Jackie Draws A Straight: The Journey Series Book 5 (15 page)

"No, sir! No! Oh!" She rose on her toes and squirmed, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't remember ever being so miserable. Jackie babbled apologies and vowed to herself that she'd never treat Pete so inconsiderately again.

"I want to hear you say you'll
give me the benefit of the doubt in the future and realize that I have morals and values, too."

"Yes, sir!" The switch rose and fell again several times.

"Say it."

"I'll remember that you have morals! I promise! Oh, please stop!"

"These welts are going to last a couple of days," he told her with two more whistling spanks. "But that doesn't mean I'll hesitate to take bad behavior out on your butt immediately if you push me, Jackie. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes! Yes, sir!"

The spanking stopped. "Good."

She heard him put the switch on the table. Jackie swore she'd burn that thing as soon as she was able. Of course, maybe that would be like Gabby burning Ace's favorite hat. Perhaps not the wisest course of action.

"Come here."
Limbs trembling, Jackie straightened and turned toward
Pete. He sat in a chaise and patted his lap. "Come on. We're done with the spanking part."

Being nude was no longer much of a concern for Jackie. Her primary
consideration was
the raging fire on her bottom. As she padded toward Pete, she ran her hands over her backside. There were faint weals striping her round cheeks. No skin was broken, however. She'd have given anything for a mirror, and apparently it showed on her
tear-stained
face.

"I would imagine it feels worse than it looks,
miłość.
"

She snuggled into his lap, though the contact hurt mightily. "O
uch
!"

Pete brushed tears off her cheeks gently and pressed her head against his chest. "
You gonna be a good girl, Jackie?"

She nodded.

"I think we'll keep that switch in the bedroom.
A reminder isn't a bad idea."

Breaking into new tears and sobs, Jackie let go for a few minutes. Things had moved along so fast. Graduation, coming back home, getting a job, deciding to have sex, getting engaged… it was overwhelming. But Pete was there, his strong arms wrapped around her, whispering in her ear. He was speaking a language she didn't recognize, but he said
miłość
several times. She had to remember to ask him what that meant. Later.

She cried until she lay exhausted on Pete's chest, tears over and done with.

It was a Tuesday, and Jackie's agreement with the priest had been to meet with him every working day b
ut Wednesdays. Somehow, Jackie had to get off Pete's lap and
get them moving toward the church.

She spoke into Pete's chest and he tilted her chin up until their eyes met. "Hm?"

"Father Roskovy is gonna be expectin' us. We ought to get goin'."

"Okay." He helped her off his lap and stood. There was a hard lump in the front of his pants and she stared at it for a moment. "I'm only human," he said, adjusting his trousers. "Having a naked woman on my lap is hard to ignore."

She looked away, face hot. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I mean…I didn't mean to stare."

He closed the distance between them and cupped her cheek in his big hand. "You can stare, you can touch, you can lick, you can suck, you can welcome
me into you. What I have is yours, Jackie."

Closing her eyes, her head swam with a combination of embarrassment and desire. Sometimes, he did the most irresistible things. Her middle was whirling. The idea that they were going to have sex in three weeks, after she'd waited a lifetime, was awesome. That amazing wetness started between her legs. She wondered briefly if she could reach
a
wonderful orgasm again by hearing him say sexy things alone.

Inadequate though she felt the words to be, all she could think of to say to him was, "Me, too."

He smiled and kissed her. It was a tender kiss, searching, coaxing her to open to him and encouraging her to kiss him back. Jackie wrapped her arms around his neck,
enjoying
the freedom of her nakedness against his clothed body
. She was like a sleek cat, rubbing herself against her master. The lump in his pants got bigger and harder; she felt it strongly against her belly.

With a small moan, Pete deepened their kiss, his hands moving from the small of her back down to her bottom. The pain was immediate and Jackie flinched and pulled her mouth away.

"Ah," he said. "Sorry. You might be a little uncomfortable sitting for a day or so."

Jackie's pout formed
, and she wanted a little retribution so she rubbed her tummy against his erection suggestively. "You're a stern taskmaster, Dr. Kaminsky."

He laughed and kissed her on the nose, then stepped
back
from her. "Don't you forget it." Pete moved a pace away and turned back. "I meant what I said, Jackie. If you misbehave, I'll
spank you again."

"Will you cuddle with me, too?"

"Anytime you like, spanking or no."

So long as the spanking wasn't required for the cuddling, it seemed like a good arrangement. She'd try to be better behaved in the future. And she wouldn't burn the switch, no matter how much she wanted to. Who knew what he'd get to replace it?

Chapter 7

On Wednesday, Jackie hurried home from work early. She'd invited Pete to dinner with her family and it both excited her and filled her with dread. Leo would be there, along with Ace, Gabby and their indomitable housekeeper, Consuelo. It wasn't the first time she'd had a date to dinner, but it was by far the most important occasion.

