Taking His Hand (Under His Roof #2) (7 page)

Maybe I can convert the old discipline room into an office for Rachel. It’d be nice if she could work from home more, actually. I wouldn’t mind having her around all day…

“
Hey.”

Rachel’s soft voice lulls me from my daydream and I turn to greet her. She’s still sleepy, with her flannel robe wrapped around her tight.

“
Hey, you,” I reply, holding my arms out to bring her in for a morning hug.

She buries her face in my chest the way she does when something is upsetting her, and I know we need to have a talk. I give her a big, wet smooch on her forehead and lead her to the living room couch.

“
So,” I say, pulling her close to snuggle beside me. “Aria has been a client of mine for about two years. As you know, I forbid clients from showing up like she did. She shouldn’t have done that.”

“
Did you know she was my secretary?”

“
Not right away. But she mentioned your first name during one of our sessions, and I eventually asked her where it was she worked. Lakeside Advertising, just like you.”

Rachel is idly playing with my thumb and forefinger, running her fingers along them lightly. I can’t imagine what she’s thinking.

“
So…do you want to know anything else?”

Rachel’s body tenses against me and I know she’s got something to share. I can’t tell if she’s mad or sad or some combination of the two. I wait.

After a long, tense moment, she takes a deep breath and opens her mouth.

“
I could lose my job.”

“
You want to know the first thing Aria said to me, out on the porch, after you went inside?”

“
What?”

“
She said, ‘Rachel’s gonna worry that I’ll tell people at work.’”

“
Great. The one time Aria actually uses her brain…”

“
Hey,” I say firmly, “Aria is really socially intuitive and smart in her own way. Don’t denigrate her. She wasn’t good at her job. I know that, you know that, and Aria knows that. But she isn’t stupid.”

Rachel furrows her eyebrows. “When I put in the request to let her go down at HR, my asshole co-worker Jeremy noticed. He had her transferred to his office. It’d be one thing if she was leaving Lakeside…but she could so easily slip up and tell someone. I just…it’s not good, David.”

“
Sweetie, Aria hasn’t told a soul that she comes to see me for spankings. Don’t you realize she has incentive to keep this all under the table, too?”

She shrugs, and I know this conversation will go around in circles given her current state of mind. I kiss her forehead.

“
I’m going to have a session with Aria today.”

“
No!” She pulls away so she can look at me directly and shakes her head. “No way. I left yesterday. This is my house, too. You know I’m working from home—“

“
Shh,” I interrupt her, putting my finger to her lips. “I won’t be doing it here. Aria just really needs it right now. She’s so upset.”

Frowning, Rachel pulls her knees to her chest. “This sucks.”

“
It’ll be okay. I promise.” I kiss her again, going for her lips. She turns her head so I get her cheek.
Ouch
. Sighing, I stand. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Aria and I decided on a Holiday Inn at the edge of town. An empty hotel is best, and I’ve noted there are usually very few cars in its parking lot.

I haven’t done this kind of thing in years. Before buying my parent’s place, I’d occasionally meet with a client at a hotel. They’d arrange lodging and I’d give them their discipline. It was never the same, never as safe, as holding sessions in private homes. When I bought my house, my career took a turn for the better.

But seeing Aria’s hopeless face last night, and knowing I can’t give her what she needs with Rachel at home, brings me back to the days of hotel room discipline. I’m not looking forward to it. In the back of my mind, throughout the entire session, I’ll be waiting for that knock on the door. And on the other side of the door will either be an angry neighbor, a concerned looking housekeeper, or, worst case scenario, very stern looking police officers.

Sighing, I head up to room 219. I take the stairs, walking slowly, not feeling in any rush. Poor, poor Aria. She’s tried so hard to make up for her problems at work. I’ve spanked her countless times for screwing up this or that, or telling fibs to Rachel to make up for being late or missing meetings. I can’t blame Rachel for her decision. Hell, I don’t really know what goes on in her office. Even so, I can’t help but feel a little bit upset with Rachel, even if it is unjust. Aria’s been a client of mine for a long time, and I’m very fond of her. She has a good spirit and a warm heart. I understand she’s not the most book-smart person in the world, but she makes up for it with her charm.

At the door, I hesitate before knocking. Part of me feels like I should’ve delayed this, even though I know Aria’s need is urgent. Rachel has needs, too, though. I know a few hours will allow her to reflect and wrap her mind around the situation, and she’ll be easier to talk with this afternoon. But am I a bad boyfriend for leaving? Does she feel ignored? Should I give her a quick call?

I decide to wait until I’ve finished the session. I don’t want an argument, nor do I want her trying to convince me not to do this. I’m loyal to Aria, but I love Rachel. If Rachel asked me not to spank her ex-secretary, I would honor her wishes. I can’t call her because I can’t have her say no. Aria needs me right now.

This is so confusing. I can only hope that Rachel has some empathy for Aria. And for me.Aria needs me to do this.

After what feels like ages, I manage to raise my arm up and tap lightly at the door. It opens immediately, making me realize Aria was standing right there this whole time, waiting for me to knock. I take in her appearance and my heart wrenches. She’s wearing a pink t-shirt. Her sweatpants that are clearly too big for her, rolled up at the waist. Her eyes are red and swollen, her blond hair is a mess, and her lips are set in the most pitiful frown I’ve ever seen.

