Luke's First Bride Page 7

  "Why did you ask me to spank you, Rosa?" he asked, and she looked back at him surprised. He guessed she wasn't expecting to be having a conversation in this position, but Lucas knew it would be the first of many they would have like this. In his opinion, it was one of the best ways to have a conversation.

  "I'm waiting," he told her with a sharp slap to her right bottom cheek.

  "Ow! Okay, um… because I felt like I should be punished for spending a lot of money without asking you, even though it wasn't a rule—" his hand landed again just as she got to the end of her explanation, and she shrieked the last part.

  He brought his hand down hard twice in rapid succession and smiled in satisfaction as he watched a pink handprint color her creamy skin. "And, why did you think you should be punished for something that wasn't a rule?" He rubbed the skin where the handprint rose up, marveling at how warm it already was after just a few swats. It would be getting much, much warmer before they finished.

  "Because I was inconsiderate, and I caused you embarrassment, and I hate disappointing you," Rosa mumbled into the bedcovers.

  "That's right. That's why we are going to be making it a rule, so that this does not happen in the future. If it does, there will be clear consequences." He began to spank again, raining down blows across her fleshy bottom crease. He kept an even tempo, with no regular pattern until he heard her begin to weep softly. He knew it was more from emotion than pain at this point, but it meant she was getting the release she needed.

  He paused, and began to speak, occasionally punctuating his words with a sharp swat across the top of her thighs, causing her to gasp in pain.

  "From now on," swat, "you only have $60 a month," spank, "to spend on incidentals. If you go over that," swat, "at all, without permission," whack, whack, "I assure you that consequences will be swift and severe."

  Rosa was nodding her agreement through her tears, so he continued. "If you follow the rules without incident, we will revisit it after I have gotten my promotion to bishop, and I will increase your allowance at that time. Does that seem fair to you?"

  "Yes, Sir, very fair," Rosa was breathing heavily, but she answered without hesitation.

  "Good," Luke nodded, and seeing no reason to continue his speech, raised his hand, bringing it down hard, and proceeded to paddle her bottom with his palm until every inch glowed pink and was warm to the touch.

  When she began to sob in earnest, he stopped and rubbed for a while. "We will rewrite our rules this evening. Your new rules will reflect your responsibilities as the wife of a soon to be bishop. I have a whole town to take care of and worry about, I can't be worrying about you as well. You're a grown woman now, and my wife, and you will act like it. Do I make myself clear?"

  He saw her head bob up and down, and he took it as an acceptable answer. He knew his words sounded harsh, but that was just how you had to handle a situation like this, he told himself. She asked to be spanked, and she obviously needed more clearly defined boundaries. It was his duty to give her what she needed.

  "Okay," he told her giving her bottom an encouraging pat, "We're almost done here. I'm going to get our paddle, and you're going to get five swats with that, and then we will be finished."

  Rosa gasped softly, but rose slightly allowing him to get up and retrieve the paddle from where he had been keeping it in the closet.

  He allowed her to stay where she was, bent over the bed, but he did not resume his spot on the bed. He chose instead to stand behind her, where he had maximum reach and a better view. He needed to be very careful that he didn't veer from his intended target. Too high or too low could cause damage.

  "When you're ready, we will begin. You will get five and you will count them aloud. If you fail to count, we will start over."

  "I'm ready, Sir," she said steadily.

  Taking a deep breath, Lucas brought the paddle down hard across the middle of her bottom, covering both cheeks at once. The loud thudding sound the paddle made surprised even him.

  "One!" Rosa cried and her hands flew back to cover herself.

  Luke removed her hands, placing them back on the bed in front of her. "Rosa, make sure you do not do that again. Keep your hands in front of you, or we will have to start from the beginning."

  She nodded and gripped the bedcovers in her fists.

  He brought the paddle down twice, not waiting for her to count, first across her swollen left cheek, and then the right.

  "Two, three!"

