In the lamplit study Miles rests his hand at the small of Katherine's back and issues another quiet command. She bites her lip, already flushing as the ledger slips forgotten to the floor, her body answering before her mind can resist.
Every night they bend over account books to rescue the firm, yet his corrections grow bolder, his touch more possessive. The threat of discovery by grasping relations or the solicitor turns each spanking into a gamble that could shatter their betrothal and leave them both exposed to scandal. He demands she hold still against the window glass where any passerby might glimpse her shame, and she obeys even as she fears the moment his need for control will drive her away once the contract is fulfilled.
