“Your feelings,” I say again.
“I don’t want to talk about my feelings,” her eyes narrow, and she pouts a little, and I start laughing. Yeah, if there was any doubt in my mind that Mallory likes to be a little bit bratty and a little bit naughty, that notion is gone.
“Unfortunately, that comes with the territory.”
“What kind of feelings?”
“I want to talk about what happened with your brother,” I say.
Instantly, she stills, and a tension develops in the room.
“Nope.”
“Excuse me?”
“Not happening,” she shakes her head.
“It’s definitely happening.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I know that it hurts,” I say slowly. “But Mallory, you’ve got to talk to someone. There’s a reason you don’t do relationships, and there’s a reason you’re feeling afraid. Talking is the best way to help you move forward.”
“And what if I don’t want to?” She looks over at me, stubbornly jutting out her chin.
“Then it sounds like you might need a spanking,” I say. I raise an eyebrow, challenging her to tell me no. If she does, I’ll respect that. I’m not about to take something she isn’t ready to give. I still want consent. I still want to know this is what she wants.
But if she’s bratting because she needs a little bit of help opening up, then, well, I want to help her with that, too.
“A spanking?” She whispers, and she licks her lips so subtly I almost can’t tell.
“That sounds like a yes to me, little one,” I say.
“I don’t know if I need a spanking.”
“I think you know exactly what you need.”
“I’ve never...outside of the club...” She blushes and looks away, as though admitting inexperience is something to be ashamed of. I reach for her chin and turn her face right back.
“Mallory, you should never be ashamed for who you are or what you’ve done. Ever. Do you understand me?”
“Yes.”
“You also shouldn’t be ashamed for things you haven’t done, okay?”
“Okay,” her voice is a whisper, but she’s still with me. Good.
“I like you, Mallory, and I’m attracted to you. That’s no secret. You felt exactly how hard kissing you made me the other day, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t jerked off to thoughts of you all fucking weekend,” I say. She gasps just a little, but she seems to melt into me just a little bit, too.
So she likes that idea.
Good.
“I want to give you a spanking, little one. I want to pull you over my knees and push up your dress and paddle your bottom until you cry because I think you need that release, Mallory. I think you’ve been holding onto a lot of things you shouldn’t have to handle alone. I think you’ve been carrying a big ol’ burden for a long time, and I think getting a spanking in a situation like this,” I gesture around my living room, “is a lot more intimate than being paddled at the club.”
She lets out a long breath and closes her eyes. She’s arguing internally with herself. I can see it clearly on her face. She’s trying to decide whether she’s going to take the safe option and tell me
no. She’s trying to decide if she wants to walk into the kitchen, eat dinner, and leave, or if she’d rather let me be a little wild with her. She’s trying to make the choice as to whether she wants to play it safe or go for it.