Rescuing Rudi Read online

  “This is for lying,” he barked as his hand came down again and again.

  “Ow, ow, ow,” she cried, unable to believe how much her bottom was stinging with each resounding smack, the thin layer of cotton covering it not affording much protection. She wriggled, trying to get away, but he was too big and strong and had no trouble holding her firmly in place. Unable to bear the burning in her bottom as he continued to spank her relentlessly, her feet pedalled on the floor and she wailed, begging him to stop.

  He stopped, and grabbed hold of the legs of her knickers, pulling them up to expose her cheeks.

  “I don’t like liars,” he told her, now spanking a hard, fast tattoo on her bare flesh.

  “I’m sorry,” she pleaded swooning in a haze of torment. “I won’t lie again. I promise.”

  His hand stopped, but he held her tight and she held her breath waiting to see if it really was over. She could feel the muscles in his body hard and taut and hear his laboured breathing. She kept as still and quiet as possible apart from a tiny sporadic sob, unwilling to do anything that might bring on another flurry of spanking.

  At last, she felt him relax and heard his breathing return to normal.

  “Pull your pants up,” he ordered her, releasing his hold, and watching her while she pulled her tights up. When she’d organised herself, he pulled her into his arms, one hand dropping to gently rub her tender bottom.

  “Are you cross with me for spanking you?” he asked against her hair.

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “What am I going to do with you?” he whispered so quietly to himself that Rudi wasn’t sure if that was what he’d really said.

  But “Throw me on your bed and make love to me” was what she wanted to answer if she’d heard him right. She pictured his neat bed mussed up, the doona in a heap, the pillows on the floor from passionate lovemaking, and felt her nipples harden against his chest and the blood rush to the swollen wet heat between her thighs.

  As if he’d felt it too, he suddenly pushed her away.

  “You’d better get to the gym now,” he said gruffly. “You’re late. You’ve had one spanking for lying, I don’t think you want one for being late as well, do you? But I think you and I need to have a very serious discussion later. Not during work time, though. You will go to your room straight after dinner, and we can have a talk there and decide what we are to do about you.”

  “But…” she began, her mouth dry and her heart beating furiously at the thought that he might tell her she had to leave.

  “We are not discussing it now. Just do as you are told. Go and do your exercise. If you hurry, you’ll have time to get back, have a quick breakfast, shower and get dressed and be at work on time, or you’ll be bent over your desk for another bottom warming before you start work. I suggest you get a move on.”

  Rudi could see there was nothing to be achieved by arguing, and she could well just make it worse. He hadn’t demanded she pack immediately which she had to hope was a good sign. Maybe if she just apologised as sincerely as she could and promised never to pry again, he would forgive her and things would go back to the way they were.

  Arriving at her desk after breakfast, with not a moment to spare, her best option, she knew, was to be as well behaved as she could possibly be all day. Denver, or Todd, rather, had a system of index cards on which he kept various pieces of information, but they were in dire need of updating and he seemed grateful to have Rudi to do it for him so he could concentrate on just getting on with writing his next manuscript.

  He had set up a work station for her at a small table, and although her mind kept racing back to remember him spanking her panty-clad bottom earlier that morning and forward to imagining how their ‘discussion’ might go later that evening, she managed to keep her head down and her mouth shut. Had she wrecked everything? Would finding her in his private room be more than he was willing to put up with? Would tonight be her last night here?

  He was pleasant and friendly for the rest of the day, but although he chatted normally to her, it was only about practical matters like their work and meals.

  As they cleaned up after dinner that evening, Rudi felt herself becoming more and more anxious about what was to come.

  “Right then,” he said tightly when the kitchen was spotless, and Rudi couldn’t pretend there was anything else that needed doing. “Come along then.”

  As she followed on jelly legs that threatened to collapse beneath her, he led her out of the kitchen and into her room.

  “Come here,” he ordered, standing near the corner of the room.

  She walked up to him and flinched as he turned her around, thinking for a moment he was about to lift her skirt up and spank her again. Instead, he just positioned her in place, so she was standing in the corner, facing the wall.

  “What?” she began turning to look at him in surprise when she realised what he’d done.

  “Yes,” he grinned at her surprise. “You are standing in the corner like a very naughty little girl. Well,” he raised both eyebrows questioningly, “don’t you think that’s exactly what you are, sneaking into my room and prying through my things?”

  “I…” Rudi began, but what could she say? She couldn’t really deny it as he had caught her red-handed and lying only resulted in her being red-bottomed as well!

  “Yes, sir,” she whispered miserably, humiliated and ashamed.

  “Good. At least we both agree on that. Now you will stand here and think about what you’ve done and what should be done with you as a consequence. I have some things to do, but I will be back in a while for our discussion. In the meantime, you are not to move at all, and believe me I will know if you have. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Say it.”

  “I am to stay here until you come back and not move, sir.” Her mouth was dry, and her voice squeaked.

  “Good, that’s clear, so there’ll be no argument if I come back and discover you’ve moved?”

  “No, sir.”

  “And what else?”

  “Think about what I’ve done.”

