Eyes of Dominance

Lexi paced in her living room, furtively glancing at the time on her phone. Caleb said he would be there around six o’clock; she had less than fifteen minutes to prepare herself. She cursed herself for not choosing a later date that allowed time to consider his idea more thoroughly. She thought that a longer wait would have been torture, but a single night to mentally prepare was almost as anxiety inducing. Wasn’t that antithetical to the point of this? But then, either way she would have built this up in her mind. Better to get it over with as quickly as possible, before she could psych herself out. 

“Fuck!” she cried as she absentmindedly stubbed her toe on the chair set against the wall in the living room. She had been too focused on her phone and conflicted thoughts to remember its presence; after all, it was there by request, not by nature. She had considered debating with him the need for the chair, wouldn’t the couch or her bed work better? But arguing with him didn’t seem like the wisest choice, considering what he was on his way to do to her. In around ten minutes, if he wasn’t running late.

Why did she agree to this again? Lexi rubbed her pulsing toe, then flopped down onto the nearby couch cushion, opening her phone once again. She quickly scrolled up and through the messages from last night, the ones that led to her current predicament. It was her fourth time this hour reading through the conversation. Though it hardly distracted her from his ever impending arrival, it did pass the time and serve to remind her that she was the one to agree to this, no matter how she currently felt.

Caleb was… well, a friend would be somewhat accurate, though didn’t really cover the extent of it. An ex didn’t feel exactly right either; they had only been an item for a short couple months, if one could even call it dating. But the time they spent together certainly left an imprint on both of them, even if Lexi tried her hardest to deny it. They had been through their ups and downs since then, and had settled on something approaching good if distant friends. Lexi would often text Caleb in times of stress and hardship, and he was always an empathetic listener who seemed to enjoy her dumping her drama at him.

Last night had started off in much a similar vein. Lexi had been swamped with anxiety and stress for the past few months, and had been messaging Caleb about her various woes. 

Lexi: It fucking sucks, dude! I didn’t even do anything, he just decided to go off on me for no reason! Like deadass, I thought we were fine, and then he sent me that shit out of nowhere. I’m so done with these guys…

Caleb: I can imagine. I’m sorry that happened to you. 

Lexi: It's whatever. I can’t really even afford to be stressed about it. Like everything has just been too much recently. Between work, dating, and everything else, I can’t ever relax mentally. I’m not built for this… at all.

It was true, to say that Lexi was stressed would be an overstatement. That’s not to say that her life was in shambles; she had her own place, a good if tiresome job, and a few close people that cared about her. Responsibility was a strong suit of hers; however much she despised it, she was good at treading water. That didn't mean it wasn't exhausting, and she was nearing the end of her rope.

Perhaps that was part of what drew her to Caleb initially. Sure, he could be neurotic in his own ways, and his life was not as grounded as hers on a surface level. But he had a sense of calm and mental order about him that she found comforting and safe. He was someone that was content in his own unconventional ways, and that sort of internal stability was something she often craved. Of course, when they were dating, he fulfilled her craving for stability in another way, but that was something best not brought up for the emotions it stirred in her.

Caleb: That's not true. Sure, things suck right now, but it's not a permanent situation. You've gotten this far on your own merits. Better days are out there eventually.

Lexi: I mean, you’re not totally wrong. But like, it's literally killing me at this point. I don't want to have all this stress and shit hanging over me all the time. It’s beyond exhausting. I need some sort of relief. Like a vacation, but for my soul.

Caleb: I see. It’s unfortunate we aren’t still a thing; I’d have a few ideas on how to remedy that situation.

Lexi rolled her eyes, much like she did when first receiving that message. She had been the one to end things between them. She had given many reasons at the time, but the truth was that she just wasn’t in a good place in her life for that kind of relationship with him. She knew he still harbored feelings for her, but aside from the occasional joke or self deprecating comment, he was usually respectful of the situation. She normally responded to such a comment with a roll of her eyes or wry smile before changing topics, but on this night she was feeling a bit daring and combative. After a moment of consideration, she had decided to be cheeky and push back.

Lexi: Oh? And how exactly would you plan on doing that?

She remembered sitting back and patiently waiting for a reply; she assumed he was debating whether or not it was worth committing to this conversation. But after a few minutes, her screen lit up, and she recalled the bubbling nerves in her gut when she saw his response.

Caleb: Well, you always mellowed out after a trip over my lap, regardless of how strung out you were beforehand. Perhaps that might be effective at the moment.

Lexi blushed as her eyes ran over the words. Caleb and her certainly didn’t have a conventional relationship. They shared a mutual interest in the kinkier kind of relationships, both in and out of the bedroom. For the short time they were together, Lexi was subject to a mutually written collection of rules, as well as his personal whims. Failure to meet either to a satisfactory degree earned her punishment, usually a long and hard bare bottom spanking.

She had felt her chest tighten at the thought. Just thinking about the “S” word could elicit a reaction from her in the right context. She remembered feeling embarrassed and put on the spot by his suggestion, but determined to not let it show, she had answered back with a healthy dose of sass.

Lexi: Really… that’s your solution? First of all, I haven’t done anything wrong; why exactly would I need to be punished? Doesn’t make any sense to me…

Caleb: Well, as I’m sure you recall, punishment wasn’t the only reason you ended up over my knee.

Lexi had bit her lip. It was true; she had been spanked as a prelude to sex almost as much as she was for punishment during their short relationship. She mused that her butt spent more time tinged red than not. But it never failed to excite her, regardless of the context.

Lexi: True. But I hardly see why that sort of “activity” would help me out now, any more than sex normally would. Unless you’re using my emotional pain and suffering as a way to hit on me, which seems in poor taste.

