"I'm sorry, Carolyn," he said, "that was rude of me. It's nice to see you. You look well. Surely, you remember Rosa Collins?"
Carolyn smiled at Rosa for a half of a second before turning her attention back to Luke. "Are you just in town for the day, Lucas? I've just finished my last class of the day, and I was heading over to this little café over yonder to get a snack. Why don't you say goodbye to your friend and meet me over there in a few minutes?"
Rosa saw red. She didn't even wait to see how Lucas would respond as all rational thought evaporated out of her brain. She sidestepped in front of Lucas, so that she was effectively wedged between Lucas and Carolyn, put both hands in front of her and gave Carolyn a mighty shove—sending the other woman falling backwards into the street, right in a mud puddle.
"I'm not his friend, I'm his fiancée!" she cried.
Carolyn just sat sputtering in the middle of the mud puddle, big crocodile tears forming in her eyes. "Well- I never!"
"Yeah? Well maybe you should never just a little more often! Why don't you learn to act like a lady, and keep your hands off of my man! That's right, Carolyn, he's mine, and we're getting married in three weeks. Forgive me if your invitation gets lost in the mail!" Rosa was screaming and knew she was creating quite a scene, but she just couldn't stop.
Luke jumped into action.
Rosa was still screaming choice words at Carolyn, when he stepped forward, graciously helping the woman out of the puddle—which only served to make Rosa angrier.
Her brain completely left her. When Luke reached down to offer Carolyn a hand, Rosa pushed him over too! Carolyn saw it coming, and scooted out of the way, but Luke fell in the puddle beside her with a splash, spraying more mud to cover her face and the front of her dress.
That was the moment that sense returned to Rosa. Horrified, she realized that she had gone too far. She held her breath as a scowling, unamused Lucas rose from the puddle. His eyes were dark as he sent her a warning glance before turning and helping Carolyn out of the puddle.
Walking up to her, he leaned in close. "Do. Not. Move," he told her, his voice hard between gritted teeth.
He had Carolyn by the arm and he helped her across the street to her car, as Rosa looked on, afraid to budge from her spot on the sidewalk. She had never seen Luke look anything but jovial and kind.
Of course, she had never seen him pushed into a puddle of mud before either.
Before she knew it, he was back, and he was furious. He grabbed her upper arm, pulling her along as they made their way up the street to where they had parked. He moved fast. Rosa had to jog to keep up so that he wasn't dragging her behind him.
Before she knew it, they were back at his truck, and Luke was opening the door for her. His truck was huge, so even though she wasn't petite, he still had to boost her up so she could get in. Just as she was climbing in, he smacked her bottom hard!
The sudden sting surprised her, and her hands went immediately back to cover her backside, causing her to lose balance and almost fall out of the truck. She shrieked and looked back at Luke startled.
"Consider it a preview," he said.
* * * * *
In the truck, Luke replayed the scene in his mind. He had felt a sense of foreboding the moment he'd seen Carolyn heading toward them. He knew that she had gone out of her way to push Rosa's buttons since the very minute she had arrived in Green Valley three years ago. For the same amount of time, she had seemed to have a thing for him. Now that he and Rosa were engaged, he should have known it was a lethal combination where Carolyn was concerned.
Still, he had been shocked and appalled at how blatantly inappropriate Carolyn's behavior had been. She had completely ignored Rosa's presence, but Luke was no fool. He knew she had laid it on extra thick—every flutter of her eyes, all the touchy feely stuff, every movement was calculated and executed for Rosa's benefit more than his own. Still in retrospect he could see that he could have been a little less kind. He should have nipped it in the bud immediately. He could see that now.
The problem was that where Carolyn was concerned, he had always been a little soft. His feelings towards her weren't ones of attraction or lust, they were ones of compassion and understanding. He had always known there was a little more to Carolyn than met the eye, but it wasn't until his time in Georgia that he had truly understood what she must have gone through.
