Don't Tempt Me (9 page)

"Mostly driving around and thinking about us," she said, picking up her mug to take a sip. "Mmmm, this is good."

"I was worried out of my mind," he said calmly and quietly.

"I was too angry at first to think about that, Will." She looked him directly in the eye and met his gaze with one of her own. "I was trying to protect you. Maybe I went about it backwards, but my intentions were good. You would never even discuss your daughter with me, and I wasn't about to have you step into the middle of a situation and make it even worse. It wasn't in my client's best interests. To have you accuse me of disloyalty was totally unfair, Will. I have never been disloyal to you."

"You are right, Jenna. It was my pride talking; I felt like an utter fool. My own daughter didn't turn to me when she needed me most. And you didn't know I would cut off my right arm to be there for Katy. I made a mess of things, and I apologize for turning all of my hurt feelings on you. It wasn't fair. I like to think I would have figured that out before I took my outraged pride out on your backside, but to tell the truth, honey, I'm not so sure I would have. I apologize to you, sincerely and from the bottom of my heart, and I hope you can forgive me for being a jackass."

"I forgive you, Will. I do understand how difficult it was for you to find out in the way you did... and goodness knows, one of the reasons I chose to stay the night in the city instead of driving home to be with you is because I knew I couldn't keep the secret much longer. I don't like keeping secrets from you. You are the one person I trust implicitly and share everything with. I love you with all of my heart, William Cole." She took a deep breath, and he was surprised to see her face turn red, but she continued before she could chicken out, "I have a terrible temper, Will. I have learned to control it for the most part, but when I get as angry as I was when we left the hotel to come home, I am unpredictable. All I could think of was getting away from you. It took a day for the mad to wear off. Another day to feel sorry for myself, and another day to work up the courage to come home and face you... and the spanking I knew I earned for running away from a problem instead of confronting it head on. I am sorry for putting you through the last three days, Will. Truly sorry and ashamed of over-reacting. I love you with all my heart, but I am still trying to adjust to having another person care so much about me... I'm never going to be perfect. I could sit here and promise you I will never take flight again, but I know myself too well. I can be very impulsive when I am truly angry or upset. I do promise that I will try with all my heart never to do this to us again. I was so completely miserable without you, darling. If anything, the last few days have proven to me that my heart really does belong to you. Breathing doesn't feel right when you and I are at odds. Will you forgive me, darling?" she asked, tears of emotion shimmering in her pretty blue eyes.

"Of course you are forgiven, Jenna." He got up from his chair and walked the short distance between them to pull her to her feet and put his arms around her and simply hold her close. "I love you, honey. I've called myself every kind of fool in the book for driving you away. I need you to make my life complete, and I promise I will always listen to what you have to say. If you think I am becoming overbearing, then you need to tell me, Jenna. I will do my best to be fair-minded. I don't want to push you away."

"We may not be as young as most newlyweds, darling, but we are simply having to make adjustments. I was on my own for years, not used to answering to anyone since I left home for college. I had never been in a long-term, serious relationship before you, Will. Yes, I dated occasionally, but I didn't indulge in meaningless sexual encounters, as you well know. Marriage is still very new to me, and I'm going to make mistakes. To top it all off, you already had a wonderful marriage with a wonderful woman. The two of you had a child and raised her together. I can't step into Cathy's shoes because I'm not her. I don't know you as well as she did, but given time I will know when I should do or not do something. Part of that is as frustrating for me as it is for you. You know how you want our marriage to be, and I am learning how to be a good wife. I don't want to push you away either, Will."

"I know you aren't Cathy, honey. I don't want you to think you have to be like her. She wasn't perfect either. I loved her, and a part of me always will, but you are my wife now, and I am not longing to turn you into Cathy. I want to be married to a beautiful woman named Jenna. We'll make our own marriage, honey. Agreed?" he asked firmly.

"Agreed." Jenna was only too happy to concur with his directive. She stood on tiptoe to kiss him, and when he took her hand to lead her upstairs to their bedroom, she didn't object. They needed each other, and she was as eager to reconnect with Will as he was to make her his once again.

