Page 68 of Lavender and Lightning

“Your Domina disagrees, pet,” Rhett says slowly, taking a sip of his drink.

Lucas sits up with a gasp, and I shiver. It doesn’t take a genius to tell he’s talking about Lex. I swallow, trying to keep my hands still. If I was nervous before, I’m positively terrified now. Rhett's eyes are bland, and my lower lip trembles at the slight downturn of his lips as he looks at me. I feel about three inches tall, and I can’t stand the silence a moment longer.

“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t—Lucas had me all worked up, and I didn’t know what I was saying—”

“Wow, you reallydofold like a cheap suit,” Lucas scoffs.

Rhett smirks and pats the couch beside him. I practically fall over myself to curl into his side, nuzzling his chest as he wraps the arm that had been over the back of the couch around my shoulders.

“Lex is on her way home. She wants you to go into my room and select a ring and a strap for this,” Rhett instructs sternly.

Lucas lets out another irritated sigh, but he gets up and walks toward the stairs, muttering something that sounds like “making me pick my own switch from the willow tree.” He makes no small amount of noise as he stomps up the stairs and out of earshot.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t—”

“You’re fine, love. I’m not upset. You and Lucas have every right to do what you want with whomever you want,” Rhett purrs, rubbing my back soothingly.

I look up and find him smiling down at me. Relief floods my chest, and I smile a little. “Then why is Lucas—”

“Picking his own switch, as he so eloquently put it?” Rhett finishes for me with a laugh. I nod and he leans down to kiss my forehead. “Because he wants to. Before I left, he told me not to hold back when I punished him for what happened.”

“So, I’m off the hook?” I ask hesitantly.

Rhett shrugs with one shoulder. “If you want to be. I can get you a blanket, or some clothes if you’d prefer, and we can go up to my room while Lex plays with her food. Or…” Rhett trails off, tracing a line up my arm with a single finger. Goosebumps trail in its wake and I shiver, my breath catching. “I can teach you a lesson for mouthing off, but only if you promise not to enjoy it too much. I don’t know if I can handle more than one brat in my life.”

I look up into the warmth of his eyes, and I lose myself for a moment in the crystal depths. The fire there is more of a smolder than an inferno, and the honesty in his face is enough to settle my roiling nerves. I trust Rhett, and I’ve missed the dangerously playful side of him.

“Will Lex… will she be… punishing me, too?” I ask, as the concern flares to life in my chest.

While I’ve thought about what it would be like to surrender to her, now that the opportunity is presenting itself, I find that I’m not sure I’m ready for that sort of… intensity. Rhett must observe my worry in my face, because he shakes his head and holds me a little tighter.

“No, my love. Not today. But this would be a good opportunity for you to see what it’s like. And if you feel uncomfortable for any reason, we can leave, no questions asked,” he replies.

I look away, taking a deep breath. I don’t know what to expect, but my curiosity is nearly overwhelming. I trust Rhett to keep things from going too far, and I always have my safe words. So I look back to Rhett’s face and nod purposefully, setting my shoulders.

“I’m ready to accept punishment for what I’ve done, sir,” I tell him confidently.

Rhett blinks, and the softness disappears. His pupils grow wide, leaving only a faint circle of blue visible. His smile sharpens, and I have to fight to keep still. When he leans down and presses his lips to mine, I let my head fall back, melting in his arms and submitting to his will automatically. It’s as easy as breathing, and I moan at the taste of his tongue against mine. When he pulls away, I’m left breathless and lightheaded, my pulse throbbing between my legs.

“Up on your knees facing the back of the couch, little one. Hands behind your back,” Rhett commands.

I move into his requested position, spreading my knees wide to balance on the relatively narrow seat. Rhett stands and sets his glass on the mantle before moving off somewhere out of my line of sight. I don’t dare turn to follow him, knowing better than to move from a position like this. A moment later, I hum with delight as his fingers brush my hair back, gathering it at the nape of my neck before braiding it in a single plait down my back. Once secured, he reaches for something, and I shiver at the first familiar brush of silk rope against my skin.

“I’d like to bind you for the duration of this session, but if anything starts to ache or go numb, you say so immediately. Understand, little one?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good girl.”

I smile to myself at the praise, closing my eyes as Rhett begins. It takes less time than I’d have thought, but by the time he’s done, my forearms are bound parallel to each other across my midback, the tension of the rope forcing my back to arch, presenting my breasts. More rope crisscrosses over my chest and stomach, creating a harness that digs deliciously into my skin. It’s surprisingly comfortable and almost feels like an embrace. I’m starting to feel the beginnings of the floating peace I’ve come to enjoy as Rhett runs his fingers over the lines before stepping away and sitting back in his spot.

“At my feet, little one,” Rhett orders.

I nod and wobble slightly as I rise, my balance off without the use of my arms. Rhett helps to guide me to my wait pose, settling me close enough for him to stroke my hair idly. I close my eyes and let my mind drift, aware of the warmth of his leg as it radiates into my skin. I don’t know how long I’m adrift before footsteps sound on the stairs again.

“We really need to do a purge of your dildo collection. It’s getting out of h—h-hello, there,” Lucas says, words going faint as he cuts himself off.

“I hope you didn’t take all that time getting off without your Domina’s permission,” Rhett replies coolly, not acknowledging the change in Lucas’s tone.

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