Part 1 here

“But why the cane?” a dismayed Carolynn asked. She worked her mouth as if trying to work up the moisture for a nervous swallow.

“You think you don’t deserve it?” John said patiently.

“I know but…” she wailed.

“You went behind my back on that last project, a good project I have to say, I must admit you are talented… but you went behind my back,” he said firmly trying to seize her eyes with his.

Evading them she muttered, “Yes but…”

“You could have easily called me, you could have done any number of things… but you went behind my back deliberately to provoke me didn’t you?” he said sternly and with a hint of disbelief.

“I suppose,” she shrugged, still not meeting his eyes, “but b-but why the cane?” She sounded winey now.

“Because you hate it so much,” he said simply and sighed, “and we both know you need to be punished.”

“You could just spank me,” she pouted and folded her arms defensively.

“I could and we would both probably enjoy it,” he explained, “But I need to draw a line in the sand or you’ll start wearing the trousers.”

“Trousers or pants don’t figure too much in our dealings so far,” she quipped now searching for a lighter tone.

“Really?” he cocked a disapproving eyebrow at her open cheekiness.

“But why the cane, what about the strap or…?” she wined again.

“Because I say so,” he snapped. “Now speaking of pants and trousers, let’s have them down while you face corner until I am ready.” To underpin that the discussion was at an end he stood up and went to find a cane.

Carolynn took a deep breath ready to argue the toss again but then she just sighed. Her nervous fingers fumbled inexpertly with her trouser hooks and zip for almost a minute before she could slide the grey woollen pant suit bottom down. Her knickers soon followed however and by the time John had his cane she was facing the corner with her hands on her head as she had been told.

“Now you can stand there and think about what you have coming,” John said sternly as he let the cane rattle loudly on to his desk.

Carolynn visibly jumped.

“Won’t they hear us? In the outer office I mean?” she said quietly.

“Probably, but you don’t think they are oblivious to my life style do you? They have seen it all before, felt it, most of them. It is a small community and many of my staff are recruited among the wives and girlfriends of my scene friends. It makes life decidedly easier don’t you think?” John explained.

Carolynn frowned; she had never considered this before. It made sense and made her feel a little better: with the emphasis on ‘a little.’

“Otherwise there is the small issue of third party consent as well,” he continued.

“Why didn’t you say?” Carolynn blurted.

“I don’t have to explain anything, you’ll find out in time. Besides, if you had known you wouldn’t have felt the full benefit of the shaming aspects of this,” he chuckled.

The heat rose in her face as she relived past recent experience in her head. It didn’t help that much, she decided ruefully.

*

“This is going to be somewhat different than before,” John told Carolynn as he beckoned for her to stand away from the corner.

The cane in his hands looked reasonable enough, thin and not too long. During her penitent vigil her mind had conjured fierce rods with razor edges and spikes as she had stood cowering. The imagination always offered worse spankings, she thought.

“This time you are going to bend over and hold your ankles,” he said. “Also, you are going to count them.”

“I only see one cane, so one, there it was easy,” she said with smile.

“You just made 15 become 18,” he said with a shrug, “care for 21?” he asked.

The smile melted from her face and she made a firm line with her mouth. “No,” she said sullenly.

“That is very wise, especially as failure to count, standing upright or any other lack of cooperation gets you penalties,” he told as he indicated where she should stand.

Bending was harder than it sounded; not that she wasn’t quite supple, but lowering herself to grab her shins was hard to do with straight legs.

“That’s it, push that bottom out,” John said sharply.

“Oh brother,” Carolynn sighed, for some reason her bottom felt more vulnerable this way.

“I am going to give you a stroke and you are going to say, ‘one, thank you Sir, may I have another,’” he explained.

“Oh God,” she said under her breath as she dipped her head to the floor.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes Sir,” she groaned.

The cane stroke came a minute later. Sharp and efficient so that she almost let go of her legs to stand up.

“Ah,” she gasped, as she bobbed up and down making hissing sounds.

“Do you want to count that one? Or should I give you the first again and add one penalty?” John sounded casual in tone.

“One, thank you Sir, may I have another?” Carolynn said quickly.

The second stroke made the first seem like practice and she hissed as she rolled with it.

“Hmmmmmm,” she groaned and then remembered to gasp out, “Two, thank you Sir, may I have another?”

“You may,” John agreed as he caned her again.

“Shit,” she grunted and stamped her foot. This time she let go of her shins and half rose before bending back over.

“Language,” he cautioned.

“Three, thank you Sir, may I have another?” she said at last.

“Of course,” And he caned her again.

“Ughh, f-four, thank you Sir, may I have another?” she said breathily.

There were now four stark dark lines across her otherwise smooth bottom cheeks and from the sound of her audible breathing, she was feeling them.

John waited.

The fifth came in hard and he leaned into it.

“Siiiix,” she shrieked, “thank you Sir, may I have another?”

“Well done,” he chuckled as he sliced in number seven.

“Ahhh, noo,” she squealed and this time she jumped up and made to guard her bottom as she danced around the room.

“That’s a penalty stroke to come,” he told her.

Carolynn immediately made to bend back over and then sucking in a deep breath she panted: “Seven, thank you Sir,” and then gulped before adding, “may I have another?”

The eight stroke made her yell, but she held position although a sustained wail followed before she mumbled, “Eight, thank you Sir… may I… may I… have another?”

John paused and did a slow turn of the bending woman taking in her posture and demeanour. Her bottom was well-scored now and the marks looked very tender. Her breathing was laboured and once he stood in front of her he raised her chin and made contact with her tear-rimmed eyes.

“You okay?” he asked.

She nodded and then sniffed out a “yes.”

The agony of waiting as he slowly approached her rear was intense and she almost stood up again. Then number nine came like a bitch.

“Yaaaaah,” it was pure feeling. Then she burbled into some real tears.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she babbled.

“Make the count or I’ll have to give it to you again,” he said kindly, “And that will mean another extra stroke.”

She nodded, but couldn’t say the words.

He made a movement as if to strike and in panic she blurted, “Nine, thank you Sir, may I have another?”

“Just in time,” he agreed as he caned.

This time she started bawling and her thanks and request came out garbled.

“Was that 10?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Okay we’ll take a break. Go back and stand in the corner. We are passed the halfway mark now, you have nine to come.” His tone was genuine and she nodded.

It was a struggle to get her tears into check and she failed. He left her to it.

*

It had been a good half hour and Carolynn had finally pulled herself together.

“I’m sorry,” she said with some clarity. “I guess I am a bit of a wimp.”

“I bet you are really missing a spanking right now,” he chuckled.

“No, no this is good. I mean… well, I think I needed this, thank you,” she said in a neutral voice.

“You had better save your thanks until after,” he said as he told her to come over and bend back down.

Carolynn took the next six like a veteran but the 17^th overwhelmed her and she launched herself upright and turned around to plead.

“I’m sorry, please, I’m sorry,” she sobbed.

“Are you getting the message? I’ll spank you, but don’t try and set the pace and stop running projects without checking with me,” he sounded paternal and she nodded vigorously as she fended him off with one hand and grabbed her behind with the other.

“That stroke doesn’t count and you have another penalty, if only you hadn’t had such a smart mouth,” he sighed.

Carolynn sniffed and nodded. She was truly regretting her earlier bravado. Obviously he had to best her, she knew that now.

“I know, you can go back to the corner for a nice long while and think about things. Then we will finish on a nice even six of the best across the desk. I’ll even let you off counting them,” he smiled.

Her relief was tangible, although she was about to find out that an afternoon standing in the corner was ordeal enough sometimes.

To be continued.