Savages Recruit (12 page)

“I'm an old fashioned man,” he said in heavy tones as he began to confess. “You don't fall under the normal guidelines. All I had to do was get you to cooperate by any means necessary. I could have threatened you with endless jail time, I could have worn you down in other ways, but the moment I laid eyes on you I just wanted to spank you.”

“What?” Zora shook her head in disbelief. “Why?”

“Because,” he smiled at her. “You're a brat. You're a grown woman who behaves as if none of the usual rules apply to her.”

Zora shrugged, her features composed in a completely matter of fact poker face. “They don't.”

Chapter Eight

“So you do believe you're a law unto yourself.” Savage laughed at her brazen statement and sat back, leaning against the table with his arms folded across his broad chest. “How do you figure that, Ms Matthews?” His eyes crinkled at the corners with pure amusement as he waited for her to enlighten him.

It was Zora's turn to sigh as she searched for an explanation that would make sense. “When you're good at something, really good at something, it doesn't matter what else you do, people will cut you slack. When I was a kid I could do what I wanted at school. One time I set a desk on fire because they wouldn't let me out of class to play outside.”

“You set a desk on fire?” Savage's brows drew together in disapproval.

“Yeah,” Zora half grinned at the memory. “They would have suspended anyone else.  Probably sent them to a shrink. You know what they did to me?”

“I can't imagine,” he rumbled.

“They gave me the rest of the day off to 'collect myself',” Zora laughed. “I was their golden child. I could do no wrong.”

“So you've never been given the discipline you need,” Savage said softly. “No wonder you don't like it now.”

“I had a degree when I was thirteen,” Zora said. “Didn't have to get a job until I was twenty seven, and then I just screwed around until they fired me.”

“That's when you started drinking?”

“Nah,” Zora picked at her sleeping bag. “I've been drinking since I was fifteen.”

“My instincts were correct,” Savage said, leaning towards her, his large hands clasped between his legs.  “You are a spoiled little brat.”

A naughty little smile crept across her lips and she looked up at him under her lashes. “I figured it would be the same when I found out why you grabbed me,” she admitted. “You needed me to do something, so I figured I could do whatever I wanted. Eventually you'd let me have my way because you needed me.”

“That didn't work out as you planned, did it?” Savage chuckled.

“Not at all,” Zora smiled ruefully. “Not at all.”

They were both alien to one another. She'd never met anyone like him and he'd certainly never met anyone like her. He was used to people who did their jobs, fell in line and behaved themselves. He lived in a world where obedience to one's superiors wasn't just mandatory, it was as natural as breathing. She lived in a world where she was the only authority, and a poor one at that.

“I still can't believe the things you do to me.” She paused and looked at him quickly before bowing her head again. “Yesterday, I... I felt silly. I was running around like a little kid in trouble and then you... made me eat soap.”

“Brought it home to you, did it?”

“Yeah,” Zora nodded. She was in full confession mode and the truth spilled out of her lips regardless of the wisdom of sharing it with the man who spanked her. “I should have just quit when I was ahead. But I kept doing things because I didn't want you to know...” She trailed off, glancing at him quickly as if to see if she was sharing too much.

“Didn't want me to know what?” He spoke in soft, cajoling tones.

“That I'm scared of you, of the spankings,” she said quietly. “I don't want to keep getting beaten.”

“Well there is a simple way around that,” Savage said, shifting to sit on the platform near her. There was a vulnerability in her eyes that drew him in, convinced him to drop the super stern facade for a moment at least.

“What? Just do as I'm told? Change the habits of a lifetime in a few short weeks? Become a totally different person? It's not that easy,” Zora wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “Especially when I know you'll get rid of me when I'm no use to you anymore.”

There it was, the pain that underlay all her prickly resistance. Zora Matthews was used to being used for her talents and cast off once she'd performed. Savage's heart went out to her. No wonder she'd been so unimpressed when it turned out that she was needed by the government. She'd always been needed, but she'd never been wanted.

“Listen Zora,” Savage took her chin and gently turned her face towards him. “I'm here to help you, okay? I'm not going to stop spanking you when I think you need it, but you can talk to me. I won't leave you alone afterward anymore. You deserve better than that.”

