“I’m going outside to see how things are, and check in with Fred. I’ll be back in a tick, don’t go anywhere,” he said firmly.
“I won’t,” she promised.
Stepping out into the hot, dry air, he scanned the area. Sand was piled up against the garage, but he could shovel it away, and there was a ripple pattern to the land around him. There was nothing he’d not seen before, and wandering away from the house, he dialed Fred’s number.
“Hey mate, what’s cookin’?” Fred asked when he picked up the call.
“Just had a dust storm,” Derrick answered. “Got back to the cabin though, rode it out. It was a biggie.”
“But that’s not why you’re ringing,” Fred said wisely.
“No, I’m ringing about Emma. She’s one crazy sheila.”
“Yeah, I figured. Anyone who would do what she did at the hotel-”
“She’s fearless,” Derrick interjected, “she takes crazy chances, she doesn’t listen, but I’m nuts about her Fred. I haven’t felt like this since Suzy.”
“What did she do that has you so twisted up?”
“Stood directly in front of the dust storm, it was seconds away from blasting over her. I kept telling her to get inside, and she just ignored me, kept saying she wanted one more picture. I had to pick her up and dash her into the house. I just got the door closed when the wind hit.”
“Fair dinkum?”
“Yep. She does these nutty things, then apologizes. Whatta ya reckon? Am I nuts, or what? She’s leaving in a few days, and I don’t want her to go, but hells bells, am I whistling dixie?”
“Are you sure she’s into you?”
“Oh, mate, for sure. She just begged me to give her another shot.”
“If it were me, Derrick, I’d paddle her butt real good, and give her a shitload of corner time. If she still wants you after that, and says the right things, maybe there’s a chance, but Derrick, you’ve known her ten minutes, mate. I wouldn’t give it away yet, but I wouldn’t count on anything either.”
“Early days. Yep, I know. Corner time. Good suggestion, should have thought of that myself. Thanks, Fred.”
“That’s all right. We’ll have a pint when you get back and you can give me the whole story. I should tell you though, her agent’s been leaving urgent messages for her at the hotel, and with Ron as well.”
“I’ll let her know, thanks Fred.”
Derrick ended the call and shook his head.
Anyone else and we’d be headed back to the hangar. Okay, Miss Harrison, you’ve got one more chance, assuming you want it after you hear what I have to say.
Marching back to the cabin, Derrick pushed open the door to find her still sitting at the table drinking her tea, but in front of her was the wooden spoon he’d spanked her with the day before. She turned around and looked up at him, her eyes puffy and red; she’d been crying.
“Can I talk to you?” she asked softly.
“Sure, and I have some words for you too,” he replied, walking over to sit with her. “Go ahead.”
“First, I know it’s not much for me to say I’m sorry again, because I did that before, but I am, really. I haven’t answered to anyone in such a long time, so I guess I’m not very good at it. I’ve always been the one who called the shots, even when I was in school. I was the Class Captain, and besides all that, I’ve always been very headstrong, always,” she confessed, “but you’ve shown me another way of being, and I really love it. Honest. I thought maybe, you could use the spoon again, and we could put this behind us, so to speak.”
He stared at her, tapped the table with his fingertips, then took a deep breath.
“That was quite a speech,” he began. “I think you’re probably very sincere, and thanks for all of it.”
“But?” she pressed, her voice shaky.
“I’m not sure there is a but. We can’t go on like this, you promising to do one thing, then doing another. I won’t put up with it Emma, so here’s my offer.”
Emma leaned across the table, eager to hear whatever it was he had to say.
“You need to be punished, and I’m glad you pulled out that spoon. Shows me you get that. You also need to think long and hard about everything. You and I have a lot stacked against us already. We live in different countries. How’s that supposed to work? More important, you know what I want and what I need from any woman who’s gonna be with me, right Emma?”
“Yes, Derrick, I do.”
“Tell me what that is.”
