Matched for Keeps

by Stevie MacFarlane

  "Tomorrow morning we will eat together. You cannot have Pepsi for breakfast and whatever you cook, you will eat, is that understood?"

  When she didn't answer he picked up the spoon and gave the palm of his hand a loud smack that seemed to echo around the room.

  "Sure, fine," she harrumphed, as she jumped off the stool. Turning her back she failed to see the twinkle in his eyes as she stomped to the stove and began cleaning up.

  The very next morning she was able to produce a relatively decent meal of French toast and turkey sausage, if you didn't count the black edges.

  Marcus made love to her every afternoon and most nights. He didn't spank her again that first week, although she had no doubt he was serious when he left that spoon on the counter. He was attentive and tender, bringing her to multiple climaxes each time that left her sleepy and satisfied. Other than the threat of a real spanking hanging over her head, she was happier than she could ever remember being. The sex aside, he was funny and smart, and he made her laugh every day.

  Mrs. Fuddy-Duddy, the housekeeper, was another story. The woman looked at Sue like she was a slug that had just crawled out from under a rock. When she came on Wednesday she hadn't been able to conceal her shock that there was now a woman in the house, and a redheaded one at that. Sue wasn't exactly neat and organized and she had inadvertently left her copy of their contract on top of her dresser. Apparently, Mrs. Can't-Mind-Her-Own-Business read it before she disdainfully handed it to Susan and boldly asked her if she should call her 'Sugar'?

  At that point Sue's temper got the best of her and she promptly told the woman she could call her Ms. Shaughnessy, or perhaps "that redheaded slut I used to work for!"

  Marcus heard the yelling and abandoned his work to see what was going on. Sue had a moment of unease when he entered the room. Shit, this was surely going to get her spanked she thought, although she didn't back down one iota. Her eyes were flashing; her hands were on her hips, the challenge clear on her face.

  "What seems to be the problem?" he asked calmly, taking in every detail.

  "Mr. McCarthy," Mrs. I-Can't-Wait-To-Tell-The-Neighbors began, her thin lips compressed while she nervously patted her gray helmet head hair back into place. "I don't think I can continue to work here, with this… this… hussy in residence. You're a fine-looking man Mr. McCarthy," she continued, not noticing the tension around Marcus's mouth. "Why you would feel the need to buy a… a... creature like this is beyond me. There are plenty of good women around here, if you don't mind my saying so, who would be delighted to keep company with a man such as yourself."

  "Mrs. Trowel," Marcus replied, slipping an arm around Susan and pulling her to his side. "Your position in this household was clearly defined when you accepted my offer five years ago. Nowhere does it state that you may comment on or judge anything I choose to do in my own home. Ms. Shaughnessy is my woman and mistress of this house. I don't know how to say it any plainer than that. If you continue to work here, you will show her the respect and deference you show me, is that understood?"

  "I don't know if I can work for a woman of her…"

  "Then you are dismissed, Mrs. Trowel," he coldly informed her. "I hope I don't need to remind you of the confidentiality agreement you signed upon your employment. Be assured if you mention one word of this to the press or anyone else, I will sue you to the fullest extent the law allows. Good day." And with that Marcus took Susan's hand, pulled her unresisting body into his office and closed the door.

  Sue was stunned when he spun her into his arms, laughing.

  "Red, you do have a way of creating chaos wherever you go, don't you?" he teased before he released her and returned to his desk.

  "It's not funny." she shot back, stomping her foot. "That woman is a total wretch, but now we don't have a housekeeper."

  "And whose fault is that?" he inquired absently, already being pulled back to his writing.

  "How was I supposed to know she was such a snoop? Why didn't you warn me?"

  "You," he insisted, making eye contact, "should be more careful with your personal papers. I saw it lying on your dresser and should have picked it up myself," he sighed. "Come here."

  Sue walked behind his desk and he pulled her onto his lap, rocking back in his chair. Her head nestled against his chest as he rubbed the tension from her shoulders.

  "The way I see it, you have a couple of options here."

