Punishment
Luke stared stone-faced at the road as they drove to Emily’s parents’ house to pick up their son. He kept running the conversation at the club bar over and over in his head. Damn Oakie for forcing them to have the party.
“You’ve been quiet,” Emily commented.
“I can’t believe they roped us into a Christmas party,” he sputtered, and shook his head. “We’re both too busy to do more for the club.”
“It won’t be so bad. I’m already spending tons of time at the clubhouse anyway.”
“Well, you should be spending it with Robbie. He needs you more.”
“Luke Wade!” She stared at her husband in surprise. He clearly knew better than to take that tone of voice with her. “Don’t you tell me what to do. I’m your wife, not your employee.”
He sucked in a deep breath, realizing he crossed into don’t-mess-with-the-wife territory. “I just meant that I’d rather you spent more time with our son. Not the club.” He sighed. “It’s just that Oakie has balls asking us to take on this party.”
She lowered her voice and said tentatively, “Maybe it’s time to forgive him.”
Luke gripped the wheel of the SUV tighter. Oakie crossed a line he had no right to when he “kicked” Luke out of the club. Luke didn’t care that Oakie had the best intentions. How Oakie had done it was cold and cruel. Not easily forgotten—or forgiven.
“I said, boy, give me your fucking jacket or I’ll rip it off you.”
“Fuck, no.”
“Boys,” said Okie.
The group of them rushed at Luke and held his arms and shoulders tight. Okie took a knife and cut the stitching of the Hades Spawn patch on the back of Luke’s jacket.
“You’re making a mistake!”
Okie moved to the front of Luke and showed him the ripped Hades’ Spawn patch. He stared Luke directly in the eye. “I ain’t making no mistake, boy. You don’t belong in the Hades’ Spawn. Perhaps you never did.”
Luke never forgot that day, or the fierceness in Oakie’s eyes when he showed Luke the patch ripped off his back. He’d felt stripped naked, and in a way, he had been. The Hades’ Spawn was as much a part of him as his bike or his shop. He doubted he could ever forgive Oakie for putting him through that.
Emily’s cellphone rang, and he glanced at her briefly as she spoke.
“Sure. That’s okay I guess. Thanks, Mom.”
“What’s up?” he asked when she set the phone down.
“She said Robbie’s asleep, and we should just leave him with them for the night.”
“Oh,” said Luke.
“Why did your face pucker as if you sucked a lemon?”
“I look forward to seeing him after work.”
She put her hand on his thigh. “I miss him, too, but think of it this way... We could try to figure out a way to make a little brother or sister for him.” Emily arched her eyebrow suggestively.
The thought of spending time alone with her brightened his spirits, but then he remembered there was more work. He groaned.
“What, baby?” said Emily.
“Mrs. Diggerty. Her garbage? We should set it out tonight.”
“Oh, yeah.” Emily sighed. “Let’s get everything sorted and figure out what to do when we get home.”
Luke shot the SUV past their apartment building toward the next town over, to Emily’s old street. As they pulled up to the two-story building, they both saw the one thing they didn’t want to. Eighty-year-old Mrs. Diggerty attempting to pull the garbage cans to the curb.
He stopped the SUV with a jerk and both he and Emily shot out.
“What’re you doing?” chided Emily as Luke pulled the offending can away from Mrs. Diggerty. “Where are your first-floor tenants? Why aren’t they helping?”
“Now, Emily. Don’t get yourself worked up. I’ve been pulling out my own cans for the fifty years I’ve owned this house.”
“You should be inside so you don’t catch your death of cold,” scolded Emily. “And you should know that we wouldn’t forget you.”
Immediately, guilt washed through Luke. He’d forgotten to do the task last week.
“It’s not your job to take out my garbage,” said Mrs. Diggerty, her voice strong but chattering against the cold. “And you have your own life now. How’s little Robbie? I haven’t seen him in a month.” She glanced at the SUV. “Is he here?”
“He’s growing so fast we can't keep him in shoes.” The love and pride in Emily's voice for their son warmed Luke's heart. “He’s at my folks’ tonight. It’s just the two of us.”
Luke pulled out the two cans and noticed that one of the regular trash cans, the one for the large first floor apartment, was light. He opened it to find it was empty. It shouldn’t be. Every week it was the fullest can.
He pulled the can back up the drive.
“Okay, Mrs. Diggerty. Give. What’s up with the first floor?”
“Oh, they’re on vacation.” Her face was unreadable at night in the shadow of her garage.
“And why isn’t your outside light working?”
“It needs a light bulb.”
“Mrs. Diggerty,” said Emily with exasperation, “you should call us. Luke and I are glad to take care of those things. We’ve told you that a million times.”
“Pish,” she said. “The handyman’s been too busy to come by yet, but he’ll be here.”
“Come on,” said Emily, putting her arm around Mrs. Diggerty’s shoulders. “Let’s get you upstairs. I want to say hello to Reger.”
“Oh, Emily,” sang the landlady happily “That kitty would love to see you, too. Sometimes, he sits at the door, staring, waiting for you to come visit.”
“I think you might be exaggerating a little.” Emily laughed and Luke could hear the teasing in her voice. Sweet and soft. Just like her. “I think he wants to escape. He's never liked being an indoor cat.”
