Healing Fears (Smokey Mountain Book 3) Read online

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead before following the other men out and shutting the door quietly behind them.

  She looked over at Paul, who held his arms open for her. She raced to him, and all the jumbled emotions seemed to settle the instant his arms came around her. “What’s wrong, little bird?” he asked softly, rubbing her back comfortingly.

  “Penny,” she managed, gripping the back of his tuxedo vest. “I miss her, Paul. I want her here.”

  “Oh, baby.” His voice was thick with emotion, reminding her that she wasn’t the only one grieving her friend’s absence. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I just wish I knew what was going on. She wouldn’t even answer when I called her this morning. I don’t know what I did to make her hate me.”

  “She doesn’t hate you.”

  Elisa sighed. It was familiar territory. They’d been over and over the same ground for months now, but they weren’t any closer to figuring out what was happening.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be such a downer on our wedding day.”

  “Don’t apologize, baby. I know it sucks.” He held her for a while longer, pressing a kiss to the top of her head when she relaxed against him. “Ready to go get married?”

  “Absolutely. I’ll see you at the end of the aisle.” He ducked his head for a kiss, but she pulled away, grinning. “No more kissing until we’re husband and wife.” Laughing at his low growl, she dashed out of the room, where she ran into his half of the wedding party. Spotting Mike, who was as much her family as her own flesh and blood, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

  “I didn’t do anything stupid. I love you,” she whispered.

  “Good. I love you too, brat. Now let’s get you hitched.”

  The wedding itself was a bit of a blur for her. She had a distinct memory of Mike snorting with laughter when she’d promised to obey her new husband. Paul’s lips on hers as they shared their first kiss as husband and wife was seared into her brain, one of those moments in time she knew she’d carry with her forever. Other than that, it was a whirlwind of laughter, tears, dancing, and drinking until she was too tired to even stand up straight.

  She dimly remembered Paul carrying her to their hotel room and helping her out of her dress before they both collapsed onto the bed together, falling asleep nearly instantly.

  The next morning, Elisa stumbled into the bathroom and stood under the steaming hot spray of the shower until her mind cleared. When she was done, she gathered some things out of her bag and set them on the nightstand before slipping back into bed with her husband.

  Husband. She grinned just thinking the word. She was married to the man she’d been in love with nearly her entire life. It was her own private miracle, and she wanted to give him something special to celebrate. Reaching beneath the blankets, she wrapped her fingers around the semi-hard length of him and slowly stroked. She loved watching him wake, watching the way the smile slowly spread across his face and then how his eyes popped open to stare right into her own.

  “Morning, husband.”

  “Morning, wife. C’mere.” He reached for her, but she pulled away, shaking her head.

  “I have something for you. Kind of a wedding present, I guess.” Rolling to the side, she grabbed the items she’d left there and handed them to him. His eyes lit up like Christmas morning when he saw what she was giving him.

  “I should ask you if you’re sure, but I’m not going to. Lay on your stomach.”

  Heart pounding, she did as instructed. She jumped a bit when his hand ran down her back to rest on her bottom. “Relax, little bird. I’ll go easy on you. This time,” he added with a wicked chuckle. Seconds later, she felt the cool liquid squirt between her bottom cheeks, then his finger pressing into her. Taking a deep breath, she slowly let it out as he pushed his finger inside. He worked her for a while, coating her inner walls with the slick liquid before removing his finger. It was familiar ground for her, even if what would follow next was terrifyingly new.

  “This is going to be a bit bigger than what you’re used to, baby. Just relax, and bear down for me.” She felt the cool tip of the plug, and realized he’d chosen the menacing looking metal one. Biting her lip, she willed herself to relax and flexed her core as he worked it into her. He pushed it in, just to the point where she was stretched the most uncomfortably and held it there for a moment before pulling it back out. He repeated the action a few times, fucking her with the plug before sliding it home.

  “How’s that feel?”

  “Full. It hurt a little, but it feels okay now.”

