by Jenny Plumb
She scowled. “He might be safer with a friend. I… God, I almost hit your grandmother with my car.” She looked like she was about to backslide into pale-faced, emotions-gone, shutdown territory again.
“Raina Marie Michaels, stop right there and look at me.” He took her chin firmly into his grasp, tilting it up to look at him. He softened his gaze, trying to show her he meant her no harm. “It was an accident, I know it’s hard. But you have to let go of the “what-ifs”. Granny is fine. She’s already left the hospital after a quick check-up, and reamed me a new one for ‘trying to ruin your Christmas and what was I thinking, young man?’, along with a few other choice words I really didn’t appreciate coming from my grandmother’s mouth. She’s fine. That lady is stronger than most men I know.” He stroked her cheek. “And so are you. You just need to let go for a bit, get your strength built up, and go back to what you do best – kicking the world’s ass by being sweet and kind, taking care of your son, and being the woman that I love.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “She’s really okay?”
He nodded and brushed away the tears.
“You really do love me? Even though I can’t seem to do all the strong stuff you mentioned? And I keep freaking out or shutting down? I don’t have anything to offer you except a wet, snotty shirt, when I cry on your shoulder, or some bad driving every once in a while. Or fight or flight kicking into overdrive.”
“Baby, come here.” He pulled her up and sat her onto his lap, snuggling the afghan up to her chin. The pastel green at the top brought out the chocolate of her eyes, making her more beautiful, more vulnerable. “Fight or flight is a natural reaction to your brain’s chemical response to fear. I don’t think your normal reaction would have been to drive off in a state of panic.” He pet her head and scritched her scalp as she sat against his chest as stiff as a board. “I think your reaction was a bit over-exaggerated based on fatigue and all the extra stressors from the day. What do you think?”
She softened a little bit and nodded up at him, her pink tongue darting out to lick her lips in a gesture he had seen her do before when nervous. “I just… I can’t lose him.”
“Well, you’re not going to, honey. I talked to Grace on the phone about an hour ago.”
She almost bolted off his lap, but he held her firmly between his arms.
“Hold on, hold on.” He used his most calming voice and took a couple of deep, slow breaths, reminding her to breathe. “Okay, now hear me out, little girl, before you react.”
She nodded, but her shoulders were tense, and as high as he had seen them in weeks.
“Grace called me. She has a friend in town, who called her about the accident. She almost drove straight over, but I talked her out of it, and she agreed. Baby, she doesn’t want to steal your son from you. It may have started that way because she didn’t know any other way to discuss it with you. She’s lonely, and she misses her son and her husband.”
“Eli looks just like Thomas. I’ve seen his school pictures,” she muttered.
“Well, he also seems to have a lot of his grandfather’s attributes: sticking out his chin when he gets angry; a nervous tick when he gets excited; the way he furrows his brow and sticks his tongue out the right side of his mouth when he’s concentrating.”
“That’s Thomas. He always did that.” She smiled as she mentioned the memory of her deceased husband.
“Grace apologized. God, she cried a lot. But the gist of it was she wants to start over with you, and feels horrible for treating you so badly. She just doesn’t want to be alone anymore. And she admits that she overreacted by sending the summons. She just doesn’t want to lose the opportunity to have Eli in her life.”
“She said all that?”
“Well, some other stuff, and a lot of nose blowing and crying, but that was the whole take. I was planning on calling her myself and getting a meeting together after Christmas. That’s what I was trying to tell you before you ran off. I wouldn’t let her take your baby away from you. I promised you, remember?”
She nodded, and fresh tears fell down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I should have trusted you. I should have calmed down long enough to talk with you and figure things out.”
“It’s okay—”
“You should spank me,” she interrupted.
Holy crap, her words were like a punch to his solar plexus. “I don’t want to spank you for this, baby. A punishment spanking for an accident that almost—”
“I need to release the guilt, I need to let it all go, submit to something safe, something else besides the white that keeps trying to smother me. Please. I don’t care what you call it. Punishment, reset, any term you think fits. I don’t care. I just need to be over your knee. I need to let go, and feel the pain mix with the emotions as they lessen, so I can think clearly again. Breathe. That’s what I need, and you can give that to me. Please?”
“God, baby.” He kissed her nose, lips and forehead. “You are wound so tightly, I just don’t want to make you snap, or hurt you emotionally.”
“You would never hurt me. Please?”
“Okay.” He would watch her like a hawk. Ensure she used her stop word. Make sure he gave her as hard a spanking as it took to release all the crap that was hurting her right now and nothing more.
Holy cow, Raina’s bottom ached after last night’s spanking. John had been so good to her, taking her over his knee and spanking her until she wept. He had frustrated her by stopping and asking if she needed to use a safe word. No. She had wanted him to take charge and spank her until he thought she’d had enough, to take her mind off the pain and the guilt, to help her release all the tension. And boy, he had. His hand had mercilessly ravaged her poor bottom cheeks and upper thighs, pausing every few minutes to check on her and make sure she was emotionally okay.
And she had been. Once he took charge, she had started a long session of melting, cleansing, releasing – whatever it was called. He had taken her to the point where she could not possibly take anymore, and then said the one thing she needed to hear. She was a good girl, and it wasn’t her fault.
