Twice the Malone by Laylah Roberts

4

Maddox waited patiently.

Well, he pretended to be patient. Inside, he wanted to grab her, rip off that shirt and devour her.

But good things came to those who waited . . . wait, no that wasn’t the Malone way. If they wanted something, they took it. Any way they had to.

No one fucked with the Malones.

But he didn’t want to push her. She was submissive, he’d seen that in the way she reacted to his Dom voice. But she either didn’t know it or hadn’t explored that side of herself. She was a mix of fire and vulnerability.

He wanted her to come to him. To lay herself over his lap and accept his discipline.

Maddox had only recently started embracing his inner dominant. For years, he’d played like Beau. Hard and fast. He’d flirted. He’d had a lot of fun. But the woman he’d been seeing a few months ago had put a stop to that. She’d brought forward the harder side of him. He’d always had a need for control, but his need to be in command had become greater since her.

Discipline. Rules. Giving commands and being obeyed.

He needed those things. Any woman that he decided to let into his life, into his brother’s life, needed to understand that he was in charge. Both in and out of the bedroom. It wasn’t a game for him.

It was a need.

Also, he had to counter Beau’s tendency to spoil and enable. He needed corralling as well sometimes. His brother had grown even more out of control after being shot a while ago. It was like he was determined to live life the fullest every day.

But, yeah, he wasn’t exactly feeling patient. Or confident. Because at any moment she could change her mind. Could decide she just wanted Beau’s kind of loving. Or that she didn’t want either of them.

Which would be a damn shame. Because he felt like she needed this as much as he did.

Then a small, cold hand slipped into his. Her fingers trembled slightly. He didn’t like that.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were cold?” he asked her sternly.

“I’m all right.”

Nope.

He drew her around the chair to face him while Beau got up to turn the heat up.

“That’s not how this works, little one.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means that if you need something, if you’re cold or hungry or scared, then you tell us.”

“And what? You’ll fix it?”

“Yes.”

She gave him a skeptical look.

“Or we’ll try too,” he added, knowing not everything was as easily fixed as her being cold.

“She’s going to be nice and toasty soon anyway.” Beau winked at Scarlett as he made his way back to the sofa. Maddox shot him a look which he knew would do no good.

Sometimes he wondered why he did this sort of thing with Beau.

Because he’s your brother, your twin and you love him?

They also balanced each other out. Two halves of a whole.

He cupped her hand between his, waiting for her shaking to cease. He probably wasn’t doing her nerves any good by prolonging this. However, he had the urge to soothe her first. To ensure that she wasn’t scared of him. A little fear could be good. Could be healthy. But not too much.

“You ready, Scarlett?”

“No,” she replied. “But then, I’m not sure I ever will be.”

“Lean down,” he commanded.

She looked confused but leaned over. He lightly kissed her. “I promise not to give you more than you can take. And afterward, Beau and I are going to make you feel very, very good.”

“I’m going to be dessert,” she murmured a little breathlessly.

“Yep.”

“Darlin’, you’re about to be eaten out by the best there is in the state of Texas, hell maybe the whole country.”

Scarlett scrunched her nose. “Is he for real?”

“My brother has an oversized ego.”

“That’s not the only thing that’s oversized.” They both looked over as Beau cupped his package.

Dear. Lord.

Scarlett looked down at him with a grin, rolling her eyes.

“Ignore him. I do.”

“That hurts, brother. Really. It cuts deep.” Beau put his hand on his chest with a sobbing sigh.

And that was how Scarlett came to be giggling as she lay herself over his lap. Not normal behavior for a sub about to be punished. But it did mean she’d lost the nerves that had been making her tremble, which he was certain had been Beau’s goal.

As he helped her into position, her legs hanging off one side of his lap, her upper body over the other side, Beau sent him a grin.

“You can thank me later, brother.”

Maddox gave him the bird. Childish? Maybe, but he didn’t care.

Then he pushed up her shirt, revealing the most perfect ass that had ever been created. And he completely forgot that Beau was in the room.

“Holy shit.”

Until the idiot opened his big mouth that was.

