by Stella Moore
Slowly, she returned to earth, where Eric was grinning up at her. Just the sight of him had her ready to go again. She gave him a little shove, causing him to unbalance and fall backwards. She stripped off the t-shirt and stepped out of the leggings before kneeling beside him on the floor.
“Naked. You need to be naked,” she panted, suddenly desperate to have him inside of her. She fumbled with the buttons on his shirt for a moment before yanking it apart, buttons scattering over her kitchen floor.
“You know I’m going to spank you for that, right?” he teased as she ran her hands over his chest.
“Don’t care. Need you.” She moved on to his jeans, quickly getting them undone and pulling them, along with his boxers, down to his ankles. Flat on the floor, half naked and wearing the cockiest grin she’d ever seen, he was the sexiest man alive. Lucky for her, he was also the horniest man alive, as his manhood stood straight at attention, waiting for her. Shifting, she straddled him, but before she could slide down onto him, he gripped her hips.
“Wait,” he grunted. “Condom.”
She smiled down at him. “We’ve both been tested and I’ve been on birth control for years. I’m good if you’re good.”
“Oh thank God,” he sighed, releasing his hold on her hips. When she finally sank down on him, stretched and filled with him, she said her own little prayer of thanks. Pushing herself up, she rode him, her nails digging into his chest when he reached between them and pressed against her clit, rubbing in circles until she came again.
“Don’t stop,” he ordered as her movements slowed. The sharp command spurred her on and she increased her rhythm, rejoicing in the feel of him beneath her as he exploded inside of her. Panting, slick with sweat, she collapsed on top of him.
“I’m going to punish you at least once a week if this is the result,” Eric grumbled beneath her once their breathing slowed.
Penny giggled and crossed her arms over his chest, pillowing her chin on her hands as she studied him. “Maybe next time we’ll actually make it to the bedroom,” she joked.
“I don’t know; this was pretty incredible. Although, as soon as I can move my legs, you’re getting one heck of a whipping for ripping that shirt.”
Yes! “In my defense, it wasn’t a nice shirt. Really, I did you a favor. You should thank me instead of spanking me.”
“Brat,” he laughed, giving her hair a quick, playful tug.
Chapter 11
Christmas Eve arrived, bringing with it snow, bitter cold, and a heaping dose of nerves for Penny.
“Hey baby!” Eric sang out, letting himself into her apartment. “I’m just going to grab a quick shower and change before we—whoa.” He came to a stop in the kitchen, where Penny was surrounded by piles of dishes and at least five different cakes in varying stages of baking, cooling and decorating.
“Oh thank God you’re home,” she said, barely breathing, running her hands through her curls, which were sticking out in all different directions around her face. “I started with the pound cake, like we agreed, but then I thought, what if someone doesn’t like pound cake? So, then I switched to this chocolate amaretto cake but then I sprinkled it with crushed almonds and I realized someone might have a nut allergy. So then I—”
“Stop.” The gentle but firm order cut off her rambling. “Whatever we take will be perfect. There will be other desserts, so I’m sure everyone will be able to find something they can eat,” he reassured her.
But Penny was having none of it. She stamped a bare foot against the tiled floor and crossed her arms. “You’re not listening to me, dammit!” she exploded.
It took about two seconds for Eric to have her tucked under his arm, peppering her backside with sharp, stinging spanks. The thin yoga pants she had on didn’t offer much protection and she was soon squirming under his hold in an attempt to avoid the painful onslaught. After a few dozen swats, he let her up, amused, despite the situation, by the way she danced around, rubbing her smarting posterior.
“I know this is a big deal, and I understand you’re nervous.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “But my family is going to love you, even if you show up empty handed. I promise. Now, why don’t you go get ready and I’ll clean up in here.”
“Are you sure? I made a pretty big mess. I should clean it up.”