Caleb: As if I ever needed a reason to hit on you. But no, that’s not the kind of spanking I’m referring to either.

Lexi: Sureeee. Well, feel free to enlighten me.

She remembered feeling anxious waiting for his responses. There was something nostalgic and dangerous about this conversation. She knew it would only lead to trouble, and she would be proven right, but she couldn’t help but indulge.

Caleb: Well, I’m sure you know that some people find spanking to be therapeutic, regardless of whether it’s for discipline or sex. Just the act itself can relieve tension and stress for those so inclined.

Lexi: So, like a maintenance kind of thing? We never did that before… is this your idea of an invitation?

Caleb: Some people do it as maintenance, yes, but others as needed. It’s a way to get the benefits of a spanking without all the hang ups/expectations around discipline or sex. As for whether it was an invitation, I certainly have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m merely spitballing ideas with a dear friend.

She rolled her eyes, just as she had last night. He knew just how to get under her skin with his insinuations, how to suggest and tease with just enough plausible deniability.

Lexi: Okay, “dear friend;” why exactly do you think it would have any effect or benefit for me? It’s been quite a while since I’ve had that kind of relationship, after all.

Caleb: Well, that’s in part why I think it’d help you. You said it yourself; you’re exhausted having to shoulder all your responsibilities on your own. And you sometimes tend to bottle things up until they become a problem. Now, I don’t know if things have changed since we were together, but I highly doubt it. And back then, you benefited immensely from having someone else take charge, and let you have the freedom to just feel and exist in the moment. Spankings always seemed to be a good emotional release for you. Even after a punishment, you always appeared happier in the days afterwards.

Lexi: Do have to pay you by the hour too? I can’t afford two therapists. Okay Mr. Psychoanalyst, lets assume that’s true. That still leaves me in quite the predicament; I’m still single and have no one that I trust enough to try that with. I can’t really bring all of this up with some vanilla dude either.

Caleb: That is indeed quite the pickle…

She had groaned in frustration. Enough with the evasive games. She decided to call him on it.

Lexi: Y’know, if you have something to say, you can say it.

Caleb: Well, that might constitute an invitation. One that might jeopardize our friendship should I make it.

Lexi: Go for it, bud.

Caleb: Well, your statement about not having anyone in your life that you can trust with this kind of thing and isn’t vanilla isn’t exactly true, is it?

Lexi: Really? How convenient for me… And who might that be?

She had watched the small animation of him typing with bated breath. She knew what he was going to say, but the anticipation tortured her all the same.

Caleb: Well, my services are always available, should you have need of them.

And there it was. She remembered leaning back and putting her phone down for a moment. She had thought about just how long it had been since he felt a firm hand across her backside. It shouldn’t sound as appealing as it did. But Lexi couldn’t deny that having someone physically wresting control from her and taking charge, if only for a little while, was a tempting proposition. And here was an open opportunity. Still, she couldn’t be too hasty in her choice. She had picked up the phone, smirking to herself as she began her response.

Lexi: Hmm… I feel like that might complicate what we have going on right now, though. After all, we haven’t had that kind of relationship for years. Not sure that it’s worth the risk to our current situation.

Caleb: Well, that’s entirely up to you. You know that I am open to any kind of relationship you are comfortable with. Whether that’s worth changing is completely on you. 

Lexi: I mean, I’m not completely against it, but I may need more convincing. After all, you might just be trying to get me out of my pants. 

Caleb: I would never.

Lexi: Uh huh. So what might this entail? If it’s not a punishment or for sex, what exactly do you propose happen?

Caleb: Well, it would be a punishment level spanking, or just under one in severity. This wouldn’t be for you to enjoy, it’s for emotional and mental release. 

She cringed. As hot as she found being spanked erotically, punishments were no laughing matter. Lexi was not a weepy sort of girl, but a real spanking could often pushed her to her limits. However, that sort of accountability for behavior had alway made her feel the most cared for after the fact. Still, that didn't mean it wasn't intimidating.

Lexi: That sounds scary. How’s that supposed to help me relax and decompress? Just imagining gives me anxiety.

Caleb: Well, it's mainly to let you explore your emotions in a safe environment. The spanking is to put you in the right headspace, where you aren’t in control or worried about what else is happening in your life. Just you feeling what you have to in the moment. If you just need the shock to your system, then that's fine. Or if you’d like me to act beyond that; take the lead and control from you for the day as well, I can do that too. The suggestion is quite open to your specific needs.

Lexi: And would this be a one off thing, a scheduled thing, or as needed?

Caleb: Again, that’s entirely up to what works for you.

Lexi: Y’know, for someone talking about “freeing me from my responsibilities,” you sure are leaving a lot of this plan up to me…

Caleb: Well, that’s because you haven’t given me consent to make the choice for you. I certainly have my opinion, but I’m not going to push that on you without you asking. That’s not really being dominant, that’s being controlling.

She sighed. Maybe he had a point, even if it annoyed her.

Lexi: Fair enough. Fine, you’re free to say whatever. 

Caleb: For someone like you, I feel  regular maintenance, once every week or two, would be most beneficial. Something regular for you to “look forward to” and help regulate your mood. That would of course be after a test session to see how it works for you. 

Lexi: Hmm. And when would this test session be?

Caleb: As early as is convenient for us both. From my memory, you don’t like to have to wait while a spanking hangs over your head, so I’d imagine it would be soon after making a decision.

Lexi: Sounds about right.

