“I’m positive now, after what just happened. It’s clear to me now that my parents aren’t leading me down the right path. My grandfather got me started on a new path, and it’s made me a lot happier. I’m choosing to follow his path.”
“Good for you,” he said with a kiss that proved his sincerity. “And you still want to leave your car here?”
“Absolutely. I did nothing to earn it, and it’s in Dad’s name. It’s a shame he couldn’t legally put the car in my name when he gave it to me.”
He studied her, confused. “Why is that?”
“Then I could have gifted it to Helen and Noelle. But since it’s in his name, he can have it.”
Paul reached down and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. “I’m proud of you. Now, we’ve got to get going.”
She turned toward her bedroom, but stopped. She turned back toward him with a cynical grin on her face. “You know, Dad’s always talking about me going back to my good family values. Ironically, I think he’s right. I think I do need to get back to my good family values; the values of my grandfather, George Billings.”
Paul chuckled and smiled. It was good to see that her parents may have hurt her, but they didn’t break her spirit. “I think you’re right; the Billings family values are the ones I’d strive for, too.” He gave her another quick kiss on her cheek. “You better go get your other suitcase.”
She returned a moment later, suitcase in hand. “That was a good idea you had to pack up and mail most of my stuff. Now we only have that one I just packed and this carry on. Much easier.” She glanced at her watch, and looked up at him. “We better hurry up if you’re going to give me that spanking before we leave.”
Again he chuckled. “That spanking?”
“The one I earned for swearing at Mom and Dad.”
“Are you sure you want it now, before we board an airplane where you’ll be sitting for an extended period of time?”
“I’m sure. I don’t want that hanging over my head. Like when I confessed to you I’d lied about being sick. I didn’t want to start our relationship like that. I don’t want to start our time together in Arizona knowing I have a spanking coming. I want us to be good when we get there.”
“I love you, Gina, and I’m proud of how you’re growing and maturing. Let’s get this over with quickly then. I like the idea of us starting in Arizona on solid ground from the start, too.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the living room, sitting down on the couch. He was surprised when a quick tug didn’t land her over his knees. She braced herself, and stopped short. She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. “I love you, too, Paul.” Then she allowed herself to land over his knees, as she heard a little chuckle from him.
He pulled her dress up and her panties down and quickly started the spanking as he also started talking. “I don’t think we need to spend a lot of time talking about this, Gina, since you’re the one who told me you earned this spanking and what for. You’re right; you don’t show respect for your parents by swearing at them.”
He was using sharp, solid swats from the beginning, which he knew were getting her attention and stinging, probably quite a bit. But he also knew the sting wouldn’t last real long, either. Neither did his speech. “But your parents shouldn’t have shown such disrespect for you, either. They didn’t treat you fairly, so I understand your frustration with them. Curb your language the next time they upset you, and you’ll be fine.”
Just that quickly, he pulled her up and onto his lap. She reached back to touch her sore behind, but realized the incredible soreness was already fading. She looked up and studied him a bit before smiling and leaning against him. “Thank you,” she said amid her tears.
“For what? For the spanking?”
“Yes, in a way. You aren’t really angry with me, are you?”
“No. I’m more upset with your parents, but I’m not sure spanking them would help any.”
She burst out laughing, which was something they both needed to lighten the mood. He tightened his arms around her, giving her a hug, and captured her lips in a kiss. That kiss, meant to be quick but meaningful, turned unexpectedly passionate, and he had to fight himself, but eventually pulled back. “No more of that until we get to Arizona,” he said, “or we won’t be getting there on this plane. Jason and Cheyenne are meeting us at the airport, and I’d really rather not have to call my boss and explain that we missed our plane, and why.”
She grinned up at him. “Might not be the best way for me to meet my new landlords, either, huh?”
“Maybe not the best. Come on, let’s go.” He picked up her larger suitcase and she got her smaller carry on and purse, and they left.
Chapter Eighteen
Jason and Cheyenne were waiting for them when they got off the plane in Arizona. Gina liked both of them from the start, though she thought Jason was a bit intimidating. He was a large, muscular man like Paul, and had an air of authority to him. A smile spread across her face as she realized, again, that was much like Paul.
She was at the sink in the lady’s restroom at the time that thought crossed her mind, and Cheyenne looked over at her. “What’s the smile for?”
“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about Jason and Paul. My first impression of Jason is he seems very nice, but rather intimidating. But then I realized—”
“Paul’s just like him?” Cheyenne offered.
“Yes,” Gina said with a giggle.
“They are alike in a lot of ways,” Cheyenne agreed. “But they’re really just two big teddy bears.” She leaned over closer and said quietly, “Two big teddy bears that spank.” Both ladies giggled again. Gina couldn’t help but think she and Cheyenne were going to become good friends.
The men were in the hall, waiting for their women. “The ladies seem to have hit it off right from the start,” Paul said.
“I know,” Jason said, “and that worries me. My first impression is Gina is a lot like Cheyenne; a wonderful little lady, with a big streak of mischief in her.”
Paul laughed. “That pretty much describes her,” he agreed. “How could you tell?”
“Look at their eyes. You can’t miss the mischief there.”
