by Megan McCoy
His siblings had always told him he was bossy and his past girlfriends knew he wasn’t above putting them over his knee, but he was always careful to keep it light and mostly playful, till he met Holly.
He discovered Holly’s motto was ‘More! Yes! Please more!’ and he was totally delighted to give her what she wanted, and sometimes what she needed.
She’d come with a group of people from her office to a Christmas party, and for him it was lust at first sight. Average height, blonde hair that reached her shoulders and very sadly, the winner of the ugly Christmas Sweater Contest. That ugly sweater did nothing to hide the curves beneath it, however, and he often suspected that was the reason she won. He’d never tell her that though, because she was so proud of her thrift store, prize-winning sweater. Of course, then, the more he talked to her, the more intrigued he became. After a few dates, he never again thought anything about her, including her height, was average.
He had only recently gotten out of a relationship with Leslie—a college romance that had just morphed into continued dating as they both found jobs and focused on those for a few years, dating and just floated for too long. Seeing each other, being the other’s ‘plus one’ at weddings and parties, as a matter of course, without a thought or any angst.
He finally asked her to marry him when he felt enough pressure from all sides of the family and started feeling like a rotten person for just leading her on. Then four months into their six-month engagement, he’d discovered she was cheating on him… with her maid of honor.
Hey, crap happens, and the heart wants what the heart wants, and all that shit. He knew the drill. He just had no desire to be either a beard or a baby daddy for someone not in his life.
He’d suspected something was going on, he wasn’t stupid after all, but when he walked in on them, sharing a shower, it clicked in his brain. Yeah, that was a big hint right there. He could take a hint.
He packed a bag before they could dry their hair and each other, or whatever it was they did. He never did understand, despite a half dozen meets and discussions later, why she became engaged to him or didn’t tell him when she ‘realized.’ How hard was it to use your words? He thought it would be easier than writing all those checks to vendors they’d contracted. No one, of course, returned a deposit. Not that it mattered. He was well out of it, and who wanted a huge wedding anyway?
He and Holly were married in her mom’s back yard, with a keg and barbeque after. Her cousin’s band played and they danced all night. It was great.
He grinned, climbing back in bed, and brushing a bit of hair from Holly’s eyes as she slept. That was her phrase, “use your words, boy!” He didn’t know why Leslie hadn’t, but he knew how important words were to Holly—and to him. He tried, for Holly, wanting her to know how he felt, knowing she needed words and attention and physicality more than she wanted presents.
He wasn’t stupid, though and still gifted her at appropriate times, and the occasional surprise or bouquet of flowers sent to her office, but instead of racking up the credit card bill, he came home and made love to his wife. His life could not be much better, despite or because of the fact he had to—got to do—put her over his knee once in a while.
He didn’t think either of them wanted to think too hard about that. It didn’t really matter, it worked for them both. He knew she got antsy and started to get stressed out and overly needy if he slacked on his paddling duties. Seemed odd to him, but since he had a need to spank and rather enjoyed it, he sure as heck wasn’t going to judge her for needing it.
Yeah, he realized she didn’t enjoy it much while she was in the middle of it, if the sobbing and begging meant anything, but the time or two he’d stopped short and not sent her over the edge, to where she didn’t think she could take anymore, she seemed disappointed after the fact. Beyond a reasonable doubt he knew if he ever promised her a spanking he didn’t deliver, she’d be extremely put out at him, even if she faked relief. He would never do that to her. If the woman needed a good spanking now and then, she married the right man.
Of course, those were only every couple of months, but he made sure she got plenty of play spankings in between. He loved giving those, too, watching her curvy white butt turn pink and then slowly red, listening to her adorable squeals and protests and moans, seeing her wiggle and get all wet and wanting, for him…. and she seemed to love getting the fun paddlings as much as he loved giving them. It worked out pretty well for him, because as soon as her bottom was all hot and red, all she wanted was him, inside her, pounding as hard as he could.
That absolutely worked for him.
Oddly enough—or maybe not—both kinds of spankings, pure punishment or just for fun, it seemed all she wanted was to be as close to him as she possibly could be. Just him. He loved that about her. Honestly, there wasn’t much he didn’t love about her. He just felt… besotted. Old-fashioned term for an old-fashioned guy, he guessed. It didn’t mean he’d put up with any lying or sneaking or whatever naughty else she could come up with, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to let her go to a bottle instead of him. But no matter what she did or how she acted, he had a way to handle that. A way that made them both happy and sated.
Eric couldn’t imagine living any other way.
Hopefully he never would have to.
Rolling over on his back, he stared at the ceiling, mind drifting the other things in his life. He worried about his sister, Elizabeth, and her situation with her son. Widowed several years ago, she seemed to be doing okay, but her ten-year-old son was a different matter. She’d come to him with a plan, and he hoped he could help her with it. Then he thought about his brother. Since their folks died, it was basically the three of them. Four, with Holly. Five with his nephew, Samuel. That was about all in their family and he would do anything for any of them.
All he wanted was for all of them to be as happy as he was. It didn’t seem to be so much to ask out of life, did it? He hoped not.
