Mischief Under The Mistletoe

by Maren Smith

  The half point she gave herself for stopping herself halfway through the meal was not as satisfying as she thought it would be.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “COME ON YOU BASTARD,” Jenny cursed at her car, turning the key in the ignition one more time and still getting the same hiccupping sound it had made the last dozen times. She needlessly stared at the gas gauge as if to assure herself that the half tank she had put in had not mysteriously evaporated overnight. The blinking check engine light placed the blame squarely on her head. For a moment, she considered calling Debbie and asking to join her. But her roommate was going to a party with Jimmy—and half the workers in the store, it would seem. God knew how long she planned on staying at the party, but knowing Debbie, it was probably long enough to put even the host to bed. So, no, she couldn’t call Debbie. Besides, she was definitely not in the mood to be around a bunch of partying people.

  She tried it one more time, and cursed when she got the same reason.

  “I was not aware they implemented a voice control feature on this model,” came a familiar tone from the passenger side of the car, and Jenny screamed in fright; a mortifying high-pitched whine that had her new audience chuckling.

  “Why the hell would you sneak up on me like that?”

  “I did not sneak up on you,” Jason said with a wag of his finger in her face. “You probably didn’t hear me from the sound of your car begging for mercy.”

  Jenny stared at him balefully, before returning her eyes to her dashboard.

  “So what is wrong with it?” he asked.

  “Do I look like a mechanic to you?”

  “No, you certainly don’t.” It sounded like he was teasing her. But Jenny was too frustrated to dignify his comment with a response.

  “Just leave me alone.” She began to stuff some things from her glove box into her purse, deciding that she would leave the car here until tomorrow when she could call for it to be towed.

  “Sorry,” he said, and really did look apologetic this time. “Come on, let me give you a ride home.”

  “Don’t bother,” she replied acidly, as she pushed the driver door open and exited the car, only to find herself face to face with him. She had no idea how the hell he had moved that fast, and considering how much older he was than her, she would admit it was hella impressive.

  “Come on, lock up and let me take you home.”

  “I said I don’t need your help. I’d rather spend the money on a cab than take a ride with the devil.”

  Rather than the amused expression that usually followed one of her jibes, Jason looked actually serious.

  “There is no way I’m letting you get into a cab at this time of the night. So when I said I was taking you home, it wasn’t up for debate.”

  Maybe it was the shock at being spoken to like that, or the fact that she was actually responding to the command in his tone, but Jenny stared dumbly as he collected her car keys from her and made sure all the windows and doors were locked. Then he took one look at her, before making his way toward his car.

  Grumbling behind him, she followed, stomping her feet on the floor in her own form of silent protest. Irritation quickly gave way for surprise when he finally stopped at his car. A silver Mustang with black racing stripes down the middle. It was far from the car she would have associated him with, and yet was the perfect fit for him. She knew next to nothing about cars, but seeing him standing beside that car in a brown leather jacket, one hand holding the door open and the other stretched in invitation, Jenny suddenly got the sexual appeal associated with beautiful cars.

  “She looks even more beautiful from the inside,” Jason’s teasing tone had her looking up from the car to the man, and she noticed that even though he was back to teasing her, his smile was still not back.

  She almost made a crack about men and their response to midlife crises, but stopped herself at the last minute as she realized how laughable such a statement would be. Clamping her mouth shut, she walked forward and got into the car.

  A few seconds later, she was joined by Jason in the driver’s seat.

  “Don’t forget to call your auto repair service first thing tomorrow, okay.”

  “Auto what?”

  “You know, the people that help you service your car. They can come and tow it to their shop.”

  She didn’t say anything, and that in itself was reply enough.

  “When last was that car serviced?”

  “I don’t know, whenever the last owner took it in.”

  “That is irresponsible,” Jason chastised her, and she slunk a bit low in her seat.

  “Well, it never gave me any problems so I didn’t think I needed to. Besides, nobody services their car anymore.”

  “Actually, almost everyone does. People who don’t tend to get stranded in dark parking lots, hoping they get lucky enough to be rescued by a good guy.” He started the car and the low growl of the engine caused a small sensual tug of tension in her lower belly. One look at the man seating behind the wheel, and Jenny felt her nipples hardening instantly. He looked rakishly handsome, and she felt the urge to reach over and muss his perfect hair just to see if she could get a reaction out of him.

  “So you are like my prince charming now, are you?” she asked instead.

  “Not really. I’m more like the matured guy who knew enough to make sure his car got serviced regularly and tuned up.”

  As Jenny took a look around his car, it was clear he took care of it. The dashboard was squeaky clean, no single line of dust anywhere on it. She also didn’t have to be an auto-head to know a lot of money had been spent on the interior. Even the seats were warm and plush, inviting her to lean her head back and take a short nap. She probably would too, if she were in another car, and it were another person sitting beside her.

