Liz stared at her girlfriend, wondering where the animosity had come from. “Tracy, this is Vidar Gulbrandt, don’t you remember him? My former godfather?”
“He is also the creep who has been the evil mastermind behind the casino! Liz! What are you doing!” Tracy was livid.
Liz turned slowly to stare at Vidar, who did nothing to defend himself. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at Tracy as though she were an annoying bug beneath his boot.
“Vidar, tell her it’s not true,” Liz said clearly.
He didn’t open his mouth.
“Tell her! Tell me! Tell me you’re not the one planning to bulldoze Camp Birches! You’re not going to destroy the only home I have, to put up an obscene casino in one of the last pristine areas of the country, and for what! For making a few bucks when you’re already as rich as God himself! Vidar! Tell me!”
He straightened, uncrossing his arms slowly as he took her elbow and tried to turn her towards the passenger side door. “Come, Beth. Don’t make a scene. We will discuss this at home.”
“We will do nothing of the sort! You tell me right now, this minute, that you are not involved in this. I’m not going anywhere with you until you do!”
Vidar drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. His palm itched to spank someone, but Tracy was the one who deserved it, not his Beth. However, if she didn’t obey him at ounce, he’d have good reason for another lesson in obedience. “I cannot tell you that, Beth, as it would be a lie. However, you do not understand the intricacies of this program. I will be happy to share them with you at home. In private. Now I will not tell you again to get in the car.”
Liz yanked her arm free from his grasp. “Good! Because you’d be wasting your breath. I can’t go anywhere with you right now, because I’m too damn angry! I can’t believe you would do this to me… to us! Go, just go!”
She whirled around, seeking comfort in Tracy’s arms, where she burst into tears.
He could force her to his will. He could manhandle her into the car so he could explain that they hadn’t even been a “couple” when the casino deal began. He could whisk them all home to the privacy of the cabin with a bit of magic, but he did not want her to learn about him while in a fit of rage. No, his best action at the moment seemed to be a strategic retreat.
“You have a spanking to look forward to when you get home,” he said firmly. “For disobedience. And when you’ve calmed down, we will discuss this.” Then he got into the SUV and waited for them to get out of the way before he backed up carefully, and slowly exited the parking lot.
He should have turned Tracy into a frog when he had the chance.
Chapter Ten
“So you didn’t know,” Tracy said, patting Liz’s back.
“No!” Liz wailed. “He just showed up… I hadn’t seen him in years, not since college… and all of a sudden, he’s back in my life. I thought he loved me! He told me he loved me….”
Liz was miserable. She felt another anxiety attack coming on, but recognized it in time. She cupped her hands over her mouth and nose and forced herself to slow her breathing. Tracy guided her out of the parking lot to the relative safety of the walk in front of the store. There she stood guard, patting Liz’s shoulder until she was in control again.
Tracy growled exasperatedly. “Well then, that’s it. We don’t need to bother getting those signs printed or trying to get more people to come down to the site and support us on the sixth.”
“Of course we do! Why not?”
“Can’t you see what he’s doing? He’s trying to manipulate you. You’re the head and the heart of this protest. If he can get you to lie down for him, so to speak, then he decapitates the entire resistance and we fall apart, allowing him to do as he pleases and ruin our little town.”
“No, it’s not like that. He said he’s loved me for a long time . . .”
“Please tell me that at least you’re not sleeping with him.”
She couldn’t, without lying to her best friend. Liz nodded, shook her head, and nodded again. “Yea, we… we did,” she muttered. She hated the pitying look Tracy gave her.
“What am I going to do?” she asked plaintively when she could find her voice.
Tracy pushed a stack of petitions in front of her. “You’re going to help me gather signatures today. One step at a time, Lizzy girl. We’ll figure the rest of it out eventually. One step at a time.”
