Hailey's Turn

Hailey’s fingers flew across the keyboard as she rushed to get the words out.  Sometimes the stories went well, and she always had to put them on paper immediately when that happened.  Her writing friends always told her she was obsessed, and that was certainly true.  She was when it came to her stories.  To her, they were a fantasy world where she could live out her fantasies; some she’d like to try, and others that she’d be too afraid to try in real life.  Ah, but that was the nature of fantasy.
Hailey was nearing the big 40.  She knew that her chances of living out any of her fantasies were likely gone for good, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t put those fantasies down on paper and make a living with them.
         She considered herself a very lucky woman, in that she could make a living with her writing.  As she wasn’t a morning person, it was a damn good thing, she mused.  Oh, it might be morning now, she thought, as she looked out the living room window.  But to her it was still night, as she’d never been to bed.    One of her writing binges had struck the day before, and she’d been writing non-stop for nearly twenty hours. 

She paused to read what she’d written.

         1850—England


         “Young lady, you will do as you are told,” he said stiffly.

         Lady Kathryn looked upon the man with disdain.  How dare he tell her what to do!  Why, the nerve of him!  Her father should have never allowed this uncouth man to enter their home the year before.  He’d become a tiresome bore. “I would not go to the ball with you if you were the last man alive,” she said, her tone dripping with disdain.

         Lord Artwine looked into the exotic green eyes.  “You will not speak to me in that tone of voice, Kathryn,” he said coldly.  He’d warned her on numerous occasions that she was a lady and that she should learn to behave as such. He’d often wondered why her father and his friend Lord Wilmington, had not reined her in long ago.

         “I shall speak to you any way I wish, you-you baboon!” she cried.  “You are not my father, and you are not my affianced.  I do not answer to you.”  She looked around the parlor for something close enough to throw at him.  Only the thought of the servants prevented her from screeching at him!  Of all the nerve!

         He took a menacing step toward her.  “Really?  Then tell me, what am I?” he queried.  Her father had already accepted his suit, and the little chit damn well knew it!

         Despite herself, Kathryn took a step backward.  “What do you think you are going to do?” Despite herself, her voice was breathless.  He looked just a bit dangerous just then.

         “What your father should have done long ago,” he said darkly.  He grabbed her arm in a painless grip and pulled her to the settee.  He sat down and yanked her across his lap.  He flipped up her skirts and petticoats and paused a moment at her satin pantalets.  He reminded himself that she was a maiden, then gave a mental shrug, and yanked them down, too.  His hand paused only a moment to admire the view before he brought it down in a hard slap on her bared bottom

         Kathryn shrieked.  “W-what are you doing!” Never had someone dared to strike her!  She’d tear his eyes out with her bare hands!

         “What your father should have done to you years ago, my dear, I’m giving you a spanking!”  he said, his hand raising and falling on her bottom in hard slaps.  He paused after a moment and rested his palm on her burning flesh.  “Are you ready to see reason now?” he demanded.

         She kicked her legs wildly.  “Let me up!  Right this instant,” she snapped, trying to keep her voice from carrying beyond the closed door of the parlor.

         “Apparently not,” he said.  He continued the spanking, although not quite as hard.  “Let me know when you are,” he said in a conversational tone.

         Forgetting the servants as a particularly hard smack landed, she yelled  at him.  How dare he do this to her!  No one had dared ever to spank her before.  She didn’t like it, not one little bit.  “Let me go!”

         After a long moment of punishing smacks, he paused again.  “Now, are you ready to listen?” he demanded.

         “Yes,” she cried with broken sobs.  “Please stop.”

         He rested his hand on her red bottom.  “Are you going to behave?” he demanded.

         “Yes, yes!” she promised.  “I’ll behave!”

         He pulled her drawers up and lowered her skirts.  He turned her over gently in his lap and held her tightly.  “Are you ready to have a reasonable discussion now?” he asked very softly.

         “Yes,” she mumbled, hiding her face against his shirt.  She could not believe that he’d actually spanked her!  Her bottom stung!  “I think you’re a mean, mean man,” she cried, trying to stop the flow of tears.

         He tilted her chin up with gentle fingers, and brushed the riotous dark curls from her cheek.  Gentle fingers brushed away the tears from her cheeks.  “No, love, I’m not.  Your pride is hurt more than your bottom,” he said.

         “I—I’ve never been spanked before,” she said softly.  While she was still furious with him for daring to do such a thing, part of her was fascinated, too.  He was right, it was more her pride that stung.  Still, her bottom was on fire!

         “That I can believe, little one,” he said softly, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.  “But you sorely needed it.”

