Chapter 3

　　Layla's POV.

　　"Five," I whimpered. "Thank you, Sir."

　　By the eighth smack my ass was on fire, throbbing with every heartbeat. Tears slipped down my cheeks, and I was panting, my hips rocking subtly against his thigh in a desperate search for friction, and Marcus noticed.

　　He stopped suddenly, resting his palm flat against my burning skin. "You're wet," he said, the words low and dark with accusation and something hotter. "I can feel it through your shorts. Is this turning you on, Layla? Getting punished by your stepfather?"

　　I shook my head frantically, even as another wave of shameful arousal pulsed through my core. "No… please…"

　　"Don't lie to me." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. One finger hooked under the waistband of my shorts at the back and tugged them down slowly, exposing my reddened ass to the cool air.

　　I gasped, trying to reach back to stop him, but he caught my wrist easily and pinned it against the small of my back with one hand. "Marcus... Sir... don't..."

　　"Too late for that." He pulled the shorts down to mid-thigh, leaving me completely bare from the waist down. The vulnerability made my clit throb. "Look at this pretty little ass, all pink and marked up for me. And this…" His free hand slid between my legs, two thick fingers gliding through my soaked folds without warning.

　　I moaned loudly, the sound mortifying and uncontrollable. My body jerked, but his grip on my wrist kept me firmly in place.

　　"Soaking wet," Marcus growled, his voice thick with lust now. He circled my clit once, slow and deliberate, then pulled his fingers away, holding them up where I could see them glistening in the low light. "This isn't the reaction of a girl who hates her punishment. This is a girl who's been secretly hoping someone would finally take control."

　　He brought his wet fingers to his mouth and licked them clean, his eyes locked on mine the entire time. The sight sent another gush of wetness between my thighs.

　　"Please…" I whispered, not even sure what I was begging for anymore, for him to stop, or for him to keep going.

　　Marcus released my wrist but kept me pinned across his lap with his other arm. "You're going to take the rest of your spanking on your bare ass, little girl. Ten more, and this time, you're going to thank me properly after each one and tell me why you earned it."

　　My mind spun. Ten more? My ass already felt like it was on fire. But the thought of refusing never even crossed my mind. Not when my body was screaming for more of his touch, more of his dominance.

　　A smack landed, and the bare-skin impact was so much sharper, louder, more intimate. I cried out, my hips bucking.

　　"Nine," I sobbed. "Thank you, Sir… I earned it for coming home late and disrespecting your rules."

　　Marcus hummed in approval, rubbing the sting away before delivering the next. Each smack built on the last, the pain blending seamlessly into throbbing heat that made my clit ache with need. By the fifteenth overall, I was a mess, tears streaming, my ass glowing red, my pussy dripping down my thighs, and shamelessly grinding against his leg for any relief.

　　When the final smack landed, I was barely coherent.

　　"Twenty," I whimpered brokenly. "Thank you, Sir… I earned it because I need you to control me."

　　Marcus's hand stilled. For a long moment, the only sound was our heavy breathing. Then he gently pulled my shorts back up over my tender ass and helped me sit up on his lap, facing him.

　　I straddled his thighs instinctively, wincing as my sore bottom made contact with his hard muscles. My tank top had ridden up, exposing the underside of my breasts. Marcus's hands settled on my hips, thumbs brushing the bare skin just above my waistband.

　　His eyes were dark, pupils blown wide with lust. The front of his pants was tented obscenely, the thick outline of his cock clearly visible.

　　"You did well," he said quietly, one hand coming up to brush a tear from my cheek with surprising tenderness. "But this was only a warning, Layla. The real rules start tomorrow morning. You'll wake up at six, make breakfast, and present yourself to me for inspection before your first class. Any defiance from now on won't end with a simple spanking."

　　My breath hitched. Inspection? The word sent fresh butterflies through my stomach, equal parts dread and dark excitement.

　　Marcus's gaze dropped to my lips, then lower, to where my hard nipples poked against the thin fabric. "And Layla?"

　　"Yes, Sir?" My voice was small, hoarse from crying and moaning.

　　His grip on my hips tightened possessively. "If I find out you touched yourself tonight thinking about this… there will be much stricter consequences. Do you understand?"

　　I nodded quickly, even as my pussy clenched at the thought of being denied. "Yes, Sir."

　　"Good girl." He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. "Now go to bed. And remember I own every rule in this house from now on. Including you."

　　I slid off his lap on shaky legs, my ass throbbing with every step toward the stairs. I could feel his eyes burning into my back the entire way up.

　　Once in my room, I closed the door and leaned against it, my heart still racing. My reflection in the mirror showed a flushed, tear-streaked face and wild eyes. I turned, pulling my shorts down just enough to see the bright red handprints marking my ass. The sight made me whimper softly.

　　I wanted to touch myself so badly — my clit was swollen and aching, begging for release after the humiliating, intoxicating punishment. But Marcus's warning echoed in my mind.

　　"What would he do if he caught me?" The thought crossed my mind, both terrifying me, and giving me a thrill I never expected.

　　I crawled into bed, lying on my stomach to spare my sore bottom, but sleep refused to come. Every shift of my body reminded me of his strong hands, his commanding voice, the thick hardness I'd felt beneath me.

　　Downstairs, I heard Marcus moving around, probably locking up, pouring another drink. The normal sounds of the house now felt charged with new meaning.

　　I was twenty years old, an adult. Yet tonight, bent over my stepfather's lap, I had felt more alive, more desired, and more terrified than ever before. And tomorrow, the real rules would begin.