“You’re the boss, and not just in the bedroom.”
“That’s it. I’m not a bully. Never have been, but the roles are the roles. You’ll want for nothing, I’ll cherish every hair on your head, support anything you want to do, unless it’s standing in front of stand storm, or taking a crocodile for a walk.”
“Right,” she nodded, he’s going to give me another chance. Thank God.
“If you agree, I’ll paddle your butt, and I don’t just mean ten good swats, I mean I’ll paddle your butt, and then stand you in a corner for a long time. You need to think about things, like, what it’ll be like having me as your partner. Can you honestly say a DD relationship will work for you? Depending upon how you feel after you had a chance to consider all that, we can take it from there.”
“Yes, I agree,” she nodded fervently.
“Righto,” he declared. “Before I tell you what to do, I have a message. Apparently your agent has been trying to reach you, says it’s urgent.”
“Whatever it is it can wait until we get back to the station,” she said decisively.
“In that case, go and take a shower, put your hair up in a pony tail, then come back here wearing just a T-shirt. Do you have one?”
“Yes, I do,” she nodded.
“Let’s start using Sir, right now,” he said sternly.
“Yes, Sir,” she said hastily.
“Go on, then. I’ll be here waiting.”
“Sir?” she asked demurely.
“Yes, Emma?”
“Thank you, Sir. Thank you so much.”
“You may not thank me when I’m finished with you,” he warned, “and any time you want to back out just say so.”
“I will, thank you, and I won’t back out,” she swore.
“Go and take your shower,” he repeated, and as for the rest, that remains to be seen.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Emma stared down at her wrists as Derrick looped the black satin ribbon around them, tying it off in a small bow. He had been introduced to ribbons by a submissive in Sydney several years before, and had found them a compelling alternative to the ropes and handcuffs he’d been using for years. Ribbon was uniquely feminine, easy to cut, came in varying widths, colors and fabrics, and while he still used ropes from time to time, he had developed a fondness for the elegant option.
She was standing sideways in front of the couch, her ankles already bound with the same ribbon, and as Derrick placed the wide blindfold across her eyes, her pulse, already rapidly beating, jumped up a notch. The white T-shirt gracing her torso fell to the tops of her thighs, and once he’d secured the blindfold, he slid his hand under the thin cotton to caress her bottom.
“This will be a hard spanking, but if you pull your, I’ll do what I want, crap again, the next spanking will have to be severe. I don’t like to spank severely, but I will if I have to. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
“Yes, Sir,” she breathed.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, Sir, and you’re right, about everything,” she murmured.
The admission touched his heart, and dropping his lips to hers he kissed her gently, feeling her mouth respond in reverent surrender. His cock, already woken by his slow, deliberate application of the ribbons, stirred meaningfully, and sighing deeply he stepped away.
Sitting on the couch he took her bound hands and helped her across his lap, positioning her body so it was stretched across the length of the cushions, then moving the T-shi
rt away, he stared down at her backside waiting for its discipline.
“There’s no-one around for miles so you can yell all you want,” he told her, “but please keep your wriggling to a minimum. If you need to catch your breath, or if you change your mind about things, just tell me.”
He checked his watch. This would not be a quick trip over his knee. It needed to be memorable, and he was determined to make his point; the spanking was going to take some time.
Lifting his hand he brought it down with a solid slap, and as he rained his hand upon her soft skin, he did so slowly, moving his palm across the width of her bottom, not leaving an inch untouched by his stinging attention. There was no pattern to his slaps, one minute he focused on the sweet spot where her thighs met her cheeks, the next he was swatting the center of each of them, and as the time ticked by, her gasps and small utterances of pain became muffled as she turned her head into the sofa cushions.
Glancing at his watch he saw it had been ten minutes since he’d begun, and over the course of his spanking he’d slowly increased the force of the smacks. Her skin was blushed pink, turning ever rosier, and it was time to have the wooden spoon deliver its measured, purposeful message.
