Page 201 of Whistle

Yes, I’d made progress. Yes, I was a fighter. I’d done well. But I also needed help.

“You shaved off your hair to punish me, didn’t you?” he asked.

My eyes finally started to leak fat, wet tears.

He snapped the waistband of the thong against my hip. “Didn’t you?”

I jolted. “Yes.”

“Because you know how much I love your golden locks. How beautiful they are.”

A cry ripped from my throat. God, I regretted shaving my head. I’d regretted it after the first swipe of the sheers. But it was too late to turn back, and I was so pissed.

“Yes!” I wailed.

“Did you think I wouldn’t love you the same? Did you think you could push me away by shaving off all those golden waves?”

“Yes!”

His palm cupped the back of my buzzed head, rubbing the short, stubbly hair. His skin was hot as though he’d absorbed some of the heat from my ass.

“You were wrong. Long hair down your back or no hair at all, you are still my Goldilocks. You will always be my Goldilocks, and nothing you do will ever push me away. Go ahead and try if you need to. You’ll get your punishment, and then we’ll move on with our lives and I will love you still.”

More tears rolled down my cheeks, and I buried my face in the mattress, folding my arms around my face to hide the way I was utterly coming apart.

“You’re doing so good, sweetheart. Taking your punishment just like I knew you would. Just let it all out right now. Go ahead and cry. Let it go, and when it’s over you’ll feel better.”

I nodded against the bed, unable to find the words to say.

“There’s one more thing you need to be punished for,” he said, and I stiffened.

“No. No more.”

“If you don’t want any more, you know what to say.”

I bit down on my tongue because I did want this. I wanted everything Emmett could give me.

“You lied to me today. You lied about your condition, your soreness, and your ability to swim,” he said. The disappointment in his voice was horrible. The underlying anger made my stomach cramp.

I squirmed on his lap, and he started spanking again. This time, he didn’t stop, just moved from one side of my ass to the other, swatting lightly and then smacking with his full palm. The sound of flesh against flesh filled the room, and I pushed back against his hand for more, then tried to get away.

My whole body ignited, my chaotic mind eerily quiet, which made room for everything he said.

“Don’t ever lie to me, Bodhi. Ever. If I ask you about your condition, you tell me what it is. If you aren’t feeling well mentally or physically, you tell me immediately. I love you. I want to be here for you for all of it. I can’t help you deal if you aren’t honest with me.”

I buried my face, ears burning.

“Do you understand me?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you lie to me today?” he asked.

I didn’t answer, and he laid into me again until I was trying to get away.

“Because I knew you wanted me to swim!” I yelled.

He stopped spanking, his palm lying flat against my ass. “What?”

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