  The fourth came across the center of her bottom, right in the middle where the cheeks met. Rosa's gasp of pain as she counted out was almost more than Luke could take. He was ready for this to be over.

  He centered the last swat in the sit spot—this was the one she would feel the most. The tender pink flesh turned dark with just one whap of the paddle as it came down with a loud crack across her tender crease.

  "Five!" Rosa sobbed into the bed sheets.

  Luke threw down the paddle and scooped her into his arms, joining her on the bed, where he held her until her loud cries turned to muffled whimpers, and her eyes closed in sleep.

  * * * * *

  Rosa woke up slowly, tangled up in Luke's arms, and groaned. She really had to pee, and Luke had fallen asleep holding her. She was effectively trapped underneath his weight. Shifting so that she could try to wiggle out of his grasp without waking him, she rolled onto her back and nearly cried at the sudden pain as her bottom brushed the scratchy surface of the cotton comforter. The movement awakened her throbbing backside. Rising her butt off the blankets, she was able to scooch out from underneath him, but nothing prepared her for the shock of the pain she felt just sitting on the cold toilet seat.

  She got up as quickly as she could, and moved to examine her bottom in the mirror. She was shocked to find it barely pink. She felt like it should be bright purple and bruised. But it was evenly pink, one color all over, and looked like nothing more than a light sunburn.

  Still woozy from her nap, she replayed the unfortunate afternoon events in her mind. She couldn't believe she had asked for this, after having a free pass to not get spanked! She must be crazy. But, she admitted to herself, aside from the pain in her bottom, she felt pretty amazing. It was only her second spanking ever, but she remembered feeling the same emotions last time. Instead of guilt and self-recrimination, she felt loved, and cherished, and forgiven. The psychology of a spanking was a curious thing.

  Still, she would rather have the happy feelings without the scorching pain, and she vowed to follow every rule Luke put in place, and become the perfect bishop's wife. She never wanted her actions to affect his standing in the community again. He was a perfect husband, and she vowed to do everything she could do to live up to his example.

  She was getting inspired just thinking about it. She actually was quite domestic, and she knew she had the skills she needed to be a perfectly suitable housewife. Luke would never have to worry about anything in their home again, and he would be free to give the community his attention and energy, without any trouble from her.

  She grabbed a notepad from the desk in the corner of the living room where Luke had his makeshift office, and choosing to lay on her stomach on the couch rather than attempt sitting again, she began to make plans.

  Chapter 9

  Luke entered the carriage house with a sigh. He was a month away from taking over as Bishop, and he was trying to learn the ropes of the community. It was much more involved than he had ever realized. All he wanted to do was go home, eat a sandwich, put his feet up, and watch the ball game on TV.

  Sighing, he dumped his boots inside the front door then immediately went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of lemonade and made himself a peanut butter sandwich, before moving into the living room, and turning on the TV. He planned to spend the evening camped out in his easy chair.

  "Lucas! You're home early!" Rosa exclaimed, coming in from the bedroom. "I'm so glad! I could really use your help, moving the bed."

  "Moving the bed? Rosa,
what are you talking about?"

  "Oh! I'm redecorating! Didn't I tell you? I finished the quilt I was making for our bed, and when I put it on, I decided it would look better if we moved the room around so that the bed was under the window. So, I started to move it but it's really heavy, so I took the frame apart, and set it back up, but then I couldn't move the mattress back on top. So I really need your help!"

  He looked at her unamused. "You made a new quilt? We have a quilt, your momma made it for us for a wedding present, what's wrong with that one?"

  "Oh I don't know! I mean it's nice and all, I just thought it would be more meaningful if we had a quilt that I made on our bed. It just seemed more fitting is all."

  Luke shook his head. Even as she spoke, Rosa never stopped moving. She was flitting around the room dusting, and straightening. She barely even looked at him. He didn't know what was going on, or what to do about it. He couldn't put his finger on it, really. She had become, almost overnight, the perfect little housewife. But, in a way that was starting to bug him—like a Stepford Wife.