Much later, after they showered together, and then rested a bit after their 'shower', Jenna decided it was time to get the unpleasantness over with. She hated spoiling the euphoric mood, but it was time to get things settled so they could move forward with nothing negative between them. While she honestly didn't relish a sore bottom, it would be preferable to the guilt she was feeling now. Will had every right in the world to take her to task for running away and for letting him worry himself sick for three days and nights. It was not well-done of her, and she needed to face the consequences of her actions, unpleasant as they might be.

"Will, could we please get the other over with now?"

He didn't pretend not to understand what she meant. He knew they both needed a reckoning. She was feeling guilty, and he felt she needed a good reminder for the next few days to remind her that running away was not a viable option in their marriage. There were better ways to solve problems, and running away just added to the problem and did nothing to settle matters. "I'm not going to be gentle with you, Jenna. You earned a serious punishment by running away. The days apart were hard on both of us. I never want this to happen again, and I hope that by punishing you this time it will make enough of an impression you will remember if you are ever tempted to do this again."

"I am not a murderer, Judge Cole," Jenna said quietly. She'd known he would spank her; she'd known that the very moment she'd fled past the ramp instead of following him home, but she wanted a bit of compassion. "You don't need to be so severe, Will. I know that what I did was wrong, and I've already punished myself for three days. I'll admit I earned a spanking, but I don't think that what I did warranted a death sentence, either!"

"Young lady, you most certainly have earned a punishment. I spent three days worrying myself sick as to whether you were safe. You could have at least called and told me you were alive and well, Jenna, even if you did want some time alone to think. I had no idea where to find you. No one at your law firm seemed to know, and you didn't call any of your friends. They are worried about you, too," he scolded her, and as if to give credence to his words, the telephone rang. Will answered it, and told Mary Parker that Jenna was home and safe. As she listened to him reassure the other woman, Jenna wondered how many other people were concerned for her. "Jenna will call you later, Mary. Right now she is wishing she was married to a man who wasn't so firm and unyielding."

Jenna swallowed hard when Will hung up the telephone. "I can't believe you told everyone I was missing, Will!"

"I was hoping that you called someone to let them know where you were."

"I didn't want to involve others. I needed time to think, and the answers had to come from within... not from well-meaning friends. I wish you'd kept quiet, William Cole!"

"It isn't pleasant to know that others were worried, too, is it, Jenna?"

"Of course it isn't! I'm going to have to make all kinds of explanations now, and that isn't fair!"

"It wasn't fair for you to leave without a discussion, either." He gave her a solemn look. "You can come around here and lie over my lap," he said as he patted his thigh. "We're going to start this punishment with a simple hand spanking."

Jenna knew there was no point in trying to stall. She'd earned a spanking, and her husband was going to see to it that it was one to remember. Hopefully, if she cooperated he would understand that she was truly sorry. At least she could hope he would. She got up from the bed and walked around the bed to his side. This compliance felt terrible, but the last few days had felt even worse, and she wanted to be rid of the guilty feelings consuming her.

"I love you, Jenna," Will said softly as he helped her into position.

With him sitting against the headboard, her entire body was supported on the bed, and she grabbed her pillow to hug so that she wouldn't be tempted to reach back and try to protect herself. Will started out with light spanks, warming her skin gradually, and Jenna realized that he fully intended to keep her in this position for a long time. "Darling, I am so sorry I worried you."

"I believe you, Jenna."

"Do you really, Will? I want you to be honest. I know how horrid I was... Will this spanking help you to forgive me?" she simply had to ask.

"I forgave you the second you answered your phone this morning," he insisted. "This spanking is about helping you forgive yourself, honey, and to act as a reminder that you are married to a man who believes in spanking and consequences." He started spanking harder and heard her gasp.

"I already know that, darling," she declared. "I know I earned this, but I really am sorry, and I promise I will try very, very hard to never put either of us through this again. Truly."

