Winters’ Warmth

by Alyx

“I really must find myself a secretary,” Emily Winters murmured to herself as she went through her correspondence. Although the advent of email had cut down on the piles of paper letters that came to her, there were still many requests to deal with and appointments to schedule as well. Her services were much in demand, her popularity only increasing, and it was becoming much harder for just one individual to handle.

She read over an email from a young woman who was just begging her for a spanking, nothing more. “That would be in the ‘no’ pile,” she said with a snort. She decided it was not even worth responding to. Though the majority of requests were for advice and to schedule counseling sessions, there would invariably be the ones from high-powered businessmen looking for a dominatrix, or youngsters writing on a dare from schoolmates. Though she only advertised very discreetly in one discipline magazine, apparently the word-of-mouth about “SuperTop” was enough to generate a lot of interest, both good and bad.

A few days later she was surprised to see another letter from the same young woman, again requesting a “simple spanking.” This time she did take the time to reply, as it was obvious the woman was not going to take the hint and look elsewhere. She said firmly that it was not the kind of service she provided, and advised the woman to find another outlet for her fantasies.

Her email also contained a request to appear the following weekend at a neighborhood bookstore, where they were hosting a “Healthy Spanking” workshop along with some speakers on bondage and age play. She checked her schedule, and agreed to speak for 15 minutes. “I definitely need an assistant,” she sighed. “Now if only I had an assistant to set up all the interviews to hire the assistant!”

The workshop was well-attended, with at least 50 people, and things went very smoothly. There were two psychologists who actually used this “hands on” therapy as part of their practice, as well as a couple who shared their lifestyle incorporating adult age play. Emily’s portion on domestic discipline and spanking play was well received, with several people asking questions about her services or asking for advice regarding specific problems in their relationships.

After the workshop, there were a few people who approached her with follow-up questions or to request appointments for counseling. This was nothing unusual, and she was happy to talk briefly with possible future clients. At the very end of the line stood a young woman in fashionable hoodie and short flared skirt, anxiously biting on her thumbnail. When she reached Emily she smiled nervously.

“Hi! Uh…can I talk to you privately, Ms. Winters?”

Emily nodded. “Of course. And you are…?”

The young woman flushed. “Oh, sorry! My name’s Laura.”

“Well, Laura, it appears you are the last in the queue, so why don’t we chat as I walk to my car?”

“That would be great, thank you,” she said, turning awkwardly to follow her. “By the way, I found your presentation really interesting tonight.”

They made small talk as they walked, and Emily waited patiently for her to get to the point. Laura wasn’t the first person she’d met who was embarrassed about needing her help, though normally it was the tops who seemed to be the most reluctant, and this girl didn’t strike her as top material. Still, one couldn’t always predict such things.

The small parking lot was nearly deserted, and the lengthening shadows of dusk seemed to make the young woman more comfortable. As they stood next to Emily’s Mini Cooper, she took a deep breath and began.

“Ms. Winters? I’m the one who wrote to you a few days ago regarding….uh….a spanking?”

Emily had been loading things into her car, but straightened up in surprise and turned to examine her with more attention. In the silence that followed, Laura began to fidget slightly and twist her hands together.

“So….you’re ‘OYKplease’??”

Laura winced. “Um, yes, ma’am. It’s a stupid nick, I know, but I couldn’t think of anything at the time and—”

Emily took pity on Laura’s embarrassment and interrupted her gently. “I’m afraid I can’t offer you anything different to what I’ve already said, Laura. I simply don’t perform services like that.”

“But why not?” Laura asked in a frustrated tone. “I’d be willing to pay you for your time!”

“That’s not the point,” Emily said. She resumed loading folders into her car, and placed her purse on the seat next to them. “What I do,” she explained, her voice slightly muffled, “is counsel people who need advice on conducting a discipline relationship. I do not hand out spankings to those who think they require them.”

