The Alexandra Series (62 page)

“Don’t hope, just let yourself have some peace.” The words were demanding even as they attempted to reassure her.

“I’ll try,” she qualified her answer again, as her hands were freed and the well-known assailant lifted her to her feet.

“I’m glad you woke up,” she told him, looking gratefully into Will’s eyes.

“You thought I was sleeping?” he asked.

“You weren’t?”

“How can I sleep when a storm’s about to strike?” he said.

“Sometimes you do,” she reminded him.

“Not when there’s a storm in you,” he countered. “You’re like trying to sleep with a wildcat.”

She smiled. “I’m just glad you understand what I need.”

He ran his hand through her hair tenderly, and leading her inside, he closed the patio door and went for the thermostat to turn on the air conditioning, closing out the provocative night. “No more storms, I’ll blindfold you if I have to,” he said wearily. “Now get some sleep.”

It was quieter inside even though the traces of rage outside were still getting inside her bones. As blissful as the orgasmic moment was, the annoying aftermath of her midnight madness was the continuing suspicion that something more was swooping down into her life, some unsuspecting happenstance about to blindside her.

***

The sun came through in the morning with its heaven sent charms splashing across the bed. She let her sleep filled body enjoy the warmth.

“You’re looking better,” she heard that voice again, though it sounded nothing like it had the night before. She squinted, looking past the sun to see Will drying his lovely nakedness with a towel. “You’re already up and showered?” she asked.

“For hours.”

“You’re kidding? This is supposed to be the start of our vacation.”

“You didn’t hear the phone?”

“Phone?”

“Yeah, six o’clock.”

“Who the hell’s calling us at that hour, and why didn’t you turn over and go back to sleep?”

“It’s good news, Alex, at least for me. I’m not sure if you’ll be happy about it.” He was already going to his dresser, pulling out clothes, though not the things she expected him to pack for the trip to California the next day. Turtlenecks, long johns, heavy socks, not for a West Coast summer holiday.

“What’s this about?” she asked.

“Riley called. Say’s I have the photography assignment I’ve been begging him for. I was the second choice, but Bob Grace backed out at the last minute. They need me in Anchorage tomorrow. And then I’m off to the wilderness.”

“They need you where!” Alex shot up from the bed, her eyes immediately flashing angry darts.

“Hon, this is the one I told you about.”

“I don’t care what one it is, you promised me this vacation.”

“I’m sorry.” He looked as affectionate as he could, though she wasn’t paying any attention to affection.

“You know the horrible time we had trying to get four busy schedules coordinated,” she snapped. “I had to plead for the time off myself, and now we’re not going. We’ve already made hotel deposits all over Northern California.”

“You want me to give up this chance?” Will looked at her dumbfounded.

She stood her ground, hands on her hips, a nasty sneer on her lips and seeming to radiate through her body. “Yes!”

“Alex,” he groaned. “I can’t believe you. You’re just disappointed, you’ll get over it.”

“I will not get over it!” she fumed. “And don’t try to placate me, because I’m not going to be.”

“Now, you’re being selfish and unreasonable.”

“Too bad,” she barked. Grabbing her robe, she strode to the other side of the room heading for the door.

“Don’t you go anywhere!” He stopped her in her tracks.

She turned back. “No. Obviously I’m not going anywhere.”

“Alex!” He leveled her with a pointed stare.

She ignored him and left the room, slamming the door in his face.

The anger crashing through her was so fierce, she knew it went far beyond the immediate situation. The previous night loomed darkly in her mind, but she’d hardly hit the kitchen floor, when Will was on her back again, grabbing an arm and turning her brusquely about.

“I hate slammed doors!”

“I’d slam another on your face right now, if I could.” The bite in her voice was vicious.

“Why are you being this way?”

“I suppose because I’m a self centered bitch,” she answered.

She tried turning away, but Will didn’t allow her much room to move.

“Maybe we could talk about this intelligently, or do you just want to act like a spoiled brat?”

“No, we’re not going to talk about it intelligently. Don’t even bother using your sensibility on me, because I already know exactly what you’re going to say. You’ll tell me how this job is so important, and you need me to understand. And I will, I’ll be charming and forgiving, again, while you’re off to the wilds of Alaska for god knows how long, and you’ve ruined the vacation plans I’ve spent weeks arranging.” She was breathing hard finishing her speech. “Now get your hands off me,” she added, trying to wrench away from his tightening grasp.

“Dammit, I don’t like it when you’re like this,” Will came back.

“You know what, Will? I don’t care.”

“Oh, yes you do.”

“Oh, no I don’t.”

Her next attempt to flee from his grasp was successful, but not for long. The kitchen was too small a place to find an escape, so she bolted through the far door. That was fine with Will. The dining room was better for his purposes anyway; and before Alex could think of another biting retort, he was on her heels, grasping her wrist, then in a chair with her body flung over his lap as easily as a child’s rag doll.

“Damn it, you ass!” she barked, as the first blows of his hand reigned on her bottom. The heated spanks landed so briskly, he didn’t bother to bare her bottom; though that situation was soon remedied. The thin silk garment was readily pushed aside to reveal the ass he knew so well, that had known a good deal of angry punishment in the last year as the two worked out their sometimes tortuous, and often stormy relationship, in many such similar ways.

“You bastard, stop!” she wailed.

“Hell no, you whining brat!” His hand came down, broad and flat and smacking so hard that it stung like the dickens. Painful as it was, it was a good sting. He knew she was hurting more than he was. Her bottom was quickly a flaming pink, turning into a deeper shade of red with each furious spank.