  “Which is?”

  “Going into your room without permission,” she whispered, her teeth chattering and her throat so tight and numb she could barely speak at all.

  “And what else do you have to think about?

  “What you are going to do with me?” Her heart constricted so violently at the thought that he was going to send her away that she swung around involuntarily to look at him with wide, frightened eyes. He didn’t speak, just looked at her sternly and gave his head a little shake, a silent scolding for moving out of the place he had put her with her nose to the wall.

  She turned miserably back into position. Maybe he was going to tell her she was no longer welcome, but her best chance of convincing him not to do that was to not upset him any further and that meant standing here with her nose pressed into the corner until he came and told her she could move.

  She heard him go through the door and shut it behind him, leaving her to try and sort out her thoughts. What did he say she had to think about? What she’d done and what was to be done with her?

  Well, really, she’d not done anything so bad, surely? She’d just peeked into his room. What did he have to hide? What harm had she done? She hadn’t broken anything – she hadn’t even touched anything, and she certainly hadn’t stolen anything. Really, he was making a mountain out of a molehill, she decided.

  What was to be done with her? She’d already had a spanking that morning for lying, then she’d been anxious all day waiting for this evening and was now being humiliated by having to stand in the corner like a naughty little girl. Really, she thought, even if she had done anything that bad, and she didn’t believe she had, she’d already been punished for it.

  She could apologise as many times as he wanted and promise never to do it again; that should cover it she decided. Right. She’d thought about what she’d done and what should be done with her, as h
e’d requested, and now her thoughts turned to what she’d seen in the room.

  She hadn’t had time for more than a quick glance, but she was fairly certain of what was in there—his wife’s things. He said he’d been a widower for seven years; that seemed like a long time to keep his wife’s clothes and possessions and not move on with his own life. The more she thought about what she already knew about Denver Bane, the more she was convinced that he hadn’t properly begun a new life on his own.

  She wished he’d hurry up and come. Maybe she could get him to talk about it.

  But he didn’t come. Rudi started to get bored. She was sick of standing uncomfortably, staring at a stupid blank wall. Her feet were going to sleep, and she didn’t want to play this game anymore.

  She could get her phone. She turned her head a fraction and could see it on her bedside table. It would only take about three quick steps to grab it and three back. Should she risk him coming back while she was out of the corner? Yes! She decided. One… two… Oh! She heard a noise. He’s coming!

  Her ears straining for any sounds from outside her room, her body quivering with tension, she waited for the door to open. But it didn’t. The noise, whatever it had been, stopped. But the moment to get her phone had passed. She was sure he would return the very minute she moved.

  She was getting tired. It felt like she’d been standing there for hours, and she didn’t like it. Why was she doing it, she asked herself? And what about him? Who made someone else stand in a corner? He’s obviously some kind of weirdo, she told herself. And she’d been living with him! She was safer on the streets. She should probably grab some stuff and jump out the window before he came back. Who knew what he was going to do? Her bottom tingled as a reminder of what he’d already done. Why would she want to hang around with a guy who spanked her and made her stand in the corner? She didn’t!

  But she did.

  She really did.

  The way her throat constricted, and her heart dropped when she imagined not living with Denver made that very clear. And although she sort of remembered not liking it when he spanked her, it was a fuzzy memory, while the memory of him pulling her onto his knee afterwards and holding her close against his chest with his big strong arms wrapped around her was crystal clear and as warm and snug as if it was happening this very minute.

  And this time the noise she heard really was him returning. Adrenalin pumped through her body as she awaited her fate. She would do whatever he said, she promised herself, anything, so long as he didn’t send her away. She would tell him how much she wanted to stay. She would beg him if necessary. She would tell him he didn’t need to keep his wife’s things anymore because she, Rudi, was here to look out for him now.

  “Rudi.” His voice was calm. “Come here, please.”

  She turned and saw him standing in the middle of the room, his face blank. She couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. The only sign he was feeling anything was a small movement in his cheek as though he was grinding his teeth together.

  Slowly she crossed the floor to him. The tension in her body filling her so much it threatened to spill over in laughter and she desperately didn’t want that to happen. She kept her eyes down at the floor. She could have as easily looked into the sun at that moment as into his eyes.

  She stopped when she saw his shoes.

  “Have you had time to think?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “Answer me, please, Rudi.”

  “Yes, sir,” she whispered.

  He reached out and took hold of her hand. A bolt shot through her at his touch and she almost stumbled as he led her to the bed and sat down, pulling her down beside him.

  “Look at me, Rudi.”

  She glanced up, but her chest was so full she couldn’t breathe or swallow. She felt sure she was about to choke, and quickly looked down again.

  “I’m very disappointed, Rudi,” he said quietly, his words ripping through her heart like a knife blade. Tears welled in her eyes. Anger she could deal with, no problem, but disappointment was gutting.

  “I’m sorry,” she blurted mournfully. “I didn’t do anything bad, really. I just looked. I wasn’t going to steal or anything. I would never steal from you. Honest. And it’s not like I broke anything.”

