This time he grinned. “More than I know about you.”
She returned his smile. “Touché.”
“They’ve been here for years, with no ill effects. So yes, while you have some points in your arguments, I find it hard to believe they would deliberately sabotage our efforts.” He stood, but didn’t walk away.
Michelle watched him, then walked toward the dresser on the far wall, noticing for the first time that Mrs. Thaxton had placed neatly folded stacks of her clothing there. She’d just passed him when his hand went flying, and landed on her ass. She jumped out of his reach, but not before a second swat landed.
“I meant what I said. Don’t ever walk away from me again.”
“I won’t.” She stared at him as he nodded, then left swiftly through the door to Alex’s room.
Her heart raced as she watched him leave. She should be angry with him but she wasn’t. Actually, it was quite the opposite. Her first spanking had infuriated her and this, while not a spanking, had aroused feelings she was finding it hard to cope with.
Michelle could still feel the sharp imprint of his hand on her ass. How he’d managed to slap her bottom so hard when she was walking was beyond her. And while she couldn’t quite put her finger on it exactly, what she was feeling was something she wanted to explore, and there was only one way to do that. While they were working together tomorrow she would have to push him, just a little, and see what happened.
*****
At breakfast the next morning, Michelle came down with Alex in her arms to find Alliot talking with Mrs. Thaxton. Their voices were low, and she couldn’t understand what they were saying.
Mrs. Thaxton didn’t look happy. Alliot stood before her, his hands on his hips. He wasn’t angry, but he wasn’t smiling, either. Michelle stopped in the doorway and gently jiggled Alex, who was perched on her hip.
Alliot turned his gaze to her, then back to Mrs. Thaxton.
“Come in, Michelle. Mrs. Thaxton and I were just discussing who might have been in the house yesterday evening.”
“And?”
“I saw no one.” Her voice was stern, but it didn’t contain the usual venom it had when she addressed Michelle.
“There are many doors someone could have come in and gone unnoticed,” Alliot said. “I’ve called a locksmith, however, to come and put a lock on the office door. There will only be two keys, one for Michelle and one for myself.”
Mrs. Thaxton didn’t seem too happy about the news, but she didn’t object. Michelle moved the rest of the way into the room, putting Alex into his chair. Before she could ask, Mrs. Thaxton set down a bowl of cereal for the baby, then handed Michelle a warm bottle.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Michelle offered Alex a spoonful of cereal, which he took, spitting part of it back out while gumming the rest. While she was feeding him, Mrs. Thaxton set a cup of coffee in front of her, and then put down a plate of croissants and bowls of jelly.
Alliot sat down at the table and took a drink from his coffee.
“I’ve already called Bea and asked her to take Alex for the afternoon,” Alliot said. “I’d like to get most of the reorganization done today. Between the two of us that shouldn’t be too hard.”
Michelle laughed as she continued to feed Alex. “I think there’s more up there than you realize. We won’t be done today. Maybe tomorrow.”
She took a sip from her coffee and then glanced at Mrs. Thaxton, who stood at the stove, her shoulders stiff. Michelle turned a questioning gaze on Alliot, who shook his head quickly, then pointed upstairs.
The message came through loud and clear. He didn’t want to talk here. Once they were upstairs, he would tell her what the woman had said.
“Hey.” Bea’s voice filled the kitchen as she walked in. “There’s a man outside asking for Alliot.”
“The locksmith,” Alliot said, standing. When he was gone, Bea lifted an eyebrow at Michelle.
“Locksmith?”
“I think he just needs some work done,” Michelle said, remembering her promise to keep happenings in the house private.
“This house is so old, I’m sure there’s locked rooms he’s never seen before.” Bea put Amelie down, and then walked to the counter. “Good morning, Mrs. Thaxton. I don’t suppose I could talk you out of a cup of coffee?”
“Of course.” The cook’s voice was light and friendly. “I have breakfast, too, if you want. Croissants, and I can fix other things.”
Michelle wanted to ask why she wasn’t given the same options. Instead, she took a sip of her own coffee and continued to feed Alex. When he was done, she ate a few croissants, then looked up as Alliot came back into the room.
“We should get to work.”
“Yes,” Bea said, holding her arms out and taking Alex. “I’ll bring him back later tonight and I’m sure y’all will have loads done.”
They walked her outside, and on the terrace, Michelle turned to Alliot.
“Well?”
“She said she doesn’t know anything about the ransacking of the room, and I believe her.” He turned to Michelle. “She’s right when she says there are quite a few entrances that are not monitored.”
Michelle wanted to say that all criminals professed their innocence. Instead, she just nodded. “Fine.”
“Let’s go. I’m sure by the end of the day we’ll know something new.”
