by Livia Grant
Gina snaps at her husband. “That’s crazy, Adam. Hallie is way more important to us than Corbin’s Bend.”
“I’d watch your tone, my dear.” Adam shoots his wife a look that Troy recognizes from the HoH’s handbook that says to straighten up or you’re gonna find yourself over my knee. When Gina looks properly quieted, Adam continues on. “And of course Hallie is more important to us. What I’m trying to say is that if Hallie is not happy here, then we can’t break the rules and have her stay. We’ll just move back to New England so we can be together there.”
A choking cry escapes from Hallie. “Oh God. Stop! You both love it here. I’m not going to let you move away from Corbin’s Bend because of me. I’ll just sign the papers. Thank you for the thoughtful gift.” She is trying to be brave… and failing miserably.
Troy is happy Adam beats him to the punch. “Nobody needs to be signing anything yet, young lady. Troy is right. We have a few more weeks before we need to make any decisions. I’m sure you want some time to explore what is available for you here in Corbin’s Bend in the way of going back to school or finding a new job. I’m sorry I tried to rush things along, but there is no harm in waiting a bit longer and then we can decide what we need to do closer to the next Housing Board meeting. Is that okay?”
Troy can feel her relaxing into his arms at being given more time. “That would be great, Uncle Adam. Really. Thank you so much. It is a wonderful gift. I just need to think things through is all.”
Troy reluctantly lets Hallie out of his lap to cross the room and give her aunt and uncle a big hug. Troy looks at his sister for the first time in awhile and she is grinning from ear to ear. Damn. He is never going to live this down.
Chapter Nine
Two days later, Hallie is up at the crack of dawn for no other reason than the butterflies in her tummy were fluttering strong enough she was feeling sick to her stomach. The problem is, she isn’t quite sure what has her more nervous. The fact that she’s about to go skiing again after swearing she’d never again hit a ski slope, or the fact that she is going skiing with Troy Jackson.
Troy. She’d given up trying to resist him. She’s fallen hard and fast. She’d at least had a chance of pretending he hadn’t caught her attention up until Christmas morning, but between him giving her the most thoughtful gift she’s ever received and his standing up to her Uncle Adam for her, the protective wall she’d been trying to erect between them had crumbled down.
The really hot kiss on Christmas Eve didn’t hurt either. Hallie would be lying if she didn’t admit to being disappointed that in spite of spending a lot of time together the last few days, Troy has yet to try to kiss her again. Granted, they’ve been surrounded by their families almost every minute, but she can’t help but wish he’d been able to sneak in a kiss at some point.
Which brings her full circle to the butterflies this morning. For the next two days, she is going to be alone with Troy. Her aunt and uncle had been thrilled with the planned ski outing up until they realized it included a night away at the ski lodge at Copper Mountain. They had insisted Troy needed to drive her home tonight, but Troy had put his foot down that would be silly considering the package Traci had bought him was for a two-day pass with a night’s lodging and dinner in the fine dining restaurant.
In the end, Uncle Adam relented because Troy had reminded him that Hallie was twenty-three years old and had been living on her own for many years before coming to Corbin’s Bend. It also didn’t hurt that Troy had sworn he would never do anything to put Hallie at risk. It had been nerve-wracking watching the two dominant men go head to head and Hallie’s respect for Troy only grew as she watched him expertly handle her sometimes old-fashioned and always bull-headed uncle.
It is barely seven and Hallie is already showered, dressed and packed. She heads out to the kitchen in search of caffeine in hopes it will calm her nerves while she waits the last half hour for Troy’s arrival.
Aunt Gina is already up, putting a pot of coffee on. “Good morning, Hallie. I’m not surprised to see you up early.”
“Morning, Aunt Gina. You knew I would need coffee, did you?”
“Well you always need coffee. I was talking about how nervous you must be to be going skiing for two days with Troy.”
Hallie had been getting the mugs out of the cabinet, but she turns she sees her aunt’s smiling face. “I’m that obvious, am I?
