I woke up early in the morning to sunlight pouring in softly from the window, casting warm shadows across the room. For a moment I jumped up in bed, momentarily confused as to where I was. It hit me after a few moments the memory of last night and I let out a sigh of relief. Then a wave of embarrassment hit me as I fully remembered the... "incident" from the night before. Jack had... I blushed furiously and got out of the bed, standing up and walking quickly across the room, then back, pacing. I did this for a while when the sound of dishes clanging caught my attention. I rushed to the door and opened it a crack, peering out and looking down the hall. Jack was in the kitchen, his back to me, busily working away at something I couldn't see.

I gently shut the door and walked back across the room, looking over at the full mirror against the wall. My hair was disheveled and the little makeup I had put on the day before had long since smeared and faded eaway. I had bags under my eyes and there was no doubt I had been sleep deprived a very long time, more then was healthy for an average person. But I couldn't help it, I'd been an insomniac since I could remember. After all that shit with my mom, well... I turned around and lifted up the shirt, lowering the leggings enough to check the damage on my poor backside. Even now it was still red, a few bruises here and there in the shape of a spoon. I blushed again remembering just how embarrassing everything was. Me, a mostly pretty much full grown adult had been thrown across another full grown person's lap and spanked mercilessly like a naughty child. I shivered just thinking about it.

I pulled the leggings back up, combed my hair the best I could with my hands and wiped away at my eyes. The smeared makeup wouldn't come off so I went back to the door and opened it, peering out again to see Jack still working away at something intently in the kitchen. I took the opportunity to dart across the hall to what looked like the bathroom. The door was open so I snuck in quickly and quietly shut the door behind me. I suddenly realized I had too pee badly and relieved myself, washing my hands afterwards and using a washcloth to wipe away the smeared makeup remaining on my face. I splashed my face with some water and immediately felt more awake. A knock came at the door and I froze, knowing it could only be Jack. "Adeline? Come to the kitchen when you're done."

I dried my hands and thought for a bit on this. What could he possibly want with me in the kitchen? Maybe I had broken something last night and didn't realize it and he wants to show me so he can scold me for it. Or maybe he wants to introduce me to his cat. Whatever the reason, he already knows I'm awake and in here, so there's no escape for me now. I opened the door and made my way down the hall, fidgeting with my hands as I kept my eyes downcast. I stopped just before the counter and darted my eyes up to him.

"Good morning, Adeline." He gave a warming smile and I swear even his eyes smile when does. It's somehow incredibly comforting and also super weird to see this man smile. "Go take a seat in the dining room, I have something for you." Nodding my head I turned on my heels and made my way to the dining room, taking a seat in one of the chairs. When I sat down I noticed there was a soft cushion on the seat of the chair and wondered if he had put it there intentionally. There was a small silver dish in the seat across from mine and as I was wondering why it was there and what it was for, my questions were answered. A fat orange cat jumped up into the chair opposite mine and began lapping up the wet cat food within the dish.

My eyes narrowed at the cat. "You," I said resentfully. That was the cat from last night, the one that scared the crap out of me and made me fall off the counter. Jack came in then and put a plate down in front of me stacked with pancakes and eggs and even some sausage. Then he put a glass of something in front of it and I looked up, shocked. "What's this?"

"Breakfast. Eat, you need it." He left and came back with a similar plate and glass for himself and sat at the head of the table. He took a bite and motioned with his fork for me to take a bite as well. I hesitantly lifted the fork next to my plate and stabbed a pile of eggs with it, lifting it up to examine it. I smelled it and it smelled fine but I still didn't trust it. Jack noticed my hesitation and gave me a look, his head tilting to the side a bit. "Adeline, is there something wrong?"

"I, uhm, I'm just not hungry I guess." I knew he didn't believe me, I didn't believe myself either. My stomach certainly didn't because it betrayed me with a loud grumble.

Jack set his fork down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "I guarantee you there's nothing wrong with any of it. Everything is fresh. Just try a bite."

"I don't want any."

"Adeline." There was a low warning in his voice, I could tell, and it made me shutter. "Do you not like pancakes?"

"No, I like pancakes, it's just-"

"Eggs?"

"Yeah..."

"And sausage?"

I sighed and threw my fork down. "I don't trust it!"

Jack was silent for a few moments before he tapped his fingers on the wooden dining table, as if he were debating something. "What don't you trust, Adeline?"

