Dealing With Discipline (35 page)

"I'm quite sure she no longer sees me
in such a light."  The sad resignation on Alex's face was back
and Hugh felt a pang of sympathy for him.  Considering the low
esteem his wife obviously held him in, Irene's adoration and
friendship had probably meant quite a bit to him. 

"She won't hold it against you
forever," he said consolingly.

"I certainly hope not."  Alex
sighed as he stood up straight.  "I already have one female in
my life who is all too skilled at holding a grudge, I don't relish
the idea of having another.  I should be off, so that you can
ah, conclude your evening."

Smiling, Hugh led him to the door
before heading immediately upstairs towards the bedroom.  He
didn't want to leave his wife too long to her own
devices.

******

Flora helped Irene to undress,
exclaiming over the reddened area of Irene's bottom.  It was
obvious that this punishment had been much more prolonged than the
one she'd received before.  

"He didn't use anything other than his
hand," Irene said, almost wonderingly as she looked over her
shoulder in the mirror.  Flora had put her in a nightgown,
which she now had hiked up to her waist so that she could examine
the damage.  Her buttocks very closely resembled a heart in
both shape and color, the skin felt tight and hot to the touch.
 

"Doesn't look like he needed to,"
Flora muttered under her breath as she bustled around, putting away
Irene's evening gown and jewelry.

"Alex didn't seem to think there was
anything wrong with it."  That was something that she was
still having trouble assimilating.  Did it mean that Alex
wasn't the man she thought he was?  Or did it mean that there
was truly nothing shocking about Hugh spanking her?
 

Running her fingers over the fiery
patch of skin, she hissed a little.  It stung when she touched
it and only ached a bit when she didn't.  The sensation
reminded her of when she'd once stood out in the sun for too long
and her skin had burned red and hot to the touch, an effect that
had lingered for days and left her more freckled than ever.
 Her mother had not been pleased. 

What would her mother say about Hugh's
disciplinary methods?  Flora seemed cautious but not entirely
surprised.  Eleanor was apparently subject to the same methods
and had been her entire life.  That had been a revelation on
more than one level.  Perhaps her sister-in-law could give
Irene some insight into Irene's turmoiled emotions and the strange
reactions her body had to such stimulation.  But how could she
admit, even to a sister-in-law, that she was inexplicably aroused
by such a dreadful act?

Still, she was visiting Eleanor
tomorrow to engage her help on deciphering the social rounds and
accepting invitations.  Perhaps she could somehow bring up
some of her questions?  Nibbling her lip, Irene studied her
bottom.  It would mean subjecting herself to more
embarrassment, but truly what could be more mortifying than the
experiences she'd already had this evening?  From beginning to
finish it had been a debacle. 

The door opened and Hugh strode in,
still fully clothed in his evening dress.  The sapphire of his
waistcoat brought out the blue of his eyes, even in the
candlelight, as they scanned the room.  Blushing, Irene
dropped the hem of her nightgown and turned, her hands
automatically moving to cup the burning swells of her bottom as if
to hide them from view.  She knew very well that the shade of
red her skin had achieved was visible through the thin fabric of
her gown.  

Fortunately Hugh wasn't looking at her
right away, he was looking at Flora.  "Out."

The maid bobbed a curtsy and fled,
shooting a sympathetic and what she probably imagined was an
encouraging look over her shoulder to Irene.  Then his
attention turned to Irene, his lips curving in an anticipatory
smile that made her heart begin to pound. It was so unfair that he
could affect her like this when she should be angry at him for the
state of her poor bottom, but the truth was that she was tingling
all over. The throbbing of her bottom seemed to beat in time with
her treacherous pulse as Hugh yanked off his cravat and began to
remove his coat.

Shuffling her feet, Irene
stared at the floor, all too aware that underneath her nightgown
her nipples were stiff and eager. Lord help her, she
wanted
to engage in
marital relations. Had secretly hoped that Hugh would follow her up
her to help her quench the need that she’d become all too aware of
once her punishment was over. Cupping her hands over her bottom,
she could feel the heat of her skin through the thin
fabric.

Then Hugh was standing in front of
her, completely and gloriously nude. She stared at his broad chest
with its golden covering of hair, the broad planes of his muscles,
the impressive breadth of his shoulders. Licking her lips, she
shifted her weight back and forth as she waited to find out what he
would do.

There was no question that he wanted
her, his cock was practically pressing against his stomach, but she
felt ashamed of her desire for him. Despite how brazen she’d become
over their honeymoon, she couldn’t make the first move in this
situation, she just couldn’t!

“Here, let me help you with this,” her
husband murmured, stepping forward and putting his hands on her
hips, grasping handfuls of fabric. He lifted the nightgown over her
head, leaving her naked in front of him.

Peeking up at him, she tucked her
hands behind her back again to press her cooler palms against her
bottom and he groaned and wrapped his arms around her. Her head
instinctively flew back as his lips descended and she whimpered as
he kissed her. The long length of his body was crushed against her
softness as his arms tightened. One hand slid down to grip her
bottom, exploring the hot flesh that her own hands weren’t covering
and she moaned, opening her mouth to his questing
tongue.

The feel of her hot skin against his
palm and her soft body writhing against his shredded the last of
Hugh’s control and he spun around with Irene still in his arms. She
was so light and small, he lifted her easily while thoroughly
kissing her. He couldn’t get enough of her mouth, the taste of her;
he devoured her as he moved them to the bed, laying her down gently
on it before he climbed on top of her.

Irene whimpered again as her bottom
bounced gently against the covers; despite how soft the bedding
normally felt, now it was as if it were abrading her sensitive
skin. But she found such irritations were easily swept away as
Hugh’s body came down on hers, insistently parting her legs. The
need that had been growing inside of her flared higher, she was
almost overwhelmed by the growing pleasure inside her core which
was wiping away the painful part of the punishment.

