Hard ones

"What do you mean?" you ask uncertainly. "What other terms?"

"Well, to start with I'd want a full apology for your earlier behaviour."

"I said I was sorry. I'm meant it, I'm very sorry for saying what I did Mr. Berridge."

"I think we're past the point where that is sufficient. I want complete contrition from you. Compliant contrition." He smiles and stands up, his eyes roaming over you, appraising you. You bite your lip as you tremble nervously under his gaze.

"I'm really, really sorry Mr. Berridge. I mean it, I don't know what else I can say."

"It's not what you need to say. It's what you need to do," he says quietly, stepping closer to you. You take an involuntary step back, your thighs bumping against the table, cutting off your retreat. You look at him with wide and fearful eyes, seeing his naked hunger.

"What...what...do you mean?" you stammer nervously, your eyes flickering as you look for a way to escape as he comes close to you, his hand reaching out for you. At his touch you shy away, but he grasps your arm firmly, holding you in place. You're trembling with fear, but you can also feel a warm excited fluttering in your belly at the feel of his hand and the commanding look in his eye.

"I mean that before we can negotiate, you need to make a fully contrite apology," he says, his voice full of soft power as he stares into your face. You feel like a rabbit trapped by a fox, unable to run, unable to fight, unable to do anything except surrender. You try to fight against the feeling, striving to restore your confidence and independence, but you feel it ebbing away.

"Please....please....Mr. Berridge....you're scaring me...." you say in a trembling voice. "I'm sorry....I was...I was wrong...I was...bad....I was very bad...I'm so sorry...please....forgive me...please...please forgive me....I'll behave...."

He smiles cruelly at you, obviously savouring your fear and your words, his eyes holding yours as firmly as his hand holds your arm.

"Bad girls get punished before they get forgiven," he says quietly. "You know that, don't you Lisa?"

"Please...yes...please sir...Mr. Berridge...please...I'm so sorry...you're not old....please....please forgive me."

"Only after punishment, Lisa. The only thing to decide right now is how to punish you. What do you think would be best? What would teach you to behave?"