A Shot in the Dark (4 page)

Paige had to let the breath she’d been holding go before she could move. Her steps grew even more uncertain as she moved to the place he’d indicated. The rational part of her brain couldn’t believe she was doing this. She knew nothing about the man. They were only supposed to be here for coffee, not bondage.

Bullshit.

It was hard to still her body and fight off the urge to squirm as she lowered herself to her knees. Not sure what to do with her hands, Paige laced them behind her back and did her best to clear her head.

Minutes silently ticked off and she knew Carter was letting her mind do its thing. He was far quieter than Rick ever was. While Rick would boss and yell from the moment they started a scene, Carter hardly twitched. It made Paige nervous, anxious and excited all at once.

Carter finally moved to stand behind her, depriving Paige of even her cursory glances. When he finally spoke, his voice seemed to seep beneath her skin, calming her.

“I think it’s time we got to know each other a bit.”

The impulse to respond nearly won over her common sense. She wasn’t being asked to become an active participant in the conversation. Not yet.

“I have a bit of a confession to make. The reason we came into the store the other night was because I’d seen you before.”

Paige sucked a breath in and squeezed her fingers together hard to keep from moving.

“It was after a call we had down the street last month. At Wilson’s Jewelers. I’d come out of the back, stinking of smoke and plastic, wet from head to toe, looked up and you were there. You went back into the coffee shop shortly after that.”

She remembered watching the aftermath of the small fire, finding the scurrying of the firefighters almost hypnotic. After a few moments, she’d lost interest and went back inside where business had picked up as a result of the extra pedestrian traffic.

“I’d figured you might’ve been a customer and that I’d have to ask around before I’d figure out who you were. Imagine my surprise when I showed up at the shop and there you were, bursting with indignation and wearing a prickly shell.”

Carter’s footsteps echoed in the small room as he approached her from behind. When he pushed her unbound hair to the side, exposing her neck to him, Paige shivered but didn’t try to stop him.

“You looked tired and lonely that night.”

“I wasn’t—”

He quickly drove his fingers into her hair and tipped her head back at an awkward angle. Paige snapped her mouth shut.

“Not yet,” Carter whispered. “I get the impression you do an awful lot of talking and not as much listening as you should.” He rubbed his thumb across her cheek and eased up on his grip.

Paige sighed, hating how her body responded to his firm hold. Heat was building up low in her pussy. Her clit tingled from wanting to be touched. Still, she didn’t move to relieve herself of the pressure.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” Carter released her hair, letting his fingers comb through the strands. “As I was saying, you looked lonely when we came in. You covered it up pretty quickly with that smile of yours and a little eye roll. But I still saw it.”

Because he hadn’t said she couldn’t, Paige watched Carter walk over to the corner of the room and grab the sturdy chair sitting there. The heat from her pussy rose up through her torso to make her nipples hard. When he placed the chair about half a foot away from her and sat down, legs spread wide, Paige thought her world would explode.

“Stand up.”

Paige got to her feet, the rush of blood sending painful prickles through her legs. The long leather skirt she’d put on hung heavy on her hips, hugging her ass and making her feel like she was overdressed. The hunter green corset was looser than it had been three years ago, but still did the job of thrusting the tops of her breasts up for Carter’s inspection. He made a spinning motion with his finger and she had to fight a sigh as she complied with the request.

“Stop.” The second she had, Carter’s hands were on her ass, squeezing. “This is a sight I could charge admission for.”

This time Paige couldn’t stop her dismissive snort and was rewarded with a sharp slap to her ass. The contact wasn’t muted by the leather and had her gasping in surprise.

“Behave.” Carter resumed his inspection. “I bet you would be stunning in PVC. It would cling to you and I’d be able to see every curve of your body.” Another slap, but this time with less force. “Now, I want to see if you listened to me. Bend over and touch your toes.”

Her pussy clenched in anticipation. This was what she’d been thinking about all evening while she’d waited. God, she wished she could see his face, but it would be impossible with her skirt. Still, as Paige leaned over and wrapped her hands around her ankles, keeping her legs as straight as she could manage, she tried to catch a glimpse of Carter.

“Eyes on the floor,” he snapped.

Dammit.
“Yes, Sir.”

His hands never left her body as he slowly pulled up the leather. “Your legs are shaking. It must be hard for you to stand there like that in those boots. I noticed you were a bit unsteady walking on them. Maybe I should make you walk around in nothing but them until you’re more comfortable. Then I’d be able to fully appreciate your legs.”