Scarlett stiffened and he shot his brother a look. But Beau wasn’t paying any attention to him. Instead, he was on his knees, staring at her butt.

“Brother, is that not the most magnificent ass you’ve ever seen?”

Maddox relaxed slightly. Okay, maybe he should have more faith in Beau. He would never do anything to upset a woman. Not unless she deserved it.

Beau was a lover and a fighter. But a lover most of all.

“That’s it, I’m converted,” Beau declared dramatically.

Scarlett tried to turn to stare at Beau, but Maddox placed a hand on her lower back. “Stay where you are. You don’t rise until I give permission, or you say your safeword.” He turned to his brother. “Beau.”

“I was always a tit man,” Beau mused, “but Scarlett has converted me to being an ass man. Because, fuck, that ass is fine.”

Scarlett let out a small laugh.

“It certainly is,” Maddox agreed.

“Really?” she asked in a quiet voice.

It fucking hurt Maddox that she didn’t see her worth. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that got to him so much. Especially when he didn’t know her.

But there was just something . . . when he’d first seen her he’d known.

She was it.

The one.

Ridiculous. Now he was sounding all romantic and shit. Fuck, maybe someone had drugged him at the bar.

He wouldn’t put it past one of his brothers. Assholes, all of them.

“Damn, darlin’, don’t you look at your ass in the mirror?” Beau asked. “You should. It’s a serious work of art.”

She relaxed even more. Maddox took that opportunity to rub her pale ass. It was full and firm and fucking delicious. Christ, he was so hard it hurt. When was the last time I reacted like this to having a sub over my knee?

Never.

“It’s going to be ten, little one,” he told her. “And that’s because this is your first spanking. Next time you call yourself fat or anything else derogatory, it goes up in increments of five.”

“Oh, Lord.”

“The correct answer is, yes, Sir.”

“Yes, Sir,” she whispered without argument.

Fuck. Him.

He had to close his eyes for a second to keep himself under control.

“About to come in your tightie-whities there, bro?” Beau asked.

“Beau, I’ll lock you in the bedroom if you can’t take this seriously.”

Beau put his hands up. “Sorry, brother, you just looked like you were in pain.”

“Oh, no, I am too heavy for you? I told you I was.”

What the fuck?

Even Beau’s mouth dropped open in surprise at her words.

“Scarlett!” Maddox barked, making her jump. He would have felt bad if he hadn’t just warned her what would happen the next time she put herself down.

“Oh, little one, you desperately need some discipline.” And he’d waited too long. He took a deep breath in, then let it out slowly to get himself back under control.

“The count has just risen to fifteen.”

“What?” she squeaked out. “But why?”

He shared a look with Beau. Was she for real right now?

“Because you just put yourself down again,” he told her slowly. Was she not even aware she was doing it?

“But doesn’t it all count as one?”

“It does not,” he replied sternly.

He laid two smacks quickly on her ass, making her yelp. Damn, that made him feel better.

“But you said you were hurting!” she cried.

“Because I’m turned-on,” he replied.

Smack! Smack!

Oh, that was pretty. Her white ass was already pink. He needed to be careful. He didn’t know her pain tolerance or how easily she bruised. “Not because you’re too heavy.”

Smack! Smack!

Those had been aimed on her lower cheeks.

“Oh.”

“That’s all you have to say? Oh?”

Smack!

Her legs started kicking. Lovely.

“What do you want me to say?” she asked with a sniffle.

“I think something along the lines of, ‘I’m sorry, Sir, for saying bad things about something that’s beautiful and perfect. I won’t do it again.’ ”

There was silence.

Smack!She jolted with a cry then attempted to reach back with her hands to protect what had to be a stinging bottom.

“Uh-uh, keep your hands where they are, or I’ll need to hold them for you.”

She moved her hands back.

Smack! Smack!

“I haven’t heard that apology yet.” He rubbed her bottom as he waited.

“I . . . I . . . no more.”

“Are you saying your safeword? You don’t think you deserve this for your naughty behavior? I don’t like hearing you put yourself down, little one. It hurts me.”

“It does?”

“Yes. It does.”