         “My father will take you to task,” she said, her spirit returning. 

         He laughed richly.  “You may be right, love.  But I do not think you’ll be telling him of this afternoon.”

         Of course she wouldn’t tell her father.  She’d never tell anyone of her humiliation!  “Can I get up now?” she asked.

         Hailey was very pleased with where the story was going, and she sighed deeply.  She was a renowned romance writer.  Her characters often took on a mind of their own, though.  This was one of those times.  She’d often thought that she’d been born years too late.  In this modern time, men didn’t act like they had back in the time where her stories took place. 

         As a single woman nearing forty, she’d decided that she’d never find the Lord Artwine of her dreams.  Still, she could write about him.  Her fantasies could all come to life with the words she put down on paper. 

         Part of her really did want a man just like Lord Artwine.  He was a man that she could love, she knew.  Of course, a man like him didn’t exist; he was the character in her story.

         Actually, he was a character in almost all of her stories.  His name may change, as well as his appearance, but basically he was the same man, with the same personality traits.

         Modern men simply weren’t the same.  She’d dated, of course, but had not come close to finding the man of her dreams.  The man of her dreams simply didn’t exist; except in her fantasies.

         She’d begun writing with the simple question ‘what if’.  What if she’d been born a hundred or so years earlier?  What if she’d met a man like Lord Artwine?  The stories had gone from there.

         In each one she wrote, the heroine had many of her qualities.  Hailey admitted to herself that she was very stubborn.  She had a mind of her own and wasn’t afraid to use it.  Men were often intimidated by her.  She didn’t think a man from a hundred years ago would be.  A man of that time would have simply put her over his knee if she pushed him.

         She didn’t want an abusive man.  Lord knew, there were plenty of those around. She wanted a man that was kind, compassionate, considerate, and …one that would turn her across his knee if she needed it.  She’d often had fantasies about her neighbor, Shawn.  He was every bit as handsome as her heroes in her books; but he also had an advantage over them; he was real.  But he was nice.  Way too nice.  It wasn’t that she wanted someone mean, either.  But she needed someone that would give as good as he got.  Shawn had glared at her a time or two, but he’d never raised his voice or even suggested he’d go Alpha Male on her.

         Hailey sighed again and continued to write.  Within a few hours, she was falling asleep at the computer.  Her lids were heavy as she tried to continue.  She just wanted to get this one last chapter written, then she could sleep for twelve hours or so.

         She’d often go on writing binges, where she did little but write and drink Diet Coke.  She rarely stopped for food, and wrote until she just couldn’t focus on the keyboard any longer. This had been one of those binges.  She lowered her head and closed her eyes against a wave of dizziness.  Just five minutes.  She’d close her eyes for just five minutes.

         Shawn let himself into Hailey’s apartment and took in the sight.  She was asleep at her desk.  There were several empty bottles of Diet Coke on her desk, along with stacks of paper.  Her dark auburn hair was like a cloud around her.  She’d been on a writing binge.

         Again.

         The last time she’d done this to herself, he’d promised himself that he’d turn her over his knee and spank her bottom till sitting at a desk was the last thing on her mind.  Of course, he’d never acted on the impulse, as much as he’d wanted to!

         Hailey was a wonderful woman, but she was too damn stubborn for her own good.  She worked herself into total exhaustion, and then would sleep for days on end.  Her health had suffered for it, too.  Just last month she’d had pneumonia.  He’d taken care of her for days.

         He walked over to the desk and pulled her chair back enough to reach her.  He lifted her into his arms and headed toward her bedroom.  He laid her gently on the bed, and pulled a cover up over her.  His fingers brushed the soft skin of her cheek.  Her eyes fluttered open.

         “Are you going to spank me?” she asked, her voice slurred.

         Shawn chuckled.  He knew she wasn’t really awake.  She was caught up in one of her plotlines.  “Yes, love, I’m going to spank you,” he said softly.  “Go to sleep.”

         “Okay,” she said, and closed her eyes once more.

         Shawn left her in the room and walked out to the living room desk.  He started picking up the empty soda bottles, shaking his head.  This junk was going to give her an ulcer.  He’d never seen her drink anything else before.  He took them to the kitchen and tossed them into the recycle bin, then went back to her desk.

         She’d never let him read any of her work, and had refused to tell him her pen name.  He grinned to himself.  This would likely be his only chance to see what she wrote about; to see what kept her so engrossed that she went without food and sleep for days on end.  He picked up her current work and skimmed the pages, then grinned to himself. 

