Adjusting Addie Read online

  "Okay, I'm ready for you. Hop on up to the table," Brad said.

  Addie did what he told her to do, as she was one to avoid personal confrontation at all costs.

  "Raise your right arm."

  Addie went through the movements as commands, but she was distant and robotic. She didn't respond to his jokes or lighthearted banter and wouldn't engage in conversation with him. She wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

  "Addie, you can get down now. How does that feel?" No response. "Earth to Addie…Addie!"

  For the second time that day, Addie found herself being summoned out of deep thought. "Oh. Sorry. What was that?"

  "You're done. How does that feel?"

  Addie moved her head from side to side. "Much better. Thank you. Are you sure I can't pay you for the adjustment?"

  "No," he said. "You can pay me with your company at dinner. Are you ready to go get those spring rolls?" Brad held out a hand to help her get off the table.

  Addie ignored it, put her hands on either side of the table, and popped herself off. She didn't want to touch him.

  "I don't think I'm hungry, after all. Thanks," she said. In her mind, she was already planning on switching her workouts to another time so she could effectively avoid him.

  "Okay. What's going on?" Brad said, unable to keep his frustration from his voice. "What game are you playing? Just an hour ago, you were all smiles and hadn't eaten all day and, suddenly, you aren't hungry? Something is going on in that brain of yours. Spill!"

  Addie heard the shift in his tone. It was the same tone he had used in the gym and at the park. The tone that had caused her panties to moisten and her heart to race. The tone that, for some reason, made her want to obey his commands. The fact that he thought he could command her to do anything while sneaking around on his wife infuriated her, and the anger surfaced with her words.

  "You know exactly what is going on! You are married!"

  "What?" Brad said indignantly. "I am not!"

  "Don't deny it!" Addie said. "You let it slip. Sherry! Remember? She observes your moods in the morning and plans the oils around it."

  Brad started laughing. His continued laughter fueled Addie's anger. She swung to punch him, and he caught her wrist in his hand, sobering. "Addisyn, if you were mine, you'd not be sitting comfortably for days for that little stunt. Not only did you accuse me of being married, which would then imply that I was disloyal and a cheater, you also tried to hit me. You let your little head get full of worry and stress over something that was easily explained and then tried to punch me? Sherry is my sixty-year-old receptionist. She is about to be a grandmother. Her son, Brett, is one of my childhood best friends, as such, she is like a second mother to me. She has known me since I was three. I wish you had just asked. I am not married, Addisyn."

  "Then, why? Why would you want to have dinner with me? I'm fat and ugly!" She couldn't help it; the words just came flying out.

  Brad moved directly in front of her, lifted her up and sat her back on the table so they were eye level. He stood there and gripped her chin with his hand, forcing her to look at him while he was speaking. "Addie girl, you are not fat, nor are you ugly. I see your beautiful blue eyes, your long soft hair, a loving smile and a heart of gold. If I ever hear you call yourself that again, I will spank you. Do you remember what I told you in the park?"

  Addie was confused. Did he just say he would spank her? No. That wasn't possible. Grown men in today's society didn't go around threatening to spank women. That only happened in the romance novels that Addie read. The ones that she kept hidden in a box under her bed or under a locked screen on her kindle. She heard Brad clear his throat, and she looked at him. Oh, he had asked a question. What was it?

  "What did you tell me at the park?" Addie asked. He had told her lots of things, but for the life of her, she couldn't think of what he was looking for.

  "I never say anything I don't mean, Addisyn." She heard the threat in his tone. She knew he wasn't bluffing. "Now, shall we go to dinner and get to know each other a bit better? And so help me God, if you offer to pay…"

  Addie was confused by the boldness of his words. She had always fantasized about a dominant man, one who would spank her. Yet, in reality, she didn't think they existed. She followed her gut. He didn't feel threatening to her; he felt safe. She agreed to dinner.