It was three days later, though, before they actually made their way through all the stacks of papers and unopened envelopes. Bea, who was full of questions as to why Alliot was now helping, offered to keep Alex overnight but Alliot refused.
Michelle knew the situation worried him more than he was letting on, and keeping Alex at the house helped him to feel in control.
At one point they’d gone through reasons for the search, what someone might be looking for.
“Blackmail,” Alliot said. “Either Antoine was being blackmailed, or he was blackmailing someone. Or he caught one of the employees stealing, and had the evidence which he hid.”
“You realize what that could mean, don’t you?” She thought about Alex’s parents, both of them dead. “It might not have been an accident.”
“No,” Alliot replied. “It was an accident. And I think that’s what frightened our unknown person so much. Whatever happened was not played out, and that person is worried that we’ll discover what it was.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right. They wouldn’t have, um, well…”
“Killed him?” Alliot turned to her.
“Yes. Unless they had what they wanted.”
“Very true,” Alliot said, turning back to his work.
When they’d finally gone through all the papers, it was well after dark on the third night. Alex slept in the playpen and Alliot shook his head in disgust.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing that is of any interest. Unpaid bills. Letters of demand. Nothing.”
“I’m sorry.” She watched him stand and start to pace, his anger controlled. “Maybe you can make a big sale to help with your cash flow.”
“I’m not worried about that,” he replied. “I’ve brought in some of my own money, and hired an accountant. I’ll take the unpaid bills to him tomorrow and let him sort them out. The winery will be fine. What worries me is what someone was looking for.”
Michelle tried not to show her surprise that he had enough money to help with the cash flow problems. During the last three days they’d done a lot of talking, about their childhoods and jobs, but never about anything too personal.
Still, she was attracted to him, and she knew he felt the same way toward her. She’d wanted to push him, to see what sort of reaction it brought. She didn’t want to anger him enough to get a spanking like the first one he’d given her, but more of what the second swats had felt like. But no time had seemed right. They’d kept busy, trying to get things done.
Now that the office was in order, she knew the time was now. She decided to test the waters, see what happe
ned.
“So, you don’t need me anymore.”
He frowned at her. “I didn’t say that.”
“If you have an accountant to do the bills, and the papers are all sorted, then I don’t need to stay.”
“I need you for Alex. I haven’t had time to find a new au pair, as you know. Plus, there are other papers that can be filed, and categorized.”
Michelle pushed herself off the floor, taking the last stack of bills she’d gone through and putting them with the others.
“I’m going upstairs.” Her heart beat just a little faster. She debated the reasoning behind her plan. There was no telling how he would react. They’d both been under the gun the last few days, trying to work through things. She thought about waiting. She thought about pushing through with her plan. Both ideas rolled around in her mind, trying to push the other one aside. Finally, curiosity won out. “Good night.”
She walked to the playpen and picked up Alex.
“Michelle, come back when you put him down.”
“Why? Do you have something else we need to work at tonight?”
“I would like to talk with you some more.”
“Tomorrow perhaps. I’m tired.”
“Tonight. You’re not that tired. I’ve learned to read you very well this week. Come back.”
“I don’t feel like it Alliot. I think I might take a nice warm bath and go to bed.”
His eyes narrowed as he continued to study her, then he sat on the edge of the desk. “I won’t accept your disobedience. When I tell you come back, I mean it. I expect to see you back her within twenty minutes.”
“No.” As she walked through the door, she heard him call her name. When she was upstairs, she fed Alex a bottle, burped him, and then rubbed his belly until he fell back asleep. When she got to her room, Alliot was waiting.
“Bare your bottom.”
“No, Alliot.” She studied him, nervous. She almost sighed with relief when she realized his demeanor tonight was the same as when he’d delivered the two swats the other evening. He’d been deliberate then, still calm but with his anger just below the surface.
Tonight, he wasn’t angry. He just wanted to reinforce his position; wanted to let her know he was in charge. A small thrill ran through her, which scared her even more than the idea of being spanked again. She wanted him to spank her.
“Michelle. I don’t take waiting well. I will say it one more time. Bare your bottom.” The look he gave her made her shiver.
“Not like the other night. I don’t … Alliot.”
“Now.” He stared at her as she looked around the room. “Come to the bed, take down your jeans and panties and bend over.”
“Can we talk about it first?”
“Why? I’ve watched you the last few days. You want this. The idea might frighten you, but I saw your acceptance, no, your excitement, the other night when I slapped your behind. Didn’t I tell you never to walk out on me? Yes, I did, and you did it tonight.”
She smacked her lips and tried to look sheepish. “I’m pretty transparent, huh? That stinks.”
