The bread was late. Nora took another walk to the front door and poked her head out to scan the sidewalk for any sign of Lenny, their normal deliveryman. Nick was going to have a fit if it didn't show up soon. Today was matinee day at the local theatre and they already had over forty reservations for lunch. Nick & Nora's Place had developed a loyal and burgeoning following in the last few years. Screw-ups were just not acceptable on Thursdays. Angrily, she yanked out her cell phone and punched in the number for Pannino's Bakery. Someone was going to hear just how irritated she was.

A moment later, a contrite Nora Mellos flipped shut her phone and ran an exasperated hand through her wild mop of dirty blond curls.

She had completely forgotten to place the bread order. She groaned as she remembered yesterday afternoon. It was a wonder she had even managed to get herself home.

"Shit," she muttered.

"Nora!" Her husband stood just in front of the swinging kitchen doors, his burly shape clothed in an immaculate white chef coat and baggy checked pants. "Hey hon, would you bring me a couple loaves of bread for this bruschetta?"

Oops.

"The truck's running late, Nicky," she lied. "I just called. Want me to run around the corner and buy some from Belle?" Belle's was a coffee shop owned by her very good friend Belle Armstrong. She felt a tiny twinge for telling the untruth, but she didn't want Nick to know about her blunder. Especially since she had urged him to take yesterday lunch off and when he quizzed her about placing the orders, she had told him everything was done.

"No, that's okay, I can wait, it won't take long," he said after making a funny face. "Fish order didn't get here yet either. Give 'em a call, 'kay, hon?"

"Sure, Nick," she called brightly, not too brightly she hoped.

"Ohmigod," she thought in dismay. She had forgotten to call Bright Sea Fish Market, also. How could she have forgotten to call two such important vendors?

Well, actually, she knew how.

Yesterday, Belle had stopped over after the lunch crowd was gone and the two of them had finished a bottle of wine, sampling a tasting of appetizers that Nick's brother, Pete was creating in the kitchen. Although he ran a successful diner in Manhattan, Pete sometimes took over for his little brother when Nick wanted a day off from his own casual-chic eatery. Peter Mellos always enjoyed his visits to the quiet Suburban town where Nick and Nora lived and worked. If the truth were told, he also was trying to impress the seemingly unattainable Belle with his culinary delights.

Nora and Belle had really enjoyed themselves with a crisp, delectable Pinot Grigio and the savory concoctions that Pete paraded before them. When Nick showed up for the dinner shift at 3:30, she and Belle were happily tipsy and completely sated. When Nick asked her about the orders, she quickly yessed him while giggling helplessly at Belle's sotto voce comments. If the truth were told, she was eager to escape before her husband realized just how toasted she was. Nick seemed satisfied and settled into his prep for dinner. Pete reluctantly bid Belle goodnight as the two women sauntered down the street to catch the early movie.

She really did intend to call in the orders once they were out of the restaurant but Belle thought they should stop at The Lucky Penny for another glass of wine.

By the time they left there, they were feeling no pain and neither one of them could give a coherent summary of the movie they watched afterward.

"It was a chick flick," Nora said groggily with her head under the pillow later that night when Nick asked her about it.

So now her goose was well and truly cooked. If Nick found out that she had lied to him. He would not be a happy camper. She hurriedly rummaged through her purse, pulling out the Wednesday sheet that had been clipped to the bulletin board in the kitchen.

Well at least there wasn't a meat order there. That would have been really disastrous--both of the meat purveyors Nick used were forty-five minutes away. She punched in the numbers for the fish market and asked for Estelle.

When she heard the flat, nasally voice of the owner, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Stelle, it's Nora, I need you to save my ass," she said quickly. "I forgot to call this in yesterday and Nick has to have it for today's lunch."

"Shoot, honey," said the older woman.

Nora read the order to Estelle and prayed that they would be able to make a quick delivery.

"No problem, honey," Estelle said. "What's the matter, that Greek lumberjack of yours has a little temper?"

"You have no idea," Nora said, relief coursing through her body. "Thanks a million, Stelle."

Estelle's comment made Nora smile ruefully. Her husband was a very large man and his curly dark hair made him look like a giant Bacchus; his Greek heritage was very clearly apparent in his olive complexion and dark, almost black eyes. He was large but there wasn't an ounce of fat on him and Estelle was just one of many who thought he belonged with an ax in hand and an ox named Blue.

Estelle had hit the target head on when she mentioned Nick's temper. The brawny chef was a stickler when it came to his restaurant. Forgetfulness at home was easily excused but when Nora messed up at work, she felt the sting of Nick's anger--in more ways than one.

Hopefully she wouldn't feel it this time.

