Ask him? He’d never required that of her before. Seemed like this was a night of many firsts for her.
“Kinley? You still with me?” There was a tightness to his voice, and she studied him, noting the hint of concern.
“I am, Sir. Green, Sir.”
She deserved this punishment. And much more. She hated that she’d worried him, and if this went some way towards making up for that, she could take whatever he dished out.
“Easy, darlin’, you’re not going to your execution.” He ran his hand over her tight stomach. She sucked it in, ever so slightly. It was a reflex now, a habit. His eyes narrowed, and he ran his fingertips lightly over her tummy.
“One day I’m going to touch you here, and you won’t flinch.”
She hadn’t been flinching, not exactly. Her insecurities over her size weren’t going to disappear overnight, but he couldn’t say she hadn’t come a long way over these last few months. She was lying naked and tied up in a room full of people. She glanced over, surprised to see they still had a crowd watching, and it had grown. She hadn’t heard them since Sloan had begun. Either they were extraordinarily quiet, or he’d just drowned out everything else. Probably the latter.
“Kinley, ten, remember?”
“Yes, Sir.”
She knew it was the opposite of what she should do, but she couldn’t help but tense as he moved around to her butt and pulled the paddle back then swung.
Ouch! Shit!
The harsh sting stole her breath. As she managed to gather air into her lungs again, she realized he’d stopped . . . what was he waiting for, an invitation?
Nope, he’s waiting for you to count.
Aw, crap.
“One, Sir. Can I have another, please?”
“Good girl. I know this is hard; you’re doing so well.”
The words were like a balm to her soul. Not that the pain dissipated, but they gave her the courage to know she could continue. She tried to relax as the next one hit.
It didn’t help much.
By the time number five landed, she was sobbing quietly. She could barely get out the words.
“Five, Sir.” She sniffled miserably.
“Such a good baby,” he said softly, and she glanced up to see him watching her with some emotion she couldn’t pinpoint.
“The next ones are going to be short and fast,” he told her. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. “No need to count.”
Thank God for that.
They landed abruptly, almost too quickly for her to catch her breath. The pain was almost overwhelming, and it took her a while to realize he’d finished. The heat seemed to be growing despite the fact that he’d placed the paddle down and moved away.
Then he was there, murmuring in her ear, crooning to her gently as he wiped her cheeks with a tissue then held it to her nose.
“Blow.”
She stared at him incredulously. No way.
He raised one light-brown eyebrow, giving her an imperiously arrogant look that told her he expected to be obeyed.
Arrogant Dom.
Pushing her embarrassment to one side, she blew. He wiped her nose without a hint of disgust. It still surprised her, even after months of being his sub, that he was willing to give her whatever care she needed, no matter how gross.