True Choices (2 page)

"Can't wait to see it!" She's obviously moved to be in the same room as my Dad, there's an echo now. "Have you two talked about when you want to have the wedding?"

Max has! "We haven't had a chance. Um...but I don't think it's going to be a long engagement, Mom." Max doesn't like to wait for anything. "I'll let you know as soon as we decide anything, ok?"

"That sounds fine, sweetheart," Dad answered, "Just give us enough time to work out paying for everything. I have that fund your Mom started when you were just a baby...we'll have to see what we need to do to close that out, Lizzie." They're talking to each other more than me now.

"Dad? Mom?" They're still talking to each other. "I have to go...Max is waiting for me. ...Mom?"

"Oh. Ok, sweetie! Call us as soon as you can!" She kisses into the phone, an echo that pierces my ear. "And send that picture!" She hangs up.

"Congratulations again, sweetheart. Give my best to Max too!" Dad hangs up after I say I will.

I put the phone down and hold my forehead. I'm feeling a little fuzzy from all the excitement. This whole holiday weekend has been a rollercoaster of emotions.

"Why didn't you tell them we're getting married next month?" I jump hearing Max's voice from the door.

"I...we...we haven't really talked about...anything yet." I'm holding my hand to my chest. I can see the ring sparkling up at me.

"We're getting married next month, Lucy." His face is stern, set.

"I...I don't think my Dad can...I don't think they can afford that, Max." I hear the whine and plea in my voice.

He frowns quizzically at me, like I just said something odd. "
I'm
paying for everything, of course. Your parents don't have to worry about
any
of that. They just need to be here to be a part of the wedding."

"But...I don't...I mean...I can't plan a wedding in only a month...I don't even know what all to do." I'm laughing a little. I can't believe I'm pushing for a later date...but the thought of a big wedding in only four short weeks is overwhelming!

"We're getting married next month and that's final." He turns and walks away. I wait before following him downstairs.

I know Max likes being in control, but...but this is our wedding. This is the rest of our lives together. Maybe I'll try to talk to him again when we're back in the city. We really need to make
some
decisions together.

But I know I'm kidding myself. Max doesn't just
like
being in control. Max
is
in control. Period.
That's
final.

Chapter 1 HIM

Lucy's been quiet since her call to her parents. I know this has been a crazy weekend. After everything that happened Saturday, today must seem unreal to her.

I squeeze her hand and she squeezes back, giving me a small smile.

It's just starting to get dark. The dock is a runway of lights up to the house. It is a pretty picture perfect place. With the house all lit up, the sound of waves in the background. This would make a great spot for our wedding.

I thought about waiting to propose. I had the ring made last week. After leaving Lucy in the closet Saturday night, after realizing that I could keep her safe from my anger no matter what...I knew I didn't want to wait another moment to see my ring on her finger.

And I won't wait longer than necessary to make her my wife.

I know that's what has her quiet. She's upset about my decision to set the wedding date so soon.

I open the terrace doors and she walks in, hugging her arms around herself. She had a scarf, gloves, and blanket on the boat, but she's still chilled. "I'll get a fire started in the family room."

"Ok. Thanks!" She smiles sweetly. She always says please and thank you. It's one of the things I noticed about her the night we met. She stood out then as a sweet girl. And she'll be my sweet girl always now.

I tweak her nose. "Get under a blanket." She goes to the sofa nearest the fireplace and wraps a blanket around her huddled body. I get the fire going and sit next to her, wrapping her in my arms to warm her more. She's so tiny, snuggled against my chest.

I'm tempted to just let her have some rest, but we have a few things to discuss and not a lot of time. Jake went with Mom and Dad to pick up dinner, so we could be alone for a little while at least.

"Lucy." She's quick to raise her head to the change in my voice. I only added the slightest hint of my feelings, but she picks up on it so easily. It's one of the things that surprised me most about her in the beginning. I don't have to give her more than a small warning voice or look to get her to change direction quickly. "We need to discuss a few things."

"Yes." She sits up more, but keeps my arm around her, her hands on my leg through the blanket. She likes to keep a physical connection with me when we're together. She takes a quick deep breath and starts talking before I do, "Yes. I don't think it's reasonable to think that we can plan a wedding...the type of wedding that
I'd
want anyway...in only a month." She tries to sound so strong, business-like. I know she's been rehearsing this in her head.

I grin at her, feeling indulgent for the moment, "Oh, is that so?"

She can't make eye contact, instead she concentrates on her hands, fidgeting under the blanket on my leg. "...Yes...I" a big swallow, I try not to grin more, "I want a
nice
wedding, a...a...formal wedding...white dress, lots of flowers, my friends..." she pauses, fidgets more, shaking her head a little, "my family all a part of it."

"Of course," I'm really trying not to let the laughter get into my voice. But she's just so damn cute...trying to look so calm and sound so in control. She knows as well as I do, who's in control here.

She finally looks at me, tears in her eyes. Her tears are my undoing. I like seeing them. She's even more beautiful lit up this way, her cheeks flushed, her blue eyes bright...my beautiful girl. "I'm serious, Max!" She reacts to my darkened brow, "Please..."

"And you shall have
all
of that, Lucy." I touch her cheek and she rubs her face against my hand.

"So...so we can...we can plan for a wedding in maybe six months?" She's using her sweetest, highest voice to try to get me to say yes.

"No. You'll have your dream wedding...
next
month."

"But..."

"Stand up." My indulgence is over.

She freezes at my abrupt change to a deep, commanding voice...one she knows very well. She knows she pushed too far. "If I have to give you an order again, this is going to be a lot worse for you, little girl."

