"Wow. Yeah, it's been a while for me, too, but I thought it might be nice."
Just as he said it, the lights were lowered, and invisible speakers began to play music from their youth, everything from Saturday Night Fever to Nirvana, and Arden was pleasantly surprised to see that he was a very good dancer.
After a bit of a break to recover—which she needed much more than he did—the music changed again and became a waltz. To her surprise, he bowed low to her, holding out his arm. "May I have this dance, madam?"
"I-I don't know how to waltz."
But Loch just grinned. "Just follow my lead."
He was a marvelous teacher, and she caught on very quickly because of it, adoring the way it felt to be in his arms like this—so differently from how she had been before this—being whirled around the floor to the very beautiful music.
After several waltzes in a row, he guided her back to their table again, where candles had been placed on and around it, the lights lowered even further, creating a very intimate atmosphere.
He pulled out her chair for her, then took his, moving it closer to her, so that their knees bumped under the table. She didn't know why that made her giggle nervously, considering that they'd done quite a bit more than that during their time together, but this—this was so different and unusual and lovely that it made her feel coquettish and girlish, as if they were on their first date.
"I wanted to thank you, Arden, for coming out with me tonight."
She grinned. "Well, you still do have me for the night."
"No, I don't think I do."
Her eyes widened.
"I want to thank you, too, for forgiving me my faux pas—the times I handled you badly."
She wasn't at all sure what to say to that, so she didn't say anything.
"And for, well, for agreeing to this weird, unusual, awkward thing in the first place. You must've been so outraged at me that I was so eager to cast you in the role of a courtesan when you were—are—still so deeply in love with your husband. I'm amazed you didn't just slap me across the fact and tell me to go fuck myself."
Arden chuckled. "I needed the money, and as the ever-helpful Sylvia kept pointing out, I'm no virgin and had the hots for you already, anyway."
He looked stunned. "You did?"
Loch watched her color rise, even after all this time and all of the things he'd done to her. "Yes, although I couldn't admit it at that point, of course. I, well, I had put myself on the shelf, you know? I thought that part of my life was over when he died, that I'd just shrivel up and wait to die, pruney and sexless."
"It would have been a crime for you to have done so."
"You apparently thought so."
"And I was right, as usual."
Arden swatted him playfully.
"But I was also wrong about so many things."
That admission surprised her, but before she could question him about it, he handed her a small envelope. "Open it."
When she did, she found some sort of confetti in there, which she poured out onto the table in front of her.
"What's this?"
Loch wasn't looking at her, for once. Instead, he was looking at the plate—almost stricken, as if he just realized he'd done something unutterably stupid.
Then he cleared his throat and answered her question. "It's our agreement. You said that I had you for one more night, but I don't. I tore it up. You are free to leave right this moment, if you would like, and you need never see me again. But if you stay, I want it to be because you want to be with me, not because of any leftover sense of obligation you might feel towards me."
"I-I can go?" she asked, incredulous.
"Yes. My driver is downstairs, and he'll take you anywhere you want to go. I won't call you or bother you ever again."
"I-is that what y-you want me to do?"
He caught her eye, and all of the air rushed out of her lungs as he reached into his suit coat again and produced a small blue box, which he placed in front of her, on top of the scraps of their past, but he didn't bother to answer her directly.
With trembling fingers, Arden reached for the box and opened it.
"Sylvia told me you liked simple, princess cut rings in yellow gold. I picked the heart shape myself."
Arden looked down at the ring, feeling faint, then up at Loch, who looked as if he was carved in stone. "What—what does this mean, Loch?" Her words were soft and tremulous, her hand extended out to him tentatively.
Loch reached out and captured it, bringing it to his lips then pressing her palm to his cheek and sighing, as if he was in Heaven from her touch, before lacing his fingers through hers and holding them on his knee.
His eyes locked onto hers. "It means I don't want a stupid agreement with you anymore. I want you to be with me because you like me and want to be with me, because I like you and want to be with you. I want a real, actual relationship—I want the ultimate one, because I want you to marry me."
Arden could barely believe what she was hearing.
"I-I don't know if I'll ever be able to say—it—the actual words to you—out loud, like a normal person—but I promise I'll show you in every possible way I can, for the rest of my life, just how much you mean to me—oof!"
"Oh, yes, Loch, I love you, too!" She launched herself at him like a rocket, landing in his lap and hugging him so tightly and for such a long time that her arms began to hurt.
