Free Aching to Submit by Natasha Knight Page B

full-length mirror, she turned to look at herself. She gasped at what she saw there.
    The strokes he’d delivered this morning had freshened the pink of her otherwise normally pale skin and her flesh was bruised in a few spots. The paddling had hurt much worse than it ever had in her fantasies, but in truth, she was glad for it. The night had gone very differently from how she’d imagined it would, but in a way, it had been easier. His finding her as she’d left the club was more of a blessing. For her at least. She’d have to call Kyan, make sure he was okay. Thank him even.
    She made the bed and went to have a shower. She waited until it was a little past ten in the morning to make the call.
    “Kyan van de Brink,” he answered on the second ring. This was a very Dutch thing. They all answered the phone saying their name. It was still strange to her.
    “Um, hi, Kyan. It’s me, Sophie,” she said.
    “Good morning,” Kyan said. “Should I ask how you are?”
    “Well, my bottom’s a little sore…” she began, embarrassed but also at ease enough to share this with him.
    “Your husband jumped the gun when he saw you leave yesterday,” Kyan said.
    “Are you okay?” she asked.
    “I’m fine. The bruise will heal. Michael’s not an unreasonable man, and quite frankly, I may have done worse if I’d seen someone kissing my Julia.”
    “I’m sorry you got hurt,” she said.
    “Never mind that. How did it go for you?” he asked.
    “I suppose it was a blessing in disguise for me,” she said. “I didn’t have to bring it up. He did.”
    “I thought he might. Go on.”
    “He was more upset that I hadn’t told him than anything else. You were right, Kyan,” she said.
    “I’m glad for that. Let me ask you something else, though. Do you feel like you were able to get what you needed from him last night?”
    Sophie rubbed her bottom. “Yes,” she said, knowing it was so much more than the spanking itself.
    She could almost hear him smile on the other side of the phone. “I’m glad.”
    “Should I…” She felt strange, but the idea just came up so she asked. “Should I return the paddle to you, by the way?” What was the proper etiquette for such things?
    Now she did hear his chuckle. “No, consider it my gift to you both. I hope I’ll see you again sometime? With Michael’s permission, of course.”
    “Me too. He’s out of town tonight, but when he’s back, I’ll talk about it with him. I’d like to join the club, I think, but I don’t know if maybe it will be too soon for him.”
    “Talk to him. The club will be here whenever you’re both ready.”
    “Thank you, Kyan. You’ve done so much for me.”
    “I’m glad.”
    They said goodbye and hung up and she hoped Michael would be interested in taking her back to the club soon.
     
    * * *
     
    Michael couldn’t concentrate. He went to the airport, flew to Paris, and met with the clients. Two colleagues had joined him on this trip and for that he was glad, because he seemed to attend every meeting only half present.
    Was he a sadist?
    He’d liked spanking his wife. Was that it or was it that he’d liked hurting her? Her submission had thrilled him. Having his instructions followed, his orders obeyed… it made him hard thinking of it even now. The paddling had come more naturally than he’d thought it would. Standing her in the corner—Christ. She’d obeyed without question once he’d asserted his position, his dominion over her. It thrilled him.
    But he still couldn’t wrap his brain around that one word: sadist. He’d liked hurting her. Did that make him a sadist ? When he’d purposely struck over top of the bruises he’d created last night, it was almost as though he’d been unable not to.
    Michael ran a hand through his hair. What the fuck was wrong with him? Was this really what she wanted? Had he been harder on her than he should have been? She was small, fragile, breakable.
    His cock stirred again. He checked his watch.