Then she lost all composure, and collapsed as exhaustion, sadness, guilt, anger, fear all poured out of her until she was soft and safe, and the only thing that ached was her bottom. Her heart, her mind, her soul were all clear, thanks to John.
When he made slow love to her and held her in his arms afterward, she had melted all over again. She loved this man with all her heart.
Chapter 6
The night before Christmas and all through the house… John almost laughed at all the chaos that was very unlike the story he had always been read as a kid. Mom and Grace were hitting it off well – especially after a few glasses of Granny’s famous eggnog. The party at his parents’ house was always a bit crazy; between Uncle Hank posing as Santa and delivering gifts, Uncle Jack leading the off-key caroling, and all the excitement, no one ever got to bed before midnight.
Eli was tearing through the house with his new lightsaber, followed closely by John’s niece, who had her own. They made a fun pair to watch. Raina was radiating like a thousand watt light bulb as she sat on the couch, clapping as Granny danced with her new beau.
Joe Mangionelli himself – the seventy-four year old man – had shown up promptly at eight PM, and swept Granny off her feet – literally! The man really was a good swing dancer, and Granny was still as sharp as a tack. They looked good jitterbugging their way through the living room to Uncle Jack’s rendition of “Carol of the Bells”.
John sat down next to Raina, and pulled her into his arms for a quick kiss.
“Not in front of the children,” she admonished.
He pointed at the mistletoe hanging from the brim of his hat. “Just following tradition, baby.”
She was still a bit grumpy that he had gotten onto her for getting snippy with Grace earlier in the evening. And when she wouldn’t relax and enjoy dinner, he had taken her into the bathroom for a quick “reminder”, followed by a ste
rn warning of what was to come later. That snapped her out of her funk quickly. She went out, apologized to her former mother-in-law, and proceeded to almost enjoy the rest of the evening – at least with everyone else but him. He wondered if she knew she was pushing him. No matter, he always loved a challenge.
“So you really are okay with Eli staying here at my parents’ tonight?”
She smiled – her first real smile toward him in hours. “Yeah. It’s a good compromise. Your parents offered Grace a room for the night, so she can have her bonding time with Eli. But it will be in neutral territory.”
“You’re a very kind-hearted woman.” He brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and kissed her. “But we’re still discussing that snarky attitude later.”
Her eyes narrowed at him. Yeah, she knew what kind of discussion he meant. “What if I don’t want to have a discussion about it?” she said just quietly enough so only he could hear.
“I guess we’ll just go to sleep.” He shrugged, feigning indifference.
“Okay. What if I do want to have this discussion?”
Leaning in, he nipped her ear, and reveled in the shiver she gave. “It will be the longest, hardest discussion you have ever had, baby. And you’ll soar.”
“Okay, I’m in.” She smiled coyly and pulled him and his mistletoed hat over for another kiss.
“Raina, dear, would you mind getting me a glass of eggnog?” Granny plopped down onto the couch next to them. “I’m exhausted.”
“Raina... dear?” Joe, burst out laughing, silencing the whole room. “I get it!” His eyes danced mischievously. “Your grandma,” he said, pointing at John, “almost got run over by... Raina, dear.”
Poor Raina, red faced and wide-eyed didn’t understand why the whole family was laughing until Uncle Jack started singing.
“Come on everyone, you know the lyrics. Grandma got run over by a Raina, dear,” he inserted loudly as everyone joined in.
Raina clapped her hands across her face and laughed so hard, John was afraid she had lost it. “Well, it is a good song. Let’s do another chorus, Jack.”
They spent the next hour singing carols, occasionally going back to the one that made everyone laugh – even Raina. And Granny sang it the loudest of all.
“This is ginger root,” John explained as he took the peeled root, and slowly inserted it into her anus. “Hold still, little one.” He gave her bottom a sharp smack, and she stilled. “Now you stay right here while I watch the magic.” He grinned and sat down on the chair in the corner, enjoying the sight of Raina bent over the bed, naked, with the lovely root protruding from her pink bottom. Nothing was sexier than admiring his work, and seeing how far he could take this expressive woman.
It didn’t take long for the ginger to begin its job.
Her low whimpers became louder as she moaned and started tilting her pelvis up and down. Show time!
“How are you feeling over there, baby?”
“Oh God. It’s heating up… my whole body… especially…” she trailed off and started undulating against the edge of the bed.
“I’m going to spank your naughty ass if you keep moving like that,” he warned, loving her reaction to the heat.
Turning her head, she gave him a look he’d never forget, stuck out her tongue and slipped her fingers between her legs.
In a flash, he was behind her, holding her hands in the small of her back and smacking her ass with crisp, hard swats as she squealed and shimmied beneath him.
“Please, John. I’m so turned on. Please, I don’t know how much more I can take!” Her final word was accentuated with a quick hump on the mattress.
“You want me to help you finish?” He slapped the underside of her cheeks.
“God, yes, pleeease.”
