by Alta Hensley
“Child! It looks like death just walked into my kitchen.” Tennessee rushed over to me with a towel in his hand as I entered the room. Not even pausing, he directed me to a wooden chair pressed against the center island in the middle of the room and forced me to sit, the wracking expulsions continuing the entire time.
I sat and coughed repeatedly into my hand, feeling as if my spine would break through the skin on my back with the powerful force. The loud bark that escaped from the depths of my core reverberated off the hanging pots and pans in the room. At this moment, my small-framed body could give a fancy opera singer a run for her money when it came to the sheer magnitude of sound.
He looked at me with a stern expression but sympathy in his eyes. “You did this to yourself by arriving here in nothing but a robe and barefoot in the fucking snow and cold. Now look at ya.”
Still coughing, I nodded in agreement, not having the energy to blame Matthew for that fact.
“I just need to release all the pressure in my lungs.” I coughed again, feeling as if my lungs were trying to break free from my sickly body. “I’ll be fine with some cough medicine or something. But I couldn’t find any.”
Tennessee walked to the large pot on the stove that was near boiling over to give it a good stir. “I’ll try to hunt some down. I’m sure there’s got to be something.” He turned and looked at me with a worried expression, but then refocused on his dinner preparations. “All right then, you sit there for a spell and get your breath back. When you can, I’ll get you working on peeling the potatoes to help a guy out.”
Even though I felt much better sitting down, my chest hurt, my throat burned, and I felt dizzy from lack of air. But I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it either. “Okay,” I wheezed.
Tennessee went about his business seasoning, stirring, chopping and creating his culinary masterpieces like always. His hums soon turned into a song that made me smile regardless of how shitty I felt. This man had a way of always entertaining me with his southern, hillbilly charm.
* * *
Old Daniel Tucker wuz a mighty man,
He washed his face in a fryin’ pan;
Combed his head wid a wagon wheel
And he died wid de toofache in his heel.
So, git outa de way for old Dan Tucker,
He’s come too late to git his supper.
Supper’s over and breakfast cookin’,
Old Dan Tucker standin’ lookin’.
Here’s old Dan, he comes to town;
He swings the ladies round and round.
He swings one east, he swings one west,
He swings with the one he loves the best.
* * *
He sang the entire time, ignoring the fact that his twangy melodies were occasionally interrupted by my hack. No matter what I did, I couldn’t stop. My entire body ached at this point, and I actually wondered if I would suffocate from my coughs. One after another, over and over again, grating cough after cough. The rare moments not coughing were spent gasping for air, only to start the vicious cycle all over again.
Tennessee didn’t stop his cooking, but he did glance over his shoulder with a look of worry quickly washing over his face. “Girl… if you get me sick…”
“I hope this is nothing.”
Tennessee nodded. “Well…” Wiping his hands on his apron, he turned and faced me. “I have dinner under control. I want you to go lie down. You’re about as white as the snow outside, and I sure as fuck don’t want you spreading whatever plague you have all over the kitchen.”
Panic sunk in, as well as a renewed feeling of cabin fever, and I did everything I could to hold back the next spell of coughs. Spending time with Tennessee was the only thing that had kept me sane the past few days. Being locked away in my bedroom would damn near drive me crazy. I needed human contact. “I’m going crazy in this house. I don’t want to go to bed and do nothing. All I’ve done is nothing.” Tears welled in my eyes. “Please, I won’t cough anymore. Put me to work. I need to feel useful.”
Tennessee walked over and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “You’ll be good as new with a little rest.”
“But I just have a cough. It’s nothing and—”
“Matthew will skin me alive if he returns from New Orleans and you’re sicker than a dog. He’ll think I can’t take care of you in his absence. And I sure as fuck am not going to piss off that man. You’ve met him. No fucking way.” He smiled as he shook his head. “You’re sick, Aria. Lordy knows what ails you, but I do know that with proper rest, you will get better. At the very least, I can tell Matthew that I have been taking care of your sick ass by making you sleep.”
I knew Tennessee was right. Matthew would be pissed to return to the house to find me sick, and he would be even angrier to find out that nothing was done about it. I knew I couldn’t win this argument and started to cry out of frustration. I was trapped. I was alone. I was now sick. I was being a whiny brat and I knew it. I just wanted things to be normal and to have some damn chicken soup.
“Now don’t you go and start crying in my kitchen,” Tennessee chastised. “You know you need rest. That cough ain’t going to go away by itself.” He reached for my arm and helped me stand. “Now get to bed before I beat that ass of yours.”
I swiped at my eyes feeling stupid for getting emotional and sniffled. “I’m sorry I’m such a pain in the ass. I know you’re just doing your job. And I really hope you don’t get whatever this is. I feel like shit.”
Tennessee gave me a soft pat on the butt and started ushering me out the kitchen door. “If you cause me to burn my gravy, I’ll make sure you have to lie in bed on your belly for the next week because your tail will be so sore. You think Matthew is the strict disciplinarian… you haven’t met a southern chef with burnt gravy.” He gave a small smirk before turning to attend to his meal preparation.