He stroked his fingers down the backs of her thighs. Paige had to hold her breath to keep from moaning out loud. This was too much, too gentle. She needed more than this, and if he wasn’t going to act soon, she’d walk away.

Liar.

There was a brief pause when he got her skirt to the edge of her ass. “Sweet Paige, did you do what I asked? Will I be pleased with what I see when I lift this up?” He teased her, jiggling the fabric until the edge tickled her sensitive skin.

Not bothering to wait for her response, Carter finally flipped up the skirt to reveal her bare ass. His low moan was all the response Paige had hoped for.

Running a finger first down one cheek, then the other, Carter leaned forward so his breath ghosted across her skin. His second hand began to explore the sensitive dip above her ass, teasing but not going any further.

“Thank you for this, Paige. I promise I will be good to you.” A single kiss placed to the small of her back was followed by a two-hand squeeze. “Now whatever will I do with you?”

P
aige wasn’t expecting the slap. The force drove her forward, sending her stumbling as she fought to regain her balance. Carter’s big hand cupped her hip and pulled her back into position. The muscles in her back were protesting the stretch, and sweat was collecting beneath her hands where she held her boots.

Slowly, the turmoil in her mind began to recede and all Paige was able to concentrate on were the physical sensations playing havoc through her body. Carter never once released his hold on her, keeping her locked in the moment.

The second spank was as forceful, but she was better able to relax into the sting of flesh on flesh. Her pussy was soaked and if Carter were to reach between her legs, his fingers would come out drenched.

She tried to push that image from her mind.

“You like a spanking.” The statement didn’t seem like much of a revelation to him. “I think that is as good a place as any to start. I want you to lie across my lap. Make sure to brace yourself.”

The little streak of shame came on as strongly as ever, right after the rush of desire. Paige kept her eyes lowered as she stood, temporarily relieving the pressure on her back, and moved to Carter’s side. Without a word, she shuffled as close as she could and tried to stretch across him with at least a tiny bit of dignity and grace, but failing as she lost her balance and dropped her chest hard across his thighs.

Rick would have yelled at her and, back then, Paige would have accepted the humiliation as part of the deal. Carter helped steady her, shifting his legs and pressing a hand to the small of her back as she slid forward to brace her hands on the floor. The heels of her boots made it possible to keep her feet touching.

“Good girl. I know that must have been hard for you. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

Paige squeezed her eyes shut tight, not wanting the interrogation to continue. She didn’t want to think, talk, or do anything else other than be spanked. “Yes, Sir.”

“Yes, Sir, what? How long, Paige? I want an exact time period for the last time you were stretched out, offered up and waiting for someone to turn your ass a nice shade of red.”

It had been more black and blue than red, but she didn’t think Carter needed to know that.

“Three years.”

The slap that time was with the full force of his hand, which he didn’t cup. The sudden sting had her crying out and pressing her face to the side of his calf. “Three years, two months and a few days. Sir.”

“See, I knew you would have the exact time. You’re a precise person, aren’t you Paige?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“How about we play a little game? I’m going to pick a number between one and thirty. You have to guess what the number is. If you guess correctly, then I’ll do something you want. If you guess incorrectly, I’ll spank you the difference between the two numbers. Understand?”

Paige squirmed and thrust her ass in the air. “Yes, Sir.”

Carter continued to circle her ass with his fingers, humming as if he were considering the answer to a serious problem. “I have my number. Now it’s your turn. I want you to think about what number I could possibly choose for you. What’s an acceptable number for beautifully tense Paige, who needs someone to help her let it all go?”

Paige’s mind went blank. Even the concept of numbers themselves seemed overly complicated. Her brain wanted to focus on his fingers and the heat seeping into her body from his.

“I’m waiting, Paige.”

God, why couldn’t she do what he wanted? “Ten, Sir.”

“Oh, Paige, that wasn’t close at all. I chose thirty. That means you’ll be spanked twenty times. That’s a lot for my poor hand.” He almost sounded contrite. “I have to tell you that I wasn’t planning on working that hard tonight. It’s been a long, tiring week for me. How about I make you a deal? Would you like that, Paige?”

Every time he said her name, more of tension bled away from her body. The twitching muscles of her back and arms started to give way as she sank deeper into the moment. The slap reminded her that she was supposed to be answering him.

