by Livia Grant
Josiah, pull it together, he told himself. He hadn’t actually thought she was going to show up, or to be perfectly honest, he might have called Hiram for a pep talk of sorts. It didn’t matter what he would have done, or could have done, she was here now, and she was waiting for his instruction.
He pointed up at the loft area where his bedroom was. “Go upstairs to my room, and find a corner to stand in. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
She looked as if she wanted to question him, but she said only “Yes, Joe,” before clamping her lips shut and heading towards the stairs. He had a perfect view of the loft from where he stood. He watched as she slowly walked all around his bedroom, pausing at each corner as if to consider it. It was obvious she just wanted to snoop around for a moment. He decided to let her, he had nothing to hide, and he was enjoying the view. He watched as she finally settled on a corner opposite of the bed.
Josiah locked up the house, just in case anyone came by, he didn’t want them to get a show. Not that it would have bothered anyone but him. He spied his phone sitting on the kitchen counter where he had left it, and for a moment, he considered texting his brother for advice. But that was silly. He was a grown man, with a beautiful woman in his bedroom waiting for him. He didn’t need to call his big brother for advice. It was a spanking. Surely it couldn’t be that difficult.
He was being ridiculous, and he knew it. It was nothing but a case of nerves. Fear of the unknown. Only way to get over it was to jump right in, with both feet. He took the stairs two at a time.
Standing there, even in jeans and a fitted tee shirt, she was stunning. He found himself wanting to see more. What would she do if he told her to take her pants off? His cock sprang to attention at the mere thought of it. Hold your horses, he told himself. Down boy. One step at a time.
“Come here, Lannea,” he said, sitting on the bed and patting a spot on the bedcovers beside him. “Why did you come here tonight?” It was imperative to him that they opened the lines of conversation at least enough to discuss the spanking he would give her and the reasons behind it.
“Because you told me to.” She smirked.
Oh, now she wanted to brat. Obviously, she didn’t plan on making this easy for him. That was fine. Two could play that game.
“I gave you a free pass downstairs to make all the smart ass little remarks you wanted to, and you had nothing to say. Well guess what, we’re upstairs now, and every little comment you make now is going to make your ass smart a little bit more. Your free pass is gone. Are we clear?”
“Yup,” Lannea breathed, looking a little awed. To be honest, Josiah was feeling a little awed himself. He had no idea where this stuff was coming from— just as he had had no idea where his original threat had came from.
“Yup is not an acceptable response when I ask you a question, Lannea. The proper response would be ‘Yes, sir’.”
“Yes, sir,” Lannea mumbled, her eyes downcast.
Josiah frowned. He didn’t like that. He hooked his finger under her chin gently lifting her face until her gaze met his own.
“That’s my good girl,” he said, careful to keep his voice soft and approving. “Now, once again, why did you come here?”
“Because…because you said you would spank me if I came, and…it’s been a long time. A really long time,” she admitted, leaning forward to lay her head on his shoulder.
“How long has it been, Lannea? Tell me the truth.”
“It’s been…probably about three years, since I was in culinary school.”
Josiah nodded gravely. “You need this pretty badly, don’t you? Probably have for a long time.”
Her lip quivered, and he wasn’t surprised to see tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she nodded.
“Tell me, Lannea. Say it. I want to hear from you why you need me to spank that perfect little bottom of yours.”
“I…” She faltered before continuing. “The year Mac spanked me... It was the best year of my life. I was the person I wanted to be for the first time ever. I was focused and responsible, and happy. Now, I’m none of those things. I’m a mess!” The last part came out in a loud anguished wail between noisy almost gut wrenching sobs.
Josiah’s heart quickened. He certainly hadn’t expected that she would cry before he even started to spank her. Not quite knowing what the proper protocol was, he did the only thing that made sense. He gathered her into his arms and scooped her into his lap, cradling her close as she sobbed into his chest.
* * * * *
Laney couldn’t believe she had fallen apart like that, just when she was about to get what she so desperately wanted.
She was so embarrassed and terrified that he would see her as weak or fragile, and decide not to follow through. She wanted to say something, to give him some sort of signal that she was ready to continue. But she felt so good cuddled against him. His chest was warm, and hard, with just the right amount of hair. And he smelled so good, a mixture of peppermint and something else she couldn’t put her finger on.
“Are you ready to begin, naughty girl?” he murmured into her hair. His fingers ran lightly up and down her back as he held her. It was so very relaxing, and she imagined that she could spend a lot of time like this, with him.
“Hmmmm.”
“Lannea, I asked you a question. I think you’re fine now. Are you ready for your spanking, or do you need a few minutes still?” Josiah’s voice was stern but kind, and deliciously dominant in a backwards sort of way.
“Yes, sir, I’m ready.” Her heart beat hard and fast against her chest, and her breathing was shallow with need.
“Stand up.”
She obeyed, every nerve in her body standing at attention, not knowing what to expect.
“Remove your pants please, and position yourself across my lap.”
