Carrie Ann comes forward with a second small box. “I convinced Danelle that if we were going to give you a punishment implement, the least we could do is give you this too.”
Troy unwraps a tube of the same cream Carrie Ann had been passing out on Christmas Eve. “Look Hallie, just in time. You’re almost out of the lotion you got at the Christmas Party.”
Troy can see his wife’s rosy blush as the growing crowd surrounding them to watch them open their gifts laugh jovially. Troy hugs Hallie close. “Just smile, sweetheart. It’s all in fun. This is part of living in Corbin’s Bend.”
Hallie whispers back. “Maybe, but I spent a lot of time registering. I’m not going to be happy if the only gifts we get help you stay stuck in 1950.”
He can’t help but hug her close before the crowd cheers them on. The next three gifts are all punishment implements. Namely a heavy wooden brush, a sturdy Irish school strap and a set of ping pong paddles. Hallie’s face turns a deeper shade of pink with each gift, but Troy is pleased that he can also see the passion in her eyes as she lifts each device, knowing that each will eventually connect with her bare bottom during intimate time spent over her husband’s lap. Since most of her spankings to date have been the funishment kind, she hasn’t learned to dread a spanking as Troy suspects she may in the future.
Luckily, they hit a few household gifts from their registry returning Hallie to cloud nine. Between the toaster, glass vase and crockpot, they add wrist and ankle restraints, nipple clamps and a rattan cane to their punishment stash.
They’re nearing the end of the pile when they open the card indicating the next gift is from Dr. Devon and his wife Cadence. Troy doesn’t even see what’s under the tissue paper, but he can see by the beet red hue of Hallie’s cheeks that the contents are not another set of bath towels.
“What is it, Hallie?”
“Nothing. Let’s open the last gift now.”
“Don’t be rude. Marcus and Cadence are still here and they’re watching us open the gift.”
Her whisper is urgent. “I don’t care, Troy. I don’t want to show anyone this gift.”
“Not even me?”
“Especially not you.”
Curiosity pushes Troy to wrestle the box from Hallie’s hand. Lifting the tissue paper, he can see why. Even he’s a little scandalized by the gift from the good doctor, having never considered this particular punishment before. If the rise of his cock is any indication, he suspects they’ll be putting this gift to use sooner rather than later.
Brent prods him to show off the gift. “Come on you two. We want to see too.”
“No fucking way, Troy. I swear to you. I’ll…”
He hugs her tight to whisper in her ear, “Oh, baby. You and that potty mouth are just begging to try out some of these gifts, aren’t you? In fact, this gift in particular might really help get that potty mouth under control.”
“Troy… no way…”
He lets her off the hook. “I was talking about using one of the bars of soap in the box. Maybe a good mouth soaping would help.”
Hallie grabs the box, opening to take another peek and is looking more distressed by the minute.
“What is it, Troy?” a voice from the crowd yells.
Marcus helps them defuse the moment. “Now, that’s none of your business you busy-bodies. Only Troy and Hallie need to know.”
Another voice breaks through. “You gave them your trademark medical kit, didn’t you, Doc?”
Marcus just grins.
Troy and Hallie are the only ones who can see the large enema bag with inflatable nozzle nestled in the tissue paper next to the thick, round thermometer, two bars of soap, a jar of lube and three sizes of graduating anal training plugs. It really is a treasure chest of naughty medical paraphernalia and Troy now realizes he’s going to have to be careful if he wants to keep the entire group of guests from spotting his raging hard-on straining to escape his tuxedo pants.
“Cadence and I wanted to share some of our favorite medical supplies with you two newlyweds.”
His wife smacks him playfully. “Speak for yourself, Marcus. I’m so sorry, Hallie, but I couldn’t talk him out of it. He says it’s kind of his trademark gift for all newlyweds in town.”
Hallie turns to hide her blazing face against his chest and Troy loves wrapping her in his arms.
Gently lifting her chin with his finger, Troy brings her gaze up to meet his. “Hallie, honey. I love you. I don’t want you to be upset on our wedding night. I promise not to overwhelm you with all of this stuff right away.”
To Troy’s surprise, Hallie’s gaze is no longer one of embarrassment, but is now blazing with returned passion. They seriously need to leave for their honeymoon.
“Let’s open our last gift and then we can go home, okay?”
Hallie manages a shy nod. Troy can see the sexually charged gifts are having the desired effects on his new bride.
Troy walks to the large waist high gift sitting on the floor next to the gift table. Brent has stepped up to meet him there, reaching out to shake Troy’s hand. “This last gift is actually from several of us. We went together to get you a larger gift we thought you two might be needing soon. No couple in Corbin’s Bend should be caught without one.”
