Naked and Defiant (7 page)

"I am telling you this, little girl. There is
one part of your body that won't know what the word comfort means
for the next couple of days. As for hot, expect your backside to
feel nice and toasty by time I am done warming it."

"Griffon, please ..."

"Save your begging for when your bottom
starts to smart. You are going to need it."

"You can't do this!" Jade's eyes filled with
tears as he dragged her back towards the beach. "It's not my fault
you are so overprotective and a control freak. I'm a grown adult,
and ..."

"Then act like one. Try using common sense
and obeying instructions intended for your well-being," Griffon
scolded, jerking her firmly as she began to drag her feet. He
stopped and pointed to the horizon. "See that? It's a monsoon, and
it's heading straight for us. I warned you about how unpredictable
the weather is—and how dangerous. Trust me when I tell you that
being unprotected in the middle of that beast is the last place you
would ever want to be."

Monsoon
? The seriousness of her
situation dawned upon her as she stared into the distant sky
shadowed by black sheets of rain and sparkling with lightning.

"Do we have enough supplies?" she whispered,
as he began to pull her back towards their camp.

"What the hell do you think I've been doing
these last six-plus hours while looking for you? Close the water
bags and replace them, while I go back down to the beach and get
the traps," Griffon barked, shoving her towards the shelter. "If I
am not back, start weaving more palm fronds for covering."

"Griffon? I'm really sorry," Jade said, as he
turned to go.

"You certainly should be. If not now, then
when I am done with you."

Jade gulped as he stomped away. The wind was
beginning to pick up again, and she felt her heart pounding. She
had been caught in a tropical monsoon once before. She and her
father had been visiting a friend of his who was stationed in
Okinawa, and the storm struck without warning one afternoon. Flap
jackets were required if they were outside the buildings; the winds
were strong enough to blow them down. She recalled standing by the
window and watching a small car being flipped onto its side. She
had stared, dumbfounded, just before being shoved out of the way so
that the window could be boarded.

Terror ripped through her as she quickly tied
up the trash bags that had collected rainwater and set new ones in
their place. She stoked the fire and wrinkled her nose as she
turned the skewered sea cucumbers that Griffon had slowly smoking
over the embers in the smoking hut he had made. Jade glanced
nervously at the path that led to camp as she started stringing
fresh limes on a small vine to hang from the shelter's supports
next to other fruit, smoked fish, and baby green coconuts. Wisely
keeping her comments to herself, she then restacked the pile of
small yams they had dug up from an open field near the campsite.
She was peeling the outer bark off the top of a small palm to get
to the sweet, crunchy heart when Griffon returned.

The two parrotfish flipped on the end of his
spear, and he had something else in his hand. Jade wrinkled her
nose as he tossed a medium-sized octopus on the flat rock that they
used as a table. He glanced around the camp. His expression
indicated that he had noticed her work, but he said nothing as he
set about cleaning the catch, securing four tentacles to a green
stick to roast, arranging the others in the smoker. Jade bit her
lip, watching him out of the corner of her eye as she began to
silently braid two palm leaves together like he had shown her. His
back muscles rippled as he tore the outer skin off the 'head' and
chopped the white, chewy meat into small steaks. He cubed one of
them and placed the meat in a large clamshell with lime juice and
chunks of coconut and set it aside.

"Are we going to cook that?" Jade asked,
timidly.

"The acid from the lime juice does that
chemically," Griffon responded coldly.

"Oh," Jade said. "I bet it's good."

"It serves it purpose," Griffon muttered.
"Get inside before it starts to blow out here."

"The smoker …"

"It's protected by the rocks around it. I
just need to keep adding wood." Griffon's response was cool and
indifferent. Jade swallowed, unsure of what to do, except stay
quiet.

Uncomfortable silence flooded the shelter as
the rain began to beat in a heavy, natural rhythm around them. Jade
shifted on her naked backside, the scratchy bedding of grass and
palm leaves reminding her of Griffon's threat. With a sigh, she put
her project down and crawled next to him. Her need for physical
comfort grew more pronounced as the wind whistled through the
branches and a strong breeze blew through the shelter.