"It's stupid, it won't make sense, it's just-"

"What don't you trust?"

I sat back in my chair and sighed. "I didn't see you make it. I don't know if you put anything in it."

"If I put anything in it? Adeline, are you afraid that I drugged your breakfast?"

I lowered my head, knowing it was a ridiculous thing to admit too but it's the way I am. I can't eat something without either making it myself or watching the other person make it, otherwise how can I be certain it's not poisoned, or drugged with something? I nodded my head shamefully, not daring to look up at him. I didn't want to see his reaction.

"I promise you I didn't do anything to it, at all. Just try a bite."

I shook my head no.

Jack sighed and went silent again, his fingers tapping once again on the wooden dining table. He then reached over and switched our plates, taking mine and giving me his. "I've already eaten some of mine so I can guarantee you I've done nothing to it."

Although I still felt a bit uneasy about it, I knew it logically made sense so I picked up my fork once more and stabbed the sausage, raising it up to examine it and smell it. It smelled fine so I took a bite and the flavour burst in my mouth, instantly making my mouth water. It was then that I realized I hadn't eaten in a long time and I dug in, grateful for the delicious breakfast he had prepared. Jack smiled, proud of himself for solving the problem and getting me to eat and continued eating breakfast himself. When I felt thirsty I picked up the glass and smelled that too. Without saying anything Jack reached over and switched our glasses so I took a sip and realized it was apple juice, my all time favourite breakfast drink.

"Apple juice. I love apple juice." I smiled and drank the whole glass, still hungry even though I had eaten half of my breakfast already.

"That's Simon by the way. My cat." He pointed to the fat orange cat across from me and I said good morning to it though it didn't acknowledge me.

We ate in silence after that and when I had finished my plate Jack stood up and cleared the dishes, directing me to go sit in the living room. I could tell it was still early morning by the way the fog rolled around the windows outside, frost still painting the glass and a bit of darkness still fading from the sky. I sat down in a plush blue chair with tall arms and pulled my feet in under me. It wasn't until my foot was under me that I was really reminded of my ankle injury. It was sore, of course, but I hadn't even noticed it walking around until now. I guess I was just so used to pain that it didn't even register in my mind anymore.

Soon Jack came into the living room and knelt down in front of me, taking my ankle and examining it. "How does it feel?"

"It's fine, I don't think it's sprained," I lied. He shot me a look and pressed his thumb against it in a weird way and I yelped.

"If it isn't sprained that wouldn't hurt." He stood up and walked over to the bookcase on the far wall. "Don't lie to me, Adeline." He looked through the books there, his finger running across the binding of each one as though he were deciding which one to grab. He came back with a rubix cube and a book and set both down on the arm of the chair I was sitting in. "It will take a while before your clothes are done in the dryer." I picked up the book and flipped it to it's side to see the title.

"Special Topics In Calamity Physics!? I love this book!" I unintentionally gave a huge grin as I became giddy with excitement. It had been a few years since I read it but I used to be all about this amazing book and I began berating him with questions, asking him what he thought about Blue, and if he had read the whole thing, and if he had, what his favourite part was, and what he thought about Hannah. He seemed happy as he sat down on the couch, content in chatting with me about the book. Time seemed to slip by instantly when he got up to check on the laundry. He came back with the clothes I had on the day before, once soaked and probably bloody, were now clean and dry, warm even. I took the clothes and changed in the bathroom, grateful to get out of the thin leggings and t shirt, as they made me feel like I wasn't even wearing anything.

When I came back Jack had a coat on and his car keys in one hand. "Come on Adeline, I'll take you home. Your grandmother is probably worried sick about you. And you're not coming in to work today, I've already worked the schedule out. You don't work for the next three days. Understood?"

I sighed and crossed my arms but I knew there was no arguing with this man so I nodded my head yes. I saw my work boots by the front door and slipped them on, following him outside and to his car. His really cool, nice car. It was black and slim, only fitting two people, but obviously expensive none the less. I got in the passenger seat and he started it up, rolling out of the driveway and gaining speed as he drove down the street. He turned on the radio and surprisingly it was on the classical music station. He seemed to enjoy listening to it which was odd to me because this was my favourite station but nobody else ever enjoyed it like I did.

When we arrived at my grandmother's retirement home he turned to look at me. "I'll get your truck back to you before you have to work next. I don't want you driving around until then, ok?"

"Ok."

"Good. Now go inside and get some rest."

