Saving Sophia Read online

  “I don’t need to think about it. I… I really want to learn more, and I want to learn with you. Bella has lent me some books, and I’ve been reading a lot. I just don’t think I was ready for the sunporch, but that doesn’t mean I’m not ready to start.”

  He didn’t answer right away, and she spoke firmly. “I’m a big girl, Marcus. I’m quiet, but I’ve never been weak.”

  Marcus smiled. “Nope, weak is not a word I would ever use to describe you, but let’s take one step at a time, little girl. First things first…”

  He unbuttoned her jeans very slowly but kept connected through her gaze. “No looking away. You’re going to watch this. Do you know what a safe word is or were you just reaching for color options when you ran out of the sunporch screaming?”

  “I’m sorry, Marcus. I do understand. Bella said she uses red to stop completely, and yellow if it’s getting to be too much.” She risked her own joke. “I thought red was a really good choice last night.”

  “Those are good words. Now I’m going to lock the door to the office. This spanking is between you and me. Nobody’s going to come in.”

  She nodded slowly so he continued, “Lose the jeans and panties. Real spankings are always on a bare bottom.”

  The blushing refused to abate, but she quietly slipped out of her jeans under his stern stare. As she exposed her secrets, the tingling between her legs grew, and she clamped her vaginal walls together in a failed attempt to stop the electrical connections igniting her sex. With only a few a simultaneous seconds’ hesitation, she moved her fingers through the elastic of her panties to slide them to the floor while attempting the familiar maneuver to pull her shirt over her bottom.

  He settled his muscled frame onto the big leather couch and patted his lap slowly. “Get over here, Sophia.”

  Shyness was replaced by no small sense of doom, but there was no backing out. She could never fully continue with the family without understanding the simple action of giving her trust to another human being. The entire experience and his firm connection promised to be the catharsis that could release her emotions from their lonely past.

  She knelt by his side, but before she could spread over his knees, he slipped her t-shirt over her head. No words were necessary, and she wiggled out of her bra while his hand brushed against her nipples to help. The air tickled her entire body to ignite another layer of twisting nerves that swirled in a desperate attempt to find a focus.

  Settled onto his firm thighs, she wiggled while he positioned her to the perfect angle. Her legs came off the floor to put her more firmly under his hand, and she grabbed his ankle for support. The tingling deep in the walls of her vagina acknowledged her predicament, but her only recourse was to slide her legs together in a thinly veiled attempt to control her reaction.

  Marcus nestled his warm hand between her sensitive inner thighs. “Keep them open, Sophia. I like what I see there. I have a spreader bar at the house if you can’t mind what I say, but it’s a long walk over there without any clothes.”

  The blush from her cheeks lit her whole body on fire, but his fingers tickled the nerves of her labia with a persistency she couldn’t deny, and she spread herself for his pleasure. Her exposure embraced the cool breezes of the private barn office, and the effect accentuated her nudity even more than the failed sunporch fiasco in front of dozens of strangers. Instead of a panic attack, her skin tingled happily all the way to her scalp.

  He rewarded her complicity by thumbing her swollen sex. The quiet touch ignited the electrical reaction even further, and she felt his connection on a very primal level. Slowly, he slid his finger into her wetness. “Yeah. That’s what I thought. You do love this, don’t you, Sophia?”

  When she groaned, he dropped his hand hard on her ass and earned her squeal. He growled, “I asked you a question. Answer me the way I taught you. Do you love this? Tell me how you feel about being over my knee with your ass and pussy exposed to my touch.”

  Sophia’s body gave an involuntary shudder, and she reached deep for an answer. Embarrassment caused her to speak softly, but she was confident of her response. “I… love being over your knee… sir.”

  As she spoke, he stroked her gently and her electrical meter peaked even further. When he pinched the sensitive bundle of nerves that glistened with her arousal, she turned her whimpers into a deeply satisfied moan. He said, “Damn, you’re so fucking hot. Let’s get going with this spanking before I forget why we’re here.”