"I really am sorry. I honestly didn't
consider that you would care," she said softly, leaning her chin on
his arm.

He pulled away from her. "Why wouldn't I
care? Haven't I been busting my back to make sure that we have a
safe place to hole up and plenty of food and water to keep us
alive? I don't know why you think I am such a monster, but it is
completely unjustified."

Jade blinked, surprised at the sound of pain
in his voice. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Griff. I really
didn't."

"You are a selfish, self-centered, spoiled,
inconsiderate child. Just when I think that you have some redeeming
attributes to your character, you pull this bullshit. I promise you
that once we are out of this situation, you will never lay eyes on
me again." Griffon's voice was bitter with anger.

Jade was confused." I don't understand. I
mean, where did that come from?"

"Anyone who thinks so little of me to be so
inconsiderate is not a person I want to know. Go back to your
corner."

"Aren't you going to, well, you know ..."
Jade hesitated.

"Spank you? Hell, no. I only spank someone I
care about and who cares about what I think of them. You don't care
about anyone, not even yourself. As far as I am concerned, you are
another man trying to survive. Feel free to do your own damn thing
for now on. I don't care anymore."

Jade flushed, his words cutting deep into her
heart."For crying out loud, Griff. You are acting like I committed
a heinous crime. I wandered off and found a place to take a hot
bath. I got a little lost. Seriously, it's not that big of a
deal."

"That is where you and I differ. Disobeying
me is a big deal. Putting yourself in danger is a big deal. And
mostly," his eyes bore into her, "your inability to see how your
actions hurt yourself and me is a big deal. I will finishing making
your bow and some arrows, and you are on your own."

Jade stared at him in disbelief. "What do you
mean?"

"I mean that after this monsoon passes, you
will go out and build your own shelter and find your own food. You
will be alone and responsible for yourself. I've taught you enough
to survive without my help."

"But I have no tools ..." Jade stuttered, not
knowing how to respond.

"You have a brain. Start with that."

The fire crackled beneath them as an angry
gust of wind rattled the platform. Jade huddled in the corner,
covering herself with her makeshift blanket as tears filled her
eyes once again. She jumped as a deafening crack of thunder
penetrated the sound of pouring rain, and she could smell something
burning.

"Lightning just hit the scuba tank," Griffon
muttered. "Just think, it could have been one of us."

Jade did not want to consider that
possibility. In fact, her stomach turned at the thought of Griffon
being harmed. She was beginning to like him, too, despite their
personality differences. He was smart, funny, a hard worker and
mysterious. Plus, he had a rugged handsomeness that appealed to
her, even with the scraggly growth of beard that he shaved off with
his dive knife every few days, and unruly, wavy brown hair that
would never be calmed by brushing. What she did not care for was
his anger. Wisely, the young women knew she had to find a way to
soothe his temper.

"I wouldn't like that," Jade said softly.
"For either of us."

"Why not? It would rid you of my bothersome
presence and annoying habit of being overprotective," he said,
bitterly.

"I never said your presence was bothersome.
Griff, please don't abandon me. I can't take care of myself. You
showed me that. I … I need you. Please, give me another
chance."

"It is always nice to know you are someone's
tool," he said sharply.

"It isn't just that. I've grown, well, used
to having you around. I have actually started to enjoy our time
together, like when you are teaching me things. Except for the man
who taught me how to shoot a bow, no one had ever taken the time to
teach me anything special."

"You need to be taught a lesson on how to
treat others with consideration and respect. That's exactly what
you need. Your daddy did not do you any favors in spoiling
you."

"I'm recognizing that," Jade agreed quietly.
She took advantage of his silence. "Yes, I need you. But I also
want you. I mean, we have kind of become friends, haven't we? We've
shared things about our lives and you've seen me naked for over a
week. Hell, you've even pulled a few thorns out of my butt. That's
gotta count for something."