“It’s not like that,” Laura said plaintively, bouncing a bit on her feet. Here she finally had a chance to talk to SuperTop, and nothing was going as she planned. “I don’t even know if I’d like one! That’s what I’m trying to find out, you know? I think I may be….uh….one of those people you all talk about. I mean, I think about it a LOT, and I’ve always fantasized about it. But how is a person supposed to know if they never have any experience??”

Emily stood up again and sighed. She glanced about, noting that most everyone had left, then shook her head regretfully and patted Laura’s arm. “I do sympathize, my dear. But I suggest you find a support group of some kind, or visit a spanking forum and get to know the people there. Be VERY CAREFUL before meeting anyone in person, of course. But that really is the best way to make acquaintances in the kink community.”

“Please….” Laura tried one last time, “I don’t know anyone else I can turn to! At least I know you’re safe—”

“Actually, you don’t really know that,” Emily interrupted firmly. “You don’t really know the first thing about me personally. And here you are, alone with a stranger in a dark carpark! Does anyone even know where you are right now?” Her tone was quite stern, and in spite of herself Laura felt a tingle go through her.

“Oh yes! Well…I mean sort of. I told my roommate I was going out to a movie and that if I didn’t come back by 10:00 to call my cellphone.”

“That wouldn’t do you any good if you were unconscious or in danger, would it? Next time you must tell your roommate where you are, so she can send the police if you don’t return on time! Is that clear?”

“Yes, ma’am.” A heavy sigh. “You’re not going to reconsider, are you?” Laura’s expression was a near-perfect pout, and Emily had to restrain herself from pointing out that she had the makings of a very good brat.

“I’m afraid not. But I do wish you luck, young woman.” She shook her hand firmly. “Now, which one is your car?”

“It’s over there.” Laura pointed dejectedly.

“Then get in it please, and I will watch to make sure you leave safely.”

As she drove home Emily shook her head over the foolishness of the young. “Ah well, I suppose she will outgrow it eventually.”

A couple of days later Emily received a call from a young man who said he’d attended the workshop, and wanted to enlist her services.

“My girlfriend…her name’s Bella…she needs you. I mean, I guess I do. I have been…uh…topping her, but she’s not happy.”

“Oh yes?” Emily inquired politely. “What seems to be the problem?”

“The problem? That’s a good question.” The young man laughed nervously. “I guess…I’m not dominant enough?”

Yes, that’s quite clear, was SuperTop’s amused thought. But aloud she said, “Well…forgive me, what did you say your name was again?”

“John.”

“Well, John, I can certainly give you some tips to increase your authority. But I can’t change your basic personality, you do realize?”

“Yes, yes, of course, I understand perfectly!” John said in a relieved voice. “I’m sure you can help her…me…I mean us!”

Emily snorted silently and took down his address. This sounded like it was going to require a fair bit of work on her part, but she supposed they couldn’t all be easy cases.

That evening she arrived at John’s apartment and was met by a man who looked even younger than his voice suggested. John was slight, blond, with a sparse beard and scruffy hair. His handshake was soft and slightly damp, and Emily had to remind herself that nearly anything could be accomplished through force of will. Though looking at John, she wondered if he possessed much, if any, will at all. There was something odd about him. Emily let him hang up her coat, then put down her briefcase on a nearby chair, and they stood and looked at each other while he fidgeted awkwardly. Finally, Emily broke the silence.

“Is your girlfriend about?” she asked. “Or will we be working alone tonight?”

“Yes, she’s here,” he said quickly. “Um…Bella! Would you come out here?”

Emily prepared herself to meet the poor dissatisfied woman who was partnered to this man, but was shocked when John’s girlfriend made her appearance. “You!”

Laura smiled at her shamefacedly. “Yeah…me.”

“You are John’s girlfriend? Is your real name ‘Bella,’ then?”

“Not exactly….” she broke off as Emily’s eyes narrowed ominously, and John could be heard clearing his throat in the background.

“Um…Laura? Since you don’t need me anymore I’ll be heading out. It was nice meeting you, ma’am.” He reached forward to shake her hand again, met her glare and obviously thought better of it, then hurriedly let himself out the door.

