Finding Submission (Service & Submission Book 1) Read online

  Preston walked out of the bathroom, leaving Avery quietly contemplating what “expectations” he could have for her while she lived there.

  * * *

  Preston walked back into her bedroom, putting his shirts and robe on the dresser. As he walked out, he could hear her humming in the shower. He was glad that the warm water was making her happy but he knew that she wouldn’t be happy for long when she found out what was expected of her.

  As he walked back downstairs making his way to the kitchen to prepare lunch. He remembered his conversation on the phone this morning with her father, Judge Grayson Beauchamp. Judge Morton had been present and supported him during the conversation in case things hadn’t gone with Judge Beauchamp.

  “Good morning, Judge Beauchamp. How are you, Sir? This is Preston Harrison.”

  “Please, call me Grayson. I take it you’ve been given my daughter’s case to handle.”

  Preston had cleared his throat and shifted in his chair, switching the phone to his other ear. “Yes, Grayson. That’s why I’m calling. We have a proposition for you. We’ll not charge your daughter and there’ll be no jail time, record, or probation. However, there’s still the matter of a fine for her misdeed—”

  “Oh, I’ll contact the county clerk and pay that immediately. What’s the fine?”

  Preston rubbed between his eyes. “Sir, that’s where the proposal comes in. We’d like to propose that Avery work off her fine.”

  Grayson raised his voice. “Work off her fine? Exactly what’re you proposing here, son?”

  “Well, Judge, she’s been a cleaner since she moved to Brentwood and—” Preston had looked over at Judge Morton for encouragement. Judge Morton winked, nodding his head “—we’re thinking that she could do some cleaning to work off her fine. Specifically, she could clean my house.”

  There’d been silence on the other end of the phone and Preston had wondered if her father would balk at the idea after all.

  Finally, Grayson spoke. “Let me get this straight. She’d clean your house. Is this what you’re saying?”

  “Yes, Sir. This way she gets to realize the consequences of her actions in a safe environment. I’ve just purchased a historic home in Old Hickory that has several rooms in the house as well as out buildings and a barn that all need to be cleaned and sorted. She’ll be required to put in a full days’ worth of work, but I assure you she’ll be treated fairly while she’s at my house. I’ll give you any information you need to have a background check done on me. I have nothing to hide, Judge.”

  Again, Grayson had been quiet for a moment. “Well, she’s been lacking in discipline lately. Having to show some responsibility would do her some good. A reality check might be exactly what she needs at this point. I have to admit that I’ve… catered to her most of her life as my only daughter. But it’s been the past three to four years that she’s been out of control. The discipline required to clean for six months will be good for her.”

  “While we’re talking about it,” Preston said. “There’ll be certain rules while she’s at my house. She’ll not be allowed to leave the premises unescorted and she can’t have a car. She’ll be required to work six days a week, but no more than forty to forty five hours a week.”

  “I think all of those are reasonable and I know the restrictions on her movement are necessary. But, I’m gonna warn you, son — she’s gonna give you a fight on these.” Grayson chuckled. “Be ready.”

  Preston had laughed at the weary certainty he heard in Grayson’s voice. “I’m not concerned. I’ll be ready for any potential defiance and am more than capable of reinforcing the rules of the house. She’ll straighten up and fly straight in no time.”

  Preston was washing his hands at the sink when Avery came into the room, snapping him out of his reverie. She wore his long sleeved pink dress shirt. It fit her almost like a dress with the tails of the shirt coming nearly to her knees. Her hair was still wet, but she looked clean and happy.

  “Thank you for giving me some socks — my toes get so cold.”

  Avery held her foot up, showing him his white socks.

  “My sister is the same way. I remembered at the last minute.” Preston pointed to a kitchen chair. “Are you hungry?”

  “I’m starving. I’ll eat anything at this point.”

  “I made some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and I have some potato salad, too.” He pulled the potato salad out of the fridge, putting it on the table and plating the warm sandwiches.

  As soon as the plate was put in front of her, Avery wasted no time diving in. She devoured the sandwich, taking bites that were too large and not chewing them properly. Preston grit his teeth as he watched her. “Didn’t they feed you at all while they held you?”

