My House, My Rules

by Constance Masters

  Second go around on the channels and still not able to find anything to watch, Jay flicked the TV off. He never had been much of a TV person. May as well try and get some shut eye.

  * * *

  It was lovely on the deck. The cool breeze felt soothing on Alex's skin as she lay with her laptop propped on her bent legs. She often came and lay out here at night when she couldn't sleep. There was no one around, so it was great to relax and stay in her pajamas if she wanted… well, her nightshirt.

  “Shit,” she said as the farm loaded. Two whole fields of pumpkins had withered, and the pineapples were starting to die too. She'd have to be quick to save them. She started madly clicking, managing to save at least a few of the pineapples. It took ages for her to get rid of all the pumpkins and plant more—so irritating. She'd forgotten all about them, and there were still the animals to feed. Still, it'd been fun to spend time with the kids and Jay. And she didn't regret spending time reading that book at all.

  The game forgotten after a short while, she dumped her laptop down beside her. I wonder what Jay would think about me playing games at this hour. Would it be a spanking offence? This is silly, she thought. I'm a grown woman—why all of a sudden am I obsessed with the thought of a spanking? Of being dominated and punished. Turned over the knee of her hunky next door neighbor while he told her how bad she'd been. Her fingers crept down again and into her panties to finish what they'd started earlier while she was reading. She closed her eyes, and once again she was back over Jay's knee while he pounded her bare bottom.

  * * *

  Jay opened his eye a crack and winced. He checked his phone for the time. Four AM. He tried to go back to sleep, but he was still tossing and turning after what seemed like ages. He picked up his phone again. It had only been about fifteen minutes, it truly felt like morning. His body must still be on ranch time. It was almost light outside. He frowned. That wasn't natural light, and it wasn't all over. It was coming from the left side of his house. Alex's place.

  He didn't know why he felt alarmed, but he did. He almost fell out of bed in his haste to make it to the window. When he did, he couldn't see anything but light coming from the back of her house. Maybe she or one of the kids were sick. He threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and went to investigate. He might be able to do something to help.

  “Alex?” Jay called, alerting her that he was there. Through a crack in the fence he could see she was very busy.

  “Oh, um, hi!” she yelled back, trying not to sound nervous as she retrieved her fingers quickly and covered herself.

  “What're you doing up so late?” he asked as she wandered towards the fence.

  “Oh, just playing on the computer. I couldn't sleep.”

  “Oh,” he said.

  “I read your book,” she said with a grin.

  “Did you like it?” he asked enthusiastically.

  “I loved it! I have to admit that I was actually rooting for Kodie to get a spanking,” she said excitedly.

  “Really,” Jay drawled. He could see an empty wine glass on the patio next to her chair. Dutch courage maybe?

  “Yeah, really,” she nodded. “You write a very hot spanking scene.”

  “I'm glad you liked it,” Jay chuckled.

  “You know, I've never been spanked. Never. I have to wonder what it feels like.”

  Jay's breath caught in his throat. Maybe this was the defining moment.

  “I think it could be time you found out,” he said.

  “You wanna spank me?”

  “Well, I could think of lots of reasons you need a spanking. You were a half an hour late for dinner for one.”

  “I guess I was, wasn't I?” she asked cutely.

  “And this is very late to be playing computer games and drinking wine.”

  “Oh? You think?”

  “I do think,” he said.

  “What ya gonna do about it?”

  Never one to back down from a challenge, Jay grabbed the top of the fence with both hands, skillfully scaled the tall structure and leapt over, landing at Alex's side.

  “Uh oh,” Alex said. The bravery she'd been feeling suddenly slipped a little, now that Jay was standing right beside her.

  “No time like the present,” he said, grasping her arm and marching her towards the house.

  “Um, I didn't mean RIGHT now,” she said, panic setting in just a little.

  “Oh, I think right now's just the right time,” he said.

  “You sure? Maybe—”

  “Nope, you're getting spanked. Now,” he said.

  Before Alex knew it, Jay was seated on her couch and she was standing firmly between his legs, about to get her very first spanking.

  Alex's heart was thumping as she stood there between Jay's muscular legs staring at her fingers. He grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger, and she had no option but to look him in the eye.

  “You've been very naughty, Alex, and I'm going to punish you. I'm going to turn you over my knee and spank your bottom, hard, so you remember the correct way to behave.”

  Alex was unsure of what she was supposed to say, so she said nothing. Besides, she was too busy trying to control the arousal at his stern tone that was warring with her nervousness.

  “You were late for dinner, with no regard to our plans. That was very rude.”

  “Sorry?” she tried.

  “You were up late outside playing games on the computer and drinking wine in the middle of the night when you should have been in bed.”

  Again, Alex said nothing.

  “And you were masturbating, right out in the open where anyone could see.”

  Alex's face flamed and her mouth dropped open as the reality of what he'd witnessed sunk in. Before she could respond, like there was any way to respond to that statement, she was unceremoniously tipped over his knee. There was nothing she could do but reach for the floor to steady herself.