I close the door behind me and wrap her up in my arms. “Oh, Aria,” I say, rubbing her back gently. “Why is this so upsetting to you?”

She can’t respond. I feel a fresh set of tears building inside of her and I hold her there and let her cry. I’ve spanked Aria for work problems and personal problems. I’ve counseled her after break-ups and even funerals. This, though, is the worst I’ve seen her.

“
Go, take a quick rinse in the shower,” I say, releasing her. Showers tend to cool me off when I’m feeling emotional, and I’m hoping it will have the same effect on Aria. I give her a little push toward the bathroom. “When you’re done, we’ll have a talk.”

She nods, wiping tears off her cheeks, and obeys. When I hear the water running, I pull my tools from my long duffel bag. I’ve brought a cane, a paddle, and a ball-gag. I
never
use gags with clients when I work from home, but I know Aria can be loud when she’s spanked. I really, really don’t want anyone to hear her screaming. I put them on the dresser beside the TV and survey the room. She’s already drawn the curtains. There’s a small table with two chairs where we can talk before I begin. One corner is bare, which would work for corner-time, if needed.

Aria’s wearing a short, white terrycloth robe when she comes out. She’s pulled her hair back into a long braid behind her head. Her face looks a little better, though it’s still clear she’s been crying. God, if I can ease her emotional pain just a little with this session, I’ll be a happy man.

I sit at the table and motion for her to do the same. She does, staring at the ground the whole time. With care, I reach over and tilt her chin up so she’s looking at me. I smile at her and, commendably, she manages a small smile back.

“
Can you tell me why this is so upsetting to you?” I ask.

She shakes her head.

“
Would you rather talk while over my lap?”

She nods, and I hold back a chuckle. “Robe off,” I say. Before relocating myself to the end of the bed, I turn the TV on, hoping to mute at least some of our sounds.

Aria knows the drill. She drops her robe without hesitation and puts herself across my knees. I shift her so her upper body is resting on the bed. She faces the TV, and there’s a mirror on the wall which means I can actually make eye-contact with her while I spank her. I make a mental note to adjust some things in my office so I can hang a mirror when I want to be able to talk with a client while she’s over my lap. I smile at her through the mirror, and again she gives me a smile back. With that, I begin.

She gets this peaceful look on her face as I warm her bottom up. She closes her eyes, breathes deep, and lets out a long sigh. I spank her for a full two minutes, not going fast at all nor spanking very hard. When I pause, I rest my hand on her behind.

“
Why are you so upset by this?” I ask again.

Aria frowns. “Because I wanted her to like me.”

“
I know you did, hon.”

“
How long have you been with her?”

Now it’s my turn to frown. “Aria, I told you last night, we are
not
discussing that.”

“
I’m sorry,” she says, looking apologetic enough for me to believe it.

I follow with ten hard spanks. She squirms, but doesn’t make a sound.

Curious about something, I decide to be honest with her.

“
Have you ever considered switching jobs completely? To something you enjoy? I swear, half the time you come to me, it’s for help with something work related.”

“
I’d be bad at everything. I’ve never held a job for more than a year. Rachel only kept me this long because she couldn’t get approval from human resources.”

“
How do you know that?”

“
She told me.”

I wince. That was a cruel thing for Rachel to say, and completely unnecessary.

“
She wanted to fire me completely,” Aria continues, obviously trying to hold back more tears. “She recommended they not allow the transfer…”

Sighing, I begin again. “Just let it out, hon,” I say.

Deciding to go for long and moderate, versus short and strong, I spank her at a medium pace and strength. She doesn’t struggle. Instead, she’s completely relaxed on the bed, sobbing quietly. I continue for a full twenty minutes without pause. By the end, she’s got a glazed look on her face. There are no more tears.

My arm is getting sore, and my hand stings. I debate ending the spanking there, but I don’t want to go too light on her. This would be an awful time to give her less than what she needs. So, I reach for the paddle and rest it on her right butt cheek.

She moans, anticipating what’s coming.

“
Aria, I want you to keep your mouth closed while I paddle you. Understand?”

“
Yes, David,” she whispers.

With the same pace as the hand spanking, I paddle Aria’s bottom. She groans loudly, but, ever obedient, she doesn’t shout or cry out in pain. The slap of the paddle against her flesh echoes through the room, far louder than the sound of the television, and I try not to think about the noise. My fear of being caught shouldn’t distract me from doing my job.

After thirty spanks, I pause, giving her a little break. She relaxes across my lap, tears running down her cheeks. I’m not sure if the tears are from the emotional or physical pain, and I know it doesn’t really matter. Right now, she just needs to cry. I shift a little, holding onto her as I reach in my back pocket for travel tissues. I hand her one and she blows her nose.

“
I’m going to give you fifty more spanks, Aria. Hard ones. Can you try to take them quietly?”

“
Yes, David.”

“
Good girl.”

Silently counting, I paddle her bottom. Her cheeks are bright pink, and I concentrate on the sensitive flesh between her butt and thighs. I don’t want to bruise her, but I want her to remember this spanking when she sits down today and tomorrow.