Unexpected Consequences Read Online Free PDF Page A

chest cavity. Surely he wasn’t going to—
    Her memory flashed to her childhood when she had been particularly naughty and her mother had told her to wait in her room for her father, the one who meted out discipline. She’d hidden under the bed. Her father had found her and administered extra swats to her behind for attempting to avoid punishment. The anxiety that skittered through her now was similar to that time. Jared couldn’t seriously be intending to spank her! Sure, they had discussed his right to correct her behavior through corporal discipline—but only if needed and as a last resort. All she’d done was buy a pair of shoes. Surely that didn’t warrant a spanking!
    She swallowed hard and wet her lips. Steeling her courage, she asked, “What are you doing?”
    His eyes met her gaze. “I’m preparing to spank you.”
     
    Jared could see Melania’s knees begin to shake, but she stood her ground as he stalked toward her. He admired her pluckiness and audacity even though her disobedience disappointed him. If he failed to act or let her misbehavior pass with a mere slap on the wrist, it would set a bad precedent. He had to nip her dishonesty in the bud to ensure she understood the seriousness of her actions.
    He cupped her silky-soft cheek. Her eyes were wide with apprehension, and his chest tightened with regret. He wished he didn’t have to spank her. “I want you to understand this isn’t about shoes.”
    She glanced at her feet. “Then why did you have me put them on?”
    “The shoes represent the violation of trust and honesty. I want you to focus on why you thought a pair of shoes was more important than listening to me.
    “When you obey my requests—no matter how trivial they may appear to be—you demonstrate your trust in me; you acknowledge your faith that I have your best interests at heart. Do you think I would ask you to do something I didn’t think was right?”
    She shook her head. “No.”
    He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Not only did you defy me, but you lied about it and attempted to hide it. You have to learn your behavior will have consequences.”
    “But a spanking?” She looked shocked, as if this were the first time she’d heard of the possibility of a physical reprimand.
    Jared dropped his hand. “We’ve talked about this, haven’t we? You knew it was possible I would enforce discipline by spanking you.”
    “But I didn’t think you’d do it!” Her eyes widened with disbelief. Her shock surprised Jared. He’d discussed obedience and discipline with her on several occasions. Her smiles and whispers of acquiescence indicated she was on board. So what was her resistance?
    “Are you saying you won’t honor the commitment you made? You’re no longer willing to place yourself in my hands?” His words came out clipped.
    She stared at her feet and bit her lip.
    “Melania?” Jared lifted her chin with the tip of his finger.
    “I don’t know.” She shrugged.
    “You need to know.” Jared inserted steel into his tone. “Because it’s all or nothing. You accept our marriage as it is, or you reject it in total. And once the spanking starts, no pleas or promises or tears will dissuade me until I’ve decided you’ve learned your lesson. It will hurt, Melania. Make no mistake. Your ass is going to be red.” His chest ached. He didn’t want to punish her, to cause her pain, but she had left him no choice.
    “Jared, please.” Her beseeching, fearful eyes shimmered with unshed tears. A muscle twitched in Jared’s cheek. He hated to scare her, but spanking wasn’t supposed to be pleasant. If it was, it wouldn’t be effective in shaping behavior. As a submissive wife, she should accept it as a learning experience and mature from it.
    “Do you remember our wedding night, Melania?” Jared took her hands in his. Her skin felt cold, and he closed his hands around hers to warm them. “You were a virgin. You were nervous, but you trusted me to introduce you to