The Last Match

by Stevie MacFarlane

  One week he surprised her by flying her to Florida and taking her on a trip to Disney World, where she rode so many rides she was dizzy, and John barely caught her as she listed to the side after getting off.

  “I think that’s enough for today,” he insisted, wrapping his arm around her waist.

  “No, I want to go on some more rides,” she pleaded.

  “I said no and I meant it. Don’t push me on this Erica, or tomorrow your bottom will be too sore to enjoy them,” he warned.

  She gave in with a mumbled, “Bully.”

  To which he replied, “Brat,” but they left the park just the same.

  Each night, they made love before she fell asleep in his arms. Sometimes he was tender and passionate, others he was forceful and demanding. Erica found she liked it both ways and she surrendered to his preference happily.

  John definitely had a dominant personality, but his Southern charm took the bite out of it, and she found herself amused at how easily he got his way. The only real argument they had was one evening when she had a little too much to drink. They were sitting by the fire pit, watching the flames, when she suggested taking the boat out for a midnight cruise and John flatly refused.

  “Boating and alcohol do not mix,” he told her sternly as he headed inside to use the bathroom. “You keep your ass in that chair until I get back,” he ordered over his shoulder.

  For some reason, that comment struck her the wrong way and as soon as he was out of sight, she flew down the sloping lawn to the water. He heard the motor trying to turn over as soon as he stepped outside. Swearing, he sprinted to the dock, jumped in the boat and pulled her away from the control panel.

  “Just what in blue blazes do you think you’re doing?” he demanded with a roar.

  It was the first time he’d ever raised his voice to her, and Erica felt a tremor of fear in her tummy.

  “I wanted to go for a ride, and since you wouldn’t take me, I decided to go alone,” she spat defiantly.

  “Aw, hell no!” he replied, snatching her wrist and pulling her forward. As soon as he lifted her from the boat he bent and tossed her over his shoulder, giving her three sharp cracks on the butt. “When I say no, I mean no,” he barked as he strode up the lawn. “You don’t know the lake, and you’ve only driven the boat twice, not to mention you’ve had plenty to drink. Don’t you ever defy me on something like this again,” he said, planting another slap on her ass.

  “I’ll do what I want,” she sassed, kicking her legs and pummeling his back. “I’m a grown woman. I make my own decisions,” she shouted.

  John snorted as he entered the house. “We’ll see how grown-up you feel in a few minutes,” he drawled ominously.

  Up the stairs and down the hall, he marched. Flinging open the door to her bedroom, he put her down and undressed her in what seemed to Erica a matter of seconds. Pulling a long white nightgown from her dresser, he yanked it over her head, snatched up her hairbrush and tugged her to the bed.

  After that, it was pretty much a painful blur. She heard the words behavior, foolish, drown, and I mean to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget, amid the loud sound of the hairbrush smacking her ass over and over. He was furious, and no amount of begging or pleading swayed him. John spanked her like a naughty little girl until she was a mass of misery, sobbing into her pillow. When he was satisfied, he yanked her nightgown down, put her on her tummy and covered her up. There was no cuddling or soothing, just his crisp comment before he shut off the light and closed her door.

  “Go to sleep, Erica. You get out of that bed again tonight, and I’ll show you what a real punishment is!”

  Holy moly, she thought. If this wasn’t a ‘real punishment’ what the hell was? She cried herself to sleep, not getting out of bed until the next morning when she tip-toed down the stairs.

  John was already up, making coffee and he set a cup at her place.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, staring at the floor.

  John looked at her, his eyes narrowed. Seeing her bare toes peeking out from the bottom of her nightgown and her long dark hair in tangles, he felt his heart melt.

  “Come here, baby,” he said with a sigh, holding out his arms to her.

  Erica flew into them, thankful for his forgiveness as he held her close and rubbed her back.

  “JB, I’m so sorry, I…” she cried, her tears soaking his shirt.

  “Hush,” he whispered into her hair. “Don’t say another word. Just thinking about it makes me want to spank you all over again.”

  “Oh,” she gasped, backing up and covering her butt with her hands.

  She drank her coffee standing up and neither of them mentioned it again. In fact, they didn’t take the boat out at all for the rest of the month.

  And now it was over. Tomorrow, she’d go back to work and tell everyone what a ‘nice vacation’ she’d had when they asked, using mundane words to describe the metamorphosis she’d been through in the past four weeks.

