Taming Naia (2 page)

“You knew it wasn’t serious,” he cut her off, no flirtation in his tone.

“I…” she began, but she knew that he was right.

“You knew.” If looks could kill…

“Yes, I knew,” she said.

“A terribly painful, humiliating spanking, isn’t that what you said? How many times did my hand come down on your tender, bare little bottom? I don’t recall. Can you refresh my memory?”

Her voice was no more than a squeak when she said it. “Sixty times, professor.” She knew she was digging her grave, but she didn’t know how deep just yet.

“Yes, sixty. After I forced you to bend over my desk, lift your skirt, and take your panties down, correct?”

Oh, god… “Yes, sir.”

“OK, you want to make amends. To atone for your sins.”

She nodded even though it wasn’t a question.

“Take that long overdue spanking, Ms. White, and you’ll have my forgiveness.”

“But…”

“You won’t be negotiating your way out of this one, I’m afraid,” he cut her off. “If you are genuine in your desire to make it up to me, this is what I require.”

She swallowed. The thought of Professor Roark spanking her thrilled her even as it terrified her like nothing else.

“No less. Don’t waste my time, Ms. White. For how long are you in town?”

“Three weeks.”

“Today is Sunday. I’ll give you until Friday to decide. Where are you staying?”

“At the Marriott in Cherry Creek.”

“Room number?”

“Six hundred and four.”

“Go back to your hotel and think. Think hard. I’ll be there at nine p.m. on Friday. If you decide this isn’t what you want after all, leave word at the front desk and it will be like we never had this conversation. I will forget all about it and you won’t ever try to contact me again. However, if you decide you’d like to follow through, be ready for me. Fair enough?”

She considered, knowing this was the only road, unless she chose to turn her back on Liam Roark for good. Squaring her shoulders, she mustered up all the courage she could gather. At least he didn’t expect her to give her answer on the spot.

“Yes, professor.”

He didn’t say anything, but glared at her as she tried hard not to squirm in her seat. He then slowly moved out of the booth and extended his arm for her to go ahead.

She scooted out, trying not to touch her body to his, which was impossible. When her back was directly to his front, he grabbed and held her to him. She felt his arousal through the leather of her skirt as it pressed against her low back. He was doing it on purpose; she knew it. He wanted her to feel how turned on he was by the prospect of spanking her.

Well, she felt it.

But he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. One hand picked up her hair and set it over her right shoulder, exposing her neck, her ear. His lips came to a millimeter from her throat, breathing her in, his breath hot, making every hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

“Ms. White,” he finally whispered against her ear.

The way he said her name made her shudder. A small sound escaped her when the stubble on his chin brushed against her flesh and his lips found her neck. His tongue touched her rapidly beating pulse and traced a slow, torturous line along her throat, where he hovered for one moment before closing his lips and sucking. She shut her eyes, her body coming alive under his hot, wet mouth. She was at his mercy.

“Do you remember the words you said to me that day?” he whispered, licking her ear now.

How could she forget them? She nodded.

“Say them.”

The sound of her heart beating like a drum rang in her ears.

“Say them,” he repeated.

Her entire body shuddered once and he made a sound from behind her.

“I’m yours to punish or pleasure as you see fit, professor.” She repeated the exact words she’d used ten years ago, the memory still fresh, as if it had been just yesterday.

“Knowing that, be very certain about your decision. You cost me my career and I will extract great pleasure from administering your punishment. Ten years is a long time to wait.”

His whisper was a threat and it sent shivers through her body.

“Think hard, Ms. White.”

He let her go. The removal of his body from hers left her cold and breathless. Naia grabbed the edge of the table to keep from stumbling forward. It took all she had not to run out of the club and into a waiting taxi. Once inside the yellow cab, she slammed the door shut and blurted out the name of her hotel.

What the hell was she thinking?