* * * * *
Rules. The woman desperately needed rules. She was going to stubborn herself to death if someone didn’t take her in hand, and he was just the man for the job. If she had only obeyed him and gotten into the car, he could have explained. She couldn’t hold him accountable for actions he’d made before they were together! And he was doing all of this for them. To unload that cabin, with all its bittersweet memories, so they could make new ones. He could give her a cabin anywhere! A Swiss chalet near the Alpine ski hills? And a summer home in the Caribbean plastered with floor-to-ceiling windows? And one more in Kenya, right on the elephant preserve. She’d love that, wouldn’t she?
But no, she had to put up a wall between them, running to her girlfriend for comfort from the assumed slight, instead of waiting to get all the facts! That called for more than a simple spanking. She had worked her way up to good paddling, that girl. He was going to add a swat for every ten minutes she kept him waiting.
Two hours later, he felt his resolve weakening. What if she didn’t come back? That was unacceptable! He could force her to return, but what kind of relationship would they have then? Was this a test? Wasn’t it too soon in their relationship to test the waters this way? If only he could conjure up a crystal ball that would show him the outcome of any decision he were to make, but his magic did not work that way. He could create simple things. He could transport himself and others, if he had a close bond with them. And he had limited ability to heal. That was about it. Divining the future was a different sort of magic all together, a darker sort, the type of black art that he had never practiced and wasn’t about to now.
He had known a lot of women over the years, although he’d never taken a wife before. He should have had the skills necessary to understand them as well as any man ever could understand a woman, but Liz was beyond his bailiwick. Maybe it was time to try a different tactic. He prepared a romantic feast, complete with candlelight and music. Then he sat down to wait for her, sending her a mental push to join him.
Liz simply could not bear to look at another petition as long as she lived. She was exhausted. Worn out. No good to anyone. Tracy took her home, offering her a place to stay indefinitely. It was tempting. Tracy’s place was modest, but adequate, and there were no signs of Vidar anywhere. He had never stepped foot inside of it, so there were not mountains of memories to come toppling out of nowhere to blind side her when she least expected it. She fully intended to stay, she realized as she sipped a cup of chamomile tea Tracy set in front of her. But as the tea cooled, so did her temper.
“Maybe I acted too hasty,” she admitted.
“Okay. Go ahead and explain to me how it is. How you haven’t seen or heard from this guy in what – eight years? And as soon as you launch the “Save the Lake” campaign, he’s suddenly back in your life with promises of undying love? If you don’t see the problem here, then you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”
Liz had opened her mouth to refute whatever allegations Tracy threw at her, but she really couldn’t. She closed her mouth again, tight.
“Then tell me that he’s not the one who’s been sending offers to buy everyone’s places?” she continued.
Now that definitely sounded like Vidar.
“I know that the McKenzies are seriously considering it.”
They were a retired couple who could definitely use the money. But one out of a handful wasn’t too bad.
“And so is Sue. You know she’s got money problems just as bad as you do.” Tracy looked at her with disdain and said sarcastically, “Or did.”
Could Vidar only be seducing her so that she would drop her objection to his plans? No. She couldn’t think of it that way. She wouldn’t. All of those loving, wonderful things he had said to her… it couldn’t be that it was all just a means to an end. Could it?
She had to find out if Vidar had sought her out just because of her position against the casino. She had to know if he could stoop that low. If so, then she would not waste another moment thinking about him! But if not, then they had a lot to discuss. Just as she was thinking about that, she felt the urge to go home.
It was so strong, and so strange, that it startled her. It was almost as though Vidar spoke to her, but in her mind where no one else could hear. “Come home.” There it was again. It certainly felt like him, with his deep-as-sin voice and the not-so-subtle command. She quickly glanced at Tracy, but her friend had not seemed to hear it. Then accompanying the command, she had an image of a romantic dinner for two, complete with candles. It was so out of character for Vidar. He was far more likely to spank her senseless when he saw her, than to woo her with flowers, food and chocolates.
