Dark Love

21

Inara would have liked more time to try and calm herself but remembering her last episode with him on timing, she hurried to her parent's room and knocked on the door.

"Dad, mum, Lemuel is taking me out."

She hoped they couldn't hear the tremor she was fighting to keep from her voice.

"Enjoy your courtship." Her mum said.

"Chastely." her dad added.

"I love you." she said and hurried to the room Amara used as a studio. The door was open and her sister was engrossed at her canvas, replicating the picture of a lavender garden in sunset.

"Nice work. Lemuel is taking me out."

"Thanks. Great. Have fun." Amara said without turning. She was always concentrated when she worked.

"Thanks." Inara said and paused as her phone buzzed again with Lemuel's call. She picked it up and brought it up to her ear.

"Hello."

"What are you wearing?"

"Jeans and tee-shirt."

"I want you in a dress. Two minutes."

The call went off and Inara hastened back to her bedroom and changed into a simple straight knee-length orange chiffon dress she had lying in her wardrobe. She also wore long black leggings under the dress. Next, she slipped her legs into a pair of black slip-on canvas, stuck her phone into her multi-colored wallet on the table and headed out, her heart in her mouth.

As she hurried towards the car, she saw the passenger side door being swiftly pushed open from inside. Reaching the car, she pulled the handle wider with slightly shaky hands and let herself inside, overwhelmed by the jasmine scent he was wearing as she closed the door.

She noticed he was dressed in a dark brown, long sleeve blazer over a white tee-shirt and fitted black pants with his sneaker boots matching the color of his blazer. And he was just so handsome and scary at the same time.

He gave her a full perusal and her green, fearful eyes could only meet his hazel ones for a few seconds before they backed down and her mouth opened quickly in a rush to offer explanations.

"I... I was not the one that..."

"Shut your mouth." he said, silencing her. Then he just folded his arms and quietly studied her. Inara's hand tightened on her wallet and she cast her gaze upon the dashboard before her, her body, all tensed up as she felt his burning gaze all over her.

"I'm trying to see some of that courage you so blatantly displayed in sending me those images."

He was speaking slowly, calmly, letting each syllable sink in and it scared Inara more.

"It...it wasn't me that..."

"I said, shut your mouth."

Inara fell silent and he turned the key in the ignition, starting the car.

"Now this is how everything will play out. Eyes on me sweetheart, eyes on me."

Inara raised her eyes to meet his. And he knew that he loved looking into those long lashed green eyes of hers but he couldn't let that sway him from doing what he had decided to do to her.

"Good. Like I was saying, this is how everything will play out. I will take you to an apartment I plan to lease. And there, I will spank the hell out you with my belt."

Inara broke into soft fearful whimpers as he continued, ignoring her whimpering.

"Only after that will I try and listen to your explanations. Meanwhile, I want absolute silence in this vehicle while I drive."

Inara covered her mouth with her hands, fighting to contain her whimpers and fall quiet as he put on his sunglasses, started the car and zoomed off.

As buildings and other street sights whipped past her view, she prayed for traffic, anything to slow them down but it was practically a free way till he pulled up in front of a low fenced apartment surrounded with a well mowed lawn. Then he killed the engine before taking his sunglasses off.

"Well, here we are. You can let yourself out." he said, already exiting the car. He had thought her drilling would begin after their so-called wedding but she had dared him, lying about not having a bridal shower and then posting inappropriate pictures to him. He had no choice but to have her experience what he was capable of.

Inara's hand reached for the door handle, deliberately making her movements slow in order to delay the inevitable. Noticing that, he walked over to her side, opened the door and took her hand gently in his, helping her out of the car and shutting it.

Him being so gentle with her, knowing he was about to punish her was more than Inara could bear and she felt her hand quivering in his as he led her to the brawny front door of the house and let them in with a key that he retrieved from his pocket. Inara's eyes had already filled with tears as he pointed her to a shut door just inside the large airy living room which had sophisticated furnishings.

"Get in there." He said and then he was releasing his belt and folding it in half. Inara hurried inside the room which was fairly large with a table and chair, the only furniture inside.

Lemuel pushed the door open, belt in hand and she began to back away, feeling her legs quiver.

"Come here." He said, beckoning her forward.

"I swear, I didn't send those..."

"I said come here."

"Please I swear, I didn't..."

"For the last time Nara, shut your mouth." he said, heading straight for her and she began scurrying around the room, trying to escape him but he grabbed her in no time and before she knew it, she was trapped over his knee and couldn't move as she felt him push her dress away from her bum, revealing her leggings clad bottom.

"Please... please... please, I didn't send those..." she began pleading again before feeling her bum explode with pain from the first lash of his belt. And then she understood why he wanted her in a dress. Her jeans would have given her a bit of protection.

Inara cried out at the sting, powerless to do anything and from then on, he spanked her behind, until she was a sobbing mess. Then he released her, allowing her crumble to the ground. He sat halfway over the table and arranged the chair so that it was facing him.

"Get up and sit down."

Inara struggled to her feet, her bum on fire. It hurt so much that she couldn't help but place her hands on her burning backside, rubbing it and bawling like a child.

As the burning seemed to intensify, she began to jump up and down, trying to find any sort of relief. She already knew that she wouldn't be able to sit down because it would intensify the hurt. He let her do the fire dance for a while until, she stopped jumping and began shifting from one foot to the other, unable to stand still. She was still bawling but at this point he knew that the fire that had peaked on her bum was slowly lessening, giving her just a tiny bit of relief.

"Sit down Nara."

"If...If I sit, it's going to hurt more."

"That's the idea, Sweetheart. Sit down."

Inara's sobs increased.

"Please, it really hurts. I can't. Please, please have mercy." she pleaded. "Have mercy."

When he heard those desperate words in her plea have mercy, something touched his heart and he started to feel all the anger in him draining away. Then he closed in on her, feeling her tense but starting to relax as he enveloped her in his arms to give her some comfort. She continued to cry in his arms.

"I forgive you Nara. Your punishment is over for now, depending on how good your explanation is."