My Russian Master (Service & Submission Book 3) (14 page)

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the badge he held up for her. “God, I’m going to hate this.”

“No need to hate it. It is reminder to behave. That is all. Behave, and the camera is no problem.”

She sighed, pulling the badge out to look at the tiny camera embedding inside it. He could almost see the wheels turning in her pretty head.

“Do not try me, Caroleena!” He wagged his finger at her.

“What?” Her wide-eyed, innocent look was as sweet as it was fake. He wasn’t buying it.

“You know! Do not cover that camera. You will be paddled for that
after
your spanking for being inappropriate. I have nice big paddle in my bag. It will cover your whole bottom.” He glared at her. “Want to try it?”

“No! No, I don’t. Besides, you’re being paranoid. I wasn’t even thinking about that.” She jumped off the stool, waving at him. “I’m going to be late. Let me get Jason, and I’ll be leaving.”

“Behave!” He yelled after her as she fled from the room.

She’d be some work, but part of him delighted in her mischievous streak. He had a feeling that Caroleena didn’t get to play very often. He’d spar with her until she took things too far — then it would be time to correct her.

He had absolutely no problem drawing boundaries and keeping the gorgeous woman in line.

* * *

C
aroline slid into the backseat of her SUV, Jason closing the door after her. He climbed into the front seat, looking in the side mirror before pulling into the crazy Manhattan traffic.

“Did you have a good day, Caroline?”

“Yes. I’m going to be seeing Derek again soon, and I’m hoping…” She really didn’t want to share her concerns about her weight, or let Jason know that Derek had gotten under her skin. “Never mind.”

He frowned at her. “You know I don’t like answers like that, but since it’s Derek I can understand the frustration. You let me know when you need someone to have a ‘talk’ with that asshole.”

She smiled back at him. “I promise I will, Jason.”

Pushing aside her feelings about Derek, Caroline’s thoughts turned to what might happen once she got back home — to the waiting Maxim. Just thinking about him made her happy. He’d promised to let her feel his stubble tonight. Would he remember? She looked out onto the busy streets of New York City. So many people she passed were holding hands. Spring and love were in the air. It had been a long time since she’d felt happy, since she’d hoped that love might finally be within reach.

It’s too soon to be thinking like this. You have to slow down or you’ll scare him off!

She needed to get her head straight. Between her concern for losing weight, Derek the Snake, and speaking nicely to the staff, her thoughts were a chaotic jumble.

Caroline took a deep breath. She had blown up at Sammi this morning. Though she’d successfully smoothed it over later, her admin eventually laughing it off, would Maxim still spank her for it? She tried not to think about the prospect of another spanking tonight. Instead, she’d fantasized about his stubbled upper lip and chin buried in her pussy.

“Caroline, I’m talking to you. Are you sure you’re okay? You nervous about something?”

Jason eyed her suspiciously through his mirror.

“Yes… I’m fine. I’m just distracted — got so much to do tomorrow.” Outside her window, she saw kids skipping rope on the sidewalk. It would be nice not to have a care in the world, enjoying the simple pleasures of playing.

“Speaking of which, Maxim called me today and wanted to know if you were nice this morning. You know, polite and kind?” His eyes narrowed slightly. “What’s up with that?”

She definitely didn’t want to tell him about the new rules Maxim had decreed her. The last thing she needed was Jason telling Maxim about her misbehaviors.

“Nothing that I know of,” she lied, unable to stop herself from nibbling at her bottom lip. “He must have just been curious.”

“Uh huh.” He paused, watching her closely. Too closely. “Seems odd to me, but okay. Are you two trying to date yet?”

She couldn’t resist telling him she was so overjoyed. “Yes, as of this morning we’ve decided to try seeing one another.”

He gave her a wolfen grin. “That makes sense.”

She scrunched her nose at him. “What does that mean?”