  Gentle pats on her bottom brought his familiar touch to hers, and she felt closer to his soul with every connection. His voice was barely above a whisper, but the stern tone kept her attention. “Do you understand why I’m going to spank you?”

  The need to answer honestly almost overwhelmed her. “I… I lied to all of you. I got Tami and Bella into trouble, and I should have told you sooner that I didn’t have any experience.”

  There was no response as his hand left her bottom, but before she could register its loss, he brought it back with a stinger of a slap. It was much more intense than their first meeting, but before she could squeal, five more came in quick succession. Carefully layered, the intense heat built as the neuron path to her brain was quickly established.

  “I expect you to talk to me in the future,” he lectured. “I want you to tell me what you’re thinking, and do not ever lie to me again. You’ll tell me when you’re happy, and you’ll tell me when you’re frustrated. Do you understand?”

  She did understand, but the stinging on her bottom had started to qualify as pain, and she couldn’t find any words except the subtle little cries that formed in the back of her throat. She tried to identify a pattern that would provide a warning for his next move, but the fire he laid across her backside held a random surprise with every action.

  By the time he moved to a second layer of stinging correction, she’d found her voice, and pleaded, “Please. Marcus. I’m sorry. I… I’m sorry… I’ll never lie again… I promise… I… I’ll talk to you…”

  Despite his earlier threat to walk her to the house without clothing, her body refused to be still and she wiggled off his lap. His voice provided no comfort. “Oh, Sophia. Now we have to start all over.”

  He repositioned her already sore bottom to layer his movements a second time. He made no physical attempt to hold her in place, but she had to put every avenue of control into keeping her tummy on his lap. Searching for an alternative release, her legs kicked madly and her fists grabbed his pants legs. She made no effort to speak softly. “Ow… ow… it hurts. I’m sorry… I’ll talk to you. I pro—ow.”

  When Marcus finally stopped, Sophia thought her bottom would catch fire. She reached her hand back to rub it out, but he grabbed her wrists before she made contact with her tender heat. Clearly offended, he said, “None of that. You need to feel this one for a few hours, so you can remember what it means to tell the truth.”

  As he spoke, however, he pulled her onto his lap while her red, swollen bottom settled onto the rough fabric of his jeans. With gentle touches, he snuggled her into his shoulder to give her time to finish crying. Images of Bella cuddled into Marcus’ arms came to mind, and she felt a bigger connection to his calm presence than her simple sore bottom.

  She lost track of how long they sat as she drew strength from his comfort. Finally, Marcus said, “What did you think? Your first real BDSM scene.”

  “I… I liked it. It hurt though, Marcus.”

  “It was supposed to hurt. Just take a minute and think about how you feel.”

  As he spoke, he rubbed her back, and she recognized the deep metamorphosis that had already begun. The stinging pain drifted to a memory and a subtle warmth spread over her bottom before it trickled to the eager folds between her legs.

  He tickled her soft inner thighs still exposed to the cool air of the office. “Right here. How does it feel where you have all those nerve endings just waiting to be awakened?”

  She couldn’t answer, but his fingers tickled close
r and closer to her aching clit. When he reached her soft brown curls, she was lost again to his control. She slowly slid back into his arms, and her legs opened wider in a nonverbal attempt to convince him to enter her.

  His fingers complied but after two or three plunges into her wet pool, he stopped suddenly. “You liked that spanking more than you’ll admit, didn’t you? Look at all this wetness.”

  Sophia’s subtle moans increased. “Fuck me, Marcus. I don’t want your fucking fingers anymore. Just do it before I scream.”

  He responded to her demand with an evil laugh, but when she pulled at the zipper to his pants, Marcus groaned, “Shit, Sophia.”

  Without another word, he laid her on her back on the soft leather couch. He stood to shuck his t-shirt quickly and his tanned, hardened abs almost quivered with anticipation. When he slid out of his jeans, the length of his ready cock was revealed in his boxers, but he slid them off easily to fully expose his hardened need. Sophia wiggled impatiently with small whimpers of frustration while he pulled a condom from his wallet and finally returned to her with the proper equipment.

