Looking up at him as she stepped back, she could tell something was wrong. For one thing, how did he find her? Dread filled her tummy with churning acid, the fear of hand to rear contact becoming real as her bottom clenched and her pink parts tingled. The thoughts floated away for a few moments while he pulled her to him again and held her tight, kissing her so thoroughly she was sure the soles of her feet were swooning. He pulled back and sighed. He looked down into her eyes, his thumbs caressing her cheeks.
“I missed you. I was worried.” The sincerity in that statement sat heavy in the air until he continued. “Where is your cell phone, Cheyenne?” His voice was deceptively calm.
Cheyenne felt the fanny fidget start up. “Um, it’s in the car glove box. I turned it off to save the battery in case I needed it. Maybe that wasn’t as smart of an idea as I thought it was,” she ended quietly. “I didn’t think I would need it, and I haven’t.”
She watched as Quinn took a slow, deliberate breath and let it out equally slowly. He usually did that to stop advancing from irritated to angry.
“Who did you tell where you were?” Yep, he was annoyed. He did that interrogation tactic when he was cross. Cheyenne began clenching her ass cheeks rhythmically, and she felt her womanly bits release their juices as they danced the familiar and well-practiced jig.
“No one?” Cheyenne could feel the perspiration gather. She tried to take a step back to create some space between them. She was stopped from further retreat by Quinn’s hand, sliding down to grasp her upper arm.
He seemed to have decided something as he gave his head a quick nod. “Right.” He looked over to her companions and said, “We’re going for a walk.”
“Oh, great, I’ll save batter for hot pancakes after you come back,” offered Ashley.
“Thanks. Oh, and Ashley? Richard would like you to call him. I sent him a text that I found you, but he would still like to hear from you.” Her friend’s smile froze on her face momentarily before it slid away, but she acknowledged his request. “And Ashley,” he said casually, “I wouldn’t make him wait.”
Oblivious to the undercurrents, Megan, one of the other campers said, “Go on you two. Quinn has been gone a while. It’s nice that he came up to see you. Go on.” Cheyenne knew, and now Ashley knew, it was more than a walk.
“Let’s go, beag amháin.” The rumbling and yet calm voice he was using, and the authority with which he used it told her that bottom play was not what was going to happen to her sitting end. And beag amháin was not piscín, indicating the seriousness of this walk. However, so help her, she loved his voice, his tone, and it did insane things to her body. Her gusset was sure to be slippery wet now.
All her friends thought his authoritative voice was as sexy as his well-honed body, but Cheyenne knew that today it was rooted in barely restrained irritation. He had things to say or do that he was going to give her some privacy for if she wanted it.
“Um, can we stay here? I was cooking and can make you some breakfast first. It isn’t right that I don’t finish what I started.” Cheyenne tried to step out of his hold again.
Evidently, Quinn knew the tactic. She had often tried to deviate from his end goal, and he whispered in her ear.
Cheyenne screeched then whispered in pressured speech, “What? Here?” His answer was another whisper in her ear and he straightened, waiting for her response.
“Quinn, honey, right now?” she asked in a more hushed voice after giving him a pleading look.
She felt his hand on the waistband of her shorts, and she screeched again quickly turning to her companions and saying they were going for a walk. Megan watched with interest while Ashley tried to call Richard. Cheyenne had often heard from Megan and her friend they would love to know what a slap and tickle would be like with her Quinn. Cheyenne knew it would be just the slap part on this trip. Unfortunately, the tickle would come much later.
They walked a ways back amongst the trees, and Quinn stopped next to a good-sized willow. He pulled out his knife and held it out to her. She stood and stared at it, uncomprehending its meaning.
“Five,” Quinn said.
“What? “Cheyenne asked confused.
“Cut five willow branches.”
The shock was replaced by dread and then anger as his full meaning sunk in. “Oh, please,” she demanded. “I’m not a child that I have to give everyone my locations and wait for permission to go where I want to go. And you were not even here to tell.”
“Cheyenne there were at least five people you could have told and even left me a message, but you chose not to do that. You’ll think of it next time. I’m not going to give you the lecture that something could have happened to you, a forest fire, an emergency at home, or other things.” He shook his head. “You know all that. Our agreement to always let the other know if something out of the ordinary is happening easily applies here.” He shook the knife in his hand, “I want you to know that this isn’t about you being lonely, or needing me to dominate you by bratting. It’s about common, already discussed, courtesy. It’s about safety.”
“So you aren’t mad I didn’t check with you or get your permission, or even that I went. You’re upset because I didn’t tell anyone that I was going or where I went.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I’m twenty-six years old, and I refuse to feel bad about not telling you. You were gone. Not supposed to be home until several days after I arrived back.”
“Answer me this; did we agree on always being available in some way for the other to reach us when needed?”
“Sure but…” Quinn held his hand up to still her tongue.
“Did you make it so I could find you if I needed to?”
“Well, no…” His hand again stopped her words.
“I was worried when I couldn’t find you and no one was sure where you had gone. You were unsafe and you know I discipline for that.”
