Impulsive (The Soldier's Firm Hand)

by Wilde, Amity

  “Good, because that’s a part of the package, kitten. You’re an adult. I get that. I’m not going to dress you, or pick your friends or any of that, but I need someone who can handle the fact that sometimes I’m going to tan her ass because she needs the lesson,” He slid his other hand down her back and pulled her closer. “and sometimes I’m going to do it just because I want to, and I think we need it.”

  A shiver ran down Lauren’s spine, but the way her face flushed and her body melted against his, he knew it wasn’t a bad sort of shiver.

  “You like that, don’t you kitten?”

  She squirmed, rubbing herself tantalizingly against him and sending blood rushing straight to his cock. “It hurt when you spanked me...”

  “But?”

  “But...” Lauren leaned in and whispered in his ear. “I kind of liked it too. Is that wrong?”

  He loved this side of her, the tease that came out to play when she was happy. “No, kitten, but it means I might need to do other things sometimes to get my point across.”

  “Like what?”

  “You know what they say about curiosity. If you want to find out, go into my bedroom, strip and wait for me. Consider this your first real taste of what being together would be like.”

  “Wait, is this because I been bad, or because you think we need it?”

  “Have you been...?” Jared barked out a laugh. “You tried to break us before there was even an us to break. This a good dose of both, kitten. Get your ass into the bedroom!” His hand landed solidly on her thigh with a loud crack.

  Lauren yelped and scampered off his lap and out of the living room. It was a good thing he’d swung by the store before coming back, though if she’d agree with him when she found out what had been on the shopping list was yet to be determined.

  Chapter Ten

  *** Lauren ***

  Taking off my clothes was easy compared to figuring out what to do with myself afterwards. What did he expect? Was I supposed to kneel on the floor? Face the wall? Be doing jumping jacks in the corner with my hands behind my head?

  Probably not that last one.

  I settled for sitting on the bed and nervously moving my hands around to try and find a position that would look natural. The clock on the wall ticked, marking the seconds as time marched on. I fidgeted while waiting to find out what was in store for me.

  If this was my first “real” taste, what had the other times been?

  Never in a million years would I have guessed that I’d be alright with something like this. The first two times he punished me, there hadn’t been much warning, but this time I’d known the whole way here that if he agreed to forgive me, I was likely in for a sound spanking. And yet here I was, waiting naked for him to come and turn me over his knee.

  A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of being held down and paddled. Deep in my soul I knew this wasn’t something I’d do for just anyone. I might have joked about spankings with previous boyfriends, but now I understood why I’d never pushed anyone into actually doing it. They hadn’t deserved it.

  It takes more than a strong arm to discipline someone. Jared had an authority about him that made me want to please him, and even accept his punishments if I screwed up. He wasn’t perfect, but he held himself to a high standard, and would expect the same from me.

  For the chance at the sort of happiness I could see with him, I’d put aside my preconceived notions about how my relationship with Mr. Right was supposed to look. So what if he was a bossy soldier instead of an artsy academic like my usual guys. Jared was my new favorite type.

  The door opened, and even though I’d had nothing else to do but wait for exactly that, I still jumped. He stood there for a moment in the doorway, taking me in with an intensity in his eyes that made me blush.

  “Good girl, thank you for listening.”

  I rolled my eyes, but the compliment made my stomach flutter. “I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. Is there a position or something? Aren’t there positions?”

  We’d already seen each other naked, but being the only one without my clothes on while he was watching me with all my imperfections on display made me feel vulnerable. The situation should’ve felt more sexual than it did. In some ways it was more like getting called into the principal’s office.

  “Why, is that something you’d like?” Jared looked at me curiously, and I noticed he was holding something in his hand I didn’t recognize.

  “I... I don’t know.” I’d made the comment more out of nerves than anything, but when he called me on it, I found I wasn’t actually sure. “What is that?”

