Part 12 (1/2)

Chapter Eighteen.

Letting himself into the bar early Monday morning, Deacon sighed as he made his way toward his office. It had been a long and lonely weekend. But he'd taken his uncle's advice and had made a decision on what was more important to him his role a Dom or his future relations.h.i.+p with Bethany and their unborn child. In the end, there was no real choice. If pushed, he could live without his weekly visits to the club, without using his toys on Bethany's sweetly submissive flesh but he couldn't live without her presence in his life. And if I don't get my head out of my a.s.s she's gonna leave.

Their weekend apart drove home that fact. He'd been lonely. He couldn't believe how much he had missed his little sub. It hadn't taken him long to realize that it wasn't just because of the release she gave him so effortlessly. No, what he found himself longing for more than the thrill of feeling her give over to him, was the warm weight against his side as she snuggled closer. The press of her nose against his chest as she tried to crawl on top of him while still asleep. Even the way she bit her lower lip when she tried to balance out the mess he'd made of the books. He flat out loved the woman and it scared him s.h.i.+tless.

To the point I'll rein in my darker l.u.s.ts to be the man she wants to raise our child.

Making his way down the hall to toward his office, he only prayed his control didn't falter once he laid his eyes on Bethany. ”I'll just have to remember that she's carrying my child. Only a true s.a.d.i.s.t would inflict pain on a pregnant woman.” He opened the door to his office and froze.

”Bethany?” His d.i.c.k hardened in a rush, as her head came up and she met his gaze.

”I was waiting for you, Sir.”

Completely naked, other than his collar, Bethany knelt next to his desk with her legs splayed wide enough to show him her p.u.s.s.y. Her hands rested palms up on her thighs, and her back was straight. Between her knees lay his favorite crop as if she'd antic.i.p.ated him needing it. At that particular moment, she was the epitome of everything he wanted in a submissive. His newfound resolve wavered. He'd expected Bethany to test him to push but not this soon. Not the very second he laid eyes on her. He drew a deep steadying breath. He could do this.

”The cold floor is no place for my pregnant submissive, little one.”

She licked her lips. ”It is if the submissive in question needs to make amends for her prior bad behavior.”

Antic.i.p.ation coiled in his stomach, his d.i.c.k hardening at the idea of punis.h.i.+ng his Bethany. Her a.s.s always looked s.e.xy as h.e.l.l when striped from his flogger. Something Bethany seemed to love as well if the number of times she acted out were any indication.

Just like now.

To avoid temptation, he rounded his desk on the other side. ”And what bad acts are you thinking you need punished for, Bethany?”

”I...I argued with you. I threw my pills at you. Didn't tell you right away that I was pregnant, and...” she drew a deep breath. ”I never told you about Amanda's married lover.”

”Hmmm. That's quite a list.” He sank into the chair behind his desk and beckoned her closer. When she crawled over to him, on her hands and knees, his c.o.c.k thumped inside his jeans. d.a.m.n, did she realize how hot that was? To see those beautiful t.i.ts of her swaying with each sensuous, seductive move?

When she reached his side, she dropped her gaze. A rough sound escaped him, and he threaded his fingers through her high ponytail and tugged her head back. Her beautiful blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears. His Bethany crying? This wouldn't do. ”I should punish you, if not for keeping Amanda's affair a secret, then for the fact that you struck your Dom. You know that, right?” He couldn't keep the l.u.s.t to do just those acts out of his tone.

”Yes, Sir.” Her eyes lowered. ”I was a very bad sub.”

”Yes, you were. However, I've been told by my mother that I may have had it coming.” A rueful smile crossed his lips. His talk on Sunday with his mom had been quite enlightening. Evidently ”Yes, dear” would go a long way in keeping his head attached to his shoulders during Bethany's pregnancy.

She seemed taken back by the smile on his face. Her straight teeth worried her lower lip as she gazed up at him uneasily. ”Maybe. But I still shouldn't have done it.” She took a deep breath. ”Which is why I'm asking to be punished. Would you like me to get your crop, Sir?”

He growled at her softly worded request. ”No. Not yet.” He had no intentions of lighting her a.s.s up with his favorite toy. She was carrying precious cargo. But she didn't need to know that. ”I'm in the mood for something entirely different today.”