  "I have a couple of options?" she asked, stunned, popping up from his chest.

  "Yes you," he informed her, tucking her back in place and holding her more firmly. "It's your fault we are in this position. Had you been able to hold onto your temper I might have…"

  "My temper?" she roared, pushing ineffectively against his chest. "Do you know what that woman asked me? She wanted to know if she should call me 'Sugar.'"

  Marcus laughed and held tight. "I like that, Red, I really do. Maybe I'll start calling you 'Sugar.'"

  "You do and I'll…"

  "Settle down, Sugar," he grinned, completely enjoying her squirming as his body responded.

  "Now as I was saying, you have a couple of options. You can find us another housekeeper, or you can take over the responsibilities yourself."

  "What? This house is huge. It would take all my time and energy trying to keep it up. Why I might even be too tired for sex," she continued, relaxing against him and smiling, thinking she had him now. "Besides there is nothing in my contract about actual work."

  "I'll buy you that car you wanted so badly," he whispered in her ear, nibbling on the lobe.

  "You will? Any car I want?" she asked, sitting up and taking hold of his face.

  "Any car you want," he assured her, "providing you do a good job. Let our home fall to wreck and ruin and I will take it out of your hide," he told her seriously.

  Susan sank back against his chest and thought this over. On the one hand it would save her a lot of money, not having to buy her own vehicle. She had a particular car in mind and it was far from cheap. If she bought her own, the car she really wanted was out of the question. On the other hand it would require a lot of effort on her part just to do the basics in this house and she wasn't exactly an expert. There was one more benefit, she realized, and grinned.

  "Does that mean I will be doing the grocery shopping?" she asked innocently, trying to sound like it was just one more inconvenience.

  "You will," he replied smiling above her head. "But rest assured I will be checking the receipts. You know how I feel about healthy choices and I'm not above taking your butt back to the store and making you return any items that you know I disapprove of."

  "You would not embarrass me like that," she insisted.

  "Don't bet on it, 'Sugar,'" he promised with a grunt as she elbowed him in the side.

  "All right, I'll do it," she replied. "When can we go car shopping?"

  "Next week," Marcus laughed, rising from his chair with her still in his arms.

  "Where are we going?" she asked as he carried her from the room.

  "Upstairs," he replied, taking the stairs two at a time. "I find I'm not able to concentrate on writing at the present time," he growled, nuzzling her neck as he entered the bedroom and tossed her on the bed. "Besides," he said, grinning as he began stripping off his clothes, "I better get all of you I can before you are too tired from cleaning and scrubbing."

  Sue snorted, as she lifted her hips and struggled out of her jeans.

  It turned out taking care of the house was easier than she expected. While huge, it was well designed and organized. Everything had a place and Marcus had top-of-the-line equipment. The vacuum practically ran itself and as most of the floors were gleaming hardwood, it was a snap. Laundry was nothing like going to the seedy Laundromat she used and his dryer sensed when the clothes were done and kept them from wrinkling. Sue had to admit it was more than a fair trade. He was naturally neat and although she could be a slob on occasion, she was already in the habit of picking up after herself. She hated cleaning the
bathroom, especially the toilet and bidet, but she had sturdy rubber gloves and forced her way through it.

  On the weekend, Kelsey and Ty arrived bright and early bearing gifts and Sue fell on the box of donuts like a mad woman as Marcus watched in disapproval. She ate half the custard filled treat in one bite, her mouth too full to reply as he scolded her.

  "There is not one thing in the donut that's good for you."

  "I do…nut care," she quipped, wiping the custard from her chin with her finger and sucking it clean

  Ty laughed at her antics and Kelsey chewed her lip.

  "You're not mad that we brought them, are you Marcus?" she asked.

  "No," he assured her, "but you shouldn't have gotten a dozen and you will take what's left back home with you. She'll never cook another thing as long as there are alternatives in the house," he sighed getting an apple out of the bowl.

  "Eating fruit is good for you," Sue approved as she reached for another donut and got her hand slapped for it.