  * * *

  Jay settled Alex into the perfect position for her spanking. There was an element of doubt in the back of his mind as he raised his hand. There were kids in the house, but what the hell, he was human. He'd been thinking about doing exactly this all day. With that, the decision was made, and he brought his hand down hard, first on one cheek and then on the other.

  “OW! What the fuck?” she yelped. “That hurt!”

  “Spanking's are supposed to hurt,” he said, not breaking his pace.

  “But, it's harder…”

  “Harder than what, Alex?” he asked, his hand still bouncing off her panty clad bottom.

  She was too embarrassed to answer, and she took deep breath to work through the burning that was building by the second. If her kids weren't upstairs, she would have yelled.

  “Harder than you imagined while you pleasured yourself?” His hand smacked harder and faster as she squirmed, not wanting to answer.

  “Tell me,” he said, pausing long enough to raise her night shirt.

  Alex tried hard to squeeze her legs together, to keep this man from seeing the tell-tale wetness on her panties.

  “Tell me, Alex,” he whispered. “You like it, don't you?” His fingers were hooked in her underwear, and he was about to take them down.

  “Yes,” she panted. “I like it.”

  Both their heads spun to face each other in horror as a door creaked open at the top of the stairs, followed by Aaron's sleepy voice.

  “Why you clapping, Mommy?”

  It wasn't clear whether Alex jumped or Jay dropped her, but the harried young mother scrambled to her feet and straightened her nightshirt just as Aaron came into view.

  “Why's Jay here?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

  “There… was a spider,” Alex said. “Jay came over to kill it for me. That was the, ah, clapping sound. He was bang, bang, banging the spider.”

  “Overkill,” Jay whispered.

  “I don't see a dead spider nowhere!” Aaron said.

  “I'm good at what I do,” Jay said with a smile.r />
  “Back to bed now,” Alex said. She couldn't shuffle the child out of there quickly enough.

  “That was close,” Jay said when Alex shut Aaron's door and came back down the stairs.

  Alex smiled. “It sure was,” she said. “That would have been a great news story for show and tell when school is back.”

  Jay chuckled. “That it would,” he said. “I was thinking that maybe we could do breakfast tomorrow. I'll bring the food.”

  “I'd like that.”

  “Good,” he said. They stood like that, just looking at each other for a moment, until Jay leant down and gently brushed his lips over hers. When she leaned up towards him, he deepened the kiss just a little.

  “Better let me get some sleep if you’re going to come over and wake us at the crack of dawn,” she quipped.

  “It wasn't me that was keeping you awake. Oh, yeah it was,” he grinned.

  She stepped in front of him and opened the door.

  Jay couldn't resist smacking the pretty target in front of him one more time.

  “Hey,” she said. “I'm a little tender.”

  “That was nothing,” he whispered. “Next time you're over my knee, your bottom will be bare.” Another quick kiss and he was gone.

  * * *

  “Mom's sleepin still,” Aaron said to Jay when he opened the door to his knock.

  “Not anymore,” she said sleepily from the top of the stairs. “Just give me a minute and I'll come down.”

  “Okay,” Jay said. “I brought breakfast.”

  “Yay!” Aaron said. “What ya get?”

  Thom suddenly appeared as well to see what they were having. “Ooh, sticky buns,” he said.

  “They're for dessert,” Jay said.

  “Why? You don't have dessert after breakfast,” Aaron said.

  “I thought I'd make some eggs and bacon first,” Jay said. “Want to show me where everything is?”

  “Sure,” Thom said.

  “We could just eat one of them while we was waiting,” Aaron said hopefully.

  “No,” Jay said with a smile. “Too much sugar to eat before breakfast.”

  “But we normally eat cereal for breakfast, and that’s got sugar in it, doesn't it?”

  “No sticky buns until after breakfast,” Jay said, turning the flame on under the frying pan.

  Aaron frowned. “Well, what if I just had a little piece just to see what they taste like.”

  “Nope,” Jay said. “Why don't you go and pick up the mess that you've left over there near the TV.”

  “Okay,” Aaron said begrudgingly.

  “Thom, why don't you set the table,” Jay asked.

  Thom happily started gathering silverware and plates and dumped them on the table the best he could, although it was clear to Jay that he didn't have much of an idea where everything was supposed to go. He would show him another time, but right then he didn't want to dampen his enthusiasm. He was trying at least. This little boy definitely seemed the more serious of the two, and he didn't argue.

  Aaron dumped the wrappers all into the bin and then wandered over to the bench and pried open one of the bags of pastries.

  “Hey,” Jay said.

  “I was just looking,” Aaron said.

  “Tell you what. Would you like to put them all onto a platter, and we can put them on the table?”

  “YES!” the little boy said happily.

  * * *

  Thom was placing juice glasses around the table and coffee cups for his mom and Jay when Alex joined them.

  “Something smells good,” she said as she entered.

  “I hope you're hungry,” Jay said as he set a platter of bacon and eggs onto the table.

  “I am, actually,” she said. “This all looks great.”

  “Thanks. Sit. Eat,” Jay said, pulling out her chair.