I went for the handle to the door but stopped when I thought of something. "How did you know I live with my grandmother?" I never told anyone that, ever. Even Kris didn't know I lived with my grandmother and he was my boyfriend.

"You've talked about it before."

"No, I haven't. How did you know that?"

"It's an obvious conclusion. I know your address is the address for a retirement home and you're obviously not old enough to live here."

"How did you know it wasn't my grandfather?"

"Go inside, Adeline."

"No, how did you know?"

He seemed almost exasperated by the questions and ran his hand through his hair. "I can't tell you that."

"Why do you know things about me? I didn't put it on my resume."

"I told you, Adeline. There are things you don't know but it's best you just stay in the dark about it for now. Now go inside."

"No, not until you tell me."

"Adeline, I am not going to tell you again. Go. Inside. Now." I didn't move and he sighed heavily. "If you don't go inside and get some rest I swear to god I will pull you over here right now and-"

He didn't need to threaten me twice, I was up and out of that car instantly. Like hell was that going to happen out here in the parking lot where snoopy old people like to watch and listen to everything happening like it's their business. Jack seemed content with my action so he rolled down the window and said goodbye before I turned and walked to the front entrance. He waited until I was inside before he left, which was weird. Nobody had ever waited for me to get inside before they left me somewhere.

When I got to my grandmother's apartment she was so happy to see me she started crying. I told her I slipped on the docks, which was a lie, and also that I had stayed the night with Kris, which was also a lie. But I really didn't want to tell her about what had actually happened because for all I knew she might have agreed with Jack in reprimanding me for the rock climbing accident. She didn't know I went under the docks, which was why it was my safe place. No one knew about it. Well, until now. Jack knew about my safe place now, and now it was ruined. But I followed his orders in staying inside and resting, which wasn't hard considering my grandmother wouldn't let me walk around on my ankle at all. It wasn't until I had to work again that I got to leave the apartment.

I was so thankful to leave the apartment that I practically sprinted out the front lobby, saying quick goodbyes to the elderly people that frequently played chess and watched the fireplace. Just like Jack had said, my white truck was parked in it's usual place, ready for me to take to work. I happily jumped inside and started her up, smiling as I ran my hand along the dash. "I missed you," I told my car. Totally not weird at all. Everyone talks to their cars like they're people. Right? I drove to work that morning, picking up coffee on my way as a treat. I was so happy to be at work I didn't even care that my boss, Sandra, was especially annoying as always. I took the bandage on my head off earlier in the morning and tried to cover the mark with a bit of makeup but it was still fairly obvious and lots of my coworkers asked if I was ok.

Since I worked in a grooming salon, a lot of the customers just assumed I had been mauled by a "vicious" pit bull or something of the sort. Really, it would be far more likely to be mauled by a "precious" and "harmless" chihuahua that they're all so fond of, so I may have lied and said exactly that. It worked and as a bonus almost all of them tipped me too. It wasn't until Hattie, one of our most horrible dogs, came in that my day started going south. You see, Hattie is a sweet dog herself, but her owners, well, they make me want to climb the walls. Hattie is a great Pyrenees for god's sake (go ahead, look it up, I dare you) and a fat one at that. Her coat is so thick I could spend three hours brushing this dog out and she'd still have undercoat left. And because Hattie is severely overweight and old, mind you, she likes to just sit down whenever she feels like it, even if she happens to be on top of you and it means possibly breaking your whole leg. This dog is HEAVY and a huge pain to bathe too.

So when Hattie's owners came in and demanded we fit their dog in with no appointment and finish her in two hours, I went to Sandra, the grooming salon manager, to see what she thought. "Why wouldn't we be able too?" Sandra snapped at me. "Unlike the other groomers, you have time to do her."

"What? What is that suppose to mean?"

Sandra put her scissors down and looked at me. "It means that unlike you, my other groomers actually show up when they're suppose to work and don't take a bunch of days off just because they hurt their foot and can't handle it."

I swallowed and felt agitated at this. Like I wanted to stay home? Who did this bitch think she was, it wasn't like I had wanted to stay trapped in a tiny apartment with my grandmother and watch Dr. Oz all day with her for three days straight. "What you think I wanted to hurt my ankle? Don't be mad at me, I'm not the one who demanded I rest and stay home from work!"