  "One is enough, Red," he told her, tossing her the apple. She almost shot it back at him, but thought better of it.

  Taking a small bite she mumbled something about "food Gestapo" that had Marcus raising his eyebrow in warning.

  "Are you ready to hit the lake?" Ty asked his brother, thinking it might be a good time to change the subject.

  "Yeah, just let me grab my jacket. Do you girls want to try your luck with a pole?"

  "No thanks," Sue replied, "Kelsey and I have lots to catch up on and it doesn't include slimy creatures looking at us with big glassy eyes," she finished with a shiver. "I prefer my fish between two buns with lots of tartar sauce and cheese. Just so you know, don't come back like some mountain man with a string of fish that I'm going to put down the garbage disposal the first chance I get."

  "Don't worry, we usually throw them back in the lake," Ty assured her with a grin.

  "Good," she replied, waving them toward the door. "You guys go have fun with your worms; just leave the donuts."

  "I should take them with me and get rid of them," Marcus threatened before kissing her breathless.

  "You can try," Sue gasped breathlessly, snatching up the box and tucking it under her arm, "but I'm a pretty fast runner."

  "Be that as it may, honey, you have to come home sometime," he grinned with an evil twinkle in his eyes.

  Sue put the box back on the counter and gave him the stink eye as he walked out the door smiling.

  As soon as they were gone, she poured herself a cup of coffee and got Kelsey a glass of milk. Moving the donuts to the table the girls sat down, glad to have some time alone.

  "So," Sue asked, picking out a chocolate glazed and setting it on a napkin. "How's it going? You look good, Kelsey," she observed, picking a piece off and savoring it slowly, "rested and healthy. Are you getting along all right? Are you happy?"

  "Things are good, kind of quiet during the day, but that's something I'm getting used to. I'm sorry I haven't called you but I know Marcus is home all the time and truthfully I didn't want him to answer the phone."

  "Why ever not?" Sue asked curious

  "Well I wouldn't want him to tell Ty that I'm calling and have him think I'm bored with my new life. He's so good to me. Every night after dinner he holds me on his lap and we watch something on TV, although truthfully I can barely keep my mind on what I'm watching when his hands are on me."

  "Have you done the nasty yet?" Sue asked, smiling.

  "No, not yet, but I'm sure it's coming soon. How long can a man control himself? I feel him getting hard every time he touches me. I feel guilty making him wait so long."

  "Are you sleeping together in the same bed?"

  "I have my own room, and it's real pretty, but he told me today on the way over that he wants me to think about sharing his bed. I asked him if that would make it harder on him and he laughed. Said it couldn't get any harder and he just wants to hold me at night until I'm ready."

  "Wow, he's one-of-a-kind. Most men would have had you naked as soon as you were in the door."

  "Ty's not like that. He knows about my past and he doesn't want to scare me, but I have to do something. He took me to see his facilities and he just hired a new receptionist. Her name is Shelly and she's very pretty. The looks she was giving me behind his back were a warning plain and simple. If she gets the chance she'll make a move on him for sure," Kelsey sighed, propping her chin on her hands.

  "Have you been watching your movie, Kels? " Sue asked, pushing what was left of her treat aside

  "I watch it all the time and I think I have it down pat. What about you and Marcus? How's that working out?"

  "The man's phenomenal," Sue replied blushing. "If Ty's even half the lover Marcus is you won't even need that movie. We weren't in the house ten minutes before we ended up in bed and every day is amazing."

  "What about the other stuff, the spanking thing?" Kelsey asked, her face on fire.

  "Well it's not bad. I mean he can't walk by me without slapping my ass, but I kind of like it. The first day he gave me what he considered an erotic spanking and I gotta tell you, Kels, it blew my mind. Part of it might have been because he kept me on a slow simmer all weekend, but let me tell you, that man wasn't bragging. He was just stating the truth. He knows his way around a woman's body like nobody I've ever met. All he has to do is look at me in a certain way and I'm already wet. It's a little scary and it gives him a power over me I'm not happy about. I try not to think about what will happen at the end of our contract, but… Kels, I'm not sure I could walk away at this point. What will it be like after a year?"

