Page 104 of Boss and Brat

“You ignored a direct warning,” Carter said. “You put yourself in danger. And you scared me more than you realize.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I really am.”

Carter exhaled slowly, eyes softening just a fraction—but not enough to ease the tension. “We’re going to deal with it,” he said. “Right now.”

Ethan’s pulse jumped, loud in his ears.

Carter reached past him and locked the bathroom door with a faint click. The second Carter locked that bathroom door, Ethangot a bad feeling. His palms went sweaty, and he couldn’t seem to pull in a full breath. The warmth of the room intensified, making it feel tight and oppressive.

Carter didn’t raise his voice. Somehow, that made it worse. “Come here,” he said.

Ethan stepped forward, legs stiff, heart hammering. He hated disappointing Carter. Hated knowing he’d scared him. That guilt sat heavier than anything else.

Carter’s expression wasn’t furious anymore—it was controlled, serious, the kind of look that said, “this is happening, and you know why.”

“You ignored a direct warning,” Carter said. “You put yourself in danger. And you know I don’t let that slide.”

Ethan nodded, throat tight. “I know.”

“Look at me.”

He did. Carter’s eyes were steady, firm, but there was something else under the anger. It hit Ethan like a punch.

“I’m not doing this because I’m angry,” Carter said. “I’m doing it because you need to take your safety seriously. I need to know you’ll listen when it matters.”

Ethan swallowed hard. “I said I was sorry,” he said.

“I know you are,” Carter said. “But you’re still getting punished.”

When Carter guided him into position by bending him over the sink, Ethan’s face burned with shame, and his stomach twisted with dread.

“Ten swats.”

The first swat landed with a sharp crack that echoed off the tile, the sound too loud in the small bathroom. Ethan’s hands tightened against the cool porcelain of the counter, the chill biting into his palms and clashing with the heat crawling up his neck. He gasped—not from the pain, but from the way it cut straight through the guilt he’d been trying to outrun. The faintscent of soap and steam lingered in the air, clean and ordinary, completely at odds with the shame burning under his skin.

The next one made his eyes squeeze shut. By the third, his throat was constricted, and he hated how quickly the emotion rose in him—not from the pain, but from everything behind it. The fear he’d caused. The disappointment. The way Carter’s voice had cracked on the trail.

He blinked hard, trying to keep it together, but his breath shook anyway.

Carter paused, hand resting lightly on his back—grounding, steady. “Ethan,” he said, “why are you being punished?”

Ethan’s voice came out small. “Because I didn’t listen.”

“And?”

“And… I could’ve gotten hurt.”

Carter nodded once. “Good.”

The punishment continued—steady, controlled, each impact sending a hollow thud through the cramped room. The rhythm wasn’t harsh, but it was unyielding, a certainty that settled heavy in Ethan’s chest. What broke him wasn’t only the sting; it was the way Carter never wavered, never hesitated, the single message in every measured strike that he cared too much to let this slide. The bright bathroom light hummed overhead, sharp against Ethan’s frayed nerves, making the moment feel even more exposed, more real. His ass was sore, but what really hurt was letting Carter down way more than he thought possible.

The moment Carter stopped and set the paddle on the counter, the tension in Ethan’s body collapsed all at once. His breath hitched in his throat, a sound in the silence, and he remained rooted to the spot, his legs still uncertain. Ethan’s eyes stung in that awful way that meant tears were coming whether he wanted them or not. He hated crying. Especially in front of Carter.

A wave of shame washed over him from feeling stupid for getting emotional, messing up in the first place, and makingCarter worry. The guilt sat heavy in his chest, and the sting of the punishment only made it sharper.

Carter must’ve seen it on his face, because he gently guided Ethan upright. “Look at me.”

Ethan hesitated, then lifted his eyes. Carter wasn’t angry anymore. Not even a little.