Having no other alternative, Jo agreed, slumping onto his lap and sighing. She heard the smack an instant before the pain exploded on her butt. Relighting the fire he’d started didn’t take long, and soon she was begging and pleading.
“Please, no more. I’ll be good. I promise,” she cried out mournfully.
“I sincerely doubt that, but maybe you’ll think about it,” he replied calmly as he continued to smack her ass with a burning stick, at least that’s what it felt like.
He moved back and forth from the fullest part of her cheeks to the middle of her thighs until the skin was red and shiny. Hiking up a knee, he then proceeded to slap the underside of her cheeks until she was no longer a struggling young woman, but a pitiful sobbing, contrite little girl. He let her rest over his lap as he rubbed her back until she was only sniffling and sighing before he helped her up. With a large hand on each of her shoulders, he steered her to a corner of the room and planted her firmly in place with a stern warning.
“Don’t even think about leaving this corner until I give you permission, and if I catch you touching that red bottom, I will spank it again. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she whispered, hiccupping and wiping her eyes and nose on the sleeve of her blouse.
“Good girl,” he responded, leaving the room to get bottled water from the fridge downstairs. He knew it was a risk, but when he returned she was exactly where he had put her. Snagging some tissues, he gently tugged her around and blotted her eyes. “Blow,” he instructed, holding the tissues to her red nose as she complied.
Picking her up in his arms, he settled her on his lap, her hiss music to his ears. Holding the bottle of cool water to her lips, he made her drink before setting it aside and gathering her close to his chest. Sam rubbed her back as he set the chair rocking, occasionally dropping kisses on her hair. They didn’t talk for a long while; he just held her until finally he heard her whisper.
“I’m sorry I embarrassed you, Sam, and I’m sorry I acted like a child.”
“I know, baby, it’s all right. You just rest now and let me comfort you. You’ve had a hard spanking and a good cry.”
“Are you sorry you spanked me?” she asked hopefully.
“No.”
“I didn’t think so,” she sighed just before she slept, the beating of his heart strong in her ear.
Three hours later, Johanna stepped out of her shower and dried herself off, taking special care not to rub her bottom. Blotting was much easier on her sore butt and she had no desire to reignite the flames. Sam had made a simple dinner of omelets, fresh fruit and toast and made her eat every bite of her food. He took her home, checked the house and kissed her passionately before he left for the night.
Looking in the mirror, she studied her rosy bottom over her shoulder before facing her reflection.
“Listen, girl,” she said out loud, staring into her own violet eyes. “Is this really the kind of life you want? Are you going to be able to handle a man like Sam? Can you truthfully say that getting spanked when you disobey him is something you can live with, long-term? Because if you can’t, you better get out now, while you still can.”
But could she, get out? Picking up a wide tooth comb, she began untangling her long dark hair and wondered if it wasn’t already too late. If he wasn’t so kind and generous, she could break it off. If he wasn’t so good to her mother, so much fun to be with, so solicitous of her safety and well-being, she might be able to give him up. Hell, if he wasn’t so gorgeous to look at, so sexy, so masculine with his big, strong body and amazing smile, she might have a shot at walking away, but he was all those things and more. Sam was confident in a way that was totally unassuming. He knew what he wanted and to be fair, he told her on their very first date. She could have called a halt right then, walked out of the restaurant, and that would have been that. Instead she’d listened to him, had an interesting time and let him kiss her.
“That, my girl, was your first mistake,” she told herself firmly. “You let him kiss you, and from then on, you were toast, in more ways than one,” she said ruefully, turning again to look at her poor roasted bottom. Picking up her moisturizer, she applied it to her face and neck, smoothing it into her skin.
“You knew he was a little kinky,” she accused herself, rubbing cream into her elbows.
“And it appealed to you on some level, admit it,” she insisted, giving herself the stink eye. “He’s like no one you’ve ever met before, and the idea of his dominance intrigued you. Face it, you wanted him, and now you’ve got him. The question is, what are you gonna do with him?”