For a few minutes, neither of them replied. She knew Caleb wanted her to ask for herself, but Lexi really didn’t want to be the person to make the choice. She knew what she wanted, but asserting it meant that she was responsible for whatever followed. So an uneasy tension fell as no message was sent between them for over ten minutes. Lexi was worried that he was going to really wait until she proposed it herself, and she started fumbling her way around multiple draft texts confirming her interest. But as if sending her mounting trepidation, Caleb graciously broke the deadlock.

Caleb: Well, what do you think? Is that something you think would be helpful to try?

The moment of truth fell upon her. The question that would decide the fate of her rear end. Lexi hurriedly texted back, not wanting to overthink it.

Lexi: I suppose we could give it a shot.

She had breathed deeply, relief washing over her. It was decided. And yet, Caleb couldn’t let her get off that easy.

Caleb: I’m gonna need something a little more definitive than that. If we’re going to try this, then I need very clear consent. Is this something you want to try?

Lexi: Fineeeeee. Yes, it is something I'd like to try.

Caleb: Okay. Then the next thing to do would be setting a date to test it out. When would you be free for that?

Lexi considered her schedule. She did not have many free days coming up, and did not want to wait until next week for a good opportunity. There was one other day she could guarentee being home, what other option did she really have?

Lexi: How’s tomorrow sound? You know I hate waiting.

Caleb: That works for me.

A knock on the door shook her from her reading. She glanced at the time, two minutes before six. She had lost track of time reliving last night, and promptly felt unprepared for him to be here. Not that she was; his only request was a straight back chair be placed in the living room. Nothing else was required on her end other than to be spanked, but she felt put on the spot all the same. Still, she couldn’t leave him waiting at the door given what he was here to do to her, so she trudged her feet up to the front door and opened it. 

Caleb stood there, hair pulled back into a loose bun, with a bottle of wine tucked under his arm. She waved him in, and he gave her a polite smile as he followed her into the apartment. 

“What’s the bottle for?” she questioned. It was hardly the best greeting or most pertinent thing to ask, but she needed to start somewhere.

“Oh, well I figured it would help loosen nerves beforehand, or maybe after, depending on the order of things” he answered, hanging up his jacket on the nearby hook. Lexi thought she saw what looked like a handle poking out of the inner pocket, but her view was obstructed before she could get a clear look. He walked past her towards the kitchen, placing the bottle on the countertop. If he saw the chair set out for him, he made no comment or it.

Lexi plopped back down on the couch and fidgeted with her wristbands. How did one even begin to address something like this? She decided to be brave, and tackle it head on.

“So, how’s this exactly going to work?” she asked as casually as she could muster. 

Caleb glanced over his shoulder at her. “Straight to business, I see. I suppose this will be for later.” He pushed the wine bottle back and walked back into the living room, sitting down on the opposite side of the couch. 

“I mean, like, we don’t HAVE to start right away” she backpedaled. “I know we talked about it a lot last night, but I’m just confused on a couple things.”

“Ask away then” he said with a slight smile, hands folded in front of him patiently.

“Well, I guess the main thing I want to establish is what this… arrangement would mean for us, as friends.”

“I’m not sure I follow” he replied. 

“Well like, I’m not sure what you want to classify this kind of situation as, and I don’t want there to be any confusion as to what ‘this’ is” she explained.

He leaned back, considering his answer. “Okay. Well, obviously you know how I feel about you. I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But I’m okay with whatever you need our relationship to be. If this stays platonic, or as platonic as it can be, anyway, then that's fine. If it develops past that into something more, than that's fine too. I only want what you’re willing to give.”

Lexi bit her tongue nervously, feeling conflicted.

“Okay, I just don’t want you to go into this with the expectation of sex or a relationship or anything. Shit is crazy enough at the moment. Right now I just need the relief; I can’t give any promises beyond that.”

“That’s fine by me” he answered evenly. “Whatever you are comfortable with.”

“That’s good” she sighed. She scuffed her foot against the carpet, looking anywhere but him. “Soooo, am I gonna get a list of rules again? How does discipline factor into this?” 

“Let’s start with just the maintenance sessions first” he smiled. “I don’t want to overload you with more than that to begin with. We’ll see if this works out, then talk about discipline.”

“Uh huh” she hummed, trying to distract herself from the fact that they were discussing the fate of her rear end. “If this works out, of course. I’m still not entirely sure it will. After all, aren’t spankings something to be avoided? Not sure how that’s supposed to ‘mellow me out’ as you said last night.”

“And yet you agreed to try it out anyway” he countered with a knowing smirk. “So clearly the idea has you intrigued, despite your protesting. You have to have some belief that it could help.”

She sighed dramatically and shrugged. “Hey, I’m down to try anything at this point. I’m just saying that there’s no guarantee it’ll do anything other than cause me undeserved pain. I'm just trying to be realistic.”

“Well, if it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t work. I’m just trying to help you find a solution to your stress problem in the best way I can.”

“Yup” she deadpanned. “Couldn’t imagine you having any ulterior motives here, at all.”

“I don’t know what you could possibly be insinuating” his smirk crept into a sly smile, and she rolled her eyes and turned away in an attempt to hide the blush creeping onto her cheeks. Not wanting to look at him directly, she got up and strode quickly to the kitchen, opening the wine bottle and pouring herself a small glass. If this was the way tonight was going to go, she might need a bit of inebriation.

While she was getting her drink, Caleb continued to speak, as if calling after her. “If that’s all the questions you have, then I’d like to establish a ground rule of my own.”

“Go ahead” she waved her hand dismissively as she screwed the top back onto the cheap bottle and took a deep sip of the liquid, before returning to her seat with a fresh poker face.

