Risky Chance

by Tabitha Marks

  No matter how much she twisted it in her head and tried to justify her actions, in retrospect, it was clear that none of what she did was smart. In fact, most of it was wrong and deserving of punishment. She'd be upset if he kept something like that from her.

  As much as she dreaded the next half hour, Keith deserved an explanation and the truth, and she'd have to accept the consequences of her actions.

  After pulling on her sweatpants and making a stop in the bathroom, she headed toward the kitchen where she could hear Keith feeding Carter. The baby had grown so much in the last four months she could barely believe it. He'd still been slightly on the small side in August when she started, a lingering reminder that he'd been born early. Now you'd never even know. He was right where he was supposed to be on the growth charts and recently mastered the art of crawling all over the house. Little, razor sharp teeth almost filled his mouth and he was in love with Cherrios. Of course he only managed to get about half of what he picked up into his mouth, so Sara spent a lot of time crawling around on the floor picking up little round 'O's.

  He spotted her over Keith's shoulder when she entered the room and let out a baby squeal. She was lucky he was so happy and easy going. It truly wasn't work taking care of him.

  "Hey, Mr. Man," Sara said, giving Carter a wave. He laughed and babbled, obviously delighted to see her. Keith turned and gave her an unreadable look.

  "How did you sleep?" he asked, studying her so intently she wanted to run back to bed.

  "Not great. I'm sorry I kept waking you up." She strode over to the coffee pot, needing to get away from his watchful eyes. It didn't work though; she could feel him following her movements with his gaze.

  "You don't need to apologize. It was a rough night." He finally turned back to Carter when his son pounded on the highchair tray, demanding attention.

  Sara let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding when he was inspecting her, and poured cream and sugar into her coffee. She sat down at the kitchen table across from Keith, making no attempt to hide. It wasn't worth it, and it wasn't how she wanted their relationship to be. She was an adult. She made a mistake. Now it was time to fess up.

  "I need to tell you something," she began, getting Keith's full attention before she rushed the words out of her mouth as quickly as possible. "Last night wasn't the first time my house was broken into, though I wasn't worried because I knew it was a local homeless guy who's been in my neighborhood my whole life."

  "You knew a stranger was in your house, but yet you didn't tell me?" Keith repeated, clearly stunned by her words. "Did you at least call the police?"

  "No, I…" Sara trailed off as she realized just how ridiculous this was going to sound. "I didn't want Stinky Sam to get into trouble."

  "Sara, you didn't want a man to get into trouble for breaking into your house?" he said incredulously. "That doesn't make any sense. He should get in trouble. That's your house, and you're there alone. All the time!"

  His voice was somehow going up in volume, but lowering to a growl. She'd never seen him so angry before and she needed to try to explain before he blew his top.

  "Sam was only taking food. He never touched anything else."

  "How can you be so sure it was him?"

  "Well, last night I heard him tell the other guy he brought with him that he'd been coming every week, so I knew it was Sam." As soon as she spoke she realized she'd made a poor choice of words.

  "How many times has this happened?" he asked, looking ready to explode.

  "Three that I'm sure of," she answered, hating the way his face grew even harder.

  "Sara, he wasn't coming over for a visit. He was entering your house without your permission. And that was just last night that you heard that. Before that you didn't know it was this Sam guy."

  "I was pretty sure, and I just wanted to help him out. I didn't mind having him eat some sandwiches." It was no use. There was nothing she could say that would make this any better. "I'm sorry, Keith. I should have been smarter than that. I'm really dumb when it comes to wanting to help people, I guess."

  "Don't say that!" His voice came at her like a whip and startled poor Carter, who jumped in his seat and eyed them warily. "I don't want to hear you say negative things about yourself. I love that you're kind and want to help people. Yes, you made some bad decisions here, but the thing that I'm most upset about is that you didn't tell me anything about this. If you had, we could have talked about it and I could have kept you safe. Maybe we could have figured out a way to get Sam food that didn't involve him entering your home and stealing from you, but you didn't come to me and you ended up scared out of your mind because your 'friend' Sam brought some guy off the street into your house when you were there."

  Sara couldn't meet Keith's eyes. His lecture hit the mark dead on and made her feel terrible. Worse with every word he spoke. Everything he said was true, so she didn't bother trying to make excuses.

  He seemed to be waiting for her to say something, but all she could come up with was a meek, "I'm sorry."

  "On top of that, apparently while this was going on, you were refusing to move in with me, which I just don't understand. Weren't you worried that he might come back when you were home, or that you might walk in on him and he would freak out?"

  "No, I didn't think of that." It really hadn't occurred to her. She just thought she was helping Sam by keeping her mouth shut. "He's been around the neighborhood forever. Everyone leaves him their bottles and cans rather than taking them back to the store so he can return them for the money, and some of the ladies would occasionally give him food. I really didn't think he would hurt me."

  Keith stared at her intently, before he suddenly lifted Carter out of his highchair and stood up.