“Hmmm, I still don’t know.” He got up and retrieved the small, wooden hairbrush from the bedside table. “You were pretty grumpy tonight. I think you need an extra special release.” He tapped her right bottom cheek with the brush and she moaned. “Don’t you agree?” A harder smack accompanied his question.
“Y-yes. Okay.” She was breathing rapidly, and her chest heaved as he alternated between laying hard, quick smacks with the hairbrush along her rapidly reddening bottom, and tickling her swollen clit with his finger. “God, too much. Too much!” She shrieked and flung her hand back far enough to attempt to protect both her bottom and her sweet pussy.
He paused. “Are you saying your safe word, little girl?”
“N-ug-n-no!” She lifted her bottom up, placed her hands below her flushed face and spread her legs for him, in open invitation.
“Such a good girl.” He stroked her clit and she groaned when he plunged in and out of her hot, wet, core. “Just hold it for a bit longer. You can do it.”
“I’m so close.” Her voice was breathy and high and her eyes were wide with desire.
“Hold it until I tell you.” He smacked her inner thigh and she cried out.
“Yes, sir!”
“I want you to think about this next time you get overwhelmed.”
Giggling, she turned away from him. “You want me to think about humping your bed with a thing inside my booty, next time Grace bugs me?” She wiggled her bottom. “Or how about when I get a traffic warning from a mean cop? Or when people put me into Christmas songs?”
“Yeah, baby. When your face gets all warm and red, I’ll know exactly what you’re thinking, and come to your rescue.” He pulled the root most of the way out, and plunged it back into her bottom hole, as she moaned into the covers. He gave her two more hard swats with the brush, then vibrated his finger against her clit while pumping the ginger in and out. “Come now, baby.”
The scream that tore from her body was one of agonizing pleasure and release so full, as her whole body tensed and shook, she wept and the release consumed them both.
Finally spent, she sagged against the bed as he threw the ginger root into the trashcan next to the bed, and lay down next to her to pull her soft, flushed body against him. “I love you so much.” He kissed her and welcomed her even tighter into his chest.
“That… that was… amazing.” She was still breathless, and her eyes shone brighter than ever when she turned to nuzzle against his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you, Raina, dear.” He pulled the covers over them, and listened to her soft snores. She had fallen asleep, calm, refreshed, at peace.
Tomorrow was Christmas, and they would have the little stressors that always happen when you get different family dynamics together. But he knew just how to keep her safe. And if she accepted his tiny gift, which he would offer to her in front of the whole family after Christmas dinner, she would make him the happiest man alive.
And she would be his Raina, dear.
The End
About the Author
KATHERINE DEANE
Katherine Deane is a multi-published, top 100 romantic and BDSM author and romantic at heart.
She loves cheese, red wine, chocolate, and snuggling up with her daughters’ kittens while reading a good book.
When not reading, or writing, you can find her knitting, sewing, crafting, or doing pretty much anything to keep her hands busy. She has taken over the dining room AKA craft room, much to her husband’s dismay. In one of her books, an energetic “craftaholic” would find herself over her husband’s knee for losing an important document in a pile of bi-cone crystals and mod podge. Her real life, and the people in them, give her plenty of ideas to work with.
Katherine has dubbed herself the queen of cheese. Not only is she a former Midwestern Cheese Head; she also loves to incorporate it into her books.
In her opinion, all romance deserves at least one cheesy scene that makes you cry.
You can catch up with her at:
http://katherindeane.wordpress.com
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads
Pinterest
Amazon
Chapter 1
California, 1871
Jude Johnson slotted his foot into the saddle’s stirrup and hoisted himself to the mare’s back. It had been a successful day at his new ranch. With the help of his friend Billy, he’d been able to brand half his herd with the ranch’s unique identifier.
Now the workday was done and he looked forward to getting home to his bride. He nudged the mare into a trot and headed for their log cabin, eager to see Callie’s grin and mischievous dancing eyes. He couldn’t help but smile whenever he thought of her. Before he purchased the ranch, he’d been a stagecoach driver. It was during his journey from Missouri to California that he’d experienced the pleasure and frustration of having Callie as a passenger. When she hadn’t been stirring up trouble and telling tall tales, she’d been weaving her way into his heart.
Jude slowed to a walk to allow the mare to pick her feet at her leisure through the rocky riverbed. He sighed. Callie was just about as loveable as a woman could be, but she was also naughty and, for that reason, she’d been at the receiving end of Jude’s displeasure on more than one occasion. Having grown up an orphan, she hadn’t been exposed to much love or discipline, and she’d been desperately in need of both when Jude came into her life. He’d seen to it that she got what she needed, whether it was a shoulder to cry on or a firm swat to her backside.
He hadn’t spanked Callie for some time, but he feared that spell was coming to an end. She had a penchant for lying and bragging, using it as a way to make herself sound important. She’d gotten better since he married her, but those particular character traits hadn’t fully disappeared.
She’d been lying to Jude every evening since they’d settled at the ranch, pretending she was cooking the meals she clearly was buying from the restaurant on Main Street in Sacramento. Jude had allowed her to continue with the ruse for a couple weeks, hoping she would eventually fess up. A confession still hadn’t happened, though, and enough was enough.