Liam packed his laptop away and pushed the button to call the elevator. Since seeing Naia on Sunday night, he hadn’t been able to think of much else. He’d been thirty-two years old when he was Naia’s English Lit professor and mentor of sorts. She had been eighteen. Legal, but not really; not for the young professor all the girls had a crush on. He had been madly attracted to her, even flirtatious, but he had never crossed that line. When she had pushed too far and he’d had to reject her, she had become furious. She had a temper back then and, he imagined, she had one now as well. She’d gone to the board and accused him of spanking her. At least it hadn’t been anything more. But that accusation was enough to cost him his job and his reputation.

All in all, he’d done well for himself. He had founded Exhale, a BDSM club, six years ago and it was a thriving business. He had more money than he knew what to do with, but teaching had been his passion.

He realized when he saw her the other night just how angry he still was with her for stealing his career. But he would have to manage himself tonight, if she were still there that is. He didn’t want to hurt her, not really. He would give her exactly what she asked for, what she had accused him of back then, what she perhaps needed. And he would enjoy every moment of it. He was still as attracted to her now as he had been back then, more so even. He would punish her tonight, take what was his due and that would be that.

The elevator dinged and the door opened. Liam walked through the club where patrons were already gathering. Going over a few last minute instructions with Oliver, the club manager, he said goodbye and set off for the hotel.

* * *

Naia sat at the edge of the bed, her stomach a jumble of nerves. When she had sought the professor out, her plan had been to apologize. But if she was truly honest with herself, she wanted more. She wanted what she had accused him of years ago and much, much more. When she found out he owned a BDSM club in town, it was as if fate had laid out her chance. But now, after seeing him, she wasn’t so sure. No, not that she wasn’t sure; she was just scared. He was still angry and although she could understand that, his anger frightened her. She had stolen everything from him out of spite. He had rejected her and she had been embarrassed and angry. She had wanted revenge. She hadn’t planned on what had happened though. She had thought he would get a slap on the wrist. But her temper tantrum had cost him much, much more than she had ever intended. And now it was time to pay the debt she owed.

She jumped when the knock came at precisely nine p.m. Standing, she checked her reflection in the mirror. She had worn a short black skirt and a button-down blouse that ruffled at the front with a lacy coral-colored bra and matching boy shorts underneath. Her black leather pumps had a three-inch heel that added to her height and accentuated the curve of her legs.

Brushing her hair back behind her shoulders, she walked to the door of the suite and opened it.

Liam Roark stood there, all dark and brooding, looking huge in the narrow hallway. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans, a white button-down shirt and a jacket. His hair hung loose down his back and he looked a little like he used to back at school. Just scarier. But here she was ready to invite him in to play.

“Ms. White,” he said.

“Professor Roark,” she answered.

He smiled. “You look lovely, as I remember you always did,” he said, his eyes traveling the length of her. “Good choice on the skirt.”

“Thank you, professor. I always appreciated the special attention you reserved just for me.” She had always been able to hide behind her quick wit. And even though by being here tonight she had agreed to her punishment, she wasn’t going to go into this a meek, frightened little girl. She wanted to take it as much as she knew he wanted to give it to her. She would be damned if she’d let him have the upper hand. At least while she was still clothed and standing upright.

“Arrogance was always your fatal flaw.”

“I thought you liked the cocky in me.”

“I’ll enjoy spanking it out of you.”

Her mouth fell open as his smile vanished.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in? Or would you rather we do this out here?”

“Come in,” she said, stepping back. She closed the door behind him and leaned against it as he looked around the large suite. Against the far end of the room was a king-size bed. A couch and coffee table with a flat-screen TV made up the living area and in the corner at the window stood a desk. The desk she’d be bent over in the not too distant future, she imagined.

“Nice, spacious room,” he said. “Should work for our purposes.”

“Would you like something to drink?” she asked, making her way to the minibar. She could definitely use a drink.

“Vodka tonic, if you have it,” he said.

She poured two of them and turned to hand him his. He sipped the drink, his eyes never leaving hers as she drank hers down.