As she set the table, she had a pleasant conversation with Consuelo about the first marriage counseling session with their priest. It had gone well, the first meeting consisting primarily of Pete giving the particulars of his church upbringing and filling out some forms so that Father Roskovy could get his church records from Lubbock.
Jackie hoped every session would be as easygoing and light, but she knew they'd eventually get into areas that made everyone uncomfortable. Father Roskovy had his agenda, and genial as he was, he wasn't going to go too far off-track.
But s
he was willing to make compromises and had the impression that Pete would, too.

"Just think, niña, someday soon you'll be setting the table in your new home for your new husband," Consuelo said with a smile as she stirred molé sauce.

Jackie grinned. Yes, that was going to be a wonderful thing, a dream come true. "I know. I can hardly wait."

"Be patient," Consuelo advised. "Enjoy preparing for your wedding. It'll be a special day."

"You'll come with me shopping for a dress this weekend, won't you?"

"You might want to shop only for fabric, though. My sister, Marguerita can easily make you a very beautiful dress. Now that she's widowed, she has plenty of time."

Sobering somewhat at the reminder of Consuelo's family grief, Jackie was still excited by the prospect of having a wedding dress made for her. Her mama's gown hadn't been preserved well and was yellowed and somewhat tattered. "I would love that, Connie. Thank you."

The older woman nodded brusquely. "It's settled. I'll ask Marguerita to join us for the trip. She'll have all sorts of advice. I know you can sew," she added, acknowledging one of Jackie's accomplishments, "
but Maggie will have lots of ideas to add."

Jackie knew she'd make a mess of a real wedding gown. She could sew simple things and a few items of clothing, but fine tailoring was still beyond her. She'd been concentrating on getting through college and fun stuff like sewing had been put on the back-burner. "Oh, I agree." She picked out the best colorful napkins from a kitchen drawer and laid them around the table. "Do you think it's okay that we're having this dinner in here rather than in the dining room?"

"Of course! We haven't used that dining room since last Christmas. The kitchen has always been where the Journeys gather. Pete needs to get used to it."

Nodding, Jackie tried not to let nerves overwhelm her. It was just dinner. There wouldn't be a brawl, no matter how tense it got.

Ace wandered into the kitchen and stole
a carrot, munching it loudly as he watched the preparations going on. "We havin' the governor to dinner?"

"Ace!" Jackie scolded. "This is important. I hope you'll be nice."

"'Course I'll be nice. I was nice the other night, wasn't I? I could have popped him one in the nose, but I didn't."

No, he hadn't, but it had been a close thing. "Please don't embarrass me."

He snorted. "Is he a wimp that needs his woman to defend him?"

"No!" Ace was right; Pete could defend himself. "I want things to
go
okay, that's all. You and Daddy are gonna try to test him." She waggled a finger at him. "Don't try to tell me you won't."

A big, shit-eating grin stole over Ace's handsome face. "I
can't deny those are my intentions."

Consuelo spoke up. "Out of the kitchen, hombre. You'll make the molé separate with all your hot air."

"Hmph," he said, his smile remaining. "Where's Gabby? I thought she'd be here helpin'."

"She's still out back working with Georgia Willoughby's
pet pig," Jackie answered.

"That is the most hare-brained idea I ever heard tell," Ace opined. "A pet pig. And a scrawny little runt it is, too."

"He's supposed to be small," Jackie pointed out.

Ace
grabbed another carrot and
headed toward the back door and his wife
, deftly avoiding getting swatted by Consuelo in the process
. "I know, but it seems unnatural, when you consider
how powerful and majestic a wil
d boar is. That pigs have been reduced to the equivalent of a toy poodle is plumb heartbreakin'.
" He called over his shoulder as the screen door slammed behind him. "
Y'all hold some of that flan back for a midnight snack now, y'hear?"

"
Fuera!" Consuelo called back, her voice stern but affectionate.

* * *

Ace found his wife handing the pig
's leash
over to Georgia Willoughby and approached with a smile for the two women.
Gabby was remarkably talented with animals and her pet training business kept her busy as
a flea in a roomful of hounds. "Hey there, Georgia." The woman offered him a weak handshake and a giggle. She'd had a crush on him in high school and, though it was unrequited, she still acted partial to him. So many years later, and lifetime neighbors, he'd pretty much gotten used to it.

He gave Gabby a squeeze and a kiss on the forehead. "Sweetheart. How's it goin'?"

"Done here," his wife said with a soft smile. She looked at Georgia. "Oscar should be better about sitting on command now, Georgia.
And remember that treats can be small. You don't have to give him a whole apple to reward him for being a good pig."

Georgia's eyes were glued to Ace, but she answered cordially enough. "Thank you, Gabby. I won't forget. Y'all comin' to the church picnic next week? I'm making my best blackberry tarts."

"Mmm," Ace responded politely. Georgia's blackberry tarts were always rather sour, but everyone pretended they were fabulous. "We have a weddin' to plan for. Don't know what that'll entail. My li'l sister has her mind made up to have a big to-do. The picnic is right up there on our social calendar though."