“What is this, exactly?” Emily asked.

“Well, you didn’t seem to want to deal with me as a single person,” Laura said defensively, “so I thought maybe with Adam here….”

“My specialty is in counseling couples, but I do deal with individuals all the time,” Emily said crisply. “However, that was NOT my objection, as you know perfectly well!” She observed Laura’s guilty expression. “So his name is not even John?”

“No. He’s my friend Adam….not boyfriend, just a friend….I’m gay.” Laura’s voice had a touch of sullenness.

“In fact this whole appointment is a complete sham, isn’t it? I have just wasted an evening driving over here, I have used valuable time and petrol – time I could have allotted to people who really need my services – all because of one spoiled girl who can’t take ‘No’ for an answer! Is that what you are telling me?!”

“I guess so,” was the sulky admission.

SuperTop’s voice bordered on a growl. “I could cheerfully stripe your bottom with my cane!”

Laura gasped and her eyes widened. She could feel her heartbeat increase immediately.

“But I will not be manipulated and coerced by such behavior,” Emily continued, her expression filled with disgust. She retrieved her own coat off the hook and addressed Laura crossly. “Young woman, you are in definite need of straightening up, but you have a lot of growing up to do before you deserve the attention you are seeking!”

To her embarrassment, Laura felt tears threaten. “I’m sorry, you’re right. I didn’t mean to cause trouble….I just….I just didn’t know where to turn!” She held out her hands in entreaty. “I don’t have anyone to talk to, and even if I did I’m not sure I would know what to ask! I only found out about myself a month ago, and I have all these feelings….” Laura’s voice broke as the strain of the past few weeks caught up with her.

“I get so confused sometimes, and I didn’t know where to go for help. When I saw your ad, and then read about what people said about you, I thought you’d be the perfect person to ask! I guess…..I got desperate. I thought….I thought, ‘If I could just get her alone, get her to listen to me, she’ll see…'” she broke off again with a sob and grabbed a tissue out of a box on the coffee table. Ms. Winters still hadn’t spoken but began buttoning her coat. Her expression was impassive.

“I know it’s a stupid excuse, and I don’t blame you for being mad. But you were young once, weren’t you? When you’re young, you do stupid things sometimes! At least…” she continued in a subdued voice, more to herself than to Emily, “…I do. You probably never did anything as stupid as me.” Laura dabbed her eyes again, then blew her nose and got ahold of herself with visible effort.

“I’m sorry, really sorry,” she said miserably, looking at the floor but standing before Emily resolutely. “Can I pay you for your time, at least?”

Emily picked up her briefcase, but didn’t move toward the door. She considered the girl and what appeared to be her genuine remorse. “That’s not necessary,” she said at last. “Just make sure you don’t play a prank like this one again on anyone else.”

“I won’t, I promise.” She put out her hand tentatively. “Thank you for coming here.”

Emily took it after a hesitation, and looked at her carefully. “You’ll be okay?”

“I will. And I promise not to bother you again, Ms. Winters. I’m awfully sorry to have wasted your time.”

Driving back home, Emily could hear Laura’s voice over and over in her mind: “You were young once, weren’t you?” She tried not to wince at how old the “once” made her feel. Obviously to someone of Laura’s age she must seem positively ancient. But what disturbed her even more was the niggling of long-forgotten memories and feelings, like the haunting strand of a childhood tune that one hadn’t thought of for years.

Emily Winters was a formidable woman, one who truly deserved her reputation as a wise and caring dominant. But she wasn’t born SuperTop, and watching Laura’s vulnerability tonight had brought her back in touch with those early years, when she was still learning about her own desires. In particular, she was hearing again those voices which had guided her own path, feeling once again the terror, uncertainty, and giddy rush of discovering what it meant to submit to another’s authority.

