“Yes, um, usually. It depends on the couple, but yes.” Please, don’t ask me to elaborate, she thought desperately. The fact that she was sitting here having a rational matter-of-fact conversation about spanking and discipline was surreal enough, but if she had to explain things like corner time or writing lines, she might die.
“So, your mother, and um, Jeff, they do this? Should we be worried? He’s not taking advantage of her is he?”
Cecily snorted, relieved that they had moved on from the realities of consequences to the macho male protector thing.
“Hardly. You’re forgetting that she lived in Corbin’s Bend long before her and Jeff got together. She and my dad planned to move to Corbin’s Bend together, but he died before it opened, so she just moved there by herself.” Cecily sighed heavily, assaulted by memories of a time she would much rather forget. “You know this, Carlton. I’ve told you this part.”
“You’re right, I did know that part. I’m just piecing it together with the new information.” Carlton reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. I know that’s a hard time for you to think about. Are there any other little white lies that I should know about?”
Cecily sighed. “Maybe.” She hadn’t planned on admitting to this one. It was a big one, and Carlton wasn’t going to like it.
“Cecily…” His voice was hard with warning.
Oh god. Her hands flew to cover her face, which was already warm with embarrassment. “Just one more,” she admitted.
“And that is?”
She put her hands down in her lap and stared down at them, wringing them together, and playing with the hem of her skirt. “You know when we went to that book signing, and we said that her book had saved our marriage?”
“You mean, when you said that her book had saved our marriage?”
“Yeah, okay, whatever. When I said it.”
“Get to the point, Cecily.”
“So, she might have assumed, from that comment, because her book was about domestic discipline, that we, um, that we were practicing it ourselves.”
“She might have, or she did?” The incredulous look on Carlton’s face was priceless, and if she didn’t know better, she would have laughed aloud. She was laughing on the inside.
“She did.”
“And you know this for sure, how?”
“We’ve talked about it.”
“You’ve talked to her about how you and I practice domestic discipline? Even though we don’t?” If looks could kill… She didn’t know for sure, but she would bet good money that Carlton had that famous HOH look down pat.
It certainly had the same effect. She was instantly filled with shame, regret, and a tingle of anticipation. “Uh-huh,” she squeaked.
“And, you didn’t bother to set the record straight? Instead you just let her assume that and talked to her as if it were the truth? I’m dying to hear how these conversations went.”
“Carlton, it wasn’t like that—it’s not like I went into detail or anything—I just stopped arguing with her about it. I wanted her to feel like we had something in common. When she and Dad first told me about Corbin’s Bend and domestic discipline, I reacted so badly. Then when he died and she moved there without him, I was so mad at her and I was just awful. This is the first time in nearly a decade that she felt like my mom again, and I just wanted that back, especially since we’re going to be living so close.”
Carlton sighed, every trace of anger vanishing from his features. “I get that, Cece, I do. And I’m glad you want to repair your relationship with her. I just don’t see how lying to her about something that is obviously so important to her is going to help you achieve that. How is she going to feel when she finds out?”
“I was hoping she wouldn’t?” It was a statement, but her voice lifted at the end with the unspoken question.
“So, in other words, if it comes up, you expect me to go along with it? Really, Cecily? I’ve barely met your mother, and the first time I have to spend any time at all with her, you want me to be a part of some elaborate scheme you inadvertently signed me up for?”
“I guess I didn’t really think about it. I’m sure it won’t really come up. It’s not like she’s going to question you on what your favorite spanking position or implement is, or anything. Just smack my ass a few times, and act stern.”
Carlton groaned, looking pained. “Oh my god, Cecily. I can’t believe I am saying this—but okay fine—I’ll go along with your crazy scheme on one condition.”
“And that is?”
“You know how I feel about lying. I won’t do it. If I have to do or say anymore than smack your ass and look stern, it gets real. I won’t lie, so if I have to say that we are doing domestic discipline—if it comes up at all in conversation—we really are doing it. At least while we’re in Corbin’s Bend, understand?”
