STORY EXCERPT

The next morning, Jillian rolled over with a smile, which faltered and fell as soon as she saw the suitcase sitting by the door to the hall. His suitcase. The highly touted, leather wheelie carry-on she had bought him for Christmas two years ago because his previous one had come back from a trip with a missing wheel and broken zipper.

So, Gunnar would be leaving her. Again. His fourth business trip in six weeks. Only this time he had not warned her of his departure beforehand. She should have known something was up when he’d gone all Master G on her the night before.

Jillian was tempted to hide the damn suitcase. Or take it to the backyard and set fire to it. Anything to keep him home, even though she knew not having a suitcase would not force him to cancel his trip.

Making the suitcase disappear would not solve the problems she and Gunnar had, but were not addressing. Forces outside their house—her job, his job, and her father—were coming between them, forcing them to spend less and less time together these past months and years. She should be grateful for the time they’d spent the night before, but she couldn’t help but be envious of the new woman in Gunnar’s life. The woman he spent all his days with, and who accompanied him on these trips.

Monica Hayes, the new VP of Gunnar Enterprises.

Jillian just wished she knew what she could do to get back the man she had fallen in love with eight years before. The big Daddy dominant Viking who had swept her off her feet the night her best friend had dragged her to Club Esoteria for her birthday. Since going back in time was not an option, she would just have to figure out how to move forward and somehow make Gunnar understand she needed him with her, or she needed to go with him.

Hmmm, maybe that was the answer. Problem was, the duties of her position as the president and CEO of Hall Industries kept her in New Bern, North Carolina, thus unable to travel with him.

Before she could make good on her vow to destroy his suitcase, Gunnar stepped out of the bathroom. He was dressed in jeans, a McNeil Enterprises polo shirt, and sneakers, the comfortable clothes he wore when traveling. As always when seeing her man, Jillian’s heart skipped a beat.

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” he said as he crossed to the side of the bed.

Jillian rose from the bed and into his arms, closing her eyes in gratitude for this big man who had loved her so well for the past eight years. It was only the past couple of months that she had begun to question his loyalty, and kicked herself for doing so. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she held on tight, resting her head on his shoulder and melting a little deeper into his embrace.

She would happily stay right there cuddling for the next fifty years though she already knew it wasn’t possible. When a horn blew outside, she sighed. Gunner kissed the top of her head before pulling his arms from around her, leaving her feeling cold and alone.

“Where are you going this time?” she asked, hoping he didn’t hear the bitter tone that colored her voice.

Apparently, he was too caught up in fitting his briefcase on the carry-on handle to notice. “Texas. A series of meetings and a dinner for the employees of McNeil Austin. I’ll have my phone if anything happens with your dad.”

Jillian nodded her understanding, but did not respond to his unspoken instructions. She was not to call unless something happened with her father.

The doctors had done all they could, but between the aggressive Alzheimer’s disease that had been diagnosed shortly after they’d met, and his newly discovered stomach cancer, they did not expect him to last the rest of the month. It was only a matter of time before her phone would ring with word that Lucas Hall had died.

“Behave yourself, baby. I love you,” Gunnar said as the horn outside sounded again.

He did not tell her when he was coming back, which was not surprising. The last few trips when he said one thing, he had been held over for days longer due to complications only he could deal with.

She watched through tear-filled eyes as he picked up his suitcase and headed out of the bedroom. Yes, Master,” she murmured as he walked out of sight. “I love you.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Jillian woke to a hard, warm hand rubbing circles on her ass cheeks. She knew what Gunnar was doing, warming up her flesh in preparation for beating on it. She had to admit, even if it was only silently and to herself, that she needed a spanking. Her emotions were pushing at the walls of the box she’d locked them in, but she wasn’t sure she knew how to unlock it without help.

Without a spanking.

Without Gunnar showing how much he really did care for her by spanking her. Not only would the pain of the punishment wipe the slate of yesterday’s transgressions, but also help her release the emotional toxin that was brewing inside her.

At least she hoped.

“Good morning, Master,” she whispered as she stretched and rolled to face her husband.

“Good morning, baby. Are you ready for your punishment?” Though he still looked sleepy, he also had that glint of steel in his gaze that sent a shiver through her as her will bowed to his.

“Yes, Master.”

“Go use the bathroom first. Would hate for you to pee all over the bed,” he said with a smirk.

Without argument, Jillian jumped from the bed and ran into the bathroom. After using the facilities and quickly washing her hands, she returned to the bedroom. Gunnar had moved from the bed. He was now sitting in the wooden straight-backed chair he kept in his closet for just such times.