“Well, not today. I’m not taking a spanking for not getting permission to go.”
She pushed him, and when he didn’t even sway, she reached up and slapped his face. Her hand flew to her own face in shock, and she stepped back before turning to go crashing through the woods, her shorts offering her legs no protection from the berry bushes and other low vegetation. She was crying and bleeding by the time Quinn had her in his arms. Cheyenne was crying from the pain, both physical and emotional.
Quinn snatched her up from the ground she had finally dropped to and said, “That’s not what I said.” He held her close and kissed her as though she were his life’s blood. “You scared me when I couldn’t find you. I saw smoke as I was looking for you and I have just spent a month putting those fires out. You could have easily been trapped.” His voice shook, “or worse.”
She hiccupped and nodded in silent understanding. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I’m so scared when you go to fight those fires or when there is some trouble you have to get in the middle of.”
“I know, baby, I know.” He held her close again and rubbed her back. Walking back to where they had been originally, he located a stump and, taking a seat with her on his lap, he looked at her legs with the scratches. He sighed and shook his head. “This won’t do. I was going to have you cut your own switches but after seeing your legs now, I couldn’t do that to you even though I wouldn’t break your skin like that.” He traced some of the deeper scratches carefully.
“Thank you.” Her body relaxed against him. He sat and comforted her for a few moments before he kissed her briskly on top of the head. Standing up, he placed her feet on the ground.
“What are you doing?”
“Spanking you, only instead of a birching, it will be with my belt, but you have to know, other than the implement, all things remain the same. I love you, and I’m not going to do more than get my point across but I’ll do that. Put your hands on the stump and put your cute derrière out.”
It was so adorable, her pout and stomp in protest. Quinn worked hard not to smile and kiss her senseless. He stiff
ened his resolve, and his voice sounded gruff. “Do it. I need to get to work.”
“Well, we could always postpone this—oomph! Hey, I don’t need help.”
“Today, piscín, today.”
There it was, the word that took this from pure punishment to spank and play. If at any time it did not come into action, she would worry for that would indicate real crime and real penalty. This is where the comfort zone was for both of them, where they lived most days. The serious game they did well. True, unvarnished discipline was reserved for intentional disobedience that had obvious potential for harm, which this was not. Cheyenne bent over and laid the palms of her hands flat on the chain-sawed stump and took a deep breath.
Placing his hand on her back for stabilization, Quinn spoke soothingly. “Five. They are going to hurt but not in the same way as the birching would have. I bet your legs are already stinging from the berry vines.”
The first, as always, took her breath away. He waited, as always, while telling her to breathe. The second belt swing landed overlapping the first and brought her to her toes for a few seconds before she rolled back down to place her feet flat on the ground again.
“Ugh. Please, honey, it hurts.” The next one was like the first two and on number four she bounced, drawing a hissing breath before returning to her position, cringing for the last, always hardest swat. She was so anticipating it to burn she stood on her tiptoes just as the belt was in motion catching her upper thigh and Quinn’s favorite attention getting spot, the sweet sit spot.
“Ow, Ow, Ow.” She bounced and then popped up immediately reaching for her seared behind.
“Oh, no, my dear, no soothing, I want it to sit there. That last one hit in a more sensitive spot than was my intention but you moved and caught it right where you will notice it. It was as though it was meant to be.” He grabbed her hands and brought them to his lips. “I feel so much better now. How about you?”
“I hope you’re quite satisfied with the way by ass aches.”
“Hmm. Good thing you love leather. It was one of my good belts, too.”
“Not for punishment,” she retorted.
“But it’s so much better than yelling at each other, hurt feelings, angry words, and things we can’t take back.”
“I’ll get back to you on that,” was her sullen response. Quinn released his indulgent, delicious, throaty laugh of enjoyment and it was over. The error in judgment, the inconsideration of others, the irritation, the fear, the anger, it was all gone.
“Okay, I have no intentions of pleasuring you on this insect-infested ground, and you need to clean up your scratches. Do you have disinfectant and cream?” He waited for her nod before continuing, “When are you coming home?”
“The plan was to go tonight or tomorrow morning.” She had to ignore her need to rub her burning butt.
“Which is it?” he asked as he leaned down to lick her lips being held by her teeth.
“Does it matter?” she murmured as she relinquished her lips to his insistent ones.
She leaned back and licked her lips before looking up at her fiancé’s face and saw her dom lower his chin and lift his eyebrows in a display of disbelief. She deflated in the face of another spankable issue.
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you came home tonight but I do have enough to do so I can make it to tomorrow morning. You call me as soon as you get into town. No exceptions or you will be one sore and sorry woman. Understood?”
“More than now, you mean.” Before he could respond, she said, “Yes. I’ll call, but I’m not sure what time I’ll be back in town.” She surreptitiously glanced up to see his expectant look remained. “By noon, though.”
“Good, now where is that first aid kit?” He left her at camp with a searing kiss and a parting smack to her aching bottom that reignited the burn just enough to remind her for a few more hours that her man loved her.
