Shared by Her Soldiers (5 page)

He slowed his pace, giving the next half-dozen nice and slow. And though he didn’t deliver them quite as hard, he knew they stung like the dickens. By the time he was done, Kate was a sobbing mess over his knee. He sensed it would be quite some time before she completely calmed down.

Jarrod gave her a few minutes, until her crying softened, and then he began to speak. “Your rudeness today was inexcusable. It doesn’t matter where you are or who you’re speaking to, whether it’s a four-star general or the wife of a private first-class. Everyone deserves your respect. I hope I’ve made that clear.”

“You have,” she managed to gasp out. “I promise.”

“Even if you aren’t being mindful of how you reflect on your husband, you always need to extend kindness. It doesn’t cost you a thing, isn’t that right?”

“You’re right!”

He didn’t think he’d ever heard her so cooperative before. Maybe he had been doing it wrong all along. Or maybe she was afraid he was still thinking of taking off his belt. “And you
are
a reflection on your husband. So you need to choose every word, every action with care. It might not be fair, but it’s what you signed on for. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

“All right then. I think you can get up.”

“Wait.” Sean’s voice stilled them both—the first time he’d said a word.

Jarrod turned to him expectantly. “Did I miss something?”

“I don’t know.” His friend’s lips curved in a smile. “Did you? I don’t see how—she’s practically soaked your pants.”

Jarrod glanced down to find that he could see a bit of a wet spot, but if there was more, Kate was lying over it.

“It looks like my naughty wife gets aroused by being spanked,” Sean chuckled. “I must have forgotten that. Or, is it having an audience that gets you turned on, Kaitlyn?”

Jarrod glanced down at the woman over his lap just in time to see her cheeks flush crimson—almost the same hue of her nether cheeks. But she raised her hands a moment later to cover the evidence, groaning into her cupped palms.

“Or maybe it’s the man administering the spanking?”

“Sean, stop!” she begged, her voice muffled.

“But I’m curious. Which is it?”

Jarrod waited, his heart pounding to hear what she’d say. Could it be true that she was attracted to him? He glanced at Sean again, thinking that if that were true he surely must want to kill him. But to his surprise—and immense relief—his battle seemed content enough.

He also took pity on his embarrassed wife. “You can get up. I hope you heard everything Jarrod said so none of us have to repeat this experience later.”

Jarrod released her, watching as she scrambled up from his lap, refusing to meet either of their eyes. Call him crazy, but he wouldn’t mind repeating the experience. Though, for her sake, he wished Kate could stop getting herself into trouble—something she seemed to have a penchant for. He’d much rather administer a slow, sexy spanking to those beautiful orbs.

“Yes, sir.”

He cleared his throat before speaking up. “Great. And Kate? You’re excused to make that phone call now.”

“Phone call?” She looked at him blankly.

He stared back, waiting for the moment it would register. He knew when it did, because she winced, giving him her best pouty lips.

“Aw, Jarrod, do I
have
—”

He stood abruptly and reached for his belt buckle. He’d begun to undo it when her eyes widened to the size of saucers. He hadn’t even finished unbuckling it when she turned and scurried into the study.

“Yes, sir!” she called out. “I’ll call her! I’m doing it right now!”

With a shrug, he slipped the leather tip back through the buckle and turned to his friend.

“I’m impressed.”

He shrugged again, not sure what to make of that, or the semi Sean was sporting. “Just doing my job. Of course, it’s yours now.” He couldn’t help but feel a little tug on his heartstrings as he handed back the reins. Strange, because he’d known this day would come. He’d eagerly anticipated his friend’s safe return, but still… he’d come to enjoy Kate’s company, when she wasn’t sassing him. Maybe it was time he started looking for a wife.

“Seriously, battle, I don’t know when I’ve seen her so compliant.” With that, Sean reached for the cordless phone and tossed it to Jarrod.

He waited to see if Sean would mention the
other
thing, the one he’d so mercilessly teased Kate about. When he didn’t, Jarrod turned on the phone and put the receiver to his ear.

