‘Would you spank me?’
The words came out in a rush, almost a blur, so that Rob wasn’t quite sure he’d heard what she said, or just what he wanted her to say.
She tugged at her fingers, trying to get them out of his hands, obviously desperate to run and hide, now the unspeakable was spoken.
‘Still, keep still,’ he said, smiling broadly now. ‘It’s OK. You haven’t shocked me. I think you’ve been very brave. Well done, Ruthie. I’m proud of you.’
She gathered her breath. ‘You are?’
‘That must have been hard for you to say.’
‘It was.’
‘Did you mean it?’
She nodded.
‘I want to be better. I think it’ll help me.’
‘I think so, too. So, look, are the others out all afternoon, do you know?’
She clenched her fists in Rob’s hands, her fingernails digging into him.
‘Now?’ she mewled.
‘I think we should start as we mean to go on, don’t you? But I don’t want to be disturbed. So, do you know what they’re doing?’
‘Lulu’s spending the night at Rick’s. Don’t know about Kalaya, but she did say something about working tonight.’
‘At Sainsbury’s?’
‘I guess.’
‘OK, well, I think that leaves us pretty clear.’
Ruth gave an alluring little shiver and shut her eyes.
Rob stood, pulling her up with him and held her hands close to his chest.
‘If you’d gone to the library,’ he said to the crown of her head, ‘you wouldn’t be in this situation, would you?’
‘No.’ She shook her head, which she’d hung low, gazing at the threadbare carpet.
‘You’re going to learn what happens when you slack off. Take off your dressing gown.’
He dropped her hands and watched them go to the belt of her robe, fumbling with the knot before shrugging the garment off. When she stood in just slippers and faded pyjamas with a picture of a yawning owl on the top half, he made her wait for his next move. This was partly to increase her nervousness, and partly because he wasn’t sure what it should be. He settled on an introductory lecture.
‘So, Ruth, I want you to tell me again why you’re here.’
‘I didn’t go to the library.’
‘You didn’t do what you should have done.’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because, um, I didn’t feel like it.’