Tabitha's Guardian (8 page)

Tabitha knew the man holding her did not
have a knife in his hands; he was too busy gripping her upper arms
to have a weapon. She immediately threw herself backwards instead
of resisting as she had been, causing the man holding her to lose
his balance. She managed to break free, and then let out a loud
scream, hoping that Owen would hear her.

* * * * *

Owen wrapped up his conversation by telling
the other man that he was on his wedding trip and needed to give
his attention to his new bride. He turned, expecting to find
Tabitha by his side, but she was not there! He quickly scanned the
crowd, but his lovely redhead was not among those people. He
approached the tour guide and asked, “Have you seen my wife?”

“A few minutes ago she was over there
reading the memorial. I hope she has not wandered too far. As I
explained, this stop is not in a safe area of town and she was
instructed to remain with the group.”

Owen was frantic as he started looking for
Tabitha, and he was just about to turn and look in the opposite
direction when he heard her scream and call his name. He took off
running, praying he would get to his wife in time to help her. Owen
felt his temper flare as he saw two men trying to abduct Tabby,
while she did her best to fight them off. He was amazed when she
dropped one of them to his knees, but the other had a knife.
Quickly, Owen shoved his bride behind him. Part of his training to
become a Guardian involved defensive fighting, and by the time the
tour guide arrived with assistance, the two men were restrained,
and Tabitha was crying in his arms. Law enforcement arrived to haul
the two to jail after telling Owen that the brothers were known
predators. This would be their final arrest. They would be sent off
planet to a prison with no escape for the rest of their natural
lives. No trial would be necessary since they were known offenders,
and were caught in the act.

“We came with help when we heard the scream,
sir. I am so sorry this happened on our tour,” the guide solemnly
apologized to Owen.

“It is my wife who should apologize for not
obeying your instructions to remain with the group, and for
disrupting the tour, is this not so, Tabitha Rose?” His voice was
stern and full of disapproval.

She nodded. “I was not paying attention when
you warned everyone not to wander from the group. I do apologize
for the worry I put all of you through.”

“No problem,” the tour guide said
magnanimously. “If we could return to the vehicle now, we will
resume the tour.”

“I think it best if you go ahead,” Owen told
the man. “I think my wife needs some time to ponder her actions,
and I will take her back to the hotel.”

“Of course, sir. If you wish to join us
tomorrow, you will not be charged.”

“Thank you,” Owen acknowledged, and gladly
permitted the man to secure transportation back to the hotel for
them. His wife was due a sound punishment, and while he did not
relish spanking her so soon after they wed, Owen could not permit
this deed to go unpunished. His new bride needed to learn to pay
attention and not pout while others were speaking to her.

Tabitha knew she was in serious trouble with
Owen. She had almost forgotten how stern he could be until he
scolded her for listening to the conversation of the couple in
front of them. She felt he was being unfair, but instead of just
telling him that it was not her intent, and promising to be more
careful, she had decided to behave as a spoiled child and she had
sulked and pouted. That pouting was what caused her not to hear the
important information the tour guide attempted to share with all of
them. The man had clearly warned them not to wander away from the
group on that stop; Owen heard him and it was the first thing out
of his mouth after he reassured himself that she was in no way
harmed by the two men who attempted to kidnap her. Yes, Owen was
very upset. She could see it in the set of his jaw, even though he
held her hand comfortingly on the ride to the hotel. Owen paid the
man and then escorted her to their room. He unlocked the door and
guided her inside.

“Owen, I am very sorry that I ruined our
day. I was too busy sulking and pouting over your reprimands to pay
proper attention to our guide and I made a very foolish mistake by
walking away from you. I was acting the spoiled brat,” she
confessed.

“I am aware of that.” He did not spare her
feelings. “However, I am relieved to hear you admit that you are
also aware of the fact, and that you are sorry. It does not mean
that I am going to ignore that you have earned consequences. I
regret that I feel a need to punish you so soon after we are
wed.”

