Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 3

gap between Zach and the couch was about five feet. He started to knee-walk, aware of how awkward he had to look, and was relieved when Jack clicked his tongue reprovingly and said, "Crawl. Keep your eyes on me."
    It was humiliating to crawl, but at least he could make it look good. He paused, still on hands and knees, when going farther would mean crawling up into Jack's very occupied lap and waited.
    "Sit back. Look at his ass and tell me what you think."
    Taylor stirred, a protesting murmur emerging from his lips.
    "I think you did a number on him," Zach said bluntly. Up close, Taylor's ass was a blotchy mess, though the skin wasn't broken. It looked rough, though, as if it'd been sanded using too coarse a grade. He could feel the heat radiating off it.
    "Yeah. I did. He deserved it. As far as I'm concerned this part of his punishment's over and the rest you won't get to see, but he hurt you too, so the way I see it, if you think he's got more coming to him on your account, you tell me and I'll see that he gets whatever you think is fair."
    Taylor started to struggle. "The fuck? No!"
    Jack grabbed a handful of Taylor's hair, something that seemed to be a signal between them, because Taylor stopped fighting immediately. "Yeah, I know you hate the idea, but I want things equal between you two." He glanced over at Zach. "Well?"
    Zach was torn. On the one hand, Taylor had clearly suffered plenty, but the part of him that resented the way he'd been used really wanted a couple of spanks that were dedicated to him, so to speak. On a hypothetical third hand, getting Taylor pissed at him wasn't going to make for fun times in the future, if this all worked out.
    And God, he wanted it to.
    "Can I ask him what he wants me to do?"
    "Nope."
    Zach bit his lip. "Three," he said finally, directing his words at Taylor. "One for every time you called me 'honey' or 'sugar', less a couple for not letting me take my pants off because you knew Jack was coming."
    "Three?" Jack nodded. "Okay."
    "Not fucking okay," Taylor put in, "but fine, sugar . Go ahead."
    "For that, you can make it four," Jack said, but he grinned when he said it and Zach shook his head.
    "Just three and don't -- not too hard? Please?"
    Jack wasn't the only one who could growl; Taylor's was impressive too. "I can take anything you dish out, sweetcheeks. Don't hold back."
    "Huh?"
    Jack leaned back, though his hand moved to grip Taylor's shoulder. "You wanted it. You dish it out. Three with your hand. Do it. Get it over with."
    His gut felt squirmy. Maybe if it'd been at the start of the spanking, when Taylor's ass was pink, but the thought of slapping that bruised, hot skin made him feel like the worst kind of bully. Shit, why hadn't he just said it was okay and he wasn't holding any grudges? "I can't -- I --"
    Jack shrugged. "Get dressed then. Go."
    "That's not fair!"
    "You think you can pick and choose what orders you obey? You think you can get someone else to dish out your punishments? No. Take responsibility for your choices."
    "I don't want to hurt him," Zach admitted in a whisper. "I didn't think -- I'm sorry."
    Taylor turned to look at him, his eyes kinder than Zach felt he deserved. "S'okay. I can take another three and I doubt your hand's as hard as his. Do it, we'll be all square, and we can move on. Come on, honey. I took my medicine, now you take yours."
    It'd never occurred to him that he was in trouble too, just a little bit.
    Biting his lip, Zach knelt up. He'd be using his left hand, not his right, which felt awkward, but it would also lessen the force. He raised his hand, wincing, and brought it down on Taylor's ass in a feeble swat that wouldn't have popped a soap bubble.
    Jack sighed and Taylor gave Zach a disgusted look over his shoulder. "That didn't count. Come on, will you? I want to get up."
    "You'll get off my knee when I say you can," Jack corrected him, but he jerked his chin at Zach, his message clear.
    Zach drew in a deep breath. Okay. Impulsively, he reached out and slid his right hand into Taylor's, pleased when the hot, sweat-damp fingers closed around his with a reassuring squeeze.
    The first slap was still on the mild side compared to Jack's forthright, no nonsense ones, but Taylor gasped and jerked, his fingers tightening.
    God, it was like holding his hand over a candle flame. The second slap was harder to give, knowing that Taylor would give that convulsive jerk, that pained exhale, but Zach made it and the one that followed