  “No.” She swallowed. “I’m sorry. I’m eating too fast, aren’t I?” She looked at him through her eyelashes, her cheeks blushing. It was quite endearing but he was pissed at the deplorable way the jail treated her for the past twelve hours.

  “Don’t apologize for being hungry, sweetheart. You can’t help that. I apologize for your treatment; you should’ve been given something to eat. Just slow down, so you don’t get sick. Here, have some milk.” He poured some milk into a glass and slid it in front of her. “It’ll help settle your stomach.”

  When she finished the first sandwich, he gave her another, watching her gulp that one down too. After a few minutes of silence, their sandwiches gone, Preston cleared his throat “Why don’t we talk about some of the rules while you’re here for the next six months?”

  “Shit, here we go.” Avery rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh of exasperation. “I should’ve known there’d be a ton of rules.”

  “First, there aren’t a ‘ton’ of rules. But, there are rules for the running of a household. Second, we’ll treat each other with respect, or it’ll be a long six months.” He dipped his chin, keeping eye contact with her. “I’m sure you’re familiar with respect — treating others the way you want to be treated. You’ll use good manners, not bad language. You’ll be considerate of others’ feelings and part of that is reacting to things in a mature manner with politeness and kindness.”

  She stared at him, as if gauging how serious he was about this. Finally, she nodded. “I can do that.”

  “Can you? Because your reaction to my suggestion that we talk about the rules, was disrespectful — you swore, rolled your eyes and had major attitude.”

  She tilted her head, looking at him. “Well… it seemed like a normal reaction to a topic like that, don’t you think?”

  “No. No, I don’t think it was a normal reaction. It was an immature, high school reaction. As an adult your reaction shouldn’t have looked like that.”

  “Sorry.” Avery dropped her eyes, playing with the buttons on the sleeve of the dress shirt she wore.

  “Next topic.” Preston leaned back in his chair. “You’re not allowed off of this property unless you’re with me. You’ll have to have an escort any time you leave the property.”

  “That’s bullshit! What the fuck! I might as well be in jail then.” Avery rose from her chair in a huff.

  “Sit. Down. Young lady. Now.”

  Avery halted quickly, but didn’t sit, instead standing and staring at Preston.

  “Sit. Now.” Preston’s rumbling deep voice rolled over her.

  She quickly sat in her chair.

  Preston glared until she diverted her eyes. “That’s a perfect example of disrespect. Apologize now. And then I want you to give me a mature response to the rule I just mentioned.”

  Avery’s eyes welled with tears and Preston found himself wondering why that consequence would cause such an emotional reaction. He would delve into that further another day. Right now, she needed to learn a lesson about disrespect.

  “I suggest you apologize in the next three seconds, or things are going to get much more difficult in this kitchen.”

  Avery swiped at her tears with the back of her hand, biting her lip. Taking a deep
breath, she said quickly, “I’m sorry for swearing and yelling at you. I’ll try to not do it again.” Her lip quivered as she swiped at more tears tracing down her cheeks. “I don’t like feeling… trapped. It’ll feel like I’m a prisoner in this house if I can’t leave. Why can’t I leave?”

  And there it was. She felt penned in. She didn’t like being restricted and it appeared that it was almost a phobia. Definitely something to look into.

  “I accept your apology, sweetheart.” Preston reached across the table, grabbing her hand, stroking it lightly with his forefinger. “No one likes feeling confined. But it’s a consequence of the actions you took yesterday. Consequences and punishment aren’t fun, but ideally they’re supposed to be difficult so the behavior in question isn’t repeated. You won’t be stuck here for six months — I promise we’ll go out to dinner, shopping, movies, or any other places you’d like to go. Just ask me, and I’ll determine if your behavior warrants reward.”

