Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Juliet
The drive back to Mist Hollow felt longer than the journey into town had.
Neither Nate nor I spoke much as the truck rumbled steadily along the narrow roads back to the vineyard.
Unlike earlier, I found myself unable to appreciate the beauty of the landscape.
Knowing there would be a reckoning for my bratty behavior, I could think of nothing but the punishment ahead and how I would cope with it.
The thought of pain didn't bother me. I doubted Nate would push me beyond what I could bear.
It was fear that I might embarrass myself if I liked what was happening too much that put me on edge.
What if I made weird sounds or said something stupid in the heat of the moment?
I didn't want Nate to think I was an idiot.
While thoughts churned in my mind, Nate was infuriatingly calm. With one hand resting lightly on the wheel and the other by his side, his focus remained on the road ahead. Being unable to work out what he was thinking unsettled me more than anger would have.
My heart beat faster as Nate turned the truck up the long driveway leading to the house. The vineyard was peaceful now, but in a few hours, it would be bustling with people once more.
As Nate pulled the truck to a stop beside my rented Audi, my stomach twisted into a tight knot. He switched off the engine and got out. I didn't move until he came around to open my door.
"Out you get." His voice was calm. With shaking fingers, I unbuckled my seatbelt and accepted his help to get safely down from the truck. I stood there for a moment, brushing my palms nervously over my leggings.
"Come on," Nate urged me.
"I, uh, I need to get the car back to the city," I stammered. "I only rented it for the weekend."
Nate quirked an eyebrow at my pitiful attempt to stall. "I'll have someone deal with it."
"Oh, right, but I should probably…"
"Juliet," he said firmly. "I know you're nervous, but dragging this out won't help."
He was right. In order for us to move forward, I needed to know what a punishment would feel like. Nate and I had agreed on a safeword, and surely that meant he'd honor my wish to stop.
I waited while Nate fetched the shopping bags from the back seat and then followed him into the house.
It was quiet, but the aroma of onions and garlic in the air told me Eileen was in the kitchen, cooking up a storm.
I loved how she made sure all the workers were well fed before they began their long overnight shift.
Nate headed straight upstairs, and I trailed behind him as he made his way to my bedroom. He set the bags down at the door to the closet, then turned to face me. The weight of his scrutiny made my pulse race.
"You remember the rules I set out?" he asked, and I nodded. "Which one did you break?"
"The one about respecting you."
He nodded. "So you understand why you've earned a punishment?"
"Yes."
"Good. I want you to know I understand why you were upset. You had every reason to be aggrieved about your mother cutting you off. You work hard for your family and represent them well. What she did was designed to humiliate you, and you didn't deserve that."
Tears burned behind my eyes as Nate spoke. I expected a lecture from him about my behavior, but instead he showed that even if he wouldn't accept me lashing out at him, he realized why I did it. Few people ever considered my point of view.
"I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you." I meant it. "Pushing you like that was unfair."
"Yes, it was, but I think perhaps you pushed me on purpose."
Ugh, this man saw too much, but I was not about to admit he was right. "What are you talking about?"
"I think you wanted to be punished."
"I…uh…"
He held his hand up, the small gesture stopping me before I could get my words out.
"No lies, Juliet. We need honesty between us if this is going to work."
I lowered my gaze to the floor. "Yes, I wanted to be punished. I wanted to know how it feels."
Nate stepped closer. Putting a finger beneath my chin, he applied gentle pressure until I looked up at him.
"Don't hide from me, Juliet. Being curious is nothing to be ashamed of."
I nodded half-heartedly. Nate tightened his grip on my chin.
"I need to hear it out loud, Juliet."
"Being curious is nothing to be ashamed of."
"That's right." Nate unbuttoned the cuffs of his dark-gray shirt and rolled up his sleeves. Nerves fluttered in my stomach. "Now shall we get on with it?"
Swallowing hard, I nodded as Nate walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Come here." His voice held that quiet command that did funny things to my insides. I scarcely wanted to admit the effect he had on me.
I crossed the room, trying to maintain my composure. There were only a few paces between us, but it seemed to take forever for me to reach Nate. When I stopped in front of him, he cocked his head to one side and regarded me closely.
"Do you remember your safeword?"
Of course I remembered. It was only twenty-four hours or so since I'd come up with it. I bit back a snarky retort, knowing false bravado would only make things worse.
"Cosmetics." I hated the faint tremor in my voice as I spoke.
"Good. Use it if you need to, but be aware, I won't tolerate you wriggling out of punishments before they've even begun. Are we clear?"
"Yes."
"Yes, what?"
I hesitated. Did he expect me to call him sir, or master, or something like that? No, that wasn't what he was to me.
"Yes, Nate."
Seemingly satisfied with that, he held my gaze for a moment and then patted his knee. I frowned.
"I want you over my lap," he said when he realized I was confused.
"Oh." My lips parted. I felt like an idiot, but for some reason, I hadn't expected that.
I took a moment to mentally prepare myself.
Then knowing I was only going to tie myself in knots if I overthought this, I lowered myself carefully over Nate's lap.
I braced myself with my palms on the floor.
Nate helped me to keep my balance as he lowered my leggings and panties just enough to bare my bottom.
