He glared at her and walked away. When he finally turned back she was gone and the door to the balcony was wide open.
The night was clear and cold and Mairead welcomed the soft wind blowing the silk of her nightie against her skin as she stood on the railing of the balcony. Her bare feet were planted on two sides where the balcony cornered. She watched the lights of the traffic below.
James stood at the doorway. “Mairead, please get down.” His volume had dropped considerably.
Tears were running down her face. “Why should I? This is what I do. Daddy once told me that I was walking a fine line between happiness and misery.” She smiled. “Well you don’t get finer than this. Would you like to see me do it?”
James shook his head. “No I wouldn’t. Please Mairead, I am sorry I yelled at you. I’m sorry for the things I said.”
“No you’re not,” she shook her head. “You just think if you say something wrong I’m going to fall off or jump, but I’m not and do you know why? Because I am really good at this and I have absolutely no fear of heights. It’s people that scare me. Everyone wants to be mean to me, even when I try to do something good and that’s what I was trying to do.”
James nodded, “I realise that now and I should have let you speak.”
She laughed softly. “Don’t get me wrong. I’ve done a thousand terrible things in my life but saving that dog wasn’t one of them. If you’re going to be angry with me, please don’t let it be because of that. Let me have one thing that I’ve done right.”
“Mairead you have done an incredible amount of right in your life. You are a wonderful person.”
She laughed again. “Let’s not exaggerate James. Everything else you said is perfectly true. I’m selfish, self-destructive and make everyone else’s life a misery.”
“I was wrong Mairead,” James shook his head desperately. “I said everything wrong because I was angry. When I saw you in that video...” He breathed out and then smiled. “Come on Mairead... you were doing cartwheels on a six inch wide beam a hundred feet in the air.”
She grinned. “Did I look good?”
James nodded. “You looked amazing. Even your father was impressed.”
“But he still wants to kill me.”
James shifted and looked uncomfortable. “His anger was mostly directed at me for not keeping an eye on you properly.”
Mairead sighed. “I’m sorry James. Once again I fuck up and someone else pays the price. I won’t let him fire you over this.”
James still looked uncomfortable. “He has already guaranteed my position and even a defence team for my trial if... if I was to discipline you for him.”
Even in the cold air, Mairead felt her face flush. “And what did you say to him?”
“I told him I wouldn’t.”
Mairead smiled sadly. “Of course you wouldn’t. It’s not in the line of duty.”
He frowned. “You say that as if I don’t care about you.”
“Of course you do,” Mairead shrugged. “I’m the boss’s daughter and it’s your job to care for me. You do a great job but it’s not like we’re friends or anything. You’ve threatened me enough but when it comes down to it, all you’ll every really do is yell at me.”
James studied her intently and shook his head. “I’ve really let you down haven’t I?”
She wiped some tears away. “I didn’t say that.”
“Yes you did,” James walked up to her and held his hand out, “Get down from there now.”
His tone left no room for refusal. She shuddered slightly as she tentatively reached out. James grabbed her hand and lifted her down.
For a long time he held her against him. Mairead was startled and a little confused by the intensity of his embrace. When he eventually held her at arm’s length, he was smiling.
“I am so sorry that I yelled at you and said some terrible things.” He lightly brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. “You are right about what you did today. What would terrify most people is obviously not even a challenge to you. Your talent is incredible and you used your abilities for a selfless act of heroism and I am very proud of you.”
She wilted under his praise and stared back into his eyes, longing to touch the face so close to hers.
James continued but the smile was gone. “I am also sorry that I failed to deliver on a promise I made you five years ago and tonight I am going to rectify that.”
Mairead trembled, scarcely daring to interpret his ominous statement, until he made it quite clear to her.
“I would never punish you for doing something you believe to be right. What I am going to punish you for, is ever doubting I care about you and thinking that you aren’t even a friend to me. You are more than a friend to me and I care about you more than any person I know. I am also going to make sure that you receive the full retribution of every profane word you have ever used in the last five years.”
With that he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, striding back inside. Mairead opened her mouth but nothing would come out. She should be screaming her protest, struggling to get away but she couldn’t.
Every ounce of strength had drained away. Her body was as much surrendered to her fate as was her mind. As her fantasy began to cross the forbidden line of reality, her stomach tightened and her vagina contracted powerfully.
Only when James had seated himself on the couch and was looking up at her did she feel the first twinges of embarrassment and anxiety.
She found her voice. “Maybe we should talk about this.”
James shook his head. “Time for talking is over.”