“Men like Maxim and I have different standards for our women. We like their behavior to be above reproach — especially in public. You’re going to learn to restrain that tongue of yours, young lady.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s going to be like you are with Karen.” She paused, watching him grin again. He was so damned smug.

“Don’t even think about it,” Jason said, his eyes back on the road. “I can just feel you gearing up to tell me off with some of your trademark colorful vocabulary. If you push me too far though… I may have to ask Maxim to take you in hand.” He closed the darkened window between them, leaving Caroline speechless.

This is ridiculous!

Would Maxim actually listen to Jason? Probably. She wondered once more just what she’d gotten herself into.

They pulled into the garage, and she waited for Jason to open the door. He’d been such a stickler about her safety lately, so just in case he really was tempted to talk to Maxim, she decided not to push her luck. Not after her behavior today, anyway. The way things stood now, she’d consider herself lucky to get off with only a stern lecture.

“Let’s get you upstairs.” Jason grasped her elbow, walking her to the elevator. “I have some paperwork I have to pick up from my desk and then I get to go home and deal with my errant wife tonight. I already brought the kids to grandma’s house.”

“Wait... what? Karen’s in trouble?” She didn’t know why she felt surprised. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard of him going home to “deal with” his wife. And she’d heard many stories from Karen about the discipline sessions for things like speeding, going over budget, raising her voice at the kids, and numerous other offenses.

“Yes. That shouldn’t surprise you. My little wife can’t seem to stay out of trouble for more than a month at a time, it seems.” He clenched his jaw as he hit the elevator button repeatedly. “I walked into the house last night to find her on Social media — and dinner burning in a pan on the stove. She’d ‘forgot’ it was on. After tonight, she won’t turn a burner on and leave the kitchen again without her ass tingling.”

“Jason, things happen. People forget. I’m sure she didn’t do it on purpose.” She tried cajoling him to see reason — her reasoning.

He pulled his sunglasses off, eyebrows furrowed. “That’s how
fires
occur. Most fires happen by accident. People who haphazardly turn the stove on then get engrossed in their phone conversations, or they fall asleep, or in Karen’s case, got sidetracked with goddamn
Social media
.” He put his sunglasses back on.

“Well, I guess that’s true.”

“Of course it’s true! Social media, of all the things! She’s like a damn teenager. Well, she’s going to be spanked like she’s a bratty teenager tonight. She put not only herself, but her kids at risk — for a silly distraction.”

The door opened and they walked into her foyer. Without a word, Jason turned left toward his office. She took her shoes off, feeling a little concerned about Karen; she’d be sitting tenderly tomorrow. Walking into the kitchen, Caroline found Maxim sitting on a barstool — with no dinner waiting for her.

“Hi.” She tried sounding casual, but avoided eye contact.

“Strip. Hand me your badge.” He held his hand out for it.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

“Now.”

He looked so serious, a vertical line between his eyebrows, his gaze narrowed, lips a thin line.

“What? Why?”

Jason breezed into the room, obviously overhearing Maxim’s demand. “Sounds like someone else besides my wife is getting a good paddling tonight.” He patted Maxim on the shoulder as he walked by, opening the fridge to grab a cold bottled water. Walking over to stand in front of Maxim, Jason never took his eyes off Caroline. “What’d she do, my friend?”

“Why don’t you tell Jason why you’re going to receive my belt tonight, Caroleena?” Maxim leaned forward on the barstool, bracing his chin on his palm.

“You’re going to... I-I’m not sure what…” She tried to swallow down the lump in her throat. Could he be talking about what happened with Sammi that morning? She feared it might be something else — and that she’d receive not one, but two spankings.

“Oh. You aren’t sure? How about I show you.” Maxim reached for the laptop on the counter, opening it and turning it toward Jason. “Would you like to see what Caroleena did?”

“No,” Caroline said, hoping to stop this before things went any further. “He… has to go home. He said that he has to ‘deal with’ Karen tonight.”