“Tracy, thank you,” she said, coming to a decision. “But I need to go home, if only to pack. I need to give him a chance to explain.”
“You mean, hoodwink you, don’t you? If you go back there, the campaign is off.”
“That’s not fair, and you know it,” Liz said quietly. “I still believe in preserving the lake. If not for you, or me, then for the loons, and all the creatures that call Scrimshaw Lake home. But I’m a big girl. I don’t need to hide from my problems. I can face them head on.”
Tracy gave her an impulsive hug. “I don’t agree with you, Liz, but I can respect your decision. I know you’ll do the right thing, eventually. You’ll always be welcome here if things don’t work out between you two. Just let me get my car keys and I’ll take you there.”
“Thanks. I’m so sorry I let our friendship thin after the accident. I’ll never let that happen again, Tracy. Thanks for being there for me, when I needed you.”
“What else are friends for?” Tracy forced a smile, as she and Liz stepped out into the encroaching darkness.
Moments later she was dropping her off. “Sure you don’t want me to wait for you?” she asked.
Liz smiled sadly, but shook her head. “No, hon. But thanks for the offer. I’ve got a lot to discuss with him, and it could take the rest of the night. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Liz felt a little shaky as she opened the door. Why was life with this man never easy? She felt like she’d been on an emotional rollercoaster ever since he walked back into her life. She flushed, wondering if she wasn’t at least partly to blame. If there were a reasonable explanation for all of this, she would owe him a major apology. Drawing in a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and walked inside.
“Good evening, Beth,” Vidar said calmly. He rose from his place at the table, which had been set with the good dishes, cloth napkins and tall candles, just like she’d imagined it. “I’ve missed you.”
Then he opened his arms and she rushed into them. She clung to him, fresh tears spilling down her face. Suddenly it didn’t matter what he told her about the casino. She loved him. Even if he was a complete idiot at times! And overbearing, and over protective, and over his knee… damn, yes. Even when she was over his knee, she loved him. She snuggled in closer, relishing the feel of his arms around her.
He didn’t hug her long, though. He kissed the top of her head as he stepped back. Then he pulled out a chair at the table for her and waited. When she had taken her seat, he kissed her again. “I love you, you know. No matter how annoying you are.”
Liz couldn’t help but chuckle. “I love you too, no matter how annoying, autocratic, pushy, demanding . . .”
“That’s enough,” he said sternly. Then he smiled.
Dinner was delicious. Chicken Cordon Bleu, wild rice, salad, and white wine. She tried a couple of times to bring up the casino, but Vidar deflected the conversation. “After dinner,” he said. She just hoped the conversation wasn’t too awkward, or she might regret having eaten everything.
When the dinner was over, Vidar set the dishes in the sink, while Liz put away the leftovers. Although they had managed to engage in small talk during the meal, now the silence was uncomfortable. Liz just knew that she was going to end up over his knee. Whether it was for opposing him on the casino deal, or refusing to give him a chance to discuss it with her earlier that afternoon, or perhaps even because he disapproved of her girlfriend Tracy… the “why” didn’t matter. All she knew was that the end result was going to be the same.
So she wasn’t surprised when Vidar rolled up his sleeves, went into his office, pulled a chair away from his desk and sat expectantly. She held her hands behind her back, nibbling on her lower lip as she followed him. She leaned against the doorframe, staring at a spot on the floor.
“Just tell me, Vidar. When you walked back into my life, was it just to make me stop opposing your casino?”
“Do you think that little of me?” he asked sadly.
She risked a glance at his face and saw that her words had hurt him, and yet, he didn’t actually deny it, either. “I don’t really know you,” she said. “You were always the stern Uncle, my godfather, the one who thought I should live up to a stricter set of rules. Now suddenly you want me to trust you, but yet you keep so many secrets from me. Why didn’t you tell me yourself that you were behind the casino?”
“It was never meant to be a secret.”
