Finding Submission (Service & Submission Book 1) (25 page)

Avery wasn’t sure. She actually contemplated getting a paddling versus coming out and letting that man see her naked with a tail and a leash. But Preston looked deadly serious and she had seen enough of serious Preston today to know that she needed to get out of that crate as fast as she could.

She crawls out, quickly looking across the room, seeing the other man looking upon her. It was Judge Morton. He was dressed in black dress pants and white dress shirt, and was making his way toward her, with a tumbler of whiskey in his hand. He winked her way with a friendly smile. She immediately tried to crawl back into the crate. Both men laughed softly, fond amusement in their tones. The sound of their laughter made her move even faster as she tried skirting around Preston’s legs to get back into the crate. But Preston grabbed her by the waist and pulled her leash taut.

“Nuh-uh, bad girl, you’re staying out here. Stay!”

At the tone of the command, Avery stopped, not moving a muscle. Her pussy clenched as his hand stroked her bottom. “Poor baby. Your bottom looks so sore, sweetie. I hate that you made me punish you like this. Poor little kitty. Judge, do you think I need to add some healing cream to this?”

Avery dropped her forehead to the floor, dying of embarrassment. As if it weren’t bad enough to have been lashed with a razor strop, then put into a collar, a tail inserted into her bottom before being sent to bed in a crate. Now she had to suffer the humiliation of have the
Judge
— Judge Morton — come to inspect her bottom.

Avery turned her head, looking toward the Judge. He sauntered over slowly, with a lazy grin. He knew she was humiliated and he appeared to be enjoying it. Did they all enjoy watching her humiliation?

Judge Morton bent over her, inspecting her bottom. “It does look pretty sore. May I?”

Preston gave him a nod, grinning.

“Sweetie,” Judge Morton said. “When I press on these spots, do they hurt or do they feel numb?”

Avery hesitated just long enough in answering that Preston swatted her bottom, hard, making her yelp. “Answer the Judge when he asks you a question. He should
not
have to wait for an answer from a disobedient kitten.”

“She’s embarrassed, Preston, I understand that. It’s okay.”

“Excuse me for pointing it out, Sir,” Preston said, “But would you let Nancy hesitate when answering a question from me?”

“Point well-taken, Preston. No, I wouldn’t. She would be punished immediately. I apologize. You chastise your kitten as you see fit. I’ll support you.” The Judge met her gaze. “I’ll ask again. Avery Rose. When I press on these spots, do they hurt or do they feel numb?”

“They feel a little numb, Sir.”

“I’d put some witch hazel ointment on her bottom. It soothes the pain and will help the skin heal.” Judge Morton slapped her haunches like one would a horse. “She’ll be good in no time. But the pain will definitely be with her tomorrow.”

“Speaking of which,” Preston said, nodding at her. “Avery Rose, please turn around and present yourself to Judge Morton.”

Avery groaned her mortification, but moved quickly. She knelt as she had been trained, pushing her breasts out, her hands up by her shoulders, looking like a begging kitten up on its back legs.

“Very pretty, Miss Avery,” Judge Morton said, stroking her hair softly. “You’ve done very well with her, Preston. Very well.”

Despite Avery’s embarrassment, pride swelled within her. Preston would be pleased and it made her happy to know he would feel proud of her behavior.

“Thank you, Sir. Avery, I want you to tell the Judge what you did today, and how you were punished. Then I want you to ask him for his forgiveness.”

Avery felt her blood boil. She opened her mouth to spout off a sassy reply, but then swallowed it. She was wrong. She had broken the law and she needed to ask for forgiveness. She could go to jail. Preston and Judge Morton were doing her a favor, and she needed to be appreciative of that fact. She looked up at Preston, who watched her closely, his head tilted. He was watching her like one would watch a firecracker on the ground, wondering if it was just lying there or if it was a live one that could explode.

