Gideon's Redemption

by Maddie Taylor

  Chapter Fourteen

  The following Monday, Gid drove her to the UCLA campus. With much encouragement and support from Gideon, she met with an advisor and soon found herself re-enrolled. Their timing was perfect because the semester started the following week. Being labeled a non-traditional student was deflating to Shannon’s ego, and so was looking around at all the 18-year-olds registering that day.

  “This is making me feel old, Gid.”

  They were walking across campus to the registrar’s office when they made the mistake of taking a short cut through the student union. It was there that the first annoying adolescent recognized Gideon. In next to no time, he was surrounded by a bunch of chattering, gushing fans, all begging for pictures and autographs. Shannon found herself being pushed away, but Gid maintained a firm grip on her arm and pulled her into his side.

  “Don’t bail on me, Shannon, or I’m a goner.” He turned to the hoard of squealing girls and introduced her. That took the wind out of their sails a bit, but not enough to discourage them from an autograph or phone pic with Gideon Eli. Good naturedly, Gid posed and signed for a least 15 minutes before a security guard came up and helped disburse the gathering. Only then were they able to make their escape, this time with a campus escort.

  “Does that happen often?” Shannon asked as the guard drove them to the admissions office in his golf cart.

  “More often than I’d like, especially around kids this age. I guess I should have worn a hat.”

  Shannon snickered, thinking that would hardly be a disguise, his big muscular frame and handsome features would still be easily recognizable. His butt in the snug jeans he was wearing would still have turned heads and attracted attention.

  Grateful for his assistance, they thanked their personal campus guide when they arrived at their destination. He had helped them avoid countless other Gideon sightings, she was certain. Before he left them, he managed to get his own autograph for his girlfriend—or so he said. Gid, to his credit, hadn’t even cracked a smile when he was asked to make it out to “My friend, Deacon”.

  Worried she wouldn’t be able to manage a full course load after ten years away from school, Shannon signed up for two classes on campus and a third online. She had about thirty credits to complete her undergrad degree, which made nine credits a fairly good start. Selecting a business major this time around, she’d be able to finish in three semesters and learn the skills she needed to help with The Foundation’s public relations and marketing issues. She was excited to have a plan for her professional future, one that would help Gid and the band but be rewarding in its own right.

  Gid supported every decision, making suggestions only when asked and letting her make her own choices on classes and schedules. Although he was in favor of her going back to school, he told her afterwards that he was relieved she had decided to ease into a full course load. He owned up to his purely selfish reasons, admitting he was glad she would still have enough time in her schedule for himself and Eli. Shannon thought that was sweet, not selfish, and rewarded him with a rare public display of affection by kissing him full on the lips, right smack dab in the middle of the crowded bursar’s office.

  While waiting in line to pay her tuition, Shannon noticed that Gid got several calls which he promptly ignored. He took only one of the dozen or so that lit up his phone. It was from Justin. His phone continued to ring while they waited at the bookstore.

  “Is something wrong? Someone sure has been blowing up your phone.”

  “Its business and someone who won’t take no for an answer. Don’t worry about it.”

  She got the feeling that he wasn’t telling her the whole story and was going to push a little more when his phone alarmed yet again. This time it was a text. He shook his head, turning his phone toward her with a sigh. “Social media—a blessing and curse. We’re trending on Instagram and Twitter already, babe.”

  “What? How did that happen so fast?” Grabbing his phone, she started scrolling through pictures of them in the student union. Some of the comments were ridiculous, but most were trashing her. “Great. This is nothing but a ‘diss Gid’s girlfriend’ extravaganza. Listen to this. It’s titled ‘Gideon Eli engaged: Who is She? Too bad, you gave up too soon, Gid. You could have had me.’ She even posted a skanky pic of herself.”

  Still scrolling, Shannon found another. “Engaged ain’t married. There’s still time.” She found yet another picture that was less than becoming and screeched in outrage when she read the tag. “Why do musicians always marry the fat, ugly chicks?”

  Gideon reached out and retrieved his phone. “That’s jealous bullshit and you know it. Don’t stress about this crap. There are always going to be critics and haters out there. I just wanted to show you that we’d been outed, not make you mad. Besides, everyone knows musicians marry supermodels. Look at Heidi Klum and Seal.”

  “Um, Gid? Heidi Klum and Seal got divorced.”

  “Really? Huh… I guess I don’t keep up with things that closely. How about Iman and David Bowie, or Paulina and Ric Ocasek from The Cars? They’ve been together for decades.”

  His words didn’t penetrate. “That was a bad picture, I’ll give ‘em that, but I’m not fat, am I? My butt is a bit round, but fat?”

  “Shannon, you are beautiful. Forget that spiteful comment.”

  “Maybe I could stand to lose a few pounds, but only five, ten at most. That would just make my boobs smaller. My butt would take going to the gym at least four days—”

  His lips covering her mouth pulled the plug on her brooding introspection. “Hush now. You are perfect. I love your round bottom, and your boobs are spectacular. If you make them smaller, I’ll be upset. You are going to have to learn to ignore all the negativity. There will be so much more of it, and I’m sorry for that. I’ll do everything I can to protect you and Eli, but I can’t control stupidity on Facebook and the blogs. You are going to have to grow thicker skin.”