She crossed to him and obediently laid herself across his thick, muscular thighs. Then she relaxed, knowing there was no way out of this. Other people might look at their arrangement with horror, or disgust, and she didn’t like receiving spankings as punishment, but Gunnar had taught her that a short amount of pain to fully erase a misdeed was better than walking around feeling guilty and angry at herself for being a bad girl.

As was the practice they had developed over the years, Gunnar did not just start smacking her ass. Instead, he started rubbing circles around the flesh once again as he asked, “Why are you being punished, baby?”

“I did not answer my phone when you called. I did not call you back when I was able. I ignored your texts and did not answer them either.”

“And do you accept your punishment willingly?” Gunnar asked, confirming she was draped over his lap with only her palms and toes touching the floor.

“Yes, Master.”

“What is your safe word?”

“Red, Master,” she whispered.

“And when do you use it?”

“If things get too painful or too much for me to handle.”

“Good girl,” he said, patting her ass affectionately.

With his left hand wrapped around her waist to hold her steady, Gunnar lifted his hand. Jillian took a breath and forced herself to relax as her husband’s hand came down sharply on her right ass cheek. The fiery pain was instantaneous and her breath whooshed out of her. The next strike came to the center of her left ass cheek, causing her to suck in a breath. She focused on breathing and staying relaxed as he peppered the smacks over her ass and upper thighs.

After four spanks, tears filled her eyes and overflowed. Two spanks later, the box holding her emotions exploded and she began to cry. By the time Gunnar had administered the twelfth stroke, she was draped over his lap like a ragdoll, sobbing so hard she was having a hard time breathing.

She hissed when Gunnar rearranged her so she sat across his lap and her weight rested on the abused flesh. A dozen strokes wasn’t a lot, but with his big, hard hands, they hurt just the same. She leaned into him as the crying continued. Every emotion she had felt in the past two days bubbled up in those tears. By the time they slowed and eventually stopped, she was so emotionally drained that all she wanted to do was go back to bed.

It was a few more minutes before she took a deep breath and felt like she had settled fully back into her body with everything intact and firing on all cylinders once again.

“All forgiven.” Gunnar asked as he brushed a kiss on the top of her head and hugged her gently, “Feel better?”

“I think so,” she answered honestly. “But I think I’m going to be having words with Luke about looping me in on your business trips in the future.”

“Just don’t scare the man too much. He’s a great assistant and I don’t want to lose him,” Gunnar said with a smile in his voice.

“I’ll try not to. So, what are your plans for today since you’re not in Texas?” she asked since she wasn’t sure what her day would look like, other than she wasn’t going in to the office unless there was an emergency.

“I’ll need to check emails, and then touch base with Luke and Monica, and maybe Skype in on a meeting this afternoon, but otherwise I’m all yours. What are your plans?” he asked, still holding her securely.

Jillian took a breath and sighed. “I’m not exactly sure. I’ll have to check in with the office and then get busy on plans for Dad’s funeral.”

“I’m here, baby, for whatever you need me to help with. Blaze and Whitney will probably be dropping by as well. Just remember you’re not alone in this. We’re all here for you, to help, to listen, to hold you, and hand you tissues when you need them,” Gunnar said before releasing her and helping her to stand. “But first thing is shower sex with my baby.”

“Anything my Master wishes,” Jillian said as she climbed from his lap and headed to the bathroom.

By the time she had the shower turned on, the water warmed, and was stepping into the shower that was big enough for both of them and a few friends, Gunnar had joined her. She knew from past experience that he had taken the time to put the punishment chair back in the closet. It was no longer needed and leaving it out where she could see it would only promote lingering bad feelings.

Her Master loved her, and took such good care of her. She just wished she knew what to do about the lingering bits of jealousy she felt toward all the time he spent with Monica.

As soon as he joined her in the shower, she grabbed the washcloth and soaped him up, using long slow strokes to spread the suds over the muscular ridges and furrows of his shoulders, chest, belly, all the way down to his velvet over steel erect cock and balls. She knelt and quickly washed his legs and feet before moving around behind him and lathering up his back, ass, and legs as well.

Her pussy clenched and overflowed as she quickly lathered up while he stepped under the waterfall that fell from the ceiling. She followed quickly, not surprised when he stepped up in front of her and, using only his hands, stroked every inch of her body to clear away any lingering suds.

Without instruction, Jillian moved to the far side of the shower, bent over, and laid her palms flat on the bench. The same bench she had questioned the necessity of when Gunnar had added it to the design plans. Nowadays she was grateful for it.