I walked out of the kitchen feeling more pathetic than ever. I couldn’t even do something as simple as peeling potatoes. The thought of going back to my room alone depressed me. I just couldn’t spend another minute staring at the four walls. Allowing my stubbornness—mixed with an ounce of foolishness—to take over, I headed to the living room.
Those four walls were no different than my bedroom walls.
I felt like everything was closing in on me.
I never thought I would admit it, but I missed Matthew. I was bored out of my mind, and although Matthew was my captor, he would at least be fresh energy and another face. Memories of the days before he left alone had my body tingling with want. He didn’t give an exact date of his return, but Tennessee had said it would be soon.
The walls…
The silence…
I needed some fresh air. Cough or not, I needed to feel as if I weren’t trapped in a cage. A quick step outside wouldn’t kill me. It wasn’t snowing at the moment, and compared to the other days of late, today actually was much warmer. The sun would be setting soon, and it would be nice to actually feel its rays on my skin for even a minute or so.
Looking over my shoulder toward the kitchen, I knew that Tennessee was busy with his gravy and wouldn’t come looking for me. Matthew was gone. So, what harm was there in doing what I wanted? In doing what I needed?
Fuck. When had I become so paranoid of getting in trouble? Matthew and his infuriating dominance had me walking on eggshells now. I was a grown woman. I could go outside. Yes… I could go outside damnit.
I snuck out the front door and was extra careful to close it as quietly as I could. I felt like a teenager sneaking out of the house. A cough burned in the back of my throat, but I managed to hold it down. I didn’t want Tennessee to hear me and come running. In all honestly, I didn’t fear Tennessee like I did Matthew. But his disappointment in me would be worse than the wrath of Matthew.
Once I was outside, I allowed the cough to break loose, but didn’t allow it to stop my enjoyment of feeling the brisk air against my face. I walked over to a rocking chair on the porch and sat dow
n to take in the view. Back and forth I rocked, closing my eyes as I listened to the birds chirp in the distance.
I must have fallen asleep, because I was awaking to a tapping on the large glass window by the door.
I turned my head with sleepy eyes toward the sound and saw Matthew standing there in a suit and tie. His eyes were dark, his jaw firmed. He mouthed the words, “You are in trouble,” and opened the door.
He had arrived home. I must have been in such a deep sleep, that I didn’t hear the helicopter land. Damn cold…
Oddly, I had a mixture of emotions seeing him. I was happy that he was finally back. Why?
My stomach also flipped at the way he looked at me and the silent warning he had issued.
For a minute I considered flipping him off, but I also didn’t want to test the man. The memory of the night before he left was still in my mind—hell, it hadn’t left my mind the entire time he was gone.
Walking up to me and taking me firmly by the arm, Matthew said, “Come with me now.”
There was no question, no suggestion, no choice. I knew that any resistance would only make it worse. Silently, I allowed him to lead me upstairs to my room. When we reached my door, he stopped and studied me for a moment.
There was a part of me that wanted to smile and hug him, but I resisted the urge. I had to blame cabin fever for my insane thoughts. Yes… cabin fever.
“Tennessee said you were upstairs sicker than a dog. How are you feeling?” The look of concern replaced the earlier anger on his face.
“I’m fine. I have a cough, but I don’t feel sick at all.” I hoped that my reassurance would make him realize that there was no need to be angry or overly concerned.
“What did Tennessee tell you?” he asked.
“He made me leave the kitchen. He told me to get some…” I watched the expression on his face go from concern to disciplinarian mode. I had seen this face all too often in our short time together.
“Tennessee told you what?” He crossed his arms against his chest.
Fuck.
I gulped. “To go to my room and get some rest.”
Matthew reached across me and opened the door to my bedroom, guiding me inside with him following. “So, let me get this right. Tennessee told you to go upstairs and get some rest. You decide to go against what he said and go outside and sit in the cold instead? To go sleep outside. Is that all correct?”
“I only have a cough, and it wasn’t cold outside. It was nice. I’m not really sick sick.”
Matthew touched my forehead feeling for a fever which I already knew I didn’t have. Other than my chest hurting like hell, I physically felt fine.
“I’m happy to hear that.” He pointed to my bed. “Bend over the bed. Bare your behind.” His expression, his tone, his entire presence meant business. He was the disciplinarian sent to do a job. I’d known that the minute he led me upstairs.
His rules. I knew by now what they were.
Structure. Consequences. Order.
“Matthew, please. I’ll crawl in bed like a good girl. You don’t need to punish me.” It really was pointless trying to plead with him. I’d learned that when Matthew had his mind set on something, no amount of pleading or arguing would get me out of this predicament, but a girl could hope.
“You should have done that before.” When I didn’t move, he nodded toward the bed. “Come on, Aria. You know you did this to yourself. Unless you want me to have Tennessee come up here and do it himself. You broke his order, not mine.”
Tennessee seeing my bare ass and disciplining me would have been worse than Matthew… and I had no doubt Matthew would do it too if I put up a fight. At least with Matthew, we had already done this dance. I knew what to expect.