“Yes, Sir. Thank you.”

“I will spank you ten times with my hand. For the remaining ten I will let you choose either a flogger or a paddle. Isn’t that nice of me?”

She groaned. “Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir.”

“Fuck.” His mutter was barely a whisper. Carter cleared his throat and adjusted his stance again. “I want you to count each one. I’m not into that thanking shit, so you don’t have to bother with it. I only want you to count and feel.”

Slap!

The contact this time wasn’t like his previous swats. Paige cried out and had to force in a breath to say what he’d wanted. “One.”

Carter’s thighs tensed and for a second she anticipated another quick spank. Instead, he shifted her closer to his stomach, until the hard line of his cock pressed against her side.

Slap!

“Two!”

Tears welled in her eyes and she could feel her nose start to fill with the unshed tears. Paige couldn’t keep her mouth closed anymore. Letting it fall open, she breathed in the scented air of the room, enjoying the buzz it gave. The tang of the leather seeped onto the tip of her tongue as she dipped it out to brush Carter’s calf. The rest of her mouth watered and she wanted to get more of her mouth on him. She wanted to drown in him, even as he kept her on the precipice between pleasure and pain.

Slap! Slap!

“Three. Four.” The words were choked, fighting to come through the tight muscles in her throat.

Carter had worked a surprisingly large area on her ass, even landing spanks along the top of her thighs. He stopped to massage the skin, leaning over to coo at her. “Good girl. I’m proud of you for coming this far.”

The tears were flowing freely now, but Paige didn’t care. Carter was taking care of her in a way she hadn’t ever remembered feeling. It hurt, but it was good, exactly what she needed. The tears washed away the pain of the past, giving her a clean slate.

Slap!

“Five.”

“We’re halfway through the first part. I wish you could see yourself. Your skin is pale, making the red almost glow. Like a fire truck.” He chuckled and slapped her even harder.

“Six.”

Paige hadn’t realized she’d been holding her head up until the muscles refused to cooperate. Gravity pulled her down, the tears breaking free and dripping onto the floor as Carter continued. Bliss.

“Seven. Eight.”

“It would be fantastic to spread you out on the cross in the main room. I could take my time with you, work you over until you were begging and screaming for me to release you and let you come.” He dipped his finger between her ass cheeks to tease her hole. “I can’t believe how wet you are right now.”

Without warning, he pushed a finger into her pussy, crooking it to press down against her G-spot. Paige moaned and shuddered, dangerously close to losing her balance along with her mind.

“I figured it had been a while for you, but three years is too much. You need to take better care of yourself.”

“Nine.” The pain was no longer as sharp as the sting melted into numbness. Her body no longer fought the pain, but welcomed it, used it to fire every inch of her. It was getting hard to count out, mostly because her mouth was dry and her throat scratchy. On some level she knew her face would be splotchy and her eyes and nose red. She mostly didn’t care. “Ten!”

Carter reached down and helped her turn to sit up. While ten slaps was not much of a punishment, not even remotely close to what she’d taken in the past, the spanks were still more than she’d had in years. Her body shook and the damn tears streamed down her face.

“Want to stop?” His voice was soft, as was the kiss he pressed to her temple.

“No, Sir,” she said, sniffing. God, she couldn’t stop yet. “We’re only halfway.”

“I wouldn’t think any less of you, Paige. It’s been a while since you’ve been here.”

By
here,
she knew he wasn’t referring to the club. “I can handle it, Sir.”

When she tried to sit up, Carter gently pushed her head to his shoulder. “Not yet. Let’s do this right first. You’re still fighting things and that won’t get us anywhere.”

Before she could protest Carter stood, taking her up in his arms, and walked them over to the chest.

“Josh usually stocks…there it is.” He reached into the bottommost drawer and pulled out a bottle of water. He tossed it onto her lap before returning them to the chair. “Open it.”

Paige was sluggish but eventually moved to comply. The plastic ring cracked and gave way after a few tries, water slipping down the side of the bottle. She lifted it up to Carter’s mouth, but he shook his head and took it from her.

“I’m not the one who needs this.” He pressed the opening to her lips and waited for her to open her mouth.

The water calmed her as it soothed her throat. She closed her eyes as she drank, not able to handle Carter’s intense scrutiny. It was odd, his being able to read her as easily as he could. Not that Paige imagined herself as overly complicated, but Rick had never managed to figure out what she’d needed out of their relationship, even after having been together for years.

