The O'Malley Brides (25 page)

“That’s not the point,” Maeve insisted.  “Rory didn’t ask her to do it, or even if she wante
d to.  He just assumed she would do it all
because she’s a
woman. 
Maybe someone needs to be taught a little lesson. 
Tis
a little insultin’
,
the more I think
about it.  Like someone assumin’
you’re a good cook
,
Bridget, just because you’re…”

“Yeah
,
and we all know how that’s works out,” Rory laughed as he walked into the kitchen.  “What’s going on?  I hope you’re not counting on Bridget to cook for Thanksgiving?” he asked, giving an exaggerated shiver.

“Shut up
,
Rory,” Bridget shot back.  “Ladies whatever you decide, count me in,”
she stated smugly
as she put her cup in the sink
.  “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Tess, you ready to go home?  Looking forward to what?”

“Oh, the Christmas Baza
a
r
,” Maeve lied smoothly, her fingers crossed behind her back.  “W
e girls are plannin’ to get together and make some crafts.
”

Tess
blanched as
Maeve lied so coolly.  She
was almost as white as Maeve,
when her husband came up behind her and wrapped his hand around her crossed finger.

“What’s goin’
on here?” Sean asked, his voice booming.

“Oh nothing
,
Tess and I were just discussin’
what we want to make for the church baza
a
r, isn’t that right
,
dear
?”

“Yes, we were,” Tess affirmed, not quite making eye contact.  “We were just leaving anyway.  I will talk to you soon
,
Maeve,” she continued as she hugged Rory’s mother.

“Night Ma, Da,” Rory said as he steered Tess out the back door, his hand on her back as he guided her.  “Ma was acting a little strange tonight don’t you think?” he asked Tess.

“No…I did not notice anything,” Tess replied.  “Maybe she
is
worried about the bazar?”

“
Yeah
,
that’s probably it,” Rory conceded
before
he pulled Tess to him and captured her lips in a scorching kiss.  “You go first Babe, and I’ll follow you
,” he moaned into her mouth.  “I can’t wai
t to get you home,” he told her
as she settled in the seat.  Reaching in to buckle her seatbelt
,
he let his hands brush her thighs.

“I can do it myself,” Tess admonished.  “I am not a baby you know.”

“Wrong.  You’re my baby and I intend to take very good care of
you.  Now get
o
n home,” he winked and told her with a growl
, “
b
efore
you get your sassy little ass paddled.”

Tess grinned,
stuck out her tongue and locked her doors quickly.  Rory laughed as he got in his vehicle to follow her home.

Sean wrapped his thick arm around his wife
’s waist from behind, his deep voice rumbling
in her ear. 
“
I sense mischief
, Mrs. O’Malley.  You wouldn’t be plannin’ any now would you
?”

“Never
,
you know I always try to stay out of trouble.  Don’t you be givin’ it another thought
,
Mr. O’Malley.”

“Tryin’ an
d
do
in’ are two very
different thing
s,” Sean laughed as he
released his wife.  “See that
trouble doesn’t
find you
,
missy.”

Maeve huffed and set about straightening up her kitchen.
  What Sean didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

Rory pulled into the drive behind her, squealing his tires.  Jumping out of her vehicle Tess ran to the back. 

“You almost hit
the ass of my new car
,
Rory,” she scolded, hands on her hips.

“I thought you didn’t want the car
,
Babe,” he answered with a smirk.

“I did not want it, but a certain bossy Irishman got his way again.  I am not su
re I can even pay for this Rory and I would like to keep it in perfect condition in case I have to give it back.”

“You will not be paying for it, I will, so don’t worry about it.  I thought
we
settled this at the dealership?” he asked frowning.

“No
we
did not.  You signed those papers without even listening to my opinion.  I thought we agreed that you were to be in charge in the bedroom and we would make other decisions together.”

“That’s true,” he informed her, his nose just about touching hers as he fixed her with his stare.  “Unless it involves you
r
safety and security, which this does
,
I don’t intend to have you waiting at some bus stop
in bad weather for a
ride.  Furthermore…”

“Oh, I see.  Millions of women all over the country are taking their lives in their hands by using the
bus system.  Perhaps you should run for public office and ban all women from busses?” she finished sarcastically, hitting the button to lock her car and stomping towards the
back
door.

Rory reached around her and unlocked the door, gently pushing her inside
the house
.  After helping her off with her coat
,
he watched her continue to stomp around the kitchen. 

“Do we need to take this discussion into the bedroom
,
Tess?” he asked, beginning to get a little flustered with her attitude.

“Why?
” Tess asked, suspiciously.

“A
pparently that is the only place where you will listen to me.  Did something happen at my
m
other’s?  You weren’t acting like this earlier.”

“No, nothing happened at you
m
adre
’s.  I think I may have been in
shock for most of the day.
  Everything you did today was without my consent.”

“Everything Babe
?”
Rory shot back with an evil grin.

“Well no, not everything,” Tess conceded blushing, “
b
ut most things.  Rory you quit my job for me!  How is that your decision?  I liked working for Maggie and I need the money.  Who are you to do this?”

“R
ight this minute, I am the man whose hand it itching to spank some sense into you.  I love you Tess and I will not stand by and watch you work yourself into exhaustion.  You already have one job and go to school part time. 
We have money
,
Babe
.  Y
ou don’t need to kill yourself making more.  If there is something you need, just say so.”

