the thought of going over Craig’s knees and his ass being spanked made him shiver.
“Are you cold?” Craig asked. He was stretched out on the bed. In comfort. Reading a novel.
Bastard.
“I asked you a question, boy.”
“No…Daddy.”
“Good. Then you can stay there for an extra five minutes for grumbling and your insolence.”
Louis nearly turned around, because what the fuck, but he knew Craig would make him stay in the damned corner even longer. He gritted his teeth and counted to one hundred in Spanish. Then again in French.
This is so boring.
“You can get up now,” Craig said.
Louis staggered to his feet, groaning as his knees protested, and at the stiffness in his shoulders.
“That wasn’t very graceful,” Craig tsked. “You can do better than that.”
Louis stared at him.
Craig raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to go back into the corner?”
Louis went to his knees without a word. Craig would leave him there all evening if he thought Louis deserved it.
“Now try again.”
Louis did his best to rise as smoothly as he could, but he couldn’t help the wobble in his knees.
“Better,” Craig observed.
Thank God.
“One more time.”
There was a name for men like Craig. Louis sank to his knees.
Bastard!
Louis rose with no trace of the wobble.
“Much better.”
Louis couldn’t help glowing for being praised by his Daddy. Everything still hurt though.
Craig held out his arm. “Come and join me.”
At last. Louis virtually threw himself onto the bed and groaned with relief at the comfortable mattress. He crawled up so his head was on the pillows, next to Craig.
Craig laughed. “How are your knees?”
Louis gave him the side-eye. “I know if I answer that you’ll put me back in the corner again.”
“You don’t have to be rude,” Craig pointed out. “You could just say your knees are sore.”
“My knees hurt like hell.”
“You’ll think twice about being insolent again.”
Louis held back a growl because he was comfortable on the bed, and he really didn’t want to shift his butt.
“How about I massage your back?” Craig suggested.
“Please,” Louis said fervently, and Craig laughed.
“Take your Henley off and lay face down on the bed. I’ve got massage oil in my bag.”
Louis raised his head to glower at him. “Why have you got massage oil?”
Craig rolled his eyes. “Down, boy. I use it on my legs because I’m on my feet all day.”
Louis subsided with a small huff. He knew he was being ridiculous, but the thought of anyone with their hands touching Craig’s naked skin made his blood boil.
Craig leaned over to kiss his mouth. “There’s only ever been you in my heart.”
“You know just what to say to me.”
“Stay there. I’ll be back in a moment.” Craig kissed him again and vanished into the bathroom.
Louis stripped off his top, rolled onto his front, and relaxed for what felt like the first time that day. He buried his nose in the pillows, inhaling his Daddy’s scent. He wanted to bottle that aroma and keep it only for himself.
“You look good, stretched out like that,” Craig said as he came back into the bedroom.
“Bruising is fading,” Louis mumbled.
“It is,” Craig agreed as he straddled Louis’s thighs.
Louis heard a snick and then a minute later strong warm hands spread fragrant oil over his shoulders. Louis couldn’t quite place the scent. Vanilla and maybe something else. He moaned as Craig got to work, rubbing circles of pleasure into his muscles and kneading out the knots of tension Louis didn’t even know were there.
Craig took his time, and Louis took as much pleasure from the comforting weight of Craig sitting on his thighs as he did from his hands, which were melting him into a gooey puddle.
By the time Craig worked his way down Louis’s back, Louis was drowsy. On other occasions, Craig had massaged his front or gone all the way down his legs. But this time, Craig just kissed one shoulder, covered him up with something soft, and told him to nap.
“Will you be here when I wake up?” Louis mumbled.
“I will,” Craig promised. “I’m going to read my book next to you.”
Louis thought that was a great idea. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of Craig breathing. Without even realizing, he matched Craig’s breaths and fell into a deep sleep.
He was in the alley again, in the darkness that he knew would bring pain, but this time instead of a beating he saw Dan Carter pointing a gun at him.
It was strange. He could see the gun as clear as day, but Carter was just a