Bourbon & Branch Water

by Patricia Green

  After a moment of resistance, Stormy allowed him to coax her in. “You are a bossy male chauvinist, Jeff Hand.”

  He arched a dark eyebrow, but swept his hand toward the sofa. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

  It suddenly occurred to Stormy that she hadn’t considered that he might have company—female company. She looked around for signs of a guest. There were none. It was a relief. She didn’t much like the idea of him with another woman, even though it was inevitable that he’d find another new girl, just as there’d been a zillion girls before.

  The man read her mind. “There’s no one here but you and me, Stormy.”

  She huffed.

  “Sit down.”

  “I’m not staying. Give me my panties.”

  “No.”

  “No? What do you mean ‘no’?” She narrowed her eyes. “They’re mine.”

  He shrugged. “You left them here. They’re mine now.”

  “Why you arrogant son of a bitch! That’s part of a matched set!”

  “Language.”

  Fury made her face hot and her hands fist. “There you go, bossing me around again. Well, I might be a slut, falling into your bed like that, but that doesn’t give you the right to tell me what to do.”

  Jeff’s gaze pinned her shoes to the floor. “You’re in quite a mood tonight. Should I assume it’s all over between us?”

  A tiny knot formed in Stormy’s belly, pushing aside some of her anger. The idea that there could be more to their relationship than the few hours they’d spent together was so compelling. Part of her definitely wanted more from Jeff, but the idea that he’d boss her around made her hesitant. Of course he’d bossed her around all weekend, but that had been different. It had been about sex, do this with your legs, Stormy; use your mouth, Stormy; get on top, Stormy. In a way, she’d enjoyed that aspect of his character, the unwavering confidence that let him take charge. Stormy wished she had that kind of confidence. Being around Jeff might let some of that rub off, and, she wasn’t deluded enough to ignore the fact that the overwhelmingly sexual nature of their time together had been fun.

  “I…uh…I don’t know.”

  “I’ll demand my pound of flesh whenever you disobey me, Stormy. I don’t want to give you any misconceptions.”

  Were they starting up something more lasting than fun and games in bed? A thrill rose from her middle and bubbled up in her brain like so much sugar syrup. “What do you mean by ‘pound of flesh’?”

  “I’ll spank you when you misbehave. Not the fun kind of spanking, but the punishment kind. I’m sure you remember what that’s like.”

  Ouch. That would be highly unpleasant…in a way. In another way, Stormy considered how much it made her feel like he cared. Why would he try to correct her behavior if he was going to dump her in a week? That one punishment spanking had been nasty, but he hadn’t done her harm. She didn’t think of him as abusive in any way. He’d been unwaveringly polite and thoughtful, in fact. And, besides, she’d try to stay on her best behavior and not get more punishment spankings. The events tonight had been because she’d lost her temper. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, she had a tendency to act out. “What are you asking, Jeff?”

  “I want to explore more possibilities with you, Stormy. So far, the sex has been great, but I think there’s more to Stormy Stillwater besides a luscious body.” He smiled and Stormy’s heart skipped a beat. She’d like to explore more, too.

  The pleasant idea that they’d do something other than screw made her effervescent, almost giggly. “If I agree, will you give me back my panties?”

  He laughed and the sound reached right into Stormy’s chest and gave her heart a hug. “No. They’re mine for now. But I’m not done being unhappy with you for using your phone while driving.”

  “I was stopped at the construction site!”

  “Would that have stopped a cop from giving you a ticket?”

  No. She’d gotten a ticket for it once before, but Jeff didn’t need to know that. “Well…”

  He frowned at her but his eyes sparkled with humor. “No equivocations, Miss Stillwater. You did the crime you pay the consequences.”

  Stormy’s behind tingled, and not in a good way. “Consequences?” She was pretty sure she knew the answer to her question, even before he answered it.

  “I’m going to spank you for not behaving safely.”

  “Do you have to? What if I promise not to do it again?”

  “Have you done it before?”

  Caught, she could lie, but he would find out somehow. “Yes.”