“Yeah, I did notice that same thing,” Paul admitted. “But they’re both good ladies.”
“They’re very good ladies,” Jason conceded. “I just worry about the two of them together.”
“What are you saying, boss?”
“I guess I’m saying with the two of them together, I have a feeling they’re going to keep us on our toes. And our right arms busy.”
They were laughing as the ladies came out, also talking and laughing. “What are you two smiling about,” Cheyenne asked.
“We were just saying you two seem to have gotten off to a good start,” her husband answered.
Cheyenne wrapped her arm around Gina’s. “I think we’re going to be really good friends,” she said. “I’m really anxious to get to know her.”
“That’s what we’re afraid of,” Jason said as he led the group toward the baggage pickup. Gina was concerned at the stern demeanor of his voice, until she saw the slight smile at the corners of his mouth. Paul saw her unease and how she was looking at Jason. He kept his arm around her waist, and leaned down to whisper, “He doesn’t bite.”
* * *
They went to Jason and Cheyenne’s house and showed Gina the apartment over the garage. Cheyenne assured Paul she’d help Gina get settled in, while Jason took Paul to pick up the rental car they had reserved for him and get him settled into the motel room just a couple miles down the road, at the edge of town. They made arrangements to meet up for dinner back at Jason and Cheyenne’s.
The ladies were soon talking and laughing like old friends as they unpacked the suitcases Gina brought with her, along with the boxes that had arrived in the mail yesterday. Cheyenne put her at ease quickly, talking about their men and the program right off. “So, as long as it’s just us here, I’ve go
t to ask, does Paul spank as hard as Jason?”
Gina was shocked at first by the blunt question, but when she looked over and saw the glint in Cheyenne’s eyes, she instantly knew she had a friendly ear. “I think harder,” she said with a chuckle. “That man is strong.”
“Yeah, I always figured that. Those two are alike in so many ways, it’s a little unnerving. I mean, all of the men working for Jason are formidable looking men, but Jason and Paul always stood out as two of the scariest.”
“Oh, really? They’re all a bunch of bad asses?”
Cheyenne laughed out loud at her new friend. “I never thought of it that way, but yes. Most of them, including Jason and Paul, are big teddy bears when you get to know them, but when you first meet them they look very intimidating.” After thinking a bit, she admitted, “Of course, I guess that helps them in their work.”
“Probably. I know Paul sure got my attention right from the start.”
Cheyenne giggled again. “In what way? I fell for Jason from the day we met, though I wouldn’t admit it, to him or me. Was it like that with you and Paul?”
“Not for me. But then again, I was kind of blind to everything at first. I just wanted to get this program over with, which I thought would consist of forty-two days of talking to some guy out by the pool, so I could get my inheritance.”
Cheyenne was laughing when she turned to face her. “Seriously, you thought that? Didn’t you read the contract?”
“Yeah, but I did like always; I only saw the parts I wanted to see. All I wanted to see was how long I’d have to wait before I could get my money.”
“How could you ignore the part about the spankings?”
Gina shrugged. “I guess I was pretty self-centered. I’d never been spanked in my life, so I assumed that part didn’t concern me.”
“So you ignored it?”
“Sure. Right up until the first time Paul unceremoniously picked me up and dumped me over his knees.”
“Was it a real shock?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“How’d you do?”
“I panicked. It was awful. He wouldn’t stop, no matter what I did.”
Cheyenne stopped unpacking and turned to look at her. She sat down, thinking. “Wow. That had to have been really scary.”
“It was. No one had ever ignored me when I said stop. And the pain was terrible. I didn’t think it was ever going to end.”
“That sounds terrible.”
“Your first time wasn’t that bad? What are you saying; getting spanked is a piece of cake for you?”
“Oh, no, not by a long shot. But I went into it knowing what was going to happen. Jason explained it all to me before I signed the contract. He said it was going to hurt and I wouldn’t like it. Boy, was he right.”
“But you signed it anyway?”
“I didn’t have a lot of choice, if I wanted to keep my job, and probably my career. Jason came over to talk to me the night before I had to give my boss my decision, and he talked to me about the program. He was honest, explaining everything to me so I’d know what I was getting myself into. So the first time I found myself being sprawled over his lap I knew what was coming. I just didn’t know how much it was going to hurt.”
“I hear you there,” Gina said. “But you’re lucky. At least you’re done with the program. You don’t have to worry so much any more.”
Cheyenne laughed. “Yeah, right. I may not be in the program any more, but I don’t think his right arm got that memo yet.”
Gina laughed, but it soon turned to a moan. “So if this works out with Paul and I, the spankings won’t stop? Can you at least tell me they’ll let up a little, maybe not as many or not as hard?”
Gina shrugged. “Sorry. Jason wouldn’t be happy if I lied to you.” They both giggled, and got back to unpacking while they talked.
When they finished up, Gina invited her to the house. “Do you want to come over to the kitchen? We can keep talking while I get dinner on. It’s so nice having someone who knows about this program that I can talk to. I’m really glad it worked out that you two could come here. It’s going to be great.”
