Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

T he first indication that Avery had that his belt was going to land was when she heard it whizzing through the air, seconds before the supple piece of leather laid a line of fire across her behind. Avery flexed her fingers on the wall, bit her lip, and tucked her backside.

“Push your bottom back out,” he commanded. “I know it hurts, but you’re not going to put yourself at risk like that again. I won’t let you. Right now, little girl. Bottom out.”

It was that command, more than the swat from his belt, that killed her. If he’d proceeded to punish her in silence or called her names or expressed his anger in a loud or accusatory voice, she might have withstood the whipping better. But he didn’t, and she definitely didn’t. She broke down sobbing, even as she arched her hips and offered back her cringing bottom for more.

The second strike landed on the fullest part of her bottom, the crack of leather on skin loud as gunfire. Her wail was louder, but the fire and stinging pain was beyond anything she could bear quietly.

He spoke clearly and distinctly, his authoritative tone slicing through her already shattering defenses like a hot knife through butter. “If I have to keep you sore enough that you have trouble leaving the house, I’m prepared to do that.”

She bounced on her tiptoes, sobbing, “No, Daddy, please, no more!”

It was amazing how naturally his title came pouring out of her when her bottom was stinging so badly it felt as if she were being flayed alive. In that moment, though, for the first time since this had started, he really did feel like Daddy, and she more than kind of felt like she deserved this.

“Do you really think that all you deserve is two welts?”

She crumpled into the wall. The deep wounded pulsing in her bottom beginning to burn now through the pain. “No, Sir, but please, no more.”

“At least I know I’m getting through to you.”

Avery heard the swoosh of his belt just before it connected a third time. She’d taken worse than this. She had; she knew she had. Why was this so hard? Grabbing her bottom in protective hands, she spun to face him, making it impossible for him to spank her again. That almost made her feel worse, disappointed in herself somehow. Shoulders slumping, holding and rubbing her bottom, she broke down crying again.

Pitiless, Daddy ordered, “Turn right back around and push that bottom out, baby. If you get in position and stay that way, I’ll only give you two more. Don’t make me have to add strokes because you won’t be good.”

Choking back the sobs, Avery took a deep, bracing breath. Reluctantly, she faced the corner, placed her hands back on the wall and presented her bottom for more.

She’d taken worse than this. It became her mantra, the one slip of reality that she used to try to help her through the last two strokes of his belt. And yet the fourth stroke still drove her up onto tiptoes, where she bounced, sucking and gasping through the worst of the white-hot pain before easing back down into position.

“That’s my good girl,” he praised, just before the final swoosh of his belt laid the last mighty crack of pain right across the lowest part of her bottom, just above her thighs.

Avery was miserable. Her bottom felt swollen and raw, she’d disappointed and disobeyed Thom and he deserved so much better… a good submissive who would please him in every way. Resting her head against the wall, she cried hot, silent tears. She felt like an utter failure. A confident badass security agent who could take down a helicopter in one well-placed shot, but a total letdown where it really mattered.

And the worst part was, as undeserving of Daddy as she was right now, her pussy had spasmed with each welt that he’d laid. It was spasming now too, pulsing and throbbing in time with the wounded thump now radiating on burning waves all through her bottom. All she wanted was for him to fold her in his arms and tell her she was forgiven before making love to her in whatever way he chose.

“Display yourself for me, kitten.”

Her entire body convulsed at the lust in his voice. She hadn’t been able to obey him for even twenty-four hours. Why didn’t he hate her? Why wasn’t he giving up on her? Was it possible that he wanted her in the same primal way that she did him?

The heat of Thom’s hand cupped her left butt cheek, the points of his fingers finding all the most tender spots, making her jump and squirm as ever so gently he applied pressure. “Did you hear me, Avery?”

Sniffling, she leaned against the wall. Hands flat against it, she pushed her bottom out and widened her stance. Goosebumps rippled through her as his finger traced along the growing welts he’d created. Slipping down into the valley between her buttocks, he stopped long enough to finger her dark entrance, provoking a shiver. Thom slid his hand between her legs, splaying her labia and stroking her sheath with two fingers. All it took was one gentle caress directly over her clit and, despite the tears and pain, she cried out as she came.

Fingers slick in her juices, he rolled and caressed until he’d wrung every last convulsive shiver from her body. Only when she was done did he take firm hold of her pleasure nub, tugging once before giving a gentle pinch.

“Daddy!” She collapsed against the wall, fighting to hold still while her rebel hips kept tucking and twitching, as if trying to ride his pinching hand.