  He knew he had no good reason to complain, most men would be thrilled. He came home every evening to a spotless home, with a delicious, nearly gourmet dinner on the table. Rosa always looked perfect, and never had a hair out of place. She wore pearls and heels even while doing housework, and had given up maxi skirts in favor of big fifties style dresses with flared skirts. And the sex? My god his sex life was amazing—she wanted it nearly every night!

  He shouldn't be unhappy. But her perfect little attitude was beginning to wear on him. He missed his Rosa, the feisty woman with the wild curls who had good intentions, but was a little scatterbrained. Where was she? Her new obsession with looking perfect and keeping a perfect home was starting to wear on him.

  The new Rosa was a bundle of energy from sun-up to sun-down. She woke up every morning, and was dressed to the nines before Luke was even out of bed. By the time he showered and dressed, she had his lunch packed and breakfast on the table. She cleaned, and cooked, and canned, and apparently quilted, every day, never stopping to relax. Lucas honestly wasn't sure when she had last spent time with him that wasn't in bed. The only time he ever saw her stop moving was on Sunday when they went to church, and as soon as church was over, she was back to normal.

  It was exhausting really, but there was nothing he could do about it, and he really couldn't complain most of the time. He turned his attention back to the television, and turned up the volume. The game was just starting.

  The screen went black, and Luke saw that Rosa had shut it off. He frowned at her, and clicked it back on.

  Off.

  On.

  Off.

  On.

  Off.

  It was a battle of wills, and Luke knew he could win if he wanted to. He was the head of the house after all. He stared at the screen, and contemplated turning it back on, maybe even sending his wife to a time out in the bedroom, so he could have some peace. The temptation was overwhelming.

  He turned his attention from the black screen to his wife. "Rosa, I have had a very long day, and I really need to relax for a bit. I am going to turn the TV on, and I am going to watch the game. I will help you with the mattress, when I am ready. There's no hurry, as long as it gets done before bedtime." He kept his tone even, but deadpan, leaving no room for argument.

  He couldn't believe it when she began to argue anyway.

  She stomped her foot and glared at him. "Lucas! I need it done now, so I can finish the room. The mattress is only the beginning! I have so much more stuff to do after that."

  Luke sighed. He knew it would only take him a few minutes to move the mattress, and once he did Rosa would be back to being busy with other things, and he would be able to get some peace.

  He stalked to the bedroom, and his jaw dropped. It was a disaster! Of pink proportions! The whole room had been painted cotton candy pink. White lace doilies covered every imaginable surface, and the pictures on the wall were more of the same. Girly flower pictures with romantic love quotes. Everywhere.

  He rubbed his forehead in distress, not knowing where to even begin. He wasn't one of those manly men, he could handle a bit of a feminine touch to make his wife happy. He loved the personal touches Rosa added around their home, and he never complained. But this… this was just too much. It reminded him of a little girl's room, and it was not at all relaxing looking.

  Just like that, his plans for the evening were lost. Rubbing his forehead in consternation, he considered his options. A pink room wasn't the true cause for his anger. He knew he needed to get to the bottom of what was going on with Rosa. He had a feeling that the only way he would be able to do that was through her bottom. Sighing, he turned and walked away. He needed a walk, and some time to clear his head.

  * * * * *

  Rosa was positively flummoxed when Luke left the house without saying anything. It was so unlike her calm, collected, and courteous husband. And how was she supposed to get the mattress moved now?

  Hearing her stomach growl, she realized she had been so wrapped up in painting, she had forgotten to eat. Knowing Luke wouldn't be home for dinner, she hadn't cooked anything either. Realizing there wasn't anything else she could do at the moment anyway, she stalked into the kitchen to make herself a sandwich.

  As her stomach filled, her head began to clear. She looked back on the events of the evening and she could see why Luke might have gotten upset. He had been working later than usual, and he hardly ever took time for himself. As soon as he did, she took over, demanding that he help her. She probably hadn't handled it very well.

