Unexpected Top (Ball & Chain) Read Online Free PDF Page A

to take a reward for that. Vacuuming and sweeping the entire house is hard, and I should’ve been helping you do it before now.” He chanced a glance up and found Cissy’s mouth hanging open. “I’m sorry, honey. I’ve been a selfish jerk.” With a quick kiss to her lips, he then snuggled down in bed and tried to fall asleep even as the guilt about his behavior threatened to swallow him whole.
    * * * * *
     
    The next day when he got home from work, there was a steak thawing in the fridge. Cissy wasn’t home yet, and he took it out, turning it in the marinade before going outside to start the grill. Making dinner would get him a hand job, and after the horrible day of dealing with unreasonable suppliers he’d had, he could certainly use the stress relief.
    Cissy got home as he was pulling the steak off the grill. Smiling, she leaned in for a kiss.
    “What did you make for side dishes?”
    “Shit! I totally forgot.”
    “Never mind, I’ll do them. I need to change…” Cissy’s voice trailed off and Len felt like a clueless idiot again. He’d only done what he’d normally do if they were having something grilled for dinner without even a thought there was more to the meal. Cissy always did everything else.
    “I’ll do it. You go change.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Go.” Len took the steak inside and rooted around for some sides that wouldn’t take long to cook. He found the makings for a green salad and decided that would be enough, since the steak was large. Just as he was setting everything out on the table, Cissy came down the stairs. They sat and began to eat, but she soon made a face.
    “Did you wash the stuff for the salad?”
    “I thought you did that when you bought it.”
    “It goes bad quicker if you do. You have to wash it right before you use it. The lettuce tastes funny.” She dumped the entire contents of her salad in the trash and then grabbed his. When he protested, she told him, “You can’t eat it. There are probably still pesticides all over everything, which would account for the chemical taste. I use a special veggie washing formula.”
    “If vegetables are so full of pesticides, why the fuck are we supposed to be eating so many?” Cissy narrowed her eyes at him. “What?”
    “That’s the second time you’ve sworn just since I got home not a half hour ago.”
    “Oh, so now I get nothing?” Len wasn’t sure why he was so angry. And it wasn’t even really at her, he just felt as if he couldn’t do anything right.
    “I told you. You swear twice and any reward you’ve earned is null and void.”
    “Fantastic,” he deadpanned.
    “You knew the rules.” Reaching into the freezer, Cissy grabbed a bag of frozen vegetables. “These will take a couple of minutes. Eat your steak.”
    “You’re not my goddamn mother.”
    She turned to him, and a look he’d never seen in her eyes silenced him. “No, I’m not,” she said quietly. “If I was I would’ve spanked you for your language.”
    He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Spanked me?” A strange sensation stole through him.
    “Yes. Sometimes I think you’d be a lot better off if someone disciplined you properly.”
    “Disciplined me properly? What the fuck?” He knew he was in trouble as soon as the words came out of his mouth and he found himself wondering if she would make good on her threat to spank him. Would he let her? Could he?
    Cissy threw the bag of veggies into the microwave and started it. Stalking to the corner of the room and the small stool she kept her purse on, she said, “I’m tired of listening to you swear at me. I’m going out.”
    Len watched, speechless, as Cissy flew out of the room, her steak untouched. A little while later he heard her car start. Had she really just left?
    When the microwave dinged Len got up and grabbed the steamer bag, wincing when the hot plastic burned his fingertips. Grabbing a hot pad, he brought the vegetables over to the table and gingerly cut open the