“All I want you to worry about right now is relaxing and enjoying the evening. Go.” He pushed her towards the bedroom and sent her off with a firm smack to the backside. Shaking his head at her retreating figure, he looked around the kitchen and let out a deep breath. The cleanup was going to be enough of a hassle, but what he really needed to know was what the hell were they going to do with all these cakes?
Two hours later, they were in Eric’s SUV heading for his parents’ house. The short spanking had settled Penny’s nerves, at least enough so that she wasn’t biting anyone’s head off. The originally agreed upon pound cake sat in her lap as they travelled down the interstate.
When they pulled up in front of his parents’ house, Penny let out the breath she barely realized she’d been holding. The house was modest, a split level with pale green siding, decorated to perfection for the holiday. She had a feeling she would find out soon where Eric got his inner clean freak from.
“You ready?” Eric asked, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. She turned and forced a smile.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
When they walked in the front door, they were greeted by an unexpected explosion of noise and activity. A boy who looked to be about six or seven ran by, skidding to a stop at the top of the stairs when he spotted them.
“Uncle Eric!” he shrieked, running down the stairs and launching himself at his uncle.
“Hey Tyler! How’s my favorite super hero?” Eric easily lifted the boy so that he was flying, and despite her nerves, everything within Penny melted at the sight.
“I’ve been eating all my vegetables ‘coz mama says that’s how I get strong like you and Superman!”
“Your mama’s a smart cookie. Pretty soon you’ll be able to lift me up.” Eric set the boy down and ruffled his hair. The boy turned and looked at Penny with wide eyes.
“You’re really pretty. What’s your name? My name’s Tyler.” To her surprise and delight, he held out his hand for a handshake.
“Thank you, Tyler. You’re very handsome yourself. My name’s Penny,” she said, shaking the tiny hand.
“When are you gonna marry Uncle Eric? My mama says you must be getting married soon because Uncle Eric never brings girls over for Christmas. If you get married, will you have babies? That’s what you do when you get married.”
Oh boy. Much to her relief, they were quickly rescued by someone she assumed was the boy’s mother. The petite blonde hurried down the stairs and clamped a hand over her son’s mouth.
“Hi, I’m Heather,” she explained with a sheepish grin. “You’ll have to excuse Tyler, he has big ears and an even bigger mouth. Tyler, go play with your cousins and leave poor Penny alone for five minutes. Scoot!” she sent him running down another set of stairs in the direction of the noise and chaos Penny was struggling to adjust to.
When Tyler disappeared, she turned to Eric and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Missed you,” Penny heard her mumble.
“Back atcha, kiddo.” They pulled away and Eric turned to Penny, sliding an arm around her waist. “Heather, this is my girlfriend, Penny. Penny, Heather. She’s the baby of the family.”
Heather rolled her eyes which were the same chocolate brown as her brother’s. “Twenty-eight years old and they still call me the baby. Welcome to our madness, Penny. Oh, is that pound cake? Yum!” Heather effortlessly eased Penny up the stairs to the kitchen, where she took the cake and set it on a side table with a few other desserts. There was a woman at the stove, dancing in place to the classic rock currently playing on the radio, stirring something that had Penny drooling.
“Mama, Penny and Eric are here!” Heather said.
&nb
sp; The woman spun around and raced towards them, throwing her arms around her son’s neck and planting two loud kisses to each of his cheeks. Then, much to Penny’s surprise, she received the same treatment. “Welcome to our chaos!” she said, unknowingly echoing her daughter’s earlier statement.
“Thank you for having me. You have a lovely home, Mrs. Calloway.”
The petite woman waved an arm as if she were batting away a fly. “None of that, dear. If Eric is bringing you home to meet us, you’re practically family. It’s Pam, or mama if you’d like.”
They’re going to start planning the wedding any second, Penny thought, panic clawing at her throat. Then Eric squeezed her hand and she was grounded once more.