“Well, it concerns my role in all of this, and my personal expectations” he started. “I’m not so presumptuous to declare myself your dominant, but I will be essentially acting as such during these potential sessions. That means I expect to be treated with the respect you would show me were I to carry that title. Probably more than that, given your past behavior.”

“Okay okay okay, let’s not dredge up past mistakes” Lexi quickly interjected. She was not exactly the most well behaved partner when they dated, and her butt often paid the price for her insolence.

Caleb arched an eyebrow, then continued. “I may not be your full time dominant, but during the session I want you to obey my directions as if I am. I don't see this working very well if you don't agree to cede control to me for the duration."

“The session…” Lexi echoed. “Do you just mean the, y’know… that, or like, the whole time you’re here?”

“Starting off, the former” he answered, “though in time I would like for you to treat the whole of it as an opportunity to decompress and let me take control.”

“Hmm…” she hummed to herself. “If this is gonna work for me, then I don’t mind doing that from the start. I get that you don’t want to do too much too fast, but this isn't the first time I’ve been in a similar position. I can handle it.”

He nodded appreciably. “Noted.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, then gave her a slight smile. “I suppose that’s all I really have to say, as far as ground rules and expectations go. Everything else we discussed last night or will be handled if or when it comes up.”

“Cool” Lexi gave him a sarcastic thumbs up and drank from her glass again. She was well aware that there was not much left to do but go through with it. And despite the fact that she agreed to this, her nerves were starting to get the better of her. Her detached sass was her only remaining buffer between him and her anxiety. 

Caleb ignored her attitude, watching her with careful eyes. He looked to be deep in thought, but before she could pester him about it, he lightly clapped his hands together. “Well, if that’s all settled, then we’re good to begin. Stand up, please.”

Lexi’s heart leapt into her throat, and she nearly choked on her wine. “R-right now?” she sputtered. “I don’t really think we need to do it right this minute. Can’t I get some time to, I don’t know, loosen up and prepare myself?”

“If I thought that would work, then maybe I’d agree” he replied. “But I can see how wound up you are, and it’s equally likely that you’ll chicken out the longer we wait.”

“You don’t know that though” she whined, her voice familiarly petulant. “I’ve really only had one night to process this. Plus, it’s been a few months since we’ve seen each other. There's a lot to catch up on. It’s a little awkward to go straight into… y’know.”

“You had all day to prepare yourself as well. You were the one that picked today, not me.” Caleb said, his tone becoming much more authoritative. It reminded her of all the times she had been in trouble before, and her stomach started to twist. “We’ve got plenty of time to catch up afterwards. I’d rather get this done before you start catastrophizing and make yourself a nervous wreck. I won’t force you if you really need some time, but I get the sense that you’re just trying to prolong things.”

She bit her lip and shifted in her seat. “No… maybe? Its just been a while, okay? I just… I mean… it's a lot to...” she stumbled over her words, trying to find a good reason to delay. There wasn’t a good one that readily came to mind, but that didn’t mean that she was ecstatic to begin. She hadn’t really grappled with the fact that this was going to be spanking until now, and that fact now hung over her like a guillotine preparing to fall. 

Caleb waited patiently as she tried to find words to dissuade him. Then he spoke softly, but directly.

“You just agreed that I would be in control for the duration of the session, from the moment I arrive to the moment I leave. I’m exercising that authority right now. Alexis, stand up.”

She winced at hearing her full name; no one ever used it, except Caleb in the past when he meant business. This really was about to happen. Her legs slightly quivering, she made her way to her feet. He stood along with her, and walked over to the almost forgotten chair, dragging it to the center of the room. He then sat down and crooked a finger at her. 

“Come here” he said simply.

With shaky steps, she slowly shuffled her way over towards him, starting at the floor the entire way. If the goal of this session was to take her mind off of her other problems, it was already proving to be very effective. Lexi could scantly think of anything but her impending spanking. It had been years since she had been turned over the knee properly. A flood of familiar emotions surged through her as she recalled her previous experiences making the walk to his lap.

Finally his legs came into view. Lexi shuffled on her feet as she stood in front of him, eyes glued to the carpet. A tense silence fell over them, suddenly broken by a chuckle from Caleb.

“You don’t have to look so gloomy” he laughed lightly. “You look like you’ve been sentenced to the gallows.”

“I mean, basically…” she said in her most morose tone, failing to keep a slight smile from her lips.

“Is that right…” she heard him smile. Then his voice took on a more serious tone. “Lexi, looked at me.”

She sighed in defeat and raised her chin. Caleb was looking at her with a surprisingly gentle, if firm expression.

“Before we start, I want to make something very clear. This isn’t punishment. You are not in trouble. This isn’t happening because you did anything wrong; it’s because I think it will be beneficial for you. You don’t have to be so nervous. That said, it will be painful. I don’t expect you to enjoy this, especially in the moment. But I'm here to help you, not discipline you."

“During this spanking, you are free to react however you need to. If you need to talk, cry, complain, rant, curse and shout, be silent, be mad, sad, or vulnerable, take out your frustrations on me; whatever you need to do, go ahead. This is a one hundred percent judgement free zone. I want you to be as open and authentic with me as possible. I will check in with you at regular intervals to see how you’re feeling. If you aren’t able to answer me, then you don’t have to, but I’d like you to try.”

“There are only two rules I want you to follow. Number one; you aren’t going to do anything to interrupt or impede your spanking. No blocking with your hand, no wriggling out of position, no trying to get up. This spanking ends when I say it does, not a second earlier. The only exception is if you need to safeword. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir” Lexi mumbled automatically. She caught a slight smile on Caleb’s face, and then realized that she had slipped into calling him sir without prompting. She felt a slight blush rising on her cheeks as embarrassment assailed her.

