"Bad relationship?"
"A case of lethal attraction. I ended up having to get a restraining order because she started stalking my other clients and camping out on my doorstep. This happened about five years ago."
"Dang. I thought Lyle was bad. How many other … true submissives do you have?"
"Right now? None. My last one just got married and moved out of state. I have four ladies that require disciplinary sessions and I see them sporadically."
"Oh. What about regular clients?"
"I have plenty of those to keep me busy. I keep an office in the city and meet with them a couple of days a week. Let me help you," Jeoff said, as she kept brushing the hair from her face. He returned with a hairbrush and stood behind her chair, brushing her long hair into a sweeping ponytail. "You like getting your hair brushed, don't you?"
"Mmm, who doesn't?"
"You are positively purring. I will brush it every time I see you, if you like," Jeoff said, running his finger along her jaw line. "I want to kiss you."
Piper blushed, looking down. "I'm not ready. Everything is moving too fast."
"No pressure, baby girl. The next move is yours. I am a very patient man, and I promise you that one day those little pink lips will be mine."
Chapter 4
Piper yawned, stretching lazily out in her own bed. She looked around the small, drab room and felt a twang of homesickness for Jeoff's loft. It had been two weeks since they had spent that first weekend together, building the Lego Death Star, walking on the forested property, and talking about the D&S lifestyle. She bombarded him with questions and was confused by answers that conflicted with the belief system she had formed during her entire adult life. He used analogies and illustrations to help her grasp the concept, but emphasized that she alone was responsible for her growth and for changing the character flaws that were keeping her from being truly happy. She honestly shared with him that his words left her feeling defiant and rebellious then reluctantly admitted that it was so much easier to blame someone else for her misery. Jeoff had laughed heartily, pleased with her ability to be honest with her vanilla agenda. He sobered quickly, lifted her chin in his big hand, informed her that the blame-game would hereby cease and desist, and kissed her forehead as she silently pouted.
They had met for 'non-date' lunches or dinner every day since that weekend and spent hours talking about every subject imaginable. Piper sighed. She had never felt as comfortable with anyone before and greatly missed his constant presence, the sense of safety he emitted, and the comforting sound of his low, gentle voice. She smiled, thinking about how he tackled her to the carpet just last night, and tickled her into acknowledging that they were now officially dating.
Piper conceded that the more he shared about his preferred lifestyle, the more intrigued she became. She struggled with the contradiction that accompanied his attentive and caring behavior, expecting the opposite from someone who maintained such an old-fashioned view of the male-female relationship. She was in conflict, wanting to be with him and yet hesitant, concerned about the strong possibility that he would mandate submission to his control. He had not made any demands of her, but she often wondered if and how that might change. Yet she still found it easy to submit to his frequent requests and instructions and noted that the absence of those same commands for any significant time left her feeling empty and oddly insecure.
Dragging her body into the shower, Piper wearily began to plan her day. Job-hunting was still her priority, and she tried not to grow discouraged, as the availability of decent work—even seasonal—appeared to be absent that time of year. She had avoided going into Portland for work, intimidated by the size and elegance of the beautiful city. Jeoff had pointed out her fears of venturing into unknown territory; she refuted him and signed up for spring classes at the university to prove him wrong.
Excitement welled within her at the thought of returning to school and obtaining her degree after all these years. The image of the cozy little schoolroom that Jeoff has set up in the cottage behind his house flickered through her head, and she considered how pleasant it would be to hide out there to do her assignments. Her imagination took flight, and she began to muse about how Jeoff, playing the role of a headmaster, would insist on checking her answers. He would lavishly reward her for the ones she got correct and severely punish her for the ones she did not. Piper froze, mid-thought. What the hell was she thinking? Where was this insane fantasy coming from?
The phone rang. It was Lyle again. Damn! She forgot to block out his work number!
"What do you want? I told you to leave me alone and stop harassing me."
"It has been six weeks since you left, and I decided that I have given you enough time to make the decision to come home on your own. I am on my way to bring you back with me, and you better not give me any trouble. Pack your things. I am on a layover and will land in Portland in two hours. After I get a rental, I will be there to get you."
"Like fucking hell you are! I swear I will call the cops on you if you dare show your face," Piper seethed.
"No, you won't. You won't resist me. You can't resist me. You know you need me. The holidays are coming, and we are a family. I'm not going to give up, and I am not leaving Portland without you at my side. We are good together, and …" he said, in a slithering, snakelike manner.
Piper slammed the phone down, her hand trembling with anger. That rat bastard! The shrilling sound of the phone ringing again sent her into a frenzy. Piper grabbed her purse and car keys and rushed out of the apartment as fast as she could run. She jumped into her car and screeched out of the parking lot, her wheels squealing noisily as she sped down the wet street and merged recklessly onto the highway. Blind with rage, she pressed her foot on the accelerator and let her car fly. The vehicles on either side were mere blurs as she raced by them, her eyes focused only on the tiny spot of road ahead. With one hand on the steering wheel, she lifted her phone and texted Jeoff:
Can't meet for lunch. X is coming!
Where R U now?
On road. So pissed.