  Jeff nodded. “I thought as much. You answered the phone on the first ring.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You’ll be sorrier and remember better behavior after I spank you. Now put your purse down and pull down your slacks and panties. You are wearing panties, aren’t you?” His grin said he was teasing. It lightened the awkward moment.

  “Yes. Of course I am.”

  Gesturing, he repeated his order. “Slacks and panties down. You can bend over the back of the club chair. I’ll be right back.”

  With an inward groan, Stormy gave her choices one more thought. Would she be doing the right thing? It was risky getting involved with a guy like Jeff. He might break her heart. Well, any potential boyfriend could do that if he was a jerk. Jeff seemed to care, though. Maybe he was different. How could she know for sure? She couldn’t unless she gave it a try, and she really had to know.

  She had taken the position when he returned. Jeff approached from behind her, so she couldn’t see him, but she could sense his warmth as he stood near her backside. A silicone spatula, the floppy kind, was thrust into her field of vision.

  “See this? This is what I’m going to spank you with. Are we still clear on what’s going to happen here?”

  Stormy didn’t know if a silicone spatula was going to hurt worse or less, but she’d mentally committed to the punishment so she screwed up her courage and tightened her butt muscles. “Yeah, it’s clear. Are you sure we have to do this, Jeff? I really will be better.”

  “I can ensure that. Your safety is important to me, babe. I want to drive that home.”

  There were better things to drive home, she thought, but the erotic daydream was quickly lost in the sharp pain of the spatula hitting her behind. “Ouch!”

  “Don’t be a baby.”

  “Ouch! Hey, it’s not your butt! Ouch!”

  He smacked her several more times and the sound of the spatula hitting her rump became a rhythmic beat punctuated by her little cries of pain. It definitely hurt as bad as a hand spanking had been, but Stormy was aware that the sound was more nerve-jangling than the spanks.

  “J-Jeff, do you have to spank me so hard?” The words were thick in her throat.

  “This isn’t hard, but damn if your ass isn’t flaming.”

  “Oh God, ow!”

  It went on and on. Stormy’s eyes got teary and she began to sob. It genuinely hurt. Finally Jeff stopped, but she was blubbering. She’d never asked him to stop and that made her a little dazed. Why hadn’t she said “stop”? Was she some sort of masochist now? Or had she subconsciously believed she deserved punishment for doing something illegal and potentially unsafe. Obviously, the lesson of the first ticket hadn’t been learned, so Jeff’s sharply made point was not amiss.

  The spatula hit the coffee table with a small thump. Jeff gave her one more sharp crack, this time with his hand, and finally smoothed the owie with a gentle rub on her burning cheeks. “You did well, sweetheart,” he said. “Your butt was definitely made to be spanked.”

  Stormy straightened up. “Lucky me.” Her voice hitched and her nose ran. She was a wreck. Jeff stroked her face and gave her a little smile.

  “Was that so bad?”

  “Yes!” She considered the other potential consequences—never seeing Jeff except for the case—and realized that, despite the pain, it wasn’t so bad. The burn on her butt was even beginning to fade a teensy tin
y bit. “No. I guess not. Can I have a tissue?”

  He reached behind him. “Have the box.”

  Stormy took it and pulled out a few, blowing her nose and wiping her face. “Thanks.”

  Rounding the club chair, Jeff sat and patted his lap. “Come sit.”

  “Can I pull my pants up now?”

  “If you want to, though you’ll probably want to take them off again soon.”

  Shame of her loose behavior ate at her again. “I’ll take my chances,” she said, pulling up her panties and pants. She cringed as the fabric slid over her tender butt. As Stormy settled onto his lap his arms wrapped around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. He cradled her there for a while and relaxation stole over her.

  “You’re not going to do that again, right?” Jeff asked.

  Stormy shook her head.

  “Say it.”

  “I won’t use the phone and drive again.”

  “Good.” The sensation of his hand stroking the length of her hair was soothing and Stormy nearly dozed off. “Are you hungry?” he whispered, kissing her temple.

  She nodded.

  “Okay. I have a few things in the fridge or we can order pizza. What do you want?”

  “I don’t care.”

  Jeff turned her head slightly and looked into her eyes. “You’re not being petulant, are you?”

