on his hand, his confident touch.

  She breathed moments before the impact of the first smack. She gasped in shock, but there was no real pain, just a soft clap of hand on flesh. She felt his handprint on her bum as he raised and dropped his palm again on the same spot. This happened a few more times, the weight in the slap increasing each time until a sting ran through her butt cheek. At that point, she twitched and hissed, and he swapped across to the other cheek and repeated the process. Her arms shook from holding herself up and her breath came in pants between gasps and hisses as he used his hand to warm her behind.

  And her cheeks were definitely warm, approaching hot. He wasn’t being as gentle now. All his thwacks hit with the same intensity, and by the time she took the fifth in a row, she’d yelped from the intense sting of the impacts, and he’d move over to the other buttock. It was strange, but as the number of blows increased, the sting seemed to mellow into a constant glow that radiated through her pussy. She lost count of how many times he hit her. Tensed, she rode every blow, feeling the pool of warmth grow to encompass her whole arse.