  He ignored my question. “Let’s call that a ‘not for today’. Some people find formality comforting, but there is no right answer besides what works best for us.” Jared came over and held up what looked like a potato whittled off into a mushroom like shape. “I’m glad you came to me today, but you should know that I wasn’t going to let you go so easily. I picked up a little something in anticipation of helping you learn your lesson next time we were together.”

  “That’s a little presumptuous. Don’t you think?” I teased, unable to see what exactly he could do with a potato that was going to teach me anything.

  “Was it?” He skimmed the backs of his fingers over my puckered nipples and sparks shot through my body. I let out a breathy little gasp and he smiled. “Now stand up, and bend over with your forearms on the bed.”

  I stood, letting him position me the way he wanted. His touch was gentle, but with an authority that gave me no illusions about who was in charge. If I asked, I knew he’d let me go, but by putting myself into his hands, I was telling him that I accepted his control.

  The feeling was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

  “Like this?” As my arms sank into the mattress, all of my most private areas became open and available to him. Anticipation of what was coming made my heart beat faster and my breathing shallow. My body tensed, waiting for his touch, not sure if it would be a tender caress or the sting of his palm.

  Not sure which I wanted more.

  I started when he put a hand on my lower back, and then something cool and slick nudged between my cheeks and brushed against the tight pucker of my bottom.

  “What are you doing?” I twisted my head to look at him, but he didn’t stop, holding me in place and slowly rubbing what must have been that potato against my little hole. “I don’t think you should...” It felt so strange and foreign that I couldn’t help squirming. “Is this my punishment?”

  “Relax, kitten. This is just a little something to help spice up your spanking because I don’t want to do too much after last night. It’ll keep you from tensing up and getting hurt more than necessary. It’s normal for it to tingle and burn, but tell me if you really can’t stand it anymore.”

  Tingle? Burn? What the hell was he going to do to me? “Um, Jared?”

  I gasped as the plug, no longer so cold, pressed into my bottom. It didn’t feel very big, and it didn’t hurt, but it felt wrong and out of place. He worked it into me slowly, twisting the rounded tip back and forth. My muscles reflexively fought the intrusion, clenching tight around the intruder.

  “Not much more. Try to push out for me while it goes in.”

  If his point was embarrassment, he was succeeding. It was humiliating to have something stuck up there, but taking a deep breath, I forced myself to relax. Jared stroked my back and with a quick push, it popped into me, leaving a hard knob on the outside I could feel between my cheeks.

  “Good girl.” He tugged lightly on the plug. “Does that feel alright?”

  “It doesn’t hurt, if that’s what you mean.” I squeezed around it tentatively. “I’m not sure alright is the word I’d use.” Bizarre and uncomfortable sprang to mind first.

  Jared laughed. “I’m going to do twenty strokes on each side, and I want you to count for me.”

  “Forty?” I squeaked. That sounded like an awful lot for going easy on me. “Okay
, just do it. I’m fine.”

  He started light, alternating sides with easy slaps that barely hurt. I relaxed. This I could handle, no problem. My hips wiggled as warmth spread across my bottom. Dutifully, I counted off each jiggling slap. Partway through, I noticed a prickly, tingling heat surrounding the plug.

  “What’s the count? Getting distracted already?” He chuckled. “Am I boring you?”

  “No, it... what is that?” I squeezed the plug experimentally and winced as the intensity of the tingle increased enough to be uncomfortable. “It feels strange. Ten? Was it ten?” I couldn’t remember what I’d last called out.

  “If you say so.” He squeezed my cheeks together for a moment, intensifying the burn.

  The next blow was harder, making me jump and grunt with surprise. I could tell by the satisfied note in his voice that we’d probably been well past that mark and my inattention had just bought me some extra strokes.

  Shoot.

  His slaps had started with a light, almost pleasant sting, but each built upon the one before it and now he was gradually adding more force. I could really feel the blast of pain as his palm landed back and forth with a resounding crack on the tender spots where my thighs met my bottom.