R U texting and driving?
Piper found herself hesitating before responding. With an unconcerned shrug, she texted back:
Duh
We'll talk about that tonight. You are in trouble, little one. Meet me at Voodoo Donut right away . Don't argue.
Piper felt her mouth go dry. In trouble? What the hell did he mean by that? I don't answer to him or anyone else! I am a free, independent woman and do not need a keeper. He can't tell me what to do … he has no right!
Those angry thoughts did not prevent her from turning around or steering in the direction of the famous donut shop. Twenty minutes later, she parked alongside Jeoff's big, blue truck, questioning her own sanity as Jeoff gestured her to join him inside the cab. Still fuming, Piper hauled herself into the high bench seat with some difficulty and slammed the heavy door closed.
"I need a step stool if you expect me to get into this monster truck without breaking my neck," she complained.
Handing her coffee and a pink glazed donut covered with rainbow sprinkles, he responded, "I'll install one for you later. Tell me what happened, P. I have never seen you so agitated."
"This is not on my diet," Piper said, wrinkling her nose. "Too many carbs."
"The carbs fell out of the hole. This is your favorite, so eat it. Stop avoiding my question. Talk to me. Is your ex dangerous?"
"He's a nasty, manipulative bastard. I have no doubt that he will try to physically force me to come with him, especially when he sees I've lost that extra weight he hates. I didn't think he would follow me all the way from Alabama! He said he is on his way, and he is not leaving without me." She threw out her words breathlessly, anxiety overriding her ability to speak.
"Breathe, sweetheart. I'm here for you, and I won't allow him to hurt you anymore. I promise. We will go meet him together. I am sure I can find a way to persuade him to leave you alone."
"You would kill him for me?"
Piper looked at him hopefully.
"I don't think we need to go to those extremes, but I will make certain he knows that you are forever off-limits to him."
"You would really do that?"
Jeoff raised his eyebrow. "Of course I would. Why do you look so surprised? I care about you and I want you to be safe. However, there will be a condition."
"Of course there is," she groaned. "Fine, I'll go out to dinner with you. On a real date, if you insist."
"Oh, that's going to happen anyway. No, the condition is that you and I will have a long talk about your lack of safety. Texting while driving? Really? And you were not wearing your seatbelt either."
"Oh, you noticed that. It's not a big deal. I do it all the time."
"It is dangerous and illegal. Sorry, but that is a huge issue, especially for someone I consider to be under my protection."
"You are worse than a mother hen, Jeoff. Stop it."
"No, I won't stop it. You know me well enough to have expected this reaction. How fast were you going?"
Piper looked out the window to avoid his answer. She chomped on her donut as she tried to ignore him.
"Piper Rose Hilliard," Jeoff growled, "unless you want to find your bottom sprawled across my knee right here and now, in the middle of this parking lot, where anyone can walk by and see you, you will answer me. You should know that I am not concerned about being caught paddling you, either. I repeat, how fast were you going?"
"Damn it, Jeoff, you aren't my father!"
"I am going to count to three. One … Two…"
"Fuckin' ninety-five! Okay?! Now, lay off."
Jeoff took a deep breath, shaking his head. "I am going to help you get rid of this jerk, Piper. I am also going to be spanking that little backside of yours until it turns the color of the sunset for putting yourself in danger. If you don't want to talk to me afterwards, that is fine. But at least I will know that I did what I could to discourage you from killing yourself or somebody else with your recklessness."
"You better not touch me! I'll … I'll …"
"Yes? You will do what? Call the cops? I didn't think so," he said, as she shook her head. "We will leave your car here for now. Let's excise this tumor from your life once and for all."
"He's not going to give up that easily."
"Then we will find a more permanent way to discourage him when the time comes. Buckle up, and no lip."
Piper sunk in the seat of the truck as Jeoff drove her back to her apartment. He escorted her upstairs, made her a cup of tea, and sat her down in front of the little gas fireplace after wrapping a throw around her shoulders. He began to straighten up the kitchen when there was a pounding on the door.
"Stay put, I will get this. I don't want you to interfere," Jeoff ordered, in a voice that Piper dared not disobey. She peered over the back of the couch and watched as the events unfolded. First, the look of her ex-husband's paunchy, pale face through black rimmed glasses, and the straining of his neck as he looked up at Jeoff, nearly made her break into gales of laughter. She had never known Lyle to be stunned into silence. Jeoff excused himself to the outside, closing the door solidly behind him and Lyle. Piper ran to the entrance and pressed her ear against the wood, trying to catch what the muffled voices exchanged. She heard footsteps and ran back to the couch, pretending she had never left.
Jeoff entered the apartment and eased his large body down next to her as he took her hand. "He will not be bothering you again any time soon. I promise."
"What did you say?"
"Well, to start with," he shifted uncomfortably, "I exaggerated the truth about our relationship a little. I had to, in order for him to realize that you were forever off-limits. I'm sorry, but it was the only way to shut him up."
"What did you tell him?"
"That we were engaged. He started yapping about how miserable a wife you were and that even a Neanderthal like me rated something better. I may have stretched his shirt out a little when I lifted him against the wall and told him that if I ever heard him disrespecting you again, he would eat concrete. I think he believed me."
