Groomed

by Bethany Leigh

  "And you'll get two pre-emptive spankings," he said firmly.

  I cried myself to sleep that night, while Hayden cuddled me. I wished I'd never been so stupid at the party. I was already very sore and sorry and the thought of being spanked again in less than twenty-four hours' time was…well, let's say I wasn't looking forward to it a lot.

  The sudden scrunch of gravel and a blinding beam of light startled Charlotte as a car swung into the driveway. Shit, Connor was home already and here she was, sitting at the computer, still huddled in her coat. She hadn't drawn the curtains, her hands were ice-cold, and the house was freezing because she hadn't switched the heating on when she got home from work three hours ago. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she hadn't eaten either. She'd been so absorbed in Spanking Sheilas she hadn't noticed the time.

  She checked the computer clock. Half-past-nine. Fuck, fuck, fuck. She clicked out of Spanking Sheilas, and fumbled for the history browser as Connor's key turned in the lock.

  "Hello," she called out, deleting her computer history. No way did she want Connor knowing how she'd spent the evening.

  "Hi," Connor called back. "Geez, it's cold in here! Did you get home late or something?"

  Charlotte shoved a disk from work into the floppy disk drive. "Sorry, I got side-tracked," she shouted. "Put the heating on, would you?"

  By the time Connor had fired up the central heating, exchanged his shoes for slippers and his jacket for a jumper, and wandered down the passageway to their little office, the computer screen was displaying the official website for next year's Olympic Games in Sydney.

  Connor rested his hands on Charlotte's shoulders, bent forward and kissed her forehead. "You're on the internet."

  Charlotte rolled her eyes; why did he always state the obvious? "You're observant."

  Ignoring her irritation, Connor peered closer at the screen. "What you looking at?"

  "I'm just doing a bit of research for an article for the magazine." Charlotte was editor of 21st Century Sportswoman, an Australian women's sport and fitness magazine. Or, for editor, read 'dogsbody'. She wrote most of the articles herself, and usually had to rewrite the rubbish that was submitted. The magazine ran on a shoestring, hardly anybody bought it, and the budget didn't run to paying freelancers. Anybody submitting articles for no fee was either desperate for a by-line or trying to get some free publicity for their sports club. It had been the first job Charlotte was offered when she migrated. The salary wasn't great, but she'd made some contacts and after nearly two years in the job, hoped she'd soon move on to bigger and better things. "Did you know the Sydney Olympics will be the centenary year for women's participation?" she said now. "I'm putting together a feature article. '100 things you didn't know about women at the Olympics'." She'd been working on that all day at the office so it was a ready excuse that sprang to mind.

  "You've been working all this time? Have you had anything to eat?"

  "No. I needed to get this done."

  If she was Panda or Gemma or one of the other women on Spanking Sheilas, Charlotte would be over Connor's knee now for the rules she'd broken. Not having eaten would see ex-bulimic Panda's bottom covered in Hayden's handprints or stripes from his ruler. Gemma's Mark had a rule that their house was a work-free zone after eight pm. If barrister Gemma disobeyed it because she was caught up with a case, Mark gave her a dose of the slipper or hairbrush.

  Connor squeezed her shoulders. "You finish off what you're doing. I'll make us some dinner."

  Aargh.

  Charlotte rested her hip against the counter, glass of red wine in hand. Connor opened the fridge and the pantry, double-checking labels and use-by dates, selecting vegetables, herbs, spices. Chicken was already defrosting in the microwave. Connor was a good cook, way better than Charlotte. Even when she carefully followed recipe instructions, Charlotte struggled to concoct something edible, but Connor could conjure up a delicious meal from random foodstuffs.

  When the chicken was ready, he cut it into strips and tossed it into the frypan together with oil and some spices. He grabbed a wooden spoon from the drawer, and Charlotte's breath hitched at the thickness and shape of it, imagined him using it to burn her backside.

  She dry-swallowed and squirmed, so desperate for a spanking that she wanted to scream.

