Bound to be Tamed: Emergence, Book 2 (32 page)

“This will be your time out corner when you’re in the living area. Get closer.”

She inched toward the wall.

“Stephanie,” Dane reprimanded, “put your nose in the corner, touching the wall. Your nipples against the wall.”

She leaned in, trying not to cry as she followed his humiliating instructions.

“Feet spread farther apart. Toes against the walls also.”

She stepped out.

“More.” His voice rose. “I want you to be uncomfortable. This is a punishment. You aren’t meant to enjoy it. Clasp your hands behind your back. Put your weight on your forehead, shoulders, tits and belly, all leaning into the corner.”

She spread her legs farther, panting now for breath.
Don’t cry.

“Good. Now don’t move until we tell you to.” Dane walked away.

Another set of footprints followed him and she imagined from the sounds in the room they had both settled back onto the couch to resume reading the morning paper.

Stephanie held her breath for long periods of time. It was the only way to keep the tears from falling.

Her mind raced.
Oh, God. I can’t do this. It’s too much.

Her entire body shook. Were they watching? Secretly staring at her demise?

She needed to be strong.
Don’t let them see you breaking over here. Don’t give them that satisfaction.

And for what? For wanting clothing? So she wanted to be dressed when Lori got there. Why was that such a horrible request?

Didn’t matter now. Not only was she going to be naked, but standing just inside the door enduring a fucking time out.

She could use her safe word. Leave. Run, rather.

She trembled, pondering the idea. They’d come so far. Why this? Why now?

Over clothes.

Deep breaths. She thought she could finally inhale and exhale without tears falling.
Get a grip. Pull yourself together. You’re a grown woman for heaven’s sake. You have your own mind.

Why are you doing this? Why are you still here? Go
, she shouted into her brain.

But her legs wouldn’t obey. Her bare feet were glued to the wood floor. Her nipples were stuck to the drywall. Her forehead ached from the pressure.

And still she stayed.

She wanted to be good. She wanted to obey them. Maybe they’d been right. She did have a tendency to question their actions without thinking.

It was Lori, after all. Indeed she was a woman. An equal. A peer.

Minutes passed as she visualized this scenario with Lori. If they weren’t on equal terms, would Lori also be permitted to direct her and order her around? She worried about sitting around having a friendly conversation with someone who was dressed while she herself was naked.

Hell, yesterday she’d stripped and masturbated for strangers and a camera. It wouldn’t be any different to sit naked on the couch with Lori. She was a Domme in her own right. She’d seen many naked women before, even ordered them around. Perhaps she’d even sent one or two of them to a time out much like this.

Deep breaths. She gave up the fight within herself to use her safe word. She didn’t want to leave. Probably ever. Sometimes she would fuck up. Sometimes she would be punished. Sometimes she would be loved better than vanilla people ever got loved.

She tried to catch her breath. Her body stopped shaking. She relaxed, as much as a person could while standing for a long period of time with their nose on the wall.

Her shoulders ached and her breasts were smashed, nipples abrading against the rough texture.

The doorbell rang. She flinched, but she remained. In a way, she knew this was a test. Aiden and Dane were finding out what she was made of as much as she was gleaning the same answers from this experience.

The door opened, a breeze wafting across her skin from the whoosh of air in the hall.

“Good morning,” Aiden said. “Come in.” His voice was low.

“Hey, I—” Lori stopped whatever she was going to say abruptly. “Did we have a little problem?”

“Did we ever,” Dane added.

Stephanie remained in her place. No way in hell was she going to give anyone reason to punish her further or give anyone the satisfaction of having her not take her medicine. She dug this hole, now she had to accept the repercussions.

Today’s lesson: Never question your Doms. Think before you speak. Accept the corrective action with dignity and respect.

The least she could do now would be to follow through with the punishment with her chin up, apologize for her bratty behavior when appropriate, and never repeat the same mistake.

The trio moved to the living area of the great room. Their steps echoed on the hardwood and then died when they hit the carpet.

Aiden spoke next. “Our little sub’s mouth got the better of her. She thought she knew what was best for her this morning. I don’t think we’ll get that kind of backtalk from her again anytime soon. She’s been in that corner for quite a while.”

Listening to Aiden tell Lori about her misbehavior was almost unbearable. She was horribly embarrassed to be chastised like that to another person. She had no intention of ever enduring this humiliation again.

For several minutes the three ignored her, discussing the new club and something about the strange behavior earlier this morning of the man who owned it, and then the cackling laughter of Lori as she retold her conversation with the owner. Her giggles filled the room with life and happiness incongruent with the fact that a grown naked woman was in a time out in the corner.

She couldn’t make out every word of the conversation but enough to know Lori was close to this other man. Had he been her Dom at one point? Or, hell, her submissive? How old was the guy? Lori wasn’t much older than Stephanie.

No wonder Aiden and Dane had quickly and easily gotten a membership at this new place. Their sponsor, Lori, obviously knew the owner well. It was one thing to put in a good word. It was another thing altogether if that word included tongue.
Gross, Stephanie. Grow up.

Besides, Lori was in a committed relationship with her sub, Margaret. Not likely she was also doing the club owner.

“Stephanie, I think that’s enough. Come here.” Aiden’s voice broke into her thoughts.

He’s calling me to him.
It took her a second to register the punishment was over. And it took several more seconds to peel herself off the wall and stand up straight.

“Oh, baby,” Dane said as she approached, chin down, eyes cast low, trembling from the effort to move her muscles. “You have red marks all over from leaning into the wall. I bet that hurts.”