“I’m glad, too. I can’t believe I’ll have someone I can talk to. I’d say I’ll help you with dinner, but if you want to eat it, you probably don’t want me helping much.”
“Paul said you two were going to try to teach yourselves how to cook. How’s it going?”
“I think we’ve both lost a couple pounds, but we’ve only had to order out and throw away a meal two or three times. I didn’t think that was too bad.”
“If you guys have any questions or problems, call me. There are a lot of things I can’t do, but I can get by with my cooking.”
“Paul said you’re a wonderful cook.”
“He likes my lasagna. I’ll show you how to make it for him some day.” They were soon busy in the kitchen, visiting while Cheyenne was teaching Gina how to help with dinner. The men got back and they sat down for dinner.
Once they started eating, Jason took the opportunity to get to know Gina, while letting her know what to expect here. He asked some questions about her family, both her parents and her grandfather. “I’ve got to tell you, I really liked your grandfather when I met him. I had a lot of respect for him the time we met, and his love for you was very clear.”
“Thank you for telling me that, Mr. Jenkins. That means a lot to me. I thought the world of him.”
“Call me Jason, and I can assure you, he thought the world of you, as well. I think he’d be extremely proud of you. How did it go with your parents; were they okay with you coming out here?”
She was quiet and looked down in her lap. Paul patted her hand, and answered for her. “They don’t know yet. We went to talk with them this morning. She told them she was going to go to a community college, and they weren’t very receptive to the idea. He told her he wasn’t going to pay for it, and he didn’t want her staying in the guesthouse. He told me he found out he can’t legally fire me, so instead he told me I’m no longer welcome on his property.”
“So we left,” Gina said, obviously not happy. “They won’t have to worry about ever seeing me on their precious property again. I can’t believe he kicked Paul out, and then she had the gall to tell me not to talk to my father that way. What a—”
“Gina,” Paul said in a low, menacing voice.
Everyone turned quiet, and when she looked up they were all looking at her. She saw Jason look at Paul, his eyebrows raised in question. “Don’t worry, Jason, yes, he did spank me for the way I talked to my father. But I still can’t believe Dad did that.”
Things were eerily silent for a few seconds, until Cheyenne burst out laughing. “I think I’m going to love having you here and getting to know you, Gina,” she said.
Paul had never seen Jason’s eyes grow that large, which alarmed him. He didn’t want Jason to dislike the little lady who had stolen his heart, and he wasn’t sure what the shocked expression on his boss’s face meant. The scared look on Paul’s face worried Gina, who assumed she’d disappointed Jason, and she was afraid that would get Paul in trouble. She started to say something, and caught herself in the knick of time. What came out of her mouth was something no one quite understood for sure. “Farklesharp!”
Not sure herself what exactly she’d just said, she watched as all eyes turned to her. Cheyenne was outright laughing, but Jason and Paul had matching expressions. She wasn’t sure what exactly they meant, but she was pretty sure she didn’t want to find out.
Paul cocked his head to the side. “What did you just say?”
“Um, I’m not really sure.” She dropped her head, and thus missed the smiles that broke out on both men’s faces. “I’m sorry. Should I go back to the apartment and wait for you?”
Cheyenne was still laughing, so it didn’t surprise either of the men when she was the first to speak. “What the farklesharp would you go back there for?”
Gina quickly looked up at her, and saw both men also
turn to look at her, which was a momentary relief. Better they look at Cheyenne than her, but then she noticed they still had those same unreadable expressions. She was just about to say something, try to make sure Paul didn’t get in trouble for something dumb she did, when Jason spoke. “Paul, what have we gotten ourselves into?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll bet it’ll be interesting.”
All three of them were laughing. Cheyenne saw the concerned look on Gina’s face, and tried to reassure her. “Girl, we are going to give these men a run for the money. Where did you ever hear that word, and what does it mean?”
She heaved a sigh of relief, and looked at Paul before answering. He was smiling, and she planned on keeping him happy. “Paul’s talked to me a lot about telling little white lies, so with that in mind, I’m going to be real honest with you.” She saw both men smile. Cheyenne was right; they really were a lot alike. “The first time I heard that word was a couple minutes ago when it slipped out of my mouth. As for what it means, I have no idea.”
They all laughed, and went on with their dinner. Paul leaned over and quietly whispered in her ear, “Nice catch, honey.”
* * *
Over the next couple days Gina and Paul settled in nicely. They continued to talk, much of their time now involving Gina’s feelings toward her parents. It was almost a week before she felt ready to answer her father’s phone call and tell them where she was. She explained where she was, gave them the address, and told them who owned the apartment. She explained that she was beginning a community college the following week, and it was important to her that she prove to herself she could do it. She also told them her feelings had been hurt the day they left, and told them why.
She had her phone on speaker so Paul could hear the conversation, as well, but he didn’t say anything. It was hard not to speak up a couple times when her parents were rude to her, but he stayed silent, wanting to let her deal with them. They’d talked about her feelings a great deal, and he needed to let her handle it on her own, if he could. She was obviously hurt, and she had every right to be, but he was very impressed at how well she held her temper.
Gina and Paul (Last Chance Program Book 2) Page 23