“I just wanted… well, I was hoping… maybe the two of us could get together?”

“I’d love to have you for tea,” the general’s wife replied smoothly. She clearly knew what
her
role was. Maybe she could teach Kate a thing or two about Army life, if she were willing to learn. “Is tomorrow too soon?”

“No. Tomorrow is… tomorrow is fine.”

“Good. I’ll see you then. Say, around ten?”

“Ten. Great. I’ll…I’ll be there. Thank you, Mrs., I mean—”

“Candice,” she interrupted easily. “Please, call me Candice.”

“Thank you, Candice,” he heard Kate reply, her voice humble. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

He turned off the phone and set it down, nodding to his friend.

“Will you go with her?”

He blinked in surprise. He would have thought Sean would have wanted the honor for himself. “I can take her, if you want.”

“Thanks.” He smiled briefly. “I just need a chance to get settled in.”

“I’ll see to it that she does a good job.”

“I would expect no less.”

* * *

When she came back from making the ridiculous, demeaning phone call he’d insisted on, she’d expected to see Jarrod waiting for her, demanding to know how she’d done. She’d expected to have to recite every word she and Candice had exchanged, complete with where they’d paused. So she was surprised to find Sean alone in the living room. He turned as she entered, holding her skirt out to her, much to her surprise.

“Would you like this?”

She accepted it gratefully. “Yes, please. May I…”

“Go ahead.”

It seemed silly that she would feel embarrassed for her husband to see her put her skirt over her naked, red ass, but it didn’t change the feeling. Once she was covered, she looked up at him shyly through her lashes.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty wiped. Do you want to lie down for a little while? I mean, it’s OK, if you’re not tired…”

“No,” she agreed eagerly. “That sounds great.”

“OK then.” He hesitated for the slightest moment. She wondered if he remembered where the bedroom was.

So she took his hand, surprised at how cool his skin was against her own. Had it always been that way? She hated that she couldn’t remember. Nonetheless, she led him to the bedroom and gently closed the door behind them. Then she turned to him, drinking in the sight of him.

He seemed to be doing the same to the bedroom, looking around as though he was searching for something and didn’t know quite what.

“I left everything the same,” she offered tentatively.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I read that it was better.”

He turned to her with a brow arched quizzically. “Where did you read that?”

She shrugged. “I can’t remember, honestly.”

“Well, it’s ridiculous. If you want to change something, change it.”

“Oh. I just thought…” She trailed off and he didn’t ask her to explain, so she decided to drop it and go sit on the bed instead. She thought that Sean might join her, but although he did look her way, he didn’t seem too inclined to come to bed anytime soon. She wondered what he was thinking, but considering that he’d just gotten home, and what he’d just witnessed, she wasn’t brave enough to ask.

“You said you weren’t at your best.”

Her brow furrowed as she looked at him. He had his hands jammed in his pockets and he wasn’t returning her gaze. “I’m sorry?”

“You told Jarrod that you were nervous. That you weren’t at your best. You were nervous about seeing me?”

“I guess so,” she admitted.

“Why?”

Well, that
was
the million dollar question, wasn’t it? Why should a woman be nervous to see her own husband? “I don’t know. Maybe because… because it’s been such a long time.”

“What difference should that make?” This time, he did look at her, and his stare was so bewildered and foreign to her that she almost wished he hadn’t.

“I guess it’s because we’ve been apart, living separate lives.”

“But that wasn’t my
fault
, Kaitlyn. The Army called me up—I had to go. That’s all there is to it.”

She could feel herself bristle at the indignation in his voice. She knew she shouldn’t—her still-red behind should have been a fresh reminder—but when she opened her mouth, it just popped out. Everything she’d been thinking for the last year and a half. “That’s bull.”

Sean’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared, but she ignored it and plunged ahead.

“You can stand there and blame your orders all you want, but the truth is when you were given a choice, you chose the Army over me.”

“You know, maybe this isn’t the time to talk about this.”

“Maybe you’re right,” she fired back, feeling quite worked up herself.