Sighing, Jo shut off the bathroom lights and went into her bedroom, pulling on a soft cotton nightshirt. Crawling onto her bed on her tummy, she propped her head onto her hands. It wasn’t so much the spanking that upset her, although the pain was atrocious. It was the helplessness of it all that really got to her. That was a feeling she was quite familiar with and she hated it. She’d felt helpless as a child when her father was cruel to her mother. Helpless as a teenager when he’d walked out on them, leaving them all but destitute. Her hard work and dedication paid off and just when she felt she had control of her life, her mother’s health began to fail and Jo felt that same debilitating, helpless fear again. Tonight, over Sam’s knees, she’d felt it again. He held her so firmly, she was completely at his mercy, and for a while there, it seemed like he didn’t have any. If she had been able to get away, she would surely have thrown something at him; she was so angry. The spanking was one thing, a hot red ass that in reality she probably had coming for acting like a complete idiot in front of Mike and embarrassing both herself and Sam. It was the emotion that came with it that she was having a hard time dealing with. Oh how she wished she had someone to talk to, who would understand and not judge. Maybe she would have lunch with Lori this week and try to work up the courage to talk about it. After all, what were best friends for?
It took the better part of the week for Johanna to work up the nerve to call Lori. As she waited for her in a little diner a block from her office, she still wasn’t sure she would be able to get the words out. Jo was glad they’d agreed to meet at two, avoiding the main lunch crowd, and she chose a booth in the back for privacy. Spotting Lori’s blonde hair, Jo stood and waved her to the back of the restaurant.
“Oh, this is great,” Lori grinned, sliding into the booth and picking up the drink Jo had already ordered for her. “We haven’t been to lunch in ages. So what’s new? How are things going with your new man? How’s your Mom doing? I was telling Todd just the other night that I hadn’t heard from you,” she continued, taking a long pull on her straw. “This is really good. I hope it doesn’t have an alcohol in it because I drove in and Todd would have a fit if I got pulled over. Boy, it’s nice to get out of my sweats and into some girly clothes for a change. I might have to hire an assistant if the business keeps growing. Who knew there were so many dirty dogs in the area?”
Jo smiled and waited for her friend to wind down. It was always like this with Lori. From the time the girls learned to drive, Jo often referred to her friend as being on “high-idle.”.
“Had much caffeine today, Lori?” she teased.
“Oh, sorry,” Lori answered with an unrepentant grin. “I do like my Pepsi. So what’s good here?” she asked as the waitress approached.
“They have a great tuna melt,” Jo offered, knowing her friend’s favorite. It’s loaded with all the fattening stuff and homemade chips on the side.”
“Great, I’ll have that,” Lori said.
“I’ll have the chicken salad with ranch dressing and an order of garlic toast,” Jo told the waitress.
“So, what’s up, Jo?” Lori asked, this time actually waiting for an answer.
“Well, my Mom’s doing quite well. The job is okay; although I’m not sure I’m any happier, except for the added money. It’s an awful lot of responsibility, and frankly there are times I think I’m in over my head. There’s d
efinitely something to be said for being a peon. I liked being accountable for my own work, and now I have to make sure everyone is doing their job. Most of the staff are good people and were thrilled to see me move up, but there are a couple of them that would love to see me fall flat on my face. One guy in particular is pretty abrasive and just kind of gives me the creeps, if you know what I mean.”
“So you’re the boss; fire him,” Lori suggested.
“I can’t just fire him because I don’t like him. He would have to do something that constituted serious misconduct. Besides, I don’t know if it’s just a personality conflict or what. None of the other female employees have complained about him. I’ll just have to wait and see.”
“And your new man? Sam isn’t it? How are things going with him?”
The waitress arrived with their orders, saving Jo from having to answer immediately. She arranged her dishes to her satisfaction and placed her napkin in her lap. Taking a deep breath she picked up her fork and speared a piece of lettuce but before she put it in her mouth she looked directly into Lori’s eyes and asked the question.
