Her Old-Fashioned Boss (10 page)

She gasped and sat up, making him wince. “Oh no, did I hurt you?”

Shaking his head, he chuckled. “I’m fine, baby. I just really, really like the feel of you in my arms.” He nuzzled her cheek. “I want you to tell us if you ever feel lonely or neglected, okay? There will be times that we all need our own space, but neither of us would ever want that at the expense of your happiness. Got me?”

Ava looked up into his eyes. “Got it. But what about your rule about being involved with your employees. I don’t want to lose my job.” And what if things between them didn’t work out? Her job would definitely be toast then.

Roarke stared at her seriously. “I won’t lie. I don’t get involved with my employees because it makes things very messy.”

“I need this job.”

Sam scowled. “We’ll take care of you. You don’t need to worry about that.”

She shook her head. “No. I need to take care of myself.”

She waited for Roarke’s bellow of protest, but surprisingly it didn’t come. “All right, sweetie. I must admit that I like having you under my roof while you’re working. Let’s see how it goes, okay? Just know that if things become weird or difficult that you can tell me and we’ll sort it out.” He gave her a stern look and she nodded.

Swallowing, she gathered up her courage. “So does this mean I’ll be going into the club?” She admitted to being horribly curious and a bit nervous as well about this part of their lives.

Roarke stared down at her thoughtfully then shook his head. “I think we should concentrate on our relationship. We can introduce you to the lifestyle slowly.”

She couldn’t help the stab of disappointment.

“We don’t go into the dungeon to play much, anyway,” Sam explained. “We have our own room for that.”

“Can I see it?”

“Maybe,” Roarke agreed. “Perhaps the best idea is for you to see Sam and I playing together. This is a large part of our lives, so you need to be sure. Being a Dom fulfills something inside of me, a need to take care of others. I dominate Sam, I'm in charge when it comes to play and I'd need that with you as well.”

“I know,” she said. “I knew what you were into before I took this job. The idea of it is partly arousing and partly terrifying. But I trust you. You won't hurt me.”

“I'll expect a lot of you, though. I'll try to be patient, but it’s a long time since I introduced anyone new to the lifestyle and it may be hard on you. Talk to Sam. Talk to me. I'll expect you to come to me to if you need something, if you're lonely or scared or you need protecting. You need to reach out to me. I know you've been on your own a while now, honey. This will take some adjusting.” He clasped her hand. “So, are you with us?”

“Yes. I am. I'm kind of scared of giving up control, though.”

“I know. But you have the ultimate control. You have the ability to stop everything with one word. I'm not taking from you, honey. That's not how it works. It's an exchange. You give me your submission and I give you more pleasure than you could ever imagine.”

Yeah, she could go for that...

“So are you going to spank me?” she asked.

Roarke gaped down at the small bundle in his arms. She fit perfectly on his lap and he knew he’d want to cuddle her close like this often. He hadn’t been lying when he said he’d missed a woman’s softness. While he adored holding Sam, cuddling him close on his lap like this wasn’t exactly doable when he weighed almost as much as Roarke did. And that’s supposing Sam would want to cuddle on Roarke’s lap, which Roarke was thinking was a no.

“What did you ask me?”

“Well,” she blushed prettily, “Sam said that the last time he got rolling drunk without you that you punished him for it.”

“Sam knew the rule I had for him about that. And he ended up sleeping on the sidewalk where anyone could have harmed him.” Roarke still grew angry thinking about it. Of course, he wouldn’t have denied Sam a night out, Christ, he wasn’t an ogre. But he’d have made sure that Max drove him everywhere and saw that Sam got home safely.

“You’ve grown all tense,” Ava said. “I’m sorry if I upset you.”

“Shh.” He ran his hand up and down her arm to soothe her. “You didn’t upset me. I was just remembering how worried I was about Sam and thinking of every horrible thing that could have happened to him. And no, honey, I am not going to spank you. It wouldn’t be right when you had no idea about my rule.”

“Oh,” she said. Did she actually sound disappointed? That couldn’t possibly be right.

He glanced over at Sam who looked equally flummoxed.

“Ava?” Sam asked gently, waiting until she raised her face. “Do you want Roarke to spank you?”

“Well, it’s just…it’s going to sound silly.”