The act she put on wasn't her, he didn't think at least. It was that she truly didn't know how to act, so she copied what she had known outside of her dark little world, and she played the snooty southern belle to a tea. Luke truly didn't fault her for it. Everyone has to have their own ways of coping.
Still, he should have been a little less gentleman and a little more fiancée. Luke shook his head and glanced over at Rosa, who was silently gazing out the truck window. While Carolyn's actions were totally textbook Carolyn—Rosa's were downright shocking. He had known her most of his life, and he had never seen her blow up like that, not even close. She had always been mild mannered and even tempered, even when Carolyn purposefully provoked her. Today was… Luke didn't know what today was. He only knew what he had to do about it.
It was not what he had planned for the end of their date at all, but Luke knew he couldn't let it go. He had also planned on fixing up the carriage house before he ever brought her to see it, but that was no longer an option. It was the only place they could have any privacy.
They entered Green Valley, and Luke turned in the direction of the church.
Rosa turned to him confused, finally breaking her silence. "Lucas, where are we going? I figured you were taking me home?"
"Not a chance. You're not getting off that easy," he told her, lightening up his voice. He wanted to discipline her, not frighten her. "I am taking you home. To our home, the one we will live in after the wedding. I had planned on fixing it up and surprising you before the wedding, but your actions today have ruined that. Now, it is the only place we can have the privacy we will need to carry out your punishment."
"My-my punishment?" Rosa's mouth rounded in surprise and tears welled up in her eyes. She must not have caught the seriousness of Luke's' earlier words. He felt for her, and he knew this would not be easy for either of them, but it had to be done. Today would set the tone for the rest of their lives together.
Chapter 7
Rosa didn't say anything after that. She knew there was nothing she could say. She had never in her life acted the way she had today, and she was ashamed. She knew her actions deserved a spanking, so she wasn't that surprised that Luke intended to give her one. Just because they weren't yet married didn't mean he could let her get away with something like that.
Still, she was anxious about it. It was her first spanking, ever, and she saw spanking as a very intimate act. She knew Luke would be proper, and she knew that her father would be okay with it. Ben had spanked Beth Anne before they married, and she had told Rosa the story just last week.
Her stomach was in knots as Luke pulled up in front of the old carriage house down the road from the church. Ever the gentleman, Luke came around and helped her out of the truck and held her hand as they walked into their new house together.
As soon, as he shut the door behind them though, his demeanor changed. He became all business.
"Rosa, I am going to take a shower now. While I am in there, I want you to think about why we are here, and why you are about to get your first spanking, something I would have rather waited for until we were married. You can stand in that corner, with your arms crossed behind your back until I am finished. Then we will have a talk about your actions, and then we will discuss your punishment."
"Okay," Rosa didn't know what else to say, so she turned from him, ready to make her way over to the corner.
"Rosa," he caught her by the arm. "When you are being punished, you will address me as sir. When I ask you a question, or when I give you instructions, you will respond with 'Yes, sir,' or 'No, sir.'"
Rosa had never seen this
side of Luke. Her throat went dry. She was nervous, but not scared. "I see, I mean, yes, sir," she stammered.
She could feel Luke's eyes follow her as she walked towards the corner. Rosa couldn't remember the last time she had been sent to the corner. She felt like she was five years old again. She obeyed, crossing her arms behind her, and she felt rather than saw, when Luke left the room.
Then she was unable to keep the tears from falling. They had been having a perfect day, and she had ruined it.
No, she corrected stubbornly, Carolyn Atwood had ruined it. The jealous little wench couldn't stand to see Rosa happy, and she had always wanted Luke for herself. Well, that's just not how things work around her, Rosa thought to herself haughtily. Carolyn should know better. It was just Rosa's dumb luck that this had to happen mere hours after her and Luke had put the details of domestic discipline in place.