  Brad sat across the table from Addie and looked at her. Boy, did she look pretty. He noticed how much more relaxed she looked tonight. Instead of being a grizzly bear in yoga pants at the gym or a professional lioness in her high heels, she looked more comfortable and natural. He liked it. Brad had prided himself on being a great judge of character and he knew, without hesitation, that she was a good person. He didn't know what it was about her that made him feel that way, but he did, and he wasn't about to doubt that instinct. His protective instincts were already kicking in when it came to her. She was overdoing it at the gym, and by the looks of the bags under her eyes, she wasn't getting enough sleep. She readily admitted that she hadn't eaten all day, either. Yep, she needed a keeper, a guide to help her along a healthier path. He knew he was the right man for the job but wanted to get to know her a bit better before rushing into pulling her across his lap. He believed in domestic discipline in a relationship and knew there were many women who would run for the hills at the mere mention of it. She hadn't run for the hills when he threatened to spank her—the opposite, she willingly came with him to dinner. That was a great sign.

  Had it been another woman, Brad would have gotten angry at the accusation of him being married and the implication of a huge character flaw, especially after what he went through with his ex-wife. It was different, somehow, with Addie, and he couldn't put his finger on why it was, but it was. He had found himself amused by the mental picture of Sherry, essentially his second mother, as his wife. He wasn't amused when she raised her arm to strike him. It told him that she had a temper and that she would act before thinking. That kind of destructive behavior could cause her to get into some mighty big trouble. If it happened again, he would make good on his promise and warm her butt.

  Dinner came, and they talked about their childhoods, discussed their career goals, their travel wishes, their life bucket list and all of their likes and dislikes. They even got into a discussion about politics, and Brad was glad to see that Addie shared many of his same political views. Neither of them fit into a political party box. Instead, they both seemed to be more conservative, fiscally, more liberal, socially, and very much of the belief that if consenting adults weren't hurting anybody, the government shouldn't be involved. Brad knew that religion and politics were two topics kept out of polite society, but here he was, discussing both topics that he normally held off on until much later in the 'getting to know you' stage.

  Across the room, sitting in a dim corner booth meant for romance and private conversation, a man in a three-piece suit, his hair neatly groomed and his face freshly shaved, sat watching the couple. When the waitress appeared, he ordered.

  "I'd like to have what she is having," he said, nodding towards Addie. "Exactly how she ordered it, please. It looks delicious." He smiled at the waitress.

  "Right away. Good choice."

  Before Brad knew it, the waitress had come over and let them know they were closing. They had been there for three hours and both of them had to work tomorrow. Brad pulled out his wallet, shooting Addie daggers with his eyes when she opened her mouth, and paid for their food before walking Addie to her car.

  "I really enjoyed getting to know you a bit better, Addie girl," Brad said. "Would you be okay with giving me your number? I'd like to do this again, sometime soon. Will I see you at the gym in the morning?" Brad didn't want her to go. He knew it was stupid; they had just met, but he didn't want the night to end.

  "I'll be at the gym tomorrow," Addie said. "And, of course, you may have my number."

  Brad gave her his number, and Addie quickly texted him hers from the car. He texted back, "D
rive safe. Text me when you get home please."

  "Sure," Addie responded, although she wasn't used to being checked in on.

  "And, Addie?"

  "Yes?"

  "Don't text anyone before you get home." Texting and driving was one of his biggest pet peeves.

  Brad got home and found himself checking his phone several times as he was getting ready for bed, waiting for Addie's text. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why he was feeling this way towards her already. One date. You didn't start caring for someone after one date. Yet, there he was. He was lying in bed reading a book on his iPad when his phone vibrated.

  "Home safe," the message read.

  "Took you longer than it should have. Everything okay?"

  "My gas light was on and I didn't want to have to stop in the morning, so I filled up the gas tank and grabbed a few things."

  "I see. Had fun tonight. Do it again soon?" Brad chose not to address the lack of planning right now. He didn't want to scare her off. He added it to the list of items to help her with. She was obviously very intelligent, passionate and kind. However, she was also impulsive and irresponsible, especially with her health and safety. If she became his—no, he corrected himself, when she became his—he would help her conquer those weaknesses.

