Bad Bad Girl

“Perfect sense.” He smiled, and I truly believed he understood what I meant. “I love you, too.”

We sat and ate in silence for a while, just enjoying being in each other’s presence and taking in the wonderful morning. The breakfast, the morning, and the man were perfect.

Caine was the first to talk. “Crazy party, huh? I could have killed Sara for what she did to you last night.” His eyes seemed to darken with the memories.

“I never liked her, but I never thought she was a psycho. I should have kicked her ass…I mean her butt.” I smiled innocently at Caine’s warning look.

“No, you shouldn’t have. Since she runs in the same circle as we do, it’s likely you’ll see her again. I don’t want you fighting with her. I couldn’t stand to see you get hurt,” Caine instructed.

“Who says she would win. Just so you know—”

“Neely…” Caine warned.

“All right, I’ll steer clear of Ms. Looney,” I conceded.

“Thank you. Besides, I don’t think she’ll be approaching you again after Travis is done with her. I know Travis, and he doesn’t tolerate anything like what happened last night. You think I’m strict? I’m not nearly as tough as Travis.”

“I was shocked he spanked her in front of everyone,” I admitted.

“Well, he didn’t spank her in front of everyone, he was getting her attention. No doubt a very severe spanking followed, but he had to stop her craziness,” Caine informed me.

“But it was still in front of everyone. I would have been humiliated.”

Caine reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “I wouldn’t spank you in public if you’re worried about that.”

“You wouldn’t?” I questioned.

“No, I wouldn’t. Even though most of our friends know about our lifestyle, I still think it’s private. I would give you a warning look, or I might whisper in your ear as I explained before. Worst case scenario is I take you some place more private, which is what Travis had attempted to do. But I would never cause embarrassment to you. I want you to always trust that,” Caine explained as he rubbed his thumb on the top of my hand.

I nodded my understanding. “Do you think Travis was wrong for doing so to Sara?”

“Not last night. We were at a party where Domestic Discipline is practiced or understood by most of those who attended. So it wasn’t out of the ordinary. None of us who spank were surprised. She deserved a lot more than just a couple of warning swats. But if they were in public or some other party that no one knew of our beliefs, then yes, he would have been wrong,” Caine answered before finishing the last bite of his breakfast.

“Would you have spanked Sara if Travis hadn’t stepped in?” I asked, afraid of the answer. I hated the idea of Caine spanking anyone but me.

“No. I wouldn’t have. I only spank you now.” He winked and continued, “Except for Coley, maybe, but the spanking is entirely different.”

I let out the breath I was holding; happy to hear Caine wouldn’t spank anyone else. It was silly to put spanking someone else in the same category as cheating, but it was so intimate and personal. I decided I had enough of speaking about Sara and decided to change the subject.

“It seemed Matt and Kendall had something going on last night. Do you think the two of them could become an item?” I asked, redirecting the course of our conversation.

“I suppose,” Caine grunted. He got up and cleared the dishes from the table, obviously unhappy with the idea.

“Is there some reason why that bothers you?” I asked. I was slightly annoyed. Kendall had her problems, but she was a really great person who had a lot to offer. “I know you don’t like Kendall but—”

Caine interrupted with, “It’s not that I don’t like Kendall. I do. I think she’s trouble with a capital T, but I do see the good side of her too.”

“Then why do you seem irritated with the idea of them together?”

Caine came back to the table and sat down. He smiled and reached across the table for my hands. “I just worry it would be a really hard battle for the both of them. Matt would be spanking nonstop with that girl. I worry for his hand,” Caine teased.

“Maybe it’s just what Kendall needs. Someone to give her guidance and structure, along with love,” I whimsically suggested.

“Maybe. I can see Matt cares about her a lot. I think he’s not sure if he can deal with her unstable behavior. I know I sure as hell couldn’t.”

Caine stood up, lifted me out of my chair, and hugged me tight to his chest. “All I do know is I am so lucky to have you.” He lifted my chin so I was looking into his eyes. “Get your shoes on, sweetheart. I have something to show you…your surprise.”