"Oh really? Then who decided that for you?" I stopped then and felt nervous. I couldn't tell her that her boss was the one that made me stay home, that would just rise other questions that I didn't want to answer. When I didn't reply she smirked. "That's what I thought. So if you want to keep your numbers up then I suggest you take Hattie. Groomers don't keep their jobs with numbers like yours."

As I cursed Sandra in my head, mentally calling her a bitch and whatnot, I went back to the salon lobby and faked a smile, telling them I could take Hattie and put her on the books. I got started immediately with brushing, spending the next two hours juggling this old dog and the two other dogs I was working on. Then I finally got Hattie in the bath and wrestled with her for a good half an hour to get the shampoo on, brush her teeth, clean her ears, and finally express her anal glands (I know, it's disgusting, it's the part about this job I hate the most) but in my tired state I forgot that with Hattie you're not suppose to check her glands. You really, really, really aren't suppose too and if I had read the notes on her file I would have remembered that. But I didn't. I didn't read the files and I went to check her glands, and before I knew it I heard a loud bark and suddenly Hattie's jaw was around my arm and I was screaming in pain.

Her teeth dug into my arm easily and ripped through the skin, blood splattering everywhere. She snarled at me when suddenly something gripped her ear, pulling her head away and making her release my injured arm. I immediately cradled my arm with my other hand and felt a strong hand grip my bicep and pull me up, marching me out of the bathing area and through the salon to the store. The other groomers gaped at me and when I saw Sandra standing there too it suddenly dawned upon me that I had no idea who had saved me from the dog and who was leading me out of the salon. I turned my head enough to see exactly who I wished it wasn't... Jack. He led me quickly through the store and to the office, maneuvering in a way as to avoid as many customers and coworkers as possible.

When we got to the office he shut the door behind him, sitting me down on the chair next to the wall and going to his desk to get something from under it. He pulled out a first aid kit and rummaged through it, getting a bottle of saline flush and a towel and came over to me with it. He knelt down and held open his hand, waiting for me to extend my arm. When I gingerly released my arm he took it carefully and flushed it with the saline solution, getting any shampoo and conditioner out of the wound and used the towel to wrap it loosely. The door to the office opened and Sandra came in, a look of fake worry on her stupid face. "Everything ok? What happened?"

Jack looked over at Sandra and stood up, putting the saline bottle down on the desk. "One of your dogs bit her. She should be fine for now, I'm about to call the hospital."

"NO!" I shouted instantly and both of them turned to look at me. "I mean, it's really not that bad. It hardly even tingles."

"Sweetie that's bad. You should be able to feel the pain, numbness is a bad sign," Sandra said.

"Really? Because it seems pretty bad, Adeline. It's already bleeding through the towel." Jack motioned to my arm and I quickly adjusted the towel. I didn't know what to tell them. It didn't hurt but it did? It hurt but I enjoyed it in some form because the pain made me feel alive? "Ok, Sandra, I want you to start writing an incident report for her, I'm going to call the hospital."

I groaned inwardly but knew there was no way of getting out of this. Sandra moved to the computer and brought up the file for the incident report, asking me details about what happened. I relayed the entire story to her and even told her about how I had forgotten to read the notes on Hattie's file. She asked me why, saying that I never make mistakes like that and I reluctantly admitted to having had only about 7 hours of sleep in the past 3 days. I felt Jack's eyes shoot daggers to me suddenly and I shivered. This situation was getting worse and worse and I was only digging myself a deeper and deeper whole with every word I said. For once though, Sandra wasn't trying to agitate me or goat me on. She was being sympathetic and told me she would write in the report that it was an accident.

I was grateful for that but when Jack hung up and put his phone in his pocket, his eyes locked with mine and I felt a sort of flare in his eyes, one of anger and agitation and it made me want to disappear into the chair I was in. He motioned for me to stand up and when I was in reach he grabbed my bicep the way he had earlier and told Sandra to call in Dave, the assistant manager if anything happened when he was gone. "Come on Adeline, I'm taking you to the emergency room across the street. You probably need stitches." I grimaced at the idea and before we left he grabbed his coat and put it around me, successfully covering my bloodied arm from any customers that might ask questions as we walked through the store. I allowed him to walk me through the front and outside, but when we got to the doors of the emergency room I stopped.