         Her writing was excellent, he admitted to himself.  She was a talented writer.  It was no wonder she had been published.  Her stories made the reader feel as if he were within the book; a character in the story.  Even though romance wasn’t his type of read, he found that he enjoyed her work simply because she was so creative and used such good descriptive technique.

         Oh, was she going to have a surprise when she awakened!  He had some plans to make while his Hailey took her overdue nap.  He knew she’d sleep for hours now, and that was just fine with him. 

         He’d been in love with her for months; but she’d seen him as nothing but a friend.  Often, she’d told him that he reminded him of a big brother.  He’d cringed every time he’d heard her say that, but had always laughed with her when she’d said it.

         When he was done, he hoped she’d forever lose the big brother image she had of him.  He had absolutely no desire to be only her friend; but had decided to bide his time with her.  He didn’t want to scare her away by seeming to pushy with her.  Hailey was almost forty and had never been married.  He knew she’d been engaged twice, but had, in the end, broken off the relationships.  She’d told him that men were intimidated by her, and had laughed, telling her he certainly wasn’t intimidated.  She’d answered with a laugh and said:” Of course not!  You’re like my brother!”

         For the last several months, he’d taken to checking on her every day and reminding her to sleep and to eat.  Still, he’d contented himself with the role of caretaker long enough.  It was time for her to realize that he wanted more from her.

         He decided that today was the day that she’d learn about her big brother once and for all.

         He went back to his apartment and fixed a nutritious meal, then had gone back to her house. He put the plate of food in the refrigerator and sighed at what was in there.  There were eggs, butter, milk he’d guess was a month old, and Diet Coke.  Nothing else.  When had she gone shopping last?  He shook his head and closed the fridge.  He opened the freezer and groaned.  TV dinners and frozen pizzas.  It was a wonder she wasn’t sick.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her eat something healthy.

         When he’d commented on her poor eating habits, she’d retorted with her usual brother comments.

         It was going to end today.  Hailey was going to learn that he would only be pushed so far before he put his foot down.

***

         Hailey returned to the world in degrees.  Her eyes opened slowly and she groaned, with an overwhelming need for the bathroom.  She climbed from the bed and stumbled across the room into the restroom. 

         Once her immediate needs were taken care of, she felt a little more human.  She drank a large glass of water after brushing her teeth.  God, she was thirsty!  It suddenly dawned on her that she had not put herself to bed.  She remembered sitting at her desk and deciding on a five minute cat nap.  Shawn must have come and put her to bed.  She smiled at the thought.  He was probably her best friend; she didn’t know what she’d do without him around.

         Hailey looked out the window and saw only darkness.  She’d slept through the day, obviously.  A growling in her midsection reminded her that she hadn’t eaten in hours.  She padded across the room to the bedroom door and opened it an inch.

         She wasn’t sure if Shawn was still here or if he’d gone home.  Usually, he’d come in, put her to bed, then go on home.  The apartment sounded quiet as she headed for the kitchen.  A Diet Coke was the first order of business.  Food could wait; her need or Diet Coke could not. 

         She didn’t even glance around the living room as she headed for the kitchen, her mind on nothing but the cold soda that would bring her to life.  She opened the fridge and frowned when she realized she was almost out.  Damn it, she didn’t want to go to the darn store!  She grabbed a bottle and twisted off the cap, tossing it carelessly onto the counter top. She tipped the bottle back and took a longs swallow of the cold, refreshing soda and closed her eyes in contented bliss.

         Several sips later, and she almost felt awake again.  A glance at the microwave clock told her that she’d slept for probably twelve hours.  It was after eleven.  Wow, she hadn’t realized just how tired she was.  Shawn would probably scold her again if he realized how long she’d been awake.

         Soda in hand, Hailey walked into the living room, planning on getting right back to work.  She’d make something to eat and have a shower in a while.  Her mind on her plan, she shrieked when she walked into something hard.

         “Shh, it’s only me, hon,” Shawn said with a deep chuckle.  “Didn’t you see me when you walked into the kitchen?”

         She looked up at him and again thought was a great specimen he was of the opposite sex.  His eyes were a deep chocolate brown, and his hair was light brown, but bleached from hours in the sunlight.  He was tall; very tall, probably six two or three. “Oh!  You’re here, still?”

         He nodded, his hands on her arms to steady her.  “Didn’t think you were quite awake yet when you walked through,” he said with another chuckle.

         Hailey looked up at him and gave him a smile.  “Thanks for putting me to bed.  Guess I was more tired than I thought.”

         He tilted his head and looked down at her.  “Ya think?” he said with a touch of sarcasm.