"I make rules for a reason, Jade. Believe it
or not, I'm not some egotistical asshole who gets his rocks off
bossing women around."

"I know you aren't. But you are a bit of a
control freak, you know," she said, sensing that he was softening
up a bit.

"I am because I have to be."

"In everything? Like braiding the fronds from
the bottom up instead of from top to bottom?" There! She saw a
smile. "Or brushing off your feet three times before coming into
the shelter? Not two or four, but three? And how about cutting the
breadfruit into perfect little …"

"All right, I get your point. I might be a
little controlling, okay?" He raised his eyebrow as she grinned.
She got him! "There are two ways of doing things, the 'right' way
and doing them again. The fact that my way is the right way just
happens to be a happy coincidence, so of course …"

"Your results are the preferred results, but
they are not necessarily the only way to accomplish the goal. You
are stubborn, too."

"You are more so."

"And argumentative," Jade suppressed a giggle
at his flustered expression.

"Disagreeing with you does not make me
argumentative."

"And you always have to get the last
word."

"We already had that discussion, little girl.
And it was decided that you were the one with that need. Hence, I
forbade it."

"You did not."

"Well, I am doing so now," Griffon growled,
lightly.

Jade crawled back over to him and reach for
his hand. "I really am sorry. Please forgive me."

"I need to think about it."

"Would," she blushed, swallowing
uncomfortably, "would spanking me help? I will let you if it
does."

"Let me? Excuse me, but your permission or
cooperation are not necessary for me to discipline you. Especially
in this circumstance."

"I guess not," Jade murmured, recalling her
switching. She moved back to her corner."Never mind. I renege on
the offer."

"You renege? I don't think so. Get over
here."

"Why?" Jade's eyes widened as Griffon scooted
his back against the tree trunk and stretched his legs out in front
of him.

"I changed my mind. Be thankful that the
weather is keeping me from cutting another switch. I want you over
my knee, and quickly."

Jade chewed on her lip again, hesitating. He
stared, unblinking, into her face as he waited for her obedience.
Shaking, she sluggishly made her way to his side. He patted his
thighs and, with a sad sigh, Jade placed her body over them. She
gulped as he adjusted her plump bottom beneath his hand, resting
his left wrist in the center of her back.

"Why are you going to be punished, Jade?"

"For not listening to your instructions and
making you worry," she forced out, goose-bumps covering her flesh
as he placed his right hand on the center of her bottom.

"And why did you disobey me?"

"Because I wanted my way and don't like to be
told to do things," she admitted, bracing her hands on the platform
underneath her breasts.

"Put your hands out in front of you," Griffon
ordered. He waited until she complied. "What is going to be
happening here, young lady?"

"You … you are going to spank me. Do you have
to talk? This is so humiliating, Griff!"

"Yes, I have to talk. Someone needs to be
filling your head with something other than how pretty you are, or
how powerful your daddy is. A bare-bottomed, over the knee spanking
is supposed to be humiliating, as well as uncomfortable. It is
supposed to be a deterrent to repeating the same mistakes."

"I promise that I won't disobey …."

"You certainly
won't
disobey me after
tonight. At least, not without thinking twice. How many do you
think you have earned, Jade?"

"What?"

"How many strokes of my hand do you need to
learn your lesson?"

"None! I swear, I promise to behave!"

"Let's start with fifty and then readdress
this issue," Griffon announced, plummeting his hand harshly across
the fleshly swells of her bottom.

"OW! Oh My God! Where did you … OW! Find a …
OWWWWW! Paddle!?"

"No paddle, little girl. My hand is
well-weathered. I assure you I can go all night, too."

"Owieeeee!" Jade called out, squirming to
escape. He captured her scissoring legs between his knees and
easily leaned over her back, pinning her on her stomach. His hand
fell in earnest, the staccato smacking quickly turning her bottom
to a bright pink. She was panting by the time he reached fifty.