Don't Tempt Me (11 page)

"Moran sounds like a piece of work," Allen commented, his expression telling her that he knew there was more. "What has all this to do with today, sweetheart?" he asked softly.

"Moran is attempting to blackmail me. I got a letter made out of words cut from a newspaper demanding fifty thousand dollars or he would tell everyone about me and ruin your campaign. I went to Jenna for help because I was too ashamed to tell you that I might be the cause of your not getting elected," she tearfully admitted. "I couldn't bear to have you hate me, Allen!"

"Hate you?" he exclaimed. "Woman, I couldn't hate you if I tried," he protested. "I knew something was wrong, and I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what I'd done wrong."

"Nothing, darling. Nothing at all," she insisted. "Oh, Allen, I don't know what to do. Jenna's investigator found Moran, and we went to try and confront him today. He wasn't home, however, and all we managed to accomplish was to get in over our heads with those gang members. Will, I am so sorry I dragged Jenna along with me. She tried to talk me out of going, but I wouldn't listen."

"You both need a damn good spanking for going into that area of the city alone," Will scolded. "And, Mary, you should have told Allen about this from the beginning," he continued his scold.

"Will, it isn't your place to scold Mary," Jenna warned as she put a restraining hand on his arm.

"No, that is my place," Allen said in agreement, even though it was obvious he wasn't upset with his friend. "Both of you have earned a good spanking, in my opinion," he echoed Will's words. "Mary, we've been together for over twenty-five years now. Why didn't you simply tell me about this? Do you think my campaign means more to me than you do? Didn't you know I would deal with Moran? Please tell me you haven't given the bastard any money...?" he asked directly.

"No, I haven't. I wasn't about to do that. Besides, Jenna advised against it."

"Did Jenna tell you to come to me and tell me what was troubling you?" Allen demanded.

"Yes, she did," Mary confessed.

"Thank you for that, Jenna." His expression softened as he smiled at his friend's wife.

"Allen, I think Jenna and I need to give you and Mary some privacy," Will stated quietly as he rose to his feet. "If you need any help dealing with Moran, call me. We'll see him behind bars."

"I'll call you tomorrow, Will. Thanks for all your help. Jenna, thank you for being such a good friend to us both," he said, standing to kiss her on the cheek. "Don't worry, now. I'll take care of this situation. Mary is my life."

"I never doubted that for a moment," Jenna replied with a smile. She hugged Mary and whispered, "You'll be fine now, hon." Mary nodded in agreement, and Jenna permitted Will to walk her to her car.

"Straight home, young lady. You and I have a great deal to talk about," he added as he gave her a swat on her bottom.

"Will!"

"Straight home, Jenna," he warned, his tone as firm as she'd ever heard it.

Jenna put on her seatbelt before starting her car, and when she backed out of the Parker's drive, she left plenty of room for Will to take the lead. She hated it when he followed her. Will shook his finger at her, obviously thinking of the last time she 'followed' him and ended up giving him the slip and going into hiding for three long days and nights. She'd vowed never to do that again, and Jenna made sure to keep up with him in the heavy traffic, but her mind was with her friend, and wondering if Allen was really going to spank Mary, or if he would just take her in his arms and offer the comfort and reassurance she needed most of all.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me, Mary?" Allen asked before the Cole's were backed out of the driveway.

"I was and am so ashamed, Allen. I was so stupid back then, and I allowed Moran to steal from people who trusted me. I felt like the slime of the earth. I spent three days in jail before I could find a bondswoman who trusted me and got me out. One of the male guards tried to rape me, and when I started screaming the house down, he beat me and made it sound like I was trying to escape. One other woman who was in there for prostitution spoke up and defended me, and the guard was fired. It was the lowest point of my life. I had nothing to do with the thefts, Allen," she said, imploring him to believe her.