         She favored him with a quizzical look.  “Are you mad?” she asked.  Something in the tone of voice was different.  She’d never heard that sarcastic tone before.

         He seemed to ponder that for a moment, then made his decision.  “Yeah, I guess I am, a little,” he said at length.

         “Look, no one asked you to play babysitter, Shawn.  If you’re angry, don’t feel obligated to stick around,” she said, pointedly looking at the living room door.  She was a little hurt that he was angry with her. After all, she’d never once asked him to be a babysitter. He’d taken on the job all on his own.  It wasn’t like she needed him to come tuck her into bed or something!  “I have to get back to work,” she mumbled, trying to move past him.

         Walking through a wall would have been easier.  He didn’t budge when she took a step forward.  She sighed and tried to walk around him, but he simply blocked her path.  “What?” she snapped.

         “What are you having for dinner?” he demanded.

         She glared at him, but held up her soda bottle.  “This for now.  I’ll eat in a little while.”

         He took her shoulders again and waited until she looked up at him.  “You’ll eat now,” he said very softly.

         “Look, Shawn, turn off big brother for the night.  I slept longer than I should have.  I need to get back to work.  I’ll eat when I’m done this chapter.”  She side-stepped and took only one step before she felt a hard hand connect with her bottom.

         She spun around and glared at him.  “Did you just smack me?” she asked incredulously.

         He nodded.  “Now, let’s go find something for you to eat.”

         She continued to glare.  “How dare you!  Go home, Shawn.  I’m a big girl.”  A little thrill went through her.  Her bottom tingled from his not-so-gentle smack and that confused her.  He was like a brother to her; always had been—wasn’t he?

         Shawn studied her riotous curls, and grabbed one to twist around in his fingers.  God, he loved her hair.  It was deep auburn and gloriously curly.  “Don’t think so, little one,” he said huskily. 

         She gave a long-suffering sigh.  “Fine, I’ll eat.  Then will you go home and let me get back to work?” she demanded.  Had he always been so tall?  She had to look up- and up- to see his face when he was standing so close.

         “Yes, you’re going to eat. I made you dinner. It’s in the fridge.  Two minutes in the microwave should do it.”

         She simply looked at him, wide-eyed.  “You made me dinner?”

         His eyes narrowed.  “Yes, I made you dinner.  You haven’t eaten all day, damn it. Now, go and eat it!” he snapped. He released her curl and spun her around and sent her on her way with another smack on her rear.

         Hailey was too shocked to do more than nod and walk into the kitchen.  Had he really just smacked her bottom twice?  She shook her head to clear it as she walked to the fridge and pulled out the plate.  She frowned as she looked at the clear plastic covered plate.  Chicken and peas and mashed potatoes.  She hated chicken.  She knew there was no chicken in her fridge.  And she never ever ate veggies.  “I’m not eating this,” she said. 

         Shawn took the plate from her fingers and sat it on the counter.  “You have nothing to eat here, Hailey.  I brought over what I fixed at home.  Some chicken and peas won’t kill you.”

         “I have food!” she protested at once.  She opened the freezer with more force than necessary and pointed.  “See?  I must have twenty dinners in here!”

         He shook his head and slammed the door shut.  “You need protein.  A real dinner, not rehydrated garbage.  He took the plate and popped it into the microwave for two minutes.  “You’re going to eat this, young lady!” he said firmly.

         She rounded on him.  Very carefully she sat her soda down on the counter so she could plant her hands on her ample hips.  “Just who do you think you are?  I told you already:  You can turn off big brother.”

         Shawn sighed and looked down at the little vixen.  “Hailey, as I see it, you have two choices.”

         She glared at him.  “Oh?  And what might those two choices be?”

         “You can either sit down at that table and eat what I brought over, or you can sit down at that table and eat what I brought over with a sore bottom!”

         Her eyes widened and her heart pounded.  “What did you say?”

         He ground his teeth and knelt so he was eye level with her.  “What part didn’t you understand?” he said in a very soft voice.

         “Are you really threatening to spank me?” she asked in a breathless voice.  She looked at the muscle ticking in his jaw and was fascinated despite herself.

         He shook his head instantly and saw the momentary disappointment flash in her eyes before she caught herself.  “I’m promising to spank you!” he said finally.

         She gave her head a shake, ignoring the sound of the microwave beeping.  “You’re serious?” she whispered.

         “Very serious,” he said firmly. 

         “I don’t like chicken.  You know that.”

         He shrugged.  “Then have real food in your own fridge,” he said, totally unconcerned.

         Hailey stared at him.  She couldn’t have been more surprised if he’d grown horns.  “You won’t,” she said in a small voice.  The question was did that make her happy or a little sad? 