“Not at all, honey. But anyone would be a little nervous in these conditions. It’s perfectly normal.”
“Well, I still think I’ve lost my mind to give skiing another try.”
Aunt Gina tsks, shaking her head with a giggle. “Oh, Hallie. You don’t need to be nervous about skiing.”
Hallie is confused. “Well, then what?”
Gina has come to stand in front of her niece, looking down the few inches gap with a loving smile. “Hallie, it must be so exciting to be falling in love. I can tell he cares about you very much. I’m so happy for you.”
“Whoa. Aunt Gina, I barely know the man. Let’s not get carried away.”
“Whatever you say, dear. I see the way the two of you look at each other.”
Hallie is panicking. It was one thing for her to admit to herself that she might be falling hard. It’s another to have her aunt having them married off already. “I do like Troy, Aunt Gina, but that doesn’t mean anything. There are… things… that will make a relationship with him very hard.”
“Pish-posh. If you two care enough, you can make it work. He’s a good man, Hallie. Those are hard to find.”
Hallie is torn. Her aunt has given her the perfect opening to ask some hard questions she’s been wanting to ask, but was too afraid. She decides with the Housing Board’s meeting less than two weeks away, there is no time like the present.
“Aunt Gina. I have some more questions I’ve been wanting to ask you, but… well they are personal and probably none of my business, but if I am going to stay in Corbin’s Bend, well… they are the questions I need answered to help me make my decision.”
Her aunt is smiling broadly. “I know we’ve talked about DD in generalities, but I’ve been waiting for you to ask the harder questions, honey. I knew you would when you were ready.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever really be ready, but… well… Troy…” Damn this is hard. “We’ve never talked about it, but I think it might come up this weekend. I’m pretty sure he would like to live in Corbin’s Bend one day. Do you know what I mean?” Hallie is having trouble spitting out exactly what she means.
“Oh I’m pretty sure you’re right about that, dear.”
“Well, then you know what I’m worried about. It’s one thing to live in Corbin’s Bend and accept how everyone here chooses to live their personal relationships. It’s an entirely different thing to be in a relationship with a man who believes strongly in the founding principles of the town.”
Gina’s smiles indulgently. “You can’t even say it, can you? Everyone in town believes in spanking. More than that, many of us believe that relationships should have one dominant decision maker and one submissive partner.”
Hallie has to fight the surge of anger. “And, that’s okay with you? Really? I mean, I love Uncle Adam, but he can be a real bully some times. I don’t know why you put up with it, Aunt Gina? And more importantly, I’m not sure I ever could, even with a man like Troy.”
Gina’s laugh lines are lighting up her face. She looks more radiant than Hallie has ever seen her. “Oh Hallie, I’m sure that to many outsiders, yourself included, that it looks one sided or even abusive, but nothing could be farther from the truth. That’s the secret that every one of us here in Corbin’s Bend all share. There is an intimacy to a DD relationship that makes couples like your uncle and I close. The power dynamics in a relationship like ours requires a level of trust and communication most married couples never can achieve. I love doing things to make your uncle happy. That’s the easy part for me to talk about. The other part… well that is harder.”
“What other part?”
Gina finally looks uncomfortable, but she steels herself to forge ahead. “The discipline. The punishments. On one level, they are meant to keep order in our lives, but Hallie, I never feel closer to your uncle than after he has taken the time to discipline me and then hold me, hugging me tight, reassuring me of how much he loves me. Reassuring me that I’m forgiven.” Gina’s face has turned a bright red. “Oh, and the sex. Well, I won’t go into details, but let’s just say that your uncle and I may be getting older, but we still have a really hot sex life. This life style lends itself to a kind of intimacy few outside of a DD relationship can understand.”
Hallie is sure she has turned as red as the Christmas hand towel on the nearby kitchen counter, but as long as her aunt has opened this door, she doesn’t want to waste the chance. “But… doesn’t it really hurt when Uncle Adam spanks you? How is that sexy?”