Chapter Three
Preparing for the wedding was more taxing than Cheyenne would have thought. The summer was half over, and the wedding was approaching in a few short months. She lay in Quinn’s lap as they cuddled after a play session.
“I have to go to Liam’s the end of next week. They’ve set up branding for Friday and Saturday, and I promised to come up and help. Cian is coming up to help with the immunizations. Shane and Andrew will be working on the house plans. They want to get started on foundational work while the weather is still good.”
“Can’t they do that alone?”
“I suppose they could but why? What’s wrong?”
Cheyenne shrugged her shoulders. “Nothing really, I feel a bit off, I guess. I don’t want you to go again. It seems you’re always gone in the summer. August is almost here, and I haven’t spent much time with you.”
“I can stay home and go the following weekend. I’ll call the guys and tell them to put off branding for another week. It won’t be more than an inconvenience. I don’t like leaving you home when you aren’t well.” He added a chastising tone to his next words. “You don’t have a good history of getting medical help without encouragement.”
She had already rolled her eyes before she caught herself and looking at him sheepishly. “It’s a female thing. Nothing I can’t handle, besides I’m anxious to see some tentative house plans, so I guess you should go.”
Quinn stared at her for a long moment and then accepted she would be fine. After all, it wasn’t something she was unfamiliar with, and she did sometimes have difficulty with her cycle. He trusted she would be honest with him on the important matters.
By the time her friend and assistant Jacquie had called Quinn, Cheyenne was very sick and had been for most of the week, but since they’d both been busy, Quinn didn’t come over the first of the week and just called. Now it was Wednesday night.
“Leaving at first light tomorrow, beag amháin, so wanted to call now. I’ve missed you this week, and now it won’t be until Tuesday before I see you. Possibly Monday night. I should have made some time to come over. I’m sorry I was so caught up at work that I didn’t do that.”
“Mmm, it’s okay, I’m a big girl, you know, regardless of what you like to call me.”
“Now, you know I love to call you Irish endearments. Not like Liam, but I have my favorites. Are you feeling any better? I know it’s late, but I don’t like how you sound. Do you need me to come over anyway?”
“No. I’m just having cramps and a long week. Don’t worry. Honestly, I’m fine. Just a day or two more and I’ll be great.”
“Are you sure?” his voice sounded skeptical.
“Allow me to know my own body,” was her testy reply.
“Okay. I might not call because we will be working long hours but I’ll text you. I want to know if you aren’t feeling better. I love you, and I’ll be back Monday night, late or Tuesday morning.
“Geez, no calls, texts only, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were stepping out on me.”
“Cheyenne.” She could hear the dom descending.
“I’m playing.”
“Not funny. All right, honey, go to bed and feel better. You know you can always call mom and if you need me, call me. Promise me.”
“I will. Have a good time. Don’t work too hard.”
Cheyenne tried to take care of what she knew wasn’t her monthly visitor, but it was too little too late. Everyone who knew Cheyenne well enough knew of her general aversion to doctors and since becoming an adult, she rarely saw one. Quinn had gotten her into the only one she had seen in over four years, and only after she had gotten very sick. Cheyenne tried to ignore the fact that her fiancé was quite adamant the last time she waited too late that if she did it again, she would be a very sorry beag amháin.
Regardless of the butt clenching memory of her last doctor encounter with Quinn, she didn’t call the doctor. She was determined she would be better all on her own.
“Cheyenne, please call the doctor. Please? You’re really sick and
have been for too long,” begged her assistant Jacquie. “Besides, every night Ace asks me how you are, and he said if you weren’t better today he would call Master Carter to come and see you. I don’t think that would be better than going to your own doctor. When Carter Taylor is in dom mode and irritated, I find another place to be. So would you please get an appointment?”
Cheyenne croaked her answer because her throat hurt. “I’ll be okay. You were so sweet to bring these extra meds before work. I’m staying here today and only stay until you are done with your high priorities. I just need this medicine and sleep. Just tell him you picked up medicine for me and I should be better tomorrow.”
“Cheyenne, you have to know that I can’t lie to Ace. I mean, I don’t want to but I really can’t, he can tell. It’s not possible anymore because he knows me too well. I’ll try to avoid the subject.”
“Fine but don’t offer any information.”
When Ace came home at lunch, he didn’t sound happy after his question and answer round with Jacquie. “Ace it isn’t my fault she won’t go to the doctor,” exclaimed Jacquie.
“True. But when I ask you a question, and you find every way in the world to avoid that question and then give me one syllable answers, that just won’t do.”
“She asked me not to say anything.”
“I bet if she knew you were going to get your butt burned because you were so avoidant, she might not have asked you.”
“Ace, this is Cheyenne we’re talking about and going to a doctor. Those two never reside in the same sentence well. She would feel bad, but she would not have gone to avoid me getting in trouble with you.”
“Keeping her confidences are fine if she isn’t unsafe. You missed it on this one, baby, so let me call Quinn and then you and I are having a session on trust and truthfulness. Strip.”
Accepting His Ways (Quinlan O'Connor Book 2) Page 4