Silently admitting defeat, I sighed and walked toward the bed. Staring at my mountain-themed quilt, I did as he asked, feeling the cool air against my bottom as I lifted my floor-length dress, lowered my panties, and bent over the bed. My face heated with embarrassment. Matthew had punished me before several times, and he had definitely seen my bare behind, but I still couldn’t help but feel the shame of having to be spanked like a naughty school child.
I cringed when I heard the swoosh of the leather belt being removed from his pants. Matthew wasn’t one to go easy with that damn belt of his. When he decided to deliver a punishment, it was always worse than what I prepared myself for.
“Before I belt your ass, I want to make sure you understand why I am giving you this discipline. Do you?”
“Yes, sir,” I mumbled against my mattress. I threw in the ‘sir’ hoping that my extra show of respect would make him go easy on me or maybe even change his mind. “I was given strict instructions from Tennessee, and I didn’t follow them. I’m sick and falling asleep outside probably wasn’t the smartest move on my part.”
But this was truly insane. Why did a spanking with his belt have to be the consequence? I was a grown woman, and this was a man who kidnapped me. Did he really have the audacity to lecture me on right from wrong? But just as I was going to argue and fight back, I had to admit that little bolts of arousal crept through my belly and around my pussy while preparing myself and awaiting his dominance. Did I want this? I sure as hell didn’t not want this. It seemed so normal in the most twisted and fucked up ways.
The first lash of the leather cracked against my flesh without mercy. I bit down against the pain and balled the quilt into my fists to fight the urge to cry out. But when the second and then third whip of the leather made contact, I couldn’t hold back from squealing and whimpering in distress.
“Ow! I’m so sorry!” If there was ever a time to start coughing, it would be now. Maybe if I had another coughing spell, he would go lightly on me. But my cough had decided to betray me and remain deep within my chest.
“Stick out your ass,” was his only response.
I did so and was only rewarded with another, and then another whip of the unforgiving belt. The spanking continued on as I cried out. Tears ran down my face as my ass heated to an inferno.
“Naughty girls get spanked. You will soon know this, Aria.”
“Matthew, I can’t take any more! It hurts!” I cried out, not caring that Tennessee could possibly hear my pleas from the kitchen below.
I lost count after the tenth or so swat, the intensity becoming too much. His intention clearly was to make sure I would feel it the next day. So, once he passed the tenth swat, I knew I was in for it.
After ten more lashes of the leather, Matthew tossed it to the side and began peppering my upturned behind with his wide palm. Over and over he spanked, making sure he covered every inch that the strap had missed.
“Is your ass on fire?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” I followed my words with sobs, hoping he would take pity on me, but knowing that Matthew didn’t stop until he felt the punishment would be remembered for quite some time. After tonight, I would ‘remember’ for quite a while.
Over and over, he reddened my cheeks until mercifully the punishment came to an end. Matthew adjusted my panties, lowered the fabric of my dress to cover me, and helped me to a sitting position, even though the last thing I wanted to do was sit on my throbbing ass.
“Now, get in that bed, Aria. If I catch you out of it for the rest of the night, I’ll make sure you can’t sit for a week.”
The fact that the instruction was given while watching him thread his belt back around his waist had my answer come easily. “Yes, sir.” I sniffed and wiped at my tears.
He bent to kiss my forehead. “I’ll have Tennessee bring you some dinner. Stay in bed until morning,” he warned again. He moved toward the door and then paused, turning around to add, “Tennessee and I worry about you and only have your best interest at heart. We can’t have you getting sicker than you already are. You belong to me right now. Under my protection and watch. Are we clear on that?”
“Yes,” I answered softly.
Stepping back, he pulled me against him with an arm around my waist whi
le his other hand roamed over my back, rubbing gently. Then he tipped my face up to his with a long index finger beneath my chin, his lips kissing away my tears then setting onto mine as if that was exactly where they belonged. Without doing anything else, he stopped the kiss as quickly as it started and walked toward the door.
“I take care of what belongs to me.” His final words were punctuated by opening the bedroom door.
“Wait!” I said.
He turned and looked at me. “You need your rest.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Not yet. Right now… right now I want you. I need you.”
15
Matthew
Never before had a woman responded with such passion to my touch. Hell, any woman I knew would do whatever it took to avoid my wrath. No woman would be foolish enough to taunt the beast within me. Any right-minded woman knew exactly where that would land her. And yet, there was Aria. There was no denying that, although Aria cried out in distress, her pussy became soaked in arousal. Her body revealed she loved the discipline just as much as she hated it. And never before had I craved a woman as much as I did this little vixen. Her moans… her gasps… her cries.
In pursuit of those aims, I cleared the distance between us, took her into my arms, and bent my head down and kissed her. I couldn’t hold back any longer. I wanted to hear her scream my name as she came into her own ecstasy. Even if it were just while we were at this house, just for a short time, I wanted her to be mine. Mine. Because in time, I had already made up my mind that I would return her to her father and never look back. Close this chapter of my life and get back to my cold, emotionless, and lucrative life I lived before. For now, though, I intended to indulge myself… and her.