“What do you know about spanking?”
“Why?” Lori squeaked. “What have you heard?” she demanded, reaching to halt Jo’s hand, her face a massive blush.
“What do you mean what have I heard?” Jo asked, taken aback.
“Have you heard something about Todd and me, because if you have, as my best friend, I expect you to be honest with me,” Lori hissed, leaning forward across the table in panic.
“I haven’t heard anything about you and Todd,” Jo insisted, confused. “Is there something I should have…? Oh, my goodness,” Jo gasped, her hand flying to her throat as she burst out laughing.
“I can’t think why you find this funny,’ Lori snapped, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms. “If people were talking about you, I would tell you immediately, and believe me, being spanked is not a bit funny.”
“Of course it’s not,” Johanna agreed. “I’m just amazed that Todd actually, well, you know,” Jo continued, looking around to make sure they were not being overheard. “Lori, I love you, you’re my best friend. How come you never said anything about this before?”
“It’s not exactly something you bring up over lunch, now is it?” Lori asked, settling down somewhat and picking up her sandwich. “What was I supposed to do, call you up and say, ‘Hey Johanna, guess what, I flipped my husband off and got my ass spanked for the trouble’?”
“I guess not,” Jo replied thoughtfully. “I just never thought that he would, well, break the law being a cop and all.”
“Cop,” Lori snorted before crunching down on a chip. “He spanked me long before he was ever a cop and he will probably still be spanking me when he retires. I should never have married the overgrown baboon.”
“Don’t you love him?” Johanna gasped in shock.
“Of course I love him, you idiot, but maybe I could have loved someone else if I had looked around a bit. I should have married a total geek or at least someone who couldn’t run as fast as me,” she quipped with a wink, taking another bite of her tuna melt and sighing in delight. “This is really good. Now tell me how you found out about this? If one of my nosey neighbors is spreading this around, there’ll be hell to pay.”
“I didn’t know anything about it,” Jo assured her, wiping her mouth and taking a drink.
“Then why bring it up?” Lori asked, puzzled. “I guess you could wonder about it, knowing what a serious alpha I married. Bet you don’t know another guy who’s as old-fashioned as my Todd?”
“Just one,” Jo whispered.
“Really, who?” Lori asked, surprised. Watching in fascination she saw the flush creep up from Jo’s neck to her hairline. Finally it hit her and she dropped the rest of her sandwich onto her plate in shock. “Sam?” she asked, her mouth dropping open.
Jo’s nod was barely perceptible, but it was enough to send Lori in gales of laughter as she slapped her hand down on the table.
“I thought you just said there wasn’t anything funny about this?” Johanna growled.
“It’s not funny,” Lori gasped out, “It’s hysterical,” she howled, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I mean, really, what are the odds? Oh, oh, oh, I gotta pee. Where’s the ladies room? You wait right here until I get back. We need to talk.”
Jo pointed the direction and Lori hurried off still laughing. When she returned Lori had managed to get herself together, although she still had a silly grin on her face.
“Okay,” she promised, taking a deep breath before she sat back down. Spreading her hands in front of her she continued. “I’m sorry. I take it you wanted to discuss your situation, not knowing that I was in the same boat, more or less. So what can I do to help you? Is this a deal breaker with you? Has he already spanked you or just threatened? Has Sam abused you in any way? Do you want me to have Todd arrest him?”
“No, none of those things,” Jo answered. “He told me upfront the kind of relationship he wanted and what he expected. He’s sweet and kind and gentle, most of the time. I don’t consider it actual abuse, I mean he hasn’t done any permanent damage to me and he never would. My problem isn’t the spanking part, or at least I don’t think it is, although he has a terribly large, hard hand. It’s the feeling I get, the feeling of being powerless, that I can’t stand. I really think I’m in love with him and I don’t know what to do.”
