Page 58 of Taming Scarlet

So I would have to continue to test her bounds during scenes, then comfort her with aftercare.

See if something came from that for her like it had already started for me.

But first, she had to be punished for toying with me. Because she was a smart girl. She knew what she was doing when she was doing it.

Why… that was what I intended to find out.

It wouldn’t take much to get a confession out of her.

She looked about to cry from need when I finally eased off of the remote before shuffling her into the car, and telling Eric to drive us home.

“Wha—“ she started when we were in the elevator.

“Don’t speak,” I demanded, watching as she immediately lowered her gaze.

She was a quick study.

She was craving submission.

“Take off your clothes,” I demanded as we moved into her penthouse. “Then kneel,” I added.

I watched as she removed her heels, dress, bra, then panties, and I couldn’t hold in a smirk when I lifted them off the ground and found them soaked.

“You behaved badly tonight,” I told her as she kneeled for me. “Now, the question is how much you need to be punished,” I said, walking in front of her to snag her chin, pulling it up further, so I could watch her micro-expressions.

“Yes, sir,” she agreed.

“Were you innocent tonight?” I asked, running a finger up her jaw, then over her hair as I walked behind her.

A little shiver coursed through her at the barely there touch.

“Or did you provoke me on purpose?”

“On purpose, sir,” she whispered.

“Why?” I asked, coming around the front of her again. “Answer me,” I demanded, snagging her chin when she tried to hang her head.

But she didn’t.

She wasn’t ready yet.

Saying anything real wasn’t easy for her.

“Fine,” I said, reaching to pull my belt off, folding it in half in my hand. “Up,” I demanded, watching as she got to her feet. “To the table,” I added, waving toward her dining table. “Flat on your stomach.”

She did exactly that, reaching out to grab the edge of the table, then sucking in a deep breath.

“You will count your lashes,” I told her as I moved to the side of the table. “Until you’re ready to tell me why you misbehaved tonight.”

With that, I pulled back, then swung out with the belt, the leather cracking against the skin of her ass.

A startled cry escaped Scarlet as her body jolted hard at the pain.

“Count,” I demanded.

“One,” she hissed, breath coming in ragged gasps.

A bare hand and a belt were night and day.

---