than a few drinks because this is an important dinner and I’m nervous about us being the only brown people in the room. Then here comes this belly dancer out on the stage, and well, she’s just not very good. She’s sweaty and heavy footed and stinks of cheap vodka...so I tell her so. Loudly. In front of everybody. She tells me if I think I can do better, I should show her. Day, honey, I did. I crawled up onto that stage in my gorgeous green gown and I proceeded to belly dance in front of my husband’s boss. Not well. The next morning, I was mortified. But my husband got the promotion.”
Day stared at her, wide-eyed. “Really?”
She laughed, delighted. “Yes, sir. If you help me do the dishes, I’ll tell you about the time I accidentally ended up in the men’s room by mistake and how Jackson’s daddy thought I’d ditched him.”
Day nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
Jackson didn’t speak the whole way home, and the more the silence grew, the more nervous Day became. Part of him hoped it would be like their dinner the other night when Jackson kissed him silly in the elevator, but after Day’s performance, that was hard to imagine.
On the elevator, Jackson stood beside Day, hands in his pockets, staring straight ahead as Day tried to make himself as small as possible. While his sabotage had seemed like a good idea hours ago, having to face the real possibility that Jackson was done with him, that he’d kick Day out and leave him alone to not only face a potential murderer but also a broken heart, caused a panic Day hadn’t felt in a long time.
All he could do was try to triage the situation, stop the bleeding and hope Jackson would give him another chance to at least say he was sorry. As soon as the door to the apartment closed, Day turned on him. “Jackson, I know you’re mad—”
“Day,” Jackson said, cutting him off, voice a barely there rumble. “Go upstairs to my bedroom, take off your clothes, and wait for me.”
Day’s stomach did that swooping thing once more, but, this time, for an entirely different reason. “What?”
“You heard me.”
Day licked his lips, swallowing hard. “Jackson—”
“Go. Now.”
Day shivered at the lack of emotion in Jackson’s voice, but he was already half-hard before he made it to the staircase. The trek to Jackson’s room seemed to take forever, like he was trudging through quicksand. What was Jackson going to do to him?
Day undressed, but then he wasn’t sure what to do. Did Jackson want him on the bed? On his knees? Both? Neither? He paced the room, wondering if he should fold the clothes he’d left on the floor or just leave them. The not knowing was causing a giant knot behind his diaphragm, which Day suspected was part of Jackson’s plan.
Day was facing the bed when he heard the door push open. He turned to look at Jackson, who gave Day a long thorough once over as he undid his belt and tossed it on the bed, sitting on the mattress beside the leather strap.
“Jackson, I know you’re mad…” Day tried once more.
“I’m not mad,” Jackson said, tugging Day closer. “But you’ve been begging for this punishment for a very long time.”
Jackson pulled Day over his knees, and the reality of Day’s situation hit home. “You can’t be serious,” Day said, his words passing his lips in a breathless rush. Jackson didn’t answer, but his hand cracked over Day’s ass cheek hard enough to drive the air from his lungs. “Jackson, I’m sorry.”
“I know,” Jackson said, voice resigned. “I know you’re sorry, but the only way you’re getting out of this is if you use your safeword.”
Day didn’t want to use his safe word. The truth was, he was rock hard just from Jackson’s first blow, and there was no way Jackson didn’t feel Day’s erection pressing against his thigh, even through his jeans.
“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Day murmured, forcing himself to relax.
The next blow landed on Day’s thighs, pulling a pained hiss from him. Jackson didn’t react. He didn’t speak. He brought his hand down three times in rapid succession, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. Day bit down on his bottom lip to try to keep from crying out, but it was almost impossible. Jackson was brutal and thorough, spanking Day until there was no part of his thighs and ass that weren’t burning. Day squirmed, tears filling his eyes