"Wow. I didn't think you had it in you. You are such a teddy bear."
"Unfortunately, I do have it in me. No one messes with my girls. Like it or not, you are one of them. And the most important one to me."
"I like it. I think," Piper smiled, squeezing his hand. "No one has ever come to my defense before. Thank you. I …"
Jeoff interrupted her, pressing his lips hungrily to hers and pulling her tightly to his body. Piper stiffened with surprise before she melted in his embrace, giving way to her own desire to kiss him back. He pulled her to straddle his lap, holding her face between his palms as he explored her sweet mouth with his tongue. She released a throaty groan as she felt his growing manhood pressed against her inner thighs.
"Forgive me for lying?" he asked huskily, grazing his teeth along the length of her swan-like throat.
"Of course," Piper purred, kneading her fingers into the base of his neck. "Do you forgive me for speeding and texting?"
"And not wearing your seatbelt? Yes. I certainly will forgive you after I finish your spanking. Come on, let's get back to my place. I don't want your ex backtracking and thinking he can bother you once I'm gone."
"What if I don't want to go with you?"
"Is that what you want? No? Then go get some clothes and pack an overnight bag. Hurry, now!"
Piper pouted as Jeoff ordered her to follow him back to the truck, her lip projecting further out as they traveled back to the donut shop to collect her car. He gave her one final warning.
"I will be watching how fast you are going, so mind your speed. You are already in enough trouble as it is, so please don't compound things by being defiant."
"You're a mean old man," Piper grumbled, yelping as he surprised her with a sharp smack to the rear.
"Mind me, young lady. And don't call me old. I am only forty."
"That's a hell of lot older than me. Did they have cars when you were a kid?"
"Being cute is not going to save your bottom tonight, baby. Put that seatbelt on and get moving."
Piper squirmed in her seat the entire drive to Jeoff's house. Her hands were sweating, and she felt queasy as she anticipated her punishment. Not knowing what to expect both terrified and excited her. She trusted him not to harm her, which calmed some of the butterflies fluttering around inside of her tummy. The calm did not last long as she exited her vehicle and approached him with uncertainty.
"March your little backside into the house, find a corner and stick your nose in it. Do not even think of talking back to me. It would not fare well with you," Jeoff commanded.
Biting her lower lip, Piper stared up into his handsome, unshaven face. His eyes were filled with disappointment, and the frown he carried caused his brow to furrow deeply. Piper glanced at his large, broad hands and shivered. Those hands were accustomed to woodworking and playing hockey, often without gloves. She had no doubt that, as gentle as those hands had been with her so far, they could also be formidable instruments on her derriere. She offered another little pout, sticking her lower lip out just enough to exhibit sweetness and perhaps soften the beast looming before her.
Jeoff stood firm, impervious to her charms, with his index finger pointing silently in the direction she was to follow. Hanging her head and slumping her shoulders, Piper shuffled her feet in the mud to the front door, turned to look at him pleadingly, and then entered the house after kicking off her boots. She was dead meat, and no amount of adorability would help her escape this time.
"Why aren't you in a corner, Piper Rose?" Jeoff asked sternly as he came up behind her. Piper turned to find her nose facing his diaphragm and then gradually lifted her eyes to his face. She swallowed, gathering her senses to the fourteen-inch difference in height. That was not even taking into account that he was well over one hundred pounds heavier than she.
"You're huge," she whispered. "You could fit one of me in a single pant leg.
"
"Compared to you, yes. Stop procrastinating. The corner, missy. I want that little freckled nose touching the crease in the wall."
Piper trembled as she followed his finger to the only empty corner in the room, fidgeting nervously as she plunged her nose to the wooden planks and anticipated further instructions. She wondered how many other women had stood there before she had. How many others had he rescued and let sleep in his loft? Jealousy flooded through her, and she kicked the wall.
"This is your first warning. Every time you kick the wall, I retrieve an implement. Since this will be your first spanking from me, I think you might want to avoid any additions. Understand?"
"You're mean."
"Answer me correctly, Piper. You know exactly what I want to hear."
She could not refuse him, as much as she struggled within. A muffled 'yes, Sir' seeped through her parched lips.
"Good girl. Stay put now."
Piper banged her forehead against the wood in a rhythm intended to distract her from the passage of time. Jeoff returned several minutes later and cleared his throat.
"Come over here, young lady. It is time to have a very long talk."
Piper sucked on her upper lip as she begrudgingly approached the sofa where Jeoff sat, his legs and arms intimidatingly crossed. His biceps bulged from under the dark blue T-shirt; the close-cut beard on his face made him look menacing. Piper felt tears well in her eyes, any bravado left inside of her fleeing.
"I'm sorry. I was just angry and scared, and I wasn't thinking. Please don't be mad at me."
"Sit down here," he patted his lap, pulling her down upon the broad, rock-hard thighs. "I am not angry. I am disappointed in you. You're a smart girl with so much to live for. Why would you do anything so foolish?"
Piper's Journey (Into Submission 1) Page 6