She could smile now at her foolish impetuousness, and feel compassion for the inevitable mistakes of her younger self. Her smile turned nostalgic as she recalled how vivid those early experiences were – was one ever as ALIVE to a sensation as when it was first experienced? She frowned suddenly. Had she really forgotten how it felt to be so young and innocent? How it felt to yearn for the experiences which never seemed to come soon enough?

She didn’t want to feel old and jaded….especially not during the holidays. She didn’t really want to recapture her youth either….she was quite satisfied with her life, for the most part. “Other than needing a secretary and a girlfriend,” she murmured to herself with a chuckle. But there was one thing she did want to do, she decided suddenly. She glanced at the clock, determined it was not too late, then placed her call.

“Hello, Laura? This is Ms. Winters.”

“Ms. Winters?” Surprised and uncertain. “Yes, ma’am?”

“I’ve decided to take you up on your request.”

They met the very next evening, in Laura’s apartment. Following Ms. Winters’s instructions, Laura dressed in her pajamas, which felt both awkward and reassuring. They were her most comfortable articles of clothing, and yet to be greeting a guest while dressed in PJs made her feel very vulnerable. She contemplated changing into a pair a jeans, in direct disobedience to SuperTop’s orders.

After all, what can she do, spank me? Laura thought with a giggle that was more than half hysterical with nerves. And then suddenly the doorbell rang and she had no time to consider doing anything but letting her in.

Emily herself was dressed in a beautiful coat of heather gray wool, with a cashmere scarf of lavender plaid draped around her neck. Her hands were encased in black leather gloves, and she carried a small briefcase. She smiled at Laura as she removed her coat, and nodded approvingly.

“I see you’re dressed as instructed. Well done.”

Laura blushed slightly. “Yes….I nearly changed, though.”

“That wouldn’t have been wise,” Emily said briskly, as she removed her gloves and smoothed down her simple woolen skirt. “Rule number one when you’re about to undergo discipline: Don’t give your spanker any more reason to add on swats.” Her glance took in the small living room, and then she gestured at Laura’s sofa. “May I?”

“Y-yes.”

Emily sat down and patted the sofa with a nod. “Yes, this will do.” She looked Laura, who was standing uncertainly nearby. “Now, are there any things you must take care of before we begin? Some music to hide the noise from the neighbors, perhaps? A last trip to the loo?”

Laura laughed nervously. “I better take care of both. Would you excuse me for a minute?” She put her iPod in a dock and started a track by Ubaka Hill, whose drumming she figured would cover the sounds nicely.

Emily smiled. “Very inspired,” she said. When Laura returned she beckoned her nearer, and then gently pulled her down across her thighs. She arranged the young woman so that her upper and lower body were lying comfortably on the sofa on either side, with her bottom raised and centered over her lap.

Oh god, getting right down to business, Laura thought with trepidation. She tensed immediately, but Ms. Winters patted her bottom and told her to relax.

“As this is your first time, we’re going to take things slowly,” Emily said quietly. “The most important thing is that you are comfortable, and that you enjoy yourself. Did you have any questions you wanted to ask me?”

“Um…it’s kind of hard to think of them right now,” Laura squeaked.

Emily laughed. “Okay, then I have one for you: What is your safeword?”

Laura thought a moment. She didn’t have any experience in these matters, but she decided to copy something she’d seen online. “How about ‘yellow’ for slow down, and ‘red’ for stop?”

“Very good,” Emily agreed. “All right then, let’s begin. Just listen to everything I say, and you’ll be fine.” One hand curved round Laura’s waist, holding her casually, the other rested on Laura’s flannel-clad cheeks. “Close your eyes, please.”

Laura closed them obediently.

“Now take a deep breath. Very good, now another. And as you exhale, relax your body.” She began slowly to rub small circles around Laura’s bottom. “You asked for this spanking, and it’s not something I normally do, so we want to make sure you experience it fully.” Emily’s voice was low and reassuring. “One of the most important things about a spanking is the position involved. Being over someone’s knee focuses one’s attention in a unique way….do you see what I mean?”