She smiled at Preston, then turned to the Judge. “I goofed up really bad today, Judge. I was tired of being cooped up in the house all the time, so I took Preston’s keys and drove myself to town. Alone.” Avery paused, gauging his reaction.

Judge Morton nodded and winked at Preston.

“I then went to the diner in town and had a BLT for lunch and then went to McCarthy’s Pub for a couple beers. But I made sure to only have one beer an hour and I waited two hours after my last one. So, I wasn’t driving under the influence. When I got home, Preston was waiting for me and I received the razor strop in the woodshed.” Avery started to cry, a tear tracking down her cheek. “I’m really sorry, Judge Morton. I hope you can forgive me. I’ve been trying so hard since I’ve been here, and I disobeyed. I’m sorry.”

Avery dropped her head, staring at the carpet.

“You’re completely forgiven, Miss Avery. By the looks of that sore bottom, you’ve paid the piper — and then some. Preston has been very attentive with you. I see tremendous change, and I’m pretty sure your father will be as pleased as I am with your transformation.”

“Thank you, Sir. I’m hoping my father is pleased, but I’m more interested in what Preston thinks of my behavior. He’s what matters most.” Avery turned to look at Preston, grabbing his hand and kissing it.

Preston reached out, caressing her breast, testing the weight of it cupped in his palm. He bent low and kissed her forehead. “You please me more and more every day, Avery Rose.”

Chapter 15

Preston pulled up the driveway, amazed at the transformation of not only his house, but his life, and most of all, his Avery. The Christmas lights on the porch gave a warm glow and made him feel… domestic. He loved coming home to a warm, soft — and preferably naked —woman in his house. Loved the smell of homemade food cooking in his kitchen. Loved that she had learned submission so beautifully, that she knelt many nights at the door waiting for him.

Christmas was only a week away and Avery’s sentence would be done in two weeks. The time had gone by so fast and yet, when he thought about it, it seemed as if she’d always been there, always been his. How had it only been six months? There were many days where he thought he wouldn’t last six months, that she would wear him down and he’d give up. But she’d been worth the effort. His consistent discipline, boundaries, rules and punishment had transformed the sassy, irresponsible brat into a reserved, responsible submissive that he would be proud to have on his arm at any function or BDSM club.

He couldn’t imagine not having her in his life every day, and he refused to allow it to happen. He wasn’t about to let her go now. She would be his by Christmas — he would make sure of it. He stepped up the front steps, the Christmas lights from the roof of the porch giving it a warm, holiday feel.

Entering the house, the smell of a spaghetti sauce greeted him, the aroma of garlic making him sigh. Avery wasn’t at the door naked though, and he tried to tamp down his disappointment.

Guess she can’t be naked at the door every night — dammit.

“Hey, Kitten, how are you?”

He wrapped his arms around her, turning her around and giving her a slow, languid kiss, their tongues dancing. The little imp snatched his tongue and sucked on it, hard. His cock immediately hardened, unable to hold back his groan as he swatted her bottom. “We’ll have none of that. Not when there is spaghetti to be eaten. I have my priorities.”

“Oh, all right. I’ll start serving your dinner, Sir.”

He watched her walk away in those tight jeans she favored. God, he loved her in those jeans. They cupped each cheek and the seam divided her cheeks beautifully. He just wanted to grab her and bite her or better yet rip them off her and take her on the kitchen counter.

Dinner. You have to eat dinner.

“Avery, we’ve been invited to a Breakfast with Santa function this coming weekend for the Children’s’ Cancer Center. I’d like you to come with me. I’m playing Santa and was hoping that you would be my elf.”

Preston waggled his eyebrows at her and winked.

“I’m not wearing some sexy elf costume in front of children. You can fu — forget it!”

“Nice catch, girlie. Of course it won’t be a sexy costume. Who do you think I am? Don’t answer that, I don’t want to know. You’ll be wearing an appropriate, normal elf outfit with leotards for the
children
, not for me. God, I’m a little mortified at your low expectations of me.”

