“I told you we’re leaving at ten, not nine, since I had already committed to the session with Sammy.”
“Ten? So... shit,” she winced, scuffing her sneaker in the gravel. “Well, I might have had the time wrong but we’re exclusive, so that doesn’t even matter. You had no business to?—”
“Enough. You are digging your own grave the more you talk,” he cut in darkly. “What’s my job at the Ranch, Sienna?”
“You’re a specialized whipping therapist.”
“Which means?”
Her voice grew smaller. “You use your skill with the whip and your insight to open a crack in a sub’s barriers to make them susceptible to traditional healing methods.”
“My insight, my whip and...?”
“Your words, and... your touch.” Her chin dipped lower as understanding dawned. “You were in a therapy session.”
“Indeed.” She cringed at his disapproving look. “Not that it matters. Even if it wasn’t a therapy session, it could’ve been a submissive or a Little who needed release from a barrier within them, or punishment I’d be doing as part of my function at the Ranch.” The silver in his scar caught the sunlight as he frowned. “Point is, you do not interrupt a scene I am actively involved in, either during or after. It could destroy all the good I achieved up to that point.”
He caught her chin, drawing her eyes to his. “We are exclusive, Sienna, and it’s a commitment I take exceedingly seriously. Outside of what I just mentioned, I will never scene with another sub. Every time I touch one of them it is with the intent of healing or punishment, not seduction or pleasure. You are the only one I need to share that part of me with. Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes, I do.” The truth of his words cast her earlier accusations in an even more shameful light.
“So, let’s get this over with.” He stepped back, his eyes hardening with stern purpose. “First, you will be whipped until I believe you truly regret your actions and to remind you thatI care too much for you to allow such a transgression to slide. Then you will repent for the disrespect you showed me.”
“H-how?”
“Normally, I would decide but since this is more than just punishment, I’ll leave that up to you to come up with something that would be an appropriate repentance.” His eyes darkened as they swept over her clothed form. “Strip, Sienna, and no, I don’t want any excuses. We’re alone up here and no one can see you. Besides, I’m not only going to whip your ass. Your actions call for a much harsher punishment.”
Despite her nervous hands, Sienna methodically removed her clothes, folding them into a neat bundle on a nearby chair. Goosebumps rippled across her flesh as the mountain air kissed her exposed skin.
“Follow me.”
She tracked his movements as he led her to two young trees. The bark was smooth against her palms as he positioned her between them, spreading her legs wide. Her breath caught when he produced lengths of rope from his pocket.
“No!” Pure panic crashed through her as he wrapped the ropes around her ankles and wrists. “Please, you can’t... you can’t tie me up.” Old memories of helplessness and pain threatened to overwhelm her.
“Shhhh.” The calm authority in his deepened voice steadied her through her fears. One hand settled against her throat, not constraining, just connecting, while the other stroked her wrist. “Look at your bindings, love. You are free to walk away any time you wish.”
Confused, she looked down. The ropes weren’t knotted at all. They were merely draped around her wrists and ankles. There were no restrictions or bonds holding her in place.
“Why?” Her voice cracked. “I don’t understand.”
His eyes glowed with intensity as he cupped her chin. “We’ve reached a stage in our relationship where I need two things. For you to realize I’m not that bastard who hurt you and that I will always care for, protect, and honor you. I will never force you into anything you didn’t agree to beforehand... and that goes beyond a scene. It stands firm for our future together.”
Her heart stilled. “And the second?”
“I need to know that you trust me as deeply and unconditionally as I trust you.” His gaze held hers, laying bare every emotion without shame. “Not only with my heart but with the connection between our souls. Without that deep and constant trust, we can’t move forward, Sienna.”
He touched the loose ropes. “This is symbolic for you to know that even without restraints I trust enough in your dedication to me as your Dom as much as I honor the trust you place in me with your submission. You can shake the ropes off any time and walk away... unless you’re prepared to take the next step with me.”
“W-what do you want from me, Crone?” Her voice broke under the pressure building inside her.
“I’m going to choose a switch,” his voice deepened with purpose, “and without restraining you, I’m going to give you the whipping your disrespect demands.” His fingers ghosted across her cheek. The gentle touch was strangely at odds with his words. “It’s going to hurt like fuck, Sienna, but this moment…” His intense gaze burned with emotion. “This moment exceeds punishment. Here, alone on this mountain, we’re going to forge something sacred. An intimate circle of absolute trust. Trust that even with no witnesses, no restraints, and nothing to stop me, I will never harm you. Trust that every stroke comes from love, not anger.”
He cupped her face between his palms. His smile was brief as he caught the first tears that fell with his thumbs. “Becausethat’s what this is, Sienna. Love. Pure, unplanned, unstoppable love that swept through my defenses without me realizing it.”
“L-love?” The word escaped her like a prayer as hope stirred in places she’d believed were dead. She braced her shaking hands against the tree bark.
“Yes.” The single word carried a promise cast in gold. His fingers traced the curve of her jaw as if he was memorizing her. “I never thought I’d feel this again after losing Sarah. I’d accepted that some doors would close forever. But you…” His voice roughened with emotion. “You slipped past every wall, every guard I had built. You woke up parts of my soul I thought died over the years.”