“Mama,” Eric admonished. “Where’s everyone else?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Your father and brother are downstairs with the kids, playing that new Woo thing he insisted on buying for them. You know how your father likes his toys.” She made a shooing motion towards the stairs. “Go on, take your girl down to meet the rest of them. Might as well get it all out of the way.”
Chapter 12
Eric steered Penny towards the stairs, pausing on the landing between the two floors. “You okay?” he asked softly. “I know my family can be a bit overwhelming.”
“They’re great,” she replied honestly.
“Good.” He squeezed her hand again before leading her the rest of the way downstairs.
Where chaos reigned. There were five children, ranging from toddlers in diapers to a sulky preteen staring at her phone as if it were a lifeline. An older man with Heather’s blonde hair was currently locked in some kind of life or death battle on the Wii with Tyler. Two other couples who looked to be about their age lounged on chairs and sofas spread out around the room. Heather was snuggled up in the lap of a tall, rangy man Penny assumed to be her husband. Another man who basically looked like a slightly older, lankier version of Eric had his arm around a small, thin woman with straight red hair that fell like a waterfall to the middle of her back. Penelope had a moment to think that she looked like a fairy you might find tucked away in the hills of Ireland before Heather spotted them again and waved wildly.
“Hey guys! Everyone, meet Penny. Eric’s girlfriend,” she dragged the word out teasingly, as only an annoying sibling could. The fairy-like woman rose and glided over to them, wrapping them each in a strong hug—Penny sensed a theme with this family—before linking arms with Penny and leading her towards a sofa in the middle of the room.
“We’re delighted to meet you, Penny. I’m Moira, and this old goat here is my husband, Jeremy. He’s Eric’s brother, though you were probably able to tell that already. Heather you’ve met, and her husband Matthew over there, acting like a couple of newlyweds after nearly ten years together.” Hints of Ireland were woven through her voice, lending it a musical quality that only added to Penny’s idea of her as a fairy princess.
She and Eric settled together on the couch, and Penny braced for an onslaught of questions. But the family seemed determined to put her at ease and kept the topics light and fun, occasionally asking for her opinion to settle one dispute or another. Before long she felt as though she’d known them her entire life.
Pam called down that dinner was ready and suddenly there was a rush of people scooting children away from various electronics, or scooping up babies. She wasn’t sure how it happened, but Penny ended up with a small toddler in her arms as she followed the group up the stairs. The chaos somehow magically worked to get the food on the table and everyone settled in. As the food was passed around, she made small talk with her table mates, including Eric’s father, Charles, who sheepishly introduced himself and apologized for ignoring her in favor of the Wii when she’d first arrived.
After dinner, they opened presents. Eric had disappeared as soon as the food was cleared to haul their gifts inside. As they passed everything around, Penny was suddenly incredibly nervous. The gift they’d put together for his parents was intensely personal to her, and she prayed they liked it. As it happened, it was the last gift the couple opened. When she pulled the wrapping paper off, Pam’s eyes filled with tears.
“Eric…where did you even find this?” she asked, running her fingers across the glass.
“Actually, Penny took the picture. We went to that park one day and I showed her the spot and she decided right then to shoot it.”
“Mama, hold it up so we can see!” Heather demanded.
Pam turned the frame around and the room filled with a collective female sigh. The picture itself was breathtaking in its simplicity. It was a black and white photo of a tree where a set of initials had been carved into the trunk. Eric had told her that his parents met and later were engaged under that tree. Penny had shot the picture just as the sun was slanting through the leaves, illuminating the tree in an otherworldly glow.
“Penny, thank you so much. It’s perfect,” Pam sighed as she turned to study the picture once more.
Eric leaned over and kissed her cheek. “You’re perfect,” he whispered in her ear.
Merry Christmas indeed.