“Back in position,” he coaxed.

“I’m so sorry. I’m trying.”

“I’ll bet you are. Those welts look angry and they haven’t finished swelling yet. But I must say, that welted bottom has Daddy very hard.” He pinched again, and then took his hand away.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him open his fly. She barely bit back her own hungry moan when his fully erect cock was freed. He’d said he was going to punish her with sex, so she knew this wasn’t going to be a gentle ride, but still her pussy pulsed in eager anticipation of what was to come.

Caressing the side of her body up and down with his knuckles, he moved behind her. His fingers slipped down between her buttocks again. He touched her puckered rim, circling it once before pressing in just as his cock breached her core, and in he slid.

Her fingers scraped the bare wood wall as her hands curled into fists. He was so big. She needed him so much. She tried to push back, aching to feel him filling her completely, but he promptly swatted her.

Every newly smacked welt stung and burned, but her pussy only got that much wetter.

“You stay still when Daddy mounts you. This is a punishment. I want you to feel every inch of Daddy’s cock as he sinks his hard length into your wet heat and takes what’s his.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I just wanted you so bad.”

Thom chuckled. “Be careful what you wish for, little girl, Daddy plans to fuck you raw and before we leave in the morning, he’s going to punish your bottom hole as well.”

Slowly, inexorably, inch by inch he pushed back deep inside her. His cock… she shivered. His finger, sinking knuckle-deep into her ass… she climaxed, her knees damn near buckling. She’d have dropped straight to her knees had Thom not hooked his arm around her.

“You need Daddy to spank you hard and keep you well laid, don’t you, kitten?” He began to thrust, a slow in and out motion that dragged all along the walls of her pussy, filling her deep before abandoning her, only to fill her again. It wasn’t just his cock. She was being filled by his very essence.

She moaned, burying her face between her hands, arching back her hips, begging without words for more.

He could have swatted her again, but he didn’t. Releasing her from his hugging grip, he grabbed a fistful of her hair, laughing huskily just behind her ear as he began to whisper, “My kitten needs Daddy to fuck her until she learns to be a good girl, doesn’t she?”

Her fingers clawed the wall as his thrusts intensified, his hips pumping against her welted ass, his cock pounding into her needy pussy until every inch of her felt his possession. “Yes,” she groaned.

“Daddy needs to take your mouth, doesn’t he?” he growled, thrusting hard, hips now spanking her ass, the force of it slowly pushing her flush up against the wall.

“Yes!” she gasped, the pain of her battered welts nothing compared to the rough pump of his hips as he took her.

His fist in her hair pulled her ear right up to his hot breath. His cock was driving her, the tight bud of her nipples scraped the wall, and the brush of his moving lips against the shell of her ear sent shivers like sparkling mini orgasms dancing all through her as he demanded, “You need Daddy in your hot, sore little bottom, don’t you? You need him to fill you up until it hurts and you need Daddy to make that hurt feel good. Don’t you?”

“Yes! Oh, yes! Oh, Daddy!” She came with his suggestive whisper burning in her ear and his pelvis spanking her welted backside.

This felt so wrong, but nothing could have been more right. She was sexy, submissive, safe, and seductive all at the same time, and all because of Thom. He just seemed to know her, inside and out. He knew exactly what to say, the dirty, suggestive things he whispered in her ear calling forth her most secret and submissive self. She wanted him in her ass. She wanted to feel that minute pain as he stretched her open in that most humbling of ways, because with him she knew not only would she always be safe, but empowered and free to be who she was. It was the most amazing thing in the world.

“That’s a good girl,” he crooned. “Come for Daddy again. Show him how much you like his cock stroking your pussy.”

Over and over, he thrust into her, plundering her body as her wet heat melted and molded itself around him and the slap of his hips continued to make her feel every welt he’d left behind. He was giving her just what she needed, a good, hard ramming and she reveled in it. Her inner walls shook and quivered. It was all she could do just to wrap her head about the intensity of her own feelings—the physical, mental, and emotional things that he so easily evoked. Her breaths quickened, her mewling cries devolving into whimpers as another orgasm approached. All her muscles seized in anticipation just as he gave one last ferocious thrust and it all came crashing through her. Her shout overwhelmed his growl as her spasming pussy took the torrent of seed he released into her.

Together they rested against the wall, panting. His breaths burned her ear as he curled his face into the side of her throat. He kissed her gently and then pulled out, dribbles of hot wetness spilling down her thighs as he pushed back off her.

“Present your pussy and bottom to me,” he said, letting go of her hair.