To her further anguish however, Will had pulled a wooden spoon from the kitchen wall as they’d made their hasty exit, and after delivering his message with several dozen old fashioned hand spanks, he changed to the unforgiving wood.

“Noooooooo!” she wailed, as the first of many smacks connected with her burning bottom.

As miserable as the spanking was however, the nature of her protest was starting to change. For that, Will was thankful. Hearing her wails soften, even if it was only a little bit, he was encouraged. He continued spanking her, determined not to give up until he’d knocked all the spitfire and unreasonable fury from her flustered soul. A good several dozen whacks and he finally slowed. Stopping altogether, he laid the wooden spoon on her flaming bottom while he spoke.

“Are you ready to behave reasonably?” he asked.

She was sobbing, and saying something he couldn’t make out, but by her tone he could tell it was conciliatory. She certainly didn’t want the punishment to continue.

“And are you going to discuss this like an adult?” he went on.

“Yes,” she blubbered through her tears.

He put the spoon aside and lifted her into his arms. He could tell that she was struggling not to wrench away from the tender gesture.

“I’m sorry,” she managed to say.

“That didn’t sound very enthusiastic.”

“I’m supposed to be enthusiastic too?”

“If you want to avoid another blistering round with the spoon, you might consider it.”

“How am I supposed to be happy about this situation?” she asked, in an honest appeal for his understanding.

“You’re not. And the truth is, neither am I? You realize that it’s nearly eleven o’clock. From six until nine this morning, I stewed about it until I finally decided that I couldn’t turn down the offer. You know yourself that it’s important to me, and our future. And when haven’t you supported me with my work?”

“I always have. But just this once I don’t want to. It doesn’t even feel right you’re going now. Besides, what am I supposed to do this week with you abandoning me?”

“Go anyway,” he suggested.

“Go anyway? You’ve got to be kidding, tag along with Jocelyn and Reg, like their kid sister? Thank you, no. Those two lovebirds have their own plans. Jocelyn’s hardly had time to be with Reggie since their honeymoon. She’s not going to want to be buddy/buddy with me.”

“Then maybe you can book yourself into a spa, and just go solo?”

She considered the thought. Getting pampered for a week wouldn’t be all that bad, but no…

“I guess if that was my original plan it would be something to look forward to, but it’s only going to be laced with disappointment. No, I’ll probably just cancel and go to work. Then, if you ever do get some vacation time we’ll plan something else.” Her resentment still showed in the tone of her voice.

“Don’t start again,” he warned. She was hardly placated, that was obvious.

“I’m not going to start anything else,” she said. She took a deep breath and tried smiling.

“There. That looks better.”

“I’m bluffing,” she said, looking into his eyes—ones that definitely wanted her approval of his plans before he left. Even as demanding and controlling as Will could be, he still wanted her to be happy. “In fact,” she started again, though not angrily this time, “I’ll probably be throwing things against the door just as soon as you walk out of here.”

He shook his head, no. “Bad choice, Alex. I’ll just have to come back in here and paddle your bottom again.”

“Is that the only answer that you have for our disagreements?”

“It’s the one you want to respond to,” he said. “Besides, you and I both know that half this confrontation today was because there were still unsettling things from last night.”

“I won’t disagree with that,” she said. “I’m feeling vulnerable.”

“Oh?”

“Pink Flamingo thoughts,” she said.

The familiar old bar came to Will’s mind, a springboard for Alexandra’s initiation into her wildest sexual fantasies; it had been a symbol of everything she was scared of most.

“I don’t believe there’s anything left lurking in your psyche. But I do think that the sooner I get going on this assignment, the sooner I’ll be back, the sooner we can get nasty the way you want, maybe clear out any cobwebs that might still be hanging around. Until then, you keep your hand at your cunt and your mind on me and you’ll be fine.”

“Those are neat solutions for you, aren’t they?” she quipped.

“No. But they’re the ones I want you to accept. Plan something with this time, something productive. And don’t stew around. It’ll go by faster than you think.”

She wiggled off his lap and he let her go.

“I’ll be okay,” she said, knowing that it wasn’t the first time she had to fend for herself, and it definitely wouldn’t be the last. The terrific warmth in her bottom was arousing as it always was, and she pulled Will to his feet wanting something more. “At least we can have one last fuck, you suppose?”

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t think of leaving you without tangling with this blast furnace one more time.” His hands were roving her bottom, moving briskly between her ass cheeks to the moist pussy below. They teased and played all the way to the bedroom where they landed in the middle of a pile of crumpled sheets and made love for the next hour.

Chapter Two

The stunning redhead rapped on the office door but entered without hearing an answer.

“Good morning, darling,” she purred. Standing in the doorway for several seconds, she waited for the handsome and very busy executive to look up, but he didn’t. “My, aren’t you preoccupied,” she said, finally sauntering toward him and plopping down in a chair. She leaned in on his desk, with her pale green business suit open just enough to entice him. If nothing else he could smell her perfume. He glanced just briefly at her sexy cleavage then returned his gaze to the mass of papers cluttering his desk.

“A dozen deadlines today, Jocelyn,” was the only comment forthcoming.

“I can’t pull you away even for a tiny coffee break?”

“Not if I have to be out of here by three to catch our plane.” He did look up this time, into her bright green eyes.

She could tell that he saw her blatant sexual statement but he didn’t comment directly. It would never be like Reggie to do that anyway.

“You’re looking harried,” she remarked.

“While you look calm.”

“That’s because I’m organized, Reg. I got all my work done in ten minutes this morning. I think I could have delegated the rest of my life if need be. You should try it yourself.”