He positioned her between his legs and pulled her down until she was jack-knifed over his thigh, her hands coming to rest on the floor. His other leg clamped her legs immobile. His arm went across her waist and her hip was firmly grasped.
She whimpered when James pushed her robe and nightie to the centre of her back, knowing that he was seeing more of her than he ever had. The useless thong, and the angle at which he held her, offered him an uninterrupted view of her buttocks and vagina.
Pushing her legs together and tightening her buttocks, Mairead tried to restore some dignity but her attempt was quickly defeated.
James patted her bottom. “Don’t stiffen up like that or you will end up with bruising. I will grant you the one concession of leaving your thread of underwear in place, but don’t push your luck.”
Mairead was quickly regretting allowing her vagina to dictate to her brain. When she remained stiffened, James slapped the back of her thigh.
Her mouth fell open, “Ouch. That really hurt.”
“The back of the thighs is tender. If you don’t want any more there, then relax your bottom and take what’s coming to you.”
Mairead knew there was no turning back. She had asked for this and James was going to deliver. Reluctantly she complied and waited for the onslaught.
The spanking did not begin. James was caressing and gently squeezing her cheeks, allowing an uncomfortable trickle of moisture to reach her pulsating clitoris. Mairead had to press her mouth tightly shut to keep herself from moaning.
James spoke quietly to her. “Tell me not to do this Mairead and I won’t.”
A long silence was all the invitation he needed. His hand snapped down firmly on one cheek and then the other. It was the start of a rhythm that continued solidly for the next two minutes.
“Mairead gritted her teeth as each painful slap registered. Her bottom was burning and stinging but it was not unbearable. With her clitoris pressing and rubbing against a seam in his jeans, her arousal was dominating her pain.
James stopped and rubbed her cheeks. “Your bottom is quite pink now. I think you’re warmed up enough.”
Mairead sighed deeply with relief. She had survived and an orgasm was imminent. A quick visit to the bedroom would bring unmeasurable relief but instead of letting her up, James took a firmer grip on her.
His arm pushed into her lower back causing
her to tilt her bottom higher. His hand grasped her thigh and he pulled her tighter against his body. Mairead gasped and tried to struggle as she suddenly realised what James had meant by ‘warmed up.’
“James please,” Mairead pleaded, “I’m more than convinced that you care about me and we are definitely friends. I mean, I wouldn’t be lying here if we were strangers, would I? And as for profanity... well that’s just not going to happen anymore.”
“That is very inspiring Mairead.” Some amusement was mingled with his praise. “But I’m afraid it’s come down to a question of colour.”
“What the hell...” Mairead quickly corrected herself. “What do you mean by colour?”
His hand was caressing her again. “When you showed me those cherries today, I must admit I did wonder which shade of them I liked the best.”
Mairead groaned. “I reckon the ones that weren’t quite ripe, you know just pink, much like I am now.”
James laughed. “The dark ones certainly held no appeal to me but I believe the ones I liked the most were those bright red ones, bordering on scarlet.”
“James, please,” Mairead employed a tearful plea. “Doesn’t remorse count for anything? I am so truly sorry.”
His hold on her became relaxed. Mairead breathed out and slumped against him. She was quite happy to stay where she was for a few moments longer. His hand was still resting casually on her backside, his fingertips gently massaging her.
Mairead grinned to herself. The stinging burn in her backside was no worse than if she had stayed in the sun too long. There was considerably more heat and activity radiating from her very aroused vagina.
Reluctantly she got to her feet with his help. Facing him proved difficult, knowing her face was redder than her behind.
James was still frowning. “I really hope you’ve learnt something tonight Mairead.”
She smiled innocently and nodded, knowing her education was probably not the one he had hoped to impart. She had certainly learned that a nice light spanking made her extremely horny. The nicest lesson had been that James did care for her and considered her a friend and could still be controlled with a few forced tears.
Victory was sweet until James fired his last shot, “Bedtime.”
Mairead frowned. “It’s not even nine o’clock.”
“No arguments,” He told her firmly. “You are going to bed and the light is going off. Your bedroom door will remain open and I will be sitting out here reading. If I hear you get out of bed for no good reason, I will finish what I started. Is that understood?”
Mairead pouted angrily. She understood perfectly that what her father had failed to do in twenty years, James had achieved on his first attempt. She was going to bed, thoroughly chastised, without any hope of benefiting from her experience.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The first light of morning was a welcome sight after a long restless night. Mairead rolled over and looked at her bedroom door still wide open. James had gone to bed just after midnight and she had contemplated sneaking out of bed and grabbing a magazine. Anything would have been better than having to lie in bed, even the possibility of another spanking. She had decided against it with her embarrassment growing with every passing hour.