Her breathing became raspy. ”You are, Sir?”

”Yes, after we deal with this punishment you requested.” He released her hair, then carefully slid back, making room between the desk and his chair. ”Over my knees.”

”But...” Her eyes widened when he patted his thigh.

”I won't ask again, Bethany.” He let just a bit of his inner Dom bleed into his tone. His sweet little subbie loved it when he went cold on her. She'd once admitted to him that it stroked her l.u.s.ts even higher to think her submission wasn't affecting him.

”Yes, Sir.” She scrambled to her feet and gingerly draped herself across his legs.

”Hands on the floor, but don't lock your elbows.” He lightly sc.r.a.pped his nails over her hipbone, before pulling her a.s.s up a bit higher into the perfect angle for maximum exposure. He lightly rubbed one a.s.s cheek while she s.h.i.+fted her weight forward. Once she had both hands firmly planted, he drew one finger down the closed seam of her p.u.s.s.y. Moisture teased his fingertip.

Already wet beautiful little sub.

He wanted to close his eyes against the temptation she presented, but she chose that moment to open her mouth.

”I'm ready, Sir.”

He forced down the growl that wanted to escape his chest, then thrust two of his fingers inside her sheath and rocking her forward on her hands. ”I'll say when you're ready, sub.”

Her sharp inhalation, followed by a moan soothed him. This is what he wanted his sweet little Bethany moaning his name as he pleasured her.

But that d.a.m.ned punishment.

He'd never struggled so hard in his life to deal out a punishment. He was aching to bury his c.o.c.k inside her snug p.u.s.s.y. He gathered his flagging self control around him, and withdrew his fingers. On his lap her hips twisted as if to recapture his fingers. He lightly cracked the side of her a.s.s. ”Be still.”

She groaned, but obeyed, her hips ceasing all movement. ”Very good. Now, why do you think you need to be punished, sub?”

”I...kept Amanda's married lover a secret. I made her break up with you.”

Surprise filtered through him at her response. Of all the things she could've listed the angry words she'd spoken during their fight, the pill bottle she'd thrown at him, even kicking him out he'd have never expected her to touch on Amanda's affair.

Perhaps she's trying to tell me something?

”And why did you do that?”

She was silent for a long time almost until he thought he would have to force the issue, then she answered. ”Because I didn't want to hurt you, by telling you that she had another lover.”

He forced his anger at her reply down. Now wasn't the time to get angry. ”And letting me think that I was lacking as a Dom would be less painful?”

”I...” Her voice came out choked. ”I didn't know you were in the lifestyle, Sir. I just knew I couldn't be the one to hurt you and if I let Amanda continue with the wedding plans and you got married, when you found out you'd have been the laughing stock of town. I just couldn't bear the idea of it.”

His anger died a swift death. This was the Bethany he knew. The soft-hearted spitfire who always put everyone else first. The woman who ran his bar better than he ever could've, but still couldn't stand to kill even a bug. The friend who would blackmail his fiance to protect Deacon from the fallout of Amanda's infidelity.

”In the end, it doesn't matter. I don't see why I should punish you when Amanda is no longer part of my life and I now have a s.e.xy submissive that I love draped across my knees.”

”You do?” She tried to lift herself up high enough to look at him. ”Still love me, that is?”

He chuckled and s.h.i.+fted her so she was sitting upright and straddling his legs while facing him. ”Of course, I do.” He cupped her cheek. ”Every couple fights, little one. But those who truly love one another don't give up. I will make this work. Which is why, it may take awhile, but I'll do the best I can to be the husband to you and the father our child needs.”

Tears stung her eyes as Bethany met Deacon's gaze. Blame it on pregnancy hormones or her sleepless nights over the weekend, but his words set off a cascade of emotions she didn't know how to handle. At first her brain went, 'huh, this wasn't her Sir.', then fear crawled through her system. Who the h.e.l.l was this was a stranger wearing her Sir's face, and how did she get her rough kick-a.s.s Dominant back? She wanted his forgiveness, so they could move forward. But having to deal with a man spouting off relations.h.i.+p advice he'd probably gotten out some d.a.m.ned magazine had her completely off balance. Was this his way of inferring he didn't want to be her dominant anymore?

”Sir? Are you taking my collar back?”