They didn't usually buy too many desserts since the woman who worked their pantry was also a skilled pastry chef. But there were a few standard pies and tortes that Nick always ordered from Daria Foods, the same bakery that supplied croissants and Danish to Belle's. Daria herself answered the phone and promised to deliver the relatively small order with only a couple substitutions before lunch.

"Thank goodness," Nora allowed herself a big sigh of relief as she sank down in the easy chair near the front desk.

"Nora?" The deep voice behind her made her jump.

"Jesus Christ, Nick," she snapped. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Would you please watch your language," he said in an annoyed voice. "You know how I feel about that at work."

His admonishing tone just made her angry. She forgot for a moment about her narrow escape from discovery.

"I am a grown-up, Nick," she said snottily. "I can talk exactly how I want."

"Okay, Nora," he said reasonably. "Continue to speak like that. We're right in the front window. You want to put on a show for Main Street? Cause you know what happens when you outright defy me."

His words brought her up short.

Damn him.

Outright defy this, she wanted to shout into his serious, handsome face. But she didn't. She knew better.

"What do you want?" she asked in a surly tone.

"You are in one foul mood, girl," he said. "Maybe we should take us a little trip downstairs." His office, the only private place in the restaurant, was located in the basement behind the laundry room. There was a very innocuous looking ruler in his desk drawer and only she knew how wicked the slim piece of wood really was. Too many times she had been led to that office, to be lectured for one misdeed or another and then bent over her husband's lap to feel the sting from that very same measuring implement. Nick Mellos was a firm believer in wifely discipline.

"No," she said quickly. "I'm sorry, Nick. I don't know what's the matter with me. I must be premenstrual," she lied, hoping he wouldn't do the math and figure out the impossibility of that one.

"Fine," he said shortly. "I just wanted to make sure that the orders were on their way. Did you call Bright Sea?" When she nodded, he continued, "I hope you told them that this kind of thing better not happen again. I can't be getting my fish order in the middle of lunch."

She nodded again, feeling a lump in the pit of her stomach. She felt awful about lying to him and letting him think it was the purveyor's fault, especially after Estelle's kindness. But self-preservation was foremost in her mind. It had been a few weeks since she had experienced a punishment spanking but the memory of Nick's big, hard hand on her aching bottom was a strong one and she shuddered involuntarily.

"I'm sorry, babe," he said gently. "I didn't know you were feeling bad."

He lifted her from the chair and held her close, stroking her back and kissing her neck, her cheeks, and her lips. His warm fingers massaged her hips and lingered softly on her ass, patting her lovingly as he rocked her like a baby.

"Take some Advil," he advised, dropping a kiss on her brow.

Tell him. But she ignored the inner voice and pulled his face down so she could give him a proper kiss.

"I love you," she murmured.

"Me too, little one," he said. "But I gotta get back to my goat cheese tarts." He gave her one last kiss and winked down at her.

She felt like a heel. How could she lie to this man. This man that she loved more than life itself even if she didn't always appreciate his methods.

They had been married for about two months when Nick first exposed her to his own process for maintaining domestic bliss. She had been bitching about one thing or another, she couldn't even remember what. She did remember what happened right before...

"You are such a fucking asshole," she had yelled at her husband, turning to storm out of the room.

Not!

He had grabbed her by the straps of her overalls and yanked her back. "If you believe I'm a fucking asshole, then leave now," he said. "And I don't mean the house, I mean the marriage."

"What?"

"You heard me. You're not gonna get away with that shit, not for one more second."

He was implacable and her heart thudded with dread. She didn't want to leave him. He was the only man she had ever truly loved. The only man who had ever kept her from her earlier self-indulgent habits that could be so damaging. Like spending too much, drinking too much and self-doubting too much.

"I'm sorry then," she said. "You're not what I said."

"I'm sorry too," he said sternly. "'Cause I am now going to blister your sweet little behind like you never felt before."

"Wh ... what? Nick, get serious."

"I am serious, sweetheart," he told her, leading her over to the sofa. He sat down and stood her in front of him, trapping her with his massive thighs. Quickly he unclipped the bib of her overalls and yanked them down to her knees. In a flash, he had her over his lap and for a moment she felt his hand on the outside of her bikini briefs. And then that moment was gone and so were her panties, pulled down to join her denim overalls.

"Nick!" she shrieked.

"This is called discipline, darling," he told her. "And for sure you are going to know this position well. Because I am not going to put up with any more of your bullshit."

Nora felt a tingling in her stomach at his words. It was so odd. This very strong man was about to give her the spanking of her life and she really had no fear of him. She felt dread and apprehension for her bottom but she knew with every fiber of her being that Nick Mellos loved her with all of his heart.