  “Reward? If I warrant a reward? What am I, a flipping damn dog? Are ya kidding? If I behave, I can get a Beggin’ Strip? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “Young lady, my patience is wearing thin with your mouthiness. You need to contain that tongue of yours. First, I would never treat a dog like that. It’s an animal and doesn’t know better. But you apparently require firm limits. I will not bring you to the movies, or anyplace else off this property if you cannot figure out how to behave. So, yes, I guess if you want to refer to it that way you can. You’ll be given a Beggin’ Strip if you can behave. If you can’t figure out how to behave, there’ll be other consequences, one of which will be not leaving the property. Are we clear?”

  She scowled at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

  She’s going with the silent treatment now. Interesting.

  Preston leaned forward. “Let’s make sure we’re clear here. You’ll not leave the property unless I’m with you. Understood?”

  “Yes,” she said, her voice sullen.

  “Okay. Next, There are many rooms and out buildings on the property. Some of these are locked. You’re not to break into these rooms. Again, it’s a matter of respect. You’ll work only in the room I assign for you each day. You will not snoop, or go into places you’re not to enter. Clear?”

  “Yes.” She scowled, obviously not used to rules and boundaries.

  “Lastly, responsibility is important and you’ll act responsibly while you’re here. You’ll work seven hours a day with an hour for lunch, and on Saturdays we’ll work together. You’ll work eight in the morning until four in the evening, at which time you’ll start cooking dinner.”

  Avery’s mouth dropped open and her eyes flashed. She wasn’t happy about that rule at all.

  Preston put a hand up before she could speak. “Wait. You’ll be assigned to a room every day and told what tasks you’re to finish that day. Part of being a responsible adult is doing what you’re supposed to do, persevering and doing your best. Okay, you may now speak.”

  “Oh! I may speak now? How kind of you!”

  “Watch your tone, Avery.” He gave her a warning look.

  “My tone? Holy fricking hell. My tone isn’t the problem right now. So, you expect me to work my butt off, and then cook your stupid-ass dinner? This is the agreement you, Judge Morton, and my father came to? I should’ve guessed that a bunch of lazy men would think this makes sense. What happens if I decide I’m not doing any of this shit?” By this point Avery was up and pacing around the kitchen like a caged animal.

  Preston stood and moved close to her, hoping that the closeness of his body and his demeanor would sober her. “Avery Rose, you need to calm down. And you most definitely need to stop with the swearing and disrespect. You won’t like the consequences.”

  “I’m not liking the consequences of anything today. Why should I care about those consequences?” She tried to skirt around him, apparently trying to leave the room.

  Preston blocked her path and put an arm around her waist. “You should care, because the consequences will be painful and you’ve had a rough day already.”

  “Fuck you, Preston!” She laid her palms on his chest, pushing against him. However, she was so small she couldn’t even make him take a step. She slapped his arm, hard. She definitely had some spunk, but she needed a lesson and he was the man to teach it.

  “That’s it! You were warned. You’re not allowed to put your hands on anyone in anger, and you most definitely will not shove or hit me ever again.” He still had a hold of her waist and he pulled her over to the kitchen chair he’d been sitting in. With no preamble, he sat down, and tossed her over his lap. The pink dress shirt she wore rose up on her legs in that position, the underside of her bottom and her pink panties peeking out from the crisp cotton tail of the shirt. He pushed the shirt up onto her back, and for the first time since they started this conversation, Miss Avery Rose had no quips or comments.

  “All of a sudden you seem a bit speechless, Avery Rose.” His hand rested upon her bottom, the muscles clenching and unclenching under his touch.

  “Y-you can’t do this. Isn’t this against the r-rules?” Avery looked over her shoulder at Preston, very concerned.

  “When you’re in my house, it’s my rules. Correction: when you’re in my presence, it’s my rules. I don’t answer to anybody. And nobody — and I mean nobody — is ever allowed to put their hands on me. And as you’re about to find out, little one, if you’re unwise and you do put your hands on me, the consequences are swift and painful.” He lightly patted her bottom several times, just to reinforce his authority. “When we’re done with your upcoming spanking, if you want to leave, I’ll drive you to the soup kitchen or women’s shelter and you can reside there for the next six months working for them. I do believe you’ll be more comfortable here than there, but that’s entirely up to you. But if you decide to stay, you will treat me with the respect I demand and deserve, or you’ll find sitting very painfully. Now, you’ve been asking for this for over an hour. Let’s get you your spanking so you can finally relax.”