As he tenderly caressed her burnt backside, he heard a grateful sigh.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Like I’m being punished, really punished,” she whimpered.
“Good,” he remarked.
Picking up the spoon, he moved it in circles across her cheeks, offering a warning of what was to come, then swatted it down, beginning the second half of her chastisement with slow hard smacks. She had wriggled somewhat during the hand spanking, but the spoon carried a powerful zing, and though her squirming became pronounced, she didn’t call out abject apologies or beg for a break. He held her tightly, allowing her the gyrations. She was taking the discipline with fortitude, and he guessed she was determined to show him she meant what she’d said, that she wanted to work things out, that she cared about him deeply.
The spoon unexpectedly accelerated, landing rapidly, spitting fire. She howled and wailed as the punishment continued, until finally satisfied he dropped the makeshift paddle.
Caressing the glowing embers that were her cheeks, he rubbed and fondled, and when she settled he pulled her into his lap. She was breathing heavily, but there had been no tears shed, and as she curled up into his affection he became overwhelmed with emotion; she was utterly enamored with him, and in the few days they had spent together she had discovered her true nature.
But it wasn’t over.
“All right, Emma,” he said tenderly. “Stand up.”
He helped her to her feet, and after untying her ankles he led her across the room to the corner.
“I’m going to untie your wrists so you can rub your butt if you want, but your blindfold stays in place. You need to do some thinking, and not just how you feel about me, but as I told you before, you need to consider the kind of life you’d lead if we were together. Forget about the distance thing, just think about whether you can surrender yourself to me, really surrender.”
“Yes, Sir,” she nodded.
“Do you have any questions before I leave you?” he asked, pulling the ribbon from her wrists.
“No, Sir.”
Leaving her to contemplate, he moved into the kitchen and began to prepare them a meal. As he chopped the vegetables and gazed out the window, he too needed to ponder.
The possibility of sharing his life with a woman about whom he knew he could develop intensely deep feelings, filled his heart with a joyous wonder, and though he knew nothing of her background or what baggage she might have, he did know how she made him feel. He’d waited years to find the pulse-quickening heady happiness, and the almost unquenchable desire to protect and to cherish. There had been many times he believed such a woman would never cross his path again, but she had, and he was loathe to let her go.
Standing in the corner, her hands attempting to assuage the sharp stinging that permeated her bottom, the need to relieve the pain began to fall away as Emma focused on Derricks words; he’d been right about her foolhardy nature, and lack of concern when it came to consequences.
She had been a child prodigy, and her parents, thrilled to have such a brilliant, intellectually gifted youngster, didn’t want to quash her spirit or dampen her curiosity, so had been excessively liberal in her upbringing.
The epiphany began to take hold.
Memories flooded her. The many times she’d challenged the men she’d dated, or the people with whom she worked. It wasn’t because she had wanted to be a bitch, it was because she was waiting for someone to challenge her.
No wonder I was so drawn to Marcus and what he did. I wasn’t in love with him, but he satisfied such a yearning in me. It was something I couldn’t understand, but I understand it now. What Derrick is, how he is, that’s what I’ve been waiting for.
Her publisher had put his foot down a time or two, and she had felt something indefinable, an odd satisfaction, and as she stood, blindfolded with a hot, scratchy behind, everything suddenly made sense. She had many questions about the intricacies of a DD relationship, but they were born of curiosity, not concern.
But she also believed that the deep attraction she felt towards Derrick went beyond his Dominance. She pictured the mischievous twinkle he carried in his eye, and thought how she wanted to sink into his body when he held her, and the serenity she felt laying in bed with him that washed over her like a soft warm breeze on a cool spring day. There was something else as well, a magical connection that had touched her soul.
“How you feeling?”
She’d been so engrossed in her thoughts she’d not heard his approach.
“Kind of amazing,” she whispered.
He untied the blindfold and turned her around, drawing her into his arms.