Both men’s heads swiveled toward her, their hard gazes fixing her in place. Maxim spoke first. “First, I was not talking to you. You stand quietly.” He turned his attention back to Jason. “Your wife being punished too? What did she do?”

Jason frowned, shaking his head. “She had dinner over an open flame on the stove, and got distracted with Social media while her food started to burn.”

“Oh, hell! That is serious punishment.” Maxim whistled. “Yes, that would be sore little ass in my book.”

Jason nodded. “In mine too. She’ll be standing most of the day tomorrow — or lying on her belly in bed.”

“Come, Caroleena Leigh. Stand over here.” Maxim pointed to the floor between Jason and himself. She shuffled over reluctantly, wanting anything else but to stand between the two imposing disciplinarians. “Let’s show Jason what you did today, yes?”

“Do we really—”

“Yes. Stand quietly unless I ask you to speak. You speak again, will make you strip in front of Jason.” He hadn’t even looked at her as he spoke the words. He simply commanded… and she obeyed.

Maxim started the video on the laptop, both men watching in silence as if Caroline wasn’t standing right next to them. Sammi came into the hidden camera’s view. “Morning, Caroline.”

“What’s so good about it? Christ, I need a Starbucks. Here’s ten bucks.” She tossed the money over the counter, making Sammi scramble to catch it. “Go across the street and get me both a Venti and a Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte. With skim milk — no whipped cream.”

Sammi’s eyes widened, her back rigid as she stared in silence at her. Caroline had apparently been so angry at that moment that she hadn’t seen Sammi’s obvious reluctance to speak up. Watching it on video though, it was plain as day. “But… I thought Maxim didn’t want you drinking coffee with all that syrup and milk? Didn’t he—”

“Did I
ask
you what the fuck Maxim said? No, I didn’t. Get me my fucking coffee and keep your commentary to yourself.” Caroline watched herself pivot on her heel, and stalk toward her office. She spun back, facing Sammi again.

She stole a glance at Maxim, his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed as he watched the damning video. He liked Sammi. His watching this didn’t bode well for the health of her backside.

“And another thing,” Caroline said, her hands on her hips as she glared at her admin.

Caroline closed her eyes as she listened, knowing that what she was about to say on that video would have a direct influence on how sore her ass would be tomorrow.

“You may be all cute and skinny now, Sammi — because you have the time to work out and do all the right things. But I’ve seen pictures of you as a fat little girl, and I’m pretty sure that once you get married and pop out a couple kids, you may end up on a reality TV show for your weight. So, how about you just toddle off and get my coffee?”

Caroline watched as the camera focused on her office door opening, her desk coming into view. Then the camera went black.

At first, she didn’t even want to make eye contact with these strong, spanking men, but knew she had no choice. She looked at Maxim, his chocolate eyes seeming even darker, his nostrils flared, his baleful gaze boring into her.

“Wow.” Jason whistled shaking his head. “I think you’ll be sitting tenderly tomorrow too, Caroline. I knew you had that in you, but I’ve never witnessed it myself.” His jaw clenched, his hand twitching on the counter. “And you’re lucky I didn’t see that spectacle this morning. I think I might have paddled you on the spot. I love Sammi. She did
not
deserve that. At all.”

“Oh, Caroleena will be sorry girl, Jason. Trust me.” Maxim paused, and she found herself unable to stand still, shuffling her feet nervously. “I called Sammi after I witnessed your cruelty in this video.”

Oh, God! This won’t be good.

Maxim took a deep breath. “She was crying, Caroleena Leigh! I mean, out of breath, gasping for air, sobbing because she was running to get cup of coffee for you! The woman who made fun of her, made fun of how she looked as a
child
. You humiliated her! That poor little
zaychik
, hiccupping from crying so hard.”

He reached over, grasping her chin in his fingers so hard that she uttered a pained groan. She swallowed the pain down though, seeing those eyes now as dark as coal. “Keep your eyes on me when I lecture. Do not drop them again — or there will be consequences.”