Rude Awakening by Sam Crescent, Natalie Dae Page B

that to happen with him.
    “Be honest,” he said. “I’ll be disappointed if you’re not. I’ll ask you again. Have you had enough?”
    “Yes, Sir,” she whispered.
    “Good girl. Now, what do you think I used on you?”
    She lowered her hand to the settee and fiddled with her hair. “A bit of wood? Like a thin plank? It felt wooden anyway.”
    “Get up and look at me.”
    She pushed off the seat and turned her face towards him. He held up the paddle, and she widened her eyes, one hand rising to cover her mouth.
    “You used that? ” she asked, her voice muffled.
    “I did. And it wasn’t so bad, was it?”
    She shook her head, staring at the paddle with confusion in her eyes.
    “It isn’t the implement that is wrong but how it’s used,” he said, keeping his tone low. “I can guarantee that any toy used by me in our play will not hurt anywhere near how it did with your previous Master. Do you trust me to use a whip next time?”
    She nodded again, although a snippet of fear lingered on her face.
    “I promise I won’t ever go beyond your comfort level, Ruby.”
    “Okay.”
    She lowered her hand, a picture of vulnerability before him—her hair tousled, her generous breasts lifting and falling with each breath she took. He couldn’t deny her reassurance and reached out, nestling her body against his.
    “It’ll all work out,” he murmured into her hair. “I’ll fix you, then you can go out there knowing what’s acceptable and what isn’t. No one will ever hurt you again because you’ll understand who is a genuine Dom and who is in it for cruelty.”
    I don’t want you to go out there and find someone else…
    “How long will it take, Harry? Your lessons, I mean.”
    “A couple of weeks, perhaps a bit longer. It depends how we get on.”
    “Then I’ll hope for two weeks or more,” she whispered. “I like it here. Like you.” She raised her head and looked at him. “You saved me, d’you know that?”
    Embarrassed under such sincere scrutiny, he blushed and cupped her cheek. “I rather think you saved me.”
    “What d’you mean?”
    He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Nothing. I shouldn’t have said anything. Now, I think it’s time we washed off that massage oil and I applied some salve. I wouldn’t want you getting sore.”
    “Salve? Is that what you’re meant to do?” She frowned.
    “Some use it, some don’t. I prefer to know my subs are well cared for. Come along. I’ll sort you out and then it’s bed for you. We have a long day of lessons ahead tomorrow.”

    * * * *

    Harry lay in bed listening to the house creaking. It was as though the old building had a voice, that it grumbled as it settled for the night, groaning about having to withstand the harsh weather. He smiled at his silly thoughts and brought Ruby to mind instead. She probably thought the lessons coming her way were sexual, but she had a lot to learn about herself before he could press her with more spankings. What he had in mind was a simple day of allowing her to move about the house freely so she could understand that being tied up for hours on end wasn’t a requirement of all Doms.
    Sunday promised to be an interesting study.
    He thought about her spanking then, how she’d reacted so well, yet her thinking he’d used a plank of wood and letting him spank her regardless was somewhat disturbing. Perhaps she’d been struck with such an implement before and she thought every Dom used one? There was so much she had yet to tell him, but he wouldn’t push. The memories were perhaps better left unexplored for the rest of the weekend. God knew she could do with respite from them.
    How was she faring now, alone in her room? He strained for sounds from above—he’d chosen that room so he could hear her moving about, the loose floorboard by the door ideal for alerting him that she had left the room—but heard nothing out of the ordinary. He worried that despite her telling him she’d be fine as she began