“Oh yes,” Laura breathed. With her torso and legs supported by the sofa, she became even more aware of her bottom raised in the air, positioned perfectly for whatever Ms. Winters planned to do next. She could feel the older woman’s strong thighs beneath her, and how her most sensitive areas were now pressed against those thighs. It was exactly as she’d imagined it would be, and so much more.

“This is not a punishment spanking, this is for your exploration and pleasure,” Emily was saying now. “But that doesn’t mean it can’t be intense. I will be starting with my hand, but if you feel up to it, we can add an implement later, all right?”

“Yes, okay,” Laura agreed. She could feel her breathing speed up a bit.

“I’m going to take your bottoms down now.”

There was the feel of fingers hooking into her waistband, and then the drawing down of her pajama bottoms. She could tell Ms. Winters was taking her time, slowly undressing her, and Laura savored every second. The apartment was warm but the air was still cool on her naked skin, and as her waistband traveled lower and lower, down to her knees, Laura found herself squirming slightly.

To increase the feeling of exposure, Emily slid Laura’s pajama top slightly higher up her back, and when she had the pale round cheeks fully presented she paused to admire the sight. She didn’t say anything, just let the silence draw out, and she could tell by the way Laura’s buttocks twitched that she was fully in the moment, fully experiencing the vulnerability of being bared with one’s bottom in the air, awaiting one’s fate.

Emily took a deep breath and let herself be fully in the moment as well. As a spanker she had usually to be very focused, especially if she’d never disciplined the brat in question before. It was vital to pay close attention to all of a bottom’s reactions, and even more, to try and anticipate them. But there were also moments like these, when she could relax a bit and just enjoy herself, and she reminded herself to do that more often. The sight of a bottom bared and awaiting correction, the implied trust warring with self-consciousness and growing arousal….these were things that never grew old.

Laura wanted to groan with the embarrassment of it all. She’d never had her backside displayed in such a manner, and she almost wanted to plead with Ms. Winters for the spanking to start, just to end the excruciating anticipation. Thankfully, she felt Ms. Winters’s warm palm pressed against her cheek right at that moment.

“Keep your bottom relaxed,” was the quiet instruction, and then the palm left her and returned in a gentle slap.

“Oh!” Laura was surprised at the soft smack, as she’d been expecting a much heavier hand from the fabled SuperTop. But even as she thought this there was another swat, and another, each wonderfully warming, and each growing almost imperceptibly stronger. It was easy to keep relaxed as instructed, when the spanks were so pleasurable. She could feel her cheeks bouncing with every smack, and blushed as she imagined what her slowly reddening bottom must look like.

The rhythm was steady and the swats covered every inch of her bottom and upper thighs. It was as if Ms. Winters was determined to create one giant pink canvas out of her backside, and Laura could not help wriggling in pleasure.

Emily chuckled. “Liking it so far?”

“Oh yes! It’s even better than I imagined it.”

Emily bit back a retort but could feel her palm itching. Even though her intent was to provide a gentle introduction for Laura, the disciplinarian in her knew this was one brat who was probably well overdue for a thorough thrashing.

“Excellent. But now I am going to increase the force,” she warned. “Try to stay relaxed, if you can.” Her palm begin to strike harder, and slightly faster. The swats were a lot stingier now, but the build-up had been so gradual it wasn’t unbearable. The next time she paused, Laura could feel a definite throbbing in her hindquarters, and she wondered how much harder it was going to get. As if reading her mind, Ms. Winters announced that they would be moving on to an implement, and for Laura to let her know if it became too much.

“This is my favorite hairbrush,” Emily said, holding out a medium-sized brush of dark walnut where Laura could see it. “You mentioned being curious about this traditional discipline implement, so I will give you a taste of it.” She tapped a couple of times against Laura’s cheek to accustom her to the feel of the wood, then drew back and landed with a sharp smack.

“Ow!” Laura winced. The wood surface was much more unforgiving than Ms. Winters’s hand had been. There was a pause, during which Laura could feel the burn blossoming, and then the brush landed again. Ms. Winters continued, spanking much more slowly and pausing between swats. She also concentrated all her strokes on the sit-spot of each cheek, alternating back and forth.