She did so, quickly. At least her pants were all he had asked her to remove. She lay across his lap, and couldn’t help but giggle at the absurdity of it. She had known this man for less than twenty-four hours, and here she was laying half naked across his knees, waiting for him to spank her. It seemed so wrong, but in a strange way, it felt so right.
Josiah rested his large hand on the middle of her bottom, right across the crease that separated her cheeks. She felt him stretch his fingers out to span the width of her bottom, and gasped when she realized he could almost cover her whole ass with one hand. Her cheeks clenched in anticipation, and her throat went dry. She could almost hear his satisfied nod. His hand left her bottom and the butterflies took up residence in her stomach.
His hand came down hard across her satin panties, and she shrieked. She did not think Mac had spanked that hard, ever! He wasn’t fazed at all by her shrieks of pain, and if anything, the next two swats were even harder. The fourth caught her right across her sit spot on the tops of her thigh, and her fight or flight response kicked in. Suddenly she became all limbs as she scrambled to get away. Josiah simply tucked her legs under his, and took both her hands in one of his, pinning them behind her. Two sharp slaps to her thighs caught her attention.
“Don’t. You need this.”
His firm, no-nonsense words had the desired effect, and her body relaxed beneath his grip. She did need this. His hand came down again, and she welcomed the blow, jutting out her bottom to meet it.
“That’s a good girl,” he purred, pausing to rub a slow circle across her already aching flesh. She felt his fingers playing with the lace waistband on her panties, and felt the juices of arousal flow as he slowly lowered them to her knees.
“Such a beautiful, perfect, ass,” he whispered, giving her stinging flesh a hard pinch on the fleshiest part of her cheek. She emitted a low growl at the pain, and frowned when she heard him chuckle. She wiggled her ass at him in what she hoped was a teasing manner, craving the burning imprint of his rough skin on her bare flesh. His hand left her bottom once again, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out in anticipation.
He didn’t disappoint. The pain of the spank
ing was stronger now, each slap of flesh on flesh felt like the sting of a thousand bees. His blows were slow, and methodical, perfectly executed to deliver a new wave of pain every ten seconds. She knew this because she had counted.
By the time the tenth strike made contact with her aching backside, the endorphins began to kick in. The pain washed over her like an ocean of relief from the emotional strain of the past few years. She stopped counting the blows as they fell in their slow steady rhythm, instead focusing on the release. Her tears were flowing freely, and her body was numb and weightless. The only exception, of course, was her aching bottom, which stung gloriously all over with each punishing blow.
The last spank covered the whole of her tender sit spot, and her body succumbed to the war between pain and pleasure, sending her into a quivering, sobbing mess.
Chapter Six
Josiah had held her on his lap, caressing her throbbing red bottom, rubbing her back and shoulders, whispering endearments until Lannea had been coherent and able to move. Her reaction to his spanking had awakened strong protective urges within him, and he found himself wanting to care for the beautiful woman who awakened under his touch. She needed a strong dominant type in her life, she had admitted as much, and although he had planned on this being a one-time thing when he started, he found himself wanting so much more.
When she whimpered and attempted to right herself, he grabbed her up like a small child, and carried her to the master bath. He set her on the toilet seat, smiling when she winced as her raw flesh made contact with the cold plastic of the lid.
He ran a hot bath, adding in a cup of Epson salts, and making a mental note to pick up some girl-pleasing bath additives, like scented bubbles and fancy soaps. For now, the Epson salts would have to do, and he knew it would help to prevent any bruising that might have otherwise occurred.
Once he was satisfied that the bath was just right, and that she was okay, he left to give her privacy, not wanting to cross an invisible line between disciplinarian and lover. As much as he would have loved to take in every gorgeous curve and line of her creamy white flesh, and worship every red freckle, there was a line of propriety that he wasn’t willing to cross.
His stomach growled and he realized belatedly that he hadn’t eaten since the sushi he had for lunch. It was now after ten, and he would be willing to bet that Lannea hadn’t eaten either.
He busied himself in the kitchen while she bathed, whistling happily while fixing them an easy dinner of steak and baked potatoes. He wasn’t much of a cook, but he could work a grill and a microwave. Years of bachelorhood had taught him enough skills to make do in a pinch.
He was setting the table and opening a second bottle of wine when Lannea joined him in the kitchen.
Her hair was still damp, and she had dressed in the clothes she had worn over, even though he had left her clean sweats and a t-shirt. “Oh, you made dinner,” she observed, and he frowned at the hesitance he heard in her voice.
“Yes, I did. Sit and eat.” His tone was firm, and bore no room for argument, but he wasn’t surprised when she argued anyway.
“I was thinking I should go.” She was hedging towards the door even as she said it.
“Please stay. Just for dinner.” Those were the words he said out loud, but inside he knew that by the end of the night, dinner would have been just the beginning.
He sat down at the table, and his eyes pleaded with her to join him.
“Okay, just for dinner,” she conceded, taking the wine glass he offered with a smile.