His hands were gentle as he caressed
her breasts, her sides, her thighs… she moaned as he grasped her
legs and jerked her body downwards, dragging her backside over the
sheets while simultaneously bringing her wet slit in contact with
his rigid manhood. Reaching up she clung to his shoulders as he
brought himself to her entrance. Neither of them were inclined to
draw out the initial intimacies, their desires had already been
advanced by Irene’s spanking and then the wait between her
punishment and their coming together.

The channel of her body was slippery
and wet as he pushed in, her muscles clenching around him to draw
him deeper and they both groaned with relief and excitement as Hugh
sank into her. Feeling his wife’s frantic squirming beneath him as
she rubbed her swollen folds against the hard flatness of his
groin, Hugh released the last reins of his control and gave himself
over to his urge to claim and conquer. The remnants of his jealousy
reared, fueling his hard, pounding thrusts into her body. He drank
in her whimpers of pleasure and pain as the friction of his cock
burned her wonderfully and the throbbing pulse of her bottom
increased with every sinking thrust. Irene clung to him, sobbing
his name whenever his mouth left hers as the pleasure of his rod
sliding in and out of her came to a head.

Grasping her hips, his long fingers
curved around to press against the hot flesh of her chastened
cheeks and Irene screamed with ecstasy as the mingled pain and
pleasure sent her soaring. This was not the playful, gentle loving
of their honeymoon or even the creative, exciting sexual
exploration; this was hot, passionate need blended with erotic pain
that set her nerves sizzling and her mind shattering under the
overwhelming mix. It was not the kind of banquet one could sup on
every night, but it fulfilled a need, a craving, that dwelled deep
in both their bodies.

The spurts of seed that Hugh planted
deep inside of Irene as she writhed beneath him in a painfully
pleasurable climax helped to calm his demons. He rocked against
her, filling her womb in the most primal way a man can claim a
woman. As she whimpered and moaned beneath him, her own movements
slowing as the gentle grind of her husband’s body against hers, she
felt surprisingly content. At least, until her bottom was pressed
against the sheets again, a spurt of flame flickering through
her.

Almost tenderly, Hugh rolled off of
her and pulled her back against him so that she was snuggled up to
his front. One hand cupped her breast, the other arm was under her
head and wrapped around her possessively. After a few moments of
squirming into a relatively comfortable position considering the
state of her buttocks, Irene relaxed in her husband’s arms and sank
into an exhausted slumber.

Chapter 16

It would have taken a much less astute
and observant person than Eleanor to realize that her sister-in-law
had received some measure of discipline the night before. Of course
it helped that Eleanor was also intimately acquainted with the
signs of such activities. Irene’s expression, whenever she wasn’t
concentrating on smiling or remaining neutral, was pensive and
distant as if her mind was somewhere else entirely. Since she had
requested Eleanor’s help with the current conversation at hand,
Eleanor knew that it wasn’t because Irene was disinterested in the
topic. And, of course, there was the way Irene moved and oh so
carefully sat. Even now, despite the fact that she was on the most
comfortably cushioned chair in the drawing room, Irene was sitting
rather gingerly.

In deference to Irene’s pride, Eleanor
didn’t call attention to her sister-in-law’s obvious affliction
other than to ensure she sat in the most comfortable
chair.

“Now, you’ll want to attend Lady
Stewart’s tea but you should skip her ball.”

“Because Lady Morningwood’s having a
ball that night as well?”

“Yes, and because while Lady Stewart’s
teas are perfectly acceptable, her parties tend to cater to a… ah…
more focused crowd. Her card room is always much more lively than
her dance floor.”

“Oh… I see.”

The somewhat dismayed look
on Irene’s face as she realized just how lost she was when it came
to knowing the intricacies of maneuvering successfully around
the
ton
made
Eleanor’s heart ache a little. Seriously, what had the young
woman’s mother trained her in? Or had she just steered Irene around
for her own benefit without ever thinking of what she should learn
for when she was on her own?

Unfortunately Eleanor could picture
that scenario all too easily. No matter, she had found that she
rather enjoyed Irene’s company. Even when she was obviously
slightly agitated and distracted she had a much more restful
presence than Grace. It was too bad the two women didn’t get along,
she had a feeling they would be good influences on each other.
Irene was a little too concerned with propriety and Grace truly
wasn’t quite enough.

“Don’t worry,” Eleanor said
sympathetically, reaching over to pat Irene’s hand. “This Season is
almost over and it truly won’t take you very long to pick up on the
little nuances that define which invitations you and Hugh should
accept. You’re a very quick study.”

“I suppose I have to be,”
said Irene rather glumly. Despite her fiery red hair she truly
didn’t seem to have much spirit at all that Eleanor could see. Then
again she supposed that many women among the
ton
would seem lacking in spirit
compared to her and Grace. “Perhaps Hugh will want to stay out in
the country next Season.”

“No, no, no,” Eleanor scolded gently.
“I’m sure my brother would love to do just that but it’s your
responsibility to ensure that he attends to his social duties. Of
course you won’t have to come to the events that are always held
before the Season truly starts anymore since you’re not trying to
make a match of it, but important business is done during these
balls. It won’t be so bad, I promise. You can always come to me for
advice about anything.”

“Thank you so much, I truly don’t know
what I would have done without you.”

“You would have managed,” Eleanor said
kindly. She was rather touched by the sincere gratitude in Irene’s
eyes. Although she’d worried a little bit about her bold phrasing,
it was obvious that Irene was accustomed to being directed and felt
much more comfortable with someone else handling the reins. It
would take careful handling to help her build up her confidence
without being obvious about it.