  "I'd like that. Good night, Doctor Brad."

  "Goodnight, Addie girl."

  Just a few blocks away, Addie was lying in bed, too amped up from her unexpected date with Brad to sleep. Her mind was whirling at their conversations. She flipped on her kindle and scrolled through her books. Almost all of them were romance novels with a domestic discipline theme. She had thought about it, fantasized and daydreamed about finding a man who would come into her life, be her partner but also a natural leader. She didn't think, in today's society, she would find a man like that, but here he was. She struggled with whether or not she would be good enough for him, if he would want her on his arm or want to hide her away.

  Her eyes grew heavy and she closed her kindle app and went back to her text messages. She shot a quick one off to Annie to let her know she had met a guy and then reread her texts from Brad. She read the dominance in his tone, even through his texts. Then she found the words she was looking for, "Addie girl." She wasn't sure why, but she liked that nickname coming from him. She liked it a great deal, a very great deal.

  Chapter 4

  Over the next couple of weeks, Addie and Brad found themselves spending a lot of time together. They took time in the mornings after their workouts to talk for a few minutes, often grabbing a cup of coffee. They had lunch several times and went out for dinner another couple times. Brad would meet Addie at the park on Tuesday and Thursday nights after her supervised visits, and they would walk Rusty together. They spoke on the phone every night before bed.

  Things had been going very well for them. There was only one small flag that Addie worried about. Brad had mentioned his ex-wife in passing, once, but clammed up whenever she would try and ask about her or their relationship. She hoped, in time, he would feel comfortable enough to open up. She could tell that his ex had hurt him, somehow, and she wanted to make sure that she avoided that mistake.

  Addie also noticed that Brad had started to subtly hold her accountable for things. Had she thought he was being overbearing or controlling, she would have minded, but he came across with a genuine level of care and interest. He started reminding her to eat regularly, got on her often about her self-deprecating behaviors, and she found herself on the receiving end of mini lectures when she would act or speak before thinking. Addie was attracted to his dominance. She had always had a thing for the manlier man, and Brad was one of the manliest men she had ever met. It was as if his dominance was as natural as the color of his eyes. He was born with it; the trait was not learned. It had been honed and perfected, she had no doubt, through maturity and practice.

  Addie had counted no less than five times when Brad had implied that he would spank her for a variety of things. She wondered if Brad was testing her responses to see if she would be offended or angered by his threats. She wouldn't be. She was seventeen when she had stumbled across a spanking stories forum on the internet. She was drawn in, immediately, and even dabbled at some online role-play and story writing. She had read a lot about spanking relationships and found that the idea turned her on. She had limited experience with dating, and she had never been spanked. She was afraid bringing it up to a man would frighten them away. Heck, she hadn't been close enough to any to even think about broaching the subject. The men she had dated were very modern, most deferred to her in decision-making. It was a different situation all together to be dating an alpha male. Addie was sure if you looked up alpha male in the dictionary, you would find Brad's face staring back. Addie loved that Brad had been so respectful and moved slowly. She was also frustrated that after seeing him every day for two weeks, he hadn't kissed her yet. She was running out of patience. If the man didn't kiss her soon, she was going to take matters into her own lips.

  Addie walked into the clinic and caught the smile Brad gave her. He motioned that he was finishing up with a patient. Addie headed over to his office to wait.

  "Addie! Hello!" Sherry said, brightening from the receptionist desk, waving her over. She adored Addie already and was so happy that Brad had finally found a girl she approved of. God only knew, his ex-wife wasn't right for him. "Sean and Sarah have decorated the nursery in a baby jungle animal theme. Want to see?" she asked, holding up her phone. Addie smiled and came over to check out the photos of the nursery.

  "Oh! I love the swinging monkeys! How adorable."