“You mean, you would actually…” Cecily trailed off, a mixture of dread and excitement filling her.
“I won’t lie. It’s your choice. Come clean to your mother as soon as we get there, or do it my way and accept a spanking for all the lying you’ve been doing.”
She should just come clean—she knew she should. It would certainly be the less complicated course of action. But the thought of trying to explain what had possessed her to act that way in the first place, and the thought of going back to having that awkward barrier between them again… She didn’t think she could bear it and still have to face her mom for the next five days. And then, there was the deeply buried part of her that really did want to know what it would be like. Carlton had already promised her a spanking if she agreed. She could take the spanking, find out what it was like, and then be on her best behavior for five days, and they could go back to life as normal. Besides, it probably wouldn’t even come up.
“Okay, fine, I’ll do it your way.”
Carlton nodded knowingly, and pointed out the window at a large sign. “We’re there. You know what they say. When in Rome…”
Chapter 2
Venia answered the door, looking breathless and lost in thought, a pencil tucked behind her ear, dressed in her jammies. “Goodness, is it four already? I was so caught up in my story I must have lost track of time. Come in, come in!”
Carlton allowed himself to be gathered in a hug as Venia swung the door open wide and allowed them to pass her.
“I can’t believe I’ve been writing for six hours. When the muse strikes, it really strikes,” she joked, leading them to a small dining table. “Sit, sit. Would you like some coffee or something to drink?”
Both he and Cecily declined with a wave of their hands, indicating the travel mugs they had brought in with them.
“Jeff will be home around five thirty. Thank goodness he’s picking up dinner from Endelé so I don’t have to worry about cooking. Then we can visit.”
“Wow, Mom. Writing for six hours? I figured you’d be up to your elbows in stuffing and pie crust by now. It’s okay, I’m here now and after dinner we can start getting everything ready for tomorrow. I’m not much of a cook, but I will do whatever I can to help.”
“Oh, everything’s done. It’s catered by the local restaurants.”
Carlton’s own confusion was mirrored on his wife’s face. “Wait, Mom, what are you talking about? Are we actually having Thanksgiving catered? You said you would never do that.”
Venia cast a stern look in her daughter’s direction. “And I still wouldn’t, but it’s not my decision. We’re having a big Thanksgiving dinner at the community center,” she explained, looking dubious. “At first I wasn’t too sure about the idea, but when Jeff pointed out how much more time it would leave me for writing and visiting, I had to go along with it.”
Cecily looked shocked. “A catered dinner at the community center? Mother, Carlton and I came here to visit you! Not you and one hundred other people! Carlton wanted to get to know our family!”
“And he will, sweetie. This will take all the stress off of me, I won’t have to spend
a full day in the kitchen before and after. We will have tons of time to visit. This is a Corbin’s Bend tradition. Thanksgiving dinner is only a few hours, and the community center is beautiful. There’s even a man cave downstairs where they can watch the game. And you’ll get to see Cadence, and meet Brent and Char, and Benjamin and Jonathon, and well, everybody.”
“I thought you were inviting them.”
“Honey, you misunderstood. Dinner at the community center has been a community tradition since Corbin’s Bend began. And even if I decided to host a small gathering here instead, Cadence’s husband Marcus being the doctor, and Brent being the founder would not be able to come. That’s partly how this whole tradition started. Brent didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by choosing any invitation over another, so he decided it would be simpler if we hosted one big one at the community center, and anyone who wanted to come could.”
Carlton nodded, noting that Cecily still looked annoyed. “Venia, that sounds great. I look forward to meeting everyone and checking out that man cave you mentioned.”
Venia was peering nervously at Cecily as if waiting for an explosion, but she managed a smile in his direction. “Yes, I’m sure Brent will want to give you a tour. It’s quite lovely.” Then she blushed. “Well, I’ve never been in there, of course, but I’ve certainly heard all about it.”
