by Jodi Bella
"What… what are you doing?" Alicia stammered.
"You'll see. What did I tell you about being patient?"
Very carefully, Luke placed one of the pillows under Alicia's bottom. Before settling her on it, he pressed twin kisses on her bottom cheeks and asked her how she was doing.
"O-okay."
"Good girl."
Then, as if he found it the most natural thing in the world, Luke took hold of each of Alicia's ankles, and lifted her legs, one over each of his shoulders. He hunkered down right before her nest of golden curls and actually licked his lips.
"L-Luke…" Alicia's voice broke as she said his name. It sounded like a plea, but for what she had no idea.
"Relax, darlin.' Trust me."
Luke slipped his hand under Alicia's bottom and cupped her in his palms, raising her up to his lips. He parted her ever so gently with his thumbs and suckled her right there, where she had ached and throbbed for him for so long.
Alicia cried out in raspy, unintelligible sounds, twisting about at his slow, sweet torment. Luke drew on her like she held the sweetest of nectars and he was starving. She didn't seem to know whether she liked this or hated it and Luke finally asked her, to make sure she was okay. Her answer was that she didn't know.
Luke chuckled at that and she felt the laughter through her body as much as she heard it. He gave her one more wet kiss there, and sat up. She watched with hungry eyes as he shed his clothes into a pile on the floor, then rejoined her on the bed. Hesitantly, she reached out and clasped her hand over his hard, erect shaft and giggled at the gasp of pleasure and surprise she wrung from him. Slowly, enjoying her play, she stroked him and watched in fascination at the exchange of emotions that crossed over his face. He stilled her hand a few minutes later, groaning her name, and moved to sit beside her in the center of the bed.
"I'm not going to push into you while you're bottom's still so sore," he told her, sitting on the bed and guiding her to straddle him. Ever so slowly, constantly aware that this was most likely a new, uncomfortable experience for her, Luke eased Alicia down the length of him. She gasped and clenched her muscles, looking with wild fright into his eyes. He stopped at those times and held them both perfectly still until her muscles relaxed and stretched to accommodate him. He spoke to her with encouraging words that made her smile fit to light up the room. "Oh, Lord, Alicia. That's it. You're doing great, honey. Just relax. Don't fight it. That's it…"
Nearly five minutes later, sweat beading on his brow, his forearms trembling, Luke was finally fully seated inside of Alicia.
As gently as he could, he guided her into the age-old rhythm, marveling in the change of expression over her face. He cushioned her still warm bottom with his hands to try to absorb the rough slap of it meeting his hard thighs as she moved down and then back up again.
"It's… so different… on top," she marveled.
Luke kissed her temple, then her nose. "Get used to it. I sort of like it this way."
"You do? I thought… guys always wanted… to top…"
"Nah… besides I can't do this…" -and he gave her a light swat, low on her bottom, knowing it would further stimulate her sex- "if you're … beneath me…"
Their climax was tender and simultaneous, born out of the effort and consideration for each other that had gone into the act. Their voices rang out loud and primitive in the room and afterwards they drifted back from the stars to lie huddled in one another's arms.
Alicia's head rested on Luke's softly furred chest and her fingers played along the muscled length of his arm.
"That was wonderful," she sighed.
Luke patted her bottom. "Yes, it was."
She looked up at him and rested her chin on his chest. "It was never… that good before," she admitted shyly. "Is it always like that?"
Luke grinned that cocky grin of his and she waited for the customary arrogant response. Something like, "It is with me, baby." But his grin softened and he ran his fingers through her hair. "It should always be like that."
"Hmmm." Alicia smiled and put her head back on his chest.
They spent nearly the entire weekend in bed. Getting to know one another in that intimate, physical way turned out to be quite an engrossing hobby, one that Alicia figured she might be able to work at full time, if not for the real world.
All good things must come to an end, of course, and that special weekend was no different. On Sunday afternoon, around two-thirty, a phone call came through for Alicia on the house phone. When she hung up, Luke saw the disappointment on her face.
Alicia had applied for a loan to expand the bakery. It was a minimal amount, just for the basics of what she really needed to make running the business easier. A couple more full time employees who had some experience, two more ovens and a few small odds and ends. The bank had turned her down two weeks ago and she had, after carefully deliberating over it, asked her parents for the loan. Luke knew before he even asked her that it had been them on the phone, apparently with bad news.
"They'd love to loan me the money," Alicia told him after confirming his suspicions about the call. "They just can't afford it themselves." She sighed.
"I'm sorry, honey." Luke took her hand and kissed it.
She shrugged half-heartedly, though the expression on her face betrayed the careless gesture. "So, I'll just keep working a bit extra, get Karen to help as much as she can Maybe in a year the store will be strong enough that the bank won't see me as such a risk."
Luke nodded. He had another possible solution, but something held him back from offering it to her. He had a feeling she would not respond kindly to it.
He glanced at the clock. "Well, I guess I better head out to go pick up Missy. Wanna come?"
"Sure. Anything to get my mind off of work."