  The longer she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. He might punish her, she realized, and he would be within his rights to do so. But still, couldn't he bear some of the responsibility? She was working just as hard at home as he was working at the office, possibly even more so! Her work was more physical after all, and Luke just sat around praying, doing paperwork, and counseling people. Plus, he wasn't even Bishop yet, so he still had his dad's help! Rosa had help from nobody, not even him.

  As was her way, she had nearly worked herself into a frenzy as she sat there. She didn't want to be punished, Luke spanked hard! And really, besides arguing with him, she hadn't done anything wrong. Frowning, she made her way back to the bedroom. She was just going to have to do everything herself, starting with that dang mattress.

  Determined she grabbed it by the top and tried to drag it across the room to where the bed now was. She was facing toward it, and grabbing it by the top. She yelped as it dislodged from where she had precariously leaned it against the wall and fell on her, knocking her to the floor.

  Rosa was thin, though fairly tall, and she struggled under the weight of the mattress on her chest for a few minutes before she admitted that she was well and truly stuck. She gave a cry of fury as she fumed to herself! Why on earth had Lucas insisted that they have a king size bed? A full would have suited just as well for now, and then maybe she wouldn't be trapped.

  Lying still for a minute, she brainstormed ways out of her predicament. Perhaps, if she could manage to flip over, she could get better leverage, and lift it using her back. She was able to roll over. It wasn't easy with the bulk of the mattress, but it was doable. She rolled to the right and as she did, the mattress shifted slightly to the left. A light bulb went off in her head. Maybe, if she just kept rolling, eventually the mattress would move far enough off her that she could just climb out. Taking a deep breath, she rolled again. Each time as she rolled the mattress moved with her, going first to the right, before the left, so it became a process that was one step forward, a half step back, but eventually she managed to free herself. Of course, now the mattress was on the floor and was going to be even more impossible to move. Giving up, she flopped onto her back across it and started to cry.

  She didn't know how long she lay there feeling sorry for herself, with her eyes closed in frustration and her hands balled up in little fists.

  "Coul
dn't wait for me, huh?"

  Rosa opened her eyes to see Luke leaning nonchalantly against the wall where the mattress had been. She glared at him accusingly. "How long have you been there?"

  Lucas raised his eyebrows at her in amusement. At least he seemed to be in a better mood. "I just got here, babe," he said leaning forward and offering his hand to her, so she could pull herself up.

  Once she was standing, he carefully moved her aside, and easily lifted the mattress placing it atop the bed. He didn't even need her help! Then, looking around until he found the new bedding she had made, he wordlessly helped her make the bed.

  The quilt is beautiful, honey. You did an excellent job," he said as he smoothed it down over the sheets. While the rest of the room was pink overload, the quilt was a brown, tan, and white wedding ring design, with only the rings done in a pink and tan floral.

  "Thank you," she said stiffly. For reasons that she couldn't explain, she was still angry with him.

  "Rosa," Luke said, patting the bed beside him, "We need to talk."

  "Fine!" Knowing she was pushing a line, Rosa flounced down beside him with a huff.

  "I'm sorry I left when you needed me," he began, and Rosa felt her anger begin to waffle.

  Of course Luke would start by apologizing first-It was his style, and it made it near impossible to stay angry.

  "I am worn out, and overwhelmed, and I wanted to relax and zone out. But you needed me, and I should have put that first." He paused, and shuffled his feet before continuing. "I guess, on top of everything else, I was surprised that with Christmas only a few weeks away, you would blow the majority of your monthly budget on paint. Pink paint," he said pointedly. "Without asking me if I wanted to live in a room that looked like the inside of a cotton candy machine."

  Rosa smiled. She had to admit, that the pink was a little much. She hadn't realized that it would turn out so, well, pink. "Lucas, I didn't buy the paint! Beth Anne gave it to me. It was left over from the baby's room! They had so much left over because they just used it for an accent wall! Beth Anne said it was… too pink to do the whole room." Rosa's voice got softer and inaudible as she realized the irony of her words. "Oh!" she exclaimed with a frown.