He knew she wasn’t only talking about her mom now. She had an apartment she couldn’t stay in because of her neighbor, her boss made her job something she dreaded going to every day, she’d embarked on a new relationship dynamic with him only to have to deal with his son’s judgment, and now she was adding her mother to the mix. And that didn’t take into consideration she was also dealing with her menstrual cycle, something he’d learned way too much about raising a teenage daughter.
Daniel ran a hand over her hair. “I want you to let it go tonight. Tomorrow morning, you are going to go into work and do the best you can. If your boss starts to harass you, I want you to call me immediately.”
“Yes, Sir.”
They sat there for a while, him stroking her hair, letting go of all the stress the day had caused for both of them. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to what had to happen next, but it needed to be done.
Raising her head, he waited for her gaze to meet his. “Remove all your clothing except your panties. You may leave those on.”
* * *
Daniel rose from the bed, leaving her kneeling on the floor. He walked into his closet, and she knew what was coming. She’d screwed up today. After everything that had happened at work, she’d thought she could drop by her house, get the things she needed, and be back at his house in no time. Then, her mother showed up.
Ali got to her feet and began removing her clothes. She knew the only reason he was allowing her to keep her panties on was because she’d told him she’d started her period. Otherwise, she had no doubt she would be naked.
Folding her clothes and placing them on the floor a few feet away, she returned to stand beside the bed with her head bowed. He strolled out of the closet with wooden paddle in one hand and a ball gag in the other.
She’d known discipline was coming. He’d spanked subs he’d played with at the club for less and they had no agreement outside of the designated play. She was his. His to pleasure and his to punish. But the ball gag...
He placed both the paddle and the gag on the bed, then returned to where he’d been sitting before on the edge of the mattress. Her heart was going a mile a minute. Had her misstep warranted being gagged?
“I brought the gag in case you wanted to use it to stay quiet,” he said, as if reading her mind. “The choice is yours.”
She glanced at the gag and thought about what he’d said. This was not going to be a pleasure spanking. It would hurt and not in a good way. If she cried out, Bradley and her mom might hear her. The gag would muffle the sound.
Even knowing this, she couldn’t do it.
“Thank you for offering, Sir, but I would rather not be gagged.”
He nodded. “Across my lap, then.”
Over their short time playing together, he’d flogged her, poured hot wax on her, tied her up and teased her, but this was the first time he’d punished her.
She placed her knees on the bed and lowered herself across his lap. Resting her head against the mattress, she fisted the covers, preparing herself.
Daniel shifted, adjusting her where he wanted her. Then, he rested the paddle on her thighs. “Do you know why you’re being punished?”
“Yes, Sir,” she mumbled against the blankets. “I didn’t call to let you know I was deviating from my schedule.”
“The last time you kept things from me, I told you there’d be consequences if it happened again.”
The memory of their conversation in the kitchen felt like ages ago. She’d told him about her boss, and he had in fact told her there would be consequences the next time she kept things from him. When she’d decided to run to her apartment after work, she hadn’t thought about calling him. She hadn’t thought it would be a big deal. In hindsight, she could see her error. “Yes, Sir. You did.”
“I won’t make you count out loud tonight out of respect for our house guests.”
It was something and she’d take it. “Thank you, Sir.”
He brought the paddle to her ass. “You will take twenty hits of my paddle.”
Tears were already beginning to sting her eyes and he hadn’t even done anything yet. She’d seen the relief in his eyes when he’d walked into her apartment. He’d gone to her work looking for her. She’d caused him distress. She would take his punishment, whatever it was. “Yes, Sir.”
Her words hung in the air for a long moment, and then he lifted the paddle and brought it down hard on her backside. She pressed her lips together, trying to stay quiet as he landed another blow to her flesh.
By the tenth hit, her ass was burning. She buried her face in the covers, biting the fabric as tears streamed down her face.
Eventually, he stopped, his hand coming to rest on her hot cheeks.
She didn’t move.