Both weary and sated, Avery obeyed. Adjusting her hands on the wall, she arched back her hips as he pulled his pants back up. From the corner of her eyes, she watched him reach into his pocket. She saw the small jar he withdrew, but it wasn’t until he opened it, releasing a wave of pungent spice into the air that she realized this wasn’t yet over. “Wh-what is that?”

He dabbed a small amount of thick salve onto the tip of his finger. “It’s how Daddy’s going to punish your bottom hole.”

“B-but you said you weren’t going to do that until we left in the morning!” She gasped, ducking her head as she felt him rub that salve all around the tip of her dark rosebud. That minute shock was nothing compared to what she felt when he pushed his finger back inside her, thoroughly coating the delicate tissues that were already starting to tingle. Unlike the last time he’d shoved his finger inside her, this time Avery did not come.

“Oh, my God,” she breathed, eyes wide. “What is that stuff?”

“A present Noah gave me, just for you.”

Anal had never been very high on her agenda of fun things to do in bed. But right from the start, Thom had made it clear that her back hole was his to take whenever he desired. Because she wanted him and because everything else that he’d done had been so good thus far, Avery was resigned to the inevitability. She would give him whatever he asked for, and she would do it with little to no resistance—even, maybe even especially, that hole. After all, he’d stuck his finger in her bottom just minutes ago and she’d had one of the best orgasms of her life because of it.

But she wasn’t orgasming now. In fact, she was stinging, her back entrance and the sensitive flesh it guarded beginning to burn with a vengeance. Sucking sharp breaths through her teeth, she couldn’t keep her feet from dancing in place.

“Daddy, oww.”

Thom rubbed the small of her back. “You’ll be fine, little girl.”

“No, I won’t!”

He chuckled, somewhat malevolently she thought. “You will. You will also learn to mind me, and when you don’t, I will happily use all the ginger I need in order to convince you to think twice before disobeying.”

“Nooooooo,” she wailed, bouncing.

Thom rubbed her back and massaged her neck, but allowed her to writhe in the blinding heat he had created. “You’re officially grounded, little girl. Until further notice, you don’t go anywhere without Daddy or without Daddy’s permission. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Sir. Please, make it stop.”

“It should be starting to lessen. The effect is sharp, but not long lasting. You’re going to stand in the corner while I arrange to have something brought out for us to eat. Did you girls have fun being naughty?”

“Not enough to be worth this,” she mumbled morosely.

He laughed outright. “Remember that the next time you want to misbehave. How’s your bottom hole?”

“It doesn’t like you very much right now.”

She wasn’t that sure about the rest of her either, but he was right about one thing. The burning, stinging awfulness of the ointment was getting easier to bear. Not by a lot, but at least it was starting to get bearable.

“Do you want to crawl into bed? You’ve had a busy day, maybe a nap while we wait for dinner to be delivered would be a good thing.”

Sniffling, her bottom hole burning too much for her to want to argue, when he held up the covers, she went and crawled into bed. Mighty helicopter hunter by day; Daddy’s little girl by night. She felt a little silly when he tucked her in, but only a little, and when he leaned down to kiss her forehead, even that went away.

“Is Daddy going to have to welt you with his belt again?” he asked, giving her a knowing look.

Probably, she thought, but outwardly she shook her head. “No, Sir. You made your point.”

“Good. I’m glad. Take a nap, Avery. We’ll sleep here tonight, and in the morning, Junior will be here with the corporate chopper to take us home.”

“Wait, what about my chopper? I’m so grounded I can’t even fly?” That stung.

“If you’re going to use your chopper to disobey, you’ll get it taken away,” he said flatly. “They’re going to keep it here until Kurt can help Junior get it back to your place.”

Oh, that really stung. But when he hooked his belt with his thumbs, that arch in his eyebrows just daring her to argue, Avery wilted against her pillow and shut her mouth. Grounded instantly became the worst punishment ever, but at least Thom seemed somewhat placated and far less angry with her than he had been when they first met up at the showers.

Rolling onto her side, she watched as he went to the phone to place a call to the kitchen. Somewhere before that call ended, she must have closed her eyes, because when she opened them again, the room was shrouded in darkness and the burning of the ginger ointment was completely gone.

Unsure how long she’d slept, she sat up. “Thom?”

The bed shifted an instant before his hand found hers in the dark. “Yes, baby. I’m here.”

As relieved as she was not to be alone, something sounded off in his tone. “Are… are you still mad?” she asked, almost afraid to know the answer. “You sound… distant somehow.”