  She loved. Had felt loved, maybe for the first time ever. She didn’t know whether she wanted to rejoice or curse. Life seemed much less complicated before John. You didn’t miss what you’d never had, and now that cocoon of blissful ignorance was cracking open. Would she be a butterfly or a moth? A moth, she suspected. She’d spent some time drawn to the warmth of the flame and now she would die. The light would fade away, and she would return to her colorless, cold world.

  Missing him was not something she could escape. She missed him when he was out of the room! His charm alone was considerable. Add to that the deep laugh that rumbled out of his chest when he was amused, the tender way he held her, the warning look that came her way when she was about to cross the line and she was helpless. He knew how to play; the big man from Texas, who worked so hard all his life, still knew how to play, amazing. As far as his body, hell, she’d probably still be missing that on her deathbed, she thought, wiping a tear from her cheek.

  Erica made one last sweep of the room. She smiled as she touched the dollhouse, peeking inside one last time. Everyone was just as she’d left them the last time she played with it, frozen in place, just like her. The books on her shelf were neatly in order, put there by John on each of the many occasions she’d fallen asleep on the window seat while reading and he’d carried her to bed, insisting she needed a nap.

  John told her a lot of things about himself in the last month. He adored her, he said many times. She made him happy. She was sexy as all get out and he derived immense satisfaction from winning an argument with her. She drove him crazy with her lopsided ideas, and he found it gratifying to spank a few of them out of her, but the one thing he never mentioned was love, and it was that tiny little four-letter word that left a gaping hole in her heart.

  Snapping her suitcase closed, she straightened just as he knocked on her door.

  “Come in,” she called, swallowing with difficulty as she brushed her last tear away.

  “Lunch is ready, baby,” he said walking into the room wearing his apron, the ever-present dishtowel grasped in his big hand. “What are you doing?” he demanded, taking in the suitcase. Her hair was up in a twist, and she was wearing the clothes she arrived in.

  “I’m packing, JB,” she replied, watching the color drain from his face. “My vacation is over. I have to work tomorrow.”

  “Quit!”

  “I can’t do that, and besides, I love my job,” she said softly. “I have to support myself, you know.”

  “No, no you don’t. I can support you, and I will, gladly,” he said, tossing the towel on the bed and planting his hand on his hip. His face was no longer pale, and there was a twitch in his jaw that set off alarm bells in her head.

  “Do I seem like the kind of girl who would let you do that?” she asked, curious.

  “Well, no but…”

  “Then why bring it up? I had a great time, but now it’s over. I need to go back to my real life,” she said.

  “This is your real life,” he insisted. “T
his is where you belong, can’t you see that? Keep your damn job if you want to, but you’re living here, with me,” he shouted, running his hand through his hair as he began to pace. “I’m not letting you go, and that’s final,” he said, pointing his finger at her.

  “Why?” she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest.

  “Because…because I said so,” he growled.

  Erica snorted. “That’s not an answer and you know it,” she replied, turning away from him and walking to the window. “You’ll have to come up with a better one than that.”

  Tears were streaming down her cheeks as the silence in the room dragged on. Her hands clutched the curtains, trying to stop her from trembling as she waited.

  “Because I love you,” he finally whispered as he placed his hands on her shoulders. The thick carpet had muffled his steps, and she nearly collapsed in his arms. “Don’t leave me, baby,” he continued. “I couldn’t bare it. Marry me.”

  “I’m no prize, John,” she replied. “You know that.”

  “Bullshit, you’re everything I’ve ever wanted. I’ll take the whole package, honey, the business woman, the brat, the seductress and the child, and I’ll cherish all of you.”

  “And you want to be my… what?” she asked, turning to look up into his eyes, her hands splayed on his chest.

  “I’ll be your husband, your lover and your best friend. I’ll take care of you when you’re sick and spank you when you’re naughty. Honey, believe me, I’m capable of being everything you need for the rest of your life. Say yes,” he insisted, giving her a small shake. “Say yes right this minute or I won’t be responsible for what I do,” he promised. “I know stubborn when I see it.”

  “Yes,” she said, smiling as she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him with a passion that took his breath away.

  John lifted her off her feet and sighed into her mouth as he took everything she offered. Cupping her bottom, he gave her a sharp slap before setting her down.

  “What was that for?” she gasped, rubbing her cheek and frowning. “I said I’d marry you.”

  “That was for almost giving me a heart attack,” he informed her. “Change your clothes and put on something pretty, and for God’s sake take down your hair,” he ordered, walking away. “We’re going shopping after lunch,” he continued, snatching up his dishtowel.

  “For what?” she asked, reaching up to unpin her hair.

  “A big fat shiny ring,” he said, grinning as he started to pull the door closed behind him, “and maybe a paddle,” he added, with a wink.