Troy hears Hallie’s groan, but when he reaches for her hand, he can see she’s actually as curious about the contents of the gift as he is.
“Want to unwrap it together, Hallie?”
“Yes, sir.”
Troy’s heart swells at her response.
Ten seconds later, Hallie lets out a squeal, burying her head in his chest to hide her face. Troy can look over her blonde hair to admire the heavy wooden spanking bench and its leather covered knee and waist supports. Troy is especially pleased with the design that will splay his wife’s delectable body in the most tantalizing position for both punishments and more intimate pursuits.
The crowd has grown around them as many HoH’s come forward to admire the coveted punishment furniture. Troy has a moment of surreal awareness that only in a town like Corbin’s Bend could a newlywed couple open this strange array of gifts and be happy about it.
Taking the opportunity of the gathered crowd, Troy makes his final announcement.
“Hallie and I would like to thank everyone so much for the generous gifts, but more importantly, for being here with us to celebrate our big day and the start of our marriage. It’s been a perfect day so thank you for being part of that. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get my bride home so we can start our honeymoon. We only have a few hours before the car is picking us up to take us to the airport and I have a few wedding presents to test out.”
“Troy, don’t you dare!” Hallie slaps him playfully.
“I don’t need the gifts tonight, sweetheart. You’re all the gift I need tonight.”
“Oh Troy.”
The sound of spoons on clinking glassware surround them and the couple obliges with the traditional kiss which turns passionate quickly.
Char steps forward holding Hallie’s beautiful bouquet of flowers. “Don’t forget to throw out your bouquet, Hallie. All of the single ladies have been anxiously awaiting their chance to catch it.”
All of the single ladies are starting to congregate in the center of the dance floor. It’s almost too late when Troy notices Traci sitting on the sidelines. “Wait a minute, Hallie. We need to get Traci out there.”
Troy crosses to his sister. She refuses to look up at him as he stands nearby so he takes a seat next to her. “So Trace. What are you doing sitting over here? They called all single ladies to the dance floor.”
His sister doesn’t look at him. “It’s okay, Troy. I think I’ll sit this one out. I never catch it anyway. I’m coming to terms that I’m not meant to find my Mr. Right. At least not in this lifetime.”
Troy gently pulls his sister’s chin to face him. Earlier she’d finally been looking happy, but now he sees his sister slipping into the melancholy mood she’s spent m
uch of the last few weeks in. “Traci, please. Tell me what’s bothering you. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong, Troy. I’m fine. You and Hallie don’t need to worry about me. You need to just focus on having fun on your honeymoon. I’m so happy for you, Troy. Really, I am.”
“I know you are, Traci, but I also know you’re lying to me. I don’t know why, but something has you down. Are you getting nervous to be presenting at the big psychologist’s convention in a few weeks?”
She doesn’t need to answer him. He knows he’s struck gold. The very mention of that convention has his sister dissolving into a panic.
“Trace…”
“Troy, really. Just go. Maybe we’ll talk about it when you get back from your honeymoon. For now, it’s not important at all.”
Troy wants to stay and talk things through with his sister, but he can see the group of gathered single women is growing restless.
“Okay, Trace. We can wait to talk, but we can’t wait for you to join in the bouquet toss. Come on.” Troy grabs her hand and pulls her along behind him to the dance floor.
Hallie turns her back to the group and with a broad grin, tosses the bouquet over her head and into the middle of the crowd. Some good natured pushing and shoving causes some confusion, but when the dust settles, his sister Traci is standing holding her new sister’s flowers, a broad grin on her face.
Hallie rushes forward to hug her. “Oh, I’m so happy you caught the bouquet, Traci. After all you’ve done for Troy and me, you deserve to find your own happiness.”
Troy joins the two most important people in his life and scoops them up into a group hug. “See, Trace. I told you, your turn is coming soon.”
“It’s just a silly tradition, Troy. But still, I’ll take all the help I can get.”
“Let’s get going, Mrs. Jackson. I have one more gift I need to unwrap once we get home.” Troy grins as he suggestively plays with her zipper where his hand rests at her back.
“Sorry, but I think you’ve already unwrapped that gift a time or two.” Her flirtatious smile is beautiful.
“Oh Hallie, baby. You’ll always be the best gift I’ve ever received. Let’s go home.”
The End
Livia Grant
Livia Grant lives in Chicago with her husband and two sons... one a teenager, the other a furry rescue dog named Max. She is blessed to have traveled extensively and as much as she loves to visit places around the globe, the Midwest and its changing seasons will always be home. Livia started writing when she felt like she finally had the life experience to write a riveting story that she hopes her readers won't be able to put down. Livia's fans appreciate her deep character driven plots, often rooted in an ensemble cast where the friendships are as important as the romance... well, almost. She writes one hell of an erotic romance.