  “Good. Don’t move.”

  She felt the bed shift when he got up. Tilting her head to the side a bit, she listened to him rummaging through his bag. The mattress dipped under his weight when he returned, and she involuntarily clenched her cheeks, wincing at the bite of pain. She wiggled her hips, only to be rewarded with a stinging slap to the back of her thigh.

  “Still, little bird.” He ran his hand up her thigh to her bottom, giving each cheek a gentle squeeze. “My beautiful wife. Ready for your first spanking as Mrs. Davenport?”

  Her heart swelled with love, to the point she thought it might burst. “Yes, sir,” she said with a contented sigh. The first swat was so gentle, it teased a laugh out of her. “Don’t tell me you’re going soft of me now that we’re married?”

  The second swat was hard enough to make her jump in surprise at the sting. “You were saying?” he asked with a low laugh. She grinned over her shoulder. It had been a few weeks since they’d really had time to play, what with the demands of planning a wedding. She hadn’t realized how much she missed it.

  He spanked her with a slow, steady pace so that she felt each individual swat on top of the burn he was building in her bottom. When she was nice and warm, she felt something cool tap against her skin, and then the sting of her favorite paddle. Paul had ordered it for her when she’d agreed to marry him. It was made of thin, light wood with her new initials engraved on one side. She loved the feel of the wood on her skin, and the surface burn it created as he paddled her.

  After some time, the burn became actual pain and she had to fight to stay still. “Ow! It hurts, sir!” she cried, gripping her pillow.

  “Almost done,” he said, increasing the tempo and force of the swats until tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

  “Yesterday, you promised to obey me. Are you going to keep your promise?”

  “Yes, sir!”

  “And what will happen if you don’t obey me, little bird?”

  She hated saying the words. Her hesitation earned her several hard, stinging swats to her thighs that had her howling. “You’ll spank me! Please, Paul, it really hurts!”

  To her relief, the spanking stopped. “Good girl. Christ, I want you,” he muttered, and she felt him pull on the plug, twisting it a bit as he pulled it free. Apparently, he was done being gentle. She opened her legs for him, the bed dipping as he knelt between her thighs. He gripped her burning cheeks, making her hiss at the contact as he spread her and pressed the tip of his cock to her entrance. She forced herself not to tense as he pushed himself into her. It burned and stung, more than any of the plugs he’d used on her.

  When he was fully seated, he gave her a moment to adjust. The burning subsided, until all she felt was the fullness of having him in her most forbidden place. After a few long moments, he pulled out, and she let out a relieved breath, which was cut short when he pushed back into her. As he fucked her, he reached around to tease her clit. She hadn’t expected to enjoy this, certainly not as much as she was. But there was no denying that she was throbbing for his touch. Even the burning pain she felt across every inch of, and deep inside, her bottom seemed to fuel her pleasure as he stroked her towards ecstasy.

  “You belong to me, little bird. In every,” he pulled out slowly, “possible way,” and pushed back in so that she felt every inch of him as he pushed into her bottom. “I own
every bit you. Every ounce of your pleasure is mine.”

  She couldn’t deny it. It had always been true; he was just taking what had always been his. “Yes, sir,” she gasped, pushing her bottom back so she could take him deeper inside of her.

  “Come for me, baby. I want to feel you come.”

  He pressed against her clit and the pleasure raged through her. She cried out as she spasmed around him, the pleasure shooting through her, mixing with the pain as he slammed into her, roaring with his own release. His fingers dug into her bottom cheeks, reigniting the pain from the paddling as he spilled into her.

  Dropping to the bed next to her, he her gathered into his arms and pressed a kiss to her hair. Elisa sighed happily and snuggled into his embrace.

  “Thank you for the present, little bird.”

  “If anyone asks, I got you cufflinks.”

  His laughter rumbled beneath her cheek and she tilted her head to grin up at him. “So what did you get me?”

  “What, marrying me wasn’t present enough?”