“Number two,” he continued, “you will follow my directions. This extends beyond the spanking; until I leave tonight, I am in charge. You can whine, grumble, or plead all you want, but when I tell you to do something, I want it done immediately. If I tell you to bring me your belt, or switch positions, or take a shower afterwards, you will do it. This isn’t punishment, but I have no issue turning you back over my lap for discipline if you’re disobedient. Understood?”

Yes… sir” she grumbled. They were fair enough rules, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel enthusiastic about them. She was still sulking when she suddenly felt Caleb’s hands at her sides, grabbing the waistband of her sports shorts. A fresh wave of dread fell over her. This was really about to happen.

“Cmon, is that really necessary?” she whined as he worked her bottoms down to her knees, panties with them.

“Did you really think you were gonna keep them?” he asked dryly, pulling both garments to the floor. 

“No…” she admitted, trying to hold back her embarrassment. A certain part of her anatomy was reacting very strongly to the situation at hand, and Lexi was mortified by that being discovered. However, if Caleb noticed, he did not draw attention to it, instead leaning back in the chair and looking up at her expectantly.

“Alright, it’s time. Bend over.”

Lexi looked down at his lap with trepidation. This was her last chance to back out. She was nervous, as she had every reason to be. And yet as she stood there, bare below the waist, the choice was still clear. For all her whining, she chose this. Her previous apprehension was still present, but a deep seated need was bubbling up from within her. Before she had the chance to psych herself out, she tipped forward across his lap, settling herself as comfortably over his thighs as she could.

Now resigned to her fate, Lexi looked down at the carpet now only a foot from her face and waited. Caleb spent a few moments adjusting her over his knee. She breathed deeply. It was out of her hands now. That fact brought sense of calm to her, which was promptly broken the second his hand touched her butt. It wasn’t even a swat, merely a pat as he began to rub her bottom, but that didn’t stop her from jumping like she was electrocuted.

“Someone’s antsy” she heard him chuckle over her shoulder. His hand continued to rub her bottom, and despite herself Lexi had to bite her inner cheek to avoid making noise. She was quite “pent up” at the moment, and his hand felt so good against her bare skin, rubbing and kneading away the tension, so close to her more sensitive regions.

“Y’know, if you want to keep doing this instead of the whole spanking thing, I’m not opposed to it” she joked, trying to make light of the situation.

“Is that so?” Caleb asked with amusement. “Well, there will be plenty of time for butt rubs later. You’re going to be over my knee for a long time, but we’ve got the rest of the night to make time for it.”

Suddenly, there was a explosive pain blossoming on her right butt cheek. Lexi almost gasped. His hand nearly seared her skin. It hurt, almost comically so. She guessed that he wanted to prove well and early that this would be painful, and he succeeded. If nothing else, she expected to see a handprint from that swat alone in the mirror tomorrow morning.

That single smack signaled the start of the spanking. Caleb’s hand began rhythmically striking her rear end with a much more tolerable force, but enough to still carry a sting. Lexi kept her gaze affixed to the floor and tried to focus on her breathing. The pain was not unbearable, at least not yet, but she knew she had a long way to go.

A minute or two of uninterrupted spanking slowly rolled by. Caleb was completely silent, diligently working away at her rear end. He normally would have words for her by now, lecturing her on her misbehavior, or commenting on her arousal when the spanking was for erotic purposes. She supposed that he had nothing to comment on, this wasn’t for discipline or sex after all. Still, the silence left her with nothing to concentrate on other than the building heat on her behind and the sound of skin smacking skin filling her ears. He had not stopped smacking for even a moment, and the repeated smacks were starting to get harder and harder to take quietly. Lexi felt her body starting to shift and move despite her efforts to stay still. She did not want to embarrass herself in front of him by showing discomfort this early. She had taken far worse than this in the past, she didn’t want to seem weak. It was a ridiculous thing to worry about, but it mattered to her all the same. 

After around three minutes, as best as Lexi could tell, Caleb finally stopped. Her entire body relaxed; she was not aware of how tense she was until the onslaught of swats had paused. Caleb was not giving her love taps, but aside from the opening swat, this was so far a bearable pace, a step or two below that of a punishment. If he kept at this rate, she might be able to get through this session with minimal humiliation. She breathed deeply, making use of the brief pause, and tried not to think about how good his hand rubbing her slightly stinging ass felt. 

As suddenly as the first, Caleb abruptly stopped rubbing and slapped her ass with full force again, this time on the opposite cheek. Lexi stifled a groan at the brand-like heat, and he quickly resumed his work, continuing with his leisurely moderate pace. Despite being at the same intensity as earlier, Lexi noticed that his hand was beginning to sting far more. She begun to suspect that what she assumed was mercy was actually Caleb’s plan all along. Rather than try to create as much pain as fast as possible, he was instead letting the heat build over time, pacing himself to not burn out too quickly, and deny her all but the shortest of breaks. Without the need to lecture or rest his arm, he could swat her over and over for minutes at a time, and she was powerless to do anything about it.

She started to squirm at her revelation; it was as if each smack suddenly hurt more than before, but Caleb paid her no mind. He continued his rhythmic slapping without a care to her reactions. Lexi wondered for a brief moment who exactly this was supposed to be therapeutic for, Caleb seemed far more contented than her at the moment, but the accumulating sting quickly forced such petty musings from her. 

It was becoming harder and harder for her to stifle her reactions. Even though it had been a few years, Lexi was no stranger to a severe butt beating, and so she was surprised that such a mild spanking was starting to unravel her so quickly. If only she could catch her breath… she considered asking him for a break, but her stubborn pride would not allow her to acknowledge how this was affecting her, not yet. So she pressed her right palm into her forehead as a distraction and hoped that his arm would give out before she did. 