  Preston tightened his arm around her waist, tucking her close to his body, holding her wrist to her side. Miss Avery was apparently familiar with punishment, because she squealed when he did this, knowing that her spanking was imminent.

  “Nooooo! Please, don’t.” She started bucking and stiffening her legs behind her.

  Preston swatted her panty clad bottom, hard. “I’m going to paddle your bottom with your panties on this time. But if you want to preserve your dignity, you need to handle this spanking as an adult — no swearing. So watch your mouth. Are we clear?”

  “Yes!” Avery dropped her head in defeat, her long hair shrouding her face.

  “Yes, what?”

  Without hesitation, Avery responded. “Yes, Sir! I won’t swear and I’ll watch what I say.”

  “Good girl, Avery. Apparently you respond well to discipline. Let’s get your spankin’ started.”

  Preston proceeded to swat her bottom fast and hard. Her bottom was plump and perky and it felt soft under his hand. Soon enough, the red outlines of his fingers could be seen on the underside of her bottom and at the edges of her hips. By her reaction, it had been a while since she had last been paddled. She was screeching behind closed lips, furiously struggling to get her hands free to protect her little bottom.

  “You will not push, shove, or put your hands on me again. Are. We. Clear?”

  Preston punctuated each word with a hard slap to her pink-pantied bottom.

  “Yes. Please stop! Please!” Avery said, her voice beginning to break.

  “Not yet, little girl. Soon. I don’t think you’ve learned your lesson quite yet. When I hear true remorse, we’ll stop.”

  Preston continued his flurry of swats to her bottom, then moved to focus on her sit spots and thighs, intending to push her into the headspace he needed her in right now. However, Miss Avery became angry when he started swatting her thighs.

  “Ow! Stop you fucking son-
of-a-bitch! Stop!”

  “Ut-oh. You were warned, Avery Rose. I told you that swearing wouldn’t be tolerated during your punishment.”

  He reached behind him and pulled a wooden spoon out of the canister on the counter. He started pulling her pink panties down, noticing an obvious wet spot on the gusset, the musky smell of her arousal filling his nostrils. Miss Avery may not have been aware of it yet, but her body definitely loved discipline. Preston looked forward to exploring that further with her.

  Avery looked back at him, tears in her eyes. “Nooooo! Please don’t take my panties down!”

  “You asked for this. I warned you this was the consequence, and you willingly chose to defy the warning. Therefore, Avery Rose, you’ll now be paddled on your bare bottom with a wooden spoon. Again, you will learn how to curb your tongue if you decide to stay here.”

  Preston tapped the wooden spoon on her bottom a couple times and then let loose with a flood of swats in random patterns on her bottom. Unable to keep her feet down, he covered her calves with his right leg, immobilizing her kicks. After a couple dozen swats, he put the spoon on the kitchen table with a clatter and rubbed her soft bottom, the skin flushed a scalded red. Her quiet sobbing told him the lesson had been learned.

  He knew from experience, however, that some corner time would help drive the lesson home. He waited a couple minutes until her crying had lessened somewhat, then pulled her to her feet.

  “C’mon Miss Avery Rose, let’s get you in the corner for some time of reflection.”

  Avery reached for her panties, trying to pull them up.

  “Nuh-uh, panties stay down.” Preston looked around, realizing that he had no available corner in his kitchen. He grabbed the wooden spoon and her elbow, walking the sniffling, repentant Avery down the hallway to a corner in his den.

  “Here, hold your shirt up so your little red bottom is on display. I want you to think about the reason for your spanking and what you’ll do to change your behavior in the future. And then I want you to decide if you’re staying, or I’m driving you somewhere else tonight. You’ll be treated very well here, Avery. But you’ll also have a sore bottom if you don’t follow the rules we’ve established. The decision is yours. No rubbing and keep your shirt up, or you’ll be spanked again. Am I clear?”