         In answer, he pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and yanked her across his lap.  Before she could do more than sputter, he’d lifted her nightshirt, exposing her blue panties to the cool air of the kitchen.

         Shawn held her around the waist tightly, although she wasn’t struggling at all.  He raised his right hand and looked at the offered target.  God, she had a lovely bottom.  He reached for the band on the blue panties and slowly pulled them down.  He closed his eyes.  God, he wasn’t sure if he could go through with this.  “Last chance,” he warned.

         Hailey held perfectly still, afraid and excited at the same time.  Was he really going to spank her?  “I-I don’t like chicken,” she said very softly.  “Let me up!”

         Shawn had his answer.  “No,” he said firmly.  “I think this is something you’ve needed for a long time, young lady!” He raised his hand and smacked her bottom, although not very hard.  He watched, transfixed as a red print appeared on the pale white flesh.  He raised it again and smacked the other side, again seeing the print of his palm appear on her perfect bottom.

         Hailey started to struggle.  His hand stung!  “Can we talk about this?” she said frantically.  She couldn’t just lie here and let him spank her!  She must be dreaming—or having a nightmare!

         “No” he said flatly.  He continued to spank her, his hand causing the resilient flesh of her bottom to flatten with each stinging smack.  When she started to struggle in earnest, he clasped her long legs between his own, but didn’t stop the punishing smacks.

         “Shawn!  Let me go!” she ordered.  What in the world had possessed her to think she wanted a real spanking?  This hurt!  She winced when a hard smack landed on the edge of her bottom, near the top of her thighs.

         “I said no, Hailey.  Not for a long while,” he said.  His hand raised and fell quickly now, peppering her bottom with stinging smacks. 

         “I’ll eat the chicken!” she said quickly.  She started kicking her legs- as much as she could with them scissored between his strong legs.  “I’ll eat!”

         Shawn paused a moment, his palm resting on the heated flesh.  He admired his handiwork.  Her bottom was a bright pink now, from top to bottom.  “Yes, you will,” he said calmly.  “And after you eat, we are going to sit down and have a long talk, Hailey!”  He gave her a few more stinging slaps to make sure he’d made his point, and then slowly helped her to her feet.

         He couldn’t suppress a grin at the shocked look on her face.  He hadn’t made her cry, but that hadn’t been his intention.  He just wanted to get her attention, and guessed he’d done that well enough.  He watched her wince as she pulled her panties up to cover herself.  Well, he’d spanked her hard, he guessed she was entitled to a wince or two.  He got to his feet and pulled her against his chest.  “You have to take care of yourself, love,” he said deeply, running his hand down her back to sooth her. 

         She clung to him and then burst into tears.  “You spanked me!” she wailed.

         “Shhh love.  Yes, I spanked you.  I’ll probably spank you again, too.  You’re alright.  Shhh.”  He continued to cuddle her, hugging her tightly.

         “N-no one has ever done that before,” she said brokenly.

         He nodded against her head and smiled into her hair.  “I think it was long overdue, sweetheart. You’re not hurt, though.”  He continued to soothe her until her crying stopped.  Damn, he really hadn’t meant to make her cry. 

         She lifted her head and looked up at him, tears still streaming down her cheeks.  “Why did you do that?” she whispered.

         He sat down and pulled her onto his lap, the food in the microwave forgotten momentarily.  “Because you needed it,” he said simply.  He tucked a curl behind her ear and brushed the tears off her cheeks.  “I think you’ve needed that for a long time,” he admitted softly.

         “B-but you can’t just spank me,” she said, her voice filled with awe.

         “It appears that I can, sweetie.  Since I just did,” he retorted.  He didn’t really care if she was angry with him or not.  She’d deserved every damn smack and then some. 

         “Why?” she whispered.

         He tilted her chin up with gentle fingers.  “Because, love, you needed it,” he repeated.  “In fact, this is only the beginning.  When you’re done your dinner, I’m going to spank you again.”  He suddenly realized that she really did want him to do that.  At least a very big part of her did.  There was excitement in those exotic green eyes.

         She shivered.  “Hard?”  Her bottom was still stinging from that all too short spanking.  But she wanted him to do it all over again. 

         He smiled gently.  “Just as hard as it takes to get your attention, little one,” he said softly.  “You must know I’d never really harm you.”

         “’Kay,” she said simply, resting her head against his broad chest.  She listened to the steady beat of his heart and closed her eyes, accepting his comfort.  He was right; she had needed that for a long time. 

