Read Online Blue Light of Home by Robin Smith - Free Book Online Page B

for several seconds, and added with difficulty, “But it is you. And it was a mistake. I didn’t…mean to hurt your feelings.”
    “Oh.” She couldn’t quite hold on to her anger in the face of his stiff-backed apology, couldn’t even keep looking at him. “Well…I may be over-reacting.”
    He snorted, which was obviously alien for ‘Yes. Yes, you may.’
    “I get so tired of not knowing what I’m supposed to be saying to you, or doing, or anything.” She trudged over and sat down beside him. He continued to stare straight ahead, but shifted one arm to make a little more room for her. She looked at her feet and his side-by-side on the floor and said, “Everything just seems to turn into an argument. It’s not your fault—at least, it’s not all your fault. I mean, I may not be duplicitous and dishonest, but I am stubborn and contentious, I guess.”
    “Perhaps you should be punished,” he said, and gave her half a smile. When she didn’t return it, he raised his hand, hesitated, and placed it on her knee. “I’ll talk to you.”
    It was a concession for him, and by his tone, a large one. Hearing it should have made her feel better. Instead, it made her feel worse. “I’m not very good at this first-contact stuff, am I?” she sighed. “You’re going to be pretty sick of me before the end.”
    “Again, you presume to know my mind.” His hand moved up her thigh and squeezed. “No first-contact comes easily. You’re handling this very well. I’m proud of you, and—” Squeeze. “—I forgive your outburst.”
    She smiled for him. It was a weak effort, but she wanted him to see her trying, since she couldn’t say anything as gauche as, ‘I forgive you too’.
    The silence just kept stretching.
    “Perhaps I should punish you,” he said again, no longer smiling.
    “Believe me, I’m sorry enough.”
    His hand moved again, up and around to cup her hip. “You are no woman of Vaaj,” he said. “You require my help to feel forgiven.”
    She started to protest and then stopped before she even managed the first word. Maybe he was even right. She did feel bad, and she wanted to prove it, not just say it. Inasmuch as spankings could be good for anything, they were good for that. “Where do you want me?” she asked, surrendering.
    “Do you see?” He pulled her to her feet, his smile back and only a little smug as he took her to the side-table and turned her to face it. “You feel better already. Show me your remorse, Skye. Tell me why you submit to me.”
    Her fingers clenched on the tabletop. “Do I have to?”
    “Yes.”
    “But you always—”
    “Take down your coverings.”
    Interrupting her with his command, just as he’d done with the man down on Earth, paring away the distraction of her argument and forcing her to remain accountable. Strangely, it didn’t upset her. If anything, it was a little embarrassing, and besides, making him scold her wasn’t really showing remorse, was it? Ducking her head, Skye unfastened her jeans and pushed them down, then her panties, even more uneasily. He’d always done that part, even after all this time, and she liked it that way, liked not having to take the responsibility for her vulnerability.
    She was submitting. Not for the first time maybe, but it felt like the first time.
    “Tell me why,” he said, once she stood bared from waist to ankles and shifting nervously before him. His voice behind her was cool and sure, completely in command. It made it easier.
    “I blew things out of proportion,” she admitted. It was hard to say, maybe as hard as it had been for him to say he’d made a mistake. “I picked a fight with you over a few words. I should have given you the benefit of the doubt, especially when...oh heck, I could see you were trying to do something nice for me. I over-reacted and I ruined it. I’m sorry.”
    He grunted in a pleased way, just once, her only warning before his hand came down. He struck fast—right cheek, left