“You can say anything to us, sweet,” Sam told her. “We won’t laugh or ridicule you, I promise.”

She was silent for a long moment, but Roarke didn’t want to push her on this. She had to learn that she could trust them, that she could open up and be vulnerable with them.

“I’ve just, I’ve never been spanked before.”

Roarke raised his brow, turning her to look up at him. “Never?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Not that I can remember, anyway. When they punished us in the foster homes, it was mainly time out or doing chores or going to bed without supper, but I’ve never been spanked.”

“Well, the time-out method has some effect, but I promise I will never force you to do chores and I will never let you go to bed hungry. In fact, I want to see you eating three healthy meals a day, young lady,” he said sternly. He’d been longing to take her to task over her eating habits, but hadn’t felt he had the right. He didn’t want to make a big deal about it, it was obvious from the stark way she ate that there were some issues there and he didn’t want to go wading in without knowing exactly what was going on. No way did he want to make things worse. But he had to make sure she was healthy.

Ava held her hands tightly in her lap. “The thing is, you obviously, umm, hold Sam accountable for things he does outside of what goes on in your playroom or bedroom.”

“Yes, I do. Sam is my submissive. Always. We’ve been together a long time and we have a sort of rhythm going. He doesn’t get punished that much anymore. But he still has rules to follow and if he breaks them then his butt generally pays.”

She nodded, but still lay tense in his arms. “What is it, sweetie?” he asked.

“I just think, I can’t go into this relationship without knowing...I mean, I want to go into this for good, I-I care for both of you and it would kill me to lose you. But I have to know what it would be like.”

Roarke felt a ping of sudden understanding. “You want to know what you’re getting yourself in for.”

“Yes,” she sighed.

He nodded. He understood, he’d feel the same way. “Okay, baby. I’ll spank you. But after breakfast. No one should be spanked on an empty stomach.”

*****

Ava sat nervously through breakfast. Hardly able to take a bite even though Roarke gave her ‘the look’ when she stopped eating with her plate still half-full.

“Go easy, she’s nervous,” Sam said with small smile. “I never feel like eating when I’m about to get my butt walloped.”

“Very well then.” Roarke picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. “Let’s move into the living area, and get this over and done with so we can do something more fun for the rest of the day.”

Standing, he held out his hand to Ava who took it only after a small hesitation. What the hell had she been thinking of, asking for a spanking? Who asked to be spanked? Maybe if she pleaded temporary insanity he’d let her off with a scolding.

Looking up into his face, she saw the firm resolve. Ugh, maybe not. Still, she was obliged to try, for the sake of her poor butt.

“Umm, you know what, I don’t really think we need to do this, I mean, it’s easy enough for me to guess what this will be like, right? I don’t think I need to experience it.”

“Got buyer’s remorse, sweet pea?” Sam grinned.

Roarke sent him a glare. “Unless you want to find yourself over the spanking bench, I suggest you sit and keep quiet.”

Sam sat.

Roarke sat on the sofa in the small living room. Instead of immediately drawing her face down over his lap like she expected, she found herself sitting on his lap as he rocked her.

“Baby, I know we haven’t known each other that long, but I would never harm you, you know that right?”

“You’re going to hurt me,” she said in a small voice. Roarke stiffened against her momentarily before relaxing once more.

“I’m going to smack your bottom, yes. But that’s all. I wouldn’t hit you anywhere else. I’m doing this to show you how much I care. I don’t like the idea of you out drinking without me or Sam to look after you. I especially don’t like the idea of you alone and inebriated in a taxi.”

He shuddered.

“We’ll just sit here until you’re ready to ask me for your spanking.”

“I have to ask you?”

Did his lips just twitch? “Yes, baby.”

Roarke rocked her as she pondered things over. Would it hurt? Would she cry? Could she stand it? Well, she supposed there was only one way to find out.

“Roarke?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“I’m ready for my spanking.” Again, her voice seemed to have grown somewhat childish, but she couldn’t seem to care.

“Okay.”

Suddenly she was turned, her stomach resting on his hard thighs, her legs stretched out over the sofa. The long shirt she was wearing, one of Roarke’s she guessed, was lifted to reveal her lack of underwear.

She tensed. “My clothes are in the wash,” she explained.

Roarke rubbed her bottom gently. “I know. It’s okay. I give my spankings on the bare bottom anyway.”