Finally, after another three minutes, he stopped again, and Lexi sighed audibly in relief. She was not sure how much more of that she could’ve taken. She winced as his hand returned to rubbing her butt, she wondered just how red it had gotten already. It certainly felt as if an open flame was held to it.

“How are you feeling?” Caleb asked her, only a hint of exertion in his breath.

“Not too fond of you at the moment…” she joked, “but I’m alright.” She paused. “Maybe in need of a short breather.”

She heard him hum in assent. “Okay, I’ll give you a minute. Use it well.”

Lexi waved her thanks sarcastically over her shoulder. Caleb had a peculiar way of straddling the line between empathy and being a dick. Still, she wasn’t going turn down a break, so she took the brief reprieve to gather herself mentally.

Way faster than she anticipated, her minute of rest was up, and wasting no time Caleb struck her hard across the ass again. This time Lexi was anticipating it, and so it didn’t shock her system as much as the previous starting spanks. What she didn’t anticipate was the following spanks being just as hard and fast. He had switched up his technique just as Lexi was getting used to it, and it was proving to be quite effective. Her hips began to immediately buck under his hot branding iron of a hand, and Lexi couldn’t hold back the grunts and whines escaping from her clenched teeth.

Anger and frustration started to well up within her. He had told her that this spanking would be hard, not unlike a punishment in severity, but this was starting to feel excessive. He was intentionally trying to break her resolve, that much she could tell. And that felt unfair, cruel even. Certainly she didn’t deserve treatment this harsh.

Caleb’s hand fell swiftly and with weight over and over again for around ten seconds. He would then rest for half of that, before unleashing another flurry. Less than a minute into this new technique, the pain had become unbearable enough for Lexi to start to voice her displeasure.

“Mmm... Ow! Isn’t this a little much?” she panted, struggling to keep her composure.

“How so?” he asked, continuing to smack away.

“Ah… it fucking hurts!” she complained.

“It’s meant to” he replied, landing several swats onto her upper thighs.

“I didn’t—ow! Do anything to deserve this…”

“That’s right, you haven’t” Caleb partially agreed. “That doesn’t mean that you don’t need a hard spanking all the same.”

“Why?” she whined petulantly.

“Because I know that you have all sorts of negative thoughts and emotions bottled up inside you” he explained. “You said it yourself; the stress is eating you alive. But you won’t let go of all that tension without a little help. I know you well enough to know that you’ll let it fester until it causes you to act out. Not that it’s your fault, mind you. We all deal with stress differently. So I am going to sit here and spank you until you have no choice but to release all that tension. You need someone to take the decision to do so out of your hands, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Now stop squirming and get back into position.”

He tapped her back expectantly. Lexi hadn’t realized just how much she had wriggled around during the last minute of spanking; she was half hanging off of his knees. Begrudgingly she shifted back into place; a firm hand on her waist told her that she was going nowhere soon. Within seconds the spanking began anew.

As Caleb continued wailing on her butt with newfound conviction, Lexi fought a war in her own mind. She still felt a bit of frustration and anger towards her friend, but she knew that it was irrational. He had told her what to expect, and she had agreed to it. His little lecture was still ringing in her head, and she couldn’t really contest the truth within it. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed about it all. 

Here she was, a grown woman, moaning and groaning over the knee of a former partner while he painted her red end a nice shade of cherry. It was a bit humbling, regardless of how she rationalized it. Soon though, the throbbing of her ass overpowered her thoughts, and all she could do was fight the urge to cry out as her poor butt was tenderized. 

After a few particularly hard smacks to her sit spots, Caleb stopped spanking. Lexi could feel him breathing deeply against her. At the pace he was spanking at, she wasn’t surprised he needed a moment. She had lost track of how much time had passed since the start of the session, but that no longer seemed to matter to her. His hand returned to rubbing her bottom; judging by how much it stung, Lexi imagined that she was at least a bright shade of red back there. 

“How are you feeling?” Caleb asked again after catching his breath. 

Lexi laid there over his lap, considering the question. She could feel the endorphins rushing through her body, giving her a heady, floaty feeling that was familiar and somewhat comforting. Her butt was incredibly sore, but his hand felt oh so nice against the enflamed flesh. Despite her best efforts, she could feel her slick arousal between her legs, and she unconsciously shifted her legs closer together. Despite her protests, she was doing quite alright for how hard she was being spanked. Still, a bit of her earlier shame lingered.

“My butt hurts” she grumbled, surprised at how shaky her voice sounded. Was she that close to tears? “I’m alright I guess. I feel a little embarrassed.”

“Why’s that?” he asked earnestly, continuing to rub the sting from her cheeks.

She shrugged and tossed up a hand, feeling a bit put on the spot. “Spankings are embarrassing, I guess? Isn’t that part of the point?”

“True, but are you more embarrassed by the spanking, or the fact that you’re being spanked?” he asked pointedly. Damn him, he must’ve picked up on her trepidation. Still, she had come this far. No point in avoiding the question.

“A bit of both?” she shakily replied. “It’s a bit humiliating, being spanked by a friend I’m not even dating because I need stress relief. Not a very normal or dignified thing.”

“Maybe not,” he conceded. “But you shouldn’t feel shame about it. We’re all built differently. Some people need to go to the gym. Some write in a diary. You just happen to need a good spanking from time to time. It’s better than bottling up all your shit and acting out down the line, isn’t it? There’s nothing embarrassing about being the way you are.”

