“Three more like that, Valentine,” he rumbled behind her. “This whipping is for the first lie because that one was the worst. Coming here dressed like this, trying to manipulate me when I specifically told you no sex, is the worst kind of topping from the bottom. And I do not tolerate that kind of behavior in my subs.” The riding crop rose and fell three more times as he spoke, coming down on her throbbing ass to emphasize his words. Valentine jumped each and every time.
“Yes, Master…” The words came out in a sob and she realized that hot, salty tears were stinging her eyes and running down her cheeks. God, it stung! She hadn’t realized how much a real whipping from someone who knew what they were doing would hurt.
“It’s all right. It’s over now.” Suddenly Shane was gathering her into his arms and holding her on his lap on the couch.
Valentine put her face against his neck and sobbed. Not just for the stinging pain in her bottom but because she felt such a sense of release. There was peace, true and total peace in putting herself in Shane’s capable hands and trusting him to do whatever he thought was best for her. Her parents had died when she was still so young, forcing her to be strong and independent in ways she hadn’t been ready for. It felt good to let down her guard, to let someone else take control for a while. Maybe this was something she’d been needing for years, Valentine didn’t know. All she was sure of was that she didn’t want it to end.
“There, there, sweetheart. The first one was the worst,” Shane murmured gently. Leaning down, he raised her chin and kissed her wet eyelids. “Do you understand why I had to do that?” he murmured. “I’d be a bad Dom if I let you get away with lying. It’s very important that you always tell me the truth.”
“I understand.” She’d managed to stop sobbing now and all she could think about was how close his face was to hers and how, deep down in the depths of his black eyes, she could see little flecks of gold. Would stealing a kiss at this point count as topping from the bottom again? She was afraid it might but God, she wanted to kiss him so badly. Shane had never given her more than a brotherly peck on the cheek before and she’d often wondered what that full, sensual mouth of his would taste like.
“What do you want?” He was scanning her face, reading her easily as he always did. Valentine wondered if she was really that transparent or if he just knew her so well he could tell what she was feeling.
“I want…I want to kiss you,” she said in a rush. “I know I shouldn’t want that and it will probably make you mad that I asked but, well…you wanted to know.” She shrugged, biting her lower lip and hoping her words hadn’t just earned her another spanking.
To her surprise, Shane laughed instead, an amused rumble that came from deep in his chest and seemed to vibrate every part of her body as he held her.
“It’s all right to ask for things you want, sweetheart,” he told her, an amused light in his black eyes. “I might not always give them to you but it’s okay to ask.”
“So I can’t kiss you but you’re not mad at me for asking?”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t.” His expression was suddenly serious. “As your Master I can give out rewards as well as punishments.”
“Rewards?” She looked up at him in surprise.
He nodded. “Sure. And I think you did very well just now during your first whipping. You really opened yourself to me and took what I was giving you with a good attitude. Therefore, you’ve earned a reward. Is that what you want—to kiss me?”
“Yes, please.” Valentine gave his sensuous mouth a hopeful look. “May I?”
“You may.” He was smiling just a little as she leaned up and brushed his lips with hers. They were warm and surprisingly soft and before she could stop herself she darted out her tongue to taste them, just a little. He was slightly salty and wholly delicious. Valentine moaned softly and kissed him harder.
Shane shifted on the couch but didn’t try to stop her as she became bolder and nibbled teasingly at his lower lip. She thought she felt something hard and hot under her ass that had to be his cock but no matter how much her kiss was turning him on, he didn’t respond. Instead, he held still and let her do what she wanted without moving.
Finally she stopped. “This is no fun—why don’t you kiss me back?”
Shane grinned at her. “That’s another reward for another time. If you wanted me to kiss back you should have said you wanted me to kiss you instead of the other way around.”
“I don’t see what the difference is.” She crossed her arms over her chest, frowning.
“The difference is, you’re still topping—or trying to, sweetheart. You need to submit and wait for me to give you what you need instead of trying to take it.”
“All right, but that was very disappointing. If you knew how long I’ve been waiting to—” Valentine stopped abruptly, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. There was no point in letting Shane know exactly how much she wanted him—it would make her seem sad and desperate.
“Waiting for what?”
“Nothing.” She looked away.
“Valentine, answer me when I ask you a question. What were you going to say?” There was a warning tone in his deep voice that she chose to ignore.
“Nothing, I told you.” She sat up abruptly and tried to get off his lap but Shane clamped one muscular arm around her waist and kept her in place.
“Just when I think you’re making some progress you give me attitude. Which reminds me, it’s time for your second spanking.”
Before she could protest, Valentine found herself manhandled into a totally different position—facedown on his lap with her ass in the air.
“Wait—I’m sorry,” she protested as Shane raised her short plaid skirt again, baring her backside.
“Too little, too late, sweetheart. And besides, you had this one coming from before. You didn’t think I’d forget just because you were kissing me, did you?”