It didn’t. Not really. It wasn’t any more than the creases a person would get from sleeping funny against a pillow. “No, Sir,” she muttered. “I’m fine.”

“Kneel between us, little sub.” Aiden’s voice was firm, but gentle at the same time.

She did as he instructed, lowering herself to the rug in the small space that separated the men. She automatically assumed the first position, spreading her knees and clasping her hands at her lower back.

She was grateful Lori was behind her so she didn’t have to face the woman yet.

Dane spoke again. “Do you understand why you were punished?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Explain,” Aiden prompted.

“I questioned your choices. I’m terribly sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Dane chuckled. “Oh it will, baby. That’s part of the life. Sometimes you will be bratty even unintentionally. Sometimes you will open your mouth before you think and the wrong words will spill out.” He paused. “Aiden and I have been studying this lifestyle for months, Steph. We know what we want and what we won’t tolerate. And we won’t stand for bratty behavior. Not ever.

“Some Doms like bratty little girls. Some submissives like to be treated that way. We don’t want a little girl. We want a grown, sexy woman. If you think at any point it might be cute to act like a child, you’ll find yourself mistaken. It won’t get you anywhere with us. Not sexually at least.”

Aiden resumed after a slight pause. “If you act like a brat, you will find yourself in that corner being treated like one and you won’t get a reward for it either. The only way to keep a submissive from using bad behavior in her favor is to squelch it immediately with no reward. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.” She swallowed around the lump in her throat.

“Who decides what you wear in this house, sub?” Dane asked.

“You do, Sir.”

“Have we ever given you permission to argue or question our judgment on anything?” Aiden added.

“No, Sir.”

“Is it unreasonable for us to keep you naked in our home?” Aiden continued.

“No, Sir.” She shrunk, hating that she had caused this.

“We’re trying, intentionally I might add, to help you over your fear of nudity in the D/s scene. We do recognize it’s an issue for you and we need you to trust our judgment as we help you work through this need to hide under material.” This from Dane.

And then Aiden again. “Did you have enough time to think about what you did?”

“Yes, Sir. I was wrong to question you, Sir.”

“Should we expect this sort of behavior often?” Aiden asked.

“No, Sir. I will do my best to obey your commands.” She squirmed as she spoke. For the first time since she officially became their sub they had used a punishment she found distasteful. They expected her to obey them. And they weren’t going to tolerate insolence.

All the while she was cognizant of the fact Lori was watching from her backside.

“I think we’ve made ourselves clear,” Aiden said.

A shudder wracked Stephanie’s body.

“It’s over. We won’t mention it again. We won’t continue to discuss this. We won’t harp on you or bring it up. You’ve served your time. You’re cherished and cared for by both of us.” Dane leaned toward her as he spoke. He lifted her chin. “We adore you. We will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure you are your best you. We’re going to get changed, leave you with Lori now and see you later this afternoon.”

Both men stood.

Aiden spoke as they left the room. “Steph, before we head to the club tonight, we’ll be stopping at the fetish shop to pick up some things for you to wear. You’re going to be smokin’ hot for your debut night.” His voice was jovial as though the last hour hadn’t existed.

Shit. They weren’t kidding. When Dane said the punishment was over and done, he meant it.

When the men had retreated to the bedroom to get dressed, her knees still shook.

Lori finally spoke, her voice gentle, soothing, kind. “Sit. Lean against the couch for a minute. Take deep breaths until you get your bearings.”

She followed Lori’s instructions, sucking in shaky lungfuls of air and releasing.

“I find it helps if you set your head on your knees for a minute. You’re okay. It’s all over.”

Thank God for Lori’s instructions.

“Breathe…”

Stephanie stared at the rug between her feet and concentrated on the strands of fibers.

Deep breaths.

“See you two later.” Dane’s voice. And then the front door. And then silence.

Moments passed.

Finally, Lori spoke again. “You okay?”

She nodded. Tears fell.

Lori knelt down and then crawled over to take a spot next to Stephanie. She rubbed the back of her head with a gentle hand as Stephanie heaved in oxygen and then sobbed.

“Good. Let it out. It’s okay…”

Several minutes went by. Stephanie let the tears fall. She felt much better after releasing all the pent-up stress from her punishment.

Lori left her for a few minutes and returned with a box of tissues.
Bless her.

“Do you want to sit on the couch? Get more comfortable?” Lori asked.

“No. I think I’ll stay here,” Stephanie muttered. She didn’t want to sit on any furniture. She still felt a bit chastised and the guys didn’t like her on the furniture anyway. Maybe they would be even more forgiving if she showed her loyalty to the relationship by remaining on the floor.

Plus, she felt more secure there. With the sofa behind her back, the chair to her left and the coffee table in front of her, she had the feeling of being halfway covered. Not so naked.

Lori spoke again. “They really are over it, Steph. I know Aiden and Dane. They won’t mention this again. It’s done.”

Stephanie nodded. She knew Lori was right on an intellectual level, but she also didn’t want to risk further discipline. “Do you think they were really mad?” She lifted her gaze. Her eyes burned from crying.

Lori smiled. “Not at all, just exercising their power and dominance.”

“I’m scared.”

“Of what?” Lori asked.

“Of losing myself in the vortex of this lifestyle.”

“And who are you?”

“I’m not sure anymore.” Stephanie lifted her gaze to Lori, who’d resumed her spot on the floor next to her. “I was…hell, I was nobody. I didn’t know who I was. Just a girl trying to ensure financial security for my future.”