  Her legs slid open with a touch of his finger, and he settled between her legs, teasing her swollen sex with throbbing intrusion of his ready shaft. A deep breath defined his clear attempt to move slowly, but she wrapped her hand around his smooth firmness and gently tickled the most sensitive spots she could find.

  She whispered, “Hard. I want it hard, Marcus.”

  Further encouragement was clearly unnecessary, and he drove into her wet willing core with a massive thrust. Her gasp formed simultaneously with a spasm from her vaginal walls, and she immediately surrounded him with a climactic explosion of release. Waves of pleasure engulfed her in an experience she’d never felt and could never, ever describe with simple spoken language.

  He allowed her no time to enjoy the settling endorphins when he moved his cock inside her wet channel and the pressure that demanded relief returned with a powerful vengeance. His hands went to her breasts and attacked with a surprising ferocity. Her nipples were pinched and prodded until he pulled them into hard peaks and only then would he lean forward to take the mouthfuls that threatened her sanity. The friction he generated with his cock quickly connected the electrical circuit of nerves that raged through her body, and his long methodical stroking fueled both of their needs.

  Her release was slower to return the second time, but the need to climax soon became overpowering, and her only thought was to exorcise the emotion by taking a bite from his shoulder. He groaned softly and grabbed her hair to keep his control. The sharp pain to her scalp was lost to the explosion as thousands of nerve endings connected with the endorphins that begged for release. When Marcus came inside her, she screamed with spasms of pleasure felt to the ends of her toes.

  Spent, he rolled over and moved a very willing Sophia on top of his smooth chest. It took another ten minutes of confident attention under Marcus’ gentle hands and a bird’s-eye view of her teeth marks on his shoulder before she remembered that she was supposed to be vanilla.

  Chapter Seven

  Sophia’s new confidence lasted until she walked into the kitchen behind Marcus’ comforting presence. Meg and Carly were hard at work, but Meg’s voice failed to hide her frustration. “It’s about fucking time. We have guests, you know. Linc’s locked in his office talking to his father to see if we’re liable for her lies. Jack’s in the dungeon paddling Bella, and you two are out in the barn fucking each other’s brains out. Do you think somebody could do some damn work around here besides us?”

  Marcus returned her glare with one of his own. “Watch your mouth, Meg. This may be your kitchen, but I can only be pushed so far before I push back.”

  For the first time, Sophia saw Meg’s submissive side, and the powerful woman lowered her head slowly. When Marcus was satisfied, he ordered, “Sophia. Give them a hand here. I have to touch bases with Linc and Jack about you staying on. I’m sure Bella will be back shortly. Jack knows she’s needed up here.”

  Sophia’s heart left with Marcus and bravery was hard to find, but the residual sting on her bottom told her to face the staff. She lifted her chin in the air with a small amount of pride. “I’m sorry, Meg. I shouldn’t have lied.”

  Meg’s tenacious attitude returned with a frown. “Shit, I knew you weren’t telling the truth from the first day. These guys must have been blind to think you were a BDSM player. I guess they saw what they wanted. I’m just pissed because I need help. Take those breakfast trays to the dining room and get the warmers going, then get your ass back here. Carly, are the living areas cleaned up from last night? Guests will start looking for food in fifteen minutes and so help me, if anything is out of place I’m going to blister a few asses myself.”

  Marcus still hadn’t returned after her chores and a quick breakfast so she wandered to the farthest corner of the gardens in search of a little reflective peace. Crowded perennials needed to be divided, and the spring bulbs deadheaded, but Carly came to get her within half an hour. “Marcus says to come to the house. Everyone’s looking to talk to you.”

  Her heart sank with the full belief he hadn’t convinced the others to let her stay. The thought she was being fired should have generated bank account fears, but she could only focus on exiting Cloudcroft in disgrace and never being allowed back. She’d spent a lifetime avoiding relationships, but these were friends she desperately wanted to keep.

