“Red.” There was a slightly horrified look on Salt’s face. “Andi, forgive me. You said I spanked too hard but I never thought…” He reached out to cup my bare ass gently. I jumped at his touch but somehow managed not to pull away from his big, warm hand.
“It’s all right,” I said. “It…it hardly hurts at all anymore.”
“It looks painful.” Salt looked really upset now. “I am usually so careful with you—so aware of how delicate you are. I never thought—”
“Hey!” I frowned at him. “I am not delicate. And just because I’m small doesn’t mean I can’t take a little rough treatment from time to time. I’m not made of crystal. I won’t break.”
“I am still sorry,” he said softly. “I regret this more than I can say.”
“Well you can make it up to me later,” I said as I climbed into the tub. The water was warm and I hissed a little as it hit my still red bottom. “Ouch!”
“See—you are hurt,” Salt said. He looked really upset with himself.
“It’s just the hot water against my ass,” I said. “Look, Mandy said there’s supposed to be some kind of cooling gel you can use that’s especially for after spankings. Find it so I can put some on after the bath.”
“I will look while you soak in the tub,” Salt promised. He turned to go, then stopped. “But wait—I believe I am not supposed to leave you unattended. In fact…” He cleared his throat. “I think I am supposed to be scrubbing you.”
“I think you are.” I bit my lip. “Um…do they have a sponge or a loofah or anything around here?”
Salt searched the bathroom but all he could come up with was a thin white washcloth.
“There is just this,” he said, apologetically.
“Well, damn.” I eyed the washcloth as he dipped it in the water and poured a drizzle of peach scented body-wash on it. It seemed like everything in the bathroom was peach.
“Here, give me your hand.” Salt took my hand in his and began washing my arm in long, soothing strokes. “I can do just this—only wash your arms and legs and back,” he offered.
“Right,” I said dryly. “Berkley is probably watching us right now. He’s going to know we’re not who we say we are if we play it safe. No…” I took a deep breath. “Wash me all over, Salt. If…” I felt suddenly shy. “If you don’t mind.”
“Of course I do not mind,” he said, his voice coming out low and rough as he finished one arm and moved on to the other. “It will be my very great pleasure, Andi.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“You are more than welcome,” Salt assured me. He did my back next and then looked at me. “Is time to wash the front of you now, mishka,” he murmured. “Unless you want me to wash down below first?”
“No.” I bit my lip. “Better to, uh, work up to down below—if you know what I mean.”
Salt gave me a little half smile.
“Da—I know what you mean. Come then, lean back against side of tub.”
He had taken off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his crisp, white linen shirt in order to bathe me. Now he knelt beside the tub so that we were almost on the same level and beckoned to me.
I saw what he wanted and scooted until my back touched the chilly side of the marble tub. Salt was right behind me with the washcloth, ready to wash my breasts. He put his hands on my shoulders first and just sat there for a moment. I found the firm pressure helped the butterflies fluttering around in my stomach settle down. With a little sigh, I felt some of the tension leave my body.
“That’s right, mishka,” he murmured in my ear. “Now is time to begin. Just relax and let me wash you.”
I didn’t know how I felt about him calling me by my Babygirl name while we were doing this but somehow it seemed to fit. Not because we were about to do something sexual—or something that seemed sexual for the hidden camera, exactly—but more because he was taking care of me.
As Andi, I was a strong, take-charge, independent woman—a decorated, tough-as-nails detective who refused to back down from anyone. But as mishka I felt I could let myself go a little…could allow my hard edges to soften as I allowed Salt care for me in the way he so desperately seemed to want to. As mishka I could be rocked and held and comforted. As mishka I could be more open. More…what was the word I was looking for?