  “You broke my trust, Rudi, and trust is a very precious thing. That’s what this is about: trust. Not things.”

  “No,” she moaned. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Please don’t be mad at me.” She felt so alone, so alienated, and it was horrible. She wanted to be on his knee, snuggled up against his chest.

  “I’m not mad, Rudi. I’m disappointed. I trusted you, and now I don’t know if I can trust you or not. It’s not a nice feeling.”

  “No, please, sir.” She turned to him in anguish. “You can trust me. I promise. Please don’t send me away. Please.”

  She felt him stiffen and was terrified she’d gone too far.

  “You must leave soon, Rudi; we both know that. I was going to let you stay a bit longer, but now I wonder if this would not be a good time for you to move on.”

  The colour drained from Rudi’s face, and she started shivering so hard she could barely speak.

  “But where will I go?”

  “I have some friends I can call on. I’m sure one of them will be able to give you a job for a while. We can find you a room in a share-house. That should keep you going until you get back on your feet.”

  “Do you want me to go?” she whispered.

  He paused. She held her breath. When he spoke, she was sure she’d heard a catch in his voice.

  “No.” Her heart rose, but he went on quickly as though needing to cover himself. “But you have to soon enough. As I’ve already told you, I’ve enjoyed you being here. I’ve been alone a long time and it’s been fun having someone else around. And you are fun, Rudi. You make me laugh; you make me do things I haven’t done in a long time.”

  He didn’t say it, but she was sure he was talking about the pool.

  “I’ve enjoyed having you in the office with me, and you’ve really been a great help. You’re efficient and useful. That’s why I’m sure I can find a job for you somewhere when you leave.”

  “I don’t want to go.” They felt like the hardest words Rudi had ever had to force out. “Please don’t make me go. I’m sorry I went into your room. I shouldn’t have. I was just curious.”

  “But my private life is just that, Rudi. Private. Just like yours is. I promised not to pry into your life: who you are, where you came from, why you were living on the streets, why you threw yourself under my car, and I haven’t, have I?

  Miserably, she shook her head. “But you could,” she wanted to say, “I’ll tell you everything.” But the truth was she didn’t want him to know her miserable story. She was sure he’d definitely throw her out if she told him the truth and she didn’t want to lie to him, so she said nothing.

  “So,” he said finally after a long pause. Her heart stopped. He put his finger under her chin and tilted her face up, so she had to look at him. “What are we to do now?”

  “Please don’t make me go,” she begged him again, then seeing him flinch and remembering he’d said she would have to go eventually quickly added, “yet.”

  “And haven’t I already been punished?” she said boldly, remembering what she’d thought about while waiting for him. “I stood in the corner for ages and ages and,” the words were so hard to say she looked down at her lap, “you spanked me this morning,” she finally managed to squeeze out, blushing furiously.

  She heard him chuckle and glanced quickly up to see him grinning gently at her. He nodded.

  “I did, but that was for lying, not prying.”

  “Couldn’t you just spank me again, then?” She couldn’t believe what she’d just said. She didn’t think she’d ever even uttered the word ‘spank’ before today, and here she was just about begging this man she’d only known for a couple of weeks to spank her.

  She was
sure his body had tensed at her words, but she didn’t dare look at him. For what seemed a very long time, he didn’t answer, and when he finally did Rudi was surprised to hear a tension in his throat causing an unusual hoarseness in his voice.

  “I could.” Rudi didn’t know whether to feel glad that she might not have to leave or dismayed that she would have to submit to another spanking. Now that it might be real, she wasn’t as convinced a spanking was the lesser of the two evils!

  “But,” her heart sank as Denver went on, his voice still thick; this couldn’t be good, “as this is such a grave issue, it would have to be a more formal discipline. I would need you to prove to me that I can trust you by willingly submitting to a more serious punishment than you have had so far.”

  As all sorts of bizarre and horrifying images raced through Rudi’s brain, she recoiled. “Oh!”

  He chuckled again and took her hand. She looked at him in surprise and saw again the tenderness in his eyes.

  “Rudi,” he said softly, gently rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. “Believe me, I would never do anything to really harm you. Yes, a hard spanking is designed to sting your bottom and teach you a lesson, but not do any lasting damage. And there are other ways to increase the severity of a punishment apart from how much it stings your bottom. But I will never force you to do anything. You have to submit willingly.

  “This whole issue is about trust. If you agree to be spanked for prying into my room, that will be an act of trust on your part: that you trust me to be firm but fair. And you will also be demonstrating to me that you understand how you broke my trust by your actions, that you understand it isn’t something which can be just overlooked, and that I can trust you to not do it again.”

  “You can. I won’t,” Rudi insisted again.

  “Are you saying you are choosing to be properly disciplined for your actions rather than leave?” His voice sounded so strange, so tight, Rudi looked at him, and felt her heart melt. His face was so beautiful she wanted to reach up and stroke his cheek, his parted lips so delicious-looking she wanted to press her own against them and savour their salty sweetness, and his soft brown eyes so sadly earnest as they searched hers, she wanted to pluck out her heart and hand it to him.