“I regret it, too. Could you not overlook
this one mistake if I promise you I have learned my lesson? I was
so terrified that you would not reach me in time. Although Daddy
insisted I learn self-defense, I was not sure I could protect
myself from two of them. I was afraid, Owen, and then you were
there and you protected me. I will always be grateful to you for
that.” Tears filled her pretty eyes. “Thank you.”

“I am your husband and I vowed but three days
ago to protect you; did you think I would forget so soon?” he asked
tenderly, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears.

“No, Owen, I did not think that, but I
feared you would not hear my cries for aid,” she admitted. “Would
you hold me, please? I am still shaking from what might have
happened, and the relief it did not.”

Owen took her in his arms and permitted her
to have a good cry. It was going to hurt him to punish her, but he
simply could not afford to overlook what happened. “Very well,
Tabitha Rose. Are you calmer now?” he asked after several
minutes.

“Yes, thank you. I suppose you are going to
spank me now?” she asked in resignation.

“I am.” He held her at arms’ length. “Can
you say that this is not what you have earned?”

“No, but now that we are married, I am sure
your hand will be even harder,” she told him. “Would you consider
spanking me over my clothing?” Tabitha asked in what she hoped was
a respectful tone.

“No. We are now married and punishments will
be given on your bare bottom. You may either take off your dress if
you do not wish wrinkles in the fabric, or you may simply pull the
dress to your waist and slide down your pretty panties.”

“Are you sure you must do this, darling?”
Tabitha asked, looking at him with sad eyes.

“I am positive and you are close to earning
extras for failing to obey me during a punishment.”

“I do not mean to sound disobedient or
argumentative, Owen,” she insisted. “I am truly mortified and
embarrassed.”

“Why? I have seen you bare on many occasions
now,” he reminded her.

“I know, but that was for mutual pleasure…
Not to inflict pain on me!” She saw the pain her words caused him
and then said, “I am sorry, Owen. I am sure you do not do this for
your pleasure.”

“No, I do not. The time for discussion is
now over, wife. Come to me with your bottom bared and lie over my
lap.” Owen took a seat on the same bed where they had made love so
sweetly just hours before and waited for her to comply with his
wishes.

Tabitha reminded herself that she promised
to obey her husband, and that since they were now married, Owen had
every right to see her bared for a spanking. Even though it shamed
her, she pulled her dress up to her waist and then slid her panties
down to mid-thigh. With her eyes downcast she covered the few steps
between herself and Owen. “I need your help now, husband. I wish to
obey, but I am too panicked to do so.”

He held out his hand, and she immediately
put her hand in his, allowing him to pull her down over his knees
without resistance. “Is there any explanation needed as to why this
spanking is going to happen, wife?”

“No. I know it is earned.” Tabitha forced
herself to speak with honesty. She felt so vulnerable with her
bottom bare and waiting for his hand. The first spank came and she
immediately realized that Owen was serious about giving her a
lesson she would recall. The spank hurt, and she was sure she had a
burning red handprint on her delicate skin. A second spank landed
and covered part of the first, and then things were just a constant
state of smack and burn and sting while Owen gave her the worst
spanking of her entire life. She was sobbing and begging for him to
stop long before he finally did.

“You risked your life, Tabitha Rose, and I
will never take that lightly; do you hear me?” he demanded,
spanking her sit spots again.

“Yes, I hear you! I promise I will never do
so again! Please stop, husband. I have had all I can handle! Please
do not continue!”

“It is not your decision, Tabitha Rose. I am
the one who will decide how long you are punished.”

She could do nothing but cry as he made his
point by spanking her for another few minutes.

When Owen decided she had been thoroughly
punished, he stood her on her feet and said, “You may pull up your
panties now, Tabitha Rose.”

“It hurts too much!” she informed him as she
tried to do so. “My bottom is swollen and they do not fit as they
should!”

“Pull them up so that they hold in the heat;
I want you to feel this spanking for as long as possible,” Owen
said sternly.