He held his hands up in surrender. “Forget I asked. You know what, I don’t think I’m in the mood for a nap after all. I think I’ll just go for a walk.”

She watched as he began to take his boots off and put them in the closet then pulled out his tennis shoes. And all the while she felt awful, damn him! It just wasn’t fair! Why did he get to start a fight and yet
she
was the one who came out looking bad? She supposed that was the way it would always be—he worked for the Greater Good and anything she said against
him
was treason in the highest order.

Regardless of whether it was fair or not, she did feel bad. He’d just gotten home and she certainly didn’t want to have the day spoiled. If it hadn’t been already, that was.

“Do you want some company?” she offered tentatively, in lieu of an apology.

“Thanks, but I’ll probably run some. I wouldn’t want to leave you behind.”

Kaitlyn clamped her lips shut after that and just watched as he laced up his tennis shoes. He offered a backward wave as a goodbye and left, closing the door behind him. She stared daggers at it, willing her eyes to bore holes through the wood. She winced when she heard the front door slam shut and she imagined her husband breaking into a jog, in a hurry to get as far away from her as he could. Because, despite what he’d said, leaving her behind was exactly what he’d done.

Chapter Four

Strong arms wrapped around her and a voice—that husky, familiar voice—whispered, “I’m going to make you come for me.”

She shivered in delight. Meanwhile, another pair of hands pulled down the skirt she was wearing. Her bottom tensed, even though she knew it was pleasure, not punishment that she had to look forward to.

“Is she wet?” the voice asked.

“Yes. Can’t you smell her?”

The arms around her tightened as her welcome capturer inhaled deeply. “Delicious.”

She flushed at his words, feeling embarrassed, but pleased, too.

“Kate? Are you ready for me, honey?”

Kaitlyn froze, her eyes widening slightly. She’d known that the voice was familiar, but she hadn’t placed it until right that moment. Only one man in her life called her Kate and she was in his arms. She looked at him for the first time, and when she met his familiar warm eyes, her belly clenched into knots and she gave a little gasp.

“What’s wrong?” The voice of the man pulling down her panties asked.

She looked down and saw Sean looking back up. She drew her breath in sharply, her heart beating hard in her chest.

“Kaitlyn? What is it?”

“I… I…”

Jarrod took her chin in his steady hand, turning her to face him. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t.”

“You can’t? Don’t you want us?”

“We know you do,” Sean chimed in. “You’re as wet as a water park, darling.” Having pulled her panties down, he inserted a long, masculine finger into her pussy to prove his point.

She gave another gasp, this one quite different, and shut her eyes.

“That’s it, honey. Let us take care of you. You don’t have anything to worry about. Let me and Jarrod take care of you.”

Let us take care of you…

She didn’t think she’d ever heard such beautiful words in her entire life. She didn’t offer any further protests, not that she could have with Jarrod’s tongue down her throat. While he literally stole her breath, Sean was giving her kisses of an altogether different kind. As he used his tongue to delve in between her lips, exploring the hot liquid in her pussy, she gasped and moaned into Jarrod’s mouth.

* * *

“You’re awfully quiet this morning,” Jarrod noted as she slid into the passenger side of his baby blue Sonata the next morning.

“Am I?” she asked, hoping he didn’t notice how she trembled when she spoke, or the way she couldn’t meet his gaze. Her dream from the night before had stayed with her—she could feel the phantom touch of both Jarrod and her husband still arousing her skin, which made it hard to look at him.

“You are, and it’s not like you. Was it something I said?”

“No. Of course not.” All he’d said was “are you ready to go?” but hearing that familiar voice had taken her back to her dream, the delicious warmth of having two mouths worshipping her body, and she hadn’t been able to stop her pussy from quivering since. It wasn’t something she thought she should feel around Jarrod, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself, either.

“You’re not still mad about yesterday, are you?”

“No,” she said quickly,
too
quickly. If she didn’t get a hold of herself soon, he’d take one look at her and guess her secret. After all, Sean himself had pointed out her reaction to him spanking her. “Well,
yes
,” she corrected herself, “but it’s too late for that, isn’t it?”