  “So you don’t think my butt is fat?”

  “I thought I’d proven how much I love your butt. I suppose I could give you another spanking to prove it.”

  He looked around as if trying to find some place to do that now. “No way, Gid. You can’t start anything here, not surrounded by all these people with smart phones.”

  “Hmm… That sounded like a challenge.”

  “No, it didn’t, and it wasn’t. Just imagine the field day the press would have with a naughty picture of us, with my bare bottom upturned over your knee.” She smirked a bit at that, then realized what she’d said in a crowded room full of people. No one seemed to notice. With consideration of their lack of privacy, she moved in close to him and spoke more softly.

  “I can see the tabloid headlines now. ‘Gideon Eli: Closet Spanker—Exposé on page 5’.” She promptly grinned at him, tickled by her little joke. “Wait… Stop the presses. I’ve got a better one. ‘Rock Star Off His Nut: Spanks Coed’s Butt’.” She couldn’t keep from giggling after that one, amusing herself at his expense.

  Just as quickly, another silly headline popped into her head. “Wait! Even better… ‘Extra! Extra! Northern Exposure Star—Big Man On Campus—Rubs Coed the Wrong Way.” She clamped a hand over her mouth to contain her mirth, but it was much too late. She was near to bursting at the seams with hilarity.

  “Are you about done?” he asked, idly hooking his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans. He looked around to see who might have overheard. Ordinarily, her laughter would have drawn unwanted attention, but in the chaos of registration day, her bad jokes and laughter didn’t make a dent in the noise level in the cavernous room. Patiently, he waited for her to finish.

  “No, I can’t stop now. I’m on a roll,” she laughed helplessly, a tear rolling down her cheek. “I’ve got—one more and it’s—a really good one.”

  He heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Go ahead and tell me. Get it all out of your system.”

  Shannon suspected he was only acting put upon, because she swore his li
ps twitched just a tiny bit. “Just one more, I promise.” Gasping for air, she pressed a hand to her side, which was aching as she paid the price of her merriment. With consideration of their lack of privacy, she leaned in and spoke in an exaggerated stage whisper. “‘Newsflash! Gideon Eli—Raises Cane on College Campus’.”

  She doubled over, as peals of laughter robbed her of breath. Having amused herself thoroughly, she leaned against Gid for support. The shuddering of his chest proved he wasn’t immune to her silliness, and he let loose with a bark of laughter as she raised watery eyes to his handsome face.

  “What’s gotten into you today?” he asked, hugging her tight as a grin finally settled on his sexy lips. “It’s a good thing you didn’t pick journalism as a major because you need a fact-checker. I don’t own a cane.”

  Shannon sobered a little, relief evident at his admission. Still, the thought of the cane and its dichotomy of contradiction, both terrifying and arousing at once, captured her interest.

  “Justin’s got one or two that I could borrow, however, should the need arise.”

  She ignored that last teasing bit—at least she hoped he was teasing—her curiosity piqued. “Seriously? Justin uses a cane on poor Roxie?” All but hearing the thwack, thwack of the cane in the back of her mind, she was titillated and her inner spanko rose to attention—but for just a brief moment before reason made her shake off the absurd notion and she frowned. No freakin’ way. That would really hurt.

  It was Gid’s turn to laugh aloud, as though reading her thoughts. “No worries, honey.” He lowered his head until his lips brushed her ear. “I’m not a caning kind of guy. I much prefer ropes and whips.”

  She sucked in her breath, because having been on the receiving end of both a time of two in the past, she knew that was the gospel truth. The line moved up at that moment, and she came face to face with the attendant at the window. With a trembling hand, she passed over her class list and waited while the clerk gathered the textbooks she would need for her classes. Shannon gave Gid a sidelong glance as she felt his hand move on her lower back. It brushed along her waist band, wrapping around her hip where it finally settled. The tips of two of his long fingers rode along the uppermost swell of one cheek in a clear sign of possession.

  Turning her full gaze upon him, she wondered exactly what he planned. As she looked into his eyes, she noticed the twinkle of mischief and determination.

  “Whatever you have in mind, can it wait until we get home, please?”

  “I like that much better,” he whispered into her ear.

  “What’s that?”

  “You asking politely for something you know is inevitable. That’s so much better than the bad word.”

  Puzzled, she replayed their recent conversation. “I don’t remember saying a bad word, Gid.”

  “Yes, you said the baddest of all bad words, several times in fact.”

  Racking her brain, she just couldn’t remember. She knew she hadn’t said the f-bomb, which almost never came out of her mouth. “No, I’m sure I didn’t swear at all.” At least not aloud, she added, silently.

  “Tsk tsk! There it is again.”

  Her confused gaze met his. What on earth was he talking about?

  Having passed over his credit card as payment, he gathered up the large textbooks in one arm and guided Shannon away with the other. “You said ‘No’. Several times, if truth be told. I’m surprised you don’t remember that is the mother of all bad words in my book.”

