True Nature (14 page)

Chapter 22 HIM

Rosa comes over to me, giving me a big hug as I enter the small restaurant. "They're back there." She thumbs behind her. "Just follow the giggling."

I can hear Tracy. She's laughing loudly in the middle of a story. "...And then this big-ass bouncer comes out of nowhere and pushes these assholes off the dance floor. It was like Lucy had a fuckin' entourage..."

I come around the corner just as Lucy is laughing and saying, "It was not a fuckin' entourage." And Laura is adding, "You're just jealous, bitch," at the same time. Josh and Tad are laughing along with them.

I put my hand on Lucy's chair and she jumps up. "Oh, good! You made it!" She sits back down as I hold her seat. "I wasn't sure your meeting was going to finish in time..." Her smile freezes a little, in response to my stoney glare at her.

I turn towards the table, though, and put on a half-smile for everyone. "I wouldn't miss Rosa's cooking!"

Tracy tells me to call her Romona, "She hates it!" I'm beginning not to like that girl. "I was just telling Josh and Tad what a wonderful night we had out thanks to you...all Lucy had to do was snap her fingers and we were floating in champagne!"

"I would hope no one was snapping their fingers at anyone." I say this with a smile, but keep my voice even and edgy.

Lucy puts her hand on my arm and says quietly, "No...of course not."

"No..we just wanted to say thanks...it was alot of fun to be pampered for the night!" Laura is a sweet girl.

Tad pokes her side making her laugh loudly, "What? You don't call buying you a cheeseburger Sunday pamperin you?!" The table laughs, Lucy quieter than the others.

Good. She gets that I'm upset with her, even if she doesn't know why...yet.

She leans over to me and says quietly, "I ordered Puttanesca for us..." She looks at me like a puppy waiting for a treat, all hopeful.

"Good." I keep my hand on her leg under the table, pinching her until she puts her hand over mine. I stop her from rubbing the spot by flattening my hand back over hers. She keeps looking at me, but I ignore her and carry on a conversation with Tad about his softball team's winning streak. "I belonged to a softball league a few years ago...let me know if you ever need a filler."

                                                                                    .....

Before heading to the car, I pull Lucy back from her friends. Her eyes wide-open in surprise at the suddenness. "I want you to be silent in the car. Not a
word
until we get home." She only nods slowly in response to my gritted teeth command.

"Good night, Max...Lucy, you get some rest!" Rosa is waving from the door.

Tracy yells back, "Where's our love?"

"Good night, Trouble!" But Rosa is blowing her a kiss, heading back inside as I close my door.

I take Lucy's hand and kiss her palm. With her head lowered, eyes raised, she Mona-Lisa smiles at me, but doesn't say anything. Good.

                                                                                    .....

She remains quiet in the elevator, holding my hand and rubbing with her thumb, in an attempt to get me to smile back at her.

I open the door and step aside to let her in. She walks a few steps inside as I just watch her. I haven't spoken either since leaving the restaurant. I drop my keys on the table. And move towards her in two long strides.

Turning around, "Max...why are you so" she doesn't get the rest out.

I slap the side of her face, hard. She falters back a step into the wall, putting both hands up to cover the left side of her face, cowering from me.

"Oh my God." She's staring at me, searching my face, not moving. I wait.

I need to see her reaction...what she does next will determine everything. No matter how much we've talked, tonight decides our fate.

"You...you...Oh my God." She lowers her head and moves her hands to hide her whole face. I wait, inches from her, but not moving.

When she looks up, there's a dawning mix of anger and fear on her face...and what I've been hoping for. Guilt. I still wait.

"Why...?" It's more a breath. "...what...?" She's still searching my face.

I don't move, but speak slowly and with all the anger I feel in my voice. "What did I tell you about your language?"

She just swallows and stares at me with the same mixed look, frown on her face. I wait till she shakes her head slightly and lowers her hands.

I slap her again, just as hard. Her hands go up to her face again and stay there. When she opens them, her eyes have the beginning of tears. Her look is fear. And more guilt. Good. My cock thickens at the sight of her.

"...Max..." She stops, hands still on her face, a tear falling over her knuckles, pleading with her eyes.

"I told you to watch your mouth. Didn't I?" I keep my voice steady and slow again.

"You...I...didn't..." She's shaking her head again.

"I heard you when I got to the restaurant."

Eyes darting between mine for what feels like a full minute. I wait. She puts her one hand out against my chest, warding me off, pleading with me. "I didn't...I...I didn't know you were there..."

"And that's your excuse?!" I yell this and laugh cruelly. She flinches nicely, her hand shaking slightly on my chest. Her eyes go towards the door.

"What...you wanna go?" I grab her arm off my chest and yank her towards the door one step before yanking her back against the wall, shoving her hard against it.

Both her hands go up to my chest now. I take a small step away from her, so she drops them to her sides. "If you want to go, then go." Her head jerks up to mine. "Just understand, little girl...if you walk out that door, there will be
no
coming back." 

I'm glad her hand isn't on my chest now. She'd feel my heart beating too quickly. If she turns towards the door now...I will have to let her go. And I would be heartbroken. But I need to let her make this one decision. She has to stay on her own.

She keeps looking into my eyes before more tears well up. Her face crumbles and she looks down, hair veiling her.

Now I know she's mine.

"Do you want to go?" I say it quieter, but with the same edge. She only shakes her head, still lowered.

"Look at me!" Her head jerks up at the sharpness. "Answer me. Do you want to leave." I say it sharp as a knife for the last word. She cowers again.

"...No..." a squeak, hardly a sound.

"No...You answer me with respect..say 'No,
Sir
.'" I say this only a little softer, still slowly.

