He knows immediately he’s hit a sore topic and wishes he could call back his words. When Hallie’s tears spill down her cheek, he swipes them away. “Never mind. We can talk about it later.”

“No. I want to talk about all of this now and get it over with. I’m sick of carrying it around like baggage.”

“Okay, but only if you want to and only if you’re going to feel better when you’re done and not worse.”

“I felt better after I talked to Traci about it all so I think it will help.”

Hallie spends the next fifteen minutes reliving the nightmare that is Gene and by the time she finishes, Hallie may feel better, but Troy wants to jump up, throw on clothes and take the next flight to Baton Rouge to pound down his door and pound in his face. The fact that Hallie and her mother had to live through such violence in their own home is abhorrent to Troy and only now does he truly understand the depth of Hallie’s fear of violence, having been a victim in her own home. He has his work cut out for him to help guide her through the tricky days ahead.

“I’m so glad you shared this with me, Hallie. You were absolutely right that I needed to know about this now so I could better understand why you react the way you do to some of the things happening around you. I am so sorry you had to meet me while I was doing to Traci what you had to watch Gene do to your mom all of those years. God damn, I wish I could change that.”

“I don’t. At the time it looked exactly the same, but now I know it couldn’t have been any more different. It’s the only reason I’m still here at all and even considering staying in Eagle’s Pass… even considering a relationship with a man who I’m certain is one day going to use his belt on my behind. I guarantee you Gene never once had a conversation like this with mom. He didn’t care how she felt or if she was happy. He didn’t care about me or his marriage. He just wanted control at all costs, and he enjoyed hurting her. I saw it in his eyes. He loved the power our fear gave him.”

“Fuck.”

“What?”

“Well, I will never enjoy seeing your fear or hurting you, but…” Troy hates this. “Hallie, I do like to be in control. I do feel strongly that each family should have one HoH. Yes, we are a team. Yes, I want to hear all of your thoughts and ideas, but in the end, if we disagree, I need to know you are going to bend to my decision and follow the rules I lay out for us.”

“Like I said. Just like 1950.” He can see the humor dancing in her eyes. She’s teasing him.

“If you say so. I can live with that, I guess. The question is, can you?”

“I guess we’ll know more after you spank me, won’t we?”

Chapter Twelve

Hallie is beginning to wonder if she’s lost her mind. She just had the strangest conversation of her entire life and in spite of talking about very intimate and painful things, she has to truthfully admit she feels the weight of the world off her shoulders. Just talking about the whole DD way of life with Troy and hearing his views firsthand have removed some of the mystery and while she certainly doesn’t look forward to being on the receiving end of a Troy Jackson punishment, she is pretty confident that it isn’t going kill her. Most confusing is that all the talk of spanking and being naughty has her core lighting up for their next go-round. The look in Troy’s eyes as he looks down on her adoringly tell her he feels the same.

“Now, I think that’s enough talking for now. I have a lot more non-verbal activities planned for us.” His look of adoration slips to sexual heat as he moves to untie her robe, opening it so he can look down on her naked body. She has never felt as powerful as she does in this moment as she recognizes his hunger for her. It is the best compliment she has ever received.

Troy lowers to capture her lips in a hungry kiss while he works at stripping them both of their heavy robes. They have to pull apart several times in what is quickly turning into a frantic race to consummate the pulsing need they both feel to be connected in the most intimate way possible.

Hallie can feel Troy stretching out to reach the box of condoms on the bedside table. She has to reluctantly allow him to move away as he rolls it on. She reaches out to grasp his cock in her hand and loves the guttural groan he emits.

“Oh, baby. I’m not sure how you are going to feel about this, but all this talk about spanking that beautiful ass of yours has me so turned on. You’d better be careful, or I may not last very long.”

Hallie isn’t sure if she should say it, but based on his rule of not keeping secrets, she figures no time like the present to tell him the unguarded truth. “What if I told you it kind of excited me too? I mean not all of it, but well… some of it… most of it.”

Troy doesn’t answer with words. Hallie is confused when he stands next to the bed, pulling her by the hand until she is standing next to him.

Lifting her at her waist, he instructs her. “Wrap your legs around me, baby. We’re gonna try something I hope you like.”

Following directions, Hallie wraps her arms around his neck and her legs around his body as she had done when he carried her earlier, only this time there are no pesky jeans to get in the way. She feels his cock trapped between their bodies, pulsing and ready to spear her sex.

Their eyes are locked as he reaches down between them to first swipe his fingers through her slick folds, acknowledging her wetness with a smirk. He then lifts her up to place the tip of his cock at the entrance of her pussy, holding there for a few long seconds before he releases her body, letting gravity slam her down onto his pole, impaling her completely in one stroke.

Hallie is in heaven as she feels Troy grab her ass cheeks in his broad hands and begins lifting her body up and off his shaft before letting her fall back down onto him again. They start out with a slow rhythm, each thrust rocking her to her core.

She loves how he observes her constantly, watching over her, looking for signs she’s enjoying herself. She has never felt like she was the center of someone else’s world, but that is how Troy makes her feel.

She has to stop thinking about it when he begins to move her up and down, faster and harder. The sounds alone from their bodies slapping together as she leans back to get a better angle should scandalize her. She should be embarrassed that she’s so wet with excitement; she can hear the slurping sounds emitting from where their bodies connect.

Hallie is so close to coming that she shuts her eyes, about to lose herself in pleasure when she feels his right hand leave her ass before coming crashing down on her flesh… hard. Her eyes fly open to see the look of pure mischief in his chocolate brown eyes. She barely registers what’s happened when she feels the burn spreading through her ass cheek. It feels warm and not unpleasant.

He’s stopped completely, waiting for her to say something. Waiting for her consent to continue.

“Don’t stop! Again!”