He rested a hand at the small of my back, a gesture that helped steady my nerves.
"My rules exist for a reason, Juliet. Respect is non-negotiable. We need to work together if I'm going to keep you safe and disrespecting me affects that. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Good and I want you to know that once this punishment is over, I consider the matter closed."
It was reassuring to know that we'd be able to draw a line under my bad attitude and move forward.
Lying over his lap with my bottom exposed brought mixed feelings to the forefront.
On the one hand, I was embarrassed by the strangeness of my situation, and on the other, I enjoyed a sense of security unlike anything I'd experienced before.
There was no time to untangle my emotions as Nate delivered the first sharp spank to my right buttcheek. I gasped sharply, caught off guard by the effect the sting of pain had on me. My chest tightened.
Nate paused for a moment as if waiting for me to throw out my safeword. If he thought I would try to evade this punishment, he was mistaken. When I agreed to his conditions for staying here under his protection, I was aware of what I was getting into.
He struck me again, and I splayed my fingers across the soft carpet. Tension rippled through me, then dissipated. Nate found his rhythm, delivering the punishment slowly and methodically, hitting different parts of my bottom until I was sure every inch of my skin was glowing red.
"Nate!" I gasped as his palm cracked across the full width of my ass.
"You're all right," he assured me.
I was, and that bothered me. It didn't fit with my image of myself as an independent woman to not only accept his discipline, but embrace it.
Was I in danger of losing myself if I allowed Nate to take control like this?
As my flesh warmed, I stopped debating the rights and wrongs of my situation.
My clit pulsed wildly, and I focused on breathing steadily as my arousal grew.
My fists curled as Nate paused, resting his hand against the curve of my backside, his cool skin soothing me.
"How are you doing?"
"I'm…" I stopped to consider. "I'm okay."
"Good girl."
Clearly I had some previously unknown praise kink because those two words uttered from Nate's lips made my heart pound. I shifted on his lap, brushing against his extremely hard and obviously impressive cock. Excitement coursed through me as I realized the effect I was having on him.
"Six more," he warned, "and these will not be so gentle."
My eyes widened. Did he consider the spanking so far to be gentle?
My ass was on fire already. How much worse could this get?
The answer came a mere second later when Nate struck my bottom with the harshest slap yet.
My eyes watered as I let out a cry of shock.
Each subsequent blow felt harder than the last. I clenched my fists and tried to focus on my breathing as the pain intensified.
The word cosmetics lay on the tip of my tongue, but before I could decide whether to utter it, the punishment was over.
Shoulders shaking as tears streamed down my cheeks, I slumped over Nate's knee.
He gently drew me up into a sitting position on his lap.
I lifted my ass slightly to alleviate the ache as Nate cradled my head against his chest.
"You're okay, Juliet. Your punishment is over, and all is forgiven."
His words made me cry even harder. He stroked my hair and whispered soothingly as I unashamedly soaked his shirt with my tears. He pressed his lips to the top of my head.
Gradually my trembling eased. I slowed my breaths and loosened my grip on Nate's arm. I hadn't realized I was holding him so tight. He'd probably be bruised.
"Sorry," I said softly as I pulled back from him.
"For what?"
"For making such a fuss." I swiped a hand over my cheeks. "You must think I'm a real crybaby."
Nate shook his head. "Of course I don't." He brushed a stray hair back from my face. "It's good that you show your emotions. I don't ever want you to hide from me."
"Okay." I smiled tremulously. "I guess I was caught off guard. In my head, being spanked was something clinical. I didn't expect it to be so…" Waving a hand around, I searched for the right word. "Disarming."
Nate tilted his head to one side. "Disarming?"
"Yes. You keep making my mask slip. I'm so used to performing for people."
"You don't have to do that with me."
I nodded. I was starting to get that. Nate didn't need me to act a part. Out here on his beautiful vineyard, I wasn't a symbol of an ideal I didn't believe in. The problem was, I didn't quite understand who I was in this environment.
"I'm not sure I know how to stop."
"You'll learn," Nate said. "I did."
That gave me pause. I thought about it for a moment and realized that since I arrived here, the Nate Harrington I saw was not the one who inhabited the glamorous world of L.A.
's richest people. He was calmer, happier, more approachable.
Perhaps I'd find the same peace he obviously had if I stayed here with him.
I leaned against him, then pushed to my feet, unable to bear the intimacy any longer.
It was overwhelming and made me hope for things I wasn't sure were possible.
While my head was traveling in the direction of a future with this man, I doubted he was thinking the same way. It was far too soon for that.
"I need to put my new clothes away." As excuses went, it was pretty lame.
Nate stood. "Do that, then get some rest before tonight. Eileen will need help feeding the crew."
"Of course." I moved to the closet and picked up the bags. "You should rest too."
Harvesting the grapes by hand was a physically demanding job, and I knew Nate wasn't just supervising down in the fields. He was right in the thick of things.
"I will."
He walked to the door, then turned to shoot me a glance that lasted a moment longer than was comfortable. Something told me he had more to say, but he shook his head, clearly deciding not to.
As he left the room, I leaned back against the door of the closet and let out a long exhale. My ass throbbed… but I wanted more. Not of the spanking, but of Nate's closeness. The question was, did he want me too?