The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 114: A Tender Embrace

Seeing Ethan Caldwell raise the whip once more, Julian Sterling dared not dally any longer. He moved sluggishly, turning his body with great difficulty to present his bare back to the man. His hands remained securely bound to the headboard, but fortunately, the tether was long enough. A simple twist of his waist was all it took for him to lie prone.

With his vision obscured, Julian could see nothing. He could only bury his face deeply into the pillow, holding his breath in anxious anticipation. He felt the distinct, tactile sensation of the soft leather strands gliding over his smooth spine, sliding down the hollow of his waist, and pausing to tease the curve of his full, rounded buttocks.

The agonizing suspense of waiting for the strike was far more terrifying than the pain itself. Julian’s entire body tensed instinctively, arching slightly forward in apprehension.

Suddenly, the cool touch of leather left his skin. Driven by the inertia of fear, Julian clenched his gluteal muscles tight.

Snap!

"Hic... don’t..."

This time, Ethan used genuine force, and the sound of flesh meeting leather rang out crisply. A sharp, stinging pain washed over him, leaving a crimson welt cutting across his snow-white skin. At first, it was a piercing throb, but moments later, it transformed into a burning sensation, a prickling heat that spread across his flesh.

Uncomfortable and pained, Julian lay flat against the bed, turning his head to look at the man. His beautiful face was drenched in tears, his eyes wet and aggrieved, as if silently accusing his husband of domestic violence.

"Hubby... it hurts..."

That soft, spoiled voice, laced with the scent of aroused intimacy, acted as a potent stimulant, forcing Ethan to take a deep breath to compose himself.

He exhaled sharply, his gaze darkening. Suddenly, he retrieved something from the side of the bed, then lowered his body, one hand roughly gripping Julian’s chin to force his head up.

Their gazes locked. Julian’s glistening, tear-filled eyes looked straight into Ethan’s, which were as deep and abyssal as a chasm, as if trying to peer into the other’s very soul.

Ethan leaned down, planting a peck on the tear-stained cheek, then kissing the tip of Julian’s nose, his voice husky: "Be good. Open your mouth."

Julian naively thought Ethan wanted to kiss his lips to comfort him, so he obediently parted his red, inviting lips. But the sweet kiss he expected never came. Instead, Ethan moved with lightning speed, sliding a small silicone sphere into his oral cavity.

"Mmph?"

Julian’s eyes widened in shock. The ball filled his mouth, effectively blocking his tongue. Straps extended from both sides of the sphere, and Ethan deftly pulled them around the back of his neck. A distinct click echoed as the buckle was fastened tight.

A ball gag.

Julian stared at him in a daze of panic, trying to ask what was happening, but could only produce nonsensical muffled sounds. Ethan offered no explanation. He kissed those eyes that were wide with fear, then whispered a cruel command into Julian’s ear: "Kneel down. Spread your legs. Arch your bum high."

Before he could even react, the leather whip began to trace his body again, carrying a silent threat. Terrified, Julian hurriedly obeyed Ethan’s instructions.

He propped himself up on his knees, lifting his rounded buttocks high, assuming the posture of a submissive little animal.

That whip really hurt! Julian had been spoiled rotten by Ethan. He had no desire to endure even this trifling amount of pain! Even though every time the lash fell, a strange pleasure would flood in after the pain, Julian still did not want to suffer any pain whatsoever.

Yet, no matter how obediently he submitted, the punishment was unavoidable. The hateful whip glided over his bare back, soft and flexible like a slithering black snake, sending waves of goosebumps across Julian’s skin. He turned his head and, through a veil of tears, saw Ethan wielding the whip, dancing it leisurely over his body. The man looked just like a painter holding a brush, and Julian’s body was the canvas upon which he could freely embellish with the crimson strokes of discipline.

Suddenly, his arm swung up.

Swish... Snap! 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Mmph...!"

The scream of pain was stifled by the gag, reduced to choked syllables of "mm... ah..." trapped in his throat. Two tears, large as pearls, rolled down his cheeks, and Julian’s entire body trembled violently. This time it truly hurt, a bone-deep pain, far more intense than the previous strikes.

His rounded buttocks bounced, quivering from the force of the blow, and the pristine white skin began to flush a deep pink.

Ethan’s cold, stern voice rang out from directly above, explaining the reason for this thrashing: "If you ever dare to be so reckless again, treating your own life with such disregard, I will beat you. I will spank you until your ass is so swollen you can’t walk."

As soon as the words left his lips, the terrifying sound of wind tearing through the air returned.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

Three consecutive lashes rained down without a shred of mercy. Each blow was more painful and powerful than the last, overlapping the old red welts.

In agony, Julian buried his head deep into the pillow, his tears flowing like a broken dam. His shoulders shook violently with every choked sob. Although his mouth was gagged, the sound of his aggrieved weeping still echoed through the room, heartbreaking to hear.

Ethan used his hand to lift Julian’s tear-stained face. Seeing the tracks of tears marring those features, Ethan’s heart constricted. He used his rough fingertips to gently wipe away a hot tear from his darling’s cheek, then lowered his voice, asking tenderly: "Will you dare to risk your life like that again?"

Julian shook his head vigorously, his water-logged eyes gazing up at Ethan, utilizing every skill he possessed to project the most pitiful, aggrieved appearance possible. He looked exactly like a small animal that had been bullied into a corner with no way out.

Ethan stared at this sight for a long while. The severity in his eyes gradually dissolved, replaced by a helpless indulgence. He could only let out a long, weary sigh.

Truly, he just didn’t have the heart for it. Even though his reason had screamed at him countless times to be strict with the person before him, the moment those tears fell, his resolve crumbled.

Ethan tossed the leather whip onto the floor, then reached out to undo the clasp of Julian’s gag. The moment the silicone ball fell away, the sobs that Julian had been holding back finally burst forth, echoing through the room. They started as small, kitten-like whimpers before growing into loud, choking sobs.

Seeing Julian cry so miserably, Ethan was at a loss for what to do. He could only pull the boy into his embrace, whispering soothing words as if comforting a child. While cooing to him, he carefully untied the bindings at Julian’s wrists and conveniently yanked off the two clamps that were still clinging to Julian’s swollen, red nipples.

Though liberated, Julian felt not a shred of gratitude. He hiccuped a few times, then opened his mouth and bit down hard on Ethan’s bare shoulder, grinding his teeth as deeply as possible to vent his resentment.

Only then did Julian let go. He wept, speaking in a thick, nasal voice, sobbing between every few words: "You hit me! Hic... you actually dared to hit me!"

"If I don’t spank you to make you remember, next time you’ll tear the roof off this house."