“Maybe…” Lexi grumbled. She knew he was right, but still felt a little vulnerable.

Caleb sighed, then spoke softly. “Alexis, I said it once, and I’ll say it again. This is a judgement free zone. Do you really feel that I’ll think less of you for this?”

“I don’t know…” she admitted, rubbing her right foot along her left leg. 

“You know me” he said, continuing to rub calming circles into her exposed lower back. “We wouldn’t have the connection we do if this bothered me in any way. I don’t judge you for needing a good spanking, anymore than you judge me for needing to give them. Do you think less of me for being a dominant?”

“Maybe a little” she joked, yelping when his hand smacked her ass in admonishment. “Okay! No, I don’t.”

“Good. Then I don’t want you feeling as though this is demeaning for you, or a burden on me. I don’t want you putting up walls. It’s only going to lead to more stress down the road.”

 She sat in silence, contemplating his words, until Caleb tapped the small of her back.

“I think it’s time to step things up a bit. Stand up, please.”

Lexi was a bit confused, but the state of her rear end had left her feeling quite obedient, and she wobbled to her feet, carefully folding her hands over her exposed pussy. Caleb met her eyes in silent study for but a moment, and then nodded in the direction of his hanging jacket.

“There’s an implement in the inner pocket of my jacket. I want you to retrieve it and bring it back to me” he commanded softly.

Lexi couldn’t help but whine and stomp her foot. His hand had been quite enough, in her view. Before she got the chance to complain, however, Caleb’s hand clapped harshly against her thigh, and she gasped in pain.

“I told you at the outset that I am in charge tonight. This is not punishment, but I have no problems giving you one if you don’t follow directions. I won’t ask again.” He gave her a grave look, daring her to test his authority.

Not wanting to risk it, she quickly crossed the room and fumbled with the jacket, her hand finding the handle of the item he asked for. She pulled it from the pocket; it was a rubber paddle, a quarter of an inch thick and about ten inches long.

She had never seen this implement before; he must’ve gotten it after they dated. It was flexible and bendy in her hands, but she could tell that it carried some heft. She felt a pit in her gut imagining what it would feel like, she was so sore already. She fought the urge to toss it down the hallway and make a break for her room; she knew that he would blister her ass for it, but it might be worth it just to see the look on his face. But she pushed away the childish response and shuffled back to where Caleb was sitting. Her wide eyed dread must’ve been obvious enough for him to see, because he smirked at her with amusement as she slowly returned to his side. Looking down at the floor, Lexi passed him the paddle, then jumped as he snapped it against his own palm.

“Yeah, this should do the trick” he softly muttered to himself, and then scooted back in his seat. “You know what to do, back over my knee.”

Groaning, she complied, feeling even more exposed as she retook her position, her very sore butt positioned again for punishment.

She felt the face of the paddle tap her behind and unconsciously whimpered. Caleb’s free hand wrapped around her waist and took a firm grip on her hip, securing her in place.

“Now Lexi” he spoke gently, “before I begin again, I want to reiterate that I’m not doing this because you’ve been naughty. I’m doing this because you need the emotional release. You can be mad at me if you want, but it’s not up to you how long this lasts. You’re only job is to stay across my lap. Do you understand?”

Not having any other option, she nodded her assent.

There was a slight whoosh of air, and a loud splat sound as the paddle struck her ass. A red hot line of fire wash over her posterior where it had struck her. The rubber had enough weight to carry force, but was far more flexible and stingy than a normal paddle. Lexi immediately yelped and jumped on Caleb’s lap, but he held her tight at the waist and began to spank her again.

It was quickly evident to her that this paddle was going to be far more painful than Caleb’s hand. She gasped and whined after every stroke, her legs starting to kick involuntarily as is to outrun the blazing heat of her ass. There was no set pattern to his smacks; at times he would strike fast and hard with no breaks, at others leave multiple seconds between scorching blows to her upper thighs. 

“Ow! Ah! Caleb please! It hurts!” she pleaded after what felt like a full minute of torture beneath the rubber implement.

“It’s supposed to” he reminded her again, not stopping his ministrations. 

Lexi felt a heaviness building around her eyes. All the frustrations she had with him at the outset of the spanking came flooding back.

“C’mon… this isn’t fair! Oww! You’re being such a dick!” she growled and groaned into the carpet. But Caleb ignored her jests, and continued swatting away.

Lexi twisted and bucked under the torture, even starting to break position and tried to block with her free hand. But no matter what she tried, she couldn’t free herself of this torment. Caleb simply grabbed her hand and pinned it against her side, and slung his leg over the back of her knees before starting to swat her again as if nothing happened. She was truly helpless and vulnerable, unable to escape her fate. She was going to get spanked, for as long and as hard as Caleb wanted to do it, and she had no choice but to lay there and take it.

Without warning, the floodgates broke. Lexi felt the pressure within her release all at once, and stinging tears formed at the corners of her eyes. She groaned and silently sobbed as all her pent up rage and anxiety boiled over, coming out in pained, cathartic gasps. Everything melted away as she lost herself to the pain. Shame, anger, worry, fear; all rushed to the surface and evaporated bit by bit. She gratefully avoided openly weeping, but her ragged breaths and girlish yelps were equally as damning to her ears.

If Caleb heard her emotional release, he elected to ignore it, continuing to administer her spanking in uneven intervals. His pace had slowed dramatically compared to the hand spanking, but that just meant he no longer required breaks to rest as much. The evil implement crafted solely to torture her continued smacking Lexi’s behind, working from the meaty center all the way down to her sit spots and the top of her thighs. Time no longer had any meaning for her; she simply laid over his knee and whined her heart out to the point of exhaustion.