  “Eighteen,” I bit out through clenched teeth. Everything burned, inside and out.

  Jared started slapping the backs and sides of my thighs. His palm would land on my skin with a echoing slap of flesh, and then the sharp pain from the last would just about fade when his hand came down again and new agony bloomed.

  It was so hard to concentrate, but I was terrified of losing track again, and focused hard on remembering to count. My voice was rough and strained as I barked out each number with a gasp.

  “Thirty.” Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes from squeezing them shut.

  Had I ever really thought getting spanked was sexy? Well it wasn’t anymore. If I tensed, fire erupted in my poor bottom around the plug. I wanted it to be over, but all I could do was take what he gave. My legs shook and my head hung in shame.

  “Almost there. You’re doing so well, kitten.”

  I snarled, not really wanting to enjoy his praise. I wanted to be mad at him, but I knew I’d gone into this willingly. Even worse, I still couldn’t help leaning into his touch, taking what small comforts I could get.

  On forty, he gave that horrid little plug a quick twist and it slid right out. It was all too much, and I let out a ragged wail. I was so glad it was gone, but the burn remained, a fiery reminder that lingered no matter how much I shifted and squirmed.

  He sat down on the bed and pulled me into his lap. I sniffled miserably, pressing my face into his shirt like a child. His strong arms were around me instantly, holding me tight and making me feel safe and loved.

  “Shhhh, it’s over now.” Jared tucked my hair behind my ears and stroked my back.

  “That wasn’t nice at all, that hurt!” I smacked him lightly on the chest, which was about as satisfying as hitting a brick wall. “That thing you used wasn’t really a potato, was it?”

  A deep laugh rumbled under my cheek. “A potato? Don’t be silly. That would be weird. It was only ginger.”

  Just talking about it made me clench and wiggle but I laughed in spite of myself. “Oh right, because that’s totally normal.”

  “I’ll have you know it’s a very traditional technique,” he said with a smirk. “And a hell of a lot of fun to watch.”

  I opened my mouth, ready to argue, but when he cupped my chin with his hand and pressed his lips to mine, I stopped caring about getting the last word. His tongue slid between my lips, capturing my mouth and coaxing me into a passionate dance. I straddled him, letting my hands roam over his washboard abs, and my nipples rub against his shirt until they were so hard they ached.

  My legs spread wide, and I moved against the wonderfully solid length of him that was pushing against me from under his jeans. One of his hands moved down between us, and I whimpered as his fingers slipped through my folds and pressed up against my core. I tore my mouth away from his, gasping at how quickly he’d been able to take me from aching with pain to aching with need.

  Maybe they were really just two sides of the same coin, because that driving need overrode what little modesty I had left.

  “I need you inside me.” It was the ultimate connection, and after the emotional rollercoaster I’d been on that day, I needed to finally feel him claim me. My fingers worked frantically at his belt. “Please tell me you picked up something else with me in mind.”

  Jared kissed my neck, his stubble dragging against my ticklish skin. “Number one on my shopping list.”

  I practically purred as we stripped off his shirt. “You. Naked. Right now.” My tongue licked a trail across his well-defined chest, he tasted like sunshine, sweat and the ocean.

  “Yes, ma’am. Far be it from me to ignore such an important order.”

  He tossed me unceremoniously onto the bed. I hit the mattress and let out a squeal as a rush of pain burst out from my well spanked bottom. There was no time to dwell on it though, because in no time flat, he stood before me like an erotic dream come to life.

  Jared took my breath away, and by some incredible twist of fate, he was all mine. I leaned back and teased him with a view of me running my fingers down my body and over my needy sex as I took in the best view of my life.

  A woman possessed, I’d never been so free, but the way he was looking at me left no room for self consciousness. He stalked forwards, eyes burning with intensity like a hungry wolf, ready to gobble up its willing prey. There was the quick tear of a condom wrapper and then his body settled on top of mine, forcing my legs apart to accommodate him.