“I’m not happy with what you did. The thing is, I can understand that Willa and Mandy don’t really know how dangerous Fariq and Christian are, except in the abstract. But you, Finn, and Zara should know all too well.”

“We didn’t think he’d send a hit squad. We were just going for a ride. We didn’t think we’d run into him at all.”

“You need to start thinking that. And why wouldn’t he? What better way to cripple the firm than to strike at the heart of the team?”

She was at the heart of the team? He was putting her on the same level as Zara and Finn? Staring at his shadow in the darkness, she didn’t know what to say.

After a moment, he got up first, switching on a light on his way to the small desk where his laptop was waiting. Dinner had arrived while she’d been sleeping. Several to-go containers were waiting for her on the table, but she wasn’t so much hungry as she was worried. Not about Fariq or what had happened today; she was good with a gun and had no problem using one to protect herself or any of her friends, for that matter. But if he was still mad at her… that didn’t just worry her. That scared her.

Afraid she’d been too quick to decide he’d forgiven her, she got out of bed. Following him, she quickly ensconced herself in his lap the moment he sat down to use his laptop.

He hugged her, but only briefly. “Go back to bed, Avery. I have a couple of things I need to do before I take care of that wanton, alley cat nature of yours.”

Was he regulating her into a secondary position that just didn’t matter anymore or was this just a matter of when Daddy didn’t need his toy she got put away? She didn’t know, but she felt dismissed and it wasn’t a feeling she liked.

“Wouldn’t want you to have to put yourself out, or God forbid I interfere with your work.” She jumped off his lap, three quick strides to where she’d left her clothes, putting some much-needed distance between them. She wasn’t prepared to have that distance hurt, but she’d be damned if she let it show. “I’ll see if they have room in any of the sleeping dormitories.”

His chair abruptly scraped back and before she could even shrug back into her guest robe, Thom had caught her. He grabbed her arm, hauling her first to the foot of the bed and then promptly over his knee the second he’d sat down. Knocking the terrycloth trail of her robe out of his way, the flat of his hand came cracking down full across the center of her bottom.

Kicking and bucking, Avery wrenched her arm back, fully intending to elbow him in the ribs. Whatever she had to do, she didn’t care, so long as she broke free.

“I don’t think so, little girl. You don’t get to flounce off and then fight me when I correct your behavior.”

“And you don’t get to treat me like I’m an afterthought!” she shot back. She couldn’t twist around far enough or she really would have elbowed him.

“Is that what you think I was doing?” he demanded, then laughed. It was a dangerous sound, one that made her shudder and that was even before he abruptly clamped his leg over the back of hers, nullifying her ability to kick. “Little girl, I am done playing with you.”

His open hand rained a fury of stinging swats all over her backside, none of which would have been half as bad as they now felt if only he hadn’t whipped her with his belt earlier. The welts were still there and she was beyond sore.

“That hurts,” she wailed.

She wasn’t lying or even exaggerating the level of pain he was creating. But worse than the pain was how the burning ache of each spank was affecting her emotionally. Physically, her body didn’t seem to care how unfair this was or how much it hurt. She was wet, and not just a little; she was soaked, the heated slickness of her natural lubricant gathering along her folds, tickling as it spilled from her.

Reaching between her legs, he found her dewy center. Mad as she was, all he had to do was stroke her lightly to win from her that first reluctant moan.

“Who’s my naughty, wet little kitten?” he crooned, tracing the five welts across her bottom with fingers made smooth and slippery by his fondling. “Do you want to be a good girl?”

“Yes, Daddy.” Breath hitching, Avery was helpless to bite back her own little girl’s voice as she whimpered, “I’ll behave, please, no more.”

She knew, in that moment, that she had truly surrendered to him in all ways—sexually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. As he reverently traced the weals his belt had made, her whole body quivered with need. But before she could say or do anything more, Thom swept her up in his arms and took her back to the bed.

“There’s more than one way for Daddy to make you sore, little girl,” he said, following her down onto the mattress. He lifted off her only long enough to unbutton his fly, releasing his hard cock, and pushing his jeans down past his buttocks. “And I plan to spend the rest of the night making sure you understand that.”

Thom was as good as his word, too. The next morning, Avery was aching and stiff from his use. She’d never been with a man of Thom’s virility or creativity. He had seemingly unending ways of making her climax. No matter how exhausted or sore she was, he took control of her orgasms, forcing her to come again and again as many times as he liked until he was ready to seek his own release and, eventually, they both fell asleep.