Chapter 7
Seven
Laci stood next to the couch and smirked.
Eric was way too big for the pretty little antique in the master bedroom.
His crossed feet were under the far arm and sticking out the end.
He had one arm up and across his eyes, but his shoulder still stuck out from the edge.
He’d probably have been more comfortable on the floor.
He’d definitely have been more comfortable in a bed.
“Hey,” she said, nudging him.
“What is it?”
“Do you think this is a flop house? Go home.”
He smiled. He was always really good-looking, but especially now with his messed up hair and sleepy eyes.
“How’d you sleep?” he asked.
“Better than you I guarantee.”
“Not hard to manage that. What the hell kind of couch is this supposed to be? Just for show?”
“Pretty much. Or for me to sit on in a fluffy dress to suck on a sucker.”
Eric laughed, a deep masculine rumble. “I don’t care about the fluffy dress, but I can almost guarantee the couch could redeem itself if you were on it sucking on anything.”
“You need to get laid,” she said.
“Is that an offer?”
“No, just an observation. I’m going downstairs to make us some scrambled eggs. Then you have to leave.”
“Why is that?”
“Because it’s daytime and you have a job to go to.”
“What concern is that of yours?”
“It’s not really. But if you don’t make money, you might start stealing mine. Besides, I have things to do.”
“Like what?”
“Like going over to Melody’s house to apologize and to see if she’s okay and to pay her back the money I owe her and John.”
“I already paid them back on your behalf.”
“Why?” she demanded. “I didn’t authorize that. I wanted to give them the money myself.”
“Sorry, Lace, but I didn’t know whether you would. A couple days ago you were spending your entire allowance on liquor and online poker.”
“Stop monitoring my credit cards! If I want to spend my money on liquor and poker games, it’s none of your business.”
“But it is. By Colin’s mandate.”
She glared at him. Just when she’d started to like him he had to revert to I, Robot status. “You know what? I changed my mind about the eggs. I need to watch my spending, and I don’t choose to spend a buck fifty worth of eggs and cheddar on you. Eat breakfast at your own damn house.”
He laughed, sitting up. His phone and a handkerchief fell from his pocket. Who carried a handkerchief anymore? Her eyes narrowed. That wasn’t a handkerchief.
“Oh good, you picked them up,” she said, reaching down.
His hand was there first, and he snagged her panties and put them back into his pocket.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He retrieved his phone. “Heading home where fifty-cent eggs aren’t being rationed to allow for five-hundred-dollar liquor store purchases.”
She hurried to the doorway, getting there ahead of him and blocking his way. She thrust out her hand. “You have something of mine.”
He looked down at her. “I’ll advance you the money for a new pair.”
Son of a bitch.
“Not exactly your size, are they?” she demanded, trying to reach into his pocket. He caught her arms and put them behind her back. He held them there so that she was forced up against him.
He smelled good and felt solid and strong, which was all definitely beside the point.
“What the hell is your deal?” she asked, trying unsuccessfully to pull her arms free. Okay, he was really strong, and she really liked that. She stopped struggling because it was pretty evident that his body liked hers doing it.
“Done?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“Too bad,” he said, releasing her.
She immediately went for the pocket again. He caught her wrist, just as her fingertips caught the edge of the fabric. When he pulled her arm, the fabric ripped.
She laughed. “That is your fault!”
He spun her around and swatted her ass twice.
“Ow!” she yelled, trying to escape. She couldn’t take a serious spanking on her bruised backside. Luckily, he wasn’t committed to really punishing her and let her go.
She turned, but stayed against the wall. She was done going after those underwear. If he wanted them so bad, he could keep them.
He walked out without a word. She trailed after him.
“Hey,” she said.
He glanced over his shoulder on his way down the stairs.
“There’s a matching bra. You want that too?”
“Not unless you’re in it.”
She raised her brows, but he never broke his stride. She heard the front door close and shook her head.
Laci got the summons to meet with the council while she was at John and Melody’s.
When she’d arrived, she’d found Melody dressed in silk pajamas with a cool pack on each of her butt cheeks.
Laci had meant to be incredibly contrite, but Mel looked so hilarious with those things perched on her ass that Laci had ended up laughing for so long that Mel flung one at her. Then they were both laughing.
“Now you can fetch me a new one,” Melody said primly. “They’re in the bathroom linen closet.”
“Ok,” Laci said, still smirking.
“Actually bring two fresh ones. These were mostly warm and melted anyway.”
“Uh huh,” Laci said, heading into the master bathroom. John and Melody’s house was cozy and in perfect order. Even their sex toys were arranged from largest to smallest in the cabinet. Laci laughed again, but muffled it.
“You can crack them and place them,” Mel said in the kind of baby doll voice Laci had used during play with Colin.
“Do you and John do any age play?” Laci asked, clapping the packets’ sides together to start the cooling chemical reaction.
“That’s a very personal question,” Melody said.
Laci set a packet on each of Mel’s buttocks.
“I guess, but I am putting ice packs on your rear end, which I saw get paddled last night. I didn’t think asking a question would be a shocking invasion of your privacy at this point.”
“You never give me any details about your life with Colin.”
“I don’t?” Laci said, thinking back to their conversations. She couldn’t remember Mel ever asking her anything.