         He continued to hold her for a long while, and then finally helped her to her feet.  “You need to eat, love,” he said quietly.  He reheated the food for thirty seconds and sat the plate in front of her.  “We’ll go out shopping in the morning and get food that you like.  For now, just eat this, alright?”

         She nodded and ate the plate of food he’d prepared for her.  She didn’t taste a thing, she ate mechanically.  When she was done, she sat the fork down and looked up at him again.  She’d never been at a loss or words in her life, but she was now. 

         He smiled.  “Good girl,” he said softly.  “Let’s go in the other room and talk, alright?”

         She nodded warily at him.

         He chuckled.  “I just mean conversation, sweetheart.  It’s not time for your spanking yet,” he explained.

         “Why are you going to spank me again?” she asked softly.

         He gave her a long look.  “Well, let’s see,” he began.  “You’re not eating, not sleeping and not taking care of yourself.  We could add the half-empty bottle of antibiotics from last month to the list,” he replied.  “And because it’s all I have been able to think about since last month when you were so ill. I promised myself that the very next time you worked yourself into total exhaustion, I was going to.”

         “Oh.”  She didn’t protest when he took her hand and led her into the living room.  He sat down and pulled her onto his lap and cuddled her. 

         “You’re not taking care of yourself, Hailey.  It has to stop,” he said firmly.  “You’ll make yourself sick again.”

         “I eat, Shawn,” she said defensively.

         “Really?  What have you eaten today?” he demanded.

         “Well, I didn’t mean today.  I meant most days,” she grumbled.  She felt like a ten-year-old being scolded.  It wasn’t totally an unpleasant feeling, she realized.  Of course, he’d scolded her before; but he certainly hadn’t spanked her before.

         “You will start eating every day, young lady.  At least one balanced meal a day.  Do you understand me?”

         She looked up into his very serious face.  She gulped.  “Yes.” 

         “You will also sleep, Hailey.  I don’t want to come in here again and find you passed out at the computer,” he said firmly.

         “I write when the muse strikes!  I can’t promise that I won’t write long hours!”

         “There are twenty-four hours in a day, Hailey.  You’ll spend at least 6-8 of those sleeping!”

         She glared at him now.  “Look, I said I’d eat, don’t push your luck!  I’m not too sure how I’m feeling about you right now, so don’t push it!”  It was one thing to tell her to eat better; he was right about that.  Her writing was a different matter entirely.  She forgot for a moment that less than half an hour ago, he’d had her across his knee.

         He tilted her chin up with gentle fingers.  “But I know exactly how I feel about you, Hailey.  I love you, and I’m not going to watch you make yourself sick again.”

         “Well, I love you, too, Shawn.  But you know how it is with my writing!”  He’d never said he loved her before.  Of course, he only meant as friends—like a sister and brother.  He didn’t have any desire for her—or did he?

         He narrowed his eyes.  “I know how it is, yes.  I also know that you’ll accomplish more in the long run if you sleep and eat!”  He paused for a long moment.  At first he hadn’t been sure that she really needed another spanking, but apparently she did.  He tilted her chin up.  “Do you understand?”

         She glared at him.  “You’re not my father.”

         “No, I’m not.  But I am the one that is going to be spanking your bottom each and every time I find out you’re not taking care of yourself properly,” he promised.

         She shivered.  “You can stop threatening me, too!  I’m not a child to be spanked!”

         “No, you’re not a child.  But that doesn’t mean that you won’t be spanked. I am going to spank you again, Hailey.  I want you to fully understand exactly what you can expect if you disobey me on this.”

         “Why do you want to hurt me?” she whispered; suddenly a little afraid.

         He hugged her tightly.  “I never want to hurt you, sweetie.  Ever.”

         “You don’t think that…that…spanking hurt?” she demanded.

         He gave her a smile.  “It stung, as it was intended to, Hailey.  No, I don’t think it really hurt.”

         “Well it did hurt!” she muttered.  Well, ok, maybe it just stung- a lot!

         He sighed.  “Okay, Hailey.  Maybe that did hurt; especially since you’ve likely never been spanked in your life.  There is pain, and there is hurt.  What you felt was some pain.  Not true hurt.”

         “I know,” she admitted softly.  “Look, can’t we talk about this?  I mean, I get it.  You want me to start taking care of myself.  Really, I understand!  There’s no reason to…well, you know!” 

         “I think there is,” he said softly.  “And you’ll agree to it, too.”

         Her eyes widened.  “You really think that I’m going to agree?  You’re a lot stronger than I am obviously.  I can’t really stop you without destroying my apartment.  But I certainly am not going to agree that you should spank me!”