Then she moved a bit away, although he wouldn't allow her to go far. "Don't worry about the words. They'll come, eventually." She bit her lip and looked back up at him a bit tentatively, as if she couldn't believe her good fortune. "You're sure, though?"
Loch squeezed her tight. "Absolutely."
"When did you know?"
"Oh, much earlier on than I was willing to admit. You know me."
Arden settled onto his lap. "You were not alone in that. I certainly didn't want to fall in love with someone who wasn't interested in returning that feeling. Hell, I didn't even think you liked me much, except…" she blushed "…you know, as a-a playmate."
"Well, I certainly do like you as that."
He kissed her, gently, tenderly, the touch of his hands more tempered than they ever had been, as if he was afraid of breaking her.
"Oooh, put it on, put it on!" she squealed, handing him the ring.
"And if you think I've ever forgotten about how I feel about you, you can just show me the inside of your ring. It's written right there."
And so it was.
It fit her perfectly, of course.
"It's just beautiful, Loch. Thank you!"
"You're welcome." He adored making her happy and enjoyed watching her admire the ring, until he suddenly thought of something and stood up, nearly dumping her onto the floor. "Oh, crap! We have somewhere to be!"
"We do?"
He saved her from hitting the floor, barely, and hurried her along, out of their suite to the next door down, where they stood outside and knocked.
The door was flung open by none other than Sylvia herself, who was there with Vi, and Thomas and his wife. They had all been anxiously awaiting their arrival.
Loch attempted to make introductions, but Sylvia was way ahead of him. She focused in on that ring within a matter of about ten seconds, screaming, "She said yes!" and grabbing her friend's hand to inspect it so closely that Arden expected her to pull out a jeweler's loop any minute.
"Hey, it's mine!" she said, pulling it out of Syl's greedy grasp.
"Hi, I'm Marie, Tom's wife. It's a gorgeous ring! Tell us all about how he proposed!"
But Arden was amazed that they were all here. "Did you all know that he was going to do this?"
They looked at each other. "I think so, yeah," they all agreed.
"He asked me about what kind of ring you liked a couple of weekends ago. I didn't know your size, so I used my key and rifled through your jewelry box."
"Sylvia!" Arden chided, but she could hardly be mad at her, since her friend was only trying to he
lp.
"And he asked me to officiate, so I knew, and I told my wife, of course."
"I didn't know!" Vi piped up, and Arden sank to her knees before her. "I'm sorry, pumpkin! You should have been the first to know, huh?"
Vi nodded wisely in agreement.
Loch brought her over a glass of champagne, and they were toasted by their friends, who were, largely, already toasted themselves.
As if enough surprises hadn't happened already this evening, Loch looked purposefully at Thomas. "Hey, old man, you're a J.O.P., aren't you?"
"I am."
"And might you have all of the paperwork necessary to marry us at hand?"
The revelry stopped, dead, at that question as Thomas grinned ear to ear.
"I might. What about the license?" Thomas asked, producing one as if he was doing a magic trick.
Loch wandered over to his fiancé. "So, Arden, my love, what do you say?"
She bit her lip hesitantly, and he was instantly terrified that she was going to say no. "Loch," she whispered.
"What?" he whispered, leaning down to her.
"You just called me 'my love'!"
He caught her up to him and kissed her deeply, while their so-called friends pelted him and smacked him.
"There'll be enough time for that later—there are children present!"
"But I don't have a dress or flowers or anything like that!"
Loch tipped her chin up so that their eyes met. "You are more than enough for me, Arden, my love."
Everyone aw'd loudly at that, Arden included.
"Well, then, I guess we're getting married!" she agreed to very loud cheering.
It was about six months later—six wonderful, funny, passionate, and in some cases, painful—for her—months. They were in the midst of their month-long honeymoon on an exclusive island in the Pacific, when her husband leaned over to her, in the hammock they shared that was being gently rocked by the soft ocean breeze, and whispered into her ear, "I will never, ever be able to show you how much better you've made my life just by your mere presence in it."
Although he had quickly taken to saying things like that to her soon after they were married, she had a feeling that he was saying them because he felt a bit guilty that he couldn't quite get those three words out yet. Not that it bothered her in the least, and she always tried her best to reassure him that she knew how he felt about her. Everything he did—even the punishments, which were just that much more acute because of their newfound feelings for each other—showed her in some way that he loved her.
She blushed—as she thought she probably always would. "You don't have to say that to me, Loch."