“I would love a tour, and I’m interested to hear all about the community as well.”
This had the desired effect of garnering two very different reactions. Venia beamed at him while Cecily glared daggers in his direction.
“Oh, I’d love to show you around.” She paused, and smiled, and for a second he recognized her expression as one he had often seen on Cecily. “Tell me, how is the house hunt going? Have you found anything yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Yes.”
He and Cecily had answered at the same time and he gave her a weary look. “What Cecily means is that we had looked at several, but then I had to go back to Tokyo for a while, and I just got back on Monday, so we haven’t had a chance to look again, and I doubt if the ones we had been interested in are still available.”
“Well, you should tour some of the houses here! We have seven different floor plans to choose from, and the community is growing by leaps and bounds. Just about everything I need is right here. I don’t mean to over-step, but I know Brent would love to show you some of the available houses.”
Cecily opened her mouth as her eyes began that telling roll towards the ceiling, but Carlton beat her to the punch.
“You know, Venia, I would love that. I don’t want to put anyone out. But if he has time…”
Venia beamed at him. “Oh, I’m sure he would consider it a personal favor, and he owes me a favor or two. You know what, I’ll go call him right now and see if he can fit you in on Friday. Why don’t you two go on and get settled? The room is down the hall to your left. Technically it’s my office, but we’ve got a nice hideaway bed in there for when company visits. And, by the way, all the rooms are soundproof.”
With a wink and a wave, Venia left the room, clutching her cellphone as she walked.
Carlton eyed his very disgruntled wife, and scratched his chin deliberately. “Soundproof rooms,” he mused. “That might come in handy. Do you think any of the houses we looked at back in Denver have soundproof rooms?”
“Oh, bite me,” Cecily snapped. “Seriously, Carlton, what in the hell was that? Oh sure, mother Venia, I’d love a tour. Sounds like a sack of crap to me. Who’s the liar now?”
“Five minutes,” Carlton deadpanned. “We weren’t here for more than five minutes before it came up. And if you hadn’t implied to her that we were in a spanking-based relationship in the first place—if you had just been honest with her—she wouldn’t have had the idea that we might be interested in moving to Corbin’s Bend, now would she?”
“Carlton, you could have just told her that we needed to stay in Denver for your job. You lied. You have absolutely no interest in touring the different floor plans, and you certainly have no interest in moving to Corbin’s Bend.”
“I never lie. I have every intention of going on that tour, and I plan to take notes too. You see, it’s recently come to my attention that I have a very naughty wife with a lying problem. And here I am in a community where they frown on things like that and even have a solution for it. Believe me, I plan on taking full advantage.”
He stood and grabbed their bags as he did so, motioning for Cecily to follow him. “Come on, dear wife, I think it’s time to go check out how soundproof the rooms really are.”
Crap. Why had she married such a smart man? It had taken him all of two seconds to disprove her theory about lies not multiplying. He was methodical too, and almost manipulative, but not in a mean way. Just in a way where she should have known better than to back him into a corner like she had. But still. The last comment about testing the room’s soundproof level… That was just a ruse to make her sweat. Despite his threats, he wouldn’t really spank her. Would he?
She snuck a peek at him as she hung her dress in the closet of the guest room that looked as if it doubled as her mother’s office. He was totally absorbed in something on his phone. She breathed a sigh of relief. She had nothing to worry about.
“Did you know that the Corbin’s Bend website has links to resources for those interested in domestic discipline? And that these links have step-by step instructions as well as lists of handy tips about positions, implements, and the like?”
Uh… Cecily gulped. That’s what he had been looking up—a how to guide for spanking—seriously? Of course he would. That was the sort of research-based, analytically-minded man that he was.