  Erica dropped her arms in shock. Like hell, she thought. Well…maybe.

  Epilogue

  They were all there, two months later, when Johanna walked down the aisle in her beautiful white wedding gown. Sam was waiting at the altar, tall and handsome and looking far too serious in Johanna’s opinion. She wanted to stop halfway and lift up her dress, showing him the silk stockings and flaming red garter belt she wore under her virginal dress, but she couldn’t do that to her mother. Instead, she winked and licked her lips, watching his mouth tilt at the corner as he gave her ‘the look.’

  Johanna was thrilled when Sam told her he was going to sell the business to Jeff and hang out a shingle. He would have a normal job with normal hours and wouldn’t be surrounded by beautiful, needy women every day, something that always bothered Jo a little. The huge Victorian house was being converted into a beautiful home they would share with her mother, now that Johanna had left her job, and she intended to show him her appreciation as soon as they could get away from their reception.

  It was a small wedding, by some standards. With Jo’s best friend very pregnant, they’d asked Brandy and Mike to stand up with them, and Brandy looked lovely in the gray satin dress she’d chosen. Mike had a hard time keeping his eyes off her.

  Marcus and Susan were there, Susan sporting a shiny gold band of her own next to the beautiful engagement ring Marcus bought in Vegas.

  Ty and Kelsey were there, with Kelsey crying into her hankie as Ty patted her back.

  Jeff juggled Rosalie in his arms, while Elena nearly vibrated with excitement. Their wedding was next month in Atlanta, and she could hardly contain herself, whispering about the lovely flowers, the music and how beautiful Johanna’s dress was until Jeff leaned down and whispered something in her ear. After that, she seemed to pull herself together and listen to the vows.

  “Johanna, do you take Sam to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, honor and obey him until death do you part?”

  John had his arm around Erica and felt her tense as though she was going to say something.

  Applying pressure to her shoulder, he leaned over and murmured in her ear.

  “I wouldn’t,” he softly advised with a smile.

  “It’s old-fashioned, nobody says that anymore,” she hissed.

  “You’re going to,” John replied calmly, looking toward the couple who were now exchanging rings.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me, Princess; besides, it’s true, you will obey me.”

  “You’re pretty damn sure of yourself,” she said, covering her mouth with her hand and pretending to cough.

  “No, I’m sure of us,” he replied, leaning his head close to her ear. “I’m sure there will never be another man who loves you as I do, and I’m sure I’d die before I let anything happen to you. Is a little obedience too much to ask, even though I know you’ll make we work for it?”

  “Well, not when you put it that way,” she sighed, feeling her tummy clench. She clearly recalled how much one word meant to her the day she was packing to leave his home. “Okay, JB, I’ll say it. It’s just one little word after all,” she said with a smile before she turned her head and kissed him.

  Stevie MacFarlane

  Hi, I'm Stevie MacFarlane. I live in a small rural community in Upstate NY, and I have been writing off and on for about twenty years in my spare time, although there wasn't much of that with a husband, five children and an assortment of supposedly domesticated pets.

  Over the course of my life I have been a waitress, social worker, cook, sewing machine operator and a fine die cutter. I swear I had no idea what I was doing, but apparently the ability to take a wire finer than a strand of hair, sharpen it and feed it through a wire die, was enough for them to keep me on. I also worked for a very short time in a meat packing plant where I got to stand in front of a machine that spit boxes of frozen chicken at me, that was fun!

  Then there was the plastic plant I enjoyed for a spell. The heat and smell were bad enough, but the excess hot plastic needed to be pulled off the parts and put into a grinder. I believe they called this byproduct 'spew' or some such thing. I was not quite fast enough to separate the parts and still get the excess into the shredder, (picture Lucy in the chocolate factory) so I just tossed it behind me until they came to break me for lunch. By that time I had a mountain of twisted plastic taller than me! Needless to say, I just turned in my gear and went home.

  So I must say that I enjoy what I'm doing now. Of course, being retired gives me more time to let the characters in my head entertain me and hopefully, you as well. I would love hearing from you at StevieMacFarlane@aol.com and thanks for stopping by.

  Visit her website here:

  http://steviemacfarlane.com

  Visit her blog here:

  http://steviemacfarlane.weebly.com/

  Don’t miss these exciting titles by Stevie MacFarlane and Blushing Books!

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  A Sweet and Sassy Match, Sugar Babies, Inc. Book 1

  Match Me if You Dare, Sugar Babies, Inc. Book 2

  Matched for Keeps, Sugar Babies, Inc. Book 3

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