Her shoulders sag, but she doesn’t protest.

“Twenty-one!” she counts diligently after the paddle smacks her on both ass cheeks.

“Was anyone hurt in your car accident?” I ask before paddling her again.

“The woman I hit had whiplash. Unh! Twenty-two.”

I strike her rump. “And you?”

“Twenty-three! I was okay.”

“You plan on texting while driving again?”

I whack her again.

“Twenty-four! No, Sir!”

“Your daddy ever punish you?”

She fists her hands after the next spank. “Twenty-five. Not really.”

“Then we have a lot of ground to make up.”

With the next blow, she has to catch her breath. “T-Twenty-six.”

“You’re doing good, princess,” I compliment. I like that she hasn’t complained so far and give her a few lighter smacks.

“You remember your safe word?” I ask when we reach thirty.

“Yes, Sir. Thirty-one!”

“What is it?”

She doesn’t respond till I bring the paddle down on her. “Thirty-two! It’s Maeve.”

“Couldn’t hear you,” I lie.

“Thirty-three! My safe word is Maeve!”

“I push my subs to their limits, so it’s important to remember your safe word. Got that?”

“Yes, Sir. Thirty-four! Have all your subs needed their safe words? Thirty-five!”

“Yes.”

“Thirty-six!”

She’s been wiggling around on the bench as if trying to shake off the burn in her ass, but I’ve been keeping an eye on her expressions. She isn’t close to her limit, and we are almost done with the paddling. The cane might prove to be a different story.

“Thirty-seven…thirty-eight…thirty-nine…”

“Louder,” I command.

“Forty!”

The next one makes her swear, and the last one knocks the breath from her.

“Forty-two,” she finishes, her voice weaker.