It took her a few moments to realize when the spanking ended. She was only clued in by the sudden silence that filled the room, the combination of adrenaline and endorphins rushing through her partially numbing her to the sensation of the paddle. Caleb was silent, rubbing her back gently as she gulped down air. Her butt throbbed intensely, and every slight movement triggered a deep burning sensation, but despite everything it was not completely unpleasant. She laid there and allowed the feeling to wash over her. 

She felt a tap on her lower back, and looked behind her. Caleb had a well crafted mask of authoritative neutrality, but she could see the warmth in his eyes and the gentle concern on his face.

“Are you alright?” he asked carefully.

“Y-yeah” Lexi replied, her voice catching in her throat. She coughed and nodded, trying to convey what words could not.

He seemed to understand, and carefully lowered his hand to her butt. The pain was sharper than she anticipated. His hand ghosted over the punished skin for a brief moment, and then he slowly released her from his grip and helped her to her feet. He once again nodded towards his jacket.

“There’s a tube of arnica cream in the opposite pocket from where you got the paddle. Bring it over to me and bend back over.”

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes, even after what had just happened to her. She cleared her throat again and looked to him pleadingly.

“Y’know, I can apply it myself after you leave. You don’t have to be involved” she mock protested.

He smiled at her in response. “I thought that a spanking like that might get rid of that sass. I guess not. It looks like someone wants a punishment spanking as well tonight.”

Lexi’s face blanched. She couldn’t even imagine another single smack on her rear at the moment, so she grumbled and went to fish through his jacket’s pockets. She found the tube and quickly hurried back to his side, not wanting to test him even a little bit at the moment. Without waiting for a command, she quickly bent back over. Her heart thumped in her chest as she heard him unscrew the cap and squeeze the cream into his palm. Then his hand lowered to her rear, and the coldness made her jump involuntarily. She bit her lip as his hand slowly massaged the cream into her cheeks, trying not to let on how sore she was, or how turned on his touch made her. 

“So, how are you feeling?” he asked as his fingers explored the canvas of her behind. Lexi could tell that he was quite enjoying administering the cream by the hard object pressed against her stomach. Still, calling attention to it would be hypocritical given how her own body was reacting. So she pushed the feeling to the side and answered truthfully.

“My butt hurts, obviously. But honestly, not too bad. That was quite a bit more than I thought it would be, but I feel a lot less… heavy? Like it might just be the adrenaline, but I feel much less pent up, in a way.”

“I see” he responded in his infuriatingly neutral tone. “So then do you think this is something that might benefit you in the long term?”

“Who can say?” she shrugged with a teasing tone. “I wouldn’t say no, but I think I’m gonna need a few days to recover first to really see how I feel about the whole thing.”

“Hmm” he hummed, sounding approving. He remained silent as he continued to rub more arnica cream into her butt. Lexi got lost in the cool, healing sensation, so much so that she didn’t realize that she was lightly moaning as his hand dipped down to her thighs. With a startle, she bit down on her tongue as if to trap any further noise from escaping, but it was too late. She heard Caleb chuckle.

“Was that a moan of discomfort, or something else?” he teased.

“Maybe a bit of both” she coyly replied. Normally she’d dismiss his flirty jest, but she was entirely too compromised at the moment to deny it.

“Interesting. Perhaps after dinner I’ll allow you to relieve some of that tension if you wish, under supervision of course” he smiled.

“Hmm” she hummed back, mimicking his mannerisms. “And what if I don’t want an audience? I'm not sure of your intentions at the moment. Maybe it'd be fun, maybe not."

“Well, I am in charge until I head home tonight” he joked, “but like I said earlier, no expectations. If you want that, you’ll have to ask me for it, but after dinner. You’re entirely too susceptible at the moment.”

“Am I?” she pondered aloud. “I’ll consider it. Though by ‘dinner’ I hope you don’t expect me to cook for you in this state.”

“That would be amusing to watch” he smirked. “But no. I’m here to help you de-stress, and making you cook seems counterproductive to that goal. I was planning on picking something up.”

“Huh. What are you thinking about?”

He patted her butt lightly, causing her to wince as his hand stuck slightly to the residue on her bottom. “That’s for me to decide, young lady. You’re going to sit on that couch and relax until I get back. Unless you want an even redder ass.”

“No sir!” Lexi smiled at the floor, rolling her eyes where he couldn’t see.

Caleb continued to apply the cream for another five minutes, before reluctantly helping Lexi to her feet. He told her he would be back in around ten to twenty minutes, and that she was not to put on pants or underwear in his absence. She complained about getting the lotion on her furniture, but Caleb merely smirked and told her to throw down a towel if that’s what she was worried about.

As soon as he left the apartment, she flopped facedown onto her couch, unwilling to disobey him, but too drained to grab a towel from the bathroom. Lexi sat and replayed the events of the night in her head. It was difficult to describe how she felt at the moment. The entire experience was emotional exhausting, and she felt as if her ass would be swollen for a few days. But she also noted with satisfaction just how relaxed she currently felt. It felt good, great even, to release her emotions in such a controlled setting. She hoped that in the future she could be a little more composed, but she’d been pent up for months. A strong cleansing is exactly what she needed. She might whine and fight it, find it embarrassing, deny it as much as she wanted, but she thought back to Caleb’s words. This was who she was. If a spanking was how she needed to decompress, then who was she to argue with the results?

Lexi smiled and rubbed at her sore bottom with surprising affection. Her problems still existed, but at the moment they were a distant thought.  This arrangement might not be the end all solution to all of life’s woes. But at the moment, she was happy and content, and that was a good enough start.