Don’t miss the entire Corbin’s Bend Series!
Welcome to Corbin’s Bend
Return to Corbin’s Bend
At Home in Corbin’s Bend
Corbin’s Bend Homecoming
Love in the Rockies
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Don’t miss these exciting titles by Livia Grant and Blushing Books!
The Passion Series
Wanting It All
Securing It All
Having it All
Protecting It All
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Box Set, Books 1-3
Corbin’s Bend Series
Life’s Unexpected Gifts
Psychology of Submission
The Red Petticoat Saloon Series
Melting Silver
Hero to Obey Series
Call Sign: Thunder
A Perfect Partnership
Rayanna Jamison
All rights reserved.
No part of the book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Blushing Books®,
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Jamison, Rayanna
A Perfect Partnership
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62750-675-5
Cover Design by Anthony Walsh
This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as Blushing Books' or the author's advocating any non-consensual spanking activity or the spanking of minors.
Chapter 1
Green Valley, Utah
Well, look who decided to grace us with his presence in church today.”
“Hush, Loretta. Not in the Lord’s house.”
“Pshh, all I’m saying is he hasn’t been to church in months! And to be his age and not be chosen for marriage– mark my words, Naomi– that one has secrets. Do you think maybe he’s…homosexual?”
The lady in the pink hat’s voice dropped on the last word, but not enough that Josiah couldn’t hear her. He slunk down in his pew and tried to ignore the whispers and snickers that seemed to be coming from all around him. The old ladies and the young women were the worst. Discussing his marital status and the possible reasons for it seemed to be a favorite past time of theirs. It was ridiculous, really, as if they all had nothing better to do than to speculate on why he had never been chosen for marriage.
At thirty-five, Josiah Jefferson was probably the oldest bachelor in the history of Green Valley— a polygamist community that believed women were given a vision or a word from God that told them the name of their intended husband.
Once they had the name, they took it to the bishop, who would then inform the intended husband. Josiah had never gotten that call. In a community where most men had at least one wife by the age of twenty-one, Josiah was still a bachelor, hence the pointed stares and pitying whispers. Josiah was used to it really— it had become a daily occurrence over the last decade. It was never so bad as when he came to church, which is why he rarely went anymore these days. As a cop, his work schedule rarely allowed for it anyway. If he wasn’t pulling long shifts at work, he was resting up on sleep before one, or catching up after one.
He was only here today because his mother had insisted. His newest nephew, his brother Hiram’s youngest, was being blessed today during services. As baby August’s godfather, Josiah was an integral part of the blessing ceremony. Hiram was his closest sibling, and although he wasn’t thrilled about dealing with gossiping, meddling old biddies, Josiah wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Baby Auggie was the first child to be born to Hiram and his third wife Sophia. Their story was one Josiah found inspiring. It gave him hope that someday he would find that kind of love. But Josiah was no dummy— he knew by now that he would not find it here in Green Valley.
He had stopped expecting that phone call long ago. Josiah was not meant for plural marriage. He knew it, and God knew it. If he wanted to find love, he had to leave the only home he had ever really known. It was something he had known deep in his gut for a long time, and something he had been avoiding for just as long.
Green Valley was his home. He loved the community and the values. His family was here, and his job was here. He had recently been promoted to detective on the Everton Police Force. Everton was the nearest big city. He couldn’t imagine living or working anywhere else. But to stay meant living life as a bachelor, and he wa
sn’t getting any younger. He wanted a wife and a family, and it wasn’t going to happen here, not for him.
As he looked around the chapel at all of the happy families, he knew he really couldn’t put it off much longer. The familiar longing was becoming overwhelming, and he felt it to the core of his soul. He resolved to leave Green Valley as soon as possible. But where would he go? He supposed he could keep his job and just move to Everton, but that didn’t seem like a big enough change. He needed a clean break— and a new start. Everton wouldn’t give him that. Josiah had barely been out of the county. He couldn’t begin to imagine where to go. And that was only the beginning of his problem. How did one even begin to go about finding love on their own? Arranged marriages were all he knew. How would he begin in these modern times to find a woman willing to live a traditional domestic discipline marriage like the ones he had grown up around?
That was the crux of his problem. He could leave the community, and the polygamy and the faith behind, but a traditional marriage where he was the head of his home was the one thing he knew he had to have.
Did such a thing even exist outside of Green Valley? Josiah knew it must, but where? Sighing, he shifted in his seat and directed his attention towards the pulpit. The service was starting.
The very next morning, Josiah sat slouched in a chair in the church office, waiting for Bishop Miller to finish up his phone call. His trouble on Sunday in church had been the last straw, and he had asked for this meeting immediately after services, not wanting to give himself a chance to back out. It was time.
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