  Charlotte had always had a thing about spanking, but this total, distracting obsession was new. In the past, that excited feeling (that even as a very young child had had Charlotte wanking off in her bedroom—not that she'd known she was wanking off then, of course, it just felt nice) would have been sparked by seeing a spanking in a movie or TV show, reading about one in a book, or coming across spanking references in a newspaper or magazine. But since she and Connor got the internet at home, spanking references were on tap. Charlotte had spent many happy hours absorbed in naughty-woman-with-stern-husband stories on the fiction sites until she'd found links to the forums, including Spanking Sheilas, and discovered there were women who got spanked by their husbands in real life. Women of all ages too, even those who'd grown up in this era of women's rights and equality. A couple of them were successful career women, but they still ended up over their husband's knee if they were out of line.

  Now Charlotte spent every hour she could on Spanking Sheilas, catching up on the copious posts, longing to be one of the women sharing tales of misdemeanours and punishments. She was familiar with all the jargon and abbreviations now. 'DD' stood for 'domestic discipline'; a 'HoH' was 'head of the household', a 'spanko' was someone into spanking, and a 'vanilla' was someone who wasn't. A 'dom' meant the partner taking the dominant role in the relationship (usually the male on Spanking Sheilas); a 'sub' (usually a female on the forum) was a submissive. Some posters spelled Dom with a capital D and sub in lower case and sometimes spelled the dominant partner's name with a capital letter and their own lower case. Others called their dominant partner 'Master'. The Dom/sub relationship was abbreviated as 'D/s', but Charlotte wasn't particularly interested in the D/s posters. It was the DD relationship that fascinated her. She particularly relished the descriptions of 'OTK' (over the knee) punishment. She looked forward to Connor's late shifts so she couldn't be disturbed, sprung reading the posts that lay beneath an in-your-face photograph of a 1950s buxom blonde over her husband's knee. Charlotte didn't want Connor knowing she lurked on that forum, guessing her fantasies… What would he think?

  Connor added veggies to the frypan, sprinkled more spices. The delicious aroma made Charlotte's stomach rumble.

  Connor grinned. "You sound hungry."

  "I'm ravenous." She watched him stir the food, add more veggies. Connor came alive when cooking, whereas other things in his life—his job and its shifts, his ex-wife's move interstate meaning he rarely saw his teenage son—seemed to grind him down. She couldn't remember the last time she and Connor had sex.

  His Precious Gem: What's the best thing about being spanked by Mark? The make-up sex afterwards!

  Anna35: We'd drifted apart and rarely had sex, but since we started DD and I allowed him to be HoH, we're closer than we've ever been and sex is through the roof.

  Would DD change things for her and Connor too? Would his being head of the household, taking her in hand, have them at it like rabbits, like the forumites? Would they be happier together, closer as a couple? Charlotte sipped her wine and wondered.

  "What you thinking about?" Connor asked, leaving the cooking momentarily to warm plates in the oven.

  Being over your knee, my bottom bared. You spanking me hard and efficiently with your hand or a hairbrush or wooden spoon. Scolding me while you spank, making it clear that if I break your rules again, the spanking will be even harder and longer than this one. Starting to cry because the spanking hurts and I'm sorry I disobeyed you. You giving me several more scalding slaps until I'm sobbing and lying limp over your lap. Then you stop smacking and lift me off your lap and over to the bed, where you take me, your thrusts as hard as the spanks were, showing me who's boss.

&n
bsp; "Oh, just work," Charlotte said.

  "I thought you said you'd finished for the night."

  "I have, but it doesn't stop me thinking about it." She opened the fridge and refilled their glasses, wishing she could tell him what she was really thinking, share her fantasy.

  But she can't. She just can't.

  Two

  On Friday Charlotte joined her colleagues for after-work drinks, despite the temptation to head straight home and hang out on Spanking Sheilas instead. It was Connor's last week on late shift for another month, so her last night of uninterrupted privacy. Next week she would be back to snatching an hour here and there when he was absorbed in some show on the telly. Not so long ago, Charlotte had dreaded his late shifts. Evenings alone had been lonely, she'd missed Connor's company, not to mention his cooking. Now she couldn't wait for them to roll round.