  He drove with one hand, the other resting on the gear, and every time he shifted, the resulting change in the sound of the engine did things to her. Senses that had been dulled by her recent breakup were suddenly firing awake, and she wondered how someone who made her so mad could also make her so horny.

  Yes, she was horny. But, after a few seconds of thought, she decided to blame it on the sexy car, and the fact that it had been a long time since she got laid last.

  “So how long have you and Debbie been friends?”

  “Since high school.” The question threw her a bit, so her answer was straightforward and without her usual bite, which was why she quickly added, “Probably right around the time you were celebrating your fiftieth birthday.”

  “Exactly how old do you think I am?”

  “I don’t know,” she shrugged to show she didn’t care either. A blatant lie, since she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes to see if he would tell her.

  “I guess you guys are a case of opposites attracting,” he said instead. “I mean, she is cute and sunny. And you are...well, you are not.”

  “Oh, I’m cute and sunny too,” Jenny smile bared all her teeth. “I just prefer to only show that side of me to people I like.”

  “And why don’t you like me?” he asked moments later, and she was at a loss for words. Now faced with it, she realized that she could not point out a sensible reason for her antagonizing attitude toward him.

  “Don’t worry, you don’t have to answer that...”

  “I didn’t want to answer it, which is why I didn’t answer it,” she quickly said to save face, and was rewarded with that superior smile that made her want to point and scream that that was the reason why she didn’t like him. Hard to put that into words though.

  “So this is temporary for you? Your gig at the store.”

  “What?”

  “Is there a job you plan on returning to when you are done playing elf at the store.”

  “No,” she replied, and when she realized that answer kind of made her look like a loser, she grudgingly added, “I got fired from my last job a few weeks ago.”

  “Why am I not surprised by that? Although I don’t see
that it taught you the intended lesson.”

  “What lesson?”

  “That you should be nice to your boss. That is, like, employee rule number one.”

  “Good thing this is temporary then.”

  “It could be permanent if you wanted it to be.”

  “Why would I want that? Why would you want that, for that matter” she asked, baffled by the offer.

  “Saw you work today and you are great at organizing and dealing with high maintenance customers. The way you made sure those kids’ mothers did exactly what you wanted them to do, while keeping them satisfied at the same time, is really impressive. If I were to guess, I’d say you’ve worked at a bar before.”

  He was right, but she sure as hell was not giving him another reason to be smug.

  “So if you are open to it, I’m sure we can find a place for you at the store. I mean, we still have to work on your bedside manner a bit.” He smiled at her, and she wondered how to respond.

  “I’ll think about it,” she finally said, then glanced out in surprise when he pulled to a stop in front of her apartment building.

  “Been here once before to drop something for Debbie,” he answered her unasked question.

  “Okay, thanks.”

  “Wait,” he said, just as she reached for the door. “Call this number tomorrow for your car,” he handed her a business card. “Just tell them Jason sent you and you won’t have any problems.”

  It sounded like charity to her and she so wanted to say no. But she was slowly losing her mind being this close to him. With each sensible point he made, Jenny found herself getting equally furious and aroused. And now, she was so mad at him she wanted to cross the gearstick between them and straddle him.

  “You got anything to eat in there?”

  “No,” she said, her eyes not really reaching his and hoping he would let her go immediately, so she could run to her room and ease the ache between her legs in private. She was wondering if the batteries in her vibrator were still okay when she felt a small tap on her shoulder.

  “I said, I’m coming in to make you dinner.”

  “What?! No, no. You don’t need to do that,” she quickly said, almost begging in fact.

  “You did not finish your food at lunch today, and I know how hungry you were. So I’m coming in and making sure you eat this time.”

  “You are what?”

  “I said, I am—”

  “I heard what you said, and no fucking way. You can’t make me do what I don’t want to do.”

  “You best watch your language when you talk to me, or you’ll get the spanking you deserve for your rotten attitude all day.”

  Jenny spluttered, eyes wide open in shock. “You are not my father. I’ll watch what the fuck I want to watch when—”

  She gave a sudden yelp as he reached for her shoulders. Then she was sliding across the gear until her stomach was resting on his lap, and she could feel the cool evening breeze on her thighs. There was a brief moment when she told herself there was no way he was going to do it. Then she felt the painful sting of his bare palm against her denim-covered ass. Jenny got wet instantly, her pussy growing damp, even as she moaned in equal parts pain, shock, and arousal.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ANOTHER SMACK CAME, almost as if to assure her that she had not imagined the first, and then another, each one a little bit more painful than the last. Jenny told herself shock was the only reason why she lay still as Jason spanked her hard. She felt his hand come to rest lightly on her ass as he began to knead the abused area gently, almost as if he were soothing the ache he had caused.

  “I warned you about acting like a child, didn’t I?” he whispered as his hand slowly worked her aching ass.