  "I can kind of understand why you would think it wasn't a problem. Kind of, but I'm still upset that you didn't tell me that was going on. At the very least I could have put better locks on your doors so he couldn't get back in, even if you didn't want to press charges." Sara hadn't even considered that Keith would help her. She'd assumed he'd be angry and tell her she was an idiot for wanting to help some homeless guy, and that fact must have shown clearly on her face, because his fell. "I can't believe you're looking at me like that, Sara. That didn't even occur to you did it? To ask me to help you figure out what to do?"

  She shook her head, unable to say the word, but not willing to lie to him either.

  Keith looked down at her, his mouth a grim line of determination. Sara felt about two feet tall and so, so guilty for letting him down.

  "Go to my room and sit on the bed. I need to get Carter cleaned up and then put him down for a nap. I want you to take that time to think about all the ways you could have handled this situation better, and have an explanation as to why you didn't come to me for help? Got it?"

  He waited for her to nod yes, then turned and went into the bathroom with Carter. Sara followed, dragging her feet. Being sent away to contemplate her misdeeds made her feel like a child, though truly it was nothing less than she deserved. Keith was absolutely correct. She'd handled the situation terribly and on top of that, hadn't even thought to go to him for help. Hadn't trusted him to take care of her. She deserved whatever punishment he doled out and she'd take it without complaint. Of course, there was still a little voice in her head that made her want to stamp her foot and refuse, but she wouldn't do that. Keith deserved better, and she wanted to be better, for him.

  * * * * *

  Keith tried to relax while he gave Carter his bath. Luckily just one smile from his son made the world a whole lot brighter. Carter loved splashing in the tub and Keith tossed some toys in and let him have some fun. It made his son happy and gave Keith some much needed time to figure out what to do about Sara.

  So many things had been revealed in their conversation that he wasn't sure where to begin. The fact she didn't tell him that the local bum was breaking in and stealing from her, and for several weeks Keith let her go home to that house by herself,
made him sick to his stomach. So many awful things could have happened to her that he couldn't even contemplate them, and had to shut down that line of thought before he flew into a rage.

  He needed to be calm for the conversation they were about to have. Keith had to make her understand that she didn't have to face problems alone. That he was here to help her. That he wanted to protect her and keep her safe. And that the best way to do that was for her to move in with him. Permanently. No more excuses, no more claims that it was too soon. He was done discussing this with her.

  His course of action decided, Keith rinsed Carter off, dried him with one of the fluffy towels Sara insisted he needed a few weeks ago, and dressed him in a fresh outfit before laying him in the crib for a nap. For once Carter didn't protest, quickly settling in and closing his eyes.

  Keith quietly left the baby's room, closing the door firmly behind him. Part of him dreaded what he was about to do, but he knew it had to be done. He had to make Sara understand just how important she was to him, and how seriously he took her safety. She also obviously needed a lesson in what it meant to be part of a couple. Or at least what it meant to be part of a couple with him.

  Another part of him wanted to clear the air between them once and for all, and it seemed like a firm spanking was the only way to get through to Sara.

  He entered the room to find she'd made the bed and was sitting in the center, clutching a throw pillow to her chest. She looked guilt ridden, and when she turned her head he saw tears glinting in her eyes.

  Keith closed the door behind him and approached the bed, stopping a foot away and crossing his arms over his chest. He steeled himself against how pitiful she appeared, determined to make his point.

  "Have you had enough time to think, Sara?"

  She nodded her head, but that wasn't enough. He wanted her to talk. "Please use your words, Sara, and answer me. We need to have a conversation and you have to speak in order to make this worthwhile."

  "Yes, I've had enough time to think." Tears started running down her cheeks, but Keith didn't let them affect him.

  "Tell me what you've come up with," he said. "What did you do wrong?"

  Her gaze drifted downward, to where she picked at the edge of the pillow she held. "I should have called the police the first time I realized someone broke into my house. I should have told you the first time it happened too. I didn't take the situation seriously enough and I put myself in danger." She recited her list of misdeeds quietly, the occasional sniffle breaking up her words. "I'm so sorry, Keith. I don't understand why I can't see the big picture sometimes."

  "Weren't you scared by the fact a stranger was in your house?" He couldn't imagine her being alone and wondering if someone was going to come into the house while she slept. Hell, he was a grown man and it gave him the creeps.

  "I was a little scared, but I think I just told myself it was Sam so that I wouldn't be afraid. I didn't know what else to do."

  "That's the next part of what I don't get. Why didn't you come to me when this started? Or when it happened again? Or when the police were at your house?" That was the part that really frustrated Keith. He fought the urge to pace and instead forced himself to stay in control. "We're together. A team. I'm here to help you and listen to you and to give you advice. Just like you're here for me."

  "I don't know," she wailed. "I'm just so used to doing everything on my own and I didn't want to bother you. Ever since Grandma had her stroke, it's only been me and I've never been in a serious relationship with a man. I don't know any other way!"

  Keith watched her sob, remorse and anguish wracking her small body. He knew she truly felt bad, and he didn't think she was keeping things from him to be intentionally deceitful. Her excuse rang true, but that didn't change what he intended to do. If anything, it reinforced his conviction that he had to make a point to get through to her.

  "Get up, Sara," he ordered, trying to be firm, but not overly harsh. She scrambled off the bed and stood in front of him, eyes locked on the floor. "I want you to pull down your pants and panties and get over my lap."