“Do you have things to tell me?” he asked softly.
“So many things,” she murmured. “I feel like a whole new person.”
“Do you want to eat or cuddle on the couch?”
“Just cuddle quietly for a few minutes, then talk, then definitely eat.”
He could feel her acquiescence, and he said a silent prayer of thanks as he walked her across to the couch. Sitting gingerly, she wiped her hands over her face, then fixed him with a steady gaze.
“Derrick, I don’t know where to start, so I’ll start at the end,” she murmured. “Yes, I want the kind of relationship that you do. I want to be, not controlled exactly, but I want to have limits, and discipline too, as crazy as that sounds. I don’t know how to put this into words. Am I making any sense?”
“You are,” he smiled. “Keep going.”
“I’ve done some immensely stupid things, and it’s a miracle that I’m alive. I don’t want to take those chances anymore, and I want you to make sure of it. I think that came out wrong, and it’s more than that. I am so drawn to you, so crazy about you, I think I’d feel this way even if you weren’t the way you are.”
“I’d be a different person if I wasn’t a Dominant,” he frowned, “but I know what you’re saying. It’s one big package.”
“Exactly!” she exclaimed. “It’s one big package, and I realized, standing in that corner, it’s a package I’ve wanted for a long time.”
“My goodness,” he sighed. “I guess this means I can take you back to the rocks.”
“I won’t climb anything, I won’t wedge myself in some impossible position to get a shot, and I won’t ask if I can walk on a riverbank with a croc nearby,” she promised.
“That’s a good start,” he smiled, hugging her.
“I won’t be perfect, I mean, no-one can be perfect,” she said soberly.
“I don’t expect perfection, and you can’t either,” he answered. “If you ever think I’m being unfair, or you’re unhappy about something, you tell me. We’ll noodle it together.”
“Noodle it, I swear, it’s another language,” she grinned.
“Kinda is,” he grinned back. “Anyway, you get that, right?”
“Yes, Captain, I get it.”
“Hungry?”
“Yes, please. Does it bother you that I don’t cook?”
“Not at all, ’cos I know you want to learn.”
“I do?” she asked, wide-eyed.
“I was just pullin’ your leg,” he chuckled. “Cook, don’t cook, doesn’t matter.”
“That’s a relief, though I would enjoy puttering around a kitchen with you.”
“Then come and putter. I still have to cook up the chook.”
Taking her hand he led her into the kitchen, and together they prepared the rest of the meal. The day was drawing to its close, and as they were settling down to eat he opened a bottle of wine.
“I don’t think we’ll be going out again until tomorrow,” he proclaimed, pouring the chilled chardonnay into their wine glasses. “I think we should take our time and enjoy this wonderful early dinner, drink this buttery bottle of Hunter Valley wine, and learn about each other. I want to hear all about your family, and anything else you want to tell me.”
“That sounds perfect,” she sighed, “and I want to know about you.”
“Happy to answer any questions,” he smiled.
“Then what?”
“Then I’ll take you to bed and we’ll bonk until dawn.”
“Deal,” she giggled.
“To the beginning of our beginning,” he declared, lifting his glass in a toast.
“To the beginning of our beginning,” she agreed.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It was the early hours of the morning on the last day of their trip, and as Emma stirred from sleep she felt a heavy sadness. She would soon be in the small aircraft flying back to Orange, then the very next day boarding a plane back to the U.S.
For three days she and Derrick had talked and slept and laughed and cooked and made glorious love. In the late, dark hours, Derrick had opened up about Suzy, and why, though he’d met many attractive, lovely ladies, he’d refused to settle down, determined to wait until the same deep affection he’d once felt, swept back into his life. When he’d finished talking, and kissed Emma with all the flame and ardor that was burning in his soul, she knew without doubt that she was the love for which he’d been waiting.
The Cowboy From Down Under (Cowboys After Dark: Book 2) Page 12