  The bar heaved with revellers. Charlotte and her workmates shoved their way through the crowd and ordered glasses of champagne. The latest issue of the magazine had just gone off to the printer, so everybody was happy. They carried their drinks out to the beer garden and found an empty table. "I was thinking that closer to the Games we could run another '100 things' article," said Greg, the editorial director, and Charlotte's boss. "'100 women to look out for in Sydney'. What d'you think, Lottie?"

  "100 women?" Charlotte doubted she could name 100 women who'd be competing at the Olympics let alone those likely to shine. "The teams won't be announced till, what, two months before the Games, Greg. Can't be done."

  "Easy enough," he argued. "List 100 countries and that country's top woman athlete or swimmer or whatever."

  Charlotte knew she should be a lot more interested in the conversation than she was right now. She enjoyed sport, had been a gymnast for a few years as a kid, and she had always admired ground-breaking women. Damn Spanking Sheilas! She couldn't focus on anything else lately. Some feminist you are, Charlotte Agar! She gave herself a mental shake. Concentrate, Charlotte.

  "Australia," Greg said. "Cathy Freeman, obviously."

  Charlotte groped for an example from her birth country. "Great Britain, Denise Lewis."

  "We'll have to be careful not to have too many track and field athletes," Greg mused. He skulled the remainder of his beer. "What about swimming? And there must be a gymnast from somewhere we can include?"

  "Yeah, Svetlana Khorkina. She's Russian."

  Charlotte stayed for another round of drinks before catching the train home. She arrived at the house about the same time as Connor, and they ordered in pizza. Connor opened a bottle of red while they waited. Charlotte was looking forward to the weekend. Weekends meant a sleep in, and even if she couldn't spend time on Spanking Sheilas, she and Connor planned a bushwalk and a movie on Saturday, and some gardening on Sunday. They needed to dig over the veggie patch, start planting the beans, tomatoes and corn.

  The phone rang just as the pizza arrived. Charlotte took the call while Connor grabbed the pizzas.

  "It's Deborah here."

  Well, of course it was. It was the weekend, so count on Connor's ex-wife to destroy it with some drama or other. Charlotte didn't reply, just held the phone out to Connor.

  Connor put the pizza on the counter. "Who is it?"

  "Demanding Deborah." Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Who d'you think?"

  Connor's mouth quirked and he mimed a smack at Charlotte as he grabbed the phone. That was the closest Charlotte ever came to receiving a spanking. Playful miming when she made a cheeky comment. Why can't he just do it? Charlotte opened the cardboard box and cut a couple of slices of pizza, watching Connor closely. His brow crinkled with concern. "Is he okay?"

  Oh, shit, what now? Charlotte rolled her eyes again and carried her pizza to the table.

  Connor wandered down the passageway to the office. She heard the door close with a click. She chewed her pizza, seething. She hated the way he froze her out of these conversations, even though they both knew the outcome would affect her as well.

  By the time Connor returned, Charlotte had finished her pizza and her glass of wine. Eating alone on a Friday night. Might as well be single.

  "What's up now?" she asked him.

  "It's Josh." Connor sank onto a chair, his expression heavy. "He's in hospital. He got injured playing rugby today. He's damaged his back."

  "Shit." Charlotte liked Josh, especially now he lived in Queensland and they didn't see him very often.

  "Deborah says he's been asking for me. I'm going to have to go up there."

  "You mean right now?"

  "Tomorrow, if I can get a flight. This weekend, anyway. I'll have to take a bit of time off work." He looked at her hopefully. "Why don't you come too?"

  "What, up to Gold Coast? Just to sit inside a hospital?"

  "You don't have to do that. You could go to the beach. It's a lot warmer up there."

  "Yeah, that'd be heaps of fun on my own."

  Connor's face fell. Charlotte could see how torn he was. Wanting to see his son, but wanting to be with her.

  "Please," he said.

  "I can't take the time off work. I'm really busy at the moment." She thought about the days ahead, Connor up in Queensland, lots of time to lurk on Spanking Sheilas. "You go up and see Josh. I'll be fine."