  “Nope. I’m the prize in this deal. Give it, old man.”

  “I’ll show you who’s old,” he growled. “Close your eyes. If you peek, you don’t get your present.”

  Elisa sat up and obediently closed her eyes. bouncing on the bed as she waited for her present. She heard the water in the bathroom running and resisted the urge to tell him to hurry up already.

  “You can look now, baby.”

  She opened her eyes and gasped as he clasped the bracelet around her wrist. It matched her wedding ring perfectly, with rubies and diamonds delicately woven between strands of white gold. And right smack in the middle, was a small, perfect hummingbird.

  “Paul, it’s beautiful. I-I wasn’t expecting… Where did you even find this?”

  “I had it made. I designed it,” he added with obvious embarrassment. “It’s one of a kind. Just like you, little bird. I know I don’t tell you enough, but I love you. I meant it yesterday, when I vowed to love you and cherish you until the day I die. You know that, right?”

  It touched her, right to her core. Tears welled and slipped down her cheeks. “I know. Even if you never said it again, I know. I love you too, old man.”

  She shrieked with joy when he lunged for her, then screamed with pleasure as he spent the next several hours proving he wasn’t all that old.

  Chapter 12

  “Care to explain this, Elisa Marie?”

  Elisa froze when Paul dropped the credit card bill in front of her. “Um, it looks like a bill. For one of our credit cards.”

  “Are you getting smart with me, young lady?”

  “No, sir,” she replied quietly, subdued by the bite of his tone.

  “Talk to me about the bill. Specifically, how you’ve racked up five grand in charges in less than a month.”

  “We needed things for the house. And stuff.”

  Paul pulled one of the chairs out from the kitchen table and sat next to her. “Look at me.”

  Reluctantly, she lifted her eyes to his. “What?”

  “I think it’s time we put you on a budget. I want all your credit cards. I’ll let you keep one, for emergencies. You’ll have a spending limit every month. What do you think will happen if you go over that limit?”

  “You’ll tell me to be more careful and take me out for ice cream?”

  She saw his lips twitch, and the tension in her stomach eased. “Try again, little bird.”

  “I know, I know. You’ll spank me. Does that mean I’m not getting a spanking tonight?” she asked hopefully.

  “If this wasn’t about the millionth time we’d had this conversation, I could let it go. You know what to do.”

  “Yes, sir,” she replied, sulking at the thought of her pending punishment. She’d just started across the kitchen when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it!” she yelled, dashing for the door.

  “Elisa, you have until the count of five to get your butt in the corner. I’ll get the door,” Paul said, following her to the front of the apartment.

  Taking her chances that he wouldn’t do anything in front of company, Elisa yanked open the door, then simply stood in shock, staring at their unexpected guest.

  “I-I didn’t know where else to go,” Penny said quietly. She was standing in the hall, two suitcases and her camera bag at her feet.

  “Why don’t you come in and tell us what’s going on,” Paul said, jolting Elisa out of her stunned silence.

  “And maybe start with where the hell you’ve been,” Elisa snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “Elisa,” Paul’s voice was a quiet warning.

  “No, she’s right. I’ll go to a hotel or something. I’m sorry I bothered you.” Penny’s voice trembled, and it cut through the hurt and the anger Elisa was struggling to control.

  “Of course you’re not going to a hotel. Don’t be a dumbass.” When Penny flinched at the playful jab, Elisa’s heart nearly broke. Reaching out, Elisa linked fingers with her oldest friend, and pulled her into the apartment. Paul followed with her bags, depositing them in the guest room before joining the girls in the living room.

  Elisa had poured some wine, and Penny sat on the couch across from them, toying with the stem. “I don’t know where to begin,” she said softly, staring into the glass as if the wine held all the answers.

  “Just take your time, sweetheart,” Paul said, his voice low and soothing. Elisa reached for his hand, their fingers linked together as they waited.

