keep eye contact with you. I remember your testimony and how you extended your condolences to the families of the victims… It made me cry like a baby. Honey… that is who you are. You don’t have to run from it anymore.” He took her hand, gently lifting it to his lips and kissing the back. “Come inside with me now. It is starting to rain again, and it’s colder than a witch’s tit. Not that I have had acquaintance with witches…”
Brooke accepted his offered hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. He placed his hands on either side of her face and peered into her eyes. “No more running, okay? You have a new life. Enjoy it. Would you like some hot tea?”
Nodding, Brooke held his hand as he walked back into the house, and she sat at the built-in kitchen cove while he rummaged some teabags and cups from his old backpack. They shared several minutes of silence as the water boiled and he prepared the hot beverage. Collin grinned sheepishly as she wrinkled her nose at the bitter flavor.
“Sorry, it is all I have right now. We can call for delivery and then go do some shopping tomorrow. The moving truck should get here any time with enough stuff to last us a bit. Pizza? The works?”
“Quirk. I only like Canadian bacon, pineapple, onion, and mushroom, and I have to have red wine vinegar to pour on it, so get a lot.”
“That sounds nasty.”
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”
“Quirk. Coke, not Pepsi,” he warned.
“Agreed.” She waited until he finished calling in the order before bringing up the next subject. “Collin? Why do you…” Brooke blushed mid-sentence. “For the most part, you seem to be a nice guy and not too much of an asshole. I don’t get this obsession you have with, you know…”
“Putting you across my knee and spanking the tar out of you?” He finished her sentence, her reddening face confirming the assumption. “It is how I am wired. Always been that way. In fact, that was one reason Carol loved me. She always said that she personally witnessed my protection when she ended up over my lap.”
“It wasn’t just a kink for you?”
“Nope. I mean, it was fun when we messed around, but it was a consensual lifestyle with us. Part of the reason we argued that night was because I was so caught up with feeling sorry for myself that I had forgotten how to be the head of the house. She felt abandoned and unloved because I looked the other way when she did self-destructive or harmful things.”
“Like what?”
“Speeding was the worst. That is the behavior that took her in the end. Had I put my foot down…”
“How many times had you… you know…”
“Spanked her? You can say the word. It won’t hurt you.”
“How times had you spanked her for speeding before that night?”
“I lost count. That was the one thing I could not get across to her via her back end. She was a bit of an adrenaline junky.”
“Then it probably would not have made any difference. I’m not trying to sound insensitive, but it sounds like it was a good excuse for her to do what she wanted.”
“You are completely correct, but even the knowledge of that does not assuage my guilt for not stepping in.”
“Is that why you are so bossy with me? Do you think that method will dissuade me from doing whatever the hell I want to? I am not accustomed to being micromanaged.”
“Watching out for your safety and well-being is not micromanagement. It is called caring,” Collin explained, reaching his hand for hers. He led her to the large stone fireplace and sat her on the hearth while he started the fire. “I know that is going to take some getting used to. But if you let yourself relax, you might find you like it.”
“I am not easily convinced.”
“Let’s play it by ear. Was that a horn?”
Brooke watched as the movers brought the furnishings into the house and followed Collin’s directions for placement. She turned to him as they left to bring a mattress up the
Brooke accepted his offered hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. He placed his hands on either side of her face and peered into her eyes. “No more running, okay? You have a new life. Enjoy it. Would you like some hot tea?”
Nodding, Brooke held his hand as he walked back into the house, and she sat at the built-in kitchen cove while he rummaged some teabags and cups from his old backpack. They shared several minutes of silence as the water boiled and he prepared the hot beverage. Collin grinned sheepishly as she wrinkled her nose at the bitter flavor.
“Sorry, it is all I have right now. We can call for delivery and then go do some shopping tomorrow. The moving truck should get here any time with enough stuff to last us a bit. Pizza? The works?”
“Quirk. I only like Canadian bacon, pineapple, onion, and mushroom, and I have to have red wine vinegar to pour on it, so get a lot.”
“That sounds nasty.”
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”
“Quirk. Coke, not Pepsi,” he warned.
“Agreed.” She waited until he finished calling in the order before bringing up the next subject. “Collin? Why do you…” Brooke blushed mid-sentence. “For the most part, you seem to be a nice guy and not too much of an asshole. I don’t get this obsession you have with, you know…”
“Putting you across my knee and spanking the tar out of you?” He finished her sentence, her reddening face confirming the assumption. “It is how I am wired. Always been that way. In fact, that was one reason Carol loved me. She always said that she personally witnessed my protection when she ended up over my lap.”
“It wasn’t just a kink for you?”
“Nope. I mean, it was fun when we messed around, but it was a consensual lifestyle with us. Part of the reason we argued that night was because I was so caught up with feeling sorry for myself that I had forgotten how to be the head of the house. She felt abandoned and unloved because I looked the other way when she did self-destructive or harmful things.”
“Like what?”
“Speeding was the worst. That is the behavior that took her in the end. Had I put my foot down…”
“How many times had you… you know…”
“Spanked her? You can say the word. It won’t hurt you.”
“How times had you spanked her for speeding before that night?”
“I lost count. That was the one thing I could not get across to her via her back end. She was a bit of an adrenaline junky.”
“Then it probably would not have made any difference. I’m not trying to sound insensitive, but it sounds like it was a good excuse for her to do what she wanted.”
“You are completely correct, but even the knowledge of that does not assuage my guilt for not stepping in.”
“Is that why you are so bossy with me? Do you think that method will dissuade me from doing whatever the hell I want to? I am not accustomed to being micromanaged.”
“Watching out for your safety and well-being is not micromanagement. It is called caring,” Collin explained, reaching his hand for hers. He led her to the large stone fireplace and sat her on the hearth while he started the fire. “I know that is going to take some getting used to. But if you let yourself relax, you might find you like it.”
“I am not easily convinced.”
“Let’s play it by ear. Was that a horn?”
Brooke watched as the movers brought the furnishings into the house and followed Collin’s directions for placement. She turned to him as they left to bring a mattress up the
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