“Preston don’t get all self-righteous, now. You know the outfits you’ve required me to wear. It was a normal assumption.”

“I guess. But you also know that I’m dressed appropriately every day in court and the office. I’d never put your reputation or mine at risk. So, now that you know what you’d be wearing, do you want to go?”

“I’d love to go! I love stuff like that.”

* * *

Avery looked at herself in the mirror one last time before she left the room. She was pretty sure she would have to fight Preston off her or he would rip her elf costume off, fuck her senseless, and make them late to the function. Her father was supposed to be at that same function and she was a little nervous about seeing him. She hadn’t seen him since the arrest, since her training with Preston. She hoped Judge Morton was right that her father would see a change in her. She was amazed at the transformation she saw in herself. She was no longer the same Avery who’d entered Preston’s historic mansion six months prior.

She was looking forward to meeting Nancy, Judge Morton’s wife. Avery hadn’t met anyone else who lived in a D/s relationship like she and Preston did, and she was very curious to meet someone else who played a kitty.

“Avery Rose, you need to get your bottom down here, now,” Preston shouted up from foot of the staircase. “We’re going to be late and it shouldn’t take this long to put on an elf costume.”

She hated when he did this. Why couldn’t he just wait like other men instead of giving her time limits?

“I’ll be down when I’m ready,” she shouted out from the bedroom door. “And not a minute before, Preston!”

“Unless you’d like to be paddled with your hairbrush in that bedroom, I suggest you straighten up that tone and get your backside down here.”

She quietly stomped her foot on the carpet. She’d learned the hard way that Preston could hear a foot being stomped on the floor upstairs. She also learned that he considered it a temper tantrum – and he never tolerated tantrums, The first time she’d done it, she’d been paddled in her bedroom and then sent downstairs, naked from the waist down, to sit on her spanking bench until he felt her mood had improved. Since then she made sure he didn’t know if she stomped her foot.

Making some last minute touches to her make-up, she made her way down the stairs, where Preston was waiting for her. He was dressed in jeans and a sweater, carrying the Santa suit in a garment bag.

He winked at her. “My. My. Look at the little vixen standing before me. Don’t you look adorable?”

Kissing her on the cheek, he helped her down the rest of the stairs, turning her and giving her bottom two hard swats.

“That’s for the sassy response you shouted down to me. Hopefully those handprints will remind you to mind your manners and your tongue today. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Now, let’s go and make some kids happy for Christmas.” Preston put her coat over her and they walked out into the night, snow just beginning to dust the ground.

* * *

Preston searched the room, finally finding Judge Morton talking with Avery’s father, Judge Beauchamp. He hoped that Avery would be on her best behavior today. Her father hadn’t seen her in a while and Preston was anxious to see how her father reacted to the changes in his daughter. Preston helped Avery out of her coat. “Let’s get this out of the way, girlie. We’ll talk with your father and then make our way to Pediatrics to get ready for the children to see Santa. Are you ready?”

Her big, beautiful eyes peered up at him, and she gave him an uncertain smile. “Yes, Sir.”

Preston put a hand in the small of her back and they made their way to the Judges. “Judge Morton, Judge Beauchamp? How are you both today?”

“Avery! I’m so glad to see you. I’ve missed you, sweetie.” Her father kissed her on the cheek and pulled her in for a tight embrace. Avery threw her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. There was something sweet in watching a woman with her father. There was a gentleness that couldn’t be faked if the relationship was good and true.

“Hi, Daddy. I’ve missed you too.”

“Your daughter has cleaned almost every room in my house and has the barn full – everything labeled and priced. I hope you come to the auction so you can see all the hard work she’s done.”

Preston pulled Avery in for a side hug, kissing her forehead.

“Of course, I will.” Judge Beauchamp’s eyebrows rose, and he looked from Preston to Avery. “So she worked all day and didn’t give you any trouble at all?”