She squeaks out "...No...Sir..." still staring at me. The tears sliding down her cheeks beautifully as she blinks.

I step closer to her and she puts her hands up again, fear blanching her cheeks. My cock is so hard, I want to take her right now.

"Put your hands behind your back." But I move them there for her. She's pliant and shaking now. Her head lowers almost to my chest. "When I'm disciplining you, Lucy, you'll keep your hands behind your back." 

She looks up, through wet lashes. "Max...please..." My cock moves.

"Shhh..." I stroke the right side of her head and kiss her forehead. "It's almost over, baby." I'm almost tender when I say this, only a little edge to my voice.

I stand a little taller and see her tense again...she responds so easily. "You know I don't want you to curse." I allow the anger to seep back into my voice.

She hesitates before saying so quietly that I almost don't hear her, "Yes....Sir."

"And yet you did it anyway..." My anger is heating again, remembering how she sounded with all her friends laughing at her foulmouth. 

"I...I didn't know you were there..." She says this as a plea this time.

"That's no excuse, Lucy. You'll behave how I tell you...whether I'm there or not!"

"OK." She says this quickly, with her whole body tensing away from me, pressing against the wall. I push against her slightly and she quickly adds, "...Sir."

I relax a little and she almost falls onto my chest, burying her face against me. I hold the side of her face with my left hand, forcing her to look at me again.

"Lucy." I stop to admire the look of fear and pleading in her eyes. "I'm going to slap you one more time." I speak slowly. She tries to shake her head, but my hand keeps her still. "Stop!" Her body shakes against me, but she stops trying to move her head.

"I want you to remember this lesson." Her mouth moves like she's going to say something, but doesn't. "I'm going to slap you again," I repeat, looking slowly between her eyes. "And if you're a good girl...keep your hands behind your back...and don't move...this will all be over." I give her a second to think about what I've said. A look of greater fear darkens her eyes to a deep blue. "Do you understand me?" She can only nod, her mouth opening, but no sound coming out, her breath shallow. "Good."

I quickly take a small step back and slap her. Harder this time. I want to leave a mark on her.

She cries out, bouncing against the wall. I catch her as she bounces back to me, holding her to me before she can move, taking her arms and putting them around my shoulders. She nearly collapses into me, crying and shaking. Picking her up, I carry her into the bedroom. She's buried the left side of her face into my chest, the rest completely covered by her hair.

The sound of her soft hiccuping cries moves my cock again and I lower her legs to the floor, pressing her into me.

Chapter 22 HER

My face is on fire and numb at the same time, pressed into his chest. I don't think I've breathed for the last ten minutes and hiccups mix with my sobbing. 

I'm rubbery and don't trust my legs to hold me. Max keeps his arms tight around me. I can't move. But my brain is on hyper-load.

It's replaying everything like in a movie...in slow motion, in a loop. I keep seeing his hand coming up to my face, his eyes behind so stern, his mouth and jaw so set.

I've only been slapped once before. My Mom was so scared when I ran out into the street when I was five; she almost yanked my arm out and slapped me before hugging me to her legs, crying.

This was different. This wasn't a knee-jerk reaction. Max was angry. He was very angry...stewing in anger all night. But he was also controlled. He could've really hurt me, but instead he only slapped me.

Oh, God. Only slapped me?! I'm losing my mind!

But even as I think this, I can feel the stomach-to-pussy stabbing sensation again. After he slapped me the first time, I was afraid he would just keep hitting me. When he didn't, I was confused. I felt shattered and scared, but his control and voice also sent that shockwave through my core, down, making me wet. I couldn't think. My brain said run, my body said stay, my heart...my heart was afraid to decide.

I knew he was angry all night. I could feel his coldness. But he wasn't distant...he kept his hands on me. I can still feel where he pinched me. His touch had been rough before...grabbing me, holding me down...but this time it was around other people, my friends. I couldn't believe he sat there, looking so calm, talking...all the while pinching me. And I didn't say anything.

That was the first ping of shock to my pussy. I felt light-headed after that...like I couldn't concentrate on anything but him, hardly touching my food. Rosa asked if I wasn't feeling well and Max answered for me that I was just tired.

When he commanded me not to speak...Oh, God...commanded me?!...I was wet the whole ride home. In this state of confusion.

I thought we might argue in his apartment about whatever he was mad at, then make up...It even crossed my mind that he might want to spank me...and that thought made it even harder to stay quiet...I almost laughed out loud once...But I didn't expect him to slap me. My head spins again.

Chapter 23 HIM

I continue holding her up, forehead down against my chest. She clings to my arms.

Slowly her sobbing and hiccups taper off. She laughs out loud...short and shakey. Not a sound I was expecting to hear tonight. I hope she isn't getting hysterical.

I lift her chin to my face. She slowly raises her eyes. The most beautiful light blue, the lids a little red from crying.

"Let me see you." She blinks the last of her tears away as I turn her face to the right. "You'll have a mark." She tries to jerk her head away, but I hold her in place. Only her eyes dart to me, the fear back in an instant. "You can look in a minute." I let go of her face, putting my hand back around her waist. She's still shaking a little. She sniffs and starts to lower her face again.

"You have one more thing to do before you can wipe your face and nose." Her head jerks back up. I love how responsive she is...how open she is. Her eyes tell me so much...fear, hope, and that beautiful look of shame again.

"You have to say you're sorry for misbehaving." She smiles for a second and I think she might laugh in hysteria again, but quickly her face freezes into shock and fear instead.

Swallowing hard first, "...I'm...sorry..." She haltingly gets this out, but I'm proud of her for not looking down while saying it. She's learning already.

"Good girl. Go wash your face and blow your nose." I let go of her, but steady her before she leaves my arms.