         He gave her a long look.  “Tell me something.  Have you ever been spanked before?” he asked gently.

         Hailey shook her head.  “My parents didn’t believe in spanking.  And schools don’t allow it anymore.  It’s…barbaric!”

         He nodded.  “Well, I must admit I agree about spanking children under most circumstances.  But sometimes a warm seat makes a lasting impression.”

         Her bottom wasn’t really burning any more, but he was right.  It had certainly made an impression!  “I guess,” she allowed.

         “Hailey, if I find you in the condition I did this morning again, there will be no discussion.  I will simply pull you to the nearest couch or chair and spank you.  You can whine, cry and pout all you want, but it won’t stop the ultimate outcome.  In the end, you’ll get that spanking,” he warned softly.  “If you really do want to avoid another spanking after the one I’m about to give you, it’s pretty simple to do.  Don’t put your health at risk, and the only spankings you’ll get are ones that you’ll like!”

         “Ones I’ll like?” she whispered.

         He chuckled.  “You write, Hailey.  Therefore, I have to assume that you read, too.  I’m sure you’ve read about various kinds of spanking at some point.”

         Of course she had.  That’s how her fantasy had developed!  “Maybe,” she said grudgingly.

         “I’m your friend, Hailey.  I’d like to be more than that, actually.”

         “You would?” she whispered.

         “Yeah,” he said with a sigh.  “I’ve been in love with you for quite a while,” he admitted.

         “I didn’t know,” she said.  “But you’ve never said anything.”

         “I didn’t want to rush you, Hailey.  You were too busy seeing me as a brother to think of me as a man,” he said softly.  “And after I bust your bottom, you might not want to see me as a man.”

         “I will,” she admitted softly.

         He grinned at that.  “You will?”

         She nodded, blushing.  “But do you really think another spanking is necessary?”

         “Afraid so, little one,” he said softly.  He touched her cheek.  “I think you need to know exactly what to expect if you don’t take care of yourself.”

         “And if I say no?” she asked, leaning her face into his caressing palm.

         His smile was sad.  “Then I suppose we’ll have a fight on our hands.  I’m going to spank you, love.”  He’d read her book, though.  She didn’t really want to agree, or have to agree.  Her fantasy, from what he’d read, was to simply be hauled over a lap and soundly spanked.  “Enough talk,” he decided.  He flipped her over and within seconds had her bottom bared for the second time that evening. 

         “Wait!” she yelled, flushing.  God, how did he move that fast?  She was still deciding if she wanted to let him, and he’d taken the choice right out of her hands.

         “Afraid not, love.  Now be still,” he admonished.  He started spanking her gently, his hand falling to her bottom in moderate spanks.  He really didn’t want to hurt her; he just wanted to get her attention.

         She started wiggling.  “This is embarrassing!”  There was an almost painful anticipation as she felt the light spanks on her bottom.  She knew this was called a warm up.  It was supposed to make a longer spanking easier.  She shivered.  How long would he spank her?  Her entire being was centered on her bottom.  Each slap jarred her slightly and she tensed. 

         “I suppose it is,” he agreed, continuing to spank.  His hand kept moving.  He didn’t spank the same spot more than twice before moving.  He certainly didn’t want her to bruise, but he was determined that she’d think twice before she neglected her health again.  “You know how to avoid another one.”  He started spanking a little harder now.  Her bottom was barely pink from the gentle warm up.  But it was time to make his point.

         Hailey stopped wiggling and winced as a hard smack struck her bottom with stinging force.  She yelped when one struck where bottom met thighs.  “Not there!” she cried. 

         He continued just as he had been, spanking both sit spots until they matched the dark pink across the rest of her bottom.  He knew his own strength, and knew he wasn’t really hurting her.  “Yes, there,” he said sternly.  “This is what you’ll remember when you sit down for a while.”  He knew that this was the most sensitive part of the bottom, and kept the spanks just short of really painful.  He didn’t want her frantic, but he did want her attention.

         Hailey whimpered.  “Please, I’ll be good!”  It was really starting to burn now, and she wanted it to be over.  She felt as though he’d been spanking her for at least an hour, when in actuality, it was more like five minutes.

         “You will damn well take care of yourself,” he said with harder smacks on her tender bottom.  “Do you understand me, young lady?” 

         Her bottom felt like it was on fire now.  “Yes!  Please stop now.  I will take care of myself!”

         He lightened the spanks, but didn’t stop them.  “You will eat at least two meals a day,” he ordered. 

