Page 1 of His Loving Guidance
Confession Time
Chapter One
Lucy stared out into the darkness, holding aside the curtain at the front window. Each time a pair of headlights neared the driveway, her stomach did a little backflip. James would be home at any moment. With her free hand, she rubbed her panty-clad bottom, knowing he would be paying a great deal of attention to that particular part of her body tonight. She swallowed hard when a car slowed to turn down the drive. Finally.
Stepping back from the window, Lucy took a deep breath and hurried to the bedroom, where James had instructed her to meet him. She glanced at her reflection in the full-length mirror, hoping her attire – or lack thereof – would please James. He had told her to wear underwear and a t-shirt, nothing more. She had chosen a snug pink top and a pair of lacy black panties.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs, heavy and quick.
A pang of trepidation twisted her stomach again, traveling lower to cause her pussy to clench, an unexpected side effect of the impending spanking. Her pulse increased, her heart nearly thudding outside of her chest.
She moved to stand in the center of the room, fidgeting with her hands in a nervous fashion. It amazed her that after five years of marriage, she could feel a sense of newness around James, the sort of newness that made her feel like a schoolgirl with butterflies in her tummy. A few weeks ago, they had begun to practice domestic discipline, and now every time she saw her husband, it felt like the first time. Like the day they first met at a party hosted by a mutual friend. Six years ago. The memory brought a smile to her lips.
James filled the doorway, and his larger-than-life presence caused the air to leave her lungs. His work jeans hugged him in all the right places, and the deep green of his shirt enhanced the intensity of his blue eyes. Dark stubble peppered the lower half of his face, and his black hair was messed up, no doubt due to his habit of running a hand through it in frustration. With his brother and business partner, Amos, on vacation, James had been doing the work of two men in the outdoor supply store he owned, and taking on the stress of two men as well.
“There’s my beautiful girl.” He smiled, despite his obvious fatigue.
Lucy wanted to melt. Her legs felt unsteady beneath her as she took two steps forward. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. “I missed you, James.” She inhaled the faint scent of his pine body wash.
“I’m glad to be home.”
“Are you hungry?”
“No, I grabbed a sandwich at the diner when business slowed down around dinnertime.” He drew back to meet her gaze, the pad of his thumb grazing her cheek. “You look nervous.”
She automatically stiffened. A force of habit. She hated when someone told her how she felt or looked, even James. Of course, after five years of marriage he could read her like a book. Nothing escaped his all-knowing eyes.
“Let’s sit down.” He directed her to the bed, holding her close as they sank down atop the comforter. He rested a hand on her naked thigh, reminding her of her state of undress.
“It’s still hard for me to wrap my head around the whole maintenance spanking thing.” With a sigh, Lucy glared at a piece of lint on the carpet.
“You’re comfortable with punishment spankings,” he pointed out.
“I know. I guess I’m confused.”
James captured her hands in his. “This isn’t a punishment, Lucy. It’s a light spanking, once a week, on Friday nights, to help us reconnect with one another and to help reinforce our roles in this marriage. Think of it as a meaningful conversation.”
She leaned into him, soaking up his maleness and his strength. “It sounds so logical when you put it that way. But it feels strange. You’ve only spanked me for punishment before.”
“I’ve smacked your ass a few times in bed.” His lips seared her neck, but only for a moment.
“I know. I’m just afraid of how much it’s going to hurt. You spank hard.” Her voice contained a hint of laughter.
“Lucy girl, you blew my mind a few weeks ago when you came to me, asking me to spank you for something you felt guilty over. You trusted me with your secret and told me all about domestic discipline. It took a lot of guts for you to come to me like that. I know I didn’t quite understand at first, but I understand more and more each day. I don’t like causing you pain, but after all we’ve been through I won’t hesitate to give you a hard spanking when you’ve earned one. I know I spank hard. I’ll always spank hard.”
“I knew what maintenance spanking was, but I never imagined you’d want to try it.” Her tone was light, her fears fading. He had made a leap for her, all those weeks ago after she finally worked up the courage to confess her deep desire to be spanked as punishment. It was only fair she make a leap for him now. Besides, it was not like he was going to use the paddle he had bought. Or his belt. He had assured her those implements were reserved for punishment only. She turned her head, and her cheek brushed against his stubble.
“We grew apart last year, Lucy. We fought a lot. I don’t ever want us back in that dark place. I want us to stay connected, always. I think maintenance will help us stay connected.” His words and his nearness blanketed her with security and tenderness. “It will hurt, Lucy. I want you to feel the sting of my hand to remind you what happens if you disobey me, but it won’t hold a candle to the sting of the paddle when you’ve made a mistake.”
She sighed. “Okay. I’m still a little nervous, but I trust you.”
“All right then,” he said, patting his leg. “I want you to lay over my lap, Lucy girl.”
A spasm of warmth quaked between her legs, jarring her momentarily. Not wishing for him to see the telling expression on her face, she practically dove over his lap. As he shifted her into a position of his liking, with her bottom raised high up and her legs pinned beneath his, she tried to process her new feelings of arousal. The idea of being spanked had never turned her on before . . . so why did it now?
Her mind traveled back to the handful of punishment spankings she had endured. On each night, they had made love, but not directly after. The pain did not excite her, but she craved it – needed it desperately – in order to feel forgiven and loved. God, why could she not be normal? Why could she not let go of her guilt without a trip over her husband’s knee? Why did a spanking have to make her feel so protected and cherished?
“Tell me why you’re getting this spanking, Lucy.” He cupped her left bottom cheek, giving it a light squeeze.