“I’m sorry, Sir, for saying bad things about something that’s beautiful and perfect. I won’t do it again.”

“That’s my good girl.”

She sagged in relief with his words. God, she was such a good little submissive. Well, she was just a touch naughty.

But that just meant he got to turn this pale ass red. And that wasn’t something he could ever regret.

“Now, this is where your spanking would have ended, if you hadn’t been extra naughty.”

“I’m sorry, Sir.”

“I’m sure you are.”

“Can’t we just leave it here, since I’m new?”

“It’s because you’re new that I didn’t add an extra fifteen onto the original ten,” he told her.

“That really would have hurt.”

“Yep.” And he didn’t want to scare her off. Just give her a small taste of discipline. “How are you doing? Ready for the next five?”

“Yes. I think so.”

Smack! Smack! Smack!

“Do you know why I’m disciplining you?” he asked.

“Because I talked badly about myself.”

“Yes, but I could have just scolded you.”

“Because you like spanking?”

“Hmm. I do. Especially your ass. But that’s not it either. It’s because I want you to remember this. And the next time you go to think or say something bad about yourself, I want you to think about being over my knee, getting your bottom spanked. And I want that to deter you. A spanking can erase guilt over wrongdoing. Or it can act as a preventative measure, to stop you from doing something.”

“I think I get it. Kind of.”

“These last two are going to be harder. Prepare yourself.”

She wrapped her hands around his calf, which he didn’t mind. Just so long as she didn’t try to wrap her teeth around any part of him.

A cry escaped her as he delivered the last two. He rubbed her back gently as she sobbed. Beau stood and grabbed a box of tissues before getting a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. Then he disappeared into the bedroom and returned with a blanket.

Aftercare was where Beau shone.

Although Maddox wasn’t keen to just hand her off the way he often would. Unless he was at the club.

Instead, he carefully drew her up and settled her onto his lap. She winced and tried to move onto her hip. “Part of the punishment is sitting on a hot ass.”

“What?” She gaped up at him as Beau tucked the blanket around her and grabbed a few tissues from the box. “You can’t be serious.”

“He absolutely is,” Beau told her. “Stop slapping my hands away.”

“Stop trying to wipe my nose. I’m not a child.”

“Believe me, I know. I’m still cleaning you up. It’s my job.”

“Your job is to clean me up?” She stared at him in shock.

“That and to give you mind-blowing orgasms.”

“Was there something in the beer they serve in that place?” she asked.

Maddox found himself grinning. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much fun. “You’re in our territory now, city girl. Down here, they breed men a bit differently. Now, put your hands on your lap and let Beau take care of you.” He settled her in against him, wrapping one arm around her waist while he ran his hand up and down her back, trying to massage out the knots he found.

She was seriously wound up.

“How do you know I’m a city girl? And they don’t breed men differently here,” she scoffed.

But he was satisfied to note that she’d dropped her hands and was letting Beau clean her face.

“Blow.”

She stiffened, and he sighed, looking to see that Beau was holding a tissue to her nose.

“No way. That’s gross.”

“Blow,” Beau said in a firm voice. Then he ruined it by grinning. “Because I sure intend to later.”

“Beau,” Maddox groaned. “Can’t you be serious for a minute?”

“Why would I need to be serious when you always are?”

After feeling the sting of betrayal a few months ago, Maddox knew he’d changed, and he was finding it harder and harder to find that lighter part of himself. Although if anyone could bring him out of the darkness, it could be Scarlett.

“I’m the fun-loving, smart, handsome one.”

“And what does that make me?” Maddox asked.

“The serious, grouchy, less-handsome one. We call him the dark lord,” he mock-whispered to Scarlett.

“You do know we’re identical twins,” Maddox said dryly.

“That’s what we tell you to make you feel better. So, you don’t feel so sad about not being as handsome as me.”

Scarlett giggled.

“Now blow.”

She gave in this time and then he threw the tissue away and handed her the bottle of water.

She drank some then leaned against Maddox’s chest. That eased something inside him. The coldness warmed in her presence.

“Feeling okay, little one?”

“As well as anyone with a hot ass can be.”