  “Yes, daddy, you did,” she replied just as quietly, the words falling so easily out of her lips. For a brief moment she wondered if this was what he wanted her to call him, and she hoped she had not made him madder at her.

  “So, you gonna change?”

  “Yes, daddy, I’ll change.”

  “Good girl,” he complimented her, and the sexual tension in the room suddenly went up several notches. His hand slipped underneath her skirt to cover her silk-covered ass and Jenny knew there was no way he could escape the fact that she was dripping wet between her legs. She moaned low when his hands drifted briefly across the aching triangle between her legs. But he refused to provide the pleasure she wanted, and she found herself moaning in frustration. He slowly removed his hand and rolled her until she was looking up at him.

  Her chest rose and fell in a frenzied rhythm, and she found herself unable to take her eyes off him. At this point, her nipples were hard and aching. And she knew she was almost at the point where she wouldn’t mind begging him to get her off, or at least to allow her to get herself off. His smug smile a second later told her he had read her mind and was not letting her get off so easy. He shifted his leg just a bit, and she could suddenly feel the weight of his erection pushing against her back. Then a second later, after he made her feel the one thing she was so desperate for, he pushed her off his legs and back to her seat.

  “Come on, we have cooking to do.”

  He got out of his side, and she was disoriented enough that he was able to get to her side and open the door before she could make a move. She slowly got out of the car, and stumbled a bit before his very capable hands curved around her waist and gave her the support her legs seemed unable to give at the moment.

  “Just need to get something from the back, first,” he said, with his hand still holding her. She went with him as he picked up what looked like a grocery bag from the backseat of the car, and then she walked by his side as they both went into the building. Every step was a lesson in torture, her proximity to him only serving to heighten her arousal. By the time they walked through the door of her apartment, she was just about ready to push him to the wall and let him have his way with her. Only, he seemed totally uninterested in that, and the sooner they were inside her apartment, he let go of her. And walked straight into the kitchen.

  Jenny almost went after him immediately, but stopped herself at the last moment. She knew she had to pull herself together, put the events that just happened in some perspective. First question; exactly how did she go from hating him to wanting to jump his bones? And the more she thought about it, the more she could not help but admit that the pull had been there from the moment he scolded her for showing up for work late. There was something about his rebuke that had resonated with her sexuality and the kind of person she was. But it had been easy to tell herself that low tug was her being irritated.

  Okay, so she was sexually attracted to him.

  No, scratch that. That word was too tame for all the things he was making her feel. The real question was, what she was going to do about it? The answer was just as simple as it was complex. Because she knew that it didn’t matter what she wanted. He was the one in control, the one who could determine what she did or didn’t do. That this turned her on more was what made all of this so complex.

  Taking a deep breath, she walked to the kitchen and saw that he had unpacked the grocery bag he brought with him and already had a fire going.

  “I’m making lasagna,” he said after a few seconds of her just standing at the door.

  “Uhmm, do you need my help?” she asked, then bit her bottom lip as she wondered if he was expecting her to still call him daddy. She had no reason for why she had done so the first time, but his response to the moniker had both emboldened and stimulated her. But it seemed like he didn’t mind that she didn’t this time, and he just gave her a small smile.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got this covered,” he said.

  She immediately wondered if she had read the situation wrong. Was this sexual to him too, or was she the only one aroused by what had happened in the car. She hadn’t mistaken the steel length she had felt behind her back, had she? She was still thinking about this when he dumped something in the pot on the gas and came toward her.<
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  “What’s got your mind churning?” he asked, as he placed a hand under her chin and lifted it to peer into her eyes.

  “Nothing,” she replied immediately, afraid to leave any more pieces of herself out there for him to claim.

  “Lying also gets you spanked you know,” came his reply, and just like that the sexual pull was back there.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked, voice gone soft with wanting.

  “Because I can, and I want to. That’s the only reason you need concern yourself with. That I get to do what I want to do. You can do that Jenny, can’t you? Do anything I ask you to do.” His hand went to cup her ass and he pulled her up until their lips were scarce inches apart.

  Jenny nodded mutely.

  “Always use your words when you are with me, Jenny. I love hearing your voice. Hard to hide how you are feeling when your voice takes on a new tremor with your every emotion.”

  “Yes, I’ll do anything you ask me to.”

  “No, I think you missed something there.”

  She looked up at him, wondering when he was going to kiss her. Or would he just keep her tempting her with the promise of his lips?

  “Yes, daddy,” she said, her voice vibrating with her arousal. “I’ll do anything you want me to.”

  “Good girl,” Jason said, approval in his gaze. “Now you are going to go in there and have your bath, slip into something better, and then come out so we can eat.”

  Jenny nodded, head still lifted in hope that she would get that kiss. Or a touch in certain parts that would ease the ache, even just a bit. But she got none of that, as he turned around on his heels and headed back to the stove, dismissing her.