  Her head whipped up at that, as he knew it would. The first two spankings he'd given her had been over her clothes. She obviously wanted to argue, but apparently thought better of it after taking in the look on his face. He wasn't going to budge on this. She was getting a bare bottomed spanking over his knee whether she liked it or not.

  Keith sat on the bed and waited for Sara to comply with his instructions. It took her a minute, but she finally stripped down and positioned herself over his lap. He was sitting far enough back on the bed that her torso and legs were both on the mattress rather than hanging down to the floor. They were going to continue their conversation and he wanted to be able to hear her responses.

  He gave himself a moment to enjoy the sight of Sara's firm behind lying across his knees before he began. They hadn't really been intimate yet, and having her in this position, naked from the waist down, sparked his lust in a way he'd never felt before. That would have to wait until later.

  "Sara, I'm going to spank you for keeping secrets from me that put you in danger, and for not trusting me enough to ask me for help."

  "But I do trust you, Keith," she protested, but it was too late. He'd raised his hand and brought it swiftly down on her right cheek with a loud crack.

  "You need to trust that I will be here for you and that you can rely on me. That's what being in a relationship means." He punctuated his words with firm smacks to her behind that quickly turned it a rosy shade of pink.

  "Ow, Keith! Ow! That hurts!" She cried, wiggling and trying to squirm away. Good thing he had a firm hold around her waist, preventing her from going anywhere.

  "It's supposed to hurt, Sara," he replied, continuing to spank her naked ass, harder than he ever had before. "You're being punished, aren't you?"

  "Yes, yes I am!" she wailed.

  "And you deserve to be punished, don't you?"

  "Yes, I deserve it!"

  "From now on you're going to tell me all the important things going on in your life and you're going to ask me for help when you need it. Aren't you?" He moved down to her upper thighs, turning the skin there bright red with quick, sharp smacks to the sensitive area.

  "Yes, I'll tell you everything from now on," she promised, kicking her legs and desperately trying to flee.

  "Sara," he barked. "Hold still for your punishment. If you don't, I'll stop and we'll do it all over again later."

  Keith gave her a minute to settle down and get herself under control, never letting go of her waist. "We've only got a few more things to cover and then this will be over."

  "Okay," she said a minute later, "I'm ready."

  "Good girl," he praised, rubbing her heated flesh for a second before resuming the spanking. "I'm very upset that you didn't call me tonight until after the police had left. I would have come over to help you deal with them if you'd called."

  "I didn't want to bother you," she sobbed. Keith could tell she was fighting the urge to try to move, but he didn't let up. She needed to get it through her head that she'd never be a bother to him, and this seemed like the only way to make his point.

  "Sara," smack, "you will never," smack, "be bothering me," smack, "if you need me." Smack! "Do you understand?"

  "Yes," she replied, weeping into the comforter. "I'm sorry."

  Keith rubbed her behind again, soothing the redness with small, gentle circles. "You're important to me, Sara. I want to keep you safe, and help you with whatever you need, but you need to be honest with me and tell me when you need help or else I can't be there for you. Do you understand?"

  "Yes, Keith, I do. Do you forgive me?"

  "Are you going to move in here with us permanently?" Keith knew it was a low blow, but he had to strike while the iron was hot. The bottom line was he wanted her here, and even if he put five new locks on the door of her Grandma's house he wouldn't feel comfortable with her going home there alone after what happened last night.
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  Surprisingly she didn't hesitate to agree. "Yes, it will be safer for me here. And I want to live with you."

  Hearing those words, Keith flipped her up so she was sitting in his lap. He grasped her face with both hands and pulled her so they were only inches apart, forcing her to meet his eyes. "I love you, Sara," he said. "You scared the crap out of me last night, but you also made me the happiest man in the world by saying you'll stay."

  Her eyes filled with tears again, but Keith hoped they were happy ones now. "I love you too," she whispered.

  He leaned forward, sealing his mouth to hers in a desperate kiss, letting her know just how much he loved her. His hands guided her mouth so he could dive deeper, holding her still so he could devour her. The anger was gone, replaced by blazing lust. Keith couldn't get enough of this woman, and knowing she felt the same fed his passion.

  They hadn't made love yet, never moving beyond some heavy petting, but it felt right to take that next step now, after what they just shared. He needed her with a depth of desire he'd never experienced before and had a feeling that, after this, he wouldn't ever let her go.

  Breaking the kiss, he just held her for a few minutes while she regained her composure and snuggled into his chest. When she shifted in his lap, Keith turned them and placed Sara on the bed gently, enjoying the sight of her spread before him.

  "You're so beautiful, sweetheart, but let's get that shirt off so I can see the rest of you." He intended to help her with that task, but before the words fully left his mouth she'd reached down and whipped it off, tossing it over the side of the bed.

  He laughed at her sheepish grin when she realized how eager she appeared.

  "I'm sorry," she apologized, "I'm just a little excited."

  "There's no need to apologize. I love that you're as ready for this as I am." He paused, and then confirmed just for his own peace of mind, "You are ready, aren't you? I don't want you to feel pressured."