“I’m not going to tell you again.”
She walked to the bed, undoing her jeans as she moved. Excitement, mixed with a high amount of nerves, coursed through her veins. When her pants were undone, she hooked her thumbs under the waistband, and then turned her gaze on Alliot, who sat next to where she stood.
“It’s alright. Do as I say.”
She pushed her clothing down quickly, bending over the bed, using it almost as an anchor to stead her shaking legs. When he caressed her bottom, she moaned.
“Hush. You’ve been a bad girl.”
“Not really.” The first slap was sharp.
“Are you questioning me?”
“Yes.” Another slap landed. “I, um, I haven’t been that bad. I’ve done my work.”
“But you disobeyed me, and that makes you a bad girl.” He stood, then delivered several more hard slaps to her bottom. They stung, but at the same time it delivered a thrill to Michelle unlike anything she’d ever felt.
“Stay in place, Michelle. Stretch your arms above your head and then don’t move. I have to go out for a few moments, but I’ll be back. If you are out of position when I return, I shall be very angry. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Alliot.” She heard him leave, and then surprised herself by doing exactly as he’d said. She stretched out her arms, lying flat on the bed. The tension of the last few days seemed to race up her body, exiting through her fingers. She wondered what he was doing; then silently prayed he wasn’t going for the paddle.
Somehow, though, she knew that was exactly what he was doing. He recognized that she was curious, but still, that curiosity would be played out on his terms, not hers. She should have realized that, should have known that he wouldn’t just give her a few slaps to the bottom and then let it go. He had to be in control; had to have things his way.
The longer he made her wait, the more nervous she became. She hadn’t heard the door open and shut since he’d left. She was pretty sure the paddle was still upstairs in the office, but she didn’t hear him moving up there. What was taking so long? Was he simply trying to put her on edge?
She knew that’s what he was trying to do, and he was succeeding at it. The more she waited, the more she debated her idea that this was a good thing to do. She started to push up, lying flat again when his voice floated across the room.
“Did I tell you to move?”
“Alliot?” Her heart felt as if it leapt into her throat. “How long have you been here?”
“The whole time. I wanted to watch, and see how long you’d obey my instructions. Nine minutes. Disappointing.”
“I can’t believe you’ve been here the whole time. I can’t believe I didn’t hear you.”
“You were too concentrated on yourself, on what you were feeling. Which was what I wanted.”
She heard him now as he crossed the room, stopping right beside her. His hand came down on her bottom and she groaned. Several more sharp slaps made her groaning turn into moans. She started to sit up again, but Alliot pushed her back down into the mattress.
“Stay where you’re at.” She cried out as the paddle landed. She wondered where it had come from. The last she knew it was upstairs, wasn’t it? Or had he brought it here in anticipation of using it as he was right now?
The swats were hard, the wood burning her bottom as it landed. She lost count of the number, trying only to concentrate on the pain raiding out from the point of impact, and the fact that, despite the pain, she wasn’t fighting it as she had the first one.
What did that mean? Why was she letting him do this?
“Michelle, answer me!” She reared back as a particularly hard slap landed.
“What?”
“Are you listening to me? I said, why did you disobey me? Tell me.”
“You’re the smart lawyer, you tell me. Ow!” He delivered swats in rapid fire, the sound of the paddle hitting her bottom reverberating against the walls.
“Don’t be sassy with me. Now, answer the question.”
“It wasn’t for this, I can tell you that.” This time the swat was softer. After it landed he caressed her bottom with the wood. The soothing motion made her groan louder.
“Was it for that?”
“Yes.” She shook her head even as the word came out.
“Don’t be frightened, Michelle. Lots of women like to be spanked. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Three sharp swats landed on each cheek.
“But I don’t think I like it.”
His laugh was dark, yet relaxed. “Trust me, you do.”
Michelle laid her head against the comforter as he spanked her, alternating the slaps between harsh and soft, varying the places when they landed. She didn’t fight it this time, or cry out. Instead, she just lay there and let it happen. The softer swats outweighed the harsh ones, and when her bottom was burning, he caressed her with the wood again.
�
�I was easy on you, you know that, don’t you?”
“Really?” She laughed as she shifted her weight. “It doesn’t feel that way.”
“Oh trust me, I was. I hope you know this doesn’t cut out future punishment spankings. If anything, it increases the need for them, the harshness of them.”
“That’s unfair.” She sat up and winced, then pulled herself up to cover her partially naked body.
“Is it? There are several different types of spankings, and since you enjoyed this one, which released a great deal of tension for us both, that tells me that punishment spankings are going to have to be harsher in the future.”
The Reluctant Au Pair Page 7