Chapter 13
Christmas morning, Penny was once again awakened by the siren’s call of coffee. She stretched and rolled over onto her back, wincing a bit when her bottom hit the mattress. She and Eric had celebrated in their own special way the night before, with him surprising her with a custom-made leather paddle with their initials stitched onto the handle. He’d made good use of the paddle before making love to her, and she felt the residual twinges from both that morning.
Wanting to find her man and see if he’d be up for another round before they had to brave the elements, and her family, she rolled out of bed and pulled her pajamas on.
“Morning beautiful,” Eric greeted her with a kiss before handing her a mug of steaming coffee. “Merry Christmas!”
“How are you so chipper in the mornings?” she wondered aloud. “No Christmas cheer until the coffee hits my system.”
“Then I guess you don’t want this present one of your neighbors left you,” Eric teased, holding the prettily wrapped box over his head and just out of her reach.
“Oh, gimme gimme gimme! I bet it’s from Mrs. Johnson down the hall,” she said as she tore open the wrapping. “She’s such a sweetheart. I wonder what she… Oh, God.”
Eric looked over, alarmed by the change in tone. Penny had gone white as a sheet. “Penny, what’s wrong?”
“I-I don’t think these are from any neighbors.” She took a step back, allowing Eric to lean over to inspect the open box. Inside lay a dozen blood red roses, with a note that simply read “Don’t keep me waiting.”
“Why would he do this?” Penny asked, trembling. “He’s done with me, he said so, so why this? Why now?”
Eric wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “We’ll take care of it. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
“Throw them away,” she said, burying her face in his chest.
Eric had no intention of doing any such thing, but kept that thought to himself. “Why don’t you go sit on the couch and I’ll make some calls.” At hearing her distressed whimper, he gave her a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll be right here. I’m just going to make some phone calls, and then we’re going to enjoy our Christmas. Okay?”
Penny hesitated but nodded and curled up on the couch. The first thing Eric did was text Paul and Elisa to see if they could come over.
Are you kidding me? We’ll be right there. You’re not letting this asshole get away with this, right?!?!?
The text from Elisa helped to calm him. Checking on Penny, he saw that she had fallen asleep on the couch, so he stepped out into the hall to make some calls. The first was to the police who despite the holiday were sending a detective over. Relieved, his next call was to Dr. French.
“Hello?” a husky, female voice, heavy with sleep, answered on the third ring.
“Dr. French?”
“Speaking. May I ask who’s calling?�
�
“This is Eric Calloway. We haven’t met but—”
“Is Penny all right?” she demanded, now completely alert.
“She isn’t hurt,” he assured her, and proceeded to explain the situation. “I just need to know how to handle this, handle her. I’ve never seen her so fragile, even after we ran into him a couple weeks ago.”
“For now, just remind her she’s safe, that he can’t hurt her anymore. I’m on my way.” The call ended before he could protest.
Returning to the apartment, he checked on Penny again, who appeared to be asleep. He draped a blanket over her before heading off to take a quick shower.
When she heard the water running, Penny opened her eyes and stared at the Christmas tree in the corner of the room. The colorful lights did nothing to brighten her mood.
The door to her apartment opened about twenty minutes later and she heard Elisa’s worried voice.
“How is she? Where is she?”
“In the living room. She’s asleep on the couch, or at least pretending to be. Thanks for coming guys.”
Eric. Kind, patient, loving Eric. Why had she thought she deserved him?
“Tell me you called the cops so they can get this asshole.”
Penny smiled at the passion in her friend’s voice, and the low grumble of her husband warning her to watch her language.
“Really Paul? That’s what you’re worried about right now? My fucking language?”
Deciding she’d played possum long enough, Penny sat up on the couch. “Elisa, love, don’t get yourself in trouble on my account. You know I have a whole stash of implements Paul is welcome to in the bedroom,” she said, forcing a smile into her voice.
Elisa rushed over and threw her arms around Penny’s neck. “He can spank me every day for a month if it means you’re safe.” She pulled away and studied her friend’s face. “How are you, sweetie?”