  "Maybe in a year you won't like him so much," Kelsey suggested hopefully, taking her hand.

  "Yeah," Sue agreed, pushing the thoughts aside. "Maybe by then he will have turned into a real dickhead and I'll be happy to get away from him, who knows? Want to see the house?"

  "Sure," Kelsey replied, wondering where she would be in a year.

  While awed at the size and beauty of the lodge, Kelsey was perfectly happy with Ty's house. It was smaller but comfortable and much easier to clean, a job she didn't envy in the least. Sue took two donuts out of the box once they were back in the kitchen and put them in a baggie, hiding them in the back of a cupboard. After rinsing out their cups and putting them in the dishwasher, she and Kelsey went out on the deck and made themselves comfortable. They could see the guys out on the lake and talked freely.

  "So," began Ty dropping his line in the water. "What's so important and private that we had to come out to the middle of the lake to discuss it?"

  "I had to fire Mrs. Trowel," Marcus informed him calmly. "And while that's not a big deal in and of itself, the reason is of some concern."

  "Go on," Ty told him.

  "Susan left her copy of our contract on her dresser and Mrs. Trowel read it when she came in to clean. She was incredibly condescending and rude to Sue and I had to let her go."

  "Well what did she actually say to Susan?"

  "She basically accused her of being a paid slut and asked if she should call her 'Sugar.'" Marcus stated dryly.

  "I'll bet that went over well," Ty snorted.

  "Yeah, it was great; Red came unglued and called her a helmet head."

  "That's really funny, bro, because I've often thought the same thing," Ty laughed.

  "Me, too, but that's beside the point. I wanted to give you a heads up, in case the word gets out around town. You were away at the same time I was and then we both came back with new women in our lives. It's pretty suspicious. I warned her about the confidentiality agreement she signed when she came to work here but I don't have any idea if she'll keep her mouth shut. You know every time she comes she's full of local gossip."

  "Do you think I should tell Kelsey about it?"

  "I don't know," Marcus replied. "I'm not really worried about Red. She'd be pissed if someone said something to her, but she'll come back swinging. Kelsey would just be mortified. How are things going anyway?"

  "As wel
l as can be expected," Ty sighed. "She's quite a little lady, if you know what I mean. She's fully dressed when she comes out of her room, cleans the house even when it doesn't need it and is learning to cook. The girl would wait on me hand and foot if I'd let her. I've taken her around town and introduced her to my staff as my fiancé, but she's like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, jumpy."

  "Have you made love to her yet?"

  "No, and I can't see it happening right away. Oh, she lets me kiss her and she snuggles on my lap every night, but if I make the slightest move to take things further she suddenly remembers something she needs to do and it just can't wait. I'm so frustrated I can hardly work, but I promised I wouldn't touch her until she's ready and I mean to keep my word."

  "Some promises are made to be broken," Marcus replied. "Hell man, why don't you take her and put the poor girl out of her misery. She's terrified and the longer it goes on, the more frightened she'll be. You need to physically show her that you're not going to hurt her."

  "Oh yeah, that will work. I'm not going to hurt you, but get your clothes off because I'm going to fuck you whether you want to or not. That's so reassuring, bro."

  "I see your point. Maybe a few drinks would help her relax. Let's plan on going into the city one night next week for dinner and drinks. It will do both of the girls good to get out of the house."

  "Okay, that's a good idea even if nothing comes of it with Kelsey. So what are we going to do about Mrs. Trowel? If the tabloids get hold of this…"

  "If they get a hold of this, my next book will shoot to the bestsellers list before it's even out," Marcus laughed. "People love a scandal, but it won't do much for Kelsey's self-esteem."

  "Point taken," Ty replied, more concerned now than ever. "Maybe you should give Sam a call. This probably isn't the first time something like this has happened."

  "You're right, I'll call him and see what he thinks might be our best option."

  "Good, let's get back to the house. Fake fishing is not my idea of a great way to spend my day off."