  Was she? She did feel a little irritable, but that could easily be hunger. She’d worked through her lunch hour and hadn’t eaten since breakfast. That had been a rushed affair so that she could shower and get to the office on time. And she was tired, so tired. They’d been up until four a.m. and Stormy hadn’t gotten any sleep, what with the drive and having to get to work. In all honesty, even though she was hungry, she really didn’t care what the food was.

  “No, I truly don’t care.”

  “Okay, babe. I’ll make us something. Maybe you want to go wash up?”

  “Yes.”

  “Stormy, when we’re together working through a punishment like this, you should say, ‘yes, sir.’“

  It was a small enough thing, but it had a lot of meaning. Still…she respected him and what he stood for, it was appropriate for the situation, and he wasn’t asking her to do it all the time. “Yes, sir.”

  He kissed her temple again. “Good job.”

  A sense of accomplishment expanded her heart and she wondered if she was losing her mind. “Thank you.” Rising, she realized how civilized it had all been. She transgressed, Jeff corrected. Simple as that. Slate clean. There was something to be said for that. “Do you need help in the kitchen?”

  He grinned. “No. I’ve been a bachelor for a while.”

  Of course, she felt pangs of jealousy over all the other women. She was sure there were many others and that made her throat constrict. “Okay.” She’d done the polite thing and now she’d retreat to the bathroom for a few minutes. Stormy wanted to come to grips with their new relationship and all it entailed. And she dearly needed to see her flaming ass.

  * * *

  Jeff made love to her slowly and gently after dinner. He’d been right about her desire to drop her panties again. It made Stormy sigh with resignation. She couldn’t resist him worth a nickel, and the more time she spent with him, the worse it got. But things were heading in a different direction, a dangerous direction and the longer it continued the more invested in it she became. Was she doing the right thing? The conflicting emotions, the fear of getting dumped, joy at the potential happiness, kept coming back.

  They’d talked about family and goals as they ate. Jeff had a sister, Missy, who lived in Minnesota where she was a schoolteacher. He’d grown up with a divorced mom, and his dad hadn’t lingered around. Unfortunately, his mother had died almost ten years previous in a traffic accident. Jeff seemed to be resigned to being without parents, but Stormy couldn’t help but think of her own family and compare the experiences.

  Stormy’s own three brothers and sister were precious to her. She hadn’t liked being away from them so long in Montana and had taken the first opportunity to get back to Nevada. But she and Jeff did have the loss of one parent in common. Although Albert Stillwater hadn’t died in a traffic accident, he was gone and Stormy missed him much as Jeff must miss his mother.

  Stormy was exhausted, and Jeff probably was, too, so it wasn’t much of a hardship for her to put on one of his pajama tops and crawl into his bed for the night. They both agreed that the long drive back to the reservation would be a mistake under the circumstances. It gave her an excuse to stay with him again, prolonging the contact. The sensual sex was a bonus.

  Jeff undid the buttons of the borrowed pajama top slowly, drawing out the moments into something like torture. Stormy wanted him up against her. Her nipples were hard points eager to rub over his chest. He explored her body with hands and mouth, making her writhe beneath him before he slid home inside her. He went so slowly, so tenderly. Each thrust made her raise her hips to meet him. And, once again, he said delicious things to her.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said as he ran a hand down her body and cupped her behind. A little lift and their contact intensified. “You’re mine for the night, mine to do with as I want.” He rocked against her, in her, and she moaned. “Like that?”

  She nodded, eyes closed.

  Jeff’s whisper was right up against her ear. “Say it.”

  Again, she moaned, but the softly spoken words were said. “I like being yours.”

  His pace picked up, and her excitement rose. She rubbed his hard biceps and reached down to cup his tight ass, pulling him closer, encouraging his thrusts. Wrapping her knees around him, she squirmed with the building pleasure.

  “Gently, babe, let’s take our time.”

  “I’m so close,” she said, her voice sounding needy to her ears.

  “Good.”

  “Harder…please.”

  He complied, though he still was almost teasing her with his careful movements.