“I will feel it just as well without my
panties!” she argued, only to have him reach down and jerk them in
place and then give her another half dozen spanks on top of
them!

“Do not argue with me when you are being
punished. I expect you to do as you are told and without
complaining.”

She nodded, but kept her head bowed and her
eyes downcast as she continued to cry.

“I know that your parent did not use this
form of punishment, wife, but it is the one I will use most often
when I feel you are in need of discipline. It works, and I will not
tolerate my wife putting her life at risk. Have you learned
this?”

“Yes, husband.” She felt thoroughly
disciplined and she promised herself she would never do another
thing to earn a spanking from her husband. The pain was intense,
and she had to wonder if Owen realized how much she still hurt.

“Then come here and let me comfort you,
sweetheart. I love you more than life,” he whispered into her ear
as she immediately came to him to be held in his loving embrace.
While he did nothing to soothe her flaming backside, he let her
know that the spanking was given with more love than she thought
possible.

“Will you love me now?” she begged of
him.

“Not until tonight, Tabitha Rose. You are
forgiven, but making love would feel like a reward right now, and I
want nothing to distract you from feeling the spanking you
received.”

“I do not think anything could do that,
Owen. You were most thorough,” she said and then smiled
tentatively, hoping he would see the humor in her words.

He did not. “I intended to be most thorough.
Your life is precious to me.” He hesitated a moment and then asked,
“Sweetheart, do you have any idea of what those two men
intended?”

“They planned to rape me, Owen. I am not a
fool, and that is why I decided to fight and hope that you would
reach me before they could harm me.” She looked up at him and then
touched his cheek with her hand, caressing him. “I beg forgiveness
for frightening you so badly, dear one. I promise you that I did
not do so deliberately, even though I do admit I marched off in a
childish snit. It was not wise of me to do so when I do not know
the area as I do our home. I shall be more careful the rest of our
wedding trip, and I will hold your hand as if I am a small child if
it will take away your concern.”

Owen could see that Tabitha was truly
remorseful and he felt much better. With her innocent and sheltered
childhood and her modest values, he was afraid she was unaware of
what could have happened to her if he had not come in time to help
her fight off the brothers. “I forgive you, my love,” he said, and
then brought her hand from his cheek to his lips and kissed it. “I
would like to take you for a walk on our beach if you are not
feeling too poorly to go?”

“I would love to go, as long as I do not
need to change into my pants? They are a bit too snug for comfort
at the moment.” For a few seconds Tabitha thought that Owen would
insist she change just to punish her further, but he smiled and
pulled her toward the door.

“You considered it, did you not?” Her
curiosity had to be satisfied.

“Yes, I did.” Owen did not deny his
thoughts. “But, you have expressed remorse several times now, and
it would be mean of me to continue scolding. Let us put this behind
us now, Tabby, and enjoy the rest of our honeymoon.”

Tabitha stood on tiptoe to kiss him and knew
that she was truly forgiven, even though the sore bottom he had
given her would be a constant reminder for days.

* * * * *

“Tabby, welcome home!” Jenson jumped to his
feet to hug his daughter. “How was your wedding trip? Where is
Owen? You did not get rid of him already, did you?” Jenson teased
her just a bit.

“He is bringing in some things, but told me
to come ahead so I could see how you are faring. You look well!”
Tabitha finally decided. “Your cook’s offerings must be agreeing
with you, Daddy.”

“I am afraid that Charla’s mother took ill
and she needed to move home to care for her. Now, tell me about
your trip. Where did you go?” Before Tabitha could answer, Owen
joined them. “Hello, Owen. I see that you survived!” Jenson stood
again and shook Owen’s hand in greeting.

“Yes, sir, I did. Thank you for the
absolutely perfect wedding and party afterwards. Tabby and I have
not stopped talking about how much fun we had.”

“Owen is right, Daddy. We think our wedding
was the very best, and we appreciate everything you did for
us.”