  They walked in silence out of the book store and toward the parking lot. Gid easily carried the bag full of heavy books in one hand while clasping her hand firmly with the other. When they got to the Lexus, he put the books in the back cargo hold and then escorted her to the passenger side. Only instead of seating her up front, he opened the back door and lifted her inside, scooting in behind her, closing and locking the door.

  He pulled her squirming, protesting body over his lap with little effort. To her mortification, she felt the air brush her thighs where her skirt had conveniently risen in her struggles. She knew she lay exposed, with her upper thighs bare and her thin, pink lace panties the last barrier between him and the imminent spanking. She felt his warm hand brush over her bottom, pushing her skirt higher as he went. She stiffened when his fingers curled into her waistband.

  “No, Gid. Someone will see.”

  Smack!

  “There it is again. I don’t particularly like that word coming out of your mouth, Shannon.”

  “But someone will see.”

  “Hardly, the windows are tinted.”

  “Well, someone will surely hear.”

  “They might wonder but won’t know for sure.” His hand swatted her bare bottom several more times.

  “Are you really spanking me here on the UCLA campus because I told you ‘no’?”

  “Yes. And because you were listening to those haters on online and calling this glorious ass fat and getting sassy and joking at my expense, but most of all, because I want to.” He punctuated each reason with a forceful, stinging, exacting whack. Then he paused, his fingers testing the heat between her thighs. “Ah, so wet already, my sweet girl. That’s the other reason I’m doing this, because you want it too.”

  She groaned when she felt two broad fingers slide between her wet folds. As he entered, his path was made easy by the gushing moisture his punishing attention had created. She shamelessly spread her legs, arching back into his hand, beyond caring where they were and who might be watching.

  Gid, attuned to her responses, knew exactly when she gave in to her passion. He encouraged her further, his husky voice inciting her lust. “That’s my girl, surrender to me. It doesn’t matter what the bloggers or haters or paparazzi think or say about us. You and me—what we have together—that’s all that counts.”

  “Oh Gid, that feels so—”

  “Show me how good it feels, baby. Come all over my hand.”

  With unrestrained hunger, she writhed against him, riding his fingers until she did just that. She came all over his fingers in a stunning, quivering, shattering orgasm.

  * * *

  Gid pulled up her panties and adjusted her skirt. He even lifted her into the front seat when he saw she was too limp and shaky to move. She had screamed loudly when she came, and he wasn’t sure how soundproof his SUV actually was. So, rather than get out of the vehicle and risk further media exposure, he followed her up front by crawling between the bucket seats. Cramming his long legs and wide shoulders through the narrow opening wasn’t easy, but eventually, with only a small barrage of grunting and cursing, he ended in an upright position in the driver’s seat.

  When he glanced at Shannon, he saw her watching him with an amused smile.

  “I thought I was gonna have to get a shoe horn and a stick of butter, big guy. That was a tight fit.”

  Leaning toward her, he pulled her into a steamy kiss. Although she was spent, he was hard, achy, and more than ready to sink into her hot pussy and lose himself. Releasing her, he murmured, “Smart ass”, then put the vehicle in reverse and backed out, accompanied by her delighted laughter. The sound, more beautiful than any music, made his already hard dick twitch and tighten in an aching response. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was still early enough to get home and take Shannon to bed before their son got home. Justin would just have to cover their meeting this afternoon. Lord knows he had covered for him often enough over the years, particularly when he wanted a little alone time with Roxie. It was time for some payback.

  His phone alarmed once again, and he quickly pressed a button, ignoring the call. Shannon had been right. Someone had been blowing up his phone. Ray Reynolds had been calling incessantly for the past week. He wasn’t accepting the fact that their business relationship was over, despite being told repeatedly by himself and the rest of the band that they wanted no more to do with him. He wasn’t listening, and Gid had stopped answering his calls days ago. At first his messages were apologetic and pleading as he begged f
or a meeting. When that didn’t work, they’d become angry and bitter, eventually threatening attorneys and lawsuits. Gid had already consulted his attorney, and due to Ray’s dishonesty and use of unauthorized funds from his account for other than entertainment and promoting purposes, they had more than enough for a countersuit, which should hold him at bay. His lawyer was “reasonably sure” they had no cause to worry.

  Reaching for Shannon’s hand, he squeezed it, smiling as he saw her warm, sleepy grin. His girl always got drowsy after she came. Unlike the usual stereotype where the man drifted off, he was always the one full of energy while she was ready to nap.

  Giving her sidelong glances as he drove across town, he thought about his little family. He loved them dearly and was amazed how perfectly they fit into his life. Although so much time had passed, his comfort level with Shannon was better than ever, as if they’d never been apart, but he worried about her. She wasn’t the open, bubbly, energetic woman she had been in the past. This Shannon was more cautious and reserved. She was also a worrier. That’s why he hadn’t told her about Ray. It would make her fret, and he didn’t want that for her. He’d take care of this issue without adding to Shannon’s stress. So much had changed for her in a short time, and he wanted to shield her from this mess and make it easier for her to look forward to their weekend trip, the wedding, and starting back to school.