  She walked slowly to the kitchen where the entire family waited with solemn faces. Bella refused to make eye contact but cuddled quietly by Jack’s side on the couch. Marcus and Linc both stood by the fireplace with their smooth muscled biceps crossed in closure. Despite the differences in their heritage, the three men were joined together with a singular power, and her bottom twitched slightly as their disapproving presence filled the room.

  Every bone in Sophia’s body wanted to run, but Marcus met her gaze and sent his firm support. Desperate for a connection, she locked her focus to his, and he pointed to his side with a quick snap of his fingers. She ran to him. His hand slid into hers, and he gave it a quick squeeze. “Relax. Everything’s fine.”

  Linc’s voice dripped with displeasure. “I’m not going to lie to you, Sophia. I voted to send you back to Jackson with a small stipend to get you settled, but Marcus made the argument that you deserve a second chance. Jack and Bella agreed, so you’re staying. My dad is sending over new waivers and forms to reflect you’re not an experienced player, and there’s even a spot for you to admit you lied on the first batch. You and Marcus are also going to have to negotiate how you want to play, and I get a copy of that too.”

  Sophia nodded and worked hard to find her voice. “I… understand, Linc. I want to say how sorry I am. I know it isn’t an excuse, but I really needed a job. Not telling you the truth was just plain wrong, and it was selfish to let Tami and Bella lie for me.”

  Marcus finished for her. “She’s been punished. I warmed her butt pretty good.”

  For a brief second, Sophia feared Linc was going to ask to see the damage, but he gave a nod of approval while his glare continued to bring small quivers to her already tense muscles.

  “Bella’s been punished too,” said Jack. “I think she’s learned her lesson.”

  Linc turned to the tiny girl still snuggled into Jack’s side. “Well, little wolf. What did you learn?”

  Bella’s unusual silence during the exchange reflected her current attitude, but she added quietly, “I have to talk to you guys. I can’t assume you’re going to say no, and I have a voice around here. You’ll always listen, and even if you don’t agree with me, you’ll give me a reason why.”

  Linc’s second nod of approval was followed by another warning for Sophia. “You’re a submissive-in-training. When you negotiate with Marcus, you need to think really hard about whether or not you’re comfortable with Jack and me paddling your butt because if you ever pull a stunt like this again, you’re going to face all three of us. It wasn’t just the ly
ing. By presenting yourself as something you weren’t, you could have been seriously hurt. If you want to play in this world, you have a big learning curve ahead of you. We don’t even consider Bella fully trained, and she has almost a year on you.”

  Sophia didn’t have to think. “Thank you, Linc. If it’s okay with Marcus, I’ll add that without any reservations. I… I’ve never had anybody care enough to even think about punishing me for doing something stupid.”

  Jack stood. “That makes you family, kid. There’s only one way to welcome people around here, especially naughty little girls who don’t tell the truth.” He twirled his finger around, and Sophia shot a panicked glance to Marcus.

  He shrugged without a trace of a grin. “No time like the present.”

  She could have offered a plethora of objections two weeks earlier, but her heart recognized the significance hidden behind his demand, and she presented her backside to Jack’s hand. If clothing protected her, she had trouble seeing how. Each firm application set a fire to her already punished bottom, and she gave a little whimper when he got to five. One more and he stopped with a seventh gentle pat.

  Just as she caught her breath, Linc grumbled, “My turn.” Six more were delivered in the same fashion along with the seventh reminder that he wasn’t all that scary. They were practically twins.

  As she rubbed the redness that clearly matched her face, Linc said, “Everybody go back to work. We have a ranch and a resort, and none of it runs itself.”

  Marcus pulled Sophia close to his side. She expected a kiss to her forehead or maybe another smack to her backside, but instead he delivered a surprisingly passionate kiss that represented a far more emotional connection than a physical one. His tender lips tickled the seldom awakened nerve endings on her own erogenous zone, and her ability to think was temporarily lost. Her knees gave out slightly, but he caught her in his firm grip.

  She didn’t even realize her eyes were closed until he released her. “You have some deadheading to do today, but get your ass back here for lunch. Got it, Sophia?”