  "Are you sure?" He looked surprised and pleased at her accepting tone. She guessed he'd expected her to make a fuss about him dashing to Josh's side, their weekend ruined. And she would have, without Spanking Sheilas to distract her. Charlotte had only lived in Australia a couple of years and didn't really have mates to hang out with when Connor wasn't around.

  "'Course I'm sure." Charlotte rose to refill her wine glass. "I'll pop the rest of the pizza in the oven for you while you organise a flight."

  Thread: My worst spanking

  His Precious Gem: Goodness, Panda, how many spankings did you receive that Christmas? I bet you behaved yourself at the other parties.

  The worst spankings I received from Mark were also just after we were married. Maybe that's common when you are in a settling down phase, trying to get used to your husband's boundaries. What do you think? We were both working long hours and Mark introduced a rule that we should stop working at 8pm and devote the rest of the night to each other. He also thought relaxing at the end of the day was important health-wise.

  Although it was difficult to put work aside, we established a routine. Then he had to attend a week-long principals' conference and made me promise I would still finish work at 8 each night.

  I had just taken on a new case so I ignored his rule and worked till midnight each night. I rationalised it by telling myself the more work I did while he was away, the more time we could spend together when he returned. Each night when he called me I told him I was reading, which was true!

  On the Thursday night I was hard at work, wondering why Mark hadn't called, when his key turned in the lock.

  He was too tired from the drive to punish me that night, but the conversation we had wasn't pleasant. When I confessed I'd disobeyed him and lied to him the other nights, he told me to keep the weekend free because I was going to be thoroughly punished.

  On Friday evening, he gave me the first of countless spankings that weekend. I had to keep watch on the handprints and when they had almost faded I had to report to him so he could 'top up' the spanking. That meant I had to constantly check the redness of my bottom because if I allowed the handprints to fade completely, he would repeat this punishment every weekend until I learned total compliance.

  Fortunately, I didn't forget to do the checks. The hardest part of the punishment was that as soon as the soreness began to wear off, it was time for him to make my bottom sting again. The only respite came in bed. I received a bedtime spanking and an early morning spanking.

  It was a painful lesson, but it taught me that I should obey his rules, even if he isn't there. That his rules are for my own good.

  Anna35: Panda and Gemma, I just love your stories! Panda, don't keep us in suspense! Did
you survive the two weeks with just one cheek spanked each night, or did you end up getting spanked on the other one when you got home?

  Panda: LOL Anna! I absolutely DREADED the parties because before we left the house he'd have me bare-bottomed over his lap to have either my right or left cheek (he alternated every night) thoroughly roasted by his large hand. Gemma, we attended about fourteen parties, so that was about fourteen spankings. I made sure I ate properly at every party because even the thought of gaining weight was better than going back over his lap again when we got home.

  His Precious Gem: I hope Mark never sees your post, Panda. I don't want him getting any ideas.

  Her Red Mark: Too late, my precious Gem.

  The next day flew by. As soon as she got home from dropping Connor at the airport, Charlotte made a beeline for their office and hopped straight onto Spanking Sheilas. Spanking Sheilas had been active for more than a year, had several prolific posters, and so there was always plenty to read. All day Charlotte didn't bother with meals, just grabbed toast and potato chips and slugged coffee and wine. If she left the computer, it was to lie on the bed or sofa and wank off, imagining herself and Connor in domestic discipline situations.

  "Why didn't you eat properly today?"

  SMACK!

  "Is staring at a computer screen all day a good way of spending a sunny weekend?"

  SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

  At some stage on Saturday night Connor rang from a public call box at the hospital to say Josh was fine, that the damage was nowhere near as bad as first thought.

  Well, there's a surprise, Charlotte thought. Deborah would call Connor in panic if Josh skinned his knees.

  "He's being discharged tomorrow hopefully, so I'll be back by Monday at the latest."

  "Oh, take as long as you need." Charlotte was enjoying the freedom to surf, to not have to think about meals or listen to Connor waffling on about some boring documentary he'd just watched.

  "You're being really nice about this, Lottie. I appreciate it."