  The silence stretched and dragged, and Elisa was about to suggest that maybe Penny should get some sleep when she finally spoke. “I’m sorry I missed your wedding. I don’t blame you if you hate me for it.”

  “Oh, sweetie. I could never hate you.” Leaving Paul’s side, Elisa moved to the seat beside Penny and pulled her into her arms. Penny turned into her and it was as though she simply broke. She wept for what seemed like hours, and just when Elisa thought she couldn’t possibly have more tears to shed, she began crying again.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to breakdown like that,” Penny said when her tears eventually abated. “I don’t deserve you guys, but I’m so glad I have you.”

  “You didn’t think you’d shake us that easily, did you?” Paul asked.

  Penny smiled and shook her head. “I guess not.”

  “Are you ready to talk?” Elisa asked, earning a glare from her husband which she pointedly ignored.

  Penny took a deep breath and nodded. “Things with Franklin got bad. It started out so great, you know? I mean, he had some issues with like my weight and how much time I spent on my photography, but nothing big.”

  Paul joined them on the couch, taking Penny’s other hand. “That night I canceled on you? He-he beat me. He’d spanked me before, even punished me a few times. But that night, we got into this huge fight because he said I couldn’t go out and I completely lost my temper. I know I shouldn’t have, but you know what I’m like,” she added with a self-deprecating smile.

  “Oh, sweetie. Having a short fuse is no excuse for him to hurt you,” Elisa managed to keep her voice calm, despite the storm raging inside of her. She looked up and saw the same violent emotions in Paul’s eyes.

  “Well, I deserved it to an extent. But he took it to the next level. He… I’ve had bruises before, but I was black and blue for weeks afterwards. He said you were a bad influence and that Paul needed to do a better job of keeping you in line. I was too scared to even ask to see you again. I did at least ask about your wedding, but he refused and when I argued he locked me in a closet.”

  Penny downed the rest of her wine before continuing. “He cut me off from everyone. And for a long time, I just thought it was his way of doing things. I figured once I learned to be obedient enough or submissive enough, he’d loosen the restrictions. But I was never good enough. He kept finding reasons to punish me, no matter how hard I tried. I started to realize it was never going to get better. So I left.”

  “Penny. Look at me, sw
eetheart.” Penny turned her head and Paul cupped her face in his hands. “None of what happened is your fault. You did not deserve what happened to you. I know it’s going to take a long time for you to believe that, and that’s okay. But this was not your fault.”

  Penny nodded and Paul pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Why don’t you get some sleep and we’ll all talk again in the morning and see what we should do next.”

  “Thanks. Really, you guys are the best. I don’t deserve you.” With a last round of hugs, Penny slipped off to the guest bedroom.

  As soon as Penny had left, Elisa found herself scooped off the couch and into her husband’s strong arms. He held her close, and she curled into him, each of them seeking and giving comfort. “I don’t know what to do for her,” Elisa said after a lengthy silence.

  “I think, for now, we just have to be here for her. She can stay here as long as she needs.”

  “What if he comes for her?”

  “I’ll take care of it. If I’m not home, you don’t open the door for him and you call me immediately.”

  Elisa nodded. This was one time she had no problem obeying him without question. “I love you. Should I go to the corner now?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t want to freak Penny out. Instead, you’re going to write lines for me. ‘I will spend my money responsibly’ two hundred times.”

  Elisa wrinkled her nose. “I’d rather have the spanking.”

  His laugh smoothed out the rough edges from the evening. “I’m sure. Come on, little bird.” Holding her to his chest, he stood. “Let’s go to bed.”

  Chapter 13

  The ringing of the doorbell the next morning put Paul on alert. He was alone in the apartment; Elisa had talked Penny into going out. She’d told her it was because she’d spent too much time inside and was looking pale, but Paul knew Elisa was worried Franklin would look for Penny at the apartment. Since Paul had the same concerns, he’d sent them off with a bug in Elisa’s ear about heading out of town for the day.