“Nervous?” he asked, his expression unreadable.

“Why would I be?” she retorted, even though she’d been unable to eat a thing all day.

“Why indeed?”

Anticipation was a part of the game and he was loving this, she just knew it.

She moved to sit on the couch and he followed.

“Have you ever been spanked, Ms. White?”

She choked on the sip she had just taken. “We’re not going to talk about it, are we?” she asked.

“Of course we are,” he said, a small smile playing along his lips. He raised his eyebrows as if waiting.

“No,” she managed, taking another, bigger sip.

“I’d like you to refer to me as sir or professor when you address me,” he said.

She lifted her eyebrows now and exhaled. “No,
sir
. I’ve never been spanked.” He was not going to humiliate her. Not yet anyway.

“You’ve still got that smart little mouth, haven’t you?”

“Is that a question,
sir
?”

He ignored her question and just looked at her instead, his gaze serving to make her more and more nervous. When he next spoke, his tone was different, serious. “Do you know what a safe word is?” he asked.

It took her a minute but she nodded, her demeanor changing, feeling herself on the edge of tears. This was really going to happen.

“What’s yours?”

“Violin,” she answered quickly, not at all sure why she chose that word.

“Violin it is.”

He took the remote and switched on the TV.

“What are you doing?” she asked, confused.

“Spankings are loud,” he said.

She hadn’t realized that, hadn’t thought how it would sound at all.

“Stand up,” he said, setting his still nearly full glass down and rising to his feet.

She put her empty one down and stood on unsteady legs.

“Are you ready for your long overdue spanking, Ms. White?”

“I don’t know, sir.” Her voice gave away just how nervous she felt.

“What are you feeling?” he asked, coming closer, his hands on her arms squeezing gently.

That gentle, reassuring touch was her undoing. Her eyes grew wide and she knew she’d be able to hide nothing from him.

“Scared and nervous.”

“Both normal. But what exactly are you scared of?”

“That it will hurt,” she began. She glanced away, then back. “And that it will be embarrassing.” That was maybe even more prominent than her fear of the pain.

“But you’re not afraid of me, are you, Naia?” he asked, another tender squeeze, no teasing either in his expression or his tone.

He’d called her Naia like he used to. Something just felt good about that. “No, I’m not afraid of you, professor.” She too was dead serious.

“Do you trust me?”

“I do, sir.”

His expression changed, softened. He looked at her a little like he used to back at school. “I will give you the punishment you need, Naia, but I won’t do you any harm, do you understand?”

Tears sprung to her eyes and she nodded. Something about this man forced the real Naia to come to the surface every time. It was as though, even back at school, they danced along this fine line and every time, every single time, there she would be, exposed to him, no matter what.

He studied her for a long moment and she stood just able to hold his gaze. He then released her and walked to the window over the desk and pulled the curtains closed. He cleared the few promotional items the hotel had left off the desk and turned back to her. Taking off his jacket, he rolled up his sleeves to reveal thick forearms dusted with dark hair. Naia remembered that he had looked like that when he had taught, his jacket always on the back of his chair, his sleeves rolled up, big hands holding chalk, gesturing as he spoke. But he looked different as he stood here today. He looked so much the dominant, the one with absolute control.

“Come here, Naia.”

She walked slowly to him. Her heart raced and tears slid down her face.

He reached out and brushed one of them away.

“You’re safe,” he said.

She nodded, but the tears didn’t stop. The opposite in fact. “I know.”

“Are you wearing panties?”

Oh, god. “Yes, sir.”

“Bend over the desk, please.”

Her hand covered her mouth and for an instant, she wasn’t sure she could go through with it. Taking a deep breath, she cast one last look at him before she moved to stand before the desk and slowly bent her torso over it.

“Lift your skirt up over your back.”

Reaching back, she raised her skirt.

“Higher and tuck it into the waistband so it will stay.”

She pushed it higher and tucked it in.