"Please don't make me go in. My arm is fine, really!" Jack didn't even stop, he kept going and pulled me along with him, ignoring me entirely. When we got in he took me straight to the front desk and explained what happened, including every horrible detail I wish he hadn't heard. I ended up having to get five stitches, Jack by my side the whole time. Before they finally let me go, the doctor gave me a very serious look and lectured me about sleep deprivation and how eating is necessary no matter what. When Jack asked her what she meant the doctor explained to him that I was malnourished and no wonder why I hadn't been thinking straight, sleep deprived and underfed. She made him promise he'd make me eat something, and as he gave me an icy glare he promised the doctor he'd look after me.

When we got outside I took a deep breath, relieved to finally leave that horrible place. If there was one place I hated going the most, it was to the doctor. But when I started walking back to the store I felt Jack's hand grip the base of my neck and lead me the opposite direction. We stopped by his car and he unlocked the door for me to get in. When I gave him a questioning look he moved me to sit in the passenger seat. "You're done for today. I'm taking you home."

"I can still work," I argued. But it was no use, as he closed the door on me and got into the driver seat himself. "Jack please, I don't want my grandmother to freak out. Don't take me home."

He seemed to contemplate this for a while before his gaze met mine and I wanted to shrink down into the seat. "I'll give you a choice, then. I can either take you home and you can deal with your grandmother, or I can bring you to my house and you can deal with me." I hate this man, I swear to god. I wondered briefly how mad he was about all of this, though I knew for sure he certainly wasn't happy. "But whatever you decide, you're eating and that's final. When was the last time you ate?"

I fidgeted in my seat, playing with my cold hands in an attempt to stall. He for sure was going to be really mad. "Uhm, I think, maybe... Yesterday?"

Jack sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What was the last meal you ate? Full meal, full stomach, and don't you dare lie to me."

I gulped and my hands twitched, wanting so desperately to just reach for the handle and run out of the car, to escape his angry gaze and not deal with this. But I sucked in a breath and looked up at him, managing to sound somewhat confident as I answered, "Breakfast... At your house."

"Adeline! You haven't eaten since then?"

"I've eaten! Just, you know, smaller stuff. I've eaten, really!"

Jack looked really mad. "I expect a really good reason for you starving yourself. Because I can't think of a single reason why that is ok."

"I just, you know, I don't know! I just haven't."

"That's the reason you want to give me?"

I knew it was a shitty answer but even I didn't really know why. After the funeral, I guess... I guess I just hadn't felt like a real person. I wanted to curl up and disappear, and when I got lost deep in thought, well, I just forgot to eat, couldn't sleep, and the little things in life just didn't seem to matter anymore. But I didn't want Jack to know that, that I was probably depressed. I nodded my head yes and he gave another deep sigh.

"Then from now on, for every meal you skip, I am going to put you over my knee." I blushed furiously and curled up into myself a bit, looking down at the floor of the car. How could he say that, something so embarrassing? "I mean it. And when your arm has healed you are getting a-"

"Ok! Ok, I get it, I haven't been taking care of myself!" My outburst shocked him and he looked taken aback for a moment. "It's embarrassing, do you have to say that stuff out loud? I never agreed to this, what gives you the right to- to- reprimand me?" I used the least awkward word for it I could think of but it still made me squirm a bit when I thought about it. I crossed my arms, being careful not to touch my freshly stitched together forearm.

Jack actually looked lost for words but it didn't last long. "I assure you, I have every right. And when we get back you are eating something." He started up the car and turned the radio on. Apparently we were done talking about it, which made me furious. I wasn't content with the way it had ended but there was little I could do about it so we drove in silence, listening to the classical music station until we got to his house. He got out of the car and, not wanting him to drag me out, I got out and followed him inside. Once inside I took off the coat he had let me use, hanging it up on the wooden coat rack. He hung his keys up on a hook near the door and went straight to the kitchen, opening the fridge and looking through the food inside. "What are you hungry for, Adeline?"

"I want to go home."

Jack looked up at me and gave a scowl. "Well you're here now and until I've dealt with you, you are staying here. Obviously your grandmother doesn't realize you're hurting yourself and you need to be somewhere where you can be looked after."

"I can look after myself!"

Jack quickly walked over to me and grabbed my wrist, pulling my arm out to show me. "Obviously you can't!"

"So what! Why do you even give a fuck anyways!?" I immediately regretted shouting at him as he spun me around, landing three quick slaps to my backside as I squealed. He turned me back around and marched me over to the couch where he made me sit down. He left for the kitchen again and I pulled my knees up under chin. He'd never done that before and it had really startled me. I must be wearing his patience thin to make him react like that.

