“I’ve decided that since you were ten minutes late, you will get ten strokes. Five from me with my cane and
five from Heir Brose with his belt. You will then apologize for being late. Do you have any questions?”
“No, Sir.”
“Tell me why you’re being punished.”
“Because I failed to obey your command to serve drinks in the library within thirty minutes.”
“Very good. Come lean against the mantel and get ready. I’m not requiring you to be naked since there are others present.”
Wasn’t that strange? For the first time since she could remember, other people seeing her scars had not entered her mind. That was very interesting. She wondered if it meant she was almost 100 percent better.
She stood up and walked to the mantel. It was rather low, so she could rest her head on her arms on top of it. She didn’t look to see if Daniel and Nathaniel remained in the room. She assumed they were, since she was to apologize to them later.
There was some faint murmuring behind her. She realized that this would be the first time a Dom other than Cole touched her. She waited for the panic to set in. Looked for signs of the terror clawing her throat or the sweats that she remembered so well. But there was nothing.
She didn’t have time to rejoice in the newfound knowledge, however, because someone stepped up behind her. A familiar hand lifted the hem of her skirt and tucked it in her waistband.
“Hard and fast,” Cole said. “No need to count.”
She only had time to nod before the first one fell. She sucked in a deep breath and braced herself for the second. True to his word, the next four fell swiftly. When he was finished, though, he didn’t move away. Instead, he moved up to stand near her shoulder. To be close to her in case she needed him, she supposed.
She jerked briefly when Fritz ran a hand over her backside. But Cole placed a hand on her shoulder, and she knew she’d be okay.
“Okay to continue?” Cole asked.
She felt Fritz step away, probably waiting for Cole to indicate he could proceed. She could lie. It would be easy and Cole would never know. No one would. But it was more than deceiving Cole that stopped her from doing so. She wanted to prove that she could have another man touch her. That she had grown even further in her healing process with Cole. And she couldn’t do that if she lied now.
“Yes, Sir.”
The air behind her moved as Fritz got back in place. “Counting is not necessary.”
Like Cole, his strokes were hard and fast. And though she wasn’t crying, a few tears had escaped her eyes. She had the feeling Fritz went a bit light on her.
Cole pulled her dress back into place. “Go say your apologies and serve the drinks to the men.”
Sniffling just a bit, she moved gingerly to the table in front of where the men sat. Oh so carefully, she moved to her knees and bowed her head. “Please forgive me for my tardiness. I meant no disrespect.”
“All is forgiven,” Daniel said.
Nathaniel added, “Agreed, think of it no more.”
She rose to her feet and served each man a drink. It was crazy, but she didn’t feel self-conscious at all. When everyone was served, she put the tray back down. Cole hadn’t sat down yet and he’d shaken his head when she offered him a drink. It actually worked out better that way, because she was able to give his glass to Fritz.
Before she could wonder what to do next, Cole came up beside her and scooped her into his arms. “Gentlemen,” he said. “If you’ll excuse us.”
She didn’t hear if the men answered. Her attention was on how good it felt to be in his arms, his smell, the movement of his chest as he spoke, the beating of his heart, just him in general. They left the library and he carried her into a small sitting room nearby, where he sat on a couch with her in his lap.
“Are you okay?” he asked, stroking her hair and pressing a kiss against her forehead.
“Yes, Sir.” She could stay in his arms forever; there was nowhere else she’d rather be. She always felt so protected and secure in his embrace. And not just physically, but emotionally as well, for she knew she could bare her soul and he would guard it with his life.
“I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about Fritz being involved.”
“It wasn’t until he stepped behind me that I realized it would be another Dom for the first time since you.”
“That thought did cross my mind.” She heard the smile in his voice.
Which is why he stood by her shoulder, she realized.
“Any signs of panic?” he asked.
She took her time in responding. Mentally, she checked for signs that she knew would be a precursor to a panic attack. But there was nothing. She almost felt giddy at the thought. She pulled back and looked at him. “There’s nothing, Sir. It’s almost as if the panic never was never there to begin with.”
“But we both know it was,” he said. “So you’ll forgive me if I remain rather close by your side today. Just in case.”
He had just caned her. And in addition he had asked another Dom to use a belt on her. Though her backside was sore, her heart was full. Because he had just proven how diligent he was in his care of her.
She snuggled deeper into his embrace. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Did Abby and Julie get settled?” he asked.
“I believe so. When I left them, they were planning to go outside.” She turned a bit so she could face him. “And I am sorry I was late.”
“Hush.” He pressed a finger over her lips. “It has been dealt with. There is no need to bring it back up.”
Sometimes she had a hard time understanding how he could wipe it away so quickly. After all, she still remembered. But she knew she shouldn’t dwell on it. Instead, she should remember it only for the lesson it taught her. A very interesting topic. Perhaps that would be the subject for tonight’s journal session.
“Damn,” Cole said. “There’s no water or ointment in here.”
“I’m fine to sit here by myself.”
“Perhaps you’re fine with it, but I’m not.” He was silent for couple seconds. “I’ll carry you up to our room. I believe everything I need is in there.”
And though they had a house full of newly arrived guests, for the next hour Cole and Sasha only focused on each other. She knew he wouldn’t let her climax for the next twenty-four hours, but that was okay. She had him.
And that was all she needed.
Chapter Six
Sasha peeked out the kitchen into the dining room the following afternoon. Everyone was sitting down; Cole, of course, was at the head of the table. She took a deep breath, ran her palms over the uniform, and squared her shoulders. Though she had served tea for the Dominants in the group before, this was the first time she would also be serving the submissives. Not only that, but Julie and Abby were her friends and she wanted everything to be perfect.
Since the table was set, she could start on the tea. The water on the stove appeared to be almost ready, so she took the tray she was going to use and placed it beside the stove.
“Good lord, woman, are you wearing that?”
She jumped at the sound of Cole’s voice, spinning around, and placing a hand on her chest. “Sir, you frightened me.”
“Be that as it may, I asked you a question.”
“Yes, Sir. This is what I’m wearing.” Which he knew, because he was the one who set it out this morning. She didn’t remind him of that, though.
He was frowning and she didn’t like that, but she didn’t know what to do. He walked closer to her and she resisted the urge to kneel before him. His hands went to her upper thigh.
“The skirt is entirely too short.” His hands inched their way up and before long, he was teasing her sex. “And what is this? No bloomers? Someone is a dirty naughty girl.”