Try as she might, Laura could not relax. Her cheeks tensed up, and she found herself squirming to escape the whacks of the formidable brush. She endured as much as she could, but was forced to call out “Yellow!” after a few minutes. Ms. Winters stopped immediately.

“Perhaps you can get an idea of why a proper spanking is a thing dreaded by many, mm?” she murmured.

“God yes,” Laura said with feeling. “That hairbrush is awful!”

Emily smiled. “And I was just using a fraction of the force of a real swing,” she said. “A true correction would involve much harder swats, at a much faster pace, for much longer.” She chuckled internally at Laura’s shudder. “Let’s go back to my hand, but I will give you just a taste of true discipline, so you can get an idea of how intense it can feel.”

Laura wanted to ask what she meant, but suddenly found her bottom raised even more, as the knee she was perched on jacked up higher, causing her body to assume a sharper angle.  The arm around her waist held her even tighter, and Ms. Winters addressed her in voice that was chillingly stern.

“Young lady, I have been meaning to let you know what I thought of the stunt you pulled last evening, when you LIED and WASTED MY TIME with your deception!” Her hand swept up and landed with some force on Laura’s lower right cheek. “It was childish,” another painful swat to her left cheek, “selfish,” a hard swat right in the middle, “and extremely tiresome! You obviously have never been taught that bad behavior has consequences,” she continued in the same pattern, with ringing whacks to right, left, and center, “but you are about to get a sample of what those consequences can feel like, and it will be my great pleasure to administer this particular lesson!”

Laura eyes were wide open now, and she was gasping from how quickly things had changed. This was a real scolding, and she felt ashamed of herself and extremely humbled by it. But the true revelation was that even though she realized Ms. Winters was spanking her with only moderate force, and her hand was softer than the hairbrush had been, she could feel it so much more! Every slap was a hot coal to an already burning backside. The combination of being scolded for a real-life transgression, the stern, disappointed tone, and the no-nonsense way she was being spanked made the experience a lot more powerful. Powerful…and suddenly overwhelming.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she found herself crying out, squirming with real remorse. Her breath was catching in her chest, and it took a little while to realize that the verbal and physical chastisement had ceased.

“Yes, I know,” Emily was saying, her tone once again reassuring. She’d stopped spanking and was now rubbing Laura’s bottom in little circles, just as she had done in the beginning. “That wasn’t a real punishment, Sweetie. That was just to give you an idea of what real discipline can be like. I wasn’t intending that to begin with, but I decided you might feel cheated if it was purely for pleasure.”

Laura laughed weakly in relief. “Geez, you could’ve warned me! Wow, I see what you mean, though. That WAS intense!”

“Mm-hm. It can be extremely cathartic too. But something tells me,” she said, slowly pulling up Laura’s pajama bottoms now, to Laura’s great regret,” that you will find that out in due time.” She patted her bottom and urged her upright.

“You think so?” Laura smoothed her hair self-consciously, feeling shy. Her bottom felt like it was on fire, but her heart felt like skipping.

“Oh yes. I am quite certain many punishment spankings lie in your future.” Her tone was dryly amused, and Laura found herself flushing.

“Thank you, Ms. Winters.” Impulsively, Laura hugged her, and felt herself squeezed surprisingly tightly in return. “That was wonderful. It was…it was….it was way more than I ever imagined it could be!”

Emily pulled back and took in the young woman’s glowing features with an air of satisfaction. For a moment, SuperTop’s gaze turned inward, and her face took on a nostalgic expression. “It certainly is an intimate act, in its own way,” she mused. “And fun too…something I must keep in mind.” Then she returned to the present, and looked at the future brat with a twinkle in her eye. “Happy Christmas, Laura.”

“Oh, Merry Christmas to you too, ma’am! I wish I could give you a gift as wonderful as the one you just gave me!”

“You already have, actually,” Emily said with smile. “You already have.”