Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
“Permanently scarred?” Roman whispered. “Knife play? Holy heck.”
“Um. Well. I might have some others.”
“What are they, Bunny?” Alexei pressed.
“I don’t want to be humiliated,” she blurted out. “I don’t want to be told that I’m useless or ugly or anything like that.”
She was shocked that she didn’t have to force herself to show some emotion. Showing none would be a red flag. However, her chest heaved without prompting and she could hear a hint of horror in her voice.
Either she was becoming a very good actor, or her barriers were growing thinner around them.
The latter wasn’t smart, so she hoped it was the former.
“Shh,” Salem said. “No one here wants to humiliate you. That’s not our kink.”
“I wouldn’t feel at all comfortable doing that,” Roman said with certainty. “I’d much rather praise you.”
She nodded, knowing that about Roman already.
“I like to tell the truth,” Alexei said. “And the truth is that you’re beautiful, smart, and courageous. I mean, if you wanted to be called a dirty little slut, I’m sure I could have done that. But I’m more than happy to praise you.”
Yikes. Okay.
“Anything more?” Salem asked.
“I don’t mind being tied down but only my hands or my feet, not both at the same time. And I don’t want to be blindfolded while my hands are tied.”
“All right,” Salem replied. “What about punishments? You okay with spankings with our hands, belts, paddles?”
“Yes.”
“What about things like corner time? Writing lines?” Alexei asked.
“Those are fine.”
They would be a breeze compared to all of the punishments she’d experienced in her life.
Being waterboarded, starved, shut in a dark room on her own where there wasn’t enough room to stand . . .
Calm down.
Don’t get upset.
In truth, knife play didn’t actually scare her at all. But she wasn’t sure how she would react if she saw someone coming at her with a knife.
“Good. Then you’re going to sit and write a hundred times that you are beautiful, smart, and courageous,” Salem announced. “Roman, could you get a pad and a pen? Alexei, could you get a stool and cushion for her foot? We’ll sit her at the desk in the corner so we can keep an eye on her while we clean up the room.”
They all started to move and Salem stood with her in his arms.
“Wait, wait, wait!” she cried out.
They all stopped and turned to stare at her.
“What is it, Little one?” Salem asked. “Are you saying your safeword?”
What? No.
“No, I’m not using my safeword. I just . . . are you serious? That’s my punishment?”
“Yes,” Salem replied as he set her down at a writing desk. “You’re ours now. We take care of you in all ways. Physically and emotionally.” He kissed the top of her head and she swore she started to melt.
Alexei walked over and grasped hold of her chin, tilting her head back. “You aren’t allowed to talk badly about yourself. You break a rule, you get punished. Simple.”
Simple.
Uh-huh.
Sure.
Roman just sent her a small smile before he left the room.
So. It seemed like she was writing lines.
After Alexei put her foot up on a stool and cushion to elevate it, Roman returned with a lined notebook and some pens.
“Please number each line to make it easier,” he stated.
“I really have to write lines as punishment?” She knew she was repeating herself.
But it was so . . . easy.
But then, the only punishments she’d known were extremely painful or a complete mindfuck.
“Yes. Are you all right? Do you need a moment?”
“I’m fine,” she said.
He was so caring. They all were in their different ways.
“If you need to stop and rest, you can. Do not push through if you’re sore or anything. I want you to tell me,” Roman told her firmly.
“All right.” She didn’t understand why he thought that she would need to stop.
It was just writing lines.
With a shrug, she started. Then she noticed that they were all cleaning the room.
“Oh, I should be doing that,” she said, putting the pen down.
Salem turned and pinned her with a stern look. “Are you using your safeword?”
“Um. No.” There was no need for that.
“Are you in pain? Do you need a break?”
Sheesh, she’d just started. She was only on line number nine, why would she need a break?
“No. I don’t need a break.”
“Then no talking and no stopping unless you do, understand?” Salem ordered.
“But—”
“Do you need to be gagged while you do your lines?” Salem asked in an almost casual tone.
“I, um, no!”
“Too bad,” Alexei said. “I had some ideas on what to gag her with.”
He had?
What had he been going to gag her with? Her gaze went lower, between his legs.
Oh hell.
He didn’t mean that, did he?
When her gaze rose back up to his face, he was smirking.
That’s exactly what he’d meant and now she was intrigued.
“Maybe another time, huh?” Alexei murmured.