When Jack came back he was carrying a plate and set it down next to me. "Eat, Adeline." I didn't look up at him, instead focusing on the design of the floor. "Adeline," he warned. I looked over at the plate and saw a sandwich. It looked so good my mouth started to water, but I looked away and tried to focus on something else. "You are really testing my patience and you're in enough trouble already. If you don't eat you are just going to make it worse for yourself." I don't know why but tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and I felt a lump in my throat. I didn't want to be here right now. I felt so weak I couldn't walk without feeling dizzy and yet something kept me from indulging in the simple pleasure of food. I felt Jack pull me up off the couch and my heart lurched, knowing he was mad. But he pulled me into a hug instead and I felt his hand on my head. His touch was surprisingly soft and warm even, but his voice was strict and demanding. "I'm doing this for your own good, Adeline."

He led me out of the living room and when he began walking down the hall I knew what he was doing, what fate held for me at the end and I panicked. I tugged back, dragging my feet and trying to get away but he pulled me along, so much stronger then I was that it actually frightened me. His grip was like iron and I couldn't manage to get my arm out of his grasp no matter how much I pulled and fought. He opened the door to the bedroom I had slept in only days before and when he had me inside, closed the door.

"Please don't, please." I pleaded to him but he unzipped my grooming smock and threw the wet garment in the corner of the room. His hands moved to the zipper on my jeans and I tried to push him away, moving across the room to escape but he was on me in a moment and lifted me up by my waist, grabbing onto the loop of my belt buckle in the back and carrying me by my jeans. He carried me over to the chair and as he had before, placed me over one knee, elevating me and forcing me to balance on my stomach. "Why!? I'm not even hungry!" I tried to grab his thigh to support myself, straining to look back at him in defiance but he grabbed my hand and held it against my back. Immediately thrown off balance, I used my free hand to grab at the fabric of his pants to steady myself. His hand came crashing down on my backside and I cried out, completely unprepared. A second later his hand came down again, and then again in an unbelievable force.

He hadn't hit me this hard before and it was shocking. There would be no way I could withstand it at this level of pain for very long before breaking down, something I absolutely didn't plan on doing. I bit my lip to keep from yelling as he rained down smacks on my poor backside, trying desperately to hold on, but it seemed impossible with how hard he hit. It almost seemed like he was trying to get me to break as soon as possible. I balanced myself on his knee, trying to be stoic and act like it didn't affect me but inside I was practically screaming. Every other second his hand would come down and slap so hard I would lurch forward a bit but I bit down harder on my lip to keep silent. I was losing my balance on his knee and tried to grab his calve to steady myself but it was too difficult with one hand and I ended up straining my shoulders in an awkward way.

Noticing this, Jack let go of my hand and let me balance myself, adjusting me on his knee. I sighed as it gave my backside a small break but I wanted to rub the burn out and couldn't. It was frustrating to say the least. I felt his hand over my panties and when he grabbed the elastic of them to pull them down I reached back, grabbing my underwear and stopping him. "No!"

"Move your hands, you know you deserve this."

"No I don't! Stop it!" I kicked my legs a bit, trying to emphasize my point but he wasn't convinced. He grabbed my wrists with one hand and yanked my panties down, to which I whimpered in horror. "Noooo, please it's so embarrassing," I was practically whining the way my voice wavered on the last word but I wanted nothing more then to have the little bit of dignity left that my underwear provided. I tried to buck off his knee, kicking and struggling but getting nowhere. He had me pinned and I was so much smaller then him that the most I could do was annoy him. I didn't even throw him off balance, I was like a small kitten trying to bug a big sleeping dog and like the kitten, even my best efforts didn't make him budge. I huffed in rage and kicked my leg down so hard I hit his knee, causing him to flinch and give a soft grunting noise. He wasn't even spanking me, I was just enraged that he had pulled down my underwear.

"Adeline!" I froze when he shouted my name, his voice dangerously loud. "Are you done throwing a tantrum? You're just making it worse for yourself."

"I don't want it- I want my underwear on!" I tried to free my hands but even just one of his hands was stronger then both of mine and I couldn't get them free.

"Stop struggling right now or you're going to pop your stitches." I ignored his warning and kept trying to free my arms and when I couldn't, I kicked my legs back and forth again, frustrated and pinned. He slapped my backside so hard I gasped, my muscles tensing in pain. "If you don't stop struggling right now I am going to go get the spoon and use it on you and then continue your spanking with just the spoon. Do you understand? Stop struggling right now or you are going to pop your stitches." I stopped and grunted in defeat, lowering my head. "Good. If I let your arms go you can't reach back, ok?"