Chapter Four
“I’m still a little uncomfortable about this,” Eric confessed. “But I’m sure you’re right at this point and a conversation with both of them isn’t going to hurt anything.”
“I will try not to make it hurt,” Holly said, trying to contain her glee at being right. Well, truthfully, she was usually right, but it was very nice to hear him admit it sometimes. Bonus!
“But, you know, sometimes things just hurt so good.” She nuzzled against him and all but purred. Once again, last night had been fantastic. How the man got the energy and know-how to surprise and please her repeatedly – well, it didn’t matter. He just did. Vaguely and quickly she wondered and hoped she did the same for him. It would be sad if she didn’t…she made a mental note to try and make up a few surprises for him in the near future. That would be a goal.
Eric grinned at her, and shook his head. “You’re simply amazing, you know that?”
Holly stopped short, stared at him, listening to her ears buzz. “Am I?” she said, faintly. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome,” he said seriously. “Not many women are as wonderful as you are. I can’t imagine loving anyone but you, ever.”
“Damn it, Eric. I just put mascara on. Don’t make me cry,” she pouted and blinked furiously. Could she love him any more right now than she did this second?
“Watch your mouth, woman,” he smacked her butt and pushed her away. “Come on, finish getting ready. Ethan and Meredith are waiting for us at brunch.”
She took a deep breath. Okay, he said that. Could anyone have ever said anything sweeter or nicer? No. But. Now. Just keep on going on. Brunch. Hide the words in her heart to save for later.
Deep breath. Normal, now…
“I need the credit card,” Holly said, heading toward the drawer where they kept it. “If Meredith and I are going shopping I need to make it look good.”
“Can’t you use your debit card?” he complained. “Isn’t that looking good enough?”
“No.” Holly made a fac
e at him, knowing he could care less about what card she used. “You saw my list of things I want to get, and about how much they’re going to cost. If I need to return anything, it’s just easier with the credit card.”
“Whatever,” he said as she pulled it from the drawer. “Just don’t spend a lot more than you said, okay?”
She stuck her tongue out at him, and giggled happily, as he made a threatening gesture toward her bottom, not worried at all. She made as much money as he did, and they had budgeted income for just this kind of thing. She could buy what she wanted with no fear of a spanking, unlike a lot of women in the stories she read. Silly women. It was just stuff. Not real life. But, whatever turned anyone’s crank, that was all that mattered.
Anyway, she wasn’t much of a shopper, but she had her list of some household items that needed replaced, and she had researched, and knew the best place to get them, in the area they were going to be in today.
Her main goal though, was to feel out Meredith’s emotional state, not to do a lot of shopping. But, hey, shopping. Credit card. Not a bad day at all.
“So sleeping in, now brunch at the Riverfront Wharf, and then hit the mall while you guys golf,” Holly sighed happily. “If I get sex after we get home, this will be a perfect day.”
“I think we can make that happen,” Eric smiled at her. “Almost ready? I have to go make a phone call, real quick, while you finish up.”
“Work? On a Sunday? Bad boy! Okay, I’ll be ready in about five minutes, give or take,” she smiled as he headed out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
Slipping the credit card in her wallet, she finished the last few things she needed to do, touched up her make-up, and tossed their towels over the shower door. Then she shook out the deep burgundy comforter, and threw it back over the bed, till it was all straight and pretty and not rumpled and wrinkled, just like they hadn’t had sex on and under and around it all night.
Heading downstairs, she grinned at how all domestic and wifely she felt. She loved being his wife. Sometimes walking the walk and doing the chores was just part of that and she didn’t mind at all.
“So everything going as planned?”
She heard his deep voice from the office and smiled. She didn’t like punishment paddlings in the office at all, but she rather enjoyed eavesdropping on him in what she thought of as his ‘official mode.’ He always sounded so decisive and knowledgeable when he was talking to clients, and she just loved it. Well, yeah, it turned her on too, not that it took much to do that, of course.
“It’s okay, things are going to be fine, don’t worry, okay?”
Well, then. Her ears perked up. That was not his official mode at all! That sounded more like how he talked to her when she was…hey! He didn’t need to be doing that with some other person… female? Was he talking to a female?
As her mind raced a hundred miles an hour, her feet stalled on the stairs. No. This could not be happening. She felt a bit light headed, but shook it, then sat down on the bottom step, trying to hear the rest of the conversation. He had female clients. Someone could just be really upset today. She was being ridiculous. He wasn’t cheating on her or doing anything untoward. Just being a good financial advisor. Just like always, taking care of his people like he took care of her,
“All right, just stay calm and don’t say anything to him yet. I’ll call you again from the office tomorrow, okay? Don’t worry. I’ll handle things. I promise. You have nothing to worry about. It’s going to be just fine.”
Holly stood up, and silently slipped back up the stairs. What had she just heard? Should she ask? Wait and see if he told her? No, things were fine. Him? Who was 'him' that didn’t need to know what? Telling herself to chill, she took a couple deep breaths. He was just comforting a client. That was his way, even on a Sunday. Even in ‘that’ tone.