When Carter pulled the bottle away, Paige unconsciously chased it, wanting more. He chuckled and pressed his finger to her lips. “Not too much. I don’t want you getting sick.”

Paige would have normally protested, bitching at him about how she knew exactly what she needed and could handle. The fight had dissipated along with his spanking, leaving her calmer and relaxed. “No, Sir.”

“Are you ready for the next ten? They will be harder.”

Hell no, she wasn’t ready, but she nodded anyway. This was something that she not only needed, but wanted desperately.

“Good girl. I want you to go over and pick out what you want me to use. Get the thing that will help you get where you need to go.”

Paige couldn’t keep her gaze from the chest and the toys she knew were within. While this was part of the scene and not at all unexpected, the idea of walking over there to pick out her instrument of doom wasn’t as appealing as it had been in the past. Still, she was determined to see this through to the end and wanted it to be Carter on the delivering end. Sliding to her feet, she stumbled back to the chest and carefully considered her options.

Two paddles immediately caught her attention. The first was thick with leather knots covering the surface at irregular intervals. Reaching out, she ran her fingertips over the top, letting the varying texture pick at her skin as she went. It was elaborate, elegant in its design, yet no doubt effective when used properly.

The second paddle was simple in nature, almost as if it didn’t belong. The wide head was oak or maple. It had been sanded smooth, any imperfections long removed. Paige ran the palm of her hand across the surface, sighing at the smooth feel. She picked it up and made her way back to where Carter sat. Paige held it up for his inspection, as her nerves began to creep up on her again.

His gaze flicked from her face to the paddle. Holding out his hand, he waited for her to hand it over.

“Easy to swing, yet heavy enough to leave an impression.” Carter slapped his open palm with the wide face. “Nice and big too. I’ll be able to hit most of your ass with this. I approve.”

Paige relaxed and nodded. “Thank you, Sir.”

When she stepped closer, intending to climb back on his lap, Carter crossed his legs and leaned back. “Not yet. I want to make sure I do this properly. Need room to move.”

“Whatever you want, Sir.” It came out harsher than Paige intended, dragging a snort from Carter.

“This has nothing to do with me at all, as you are aware. We are simply getting to know each other, seeing if there is something here we might want to explore further. You can walk out that door anytime you want, I won’t move a muscle to stop you. But if you stay, I want you to give yourself over to me completely. That means doing what I ask, without the snark.”

Paige let her gaze drop, hating her inadequacies. “I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t think it would be this hard.”

“It’s not like this is your first time. Which means you’ve had a nasty experience that stopped you from coming back when it’s something you clearly want. Look at me.” Leaning forward, Carter braced his arms on his knees, letting the paddle dangle, and waited until she met his gaze. “Answer me truthfully. Do you feel pressured in any way to be here with me?”

“No, Sir.”

“And while I know we’ve only begun, have I done anything, anything at all to have made you feel uncomfortable?”

“No, nothing.”

“You can leave, Paige. I hope you don’t, but I’d understand. Is that what you want? Think before you answer.”

Was it? Despite the emotional hurricane raging inside her, Paige knew the center of the storm was approaching. If she could hold on a bit longer, she’d sink into that place where her mind would find comfort.

Paige met Carter’s gaze and relaxed. “No, Sir. I don’t want to leave. I’ve been running away from this for a long time and I need to get my head straight. If you’re willing to help me, I would appreciate it.”

Carter leaned back once more and folded his arms. “Then you know what to do.”

With her heart pounding, Paige reached behind her for the zipper. Her fingers were steady as she pulled the tab down, having fully accepted what she was doing. Carter was someone Josh trusted, and she trusted Josh. More important, Paige trusted
herself
to leave if there was a problem.

Holding the skirt together with one hand, she kept her gaze on Carter, making sure that they were both on the same page, before finally dropping it. The air was cool in contrast to the heat coming from her ass and her pussy. Even though she still wore the corset, Paige was more exposed than had she been completely naked.

Carter’s gaze drifted down her body, stopping on her breasts, her stomach, lower. He flexed his grip on the paddle. “Beautiful.”

Paige’s face heated.

“Now you have another choice. Do you want to do this over my lap again, or would you prefer to lean over the chest? I can work with either.”