Page 44 of Christmas Secrets

Dottie swallowed and nibbled on her thumb. “Please, Ben, not with that.” She pointed at the hardbacked, wooden brush. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to the rest of what ye had to say. I was just so excited,” she tried to explain.

“I know,” Ben said sternly. “But it’s not as if this is the first time ye have blown me off. It just happens to be the one time that could have gotten ye killed. What if ye had been alone on that snowmobile? The thought of ye sinking below that icy dark water is giving me nightmares in broad daylight. No win is worth yer life, Dottie.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I know,” she whispered. “I’m sorry, Ben, I should have listened closer. Ye could have been killed too if ye hadn’t pulled us both off.”

His eyes softened only slightly. “Turn around and bend over, Dottie. If this is what it takes to make sure ye mind me when yer safety is concerned, then I’ll do it. I’m going to give ye ten with this brush and it’s going to hurt. I don’t like hurting ye, but I can’t lose ye either.”

“Ben...please,” she begged.

“Eleven, Dottie,” he said sternly, his eyebrows drawing down. “Do as I ask or I’ll add one more each time ye refuse. Ye aren’t getting out of this, so place yer hands on the front ridge of the tub and don’t get up.”

Realizing her husband wasn’t going to be swayed with her tears, Dottie finally turned around and bent down to place her hands on the edge of the tub against the shower surround. The last thing she wanted was more spanks added to the count. Her dad had swatted her a few times with a bath brush similar to the one Ben was holding and it stung like crazy. And that was over her jeans.

The hot water beat down her back and over her buttocks and her face was out of the stream so she could breathe just fine, but she felt completely exposed to his gaze and that darned brush. He was right, this was going to hurt, especially on her bare wet skin.

“Thank ye, Dottie. I don’t want to make this worse than it already is,” he said gruffly.

“Please don’t...” she tried again but she felt his arm slide around her waist and his body position over her to keep her from standing up. Then, a sharp pain exploded in her buttocks leaving her gasping and dancing on her toes. “Ouch! Oh!”

“Ye didn’t wait fer me to finish, Dottie. I told ye to veer right and ye jumped on the throttle so fast ye didn’t hear it all,” he scolded, his tone resolute.

Another hard swat landed in the middle of both cheeks in the same place and Dottie shrieked. “I know, I’m sorry.”

Two more swats landed, one on each cheek separately and Dottie was sure she was creating steam from the water sluicing over her backside. She burst into noisy hot tears when two more smacked her cringing bottom.

“Promise me ye won’t do that again,” Ben scolded, landing three more spanks in quick succession.

“Nay, I won’t,” Dottie screamed, wiggling and stamping her feet. She kept trying to stand up but she couldn’t get past Ben’s strong arm.

“Last two, Dottie.”

The last two seemed harder than all the others and Dottie’s knees nearly buckled, but Ben immediately dropped the bath brush and pulled her up into his arms. She sobbed wildly into his neck, still dancing from the burning pain. This was way worse than a hand spanking over his lap.

He reached around and began rubbing her hot, tenderized flesh. Between the water and his soothing palms, the sting slowly began to recede. There was a deep ache down in her buttocks that wasn’t though. She knew she would feel the results of this spanking for a few days.

“I love ye so much,” he whispered hoarsely into her ear. “I wish I hadn’t had to do that. Let’s get ye dried off and into bed. Ye need some rest.”

Still sobbing, Dottie allowed him to help her out of the tub and get towel dried, then he wiped himself down and took her into the bedroom. There he took one of his t-shirts out of the dresser and slipped it over her head.

Dottie was so incredibly tired and sad. Her bottom ached and her heart ached along with it. She’d ruined their Christmas and there was nothing she could do to change that. And Ben’s disappointment with her was the pervading emotion in the room.

He pulled the covers back and tucked her into the bed.

“Are ye still mad at me?” she asked plaintively.

He shook his head. “Of course I’m not mad, ye just scared me half to death, Dottie.”

“Aren’t ye going to lie down with me?”

“Aye, I’ll just take this towel back to the bathroom and get dried off first. Ye stay right there.”

Images of his naked buttocks flashing her as he left the room made her even sadder because before he’d turned to leave, she’d seen his front view hiding from her. He must be more upset than she realized, even though he wasn’t admitting it. A tear slipped down her cheek.

When she suddenly started awake, Dottie realized two things. She’d fallen asleep...and Ben wasn’t in the bed beside her. She glanced over at the bedside clock. It was 10:00 p.m. She’d been asleep for over two hours. Where was her husband?

Gingerly she stretched and rolled over, wincing when her bottom came in contact with the bed as she sat up. Tiptoeing to the door, she opened it silently and padded down the hallway. She could hear the T.V. so Ben must be watching a movie. Why hadn’t he come to bed with her?

When she peeked around the corner, she could tell he didn’t have a shirt on, his broad shoulders were bare. Then he lifted a glass to his lips and she realized it must be the Scotch his dad had given him for Christmas. He was drinking alone...on Christmas night. And what was that he’d said about having nightmares in broad daylight about her going under the icy dark water?

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