"...Ok," I agreed. He released my arms and I grabbed onto his leg for support, still super mad that he took my underwear down but at least I would have my arms to help me balance myself. He adjusted me again and pulled me in closer to his waist, this time getting a tight grip on me. Without warning he smacked my backside and I yelped in surprise, my legs coming up in reaction. It hurt so much worse without anything protecting me back there. He smacked me again and I sucked in a deep breath. When his hand hit a third time, I found myself wiggling a bit in an attempt to avoid it. He soon found a rhythm and was smacking me soundly in quick succession, one after the other, covering every part of my arse and leaving it red. I could feel myself becoming redder and redder as the heat built up, quickly becoming unbearable.

After about a minute of this he noticed my silence and pushed me forward even more, causing my arse to tip forward so my most sensitive parts were exposed. He slapped me right where my thighs met my butt and I screeched like a kicked puppy. When he spanked me there again I tried to push myself up but there was nothing to push off of, nothing to use as leverage so I instead grabbed onto Jack's leg, wrapping my arms around it and squeezing my eyes shut. He hit my sit spot and I felt tears starting to swell in my eyes, a lump in my throat beginning to form as all the blood rushed to my head. He kept hitting my sit spots and then moved to the tops of my thighs, hitting the same place a few times and then moving to another spot, repeating this process over and over in an endless cycle.

It hurt so much I just wanted it to be over and was unintentionally kicking my legs, when my foot shot straight up and I felt my work boot slip off, flying across the room and hitting the side of the bed. I raised my head to look at it and realized I had been kicking my legs rather violently, though I was at such an awkwardly elevated angle it was hard to have my legs anywhere but up. I bit down on my bottom lip, wishing for it to just be over but I knew he probably wouldn't be done for at least a few minutes longer. This infuriating man for some reason liked to stretch things out far longer then needed and it agitated me to no end.

Something caught my attention suddenly and I whipped my head towards the bed to see what it was. A meow came from under the bed and I realized it was Simon, Jack's fat orange cat. It dawned on me that this cat had watched the entire scene and I blushed a bit at realizing I had an audience. Even if it was just a cat, it was still mortifying to know that someone saw everything that had just happened, was still happening even. An especially hard swat landed and I cried out, my voice a mixture of restrained tears and held back anger. He hit me again with the same force and I felt my voice catch in my throat in a strangled, pathetic yelp. I bit down on my lip just as his hand landed on my tender sit spot again and the jolt made me break the skin on my lip, a startled and pained shriek escaping my now abused bottom lip.

I howled in pain as he continued and finally the tears brown through, the lump in my throat to strong to ignore and the pressure built up so much I had no choice but to release it. "Pleeeease, I'm so-rry," I begged. "I'll eat, please, please sto-op."

His hand stopped immediately and he pulled up my panties carefully, moving to my jeans next and tugging them up as much as he could. He rubbed a hand over my back soothingly as I cried over his knee, my face buried by my own arms and his leg. It was humiliating to have him see me cry but as much as I kept trying, I just couldn't stop. I couldn't keep the tears from flowing and once they had started they just kept coming. "Shh... Cry it out, Adeline. You learned your lesson. Are you going to eat when I tell you too now?"

"Yessir," I mumbled, my arms still locked firmly around his leg. Jack grabbed me by my sides and peeled me off, taking his leg off the seat and sitting down in its place. He pulled me in for a hug and I complied, wrapping my arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder. He pulled me to sit on his knee so I wasn't awkwardly bent down and I did, despite the fact that given any normal instance I would have been horrified at the prospect of sitting on a man's lap. But for some reason, in a moment of weakness, it felt so good to have arms wrapped around me as I cried into Jack's shoulder.

"Adeline," Jack said softly. I would have answered but I could do nothing but cry, my eyes squeezed shut, shoulders shaking, face wet with tears. Then, as my cries turned to sniveling and soft whimpers, I began to feel exhausted. My muscles began relaxing and my eyes felt heavy, my whole body seeming to lose energy every moment that passed. Before I knew it I had drifted off to sleep, and for once in my life I felt completely safe, engulfed in the warmth of Jack's strong arms, feeling in that moment as though nothing bad could possibly happen because I was protected. I was safe and warm and happy and home.