“Just remember this feeling the next time you start to say something bad about this beautiful body.”

She leaned back, looking up at him. “You really think I’m beautiful?”

“I never lie.” He kissed her, putting his hand behind her head to steady her, he ate from her lips, drifting his tongue across her mouth. Pulling back, he said, “Open.”

She stared up at him, then her lips parted. Satisfaction flooded him. He could tell she was hesitant. She didn’t seem to know what to do with her tongue. But since he was a guy who liked to take charge, that didn’t faze him. In fact, he liked that he could teach her exactly what he wanted.

When he drew back, her eyes were glazed, her lips swollen. “Still don’t like kissing?”

She licked her lips. “I might be convinced to change my mind.”

“What would convince you?”

“Well, maybe you should do that again.”

“Hey, you two can’t sit there and make out all night. It’s not nice to exclude someone, you know. Hurts my feelings.”

“Seems like a lot of things hurt your feelings,” Scarlett pointed out as Maddox leaned her against his chest again.

“I’m just a new age, sensitive kind of guy,” he told her.

“Uh-huh, what did you mean that they breed the men a bit differently here? Country guys can’t be that different from city guys.”

“Don’t know about that, but the men around here tend to be very protective of their women,” Beau told her as he set out some food. Maddox had definitely worked up an appetite. He gestured for Beau to hand him a plate then he picked up a fry and checked its temperature.

“Other men can be protective,” she protested, staring at him in surprise as he held the fry up to her lips. “Um, what are you doing?”

“Feeding you.”

“I thought you were cooling it down for yourself.”

“Nope. Wanted to make sure it wasn’t going to burn you.”

“You guys are so weird,” she muttered.

“Hurt again. Ouch. You know how to get to me. Right in the heart.” Beau pounded his chest with his fist.

Scarlett just shook her head. But she didn’t take the fry.

“Eat,” he ordered.

She focused those big brown eyes on him. She was gorgeous. How was she single? He didn’t care, he just knew that it was his gain.

Well, his and his brother’s. He supposed he had to let the asshole in on this.

“I’m not really hungry.”

“Just eat a bit,” he urged. “You’re going to need your energy to keep up with us. Especially him.” He gestured at Beau, who nodded eagerly.

“Yep, I’m just like the energizer bunny. I just keep going and going.”

“Your mouth sure does,” she muttered, but she was grinning as she said it. And she took the fry. He waited for her to eat that then held another one up to her mouth.

“There are protective men in the city,” she said after eating her fifth fry.

Beau was halfway through his burger by now. Maddox ate some fries.

“Ah, but do they have rules to keep their women safe?” Beau asked.

“I, um, well, some might.”

“And do they punish them if they break those rules,” Maddox asked her.

She turned to him. “Like we just did?”

“Uh-huh.”

“But I thought that was because you’re an, um, a Dom. Right?”

“I am. But not all the men around here are. And they still give their women boundaries and if they break them . . .”

“They get spanked,” Beau finished his sentence.

“Against their will?” She stiffened in his arms.

“Never,” Maddox told her, holding the burger to her mouth. She took a bite. He knew she wasn’t paying much attention. But he was. He found it very rewarding to feed her. It satisfied something inside him.

The darkness settled.

“It’s always the woman’s choice to live with the rules and the consequences,” he told her.

“Why would she choose that?” she asked.

“Imagine feeling safe, feeling cared for, feeling like there was someone who would always be there for you, always watch over you, want the best for you,” he told her. “Imagine if you messed up, instead of stressing over it forever, you could just be punished and let it go. There’s comfort in limits and expectations. And in knowing someone is going to enforce them to keep you safe. The women around here are the happiest I’ve ever met.” He stared down into her surprised face.

“I think we’ve shocked her into silence, brother.”

Too much at once, he got it.

“Eat," he ordered, trying to make things simpler. To his surprise, she took another bite before shaking her head and turning the rest away.

Well, he’d gotten her to eat a bit. Maybe later they could order some dessert.

Real dessert. Not the kind Beau was nearly buzzing in anticipation over.

Although that wasn’t to say he didn’t want some of that dessert as well.