The ride took about an hour and Luke put on one of Alicia's favorite CD's while they drove. He sang along with the songs and she found herself touched by his efforts to cheer her. She didn't dare unbuckle her seatbelt to slide across the bench seat to kiss him, but she wanted to. She did catch his eye and smile, then she whispered that she loved him.
When they got to Missy's grandparents' house, Alicia was introduced to Bill and Molly Jenkins, who were a kindly elderly couple who clearly loved Missy and liked Luke very much. Missy came downstairs looking forlorn and Alicia first thought the little girl must wish she could visit longer. Then Molly told Luke that Missy hadn't been feeling well that day and she thought she was coming down with something.
To her surprise, after hugging her uncle hello, Missy clung to Alicia's side. She rested her head on Alicia's shoulder the entire ride home, and actually fell asleep.
Luke smiled across the cab at Alicia's look of bewilderment. "I'm afraid I'm not much help when someone's sick," he told her, nodding to Missy. "Missy knows from experience that if she's sick to her stomach, I turn just as green and hightail it away to someplace safe."
Alicia grinned, remembering now when she'd had the flu and Luke had looked like he was sick to his stomach, too. "So, that's your flaw, huh, Cowboy?" she teased him, getting a frown in return. "A weak stomach…"
"It's not exactly a flaw…"
"It is for you," she insisted. "And here I was thinking you were the perfect man!"
Luke laughed. He nodded again towards his niece. "I may be the perfect man, but I'm a damn rotten nurse maid."
Alicia smiled as she looked down into Missy's peaceful face. She swept aside a few locks of the little girl's hair and realized that she sort of liked the warm, trusting weight cuddled up beside her. Was this what it was like with children, she wondered. Would it be this way with her own children, hers and Luke's?
She glanced at her fiancé, wondering if their kids would take after him or her. Hopefully a little of both. It was strange for her to be thinking like that—about kids. Until just a few months ago, she had closed herself off to the idea completely.
Luke caught her watching him. "Whatcha thinking about?" he asked.
&
nbsp; "Our future," she answered, turning her gaze back to Missy. She was glad that he didn't push her for more details. It was all so new to her and she needed to get her feelings straight in her head before sharing them with him.
Luke carried Missy from the truck to the house when they got back to the farm. She woke up when he set her in her bed and immediately looked around and asked, "Where's Alicia?"
"I'm right here!"
"Oh." Missy looked relieved, then glanced apologetically at her uncle. Luke smiled his understanding and ruffled her hair.
"How about some dry toast and tea?" he asked.
Missy hesitated, then nodded.
Luke already looked a tad green, Alicia thought. Poor guy. He beat a hasty retreat from the room, leaving his girls alone.
Alicia fussed with the pillows and blanket, making sure that Missy was comfortable. The entire time Missy was studying her quietly.
"You okay?" Alicia finally asked.
Missy nodded. "I love Uncle Luke, but he's a wimp about people gettin' sick," she said. Alicia laughed.
"Well, I'm not a wimp about stuff like that," she assured the little girl, sensing that Missy had been hoping to hear those very words. "I'll be here if you need me, Missy, okay?"
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
That night, Luke made up a bed on the couch for himself and Alicia slept in his room. She was close enough there to hear if Missy needed her, and Luke said he didn't want his niece to get the wrong idea about them before they were married. Alicia had told him the idea wasn't "wrong," he just didn't want to be too close if Missy got sick during the night. That had gotten her quite a smarting slap to her still tender rear.
Alicia was up twice with Missy during the night. Though it wasn't much fun to clean the child up and comfort her after she'd been ill, Alicia found that she enjoyed taking care of the little girl. No one had ever really relied on her before—it had always been the other way around. She found that she rather liked being needed.
In the morning, Alicia met Luke in the kitchen.
"How's the patient?" he asked as he put bread into the toaster.
"About the same. She's not going to school today, that's for sure. She's got a temp and still feels sick."
"Oh."
Alicia hid a smile. She accepted the mug of coffee he handed her. "I'll take her to the doctor for you today," she offered.
"You will?"
"Sure, I don't mind. I don't even really need to go in to the store today so I could stay home with her, too. If it helps out."
"You're sure?"
"Sure."
"Thanks, that would help out a lot." Luke turned and gave Alicia one of his breath stealing kisses. When he pulled back from her, he fixed her with a quizzical look and accused, "You like it, don't you?"
"Like what?"
"You like playing mom!"
Alicia shrugged. She didn't see why she should deny it, even though he made it sound like a sin. "It's nice to feel needed," she agreed. "Especially when Missy didn't care much for me at first."
Luke grinned. "I knew that wouldn't last," he reminded her as he turned back to breakfast preparations. "She couldn't resist you for long. And, Alicia…?"
"Yeah?"
"Just for the record, honey. Missy's not the only one around here who needs you."
Alicia blushed. "Thanks, Cowboy."
Chapter 9
The months that remained until the wedding seemed to fly by for Alicia. She was constantly busy at the bakery and last minute plans and problems for the wedding took up a lot of her time, as well. In April, they celebrated both Missy and Luke's birthdays within two weeks of one another and Alicia threw them a combined surprise party that was a huge hit. It wasn't enough to keep her from receiving both birthday spankings, though she didn't really mind. The spanking she took for Missy's birthday was hardly much of a spanking, being only seven swats, plus the traditional one to grow on. Luke's spanking for his birthday was a bit longer, with him turning thirty that year, but it was a real warm and fuzzy spanking that ending with a long bout of lovemaking that Alicia thought was well worth the wait.
