Transgressions by Carolyn Faulkner (the reading list txt) 📕

Allegra began to cry immediately at his words, knowing how hard this punishment would be to get through, considering the delicate condition her bottom was already in.

But Enzo already had her bent over the edge of his desk, reaching in the drawer for a ruler he'd put there that had a purpose unlike any other he owned. It was not for measuring anything—he had dozens of plastic ones for that—but rather, it was specifically designed to punish a girl's naughty behind. It was the regulation twelve inches long, but it was much more solid and thicker—even than the other wooden ones. It had all of the earmarks of a normal ruler, except that it had her name engraved on the back in very pretty script, and the first four inches of it was wrapped in leather, to form a convenient handle.

It packed a wallop, and it packed even more of one when he relentlessly laid it across bottom cheeks that had clearly already been dealt with several times that day.

She did go—frankly more because he pushed her to than because she really wanted to, but she did have a very good time. He, of course, provided transportation—it was a gorgeous limo with all the amenities any of them could want, except, of course, men, but then the ones they were going to see proved absolutely gorgeous. They didn't go straight to the club but had dinner at a wonderful restaurant beforehand, where some of the girls noticed the new jewelry she was sporting.

"Oh my, is that a diamond ring?" Terri asked loudly, so that everyone else at the table would turn to look, as if she had gotten engaged, of course.

Not quite, she thought to herself. They all looked at her for an explanation, and she knew they were all much too vanilla to hear the truth.

Enzo had given her the rings not long ago. He'd had them specially made. They were both circles of diamonds, a smaller one around the index finger and the larger around her middle finger. They looked innocuous enough, but if they were examined closely, the larger one had a tiny, delicate chain that linked it to the other. It was long enough that she had complete use of her hand, of course, but it was still a tangible reminder of her submission to him.

He had told her that he had wanted to mark her as his own in some way, but that he couldn't stand the idea of branding her or tattooing her, or of marring her skin permanently in any way. And he loved her nipples just the way they were, although he had also told her that he'd considered having them pierced. Instead, he got her rings that were both symbolic and extravagant, and she wasn't allowed to refuse them, nor was she ever allowed to take them off unless wearing them would present some sort of danger to her. She'd be reminded of just who she was every time she looked at them, and that had been the deciding factor for him.

Of course, the girls had already run away with themselves, trying to figure out who might have given her an engagement ring, but she hauled them back from that brink and simply told them that she'd found two rings she really liked, and that this was the cusp of a trend.

They swallowed it whole, all vowing to do the same thing.

The evening was a rousing success. They ate too much, they drank too much, and they tucked entirely too much money into the G-strings of the unbelievably gorgeous men who gyrated in front of them. One of them even sat on Carly's lap, and two of them practically dry humped Robin—she was the prettiest of the group.

What surprised her was that he was there when they came out, looking like he could have been a part of the revue himself in a very expensive suit that hugged him like a glove, standing in front of a different limo than the one they had used, which was parked in front.

"I hope you ladies had fun this evening." He smiled. He knew most of them from his long association with her family and was quickly introduced to the newer girls, all of whom were far from new, except to him. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to whisk her away from you—business matters to attend to, you know."

Robin wandered up to her as the other girls were being helped into the limo by the driver and asked, sotto voce, "Is he the one who gave you the rings?"

She looked so startled that someone had seen through her little ruse that she gave away the answer without having said anything.

Enzo saw her discomfort and came to stand with his arm around Ally's waist, saying in a deep, serious voice, "We'd appreciate your discretion, Robin."

Robin might not have grown up with these women, but she recognized Enzo Matroni, and therefore, nodded enthusiastically at his request. "Of course. You two have fun at your business, whatever that might be." She backed away as she babbled, finally practically running to join her friends.

"Well, that's one less friend," Ally murmured wryly, only half kidding.

But Enzo didn't have the time to soothe her ruffled feathers. He helped her into the car and told Maury to step on it.

They ended up at the cabin, although he knew she had things happening this weekend that involved work that she had to deal with, in which case, he should have brought her home. They very carefully never stepped on each other's toes when it concerned business.

She thought, anyway.

She let him escort her inside, then rounded on him. "What am I doing here? You know I have things to do this weekend that don't concern you."

He had to remind himself to hold his tongue and not correct her for her tone. "I know you do, but something has come up that I need to talk to you about."

Ally's