The tears continued to fall as she replayed the day in her mind. She knew that the purpose of corner time was not to get herself angry and worked up, but she couldn't seem to stop that from happening. The longer she was there, the more worked up she got. By the time Luke got out of the shower and joined her in the living room, her hands were balled in fists at her sides and her face was streaked with angry tears.
When he called her name, she turned to face him—
And exploded in laughter. "Lucas- what are you wearing?"
He grinned at her, and her heart melted. His chest was bare, and his pants were bright pink sweats that were about three sizes too big.
"I found them in the closet," he explained. "I didn't shower so I could put my muddy clothes back on, but I have nothing here yet. I'm lucky I found this. Although I must admit, I don't think pink is my color."
The more Rosa laughed, the more her anger melted away. This was her Luke. Funny and kind, deserving of so much more than she had given him today. She resolved to take whatever punishment he gave her, and to do better in the future. She would not let the Carolyn's of the world get to her.
"I'm sorry, Luke," she sighed. He held out his arms to her. She went to him, and her heart fluttered. This was the closest she had ever been to any man, besides her father. She breathed in his clean scent, and mentally counted the days until the wedding.
* * * * *
When Luke came out of the shower, and saw Rosa's balled fists and heard her angry cries, for a moment he had been mad that she hadn't followed his instructions. But then he regrouped. He remembered his days spent listening to his father counsel men on disciplining their wives. Every woman reacted to things differently, the Bishop always said. Rosa was still in the corner, so Luke didn't think she had intentionally tried to be defiant. Perhaps corner time was something that would not work for Rosa. Only time would tell.
Today's events were an anomaly, and not the kind of things he expected to be dealing with on a regular basis in their marriage. Luke knew emotions ran high when Carolyn was involved, so, he decided to give Rosa the benefit of the doubt this time.
He was treading carefully. If it were up to him, the first time he disciplined Rosa would have been after they were married, and for something far less significant. He turned from the room, and changed out of the basketball shorts he had found, and into his only other option—the hot pink sweats. He knew it would make her smile, and God, but he loved Rosa's smile! He felt ridiculous, and he was worried that his attire might undermine his authority, but he knew they both needed to relax a little or today would not go well.
He called out to her, and she turned to him with her tight little fists, and her anger clouded face. He drew a deep breath and waited. Had he made the right decision?
Then she took in his attire and started to laugh.
He blew out a sigh of relief and gathered her in his arms. He held her, wiped her tears, and waited, taking his signals from her. When she turned to him with a sad but expectant smile, he knew it was time. He led her over to the plastic covered couch and sat down. He wasn't ready to spank her yet, though. He knew this was one of those situations that weren't entirely black and white, and a proper lecture would be necessary.
"Rosa, will you pray with me?" He waited for her to nod her agreement, and then proceeded to say a short prayer thanking God for their relationship, their time together, and asking him to be with them, working in both their hearts as they worked through this together.
After the little prayer, a deep sense of peace and calm swept over him. It felt right. He made a mental note to start suggesting it when it was his turn to counsel couples in domestic discipline.
"Rosa, what happened today?" he asked, finally getting to the task at hand.
"What, you weren't there?" she asked snottily, and Luke grimaced.
Okay apparently, that had been the wrong question. "Rosa," he said with a warning tone. "I'm trying to talk to you, to get your side of the story, and find out why you reacted the way you did. My patience only reaches so far, so I suggest you check your attitude before you answer me again. Now, let me ask you this again. Why did you think it was a good idea to shove Carolyn into a mud puddle?"
"Luke, she practically propositioned you, right in front of me," Rosa exclaimed. "If she was willing to go that far right in front of me, what is she going to do behind my back?" She jumped up and began pacing in front of him.
He could see that there was no way to have this conversation go easily. Carolyn was a hot button for his Rosa. "Okay, I see your point. But, let me ask you this. Do you think that I want Carolyn Atwood? Have I ever acted in a way around her that would make you think I find her anything other than a friend? And that's using the term friend loosely. Very loosely."