She didn’t reply and he turned his attention back to his phone. That would be her savior. When Carlton started doing research, he could become lost in it for hours. Unconcerned for the moment, she turned her attention to unpacking. She was just closing up the suitcase when she heard the sound of his phone powering down and frowned. Carlton never turned off his phone.
“Okay, I think I’ve read enough to get the basic gist.” He moved to the edge of the bed, and patted his knee. “Come on over here then, you’ve got a spanking coming, and I intend to make it count.”
She looked at him as if he had grown two heads. How could he be so calm? Her heart was pounding, her ears were buzzing, her mouth was dry, and she was weak in the knees. Somehow she managed to make her way across the room, and sit beside him on the bed.
He turned towards her, his face calm, and his tone patient. “The guide I read says to make sure you understand why you are getting a spanking. So, why are you getting a spanking, Cecily?”
Cecily rolled her eyes. What had he read? Surely not an adult domestic discipline guide, more like a children discipline manual or something. He was looking at her very expectantly, so she blurted out the first answer that popped into her head. “Because you’re crazy?”
He shook his head. “Try again, and think very carefully about what you’re going to say beforehand. Another smart ass answer like that will get you an extra trip over my knee followed by some time in the corner before your real spanking even starts.”
Holy crap. He knew about corner time and was threatening to use it on her. That was scarier even than the threat of another spanking. Quick, an acceptable answer before he realizes the effect his words just had! “Because I told a few little white lies?”
“For starters. Also because you lied by omission, and let your mother think that we had this in common, not thinking about the implications a lie like that might have.”
“Okay.”
“Yes, Sir. When you’ve gotten yourself into a predicament that you are going to be punished for, you can call me Sir, and answer all questions with Yes, Sir, or No, Sir.”
Holy crap. He was serious. It was totally like something out of one of her books, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about the reality of it. Speechless, she nodded.
He raised his eye
brow.
“Yes, Sir?”
“Very good. Now, lay over my knees.”
She complied quickly, maybe a little too quickly.
The air from the circular fan above provided a draft in the room that she hadn’t really noticed until Carlton quickly lifted her skirt, and pulled her panties down to rest below her bottom. She shivered.
“I’m going to spank you with my hand now. This is what is called a warm-up spanking. It’s supposed to prevent bruising.”
“Okay. I mean yes, Sir,” she quickly corrected herself. Angering him at this point didn’t seem like a smart idea with her bottom in such a vulnerable position. She braced herself, waiting for the first swat to fall, but it didn’t.
“The article I read said that I could either go with the element of surprise—go with my instincts—and end the spanking when I felt you had learned your lesson, or I could pre-set an amount of swats for your punishment, and let you know beforehand. Since I’m not sure that I have any gut instincts in this area yet, we’re going to go with the second option. I will give you fifteen with my hand for the warm-up. I will count those. After that, I will continue with my hand, slightly harder for twenty more swats. Then you will get up and fetch your hairbrush which I will use for the final ten swats.”
Cecily stifled a laugh. He sounded as if he were discussing a business decision. The hairbrush was troubling as she had read in her books that it was a wicked instrument, but ten shouldn’t be too bad. Her heroines always got way more than that. She just wanted him to shut up and start already.
Mercifully, he did. The first swat fell, at medium strength right across the center of her left cheek, at what she assumed was the fleshiest part. It stung a little, but no more than when he spanked her for play. She relaxed a little and even smiled. She could do this. Piece of cake. She was still smiling when the second swat fell on the opposite side and the third one right after it. Quite quickly it seemed, Carlton had developed a pattern. Left, right, center. Left. Right. Center. The center ones stung more as they fell right across the middle of her cheeks, over the center of her anus, but she knew when to expect them, and that helped immensely. Fifteen had fallen before she knew it. Her bottom felt all warm and tingly, and she herself felt more than a little smug at the fact that she hadn’t even cried out once—not so much as an ouch. She was ready to up the ante, was almost looking forward to feeling him put slightly more force into it.
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