  “Jeff…” The sensation was rising. She was skyrocketing, but the stars were a little out of her reach.

  The next few thrusts of his hips were hard and Stormy’s delight made her squeeze him with her knees.

  “Your pussy is so wet,” he said, his voice raspy. “You are such a good fuck.”

  A thrill of urgency raced through Stormy’s middle and she cupped his face as he hovered over her, stroking his stubbly cheeks, running her hands over his broad shoulders and strong arms. He pushed harder and her skyrocket exploded. She arched her back, drawing the sensation out, trying to keep the pulses pounding as long as possible.

  Opening her eyes again, she saw he was smiling, but his hips hadn’t stopped moving.

  “You,” she said.

  “Yeah, babe, my turn.”

  It didn’t take long, a dozen more wickedly sharp movements and Jeff’s eyes closed. He shuddered and released his breath with a low growl.

  Stormy hugged him tightly as he lowered himself on his arms and rolled them both over. When his cock left her, she felt empty, but it was a pleasant emptiness, as though all the tension was gone. Built up lust was assuaged for a time. They were both hot and sweaty, so after a minute of cuddling, Stormy moved away a bit. Jeff took her hand and squeezed it as they lay side by side.

  Stormy fell asleep with Jeff’s hand holding hers.

  * * *

  The phone was ringing. It made a clanging and clashing of cymbals. Stormy rolled over and tried to ignore it. She didn’t have to try for long. Jeff answered it.

  “Hey, Kelly,” he murmured, and got out of bed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you for dinner tonight. You got my text, right? Something came up and I had to handle it.” Jeff walked away, the phone held to his ear.

  “Just a situation, so what’s up with you?”

  The bedroom door closed behind him and anything he said after was lost to Stormy. Kelly. Was this an ex-girlfriend? If so, they were on pretty friendly terms if she was calling this late. Maybe it was someone more cur
rent. Maybe he was seeing two women at once! Maybe Jeff was one big lie, some sort of Lothario who got involved with multiple partners. She hadn’t asked him. Who would ask such a question? But maybe she should.

  Would he tell her the truth?

  She couldn’t figure out why Jeff would say she was “something” to be “handled.” It was pretty demeaning. If his relationship with Kelly was platonic, then why wouldn’t he say she was someone special, instead of a “situation”? Hurt feelings made her roll over toward the edge of the bed. Unfortunately, she was still too tired to drive, or she’d have left immediately.

  He could have his Kelly, but Stormy couldn’t countenance seeing him while he was dating another woman. She’d either have to ask him or break it off with him.

  But what if Kelly was an ex? Maybe they were friends now. Yeah right, friends with benefits if she knew her horny Jeff. Stormy punched her pillow and curled into a ball. How did she get into this predicament? She’d feel stupid if Jeff’s Kelly was actually nobody to be concerned about, but she’d be even more stupid if she ignored what could be a powder keg about to blow up in her face. Nevertheless, she’d have to calm down before asking or she’d seem like a shrew and not a confident woman who was reasonably concerned.

  Jeff came back to bed while Stormy was still seething. She pretended to be asleep and he got into the bed gently, carefully pulling his sheet and blanket up. He even had the nerve to reach over and pull the blanket up over her exposed shoulder in a considerate gesture. Stormy wanted to cry. How could he do this to her? Silent tears trickled across her face to drip on the pillow. After she was less tired, she’d know what to do.

  Eventually, after what seemed like a long time, Stormy drifted off to sleep again, a small frown furrowing her brow.

  Chapter 5

  Tick, tick, tick, tick. Stormy drummed the conference table with her fingernails. The sound was loud and arrhythmic in the small room. Considering the cold shoulder she’d given him all morning, right from the moment they woke up, and the fact that she turned down his amorous advances with a sniff and “I have to get to work,” Jeff wanted to throttle her. Putting her lack of patience as they waited aside, he wasn’t quite sure how to get things back on track. It was clear that she was mad at him for something; she’d worn a frown each time she was around him that day but damned if he knew what it could be. Maybe it was PMS, and if so, it would be a good thing to know. Dealing with Miss Pissed Off every month would be pretty frustrating.