“Clear your head and focus on me. Don’t open your eyes. Latch onto my voice. I’m here.”
She nodded, but before he could correct her, she murmured, “Yes, Axel.”
Blowing out a breath, he centered himself and retrieved the wooden spoon from the dresser. He rested his palm on the small of her back as he leaned over her beautiful supine curves and bent to press his lips to her ear. “You’re going to be very quiet. No matter what, don’t make a sound. I don’t think you want your aunt to know that I’m punishing you.”
“No,” she muttered, sounding so regretful.
Axel understood the submissive need to please and the inherent sadness when she knew she hadn’t. “And then we’ll put this behind us, right?”
“I hope so.” Her voice nearly broke.
“Shh, we will. Count with me.”
Before she could question what he meant, Axel stood tall and flipped on the little lamp on the nightstand. With a glance back, he ensured the door to the bedroom was closed. He noticed that Mystery had already shut the curtains. They were completely, blessedly alone.
He raised his arm over her ass, hovering a moment to judge her posture, take in her tender, unblemished skin. He wasn’t much of a sadist, but he did love the idea of leaving his marks on her—something she could remember him by every time she sat, something he’d recall when she stripped for him again. But he also refused to lose sight of the fact that she was a novice and he couldn’t frighten her away.
With one last brush of his fingers across the sweet curve of her ass, he lowered the spoon with the other hand—a quick sting before he jerked up again.
“One,” she breathed out.
He struck the fleshy part of her butt again, this time a bit harder, gratified to see the first blush of red spreading across her skin.
“Two.” She squeezed her eyes shut more tightly.
She looked beautiful spread across the bed, at his mercy, but the slow pace drove him fucking mad. He had to change this up.
“Mystery, you’ve done well so far. You don’t have to count anymore.”
At his words, she utterly relaxed, the tension draining from her face, her body, as she let out a long breath.
So she thought they were done? Not even close.
Axel pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled to his playlist. Immediately, the sounds of Nirvana filled the room. Though he kept the volume low, the beat remained steady, something he could zone in to. Perfect.
Matching the pace of the music, he took the spoon in hand again and began whacking her butt in a soft, stinging rhythm. Under his tempered torment, Mystery tensed, grabbed the quilt in her fist, and gasped.
He leaned over her again, taking her long tresses in his grip and urging her up until his lips brushed her ear. “Not a single noise or I add more.”
She nodded frantically, at least as much as his hold allowed. He tested her immediately, standing tall again and whacking her with the spoon. More red bloomed across her ass. He’d nearly covered the width of her backside. The lovely shade of her freshly spanked skin made his cock jerk, and he desperately wanted to cast the spoon aside and lay siege to her bare ass with his palm, but that would make too much noise and wake her aunt. Damn it. The moment he got her alone and naked . . . Axel smiled. Such a beautiful backside needed attention, and he’d give her plenty.
The music segued into a mellower Evanescence tune, and he adjusted the rhythm. He’d lost count. He’d bet she had, too, especially as he watched her body slowly melt into the mattress. Her fists unclenched around the quilt. Her eyes slid shut. Her breathing evened out. Her cheeks began to glow with his ministrations.
Axel smiled. She’d fly off into subspace for him someday. This little torment had merely refocused and calmed her—exactly what she’d needed.
As the song shifted from verse to chorus, Axel set the spoon aside and crawled on the bed over her, rubbing one palm over her heated butt. “How are you feeling?”
“My skin is hot. I feel so alive. It might sound odd but I’m more relaxed. My head is . . .”
“Quieter?” he prompted.
“Yeah.” Her lashes fluttered open, her face glowing. “That’s it.”
Could he want her any more than he did now? Axel didn’t think so. But he wanted to give her an experience that would allow her to put herself entirely in his hands and prove she could trust him. But this was still punishment.
He grabbed the container of rice off the dresser, spread it over the cutting board, and hid the rest of the pervertables. “Stand and face me.”
He waited until she did, then glanced down at the floor. “Kneel on the cutting board.”
She frowned. “Why is it covered in rice?”
“So you’ll remember that running off without telling me what’s troubling you is unacceptable.”
Mystery shrugged, as if assuring herself that rice was plenty benign. Axel merely smiled. She’d find out otherwise quickly enough.
He held out a hand to help her down since he hadn’t found a wide cutting board and kneeling with grace was something completely new to her. On her way down, Mystery glanced up at him, those sultry hazel eyes wide open in thanks.
The second her knees hit the cutting board covered with the hard pellets, she sucked in a breath. Her eyes widened in shock. “What the hell?”
“It’s punishment.”
She nearly choked. “The cruel and unusual kind. The rice digs into your skin. Holy crap!”
“Quiet,” he reminded softly, striking his open palm with the wooden spoon to drive his point home.
“You sure you’re not a sadist?” she hissed.
“No.” But he definitely intended to give her an experience she wouldn’t soon forget. To do that, he needed a few more implements. After a glance around the room, he had an idea or two.
“Stand.”
Relief crossed her face, and when he held out his hand to help her up, she placed her fingers in his palm. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now come over here.” He pointed to the other side of the cutting board, facing away from the bedroom door. Once she’d complied, Axel brushed a hand from her nape to the base of her spine, petting her softly. “Kneel again.”
“Are you kidding me?”
He leaned in with his most intimidating glower and grabbed her chin until they stood nose to nose. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”
Mystery hesitated a long moment, and he wondered what thoughts spun around her head. “What happens if I use my safe word?”
“Then I know you’re unable or unwilling to submit. I’ll back off and leave you alone for the rest of the night.”
She bit her lip, and Axel wanted to take the plump red flesh between his own teeth and give her a playful nip. Hell, he wanted to fuck her into next week, but if all went well now, that would follow.
Finally, she held out her hand to him. As soon as he balanced her, she knelt on the cutting board again, hissing as her knees bore her weight on the little white hard granules.
“Wow, that’s uncomfortable.”
“That’s why it’s punishment.” Axel watched for a moment as she winced and tried to shift her weight, then he decided to throw her a bone. “You know . . . the more you move, the more uncomfortable it is.”
“Staying still is no picnic, either,” she complained. “It’s like kneeling on glass.”
Normally, Axel wouldn’t put up with backtalk and bitching. But she’d endured a lot today, and he had to admit he found her adorable, no matter what she did.
“It’s not supposed to feel like feathers,” he shot back, casting his gaze around in search of a few extras he needed. “Does anyone sleep in this room?”
“No. Aunt Gail lives alone. It used to be my mom’s room when she was a teenager, but it’s all been redone. I think my aunt uses it now as storage and an occasional craft room.”
Which explained the sewing machine, the bolts of fabric, and the shelves of plastic bins filled with stuff he couldn’t possibly explain.