“There are a lot of different kinds of spankings, honey. Before we came to Corbin’s Bend, we pretty much only did the not-so-fun kind when I had done something dangerous or broke one of our marriage rules. I won’t lie, those spankings hurt… a lot, but I still feel better after they are done than I did before. But since moving here, well… Surrounded by so many reminders of spanking, we have experimented a lot more and let’s just say that most of my spankings these days are the fun kind that I really like. I know it may not have sounded like it, but even that harsh paddling you heard Carrie Ann getting brought her and Danelle closer. I’ve talked to Carrie Ann about it at length. I would bet they had sex soon after the punishment.”
“Oh, they did. I stuck around long enough to get an earful of that too.”
Gina is smiling. “I’m not surprised. Troy was right about you being subjected to the lifestyle if you stay here. If you decide to stay in Corbin’s Bend, you’ll hear a lot of talk about the kinky things our HoH’s like to do to us Taken-In-Hands. Whether you decide to practice DD or not, you won’t be able to escape the implications.”
“What if Troy… I mean, I know for a fact that he believes in giving spankings. So what if I just can’t get over this fear I have?”
“Interesting that you know Troy believes in spankings.” Gina pauses, waiting for Hallie to expound. Hallie doesn’t take the bait. Gina moves on. “Let me ask you a question. The last time you visited your uncle and me while we still lived in New England, your uncle spanked you a good one if I remember. You carried on something terrible, but I’m pretty sure you don’t hold a grudge or hate Adam because of it, do you?”
Hallie has thought a lot about that spanking since coming to Corbin’s Bend. “Of course I don’t hate him. I don’t blame him at all. I totally deserved it. I was a brat and I shudder to think what could have happened if I’d gotten in an accident that night. It was not one of my finer moments.”
“How did you feel after? Not your butt, but your other body parts?”
“Well, besides being mortified and so sorry, I felt relieved. The thing I remember the most about that night is that I think you and Uncle Adam told me like ten times how much you loved me.”
“Oh Hallie, you already have your answer. That is exactly what a good DD relationship will feel like if your HoH is doing his job and taking care of you.”
“But what happens if you don’t agree with the spanking? What if you don’t feel like you deserve it?”
“I honestly never feel that way. Adam has done a very good job of laying out our family rules. I know what will and won’t get me a real punishment. Every family makes their own guidelines, but Troy is a levelheaded young man. I don’t see him making unreasonable rules just so he has an excuse to spank you, if that’s what you are worried about.”
Hallie still has so many questions she needs answers to, but the doorbell interrupts. Her heart lurches into her throat and she feels light headed.
Aunt Gina to the rescue. “Just breathe, Hallie. I don’t know how I know, but I do. He is a good man. You can trust him not to hurt you, honey. But…” Gina pauses. “If something happens that you want to come home, you just call me, okay? I’ll drive up to get you in a heartbeat if you need me. But try to give him a chance. Can you do that?”
The doorbell is ringing again and Uncle Adam has joined them. “For Christ’s sake, ladies. You’re right here. Don’t you hear that doorbell? I heard it all the way from the bathroom.” He opens the door and Troy steps in, towering over Uncle Adam by a few inches. He looks like an Olympic skier, athletic and intense. His sunglasses hide his chocolate eyes, but lend a movie star quality to his appearance. Those butterflies in her stomach just flew lower as Hallie feels her core pulsing. When he takes off the glasses to flash her a sexy grin, she swears she can feel cream escaping to wet her panties.
“Good morning, Hallie.” Only after devouring her for a few long seconds does he glance at Gina. “Hello, Aunt Gina. How are you today?”
Gina tries to cover for her flustered niece. “Oh we’re doing fine, Troy. We were just getting our first morning cup of coffee, but I haven’t had time to feed Hallie yet. You two want to stay for breakfast before heading out?”
“Thanks for the offer, but there is an awesome pancake house about halfway there that I always loved to stop at. If it’s okay with Hallie, I’d like to stop and grab some breakfast together.”
He is waiting for her reply. She hates that she feels like putty in his hands when he is around. She wants to be strong and sassy, independent. Maybe later. “That sounds great, Troy. I love pancakes.”
