After smoothing a hand over her bottom, he moved in front of her and held the list where she could see it. “We’ll take care of the six times you’ve overstepped your authority. That will be thirty spanks, and you’ll count them.”
Thirty didn’t sound too horrible, but it was nothing compared to the total she’d racked up. At least he’d already told her he wouldn’t be doing all of them in just a few days. She’d get through it. She also knew with her whole heart he wouldn’t push her further than she could go.
The soft fleece seemed to press against her throat, and she swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.”
He crouched, then kissed her. “Are you ready?” he asked stroking a gentle thumb across her cheekbone.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.” He straightened and moved to stand behind her. “We need to make sure you’re very sorry for worrying me.”
She heard the crinkle of plastic, then something cold pressed against her asshole as the pungent scent of ginger filled the air. She had a love/hate relationship with the spicy root and couldn’t eat Asian food without associating it with the delicious, searing heat on her delicate tissues. It would do more than set her insides on fire though.
She wouldn’t be able to clench without feeling the burn. It was incredibly humiliating, yet somehow one of the sexiest things they’d ever done. Then again, they weren’t in the dungeon. She doubted she’d feel the same if they had an audience.
“Feet apart, point your toes in,” he ordered.
Biting back a whimper of arousal, she obeyed. Without warning, he slid the ginger inside her, then slapped her butt, surprising a squeak from her.
He rested his hand on her upturned bottom, then petted her gently. “You’re not getting a warmup, Kendra. This is a punishment, and you’re going to count every stripe. If you miss, we’ll start over.”
Without waiting for her to answer, he took his hand away. She heard the sharp whistle of leather flying, then a snap. The line of fire raced across her skin, and she cried out.
“Ow, ow, ouch!”
“Count, Kendra. Don’t make me start over.”
“One!”
“One…what?”
“One, sir!”
Another blow lit her up and she bit her lip against a cry of pain. The ginger hadn’t started its diabolical work yet, but it was only a matter of time. “Two, sir.”
Snap!
“Three…oh, fuck. Three, sir!”
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Every blow added to the scorching pain, and she barely noticed when the ginger added its agony. By the time he reached twenty, she was sobbing uncontrollably, but it was too important.
He was too important for her to give up. It wasn’t as if she didn’t deserve the punishment either. Maybe the hundreds he’d counted out was excessive, but he’d asked her about her eating and sleeping habits more than once. They’d also discussed going through the chain of command for big decisions regarding Club Apocalypse.
She hadn’t realized how much it worried him, and that was on her.
Snap!
“Thirty, sir!”
Something clattered to the floor. Before she could blink, he had the pillory open and was cradling her in his arms. “There’s my very good girl,” he murmured, brushing kisses over her sweaty face. “I’m so proud of you.”
Chapter Four
Mark
Although he wanted nothing more than to take Kendra to bed and comfort her, she wasn’t done.