Allen reached out and grasped her shoulders and gave her a solid shake. "Don't you think I already
KNOW
that, Mary Alice Parker?" He gave her another shake, and then said, "You come with me right now!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the living room and took a seat on the sofa and dragged her face-down across his lap. He pushed up her skirt, and then tugged her panties down to her knees. "This," he gave her a hard spank on her bared bottom, "is for even
thinking
I wouldn't believe in you!" He spanked again, and added, "I have never struck you in a temper in all the years we have been together, but I am going to give you a spanking while I am furious enough to make sure you understand how upset I am with you for even considering I would think you capable of stealing!"

Mary smiled to herself in spite of the fact her husband was spanking her so hard she was already in tears of pain. Allen believed in her, loved her, and he was proving it in a very elemental way. The spanking hurt; her bottom was already burning furiously, but each spank lifted a ton of guilt from her shoulders and she knew she'd never felt so loved in her entire lifetime. The spanking seemed to go on and on, and finally she realized that Allen was speaking to her.

"Well, young lady? Are you sorry now for doubting my love?"

"Oh Allen, I love you so much," she sobbed. "Thank you for making me realize how foolish I've been behaving." The words were simple, but Allen gave her one more hard swat and then lifted her to sit her on his lap, and his arms went around her in a tight hug. "I love you so much, Allen," she snuggled against him.

"I was afraid you were going to leave me," he admitted. "I was scared, and you kept telling me I hadn't done anything wrong."

"Did I make it hard for you with your alcohol problem?" she suddenly asked, alarmed.

"I had a couple of moments, but I breathed through them, and called Will and talked. He kept telling me that things would be fine. Why didn't you come to me, sweetheart. I swear I wouldn't have been upset with you."

"I was ashamed, and I know how much this campaign means to you. I would never forgive myself if I ruined your chances."

"You were a victim, Mary, just as much as the people Moran stole from. We will deal with him, and we aren't going to let this incident have power over you from this point forward. You were just a kid, Mary. Raised in an orphanage, and sheltered. Moran used you. He is the one who needs to be ashamed, not you. With your permission, I am going to write up a release and give out this information. If anything it will garner sympathy for you, and give out a message that you worked hard against all odds to become an outstanding member of this community. I won't let anyone speak badly of you, sweetheart."

"Are you sure that being open about this is a good idea?"

"I am positive. If the people are so foolish that they can't see the facts for what they are, then I don't want to represent them in the State Senate. You are my priority, Mary."

"How did I ever get so lucky?" she whispered, and then gently kissed him.

"I am the one who is very lucky," he answered, kissing her back.

Mary was surprised when Allen reluctantly pulled away and looked at her. "Now then, we have another matter to discuss, don't we, sweetheart? What in the world were you thinking to even consider going into that neighborhood to confront a blackmailer?"

"I was thinking of protecting you, and of punching that s.o.b. in the nose!" Mary declared with a flash of pure temper.

"The man is looking for revenge, sweetheart. What if he'd pulled a knife or a gun on you and Jenna?" Allen asked quietly. "You risked your life, and you risked Jenna's life, too, and that calls for a serious punishment. I'm going to take my belt to you and welt your backside until it's raw, Mary Alice Parker. You will never ever entertain such a foolish idea again, and if you don't believe me now, you will by the time I am done strapping you." He stood her on her feet and then stood to look down at her, determination in his gray eyes. "Take off your skirt, Mary, and then put your butt over the back of this sofa. I want an easy target, and I don't want to risk having your hands get in the way."

Mary wanted to beg off, but her pride wouldn't permit that. She'd put both herself and Jenna in a serious predicament earlier in the day, and she earned the punishment she was going to receive. Since her panties had been kicked off earlier, the only thing covering her backside was her skirt. She didn't wear a slip with it because the skirt was lined, and it was an easy matter to remove the garment. What was difficult was walking around the sofa and bending over the back. Allen wasn't satisfied with the position, and he easily lifted her off her feet to scoot her forward so that she was off-balance. She had to keep her hands on the seat to prevent herself from pitching forward. "This is so awkward, Allen! Couldn't we please go upstairs and use the bed?" she suggested.

