Page 127 of The More the Merrier

“Cheyenne Regional has a need, as well as Harmony Grove. I enjoy being in the field, but it’s not mandatory. Know that I won’t let our relationship fail because of me, least of all because of a job. That’s what I was getting at.” Dalton tapped his palm on the edge of the bed. “Sit.”

As much as I wanted to obey, I did not want to see what sort of objects Dalton was going to use on me. Shaking my head without thinking, I instantly regretted it. Dalton threaded his fingers flush against my scalp, tugging so my neck bent at an awkward angle.

“If you refuse to sit, you can kneel. Disobey again, and you can stand in the corner first.”

Swallowing hard, I lowered myself to the bedroom floor faster than almost anything else I’d ever done in my entire life. Dalton rewarded me with a kiss, leaning down, but he did not let go of my hair. His touch was rougher than usual, and it heightened my arousal. Either I was more touch deprived and hornier than usual or we had that much chemistry.

“The next time I tell you to do something, Grant, I expect you to do it immediately,” he chastised.

Expecting to feel like a small child being reprimanded by a parent, I was surprised by the way his stern tone made me want to do better. I wanted Dalton to be proud of me. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good.” He let go of my hair, smoothing it into place. Dalton lifted my black tank off my body and set it on the bed. “Do you have any hard limits?”

I very much wanted to engage in battle mode because the thought of being so goddamn vulnerable with him again left me reeling, but I swallowed all my sass. I should have been rewarded for that alone.

“I’m not sure.” I thought about it for a minute. “If I find one, can I just tell you?”

“Of course. I’d absolutely encourage you to tell me, otherwise I could do something that makes you uncomfortable without knowing.”

Dalton strode across the floor to his closet. I heard him rummaging for a few minutes before returning to my line of sight. He wanted me to see the objects in his hands as he approached.

Once I saw them, I knew I was going to be immensely sore. A butt plug that looked like it was thicker than my thigh, though it wasn’t, plus two paddles, one drilled with holes and the other solid. Oak was mentioned last night, which I was used to handling but not on the receiving end. Blowing out a breath, I reminded myself that I wanted this outcome. He seemed to move slower as I watched, but it could be my nerves.

“Stand up, turn around, and bend over the bed.” He gestured with his fingers as he spoke.

Simple. Very simple commands that anyone could do. I moved with deliberate swiftness, wanting to show Dalton how very much I needed him to follow through on everything he said last night.

“Good boy,” he praised.

I swore my heart did a little flip inside my chest. I would have to get used to the feeling, I reminded myself. Dalton touched the waistband of my boxers, sliding them to my knees and then all the way to my ankles.

“Raise your left and then your right foot.”

I did as he commanded, and realized every step was being drawn out, so I became more used to following his orders. He left me stripped bare, vulnerable physically, with nothing left to hide behind.

“Hm. I haven’t decided yet if I should plug you and then spank you?” He tapped my hip. “Or spank you, plug you, and punish you some more?”

I knew he wasn’t asking for my opinion and I stayed unusually silent.

“Do you have anything to add, Grant?”

“Not while I’m in this position, Sir.”

“Interesting,” Dalton mused. He lifted one of the paddles. I saw the edge in my peripheral, but I barely had time to brace before it thundered off either side of my ass. It hurt so much more than his belt. I stayed in place, but my bottom cheeks burned as if I’d stuck my hind quarters in a bonfire. Two sets of two landed in fast succession, hitting the lower curve above my inner thighs. I didn’t cry out, but my feet drummed as if they had a mind of their own. Dalton kneaded his fingers into my asscheeks, rubbing harder than a massage. “What are the rules you agreed to?”

Fuck.He was going to lecture me, too? I was starting to rethink my needs. No, scratch that. I was annoyed because it was exactly the sort of punishment I’d doled out in the past. One I very much needed. “I agreed to listen to what you tell me to do and be honest with my wants and needs.”

“What happened last night, Grant?”

He already knew what happened. Why did I have to repeat it? I cleared my throat and took a few breaths. “I decided it was more important to do what I wanted rather than obey your rules.”

“You made the conscious decision to ride over here intoxicated in the middle of the night after I told you to rest. Are you going to do something so reckless again?”

“No, Sir. I won’t, at least not without talking to you first.”

“Thank you. I hope you’ll tell me what’s on your mind instead of overthinking. Kendall has a tendency to do the same.”

Dalton selected the other paddle, making sure he laid the first one in my line of sight. I was really in for it, since the implement in front of me showed no holes. He rested it on my hip, and I knew exactly what was coming. An icy gel circled the tight ring of my ass. A large, hard object entered my back passage. The tip seemed impossibly large, and I clenched around it.

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