  I arched my back as his smooth hardness stroked against my core. He kissed my puckered nipples in turn, sucking them in as he pressed me into the bed. I pulled his head closer, encouraging every glorious pull of his mouth.

  “Please,” I begged. My hips were twisting, attempting to get him just where I needed him even though each movement pressed my tortured skin into the bed. It didn’t even hurt anymore, the sensations had blended together until pleasure and pain were one and the same.

  He pulled my hands away, capturing my wrists and pinning them over my head. It only took one of his huge palms to hold me in place. With the other, he held himself steady as his erection slipped between my folds and pressed slowly into my slick channel.

  We groaned together as he sank in and my inner muscles stretched around his girth. The thick slide of him was like heaven, every feeling magnified by the fiery remnants of my punishment.

  His muscles shifted and strained above me. Without my hands, I was helpless to do much more than take him. Something I was more than willing to do, because every rhythmic thrust brought me closer and closer to the edge until my hips were bucking underneath him, searching for that one extra touch, grind or caress that would tip me over into ecstasy.

  With a growl, Jared let go of my arms and flipped me onto my stomach, pulling my hips up so he could take me from behind. I gasped as he impaled me to the hilt, this new position letting him go even deeper.

  “I love seeing my marks on you. You’re so sexy like this, spread out for me.” His voice was low and rough, strained with passion.

  Deep inside, he seemed to grow and fill me until I could barely stand it. His hips struck my tender thighs as he plunged into me. So close. My breath came in rapid pants, legs trembling.

  “More,” I gasped. “Give me more.”

  His response was a harsh growl before he put a hand on my shoulder and took me with a wild ferocity that was nearly feral. I cried out at the intensity, and again when his other hand landed on my bottom with a smack that I felt reverberating in every last corner of my body.

  That unexpected sting of pain dropped into me like the last piece of a puzzle, and I exploded around him with an ecstatic cry. He moaned as my velvety channel pulsed around him, pulling him deeper and squeezing tight.

  Jared’s hands d
ug into my waist as he gave in to my body’s primal urgings for his own orgasm. With one last plunge, he clutched me tight and emptied himself within me. His throbbing release felt like a second heartbeat in my core, and I was shocked by how much I wished I could’ve felt him fully, skin to skin.

  This was more than just good sex. I’d been right to worry about losing my heart to him, because in only a few short days, Jared had managed to turn my life upside down and make me long for a future very different from the lonely track I’d been on.

  Afterwards, cradled in his arms, I whispered, “Is it too soon to say I think I could love you?” I tensed, afraid my impulsive moment of honesty would leave me vulnerable to rejection.

  He kissed the top of my head, quiet, but not letting me go or pushing me away. “It was never too soon, kitten, because I think I was already a goner when you fell at my feet.”

  Epilogue

  *** Jared ***

  “What do you think, are you next?” Grant fiddled with his tie as they stood at the altar, waiting for Janie to emerge and walk down the aisle.

  Jared grunted noncommittally, but standing there in front of their friends and family, he had to admit that it was hard not to imagine being in his brother’s place. They hadn’t made any plans yet officially, but he knew without a doubt that Lauren was the woman for him. It was just a matter of timing, and figuring out how to make it work with their very different lives.

  And hoping she’d say yes.

  The three months they'd spent apart while he was in training had felt like forever. He’d only been home for a couple of days now, and they still hadn’t spoken alone more than once or twice since she came into town for the wedding. The bachelor party, rehearsals and an endless stream of errands his mother assured him were essential had been eating up every spare minute.

  Admittedly, the few times he had managed to drag her aside were infinitely better than the email and the video calls they’d been making do with, but he’d hoped Grant’s wedding would give them a chance to reconnect, not just pass each other in the hall on their separate duties. How many things did you really have to photograph? In ten years was anyone going to care that they’d documented some of this stuff?