Rosa was chewing on her lip, and looking unconvinced.
Luke's heart hurt. Did she really think he was that kind of guy?
An explosive sigh burst free from Rosa. "She's just so pretty, and she goes after what she wants, and she usually gets it too!"
Her answer was a weight lifted off of him. It was insecurity that they were dealing with, not a lack of trust in him. Insecurity he could deal with. He knew a backwards way to make a woman feel secure—spank it into her. It was crazy, but he knew it worked.
"Okay, that's enough of that. Focusing on Carolyn is getting us nowhere. It's unfortunate that Carolyn was there today, and that she isn't having to answer for her inappropriate actions, but that doesn't mean you don't have to answer for yours, understand?"
"Yes, I understand," Rosa mumbled, picking at the plastic covering on the couch.
"Good. Now, what can I do better in the future to ensure you don't go shoving women into mud puddles?"
"I don't know," Rosa pouted.
"That's not an acceptable answer," he informed her. "Try again."
"You could not be so nice," she said scowling.
"Really? Was I being overly nice, or was I just being polite? I don't think I was being any nicer to Carolyn than I have ever been before. I had my guard up, and there was no way I was going to fall for her desperate ploy for attention. I know a little more than most about what makes Carolyn is the way she is, and that's all I am going to say about it. I'm very sorry if you felt threatened, or if you felt like I wasn't doing as much as I could, to discourage her but I assure you that was not the case. I may have been polite and courteous to Carolyn, but I assure you my heart, my thoughts, and my concern was for you. And regardless, you were completely out of line. Seriously, I don't know what got into you."
Rosa was silent, but Luke could tell he was finally getting through to her. It was time to move on to the spanking. "Rosa, part of our agreement is that you will be held accountable for your actions. You know that I cannot let this go unpunished. You behaved atrociously towards me, and towards Carolyn. Whether she deserved it or not is of little consequence." He raised his eyebrows as Rosa opened her mouth to protest. "I know for certain that I did not deserve to be treated like that. You are perfectly capable of solving a problem without resorting to violence and temper tantrums, as you did today. I'm aware that this
is your first spanking, and I will take that under advisement, but I'm gonna warn you right now, it's going to be a doozy."
"I'm ready to get it over with, Sir." Rosa tilted her chin and gave him a brave half smile.
"That's my girl." He helped position her across his lap on the couch, and raised his arm to begin. Before he did, he leaned down close to her ear and whispered, "Don't forget, it's my first time too."
* * * * *
Luke's whispered words made Rosa smile.
Right before her bottom exploded in pain.
She nearly jumped off his lap by the second swat. The pain was more intense than anything she had experienced. Luke's hand pressed in the center of her back, keeping her down, but also calming her.
"Relax, darling, we're going to be here for a while," he told her.
"Oh," she growled at him. Trust Luke to keep his sense of humor even when he was spanking her! He kept his hand flat, and hard, and oh, but he had big hands. Rosa didn't think she had ever noticed how large his hands were but she could certainly feel it now. Her bottom, as well of the rest of her was fairly petite in frame, and his hand easily covered one whole cheek. She was thankful for the protection of her clothing, and even more thankful that she had chosen a denim skirt over her usual cotton maxi skirt.
Luke's hand slapped her bottom over and over, switching sides back and forth in no particular pattern. She never knew when or where the next swat would land. She cried out, and began to wiggle and squirm, she didn't know if she could take much more!
Luke paused and she felt sweet relief, but only for a moment. The next thing she knew, he shifted his legs upwards, and she tilted forwards her face getting dangerously close to the wood floor.
What did he mean by this? She wondered. He struck again, harder and lower, across her tender bottom crease. She could not help but cry. He paddled her repeatedly with his hand across her sit spots and she began to get frantic. Her flight response kicked in and she squirmed herself right off his lap, until she fell at his feet in a weepy mess.
Luke's First Bride Page 5