"No. I want a nice target. This is one punishment you will not forget for a very long time, Mrs. Parker. There were five men in that group. Five. What do you think they would have done to you and Jenna if those police officers hadn't arrived when they did? They didn't just want your handbags, Mary. They wanted to hurt you and Jenna... and you are
never
to put yourself in that position again. Spread your legs farther apart, and keep them apart. This strapping is going to last a good long time, and I guarantee you will think the next time you are tempted to do something so foolish."

Chapter Eight

Jenna pulled her car into the garage beside Will's. She wasn't looking forward to having to endure the scolding he was sure to deliver. In retrospect, she never should have agreed to go with Mary to that part of town to confront her blackmailer. No, she should have refused and found a way to stop her friend from going, too. They were so lucky the police came along when they did, and Jenna was sure that Will was going to deliver a scolding that would leave her ears burning... even though she already felt very foolish. She took a deep breath and got out of her car, picking up her handbag and her briefcase. She was going to apologize and admit her foolishness, and simply ask her husband to hold her and make her feel safe. She needed to feel his arms around her.

"Jenna Suzanne Fields Cole," Will started scolding once they were inside the door, "you can just march yourself right on into my office! We are going to have one serious discussion."

"Will, stop, please," she said as she sat down her handbag and briefcase on the kitchen table. "I don't think I can handle a scolding right now. I know how foolish we were, and I am still shaking inside. I need to be held, darling. I need to feel safe. Please?"

Will was surprised to see his pretty little wife's blue eyes were full of tears. He opened his arms immediately, and she came to him, resting her head on his chest and giving in to the tears she'd been holding back for the last few hours. His anger and outrage that she put her life in danger dissipated immediately and he simply held her close and let her cry. She'd had a very bad scare and he was pretty sure she'd learned her lesson. "Come on, honey. Let's get you in a nice warm tub and see if we can't calm you down." He led her upstairs and while she was undressing he went to fill the tub. He added lavender to the water, knowing that Jenna found it relaxing and calming after a tough day.

"I have your bath ready, honey. Take your time and soak," he suggested. She came close and hugged him again, and then dropped her robe and climbed into the jetted tub.

Jenna found the water relaxing and she closed her eyes to simply enjoy the sensations as the warm water gently swirled around her. She was safe now. Truly safe. And her husband had every right to be upset with her. Will returned to the bathroom a while later, bringing her a glass of wine.

"I thought this might help you to relax a bit, honey."

"Thank you, Will," she said with a grateful smile. "I am doing much better now," she admitted. "I wanted to help Mary so badly that I let that cloud my good judgment. She would have gone alone... She loves Allen so much, and didn't want him to suffer because of her."

"He thought she was planning to leave him."

"No, she would never do that, darling. She wanted to protect him from her past."

"Did you really advise her to go to Allen and tell him the truth?" Will asked, his voice deep and solemn.

"Yes. She needed his support. He is the only one who could tell her what she needed to hear; that what happened when she was a young girl was not her fault, and the shame belonged to the man who used her." She looked at Will. "How do you think Allen will handle the situation?"

"He'll file a complaint with the police, have Moran brought in on blackmail charges, and go public with the incident. He is proud of his wife and he'll make sure the world knows that."

"Allen is a good man," Jenna acknowledged, and then she said, "I need to get out of here before I turned into a prune." If she was surprised when Will offered her a hand to help her rise, she didn't let on. He took a large fluffy white towel and wrapped it around her slender body and then kissed her neck behind her ear. "I'm so glad you aren't mad at me, darling," Jenna murmured.

"I'm not in a rage, young lady, but I am still very angry that you risked your life today. You've earned yourself a damn good spanking," he announced.

"Must you, Will?" she pouted.

"Yes, I must. I want you to recall how frightened you were every time you sit down for the next few days. I want you to remember you have a husband who would be devastated if you were hurt or killed."

"Oh Will!" she protested. "I don't need a spanking to know all of that!"

"I disagree, and the only choice that remains is whether you want to get your spanking over with right now or if you want to wait until bedtime. I guarantee I am not going to change my mind about this, Jenna, and if you continue to fuss at me all evening, the spanking will be even longer than planned."