"Yes, I do. I spent my lifetime avoiding feeling things like that and saying things like that to people who deserved to hear it, and you are chief among them, so shut up and enjoy it." He smacked a kiss onto the tip of her nose to emphasize his point. "And you know what else?"
"What?" she asked, rolling towards him.
Loch pressed his forehead to hers and looked into her eyes. "I love you, Mrs. Frazier."
* * *
The End
Carolyn Faulkner
The words “spanking” and “discipline” have always sent a shiver up Carolyn Faulkner's spine. She knows she's not alone.
Writing started as a way to explore her feelings. Soon short stories flowed from her pen featuring reluctant heroes taking the leading lady in hand, but always for her own good.
Today Carolyn is the author of dozens of books. She writes from her home in Maine, where she lives with her husband and leading man.
* * *
You can read an interview with Carolyn here:
http://www.blushingbooks.com/blog/?p=175
* * *
Don’t miss these exciting titles by Carolyn Faulkner and Blushing Books!
* * *
Series books
The Alpha’s Woman Series
The Alpha’s Woman
Kosh’s Omega
* * *
Adored series
Adored, Book 1
Tessa’s Wedding, Book2
* * *
The Red Petticoat Saloon Series
Grading Garnet
* * *
Thornton Brothers Trilogy
AJ’s Hope
Beau’s Desire
Cade’s Wish
Thornton Brothers, Three-Book Set
* * *
Taken as His Trilogy
Prima
Tria
* * *
Priceless Love Series
Priceless, Book 1
Love’s Possession, Book 2
Dangerous Love, Book 3
* * *
Mistress Mommy Series
Alicia, Book One
* * *
Little Miss Series
His Little Miss
Little Francesca
* * *
Vlad, the Vampire Series
Tears of a Vampire
Vlad’s Story
Two-Book Set
* * *
Single Titles
Ready for Love
Make Me Yours
A Most Unsuitable Mate
Indiscreet
On the Razor’s Edge of Paradise
Only Her
The Power of Love
Forever in Love
Under the Cover of Love
Never Say Never
Man and Wife
The Sister and the Sinner
Amanda and the Stable Master
Lion
The Banished King
Northern Belle
The Cherished One
Forever Wife
Grace’s Demon
Beauty’s Beast
Captured by the Count
Male Order Bride
Sinful
Packed: The Enforcer
Submissive Love
A Heart Full of Heaven
Daddy’s Girl
To Love a Man
Etta’s Surrender
Her Secret Submission
Make Me
Let Me In
'Til Death Do Us Part
Promises Kept
The Obedient Wife
Old enough to Know Better
To Trust Her Heart
Naughty Girls: Brynn and Kim
After Hours: A Medical BDSM fantasy
Droit de Seigneur
Dutch and the Cowboy
Under the Lash
The Rogue and the Rose
Submissive Bride
The Unrequited Dom
Three’s Company
The Reluctant Bride
His
Embraced
Attentions Throbbing
Submissive Desires
Kept
A Hard Man is Good to Find
The Spoils of War
Gilded Cage
Second Chances
Patriot Bride
The Boss of Her
Forever and Always
Tribute
Caged
Jake Ryan’s Woman
Soulmates: Backside of Love
A Good Man
Depths of Desire
The Substitute Wife
Princess Slave
Against Her Will
Body and Soul
Two True Loves
Captured by Time (w/ Alta Hensley)
A New Forever (w/ Alta Hensley)
Under the Cover of Love
Her Guardian Don
Her Knight in Faded Denim
The Rod of Correction: Taken and Tamed
Taken by Force
Skye’s Submission
Sheik’s Desire
Reject Ranch
Nola
Generation Stables
The MacNaughton Bride
More Than a Man
Man of Her Dreams
Love Will Find a Way
Fools Rush In
Everything Gained
Blood From
a Stone
Angel of Sudden Hill
All of Her
A Piece of Heaven
Grace’s Demon
Sold!
The Centurion
Cherished
The Little Miss
The Gentleman Dom
The Supplicant
* * *
Holiday Stories
A Holiday to Remember
Griff’s Christmas Angel
All Hallow’s Eve
* * *
Anthologies
Blushing Cheeks Vol. 1
Love of a Cowboy, Vol. 1
The Dark Forest
Thornton Brothers: 3-Book Collection
Bound by Love: A Carolyn Faulkner Trilogy
* * *
Audiobooks
Rod of Correction: Taken and Tamed
Sky’s Submission
Generation Stables
Spoils of War
www.carolynfaulkner.com
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