The dynamics of their relationship had changed dramatically. It wasn’t as if he had kissed her and implied a romantic alliance. He had put her over his knee like a naughty child and tanned her arse. What the hell did that imply?
“Oh my god, I am such a retard,” Mairead wanted to scream with anger. She looked down and addressed her vagina. “This is your entire bloody fault. That’s the absolute last time I listen to you.”
Her vagina ignored her and was already animated with its own memories, but with that door open, Mairead had no intention of getting lost in a fantasy.
The thought of facing him again was tormenting. Surely he had lost all respect for her. She certainly had none for herself. How could a friendship exist between them? James now had the upper hand and one wrong move on her part might mean a trip across his lap.
Mairead screamed into her pillow. How could she have ever wanted, fantasised about, being treated in such a debasing manner? The moment she got home she would seek therapy and she would certainly make clear to James that this was never going to happen again.
Rolling back to the other side, Mairead cried herself to sleep.
It seemed that she had only slept for minutes when she was woken by a knock on the door. She rolled over enough to glance at James who was dressed in his dark grey suit and blue silk tie.
She rolled back away from him. “Yes?”
“We have to be at the airport in two hours Mairead,” he spoke kindly to her. “You’ll need to get up soon.”
“Okay.”
James was placing some cases near the door when she finally emerged from the bedroom. Mairead hurried to the bathroom trying not to look at him but he called out to her. Sighing, she turned and smiled at him.
“Yes James?”
He seemed concerned. “Are you alright?”
Looking at him, she was suddenly reminded of how wonderful it had felt when he had held her against him, after taking her down from the railing. It had taken her by surprise but in that fleeting moment she had become fully aware of the hardness of his body, his strength and that damn fucking sexy cologne.
The colour rushed to her face and her vagina tightened. “Quite alright thank you James. I’m just looking forward to getting therapy... getting home. I meant getting home.”
Before she could humiliate herself further, Mairead quickly slammed the bathroom door between them.
The drive to the airport was silent and uncomfortable. They hardly spoke and she grinned with relief when she saw a crowd of journalists waiting for her in the terminal.
Mairead had never been so grateful for media attention. James had to work diligently to steer her through crowds of journalists and general public. For the first time Mairead enjoyed shouts of approval and would have liked to have answered a few of the questions being called out to her.
“Mairead,” One journalist called. “Do you think Thalia Lindsay is regretting her decision to kick you out?”
“You’ll have to ask her,” Mairead called back.
“I know the rest of Australia is,” The journalist laughed and others joined in.
Someone else called out. “Give us another chance Mairead. We’re not all arseholes.”
“I’ll think about it,” Mairead was beaming. They loved her and all it had taken was an act of kindness and a death-defying demonstration of her abilities. The accolades continued right up to boarding the plane where she received a round of applause from passengers and flight personnel. It was only as she took her seat next to James that she was reminded that her day had not begun so pleasantly.
“Ouch,” Mairead shifted in her seat and glowered when James grinned at her.
“Is there a problem?”
“Yes, a six foot bad-tempered bastard with a hand made of granite.”
“Oh not me then,” James leaned back in his seat. “I’m six three and my parents were definitely married long before my birth.”
Mairead’s mouth fell open. “James Vaughn, are you being facetious?”
The mirth vanished from his face. “Yes, I suppose I am and I apologise.” James turned to Mairead. “I’m genuinely concerned for your well-being.”
Mairead blushed deeply, but then felt sorry when she saw that he was quite serious. His rare display of humour reminded her that perhaps there was a funny side to an embarrassing situation.
“My ‘well-being’ is a little tender but surprisingly unblemished.”
James smiled weakly. “I’m pleased to hear it.”
“It seems that, like in all your duties, you have a proficiency in chastisement.”
The smile was gone and James sat back. It was not the reaction she had expected. She couldn’t imagine what nerve she had hit. Surely James didn’t have anger management issues.
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He had been perfectly calm and controlled when he had punished her and even throughout the painful experience, Mairead had not felt afraid. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she had felt some weird sense of security. But that was another matter for therapy. Right now all she wanted was to test that friendship which he had promised her existed.
“So James,” Mairead mused, taking a magazine and flicking through it. “Have you ever thought about seeing a stylist for a whole new look? You know, hair, clothes...”
James quickly looked at her. “What’s wrong with what I have?”
The Finest Line Page 7