  “Thank you,” Alex said, a little embarrassed. She hadn't thought of him actually cooking in her kitchen. How clean was it? Housework wasn't really a priority for her. It was only her and the boys. They didn't care. It occurred to her curiously that she wasn't having any trouble sitting. Her bottom had burned and itched a little the night before, but now she couldn't feel anything but a tingle. A feeling that was far from unpleasant.

  “This is good,” she said, forking some more eggs into her mouth. “You found a pan okay?” she asked.

  “Yep,” he said. “I don't mind washing the odd pan. I've done worse.”

  Damn, Alex thought. She really should have stacked the dishwasher.

  “So, did you talk to your sister?” Jay asked.

  “No, I haven't yet, but I will straight after breakfast.”

  “Good. If she's free tonight, that'd be great,” Jay said hopefully.

  “Okay, I'll see what I can do,” Alex found herself grinning. She hoped her sister was free too.

  “Okay, boys, what do you have planned this morning?”

  “I'm gonna ride my bike to the park,” Aaron said.

  “Me too,” Thom said.

  “Do you ride that far by yourselves often?” Jay asked the boys, while looking at their Mom.

  “They go there all the time,” she said with a shrug.

  “Hmm.”

  “Hmm, what?” Alex asked.

  “Well, I have to work some stuff out, but I can do that from the backyard and watch the kids while they swim if you like. If it's okay with you,” Jay said.

  “I'd like it. I'd like it a lot!” Aaron said enthusiastically.

  “Can we Mom?” Thom asked. “Please.”

  “Are you sure you don't mind?” she asked.

  “I'm sure,” he said with a grin. “I'll watch the boys, and you try and organize something for our date.”

  Alex stopped mid-mouthful. The word date hadn't been used in regards to her for a very long time. The bet was dinner, but she hadn't thought of it as being a date. But what else would you call it? A man and a woman going to dinner in a restaurant by themselves. It was a date. She was suddenly overcome with nerves. Not that she didn't want to go. She did. A lot, but she didn't know if she'd even remember how to act on a date.

  “Okay,” she managed to squeak out finally.

  “I'm looking forward to it,” he said.

  “Me too,” she added, and she meant it. God, she hoped she had something to wear. Maybe she should get her sister to bring her something.

  * * *

  Alex started to pick up some of the laundry from the sofas and tossed a couple of toys into a basket. She sighed. She really didn't have time for this now. Alone in the room now that Jay had taken the kids to his house, she was starting to see what Jay must have seen when he walked in here. A mess. Maybe she should work on that. Later. Right now, phoning Kelly had to be the top priority.

  * * *

  “Hi!” Kelly said brightly. She was breathing heavily.

  “Um, hi,” Alex said. “Did I interrupt something?”

  “Nope,” Kelly said. “Nothing that I didn't want to stop anyway. Treadmill.”

  “Oh. Sorry,” Alex said. “I can call back later.”

  “No! It's fine,” her sister said. “What can I do for you? Something happened to tear you away from that damn computer?”

  “Well, I was wondering. I wanted to ask you a favor.”

  “Uh huh,” Kelly said. She was intrigued.

  “I need you to babysit the kids.” She held her breath while she waited for the answer.

  “Of course,” Kelly said. “Why? What's happening?”

  “I'm going out to dinner,” Alex said.

  “Oh, really!” Kelly said. “About time! Who with?”

  “Does it matter?” she said with a grin, knowing full well that it did.

  “Um yeah!” Kelly giggled. “I'm not minding your little devils, much as I love them, while you have dinner with just a neighbor or something.”

  “Oh. Out of luck then,” Alex said trying to keep the amusement out of her voice. “It is a neighbor.”

  “Oh,” Ke
lly said trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “You know I was only joking, Al. What time do you want me?”

  “Oh, I don't know,” Alex said. “Why don't you come over about three, and we can have a coffee and talk first.”

  “Okay. That sounds good. Rick's working today anyway, so I don't have anything else on,” Kelly said. “See you then.”

  “Yep,” Alex said. Some coffee time with her sister would be good. Give her a chance to think out loud a bit about what she was feeling. Her sister would be about the only person in the world that she could talk to about any of this.

  * * *

  “Hey!” Alex said suddenly appearing over the top of the fence. “You still okay?”

  Jay raised an eyebrow. “That ladder still there?” he asked after he swallowed a bite of his sandwich.

  “Yeah,” she said. “I'll move it later.”

  “I'll move it when I bring the boys back,” he said.

  “So, have they been okay?” Alex asked, choosing to ignore his bossiness.

  “They're fine,” he said. “As you can see we're having lunch. Want to join us?”

  “Well, my sister is coming at about three, so I better be here,” she said.

  His face lit up. “I'll make some reservations. What would you like to eat?”

  “I don't mind. Surprise me,” she said.

  “Okay,” he chuckled. “I'll bring the boys back at about three-thirty so you can get them settled. I'll pick you up at six?”

  “Okay… yikes!” she squealed and disappeared from the top of the fence.

  Jay got up to see if she was okay when another head appeared at the top of the fence. It was so very similar to Alex's, and he had to smile. “The sister?” he asked.

  “The neighbor?” she asked, her mouth agape while her eyes travelled the length of his bare chest and tight abs.