“Well, you hid your identity pretty well. Tracy and I have been trying to figure out who was behind Norse Land Enterprises.”
“It is not unusual to do business under a different name. But you’re right – we have a lot to talk about. And we can’t talk if you keep running away every time you hear something you dislike.”
Liz nodded. “Guilty. It just was so unexpected. And it hurt. You know how much I love this place, Vidar. How could you even think about bulldozing it under?” She looked at him again, this time with tears in her eyes.
“I thought maybe it was the right thing to do, Baby. I thought maybe it was too painful a reminder for you. I can see now that I was wrong.”
She gulped, her eyes widening. “You mean, you’ll give up the casino?”
He shook his head. “No. But it could be done without destroying Camp Birches.”
Liz walked forward then and took her position beside him as she lowered her jeans and panties. Then she lay down across his lap.
Vidar put an arm around her, holding her securely, while the other hand rested on her naked bottom. “Do you know why you are going to be spanked, Elizabeth?”
She shrugged. “Does it matter?”
Her answer was a series of sharp, stinking swats. “Okay, I get it,” she snapped. “I’m being spanked because it is what you wish. No matter what I’ve done, or haven’t done, my bottom is yours to punish as you see fit.”
It wasn’t the answer he was expecting, but it was a good answer, nonetheless. “Very well,” he conceded. “But in this particular instance, it is not because you ran away. It is not because you are spearheading the opposition to the casino. It is only because when I told you to get in the car – a direct order – you disobeyed. Disobedience will always be dealt with. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I don’t believe in warm-up spankings, Elizabeth. They’re a waste of my time and yours. Spankings are supposed to hurt; therein lay the deterrent factor, hopefully, for you. Now, you are a big girl. A beautiful woman, actually. The one with whom I wish to share the rest of my life. But for that to happen, we must learn to communicate. Having you run away from me had me pretty upset, and although discipline is something that’s new to you, I’m not inclined to go any easier on you because of that. Besides, I didn’t go easy on you the first time I spanked you, did I? And that worked out for the best. You stayed in school where you belonged. I consider that a point for my side, and I beli
eve that you will benefit the most from me being as strict with you as possible, especially since your parents were very reluctant to do so. There’s a lot of making-up to be done in this area, as far as I can see, and I can assure you that we’re going to get you caught up.”
With that, he began. His large hand smacked her bottom soundly, covering nearly all of it with each swat. Sometimes his hand landed a bit to the left, or a bit higher or lower, but the area in the middle got hit every time. She wanted to lie still and take it, knowing she had earned it, but it was impossible not to kick. Before long, it was impossible not to wiggle, or scream, or cry, or do anything in her power – which wasn’t enough – to get away from him. It hurt! And then, when he stopped and she thought it was over, she was sadly mistaken, for he picked up a paddle she hadn’t even seen before, and began again in earnest.
She had never dreamed of a paddle, and now she knew she never would. She would rather endure a thousand hand spankings than ever be paddled again. From the first swift stroke and its frightening crack to the last, she knew that this was an implement about which she would never, ever fantasize.
As if to prove her wrong, however, as if he was reading her very thoughts, Vidar opened her legs and reached almost rudely up between them. She was left there, wide open, while his fingers claimed every bit of her and discovered a triumphant secret.
“You’re at least as wet as when I hand spank you, Elizabeth. Maybe more so, even at midway through.”
Midway? This was only midway? When he finally stopped, she felt so relieved to know that it was over, but now he was saying that she was just halfway through? Liz didn’t know if she could stand any more, not that she was going to be given a choice.
When he sussed out what he wanted to know, thoroughly embarrassing her with her involuntary reaction, he picked up the paddle and began that atrocious, inexorable rhythm again. He wasn’t hurried, didn’t seem to be angry in the least, but instead was entirely relentless, like a Swiss watch set to spank time. Crack. Pause. Crack. Pause.
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