* * * * *
“So, wait, what are you saying? That was your first time spanking anyone? For real?” As promised, they had settled into a conversation easily, now that the awkward point of the night was over. She learned the truth behind his family picture, and she told him about Mac, the best friend that had spanked her in culinary school. And now this. Laney was startled but not completely shocked at his revelation. It certainly made sense of someone coming from his background, but it was still unexpected.
“For real. I hope I did okay.” His confident smirk told her that he actually had no qualms over his prowess as a spanker, and she stifled a laugh over how pleased he seemed with himself. He looked like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary.
Not wanting to hurt his pride, she rushed to assure him that he had indeed done just fine, but inside she was mulling over the information. She certainly had no complaints about the spanking itself while it was happening. It had been much needed and for a very long time. Her body had reacted strongly both from pain and a mixture of primal need and utter relief, but the truth was that before he had even lifted her off of his lap, any and all residual pain one would expect from a spanking had vanished, and her skin had faded almost immediately from an angry red to a soft pink. She knew because she had checked. It made sense, all in all, he had probably only given her about thirty swats, and only used his hand. It was certainly not the spanking she had been fantasizing about for the last several years.
Still, she considered, he had a deliciously dominant way about him that was just right without being too much. And, he had scratched an itch that was in desperate need of scratching. Maybe that was enough for now, or maybe she could train him. It had been nice to feel as if someone actually cared what she did in her life, even if it had only been for an hour or two. She could get used to that.
“I want to spank you again.” His voice was smooth, and sure, and she almost choked on a mouthful of steak. He couldn’t be serious. Here she had been thinking of this as a one-time thing, a fluke, a matter of honor over one’s word, and nothing more.
His words, and the tone with which he delivered them sent a sharp thrill of excitement to her pussy. The man had some serious dominant tendencies to be sure, but honestly, she needed a man with a little more experience. She had waited too long, and built it up in her head too far to settle for anything less than dominant perfection, and Josiah, as charming and gorgeous as he was, just didn’t measure up to her expectations in the spanking department.
But who was she kidding? His was the only offer on the table. Maybe he just needed time, and practice, she told herself. What would it hurt to help him with that, and have her own needs met at the same time? And who knew what he was even offering, until she asked?
“What did you have in mind?” Straight up and to the point. It was the only way she rolled.
“What do you want?” Josiah countered smoothly. The words rolled off his tongue like butter and she realized he had a slight accent she hadn’t noticed before. It was incredibly sexy, and for a moment with the ball in her court, she considered throwing caution to the wind, and going for it— all of it. She entertained the notion for a split second before deciding against it. Josiah was a good man, but he was not the man for her.
“A platonic arrangement— like what I had with Mac. No funny stuff, and I have veto power on all things, but I’ll leave the hard details up to you.”
Josiah picked up his wine glass and drained it before answering, and she saw the ghost of a frown hiding behind the clear glass. But when he set it back on the table, his smile was wide, and thoughtful.
“So, here’s what I was thinking.” He leaned forward, and began to lay out the details.
* * * * *
Josiah rolled over and stared at the empty space beside him in the bed. Funny how it had never bothered him before, but this morning that empty space seemed to taunt him with the sting of rejection. Platonic, he scoffed to himself. Sure, yeah, he could do platonic, no problem. Never mind the fact that his cock throbbed with desire at the mere mention of her name, or the fact that the memory of her filled his dreams. Platonic was going to be a blast. Every guy loved being put in the friend zone.
It had hurt, that was for sure, but he could deal with it. Josiah was nothing if not stubbornly persistent and unflappable. Years of abstinence and simply existing in a world that was not for him had given him a strength that he knew was one of his best qualities. He would gi
ve Lannea what she wanted until he wore her down into wanting something else, even if it took longer than he would like. He had been single for thirty-five years, what was a few more? He doubted it would take that long, but if it did, he would be ready.
As per their new agreement, which they had spent hours hammering out the details of, he was basically for all intents and purposes, her acting HOH. He had all the responsibilities of an HOH and only some of the perks, the main one being that he got to spend time with Laney on a regular basis, and occasionally have the pleasure of taking her in hand, and spanking her delectable little bottom.
He grinned broadly. He couldn’t wait, and he suspected, she couldn’t either. She had given him a long list of behaviors she wanted to change and considered spankable offenses, and even if some of them were questionable, he had the vague suspicion that she had made it that way on purpose. Fine with him. He had countered her list with a few guidelines of his own. Fridays were a date night of sorts, or as close as he could make it and still get away with. What they really were was maintenance, or check in nights, with dinner as part of the plans. Weekly maintenance was something Laney had wanted, and from all that Josiah knew about her, he had to admit that she would certainly benefit from regular spankings. He had also added in that when she broke a rule, or strayed to a habit she was trying to break, she had to admit it to him immediately, and report for punishment within twenty-four hours, at the first chance both of their schedules allowed. Today was Wednesday, which meant he would be seeing her for maintenance in just over forty-eight hours, if not before.
He had another night shift tonight, and a lot to do before he reported in to work, including a trip into Boulder for groceries, and a coffee pot, among other things. Throwing back the covers, he jumped out of bed just in time to hear his phone start ringing where he had left it downstairs.
