Page 39 of Hooked

Again, when he stopped, his hands moved over her skin, lightly rubbing and stroking in a soothing après-spank massage.

“What have you learned, pet?” he asked, repeating the same question as before.

“That you wield a mean crop master and your aftercare is phenomenal.”

His open hand rained down on her twice-punished butt. Olivia hissed and shrieked her apologies, sincerely regretting that this time she had been flippant, while he delivered three searing spanks on each side.

She was panting for breath and doing her best to stay still, when his hands resumed the sensual, and beyond sublime, massage.

“Now, then. How about a serious answer this time?”

What had she learned about honesty that wasn’t solely centered on her?

“Trust!” she blurted out. “By being honest with you and David and Emma, I prove I’m trustworthy. I failed at that miserably the night I went to Decadence. When my escort canceled and I went on alone, I knew that was something David would never condone and that he would be furious when he found out.”

“When?” he challenged.

“No,” she whispered. “If, because I didn’t plan on telling him.”

“Very good, pet. That was an honest answer. You were correct before when you said the truth always comes out. Can you think of any other reasons honesty is best?”

She hesitated, trying to focus her brain away from his hands on her ass, and how his thumbs kept grazing her pussy. The touch, inadvertent or deliberate, was fleeting, enough to arouse but not get her off. Darn dastardly dom.

He patted her gently then his hands fell away. “You think on that during round three.”

Tall and handsome and well in command of her and her punishment, Joseph came into view when he walked around the corner of the bed. His destination was the box, and she watched in dread as he pulled out the cane.

His eyes met hers. “Six should help you come up with another answer.”

Then he strode out of sight, the distinctive whish of the cane as he tested it making her shiver. She’d already had a taste of what Astrid and the other subs at the club feared from Master J. When he used it before he was furious. Tonight, he seemed more disappointed than angry.

The soft whisper as the cane cut through the air was the only warning she got before a line of fire blazed across both cheeks.

Holy crap!her mind screamed while the only audible sound she made, a hiss as she sucked air into her lungs replacing what had whooshed out with the cane stroke. How quickly she’d forgotten its bite and sting.

Another followed about an inch below the first. He let her absorb the sensation for a solid minute then delivered cane stroke number three below the other two.

Pausing, he ran his hands over the parallel lines of fire. “Halfway there,” he murmured. “Gotta say, baby. You take punishment like you were born for it, even the cane.”

“Thank you, sir?” she squeaked.

She thought she heard him chuckle, but his voice was even when he asked, “Red, yellow, or green, pet. Give me a color before we proceed.”

“Much as I hate to admit it, I’m green, sir.”

“Ah...there’s the honesty we’ve been getting at. By telling me the truth, it helps me gauge how to proceed. Trust is a two-way street between dom and sub, whether during punishment or play.” His divine hands fell away. “Ready for the last three?”

“No...sir.”

“Hm, then you couldn’t be green.”

“But I am, sir,” was her immediately replied. “I’m green because this is punishment for disappointing you and David and Emma. I’m able and willing to accept it, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready, or that I have to like it, does it?”

His low chuckle was audible this time. “No, it doesn’t, pet. And, I have to say, that was an even better answer than the last. But let’s get this done.”

The swish of the cane sounded three times as, in quick succession, he delivered the last three strokes. Livia yelped and hissed and promised to the be the epitome of honesty and trustworthiness as lines of searing flames moved down her ass, the last traversing both sit spots.

He lifted her in his arms and carried her not to the bench but to the super comfortable overstuffed chair in the corner. This signaled that the punishment session was well and truly over. While he held her, wrapped in a furry throw, and urged her to drink the water he’d set out in advance, his hand on her ass used the fur to soothe and comfort.

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