         She wiggled, trying to get away from the punishing spanks.  “Yes, I’ll eat!” she promised.  She wasn’t sure that she’d want another spanking again any time soon.  His hand was hard!  Still, part of her knew why he was doing it, and she did appreciate him for that, even if she couldn’t admit it to him.

         He rested his hand on the now red bottom.  “I can keep this up for quite a while, young lady, so be sure you mean what you say,” he warned with a new barrage of stinging slaps.  When he heard her start to cry softly, he paused, his hand caressing her burning bottom.  “I want you fit and whole, sweetheart.  Don’t make me do this again.”

         “Please stop, I won’t,” she said, tears falling from closed eyes.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t know I was worrying anyone,” she cried.

         He caressed her bottom, easing the sting he knew she felt.  So, she did understand that this spanking was borne of concern.  “Yes, I’ve been worried, sweetheart.”

         “C-can I get up now?” she whispered. 

         Shawn eased her panties back over her bottom and pulled her shirt down.  He turned her in his lap.  “I’d rather hold you for a little bit, if you don’t mind,” he said huskily.

         Hailey nodded, burying her face against his chest again as the tears continued to fall.  Her bottom was on fire; but she also felt loved and cared for, too.  Was this what a spanking felt like when it was over?  She certainly hadn’t liked it while it was happening, but she’d sensed his care throughout. 

         “I’m sorry that was necessary, little one,” he said gently, brushing her hair away from her damp cheeks.  He really hadn’t wanted to give her a harsh spanking, but he had been determined he wasn’t going to stop until he knew she’d consider her health more often. 

         “Are you mad at me still?” she asked in a small voice.

         “No sweetheart.  I’m not angry with you.  I just wanted to make sure you knew that you had to start taking care of yourself,” he explained.  “You’re not indestructible, you know.  I don’t think I could bear it if something happened to you.”

         She looked up at him.  “Are you staying the night?” she asked.

         He smiled, caressing her soft face.  “Would you like me to?”

         She flushed. “You’re not spanking me again, are you?”

         He shook his head.  “Not as a punishment, no.”

         Her heart raced again.  “I-I think I’d like to know what the other kind of spanking is like,” she said softly.

         He caressed her burning bottom.  “When your bottom isn’t already tender, love, I’ll be more than happy to show you,” he promised.

         “I’ve been wanting a spanking,” she admitted.

         He gave her a tender smile.  “I know.”

         “But I thought I’d like it more,” she said a little sadly.

         “You’re not supposed to enjoy a punishment, love.  It’s supposed to be something you don’t want to have happen too often,” he explained.

         “Why aren’t I mad at you for doing that?” she wondered aloud.

         He smiled.  “Because you know you needed it, sweetheart.  I know your bottom is tender, but you know that you deserved it.”

         “It’s still burning,” she admitted. 

         “Yes, I’d imagine that it is.  That wasn’t exactly a gentle spanking, love.  I hope I won’t have to repeat it, Hailey.  I can promise the next time would be longer.”

         Her head jerked up.  “That was a long time!  I didn’t think you were ever going to stop!”

         He chuckled.  “I don’t think it was much over five minutes, sweetie.”

         “Really?”

         Shawn nodded.  “A spanking doesn’t need to take long to make a point, Hailey.  Especially when you’ve never been spanked before.”

         “So you’d spank longer next time?” she asked in a high voice. 

         “Probably,” he admitted.  “You won’t have to worry about that if you behave yourself, though.”

         She was all for agreeing to behave right then!  She could still feel his hand on her bottom.  It was starting to feel nice, though.  Not nearly as painful as it had been just a few moments before.  “I’ll try.”

         “That’s all I can ask,” he said gently.  “You did very well for your first spanking, love.”

         She gave him an impish grin.  “What’s my reward?”

         He threw back his head and laughed.  “What reward would you like?”

         She considered that for a long moment.  “I think I want you to show me the difference.”

         He gave her a sloe look.  “Are you sure?  I know your bottom is still tender.”

         She nodded.  “It is,” she agreed.

         “Let me make it better,” he said softly.  He turned her across his lap again, but this time was totally different.  He waited while she pillowed her head on folded arms and wiggled into a comfortable position.  He lifted the shirt and lowered her panties again.  He looked down at her very pink bottom for a long moment.  He ran his hands across it gently, and then started to rub it a little more firmly. 

         “Ouch!” she said.

         “Shh, it’ll make it feel better, sweetheart.” He continued to rub and caress her bottom, easing the sting.  He’d wanted her to feel it a while, and she would, but he also didn’t want her in unnecessary discomfort. 

         He smiled when she moaned with pleasure.  There was much more he wanted to show her; though.  He was glad he’d taken a nap.