However, her busy brain immediately thought of several scenarios that would cause her husband to talk to someone who was obviously female and obviously needing him, and he was obviously lying to her about what was going on, and she immediately decided she was obviously not going to say a word until later.
Nope, nope, nope. Breath.
First find out what was going on, and then figure out if her life was over and she should have a meltdown. Right now was brunch and shopping and golf time. There was more than likely a reasonable explanation. The man she loved was not sneaking and lying. He hated sneaking and lying. So thusly, he would not be doing it. The end.
A bit calmer, Holly quickly reapplied her seemingly ineffective antiperspirant and skipped down the stairs, putting on her best fake smile. He might be able to tell if she faked an orgasm, but he couldn’t tell her fake attitude, she just bet.
“You off the phone?” she sang out as she hit the bottom stair and peeked into his office, forced smile and forced cheerful attitude at the ready!
“Ready when you are,” Eric reached his hand for hers as he walked toward her, and she only hesitated half a second before she grabbed it. Today would be a good day. She would deal with tomorrow tomorrow. Or the day after. Or whatever.
“Your fingers are freezing,” he said, rubbing them with his thumb.
“I know, weird, isn’t it?” Holly said, trying to focus on what would be happening today. Just today. This was the man she loved, and he wouldn’t… but if he did, then she didn’t want to know today. She could be Scarlett and think of it tomorrow just fine. Watch her.
“Do you think Ethan already ordered wine,” she attempted humor as he gently tucked her into the car.
“It’s ten in the morning,” Eric moaned, as he settled himself into the car, and put on his seatbelt. “I think it will be mimosas or Bloody Marys’ or something along those lines, not wine.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Holly said, relaxing just a bit. Yes, things were normal. What she overheard was an innocent something or other. She was certain of it.
Mostly.
Maybe.
She was at least faking that is what she thought.
A mimosa or three sounded like just what the doctor ordered, though. She hoped Meredith wanted to drive to the mall. Just in case three wasn’t enough alcohol. She half grimaced, half smiled, thinking, ‘And I’ll be doing right in front of him, so he can’t spank me for it.’
Who knew? Maybe he would never spank her again. Her hand reached over and clung to the one thing that always comforted her when she was upset. Him. Well, him and vodka. She wondered what was in a mimosa as he grinned over at her.
* * * * *
“You ready to do 18 holes?” Ethan asked Eric as Holly tried to summon up the energy to care about shopping and finding out Meredith’s secrets, or whatever the reason was she flinched from the world. But, yes, this—Meredith—was what she was doing today. Focus. She could do this. Remember Scarlett O’Hara and think of it another day!
“You bet,” Eric replied as they both threw down money for the brunch check. “You girls don’t blow next year’s budget, but have a good time. See you back here in a couple hours.”
“Want to finish our drinks before we head out?” Holly asked Meredith as the brothers left the building. She smiled, watching them, realizing she did love them both in such different ways. She hoped she could stay in this little family. Eric, Ethan and their younger sister Elizabeth, who lived two states away with her young son, Samuel. She’d only met Elizabeth a handful of times, but just imagined they would be great friends one day. Like she could be with Meredith.
Holly shook her head, realizing she needed to sharpen her laser and point it at Meredith right now.
She could do it. She knew she could. She had time to deal with whatever Eric was doing. She didn’t have to handle it this afternoon. He was golfing with his brother, not fooling around on her. Nothing would happen before they got home tonight. If ever. She was being ridiculous.
Deep breath.
Flashing Meredith a brilliant smile, she leaned over and took the final few sips of her drink and quickly, silently,
mourned she could not just sit here and mope and drink and drown her sorrows all day. What would that help? Unlike her midnight shot of liquid calmness after a nightmare, it would solve nothing. Helping Meredith might not solve her problem but maybe it could solve Meredith’s. Or lead her down a different garden path. Or some other trite saying.
“So what do you want to shop for today?” Holly asked, pretending she wanted to shop. “Shoes or clothes or make up or what? I have a list of some kitchen things I need to replace at that new Kitchen Essentials place at the mall. I priced them on line, they seem reasonable and I do so love to browse kitchen stuff, how about you?”
She sipped again, and waited patiently for Meredith to answer her. Sometimes it took Meredith a few minutes to figure out her mouth and speak words. Holly knew that and prepared to wait.
Weirdly enough, Meredith bounced into her answer, “I would love to go there! Kitchen stuff is my passion. The more gadget-y the better! Let’s go there first, okay? Then see if we have any money left!”
Meredith actually smiled and Holly felt a shock wave come over here for the second time that day. Studiously, ignoring the first time, she smiled back and said, “Look what we have in common! What do you need from there? Have you worked in Ethan’s kitchen much?” she chatted, seeing her opening to get Meredith to talk. “I’ve cooked and cleaned in there a few times and man, it’s just dire, isn’t it? For a man who swears to be a connoisseur, there isn’t much cooking going on in that kitchen.”
“No, but there’s a very large collection of corkscrews and wine glasses.”
Meredith giggled? Holly was baffled. Was this her usual personality? Was Ethan the only one who made her act like a scared rabbit? Maybe she was a really fun person one on one, without her significant other one.