Melody shook her head.
“Well, it wasn’t a conscious withholding. If I brushed off questions it was probably because thinking about him made me upset.”
“He was pretty private. Colin wanted to know about everyone else’s sex life, but kept yours as much of a secret as he could.”
“Did he? I guess he did. I think he was a little self conscious about it.”
“In this community?” Mel scoffed.
“Well, there were no other full-on daddies and their little girls around that we knew of.”
“I suppose not,” Melody said. “But certainly no one judges the choices others around here make. I’m not interested in the very extensive medical play that Cilla likes, but I’m happy she gets to play out those fantasies.
” Melody looked at Laci through her lashes.
“I think you used to go to the clinic fairly frequently. What sorts of things did you enjoy?”
Laci sat on the carpet, then decided sitting wasn’t the greatest idea and so reclined on her side.
“I actually didn’t choose to go. Colin had routines.
Once a week he took his little girl for a check up.
It always included getting my temperature checked rectally and a full head-to-toe exam with him watching.
Occasionally, he’d talk it over with the staff, and it would be decided that I needed a cleanse to keep me healthy.
If I didn’t argue or try to resist, I’d get a lollipop at the end of the visit.
” Laci chuckled. “Because I really needed another Blow Pop when I sucked one or two per day for him at home.”
“I, um, have occasionally had the cleanses. I don’t find them pleasurable exactly, but they are somewhat stimulating. It’s more psychological. I get them when I know John’s intending to have one of those weekends where he uses me in certain ways. Did Colin…?”
“Yes, he did most things.”
“Did you—enjoy it?”
“Yeah, he made sure I did.”
“Hmm.”
Laci tilted her head. “You have to tell him.”
“Tell who what?” Melody said coyly.
“Tell John that you don’t enjoy anal sex. He can either work on making it more pleasurable for you, or he can stop doing it.”
“I never said I didn’t enjoy it. I enjoy everything John does.”
“Uh huh.”
Melody flushed. “So you’re going to meet with the council today?”
“Seriously, Mel, you should tell him. He’ll want to know. There’s a lot you guys can do to make it good for you, and I’m sure—”
“Laci, this conversation is over, and I forbid you from saying anything to anyone about it!”
Laci held out her hands in surrender. “Ok, this conversation never happened. Moving on. I am meeting with the council this afternoon. They have questions for me. I’m pretty nervous about it.
But I went to Stuart and Allison’s to apologize in person, and they were nice and gave me iced tea and hinted that they’d like to see me have sex with either them or some other people at the next community event.
So I don’t think they’ll recommend running me out of town. ”
“Yes, everyone wants you,” Melody said with a slight frown.
“Well, not everyone, but a couple people at least. A couple people who really like having sex with each other and from what I could tell a lot of other people.”
“Sure, that’s all it is,” Melody said sarcastically.
Laci’s brows rose. “Are you angry with me, Mel?”
“Forgive me. I forgot that no one’s allowed to get angry with Laci. We all have to make allowances, even if you don’t appreciate it.”
“What’s this about? Is John really pissed about the money you loaned me? I called him to apologize and he seemed okay. I’m so sorry I got you in the middle of that and that he found out. I could kill Eric for telling him. I wish I knew how Eric figured—”
“I told him,” Melody snapped. “I got myself in trouble, trying to help you.”
“You told him?”
“Yes, I did. You were self-destructing, and I wanted to save you. I thought I was your best friend. But you don’t need me.
You have plenty of influential people to help you.
You broke one of the most sacred rules of the entire community.
They were talking about forcing you out this week…
changing the locks on your house, changing the security codes on the gate.
You’d have taken one of your jaunts to the city and then come back and had no way to get inside. Did you know that?”
“No—what the hell?”
“Then you take one spanking and behave better for a few hours, and everyone is ready to forgive you. Even John who was so set against you!”
Laci felt like Melody had slapped her. “So you tried to save me, but didn’t actually want me to be saved? You wanted me to get kicked out of here?”
“No, of course I didn’t. I worked really hard on John and Eric to win them over to your side, but they wouldn’t budge.
Then you just change their minds like that,” Mel said, snapping her fingers.
“Everyone else has to behave all the time and to live with all the parts of this life, good and bad, but you get to do whatever you want and there are no real consequences. How is that fair?”
“Life isn’t fair, Melody,” Laci said softly, getting up.
“I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just sore and frustrated.”
“Sure,” Laci said, her voice sounding wooden and far away. How had she misunderstood their friendship so completely? Melody had liked coming over to see her the way gawkers liked to stand and shake their heads at a bloody six-car pile-up. Mel was like her artist friends.
“Wait, Laci, why don’t you come back before the council meeting? I can help you with your hair. You know I’m better with hair than you are. I can help you look your best.”
“I don’t think I’ll have time,” Laci said in a neutral tone before she let herself out the door.
She sucked in and exhaled several breaths of cool air, feeling like she might throw up. After a moment she started walking.
She wasn’t sure which route she’d taken to get home, but she found herself in her kitchen with tumblers of Grey Goose in each hand.
By the time Eric showed up, she couldn’t feel her lips and was hopeful the rest of her would be numb shortly.