“Great. You packed yet?”
Uncle Adam had already gone to Hallie’s room and grabbed her bag and has returned. “She’s packed. I’m still not sure I’m in complete agreement with this plan, but I’m trusting you with my niece, young man. I expect her home in one piece, happy and healthy. Do you get my drift?”
The men are in another show down. “Yes, sir. I understand perfectly. You have my word.”
Adam finally sticks his hand out to pump a handshake with Troy. “That’s all I can ask for.”
Troy grabs her bag with one hand, and holds out his other to Hallie. “Ready?”
She takes a deep breath and places her hand in his. “I’m ready.”
* * * * *
The first leg of their trip has gone off without a hitch, although Troy can feel the tension rolling off Hallie. He’s tried to get her talking so she’d relax, but so far it hasn’t worked. He’s glad to be pulling into the parking lot of Pattie’s Pancake House, not only for the food, but to have a chance to sit across the table from Hallie. He does better when he can see her eyes.
She moves to open her door. “Stay put. I’ll come around to help you out.”
“That’s okay. I can manage.” Hallie opens the door, but Troy stops her with his hand on her left forearm.
“Hallie, I’d really like it if you’d please let me open your door.”
“Troy, this isn’t 1950. I can open my own damn door.” They are locked in a stare down. Troy briefly contemplates backing down, but in the end, he knows he doesn’t have a long time between now and the Housing Board’s meeting to accomplish all he hopes to accomplish.
“I know you can open your door. I’m asking if you will allow me to open your door for you.”
“Why? I don’t understand.”
“Honey, I’m not sure I do either. All I know is that it’ll make me happy. Please.” He can see her blush at his use of the endearment.
Pulling her door shut, she smiles. “If it means that much to you, then fine.”
Her bending to his will in this small request makes Troy happy. He leans across the center console to place a quick kiss on her cheek. “Thank you.”
Troy hustles out and around to open her door, helping her step down onto the snowy parking lot. “Hey, you do actually own some sensible shoes.”
Hallie swats his arm playfully. “Very funny. Even I don’t wear high heels skiing.”
“Too bad. I kind of like seeing you in them.”
&
nbsp; “You do?”
“Hell yes. Not only are they hot, but I like how you’re always needing to lean on me so you don’t fall.”
“So you have some ‘help a girl in and out of a car fetish?’ Is that what you’re saying?”
Troy laughs. “Damn, you caught me.”
The restaurant hasn’t changed at all since the last time Troy stopped in probably over ten years or more. The service is fast and only once they have their coffee and have ordered do they feel an awkward silence fall over their table.
“I still can’t believe you talked me into trying skiing again. You have to know how much I absolutely hated it last time. I was terrified, Troy. I swear to you. I will kill you and then revive you so I can kill you again if you desert me today.”
“Wow, that would be a good trick. Listen, I promise you that we’re going to start nice and easy and we’ll only do harder things if you feel up to it.”
He’s glad he can see her eyes, because he knows she’s picked up on the double meaning of his promise. The question is will she comment on it. He is patient.
“So, is that how you do everything? I mean, start out slow and ease me into it nice and easy?” He can detect her breathing has picked up the pace as if she is getting excited. He’s not surprised. He’s had a semi-erection for the last three days.
“I’d like to think so, yes.” He can see her relaxing.
“So, Traci tells me you’re in the Air Force. I hardly know anything about what you do.”
“Well, I’m afraid I can’t share all that much. I work in the IT/security division.”
“How long have you been in the service?”
“Just over eleven years. I joined right after…” Troy hasn’t talked about his parents with anyone in a long time. Hallie is watching him closely. “My parents were killed on their way back from a mission trip the summer after I graduated from college. Traci had just graduated from high school and was preparing to go to college in the fall. It sort of knocked us both on our ass for a while there. Traci was the strongest. She threw herself into college and worked hard. I pretty much took almost a year off, sitting on my ass feeling sorry for myself.”