She quickly stands, the blanket getting a little tied up around her, but she manages to get free and not fall over. Her eyes are begging me. "Over my knees."

She hesitates only a second, before getting on my lap. I position her quickly, roughly. Her thin dress won't provide any protection. "You just received a good spanking two days ago, didn't you?"

"Yes, Sir." She's crying already, trying not to by the sounds of her choked words.

"And one of the reasons you were spanked was questioning me, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Sir." Her sweet voice, the tears. God, I love her. I have to stop from smiling, in case she can see me through her thick hair.

"And you're questioning me again, aren't you?" I say this with extra depth, easily hiding my grin.

"Yes, Sir." She's not trying to beg at least, she's learned that lesson.

"I'm going to spank you three times," she shakes at this, "on the part of your bottom I know is still
very
sore, little girl." Her legs lower for a split second, but are quickly raised straight out again. Good girl.  "Count."

She'd cried out on the boat when Jake went a little too fast over a wave; we all went in the air and she landed hard on her ass. So I know she's even sorer now.

I give her a stinging slap with just my fingers where her ass meets her thighs. She cries out, tries to breathe normally, but can only gasp out, "One."

I spank harder on the same spot, my full hand. Her cry is silent, her body shaking, she again gasps, "Two."

I know her ass is still raw from the belt, from Saturday's spanking. I know that as light as this punishment is it's causing her a great deal of pain. I spank the same spot, just as hard, my full hand making contact with the sweet spot. Her loud cry is drawn in with her breath, and she quickly says, "Three," with the breath going out before she can't speak, her whole body shaking and her breathing fast hisses.

"You may raise your legs." She lifts her feet to point straight up, just as I've taught her, but not covering her stinging bottom.

I wait for her breathing to slow before letting her stand.

She quickly puts her arms behind her back, "I'm sorry, Sir!"

"Good girl."

"Thank you, Sir!" My poor Lucy is raw with emotion and pain. She starts crying and shaking, leaving her hands behind her back, but sobbing openly.

I know she needs this release, so I let her cry for a bit, before pulling her down to sit on my lap and covering her with the blanket again. "You've been through a lot these past few days, little girl." I wipe her tear-stained cheeks and she lowers her head into my neck. Her arms still behind her back, though. My very good girl. "You may move your arms, Lucy." She brings her hands to sit in her lap, listless, her emotions calmed and leaving her quiet again.

I take her left hand and play with the ring, making it shine in the firelight. "Do you know what this ring means to me?" She shakes her head and sniffles. "It means that for the rest of your life, you'll
belong
to me." She nods her head, but sniffles more. "That I will always
own
you, Lucy." She nods again.

"And I want you to understand a few things going forward..." I wait until she nods once more. "Questioning me will result in
immediate
punishment," she looks shamefully down, "I don't care
where
we are or
who's
around, I
will
punish you if you talk back to me. Do you understand me, little girl?" I speak slowly, she responds best to this. She answers quietly. "This ring means that you are no longer in control of
anything
." I spell this out as to a child. "So when I tell you that we're getting married next month...that is what we're doing."

I wait for her to think about what I've said so far. "I know you're nervous about that. That you have concerns. I will always try to take into consideration how you feel about something...but you need to understand that in our marriage...I will make all the decisions. That choosing
when
we get married is only the beginning of a long line of choices you no longer have."

She moves slightly in my arms, her head coming up to look at me. "What...what if I really want something...I mean...what if I really don't like a decision that you've made?"

I smile at her, but she doesn't relax. "Then you may
ask
me to reconsider my decision." She thinks about this, her face frowning a little. "But you'll ask respectfully, not talking back, not arguing."

She continues thinking for a moment. I wait to see how she's reacting so far. "So...so if I ask you to reconsider pushing our wedding back a few months, would you?"

Good. Not great, but she's figuring out her limits still. "No. And when I say a decision is final. It is final, that means no more questions, respectful or not. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good." I give her a hug and she relaxes a little into my arms, her head back on my chest.

In a very small voice, "So
how
are we going to get married next month then...?"

My very good girl. "I'll need to make a lot of decisions quickly." I laugh at this understatement and her head moves with my chest.

"I want," she starts off strong, but stops herself and starts again in a more questioning voice, "I'd like my Mom to be here to help with picking a dress..."

"Of course, baby." I kiss her head and she relaxes even more. "I was thinking that since your parents are retired, I could fly them out here this week. I want to talk with your Dad anyway...explain that I will be paying for everything. I don't want to step on his toes...your still his little girl too...for now."

"I'd like that...thank you, Max."

"Now, why don't you tell me all the things you've dreamed of for your wedding..." She gives a big smile and sits up more quickly.

"Well...let's see..." Uh-oh...this could take a while! "Big white dress, lots of flowers, tons of them, everywhere, sparkling lights, candles, a big-as....a really big cake," she checks to see if I'm angered by her misstep, but I remain smiling, "dancing, maybe a band or something..."

She's interrupted by the front door. Jake comes in loaded down with three big grocery bags. He stops and stares at us for a second. The strangest look on his face; I can't quite make out what he's thinking.

"I thought you were bringing dinner back, not groceries?"

"We were, but Marcello's was closed due to a family emergency. And ya know, Dad has to have his spaghetti dinner to end the summer..." He rolls his eyes, laughing, the look gone. He heads into the kitchen.

"I should help with the groceries..." Lucy says this as a question though. I told her yesterday that she has to ask my permission before leaving my side. She'll learn that sometimes I only need a questioning look, but for now, I'm proud of her for asking out loud.

"Yes." And she hops up to follow Jake. I head outside to see if there's more to bring in. I didn't get to say everything to Lucy that I wanted, but it's a good start.