“I need to be able to
take care of myself,” she insisted
,
releasing she was not getting through to him.

“No, you need to let me take care of you.  You have been on your own for a long time
,
Tess
.  Is
the bedroom the only place you will let me meet your needs?  Is sex the only thing you want from me?” he asked
,
sadly.  It would break his heart if she really felt that way.  He had a consuming desire to care for her in all things, to protect her.

Tess
was quiet for a moment before walking across the room and jumping into his arms.

“You are very good in that room, Rory,” she told him with a grin.  “Perhaps we should continue our discussion tomorrow?  It is getting late,” she purred.

“An excellent idea
,
Babe,” he told her as his arms around her waist tightened, lifting her off the floor.  Walking into the kitchen he kicked a chair away from the table.  “
We
just
have
a little matter to take care of first though.”

“
What matter?
” she whimpered, kissing his neck, enjoying his strong arms around her.

“A little matter of a spanking,” Rory replied, sitting down and easily flipping her over his knees.  “I had thought about letting this one go
, but after tonight’s little display
,
I think it’s important to show you just what to expect if you ever run away from me again.”

“Oh Rory, no,” Tess squealed, wiggling frantically, her hand trying to cover her behind.  “Please do not spank me.  I will not run away from you again.  I swear it.”

“That’s great new
s
,
Babe,” he told her lifting her skirt above her waist, admiring her pretty white panties
before he slipped them down to
her knees.
“Lord, you have a beautiful bottom.  It seems a shame to have to punish it when there are so many more enjoyable things we could be doing,” he sighed with resignation resting his huge hand across both cheeks.

Tess relaxed, heaving a sigh of relief, just before his hand came
down,
cracking firmly on her ass.

“
Ow, no Rory no,” she screamed, clenching her cheeks tightly.

“Relax Baby, don’t clench like that.  It only makes it hurt longer,” he informed her
,
smacking her three more time quickly.

“I cannot help it, you’re killing me,” she sobbed, kicking her feet frantically.

“Hardly, but it is important that you see the difference in this kind of spanking as opposed to what happens in the bedroom.
  And Babe
,
there are ways to keep you from clenching up like
that.  
A little ginger root mak
es quite an impression I’m told, but we’ll save that for another time.”  Smack.

“Please Rory
,
stop,” Tess howled as his hard hand continued to redden her cheeks.  At this point she was too mad to cry and she continued to try to get away.

“You may as well settle down.  You have a lesson to learn and it seems it might take a while.  Do you understand why you are getting spanked, Babe?”

“I understand that you are a baboon,” she yelled, trying t
o blow the hair off her face as
she turned her head to glare at him.

“And you are a misbehaving little brat who needs to understand that running away isn’t acceptable,” he answered giving her a few slightly harder spanks.

“Oh,”
Tess moaned her breath coming in short hard pants as she tired herself out struggling.  “I knew you did not really love me,” she cr
ied, tears beginning to leak from
her eyes.

Rory froze
,
his hand in midair.  Picking Tess up
,
he seated her stinging bottom firmly on his lap.  Taking her face in his hand he looked into her eyes.  “You think that because I’m spanking you I don’t love you?  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Tess, I don’t make a habit of plucking vagrant females from park benches and putting them over my kne
e.  Nor do I deposit them at my
m
other’s house instead of carting them off to jail. 
You are the exception.  In fact
,
you have been the exception from the very beginning.  Something about you Babe, pulled at my heart and I haven’t been able to get lose.  I don’t know if it was your complete lack of sense, or your trusting little face.  All I know is that from the moment you looked up at me with those big brown eyes, I was a goner.  I tried to stay detached and treat you as if you were just a family friend, but it wasn’t possible.  Every day I wanted you more and more until I was consumed with
it, until I couldn’t get through a day without seeing you, touching you, even in the most innocent way
s
.  I dreamed of wrapping you beautiful long
hair around us as
I made love to you. 
I wanted to see your face flushed with de
sire as you called out my name,
to watch your eyes cloud over in passion as you quivered in my arms.”

“
The d
ay of the wedding I knew I had to make a decision soon or go mad.  The second I saw that you had cut your hair, I wanted to blister your behind.  Not because it wasn’t attractive, but because I knew why you did it.  You were testing me, just as you were when you ran away.”

“No Rory, I …”

“Shh
h
…
Babe, let me finish,” he told her pla
cing a finger over her lips.  “Tess,
I
know you better than you think.  You want a strong man, otherwise you never could have submitted to me
as
c
ompletely as you did last night.  I realize you were frightened at times, but you trusted me to take care of you in such an intimate way.  I know I told you that your submission would not extend beyond the bedroom, but I find that’s not quite true.  I need you to trust me in all things, Tess.  Trust me to take care of you, love you.  Trust that any decision I make regarding you, us
,
I make with your best interests at heart, always. 
When I didn’t know where you were, couldn’t find you I was angry, yes, but I was also terrified.  Even though you have been on your own for a long time, I don’t believe you have the slightest idea the kinds of horrible things that can happen to a woman in the wrong place at the wrong time.  You haven’t been immune Tess, you’ve ju
st been incredibly lucky.  Luck
won’t protect you forever
,
Babe.  Maybe it’s being a cop, or maybe it the experiences I had in the military, I don’t know, but it opens your eyes to a side o
f human nature that no one want
s to see.”