Of course, those weren't the only times she was over Luke's knee in the two and a half months between Valentine's Day and their wedding. As the big day drew closer, Alicia grew more and more nervous and tense, and she found herself repeatedly over Luke's lap for one transgression or another. He even gave these spankings a name – tension breakers. To Alicia, they were more like bottom breakers, but she didn't dare complain. She knew she deserved each and every one, and all she had to do to avoid them was take a step back and calm down when she started getting riled up about the wedding. It was just that she never did that!
In her defense, there was a lot to be overcome by. The wedding guest list was huge, and the majority of guests were coming in from out of town. It seemed that everyone expected her help in finding accommodations and she still had a business to run on the side. Then, of course, there were last minute problems to be handled—her dress had been altered wrong and the dressmaker was rushing now to have it finished on time, two of her bridesmaids' dyed heels had arrived in the wrong sizes and were on priority shipping in order to arrive on time. Missy was being difficult about wearing the pink ribbon in her hair that matched the one on her flower girl's dress. And the list went on…
And still, in the back of Alice's mind, despite the fact that she loved Luke Stephens with all her heart and thought there could be no greater happiness than being his wife, she still had the nagging worry that something was going to happen to ruin the wedding. She wondered if she would ever get over what Damon had done to her.
The night before the wedding, Alicia and Luke attended a brief rehearsal at the small church in town where they would be married. Alicia felt the butterflies swirling in her belly as she walked down the aisle, hand tucked into her father's elbow. Everyone around her was talking and joking, in great humor over the upcoming nuptials. Luke and the minister were smiling down the length of the aisle at her, while Alicia felt sick to her stomach. When they reached the altar and her father handed her over to Luke, he noticed her hands were shaking when he took possession of them.
"Relax," he admonished gently, squeezing her hands. She blushed as red as a beet and ducked her head. The minister smiled gently and went through the rest of what they could expect for the ceremony with a quiet respect for Alicia's distress.
When they had finished running through the ceremony, Luke pulled Alicia aside and looked into her eyes.
"I love you, Alicia Marie, you know that, right?" he asked her.
She nodded. "I love you, too, Luke."
"Say it, so I know you understand," he pressed. "Say 'Luke Stephens loves me.'"
She blushed furiously, and even more so when he caressed one flaming cheek with his thumb. "Luke Stephens loves me," she whispered, glancing around her and feeling foolish. "Okay?"
He nodded. "Don't forget it. You seem to be getting lost in bad memories here lately and I don't want you to be worried that I'm going to pull a Damon on you."
She looked down at the floor, ashamed at being caught. He always seemed to know what she was thinking. "I'm sorry, Luke."
"It's okay. I can't even imagine what that must have done to you. But you should know me better by now, that I'd never do anything like that to you. Right?"
"Right."
He kissed her there, in the shadows of the church altar, and she felt his love and warmth flowing through her like a sweet wine.
They retired back to the farm for an informal gathering for supper. Alicia huddled beside her husband-to-be and fortified herself for the night with his laughter and love.
She left with her sister after dinner. In order to keep from seeing Luke in the morning before the ceremony she had decided to stay the night at Karen's with her parents, and he would stay at home with Missy.
He walked her out to her car and pulled her into his arms, lifting her off her feet in a bear hug. "Oh, boy!
" he exclaimed. "I love you, Alicia Goode."
"I love you, Luke."
"Be good tonight," he warned with a grin and a tap to her backside. "No fraternizing with any male strippers or whatever you girls do for a bachelorette party!"
She shook her head. "No way. Some of the girls might stop by, but I plan to get my beauty sleep."
"Not that you need any."
Luke held her quietly for a bit and Alicia tried to draw some of his strength into her. She sighed and he kissed her forehead.
"Trust me," he entreated her, sensing her feelings, like always. "Everything will be fine, I promise."
Alicia drove off to Karen's a few minutes later, repeating his words like a prayer in her head.
At her sister's, Alicia changed from her dress and heels into an old pair of comfy sweats and athletic socks, then joined Karen and their parents in the den. A few of Alicia's girlfriends stopped by with last minute gifts and well wishes. She took a sleeping pill around ten, knowing she'd never be able to relax and get any rest without it, then kissed her parents goodnight around eleven.
Karen stopped by her room as she was pulling the covers back on the bed.
"You okay, sis?" she asked.
Alicia nodded. "Sure, why?"
"Well, for a woman who's about to marry one of the greatest guys I know, you just don't look all that happy."
Alicia sagged down on the mattress and hugged a pillow to her chest.
"He's not Damon, you know."
"Yeah, I know. Or my head knows, at least. It's hard to convince my heart that I'm not going to get hurt."
Karen smiled sadly. "I'd love to get my hands on that Damon, just once. He'd sing soprano for the rest of his days."
Alicia giggled and hugged her sister. "I love you, too, Karen."