“Oh, honey, you have it all wrong,” Lori told her gently. “You have all the power in a true loving relationship of this kind. Does he make unreasonable demands? Does he care about your safety and well-being, or is he just tyrannical?”
“No, he makes rules for me, sort of. I had one of my low blood sugar attacks, and he came unglued. Now he wants to know what I eat for lunch and if I skip a meal it’s a big deal. He’s extremely attentive, but not in a smothering way.”
“He sounds a lot like Todd,” Lori said. “So if you can handle having a red ass now and then and you love the guy and he’s not a tyrant, what’s the problem? Are you afraid it will escalate, because it rarely does in a loving relationship? Or are you worried that others will find out and what they will think of you?”
“No, it’s the feeling of helplessness I have when I am pulled over his lap and I can’t get away. It brings back very painful old memories.”
“Would you go willingly over his lap? Could you take a spanking without being held down?” Lori asked with a laugh.
“It’s not likely,” Johanna admitted with a grimace.
“Good, because I sure as hell make Todd work for it. If he’s gonna blister my ass, it’s not gonna be easy. If there’s a chance I can get out of it or get away, you know I’m taking it. So what is he supposed to do? Let you break the rules and do whatever the hell you want, with no consequences? If you want a guy that will only worry about himself, there are plenty out there. I’m sure you can find someone who will takes all the benefits of being with you without any of the responsibilities of caring for you. To be perfectly honest, I actually control when I am spanked. I know the rules and can avoid breaking them if I choose to. I’ve gotten pretty good at it, too, but I do have my moments, or brain farts, as Todd calls them. Sometimes I just get a little too careless with myself, or my money, or my car, or any number of things he takes seriously. It’s then that I will find myself bottom up over his knees. As a cop, he knows all too well the crazy things that happen in this world. He warns me all the time not to take any chances with what he loves most. And that would be me,” she informed Jo with a big grin, waving the waitress over. “Miss, we’ll have two hot fudge sundaes with the works,” she told her, handing her their dirty dishes. “And I want a banana in mine.”
Johanna couldn’t help but smile at Lori’s impulsiveness. She had been watching her weight for months and now she was ordering a calorie-laden dessert.
“Is that gonna get you a spanking?” Jo teased.
“Not a bit,”
Lori replied, rubbing her tummy. “I’m eating for three now.”
“Three?” Jo asked with a squeal as she jumped up and moved around the table to hug Lori. “That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you both. Well, for all of you, actually,” she laughed. “And you’re having twins? When did you find out? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
Lori hugged her back and smiled. “We didn’t want to tell anyone until we got through the first trimester,” she told her friend. “We only found out it was twins yesterday. Todd is just beside himself. What a cupcake he’s turned into.”
They talked of baby names and discussed the baby shower that Johanna wanted to give her while waiting for their sundaes to arrive and as they enjoyed the creamy treat. When they were almost done and Lori was scraping the last bit of fudge from her glass, Johanna had a thought.
“I guess this means you’re off the hook for the next few months, lucky you.”
“Don’t kid yourself,” Lori replied, turning her spoon upside down and licking it slowly. “Todd has already threatened to speak with my doctor if I don’t behave myself, and the other night I caught him on Google looking up information on a safe way to spank a pregnant woman. I guess I better just plan on being the most well-behaved wife in the world.”
“Knowing you, that will be a stretch,” Johanna laughed as she snatched up the bill, “But I will make sure I give you one of those cooling pillows for a shower gift.”
“Gee, you’re a real friend,” Lori replied, giving Jo and hug and kiss. “Call me with details when you decide if you’re keeping this man or not. I’d like to meet him, and thanks for lunch.”
“You’re welcome. We’ll get together for dinner soon.”
Chapter Twelve
The Sugar Babies cocktail party turned out to be even more elegant than Johanna had expected. Soft music flowed from hidden speakers, and flowers and candles decorated every available surface, their scent perfuming the rooms. Uniformed waiters offered the guests crystal flutes of champagne and delicate canapés.
A Sweet and Sassy Match Page 11
