Page 57 of Tessa

After the tenth one fell, Beau leaned down and gripped Dax’s hips, shifting his position on the bed, adding space between him and Tessa.

So he wasn’t planning to carry out the spanking on both of them at once. Dax wasn’t sure how he felt about that, especially when Beau’s body grazed against his, and he leaned to whisper in Dax’s ear.

“My naughty, naughty boy. Daddy’s gonna whip your butt good, and just so we are clear, this is only round one. When we are alone, we are going to have a nice long chat about how to set a good example and how to talk to Daddy if there is a problem.”

Dax only whimpered in response.

“Do you understand, boy? Tell me you do.”

“Yes, Daddy. I understand, and I really am sorry.”

Beau grunted. “Oh you’re about to be. I’m fixing to make you really sorry.”

Dax’s gut tightened, and guilt washed over him in waves. As nervous as he was, he knew he deserved everything he probably had coming and then some. “Yes, Sir.”

Finally, Beau straightened, positioning his body behind Dax, and looked over at Tessa. “You’re next, little girl.”

Dax didn’t look at her, to see if she lifted her head and nodded to acknowledge Beau’s promise, or if she whimpered or if a shudder ran down her spine. He didn’t really need to, because at heart, they were very much alike and he knew what his response would have been in her position: all of the above.

And then, the spanking truly began. To his credit, Beau used the belt with incredible precision, carefully avoiding hitting the tender, tattooed area. It came hard and fast, often leaving Dax with barely enough time to draw a breath before the next lash. In truth, he liked it that way. Oh, it hurt like a sonofabitch, but it also gave him the freedom of focusing on nothing else but the pain.

And the pain was exquisite, ever-present and excruciating, but Dax much preferred the bite of leather over the sting of wood.

His ass was going numb, a feeling he knew would go away with a vengeance later after the adrenaline and dopamine wore off, but for now, it gave him a moment to not only focus on the pain, but the reason for it. He really shouldn’t have done something so permanent without talking to Beau first, because even though they had been best friends and business partners for ages, the fact was the dynamic between them was still new and fresh, and by having it permanently engraved on his ass without Beau’s consent, Dax had made his intentions clear, but what if Beau didn’t feel the same way? What if he saw the dynamic between the two of them as more of a phase or a way to pass the time?

What if he thought that after they brought Tessa in, eventually things would go back to the way they were before?

The thought hit Dax in the chest like a ton of bricks, and suddenly he could barely breathe. When the belt lashed across his sit spots, creating a new wave of pain across a previously untouched surface, he gasped loudly and all the air left in his lungs seemed to dissipate into that gasp. Suddenly he was hyperventilating, struggling to catch his breath and Beau was dropping the belt, leaning over him with concern, flipping him onto his back like a rag doll.

“Dax!”

Dax’s eyes bulged as he stared up into Beau’s worried face.

“Daxton Michael Bell.” Beau cupped his cheek. “Daxton, look at me. Breathe with me.”

Holding Beau’s gaze like his life depended on it, Dax felt the tightness in his chest loosen and drew a choked breath. God, what was wrong with him? What a pussy he was. Beau would probably think he was panicking to get out of a punishment and Tessa would never look at him the same way. Squeezing his eyes shut, he focused on breathing, on feeling the rise and fall of his chest until his breaths were slow and rhythmic.

When he opened his eyes, Beau was breathing deeply in time with him, staring into his eyes with concern.

“Where did you go, boy? What happened? And don’t even try to tell me that was about the spanking. I’ve seen you take more than that for fun.”

Dax shook his head and opened his mouth to answer, but he was lost for words. He couldn’t tell Beau what had gone through his head and he honestly hadn’t been trying to lessen the punishment he had coming. If he got less than he deserved, he knew he would just feel worse.

“I’m fine,” he breathed. “Keep going.”

Beau cocked one brow and frowned at him suspiciously, looking decidedly like he was trying to determine if he should take Dax’s word or keep pushing.

Dax grimaced and forced a smile. “Keep going,” he rasped, rolling back onto his belly to present his already throbbing ass to his Daddy.

Beau didn’t pick up the belt right away, and Dax looked up to see Tessa watching with concern.

Reaching across the bed, he took her hand. “I’m okay, sweetie. I just needed to catch my breath. I just got in my head for a moment and forgot to breathe.”

Even though he was speaking to Tessa, Beau seemed to accept his explanation, running a hand across Dax’s bottom before picking up the belt again.

“You sure you’re good, babyboy?”

The unexpected use of the more tender nickname told him just how badly he had scared Beau. “I’m good,” he promised.