Without any warning, he struck, landing a sharp, heavy smack on her buttocks. Ava screeched at the sting.

Shit that hurt.

Another smack landed in quick succession then another. Roarke didn’t say a word, just laid into her butt like a man having his first drink of water after a month in the desert.

“Roarke, stop, it hurts!” she gasped, unable to hold her protests in any longer. She was done.

“It’s supposed to hurt, baby, else it wouldn’t make much of an impression. We’re halfway there.”

Halfway! No way!

She started to squirm, wanting off his lap. Now! Roarke stilled and she sighed. Finally, he understood she was serious.

“Baby, I expect you to lie still or else I’ll have to resort to the spanking bench like I do with Sam.”

“I’ve had enough,” she cried. “My butt stings!”

“And it’s going to sting a great deal more. I want you to understand how serious I am about your safety. If anything happened to you...” his voice trailed off, but she heard the worry, the stress.

Taking a deep, sobbing breath, she nodded. “I understand.”

Again, he started; smacking her hard, fast, a steady beat was whaled against her poor bottom as she began to cry. Small tears at first that soon became a torrent.

“I never, ever want any harm to come to you, do you understand me, little girl?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir,” she cried. “I understand.”

He flipped her over and held her tight, and even in her distraught state, she noticed how careful he was to make sure her swollen, aching buttocks hung off to one side. She wept against his chest, holding onto him equally as tightly.

 “It’s okay, baby. Shh, now. Good girl. Calm down for me.”

Although she heard the worry in his voice, Ava couldn’t seem to make herself calm; instead it became harder to catch a breath, her sobs coming thick and fast.

What the hell was wrong with her?

Snap out of it!

“Breathe in deep, good girl.” Ava pushed herself to calm down.

“And again. Match my breaths.”

She took one deep breath. Then another.

“Okay, baby?”

Ava stared up at Roarke, aware of the concern on his face, mixed with some slight trepidation, as though he expected her to immediately reject him.

Like hell.

If anything, though it sounded weird, that spanking seemed to have cemented the bond she felt with him. Looking around, she found Sam still sitting across from them, his face a mask of worry.

She held a hand out to him. No way, no how, would she ever let him sit on the sidelines when he was a part of them. At times, no doubt they’d want one-on-one time with each other, but right now she needed both men. Sam jumped up and crouched before them, sandwiching her between them.

It was heaven.

*****

“We’ll go pick some of your stuff up then go out for dinner.”

Sam looked up over at Ava as Roarke made that statement. Part of him still expected her to tell them where to go. That this was all too much for her. The spankings. Two men. BDSM.

But she merely glanced over at Roarke with a thoughtful look on her face. Roarke stared back calmly as though daring her to argue.

After her spanking, they’d all cleared up the kitchen then snuggled up on the couch to watch some television. Ava nibbled her bottom lip nervously. He wondered which part of that statement had her worried most. The getting her stuff or going out for dinner. Sam felt worried about how much—well, how little—she ate.

“Why do we need to get some of my stuff?” she asked.

Roarke leaned back in his chair, he’d moved away from the couch and the movie they’d been watching to read the newspaper. He put it down now and folded his arms across his chest.

“I thought you might like to stay here for a bit. Get to know us.”

Reaching over, Sam pulled her poor lip free from her abuse, tapping her mouth as she glared at him.

“Poor little lip. It never did anything to you.”

She pretended to bite his finger and he chuckled. Then she sighed and turned back to Roarke. “You don’t think that’s moving a bit fast?

“I’m not suggesting anything beyond us getting to know each other. You can have your own bedroom. Stay the weekend with us.”

Sam wanted her to stay forever, but he knew better than to push. Patience wasn’t one of his strongest virtues, but he wasn’t about to shove her away by moving too fast.

Ava seemed to think about that then nodded. “Okay. I can’t exactly go out in this, though, can I?” She glanced down at herself. She was dressed in one of Roarke’s shirts. Sam’s cock hardened at the thought of what was beneath that dress shirt. Watching her get spanked was one of the hottest things he’d seen. Oh, he didn’t like seeing her in pain or crying, he wasn’t a sadist. In fact, it had taken everything he had not to interfere, to get Roarke to stop so he could soothe her.