Emily escorted Mrs. Diggerty into the house and Luke pulled up the garage door to search for a light bulb. Absolute winter cold steeped the garage. He shivered as he poked at the various aging, dusty, and musty things on the shelves on the inside wall. He found old tools, nails, and small paint cans, but no light bulbs. He made a mental note to buy a package.
Quick footsteps clattered down the inside stair to the garage and the door swung open.
“What are you doing?” Emily shivered at the cold and hugged her arms around herself.
“Looking for light bulbs. None here. I’ll have to pick some up.”
“Or I will. I’m thinking I should check in on her more often.”
“Shame she doesn’t have family to care for her.”
“Well, she has us. Come on, baby, let’s get home. I want to spend quality time with my favorite man.”
“Favorite?” he teased. After they exited and Luke shut the garage door, he wrapped Emily’s arm around his as they walked toward their SUV.
“I choose you over Matt Damon any day.”
“Of course. But what about Brad Pitt?”
“Too old for me. And he has too many kids.”
“Hmmm. George Clooney?”
“I hear he’s married.”
“You don’t go for married men?”
“Only one,” she said with a mischievous smile.
“Oh. Is there is something I should know about this married man?”
“He’s very sexy.”
They got into the SUV and Luke started up the engine. He couldn’t help to give her quick glance or to appreciate her for the millionth time. The sparkle in her blue eyes and the angular sculpture of her cheeks always drew his eyes to her. The first day he saw her a decade and some ago he knew he’d found the most beautiful woman in the world. He still had that same crush.
But better than that they got along so easily, and this bit of teasing was one way they did. Through the burdens they shared, there was never lasting anger over mistakes that each might make. Instead, they accepted each other's faults because they were stronger together than apart. This alone made Luke fall in love with Emily more each day.
“Should I be jealous of this married man?” he said with a smile.
Emily put her hand on his upper leg, sliding her fingers to into the inside of his thigh... sinfully close to his cock.
“Not at all.”
Luke’s hands tightened their grip on the steering wheel, this time not from anger but lust. It didn’t take much from Emily to get him started, and right now his cock filled his jeans uncomfortably.
“Damn, woman,” he breathed. “You’ve got to let me drive.”
“What?” she said with all innocence in her voice. “I can’t keep my hands warm?”
“Put them under that gorgeous ass of yours.”
“But the seat is freezing.” She turned her pretty pink lips in a pout, and an image flashed in his mind of her lips wrapped around his shaft.
“Okay,” he said, gunning the engine to pick up speed. “You’re going to get it now.”
“Get what, sweetie?” she said, using her innocent voice again.
“A good spanking for distracting the driver.”
“You promise?”
How did such a few words spike his desire to the point it scrambled his brain? He bit the inside of his own lip just to concentrate on the road.
“Yes,” he said huskily.
“Good.”
Oh, damn. He couldn’t get home soon enough. His tires squealed as he took the turn into the parking lot of their apartment building causing Emily to yelp. He shot the car into his parking slot and Emily streaked out of the car, laughing. He flew after her, and their footsteps pounded up the stairs leading to their apartment. Emily scrambled to unlock the door, when Luke caught up to her and threw his arms around her waist.
The door opened and they tumbled, laughing, inside onto the floor, the arctic air rushing in after them. He turned to kick the door shut and Emily jumped to her feet and scrambled away. But he was just as fast and gained his feet to wrap his arms around her retreating form.
“Oh, no, you don’t, young lady,” he said. “You deserve a spanking and you’re going to get one.”
Emily twisted in his arms to face him and caught him with a smoldering kiss that stole his breath. He leaned into her and her mouth opened. His tongue sought the wet heat of her tongue tangled with his. She pulled away.
“I’ve been bad,” she said huskily. “Let me make it up to you.”
She slid to her knees and pressed her mouth against his straining shaft imprisoned in his jeans. His heart beat harder and her hands pressed on either side of his cock, trapping even more.
“Fuck, please, Emily.”
“What?” she said playfully, “that doesn’t satisfy you?”
“You do deserve that spanking.”
With a smile, Emily tugged on his button and zipper and pulled down his jeans. His cock tented his boxers, and she smiled wickedly.
Another yank and his boxers were around his knees and she placed both of her small, delicate hands around his shaft. “Baby, I’m going suck you until you beg me to stop.”
Emily tongued the very tip of his shaft, causing him to shudder. Then, slowly, she took the head into her mouth, teasing the sensitive underside with the tip of her tongue. It drove him wild, and he pulled off her knit cap and fisted her silky hair.
With feathery touch and hot mouth engulfing him, Luke spiraled into animal need. She was so good at this and it was a temptation to let her bring him off. She’d shown time and again that she loved doing this to him.
But it wasn’t just lust that drove his desire for his wife, but his love for her, too. He needed to be inside her, to be as close to her as he could.
Gently, he pushed her head away and pulled her to her feet.
“I love you,” he said. “I need you.”
Furiously he pulled off her coat, shirt, and bra. He wasn’t satisfied until her beautiful breasts pointed to him. Her pink nipples were a sweet prize that his mouth claimed as he sucked them in sharply. Emily drew a sharp breath and arched her back with a moan.
With a smirk Luke worked her dark jeans and tugged them off her hips, and he bit and licked her nipples. His hand slid to her opening and found it drenched with her liquid heat.
“Baby,” he said. “Get into the bedroom. You’re coming first, as many times as I can make you.”