Part 31 (2/2)
”Torie ...”
Furious, she leaped to her feet. ”Can't you stand the truth? You're stuffy and boring and-”
”I suggest you be quiet.”
”What's the matter? Are you afraid I'll jump you and find out that you're missing a pair of b.a.l.l.s?”
”That does it!”
The next thing she knew, she was dangling upside down over his shoulder. ”Let me down! What in the h.e.l.l are you doing?” She punched him in the back.
”I'm taking you upstairs to spank you.”
”What!” She was so shocked that she stopped punching him. And then her mood soared. She finally had his attention. ”You're kidding.”
He wrapped his arm tighter around the thin knit fabric that covered her thighs and began hauling her up the stairs. ”How could I be kidding? I have no sense of humor. Remember?”
”Oh, yeah.” The upside-down jolting made her dizzy, but, at the same time, she was beginning to feel better than she had all day.
The jolting stopped as he reached the top of the stairs. He hesitated for a moment, then made his way into the nearest bedroom, which happened to be Kenny's. He dropped her in the middle of the bed.
”I'm afraid you've pushed me too far, Victoria.”
Finally! She set her teeth in what she hoped looked like a snarl. ”You go to h.e.l.l.” She set her teeth in what she hoped looked like a snarl. ”You go to h.e.l.l.”
He grabbed her, jerked her toward him, and turned her over his knees. ”I realize this will be painful,” he said in that stodgy way that he knew p.i.s.sed her off, ”not to mention politically incorrect, but it has to be done.”
She snorted. Not in a million years would he go through with this.
”I mean it, Victoria. You'd better brace yourself.”
She c.o.c.ked her head, looked up at him, and said dryly, ”Maybe you'd better give me a piece of wood to bite down on for the pain.”
He chuckled.
She smiled to herself.
Then he smacked the flat of his hand down on her b.u.t.t.
She was so surprised that she nearly spoiled the whole thing by rolling off his lap. ”Ow! That hurt.”
”I apologize.” He smacked her again.
She winced, then thought about biting him in the calf or simply pus.h.i.+ng herself away, but she was too curious to see what was going to happen next. And she also felt this warm little wriggle of ... something ... that wasn't entirely unpleasant. Imagine Dexter O'Conner, the biggest dweeb in Wynette, Texas, having the nerve to do something like this.
Another smack.
It didn't feel good, but it didn't exactly hurt either, and, in a perverse way, it was nice to have finally riled him so much. ”You brute,” she managed.
”Believe me, this is hurting you a lot more than it's hurting me.”
She grimaced, then braced herself for his next smack. Instead, his open hand came to rest on her b.u.t.t, and she had the distinct impression he was copping a feel.
”Whatcha doin' back there, Dex?”
He s.n.a.t.c.hed his hand away and cleared his throat, but he still sounded a little hoa.r.s.e. ”Have you learned your lesson?”
”Uhmm.”
”Well? Have you?”
”I wonder if Kenny knows he's got a dust bunny under his bed.”
He smacked her, then sighed. ”Now have you learned your lesson?” have you learned your lesson?”
”I can't believe you're wearing brown socks with blue pants.”
A long silence. Finally, ”This isn't working, is it?”
”Maybe we should try it naked and see if that improves things.”
She tensed, waiting for him to get all stodgy and let her go. But he surprised her again by giving a resigned sigh. ”An excellent idea.”
A thrill shot through her as he tugged up her long skirt and flipped it over her head. His palm settled over her bare bottom, and she s.h.i.+vered.
She waited in antic.i.p.ation, but his hand didn't move.
”Torie ... your panties ...”
”Yes?”
”Where are they?”
”Look for a tiny little strap of flesh-colored silk.”
”I don't see any-Oh, there it is.” His voice had developed a rasp. ”Kind of wedged down between ...”
”I'm sure a more experienced man would have found it right away.”
”I have plenty of experience. I'm just used to seeing panties from the front.” He paused. ”This is nice, though.”
”Glad you approve.” She smiled to herself. ”Dex?”
”Uh-huh?”
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