"I'm sure you will know exactly what to expect if you do," he answered. He noticed that Jenna hugged her pillow even tighter and did her best to muffle her cries of pain and distress. Her creamy white skin was turning red and he could feel the heat of her spanking each time his palm landed another spank on her cheeks. Deciding that he needed to move lower, Will methodically spanked her sit spots until she was crying and they were the same dark red as her cheeks. Her upper thighs were next. Jenna hated it when he spanked her there, but Will also knew that a thorough spanking meant she would remember the lesson a lot longer. And this was one punishment he wanted to last longer than a few hours. He wanted Jenna to feel this spanking every time she sat for the next week.

Jenna prayed the spanking would soon be over. Will was making sure that every inch of her backside was well-spanked, and she was already positive she wouldn't be able to sit down for at least a day or two. "Please, darling, stop now! I've had enough!" she finally pleaded with him. "I won't do it again!" she promised, desperate to end the painful chastisement.

Will didn't answer. He simply started spanking her cheeks again and he made sure each spank was hard. His hand was stinging, too, and yet, he continued until every inch was spanked thoroughly a second and a third time. He knew it was the longest spanking he'd ever administered, and he was positive his hand would need some aloe if he was going to be able to hold a pen the next day. Still, he made no move to release Jenna. He held her and let her cry. She needed a few minutes to compose herself, and then she was going to get a good dose of her bath brush.

Jenna was in some serious pain. Her backside felt like she'd backed into a fireplace! The worst part, however, was when she realized that Will wasn't offering comfort and forgiveness yet. That meant he was planning to continue the spanking, and with her butt already screaming for mercy, it did not bode well for her. Jenna truly didn't think she could handle any more punishment. "I'm sorry, Will," she whispered. "Please, can this be enough now?" she begged.

"No, Jenna. You are going to get another sound paddling with your bath brush. If you are sufficiently recovered you may get up and get it from the bathroom and bring it here."

"Oh, Will!" she moaned, but she did not argue. She got up and headed for the bathroom, her bottom hurting with each step she took.

Will got up and took the pillows and piled them on the bed. He wanted her rear presented so he could do a thorough job of making sure her sit spots suffered greatly. Jenna would want to call off the next day, but he would forbid her to do so. She would sit to eat her breakfast, drive to work, interview clients, and whatever else came up throughout the day. It would keep him on her mind, and he hoped remind her that he loved her madly.

Jenna was in tears as she returned to the bedroom to see that Will was preparing a place to punish her further. He wanted to make her bottom an easy target. He held out his hand for the bath brush and she silently handed it to him. He pointed toward the pillows and she reluctantly climbed on the bed and knelt in front of the pile.

"Spread your legs farther apart, Jenna. I will spank the insides of your thighs, too," he told her by way of warning. "I expect you to stay in place and show me that you really are sorry for scaring me out of my mind. This won't be an easy lesson, but it will be swift and to the point. The more you cooperate the sooner we will be done."

"I'm not sure I can stay in place without help, Will!" she wailed. "I'm already so sore..."

"You need to do this, Jenna. When you make poor choices, there are always consequences. One of the consequences for your lack of control and running away is for you to practice control over yourself. Staying in place for this spanking is mandatory."

Jenna knew her stern husband was perfectly serious. This punishment would not end until she proved to him and to herself, that she could control her natural instincts. The first crack of the bath brush was to the center of her right cheek. It hurt, but she managed to stay in place, even when the second splat of the brush was in the same exact spot. Three others followed, all to the same place, and Jenna found it increasingly difficult to stay in place. Will then repeated the process to her left cheek and then returned to her right side. It was getting harder and harder to hold still, and she was soon perspiring from the effort. She anticipated five more on her left cheek, but Will aimed lower and peppered her left thigh, and then her right. Her sit spots were next and Jenna was begging for mercy. Will spanked her left cheek then, and repeated the process of spanking her thighs. "Please, Will... Stop, please, please... Owwww!" The spank to her inner thigh caught her by surprise and she jumped up.