“You better be. From now on, you get so much as a speeding ticket, you answer to me.” The belt came down again and again. “And if you find yourself in trouble, you ask for help. No more riding it out alone.”
I didn’t ask him to stop. The pain seared through me, cleansing fire. I cried out the tears I’d bottled up for years, ever since a phone call about my mother’s condition dragged me out of my sophomore year, back home. It wasn’t fair.
“What’s not fair?” Cole asked, and I realized I’d spoken out loud.
“My life! Everything!”
“Talk to me, Regina.” He dropped the belt on the bed, and massaged my bottom.
“I’d gotten out! I’d almost escaped this hell hole. I survived my childhood here. Wasn’t that enough?”
“That’s it, let it out.”
“I hate this place! I hate my life! I just want to leave.”
He sat and pulled me into his arms. “When you came back to take care of your mom, you didn’t ask for help. Why?”
“I didn’t think anyone would?—”
“Your old boss gave you your job back without a second thought.”
“I didn’t want to ask for anything more than that. I didn’t deserve it.”
He tugged me closer. His hand rested at the back of my neck, holding me against him.
“You deserve it.”
He ended the hug and I almost cried out at the loss of his arms around my body.
“Almost done. Back into position.” His tone was incredibly gentle.
I moved, resting my head on one arm. I reached for his hand with the other. He took it.
I squeezed his fingers as he tapped the paddle against my bottom.
“This will hurt,” he warned.
The blow took the breath from my lungs. But then I was falling, floating softly into another place. I relaxed, gave in, and let Cole take over.
A few more sharp taps with the paddle, but the pain felt far, far away.
“One more.” It cracked down a final time, and felt as if Cole had hit me with all his might. I cried out.
It was over.
Tears leaked out of my eyes.
“Shh, Regina. Forever. You’re forgiven.” Cole rocked me in his arms until the storm passed, my big, gulping sobs quieted.
“Cole, I—” I started to sayI love you. But that wasn’t what I meant. Whatever I felt went deeper than love.I love you, I’ve always loved you, I’ll love you forever, was more like it. But I couldn’t say that without knowing he was ready to hear it. He’d asked me to obey him, and I had. He’d said nothing about love. “Thank you.”
He lifted me and put me to bed. As soon as he lay down behind me, his arm wrapped around me and pulled my body flush to his.
I lay there quietly, filled with the floaty feeling. Eventually, though, I came down. Thoughts raced through my head in time to my throbbing bottom.
“Cole? What are we doing? Do you know?”
He seemed to understand what I was asking. “I’m claiming you.”