  "Here is Sarah at the baby shower; isn't her blue dress just darling?"

  "Oh my goodness!" Addie exclaimed. "She is so adorable. She looks like she has a bowling ball under her shirt! Man, nine months pregnant and she is prettier than me zero months pregnant. I mean, I'm just a fat, ugly slob, and here she is, put together, hair done and beautiful, about to give birth." Addie's tone hadn't changed one bit. She sounded like she was talking about the weather. Addie jumped when she heard Brad clear his throat. She turned around to see him standing there, and the look on his face sent her heart from her chest to her stomach. She was sure that Brad had heard every word.

  "Hey, you!" he said, kissing her cheek. "Here for lunch?"

  "Yep! I thought maybe we could go next door. I'm really craving some soup and a side of spring rolls," Addie said, forcing a smile. She saw the look he gave her. The look that said he was less than pleased. He had lectured her just yesterday on calling herself names, his words still ringing in her ears. She remembered the last part of his lecture clearly. He had told her that he was giving her this one final chance; next time, he was going to impress the message upon her butt. One thing Addie had learned in the past two weeks was that Brad really was a man of his word.

  "Can we talk for a second in my office?" Brad asked.

  Addie followed him to his office and he motioned her in before him. Brad was frustrated with Addie, and she knew it. Her eyes widened at the look on his face as she backed against the wall in his office.

  "Stay put," he ordered and stalked back out. She heard him tell Sherry he was going to close for an early lunch and then heard her leave. The bells on the door jingled as he closed and locked it behind her. Brad came back into his office and shut the door behind him.

  "I know we haven't known each other very long," Brad said, standing before her. "But, I think we have known each other long enough for you to believe me when I say I am going to do something." His tone was conversational; his gaze was normal, but his intent was visible as he rolled up his dress shirtsleeves. "What did I tell you would happen the next time I heard you put yourself down like that?"

  Addie's heart was racing. She knew exactly what he had said. She had seen the promise in his eyes when he had spoken the words. She remembered the excitement that had pooled in her belly at the thought of him taking her across his large, manly thighs and spanking her butt like a naughty
little girl. But now, she wasn't so sure. Now, the fantasies she had been exploring for over a decade were about to come to reality, and she wasn't quite certain she knew how to feel. She blinked quickly and looked up at him.

  "Addisyn. When I ask you a question, I expect an answer. We have under an hour before Sherry comes back. I would hate to spend that entire hour disciplining you. What did I say would happen if you ever called yourself names in front of me again?"

  "You said you would spank me," she whispered. "But, Brad, I don't think—"

  "You don't think what? Addie? That I am not a man of my word? That you don't want this? I guarantee, you want this. I promise, Addie girl, you don't only want this, you need this. Since our first conversation, I knew you desperately needed discipline. Someone to help hold you accountable and steer you in the right direction. I knew then that I was just the man to do it. Now, I am not going to assault you. I am not going to force you to do anything you don't consent to. I am going to sit right there." He pointed to his computer chair that he had pulled out. "And I am going to wait for you to come to me. Know this, though, if you do, there is no going back. I will spank your butt until I decide you have had enough. No amount of screeching or begging will deter me. Think carefully, Addie girl, because, if I spank you today, I will spank you again. We will go out to dinner tonight and have a nice conversation about us, because, there will be an us after this. I don't spank women I am not involved with. We will discuss exactly what that means and how you are no longer alone in life. But, being my girl means being the best you that you can be. I will make sure of this by holding you accountable with old fashioned, palm meets skin motivation."

  "And if I don't?" Addie asked, unable to meet his eyes. She had already made up her mind, the question was merely a stalling tactic. As soon as she heard the word us, she knew what she would do. She had already started to fall for him, and she didn't want to end what had just begun between them. This is what she had always wanted—always looked for—in a man. She never thought she would find one like him, like the heroes in her spanking books, but here he was. Oh, he was so much better than any character she had ever read about, and he was hers. Still, she had asked a question.