A Hard Bargain Read Online Free

essential tools of communication for me, and I quickly sign an apology. He won’t understand my gestures, but it serves as a reminder that I can’t speak to him out loud.
    “What is that? British Sign Language?” His tone is low, measured. He doesn’t sound angry, or irritated.
    I nod my reply, and drop my hands uselessly back into my lap.
    “Sorry, I don’t understand it. So, no vocal sounds at all I think you said in your email?”
    I nod then shake my head, not sure how best to respond. He seems to get my meaning though.
    “Right. We do need to talk though. Will this do?” He leans over, and pulls his iPhone from his back jeans pocket. He taps the screen a couple of times to bring up a notepad app then holds it out to me.
    I gape at him, surprised, and he jerks his hand to remind me to reach out, accept it from him. I’m stunned, I never expected this, didn’t expect anything in the way of effort on his part to help me communicate. His face is serious, not especially encouraging, but his actions are speaking volumes to me already. I was so right to select him as my trainer. If only he’d agree.
    “I have some questions for you. I require answers. Honest answers, full answers. Do you understand?”
    I nod once more, not sure what he might need to ask me. I thought our business was concluded, all except this last episode which really requires no conversation at all beyond ‘get undressed and bend over’. Now, it just needs to be got over with.
    “Okay. I want you to write your responses down for me. Take your time, we’re in no hurry. I want to be absolutely sure though that we understand each other before we’re done here.” He pauses, watching my reactions closely. He hasn’t instructed me to drop my gaze, indeed, I don’t think I could if he did require it. His eyes are mesmerizing, deep and dark, slate gray. Beautiful eyes, but so stern, so uncompromising, drilling into mine.
    “Why are you here?”
    His first question throws me completely. Why am I here? I’m here because he bloody well told me to come here, I’m here to be punished, disciplined, my behavior corrected. What sort of a question’s that? My confusion must be apparent on my face because he chuckles, the sound low and sexy.
    “Yes, yes, you’re here for a spanking and you’ll get that. All in good time. But what I want to know is, why do you deserve to be spanked?”
    I shake my head slightly, shrugging, bewildered.
    He tilts his head, his expression firming, all trace of humor gone in an instant. “It’s not a trick question, girl, and I expect you to answer me. Now. Don’t keep me waiting, and don’t make me repeat myself. Write down for me why you deserve to be punished. What did you do that needs to be corrected?” His tone is not menacing, not yet threatening, but I know he won’t take kindly to having to ask me again.
    I try to think, but to be fair my brain is turning into a sort of soggy porridge. This conversation, his question, is so left field, so totally unexpected. I stare at the small screen in my hands, my mind a blank. Obviously I use notepads a lot, electronic and the paper type, in shops that sort of thing. BSL is not widely used or understood so I have to make do. Shopping’s easier now that supermarkets have those DIY checkouts, but still…
    I write down the first thing that occurs to me.
    I broke the rules of being a submissive by making contact with a Dominant, before I was invited to?
    I hand the phone back to Nicholas Hardisty who reads my short response rapidly before passing it straight back.
    “Nice try. That would have earned you a reprimand, not a spanking. Think again, girl. And this time don’t try to evade, I think you know what your offense was. But I intend to make sure you understand what all this is about before we proceed.”
    I take the phone and stare at it for a few moments. It must have been the money. Angela warned me against offering to pay, but I still did it. Idiot that I am, I