She nodded timidly, the look in her eyes wary as if she couldn't quite believe what he was saying. “Come here,” he said, pulling her into a hug. “I know you think you've only ever been wanted or needed for one thing,” he said, stroking her hair. “But I'm not going to treat you that way. You're going to have rules and consequences because you need them. Yes, you have a job to do, but that's not where my interest ends, understand? You're a beautiful, intelligent woman who deserves to be cared about for more than just her mind.”

Zora's shoulders shook as she dissolved silently into long overdue tears. He held her as she cried, knowing that he had now well and truly crossed the line. He could no longer pretend that she was just another soldier to him. What she was precisely he couldn't say, what he did know is that he felt compelled to guide and care for her, and he intended to do both to the best of his ability.

“Let me take care of you,” he murmured.

“Nobody can take care of me,” Zora sniffled against his neck. “I'm too bad. Eventually you'll get tired of me, like all the others.”

“Oh no no,” Savage's voice rumbled deeply. “Don't you get it yet, Zora? I enjoy your rebellion. You can be as bad as you want to be, little girl. You'll always end up in the same place.”

“Where's that?”

“Let me show you,” his voice was a low purr as he gently guided her out of her sleeping bag and over his lap. She did not resist like she usually did and soon she lay over his lap wearing only a tank top and a pair of pink panties. “This is where you'll always end up,” he said, patting the curve of her cheek. “Every time you misbehave.” He slapped her bottom with a swift, sharp smack. “Every time you test me.” Another slap landed across her lower cheeks. “You'll find my lap ready and waiting for you.”

Zora squeaked when the slaps landed, but she did not thrash about or beg to be let up, instead she squirmed her hips in a subtle but sinuous grind, pressing herself against his hard thigh. Savage caught a groan in his throat. She had no idea what she was doing to him, what the sight of her rounded cheeks slowly gyrating over his lap did.

He spent a few moments rubbing her bottom and massaging her cheeks. The object of the exercise wasn't to cause pain, it was to teach her that there was comfort to be found over his lap too. He couldn't  give into the erotic charge that ran between them, that would only teach her that he wanted her for her body, it would be another way he would be taking advantage of her, using her for his own ends.

“Do you understand what I am saying?” His voice was hoarse as he let her up and let her sit on his knee. She was lighter than he'd thought she would be, and the weight of her head against his chest was pleasant, not to mention the curve of her hip pressed against the erection he was doing his damnedest to ignore.

“I understand,” she spoke in a whisper.

He stroked the hair back from her head. “When we go out there, I won't be this way with you. I'm going to give you orders and you're going to follow them, understand? In private we can talk and discuss things. When we're at work, there's no discussion, you do as you're told. People's lives depend on it.” Her face flushed with what was either fear or rebellion, but she did not argue, she simply nodded.

Savage was pleased. Finally they were at the point where he was not just another authority figure to be flouted. He could work with her now. She wouldn't be perfect, but she'd at least be willing to seriously try to help. It was time to bring in the team.

***

A new day broke and found Zora in good mood even before she woke up. She'd had very pleasant dreams in the night, dreams of a muscled man with a gravelly voice who commanded her body in the lewdest of acts. As consciousness returned she remembered what it felt like to be cradled on Savage's lap, to hear his deep voice reassure rather than chastise her. She was filled with a fuzzy warm feeling that made her look forward to the day ahead.

She tossed the sleeping bag off and stretched in the middle of the cabin. She was only wearing a tank top and the panties he'd lightly spanked her in the night before. Once he'd finished laying down the law he'd put her straight to bed, there had been no need for pajamas.

But where was he?  Looking around, Zora realized that Savage wasn't in the cabin. It was much later in the day than she'd expected it to be, sun streamed in the back window with full strength. He must have taken pity on her and let her sleep in. Maybe he was going to be a nice guy. Maybe he was going to go easy on her now.

She was caught up in her fuzzy warm thoughts when voices made her jump. Loud voices, male voices, very close. She didn't have time to retreat to her sleeping bag before the door opened and a bunch of complete strangers tramped in, catching her in her underwear, or as Savage probably would have quipped in one of his rare silly moods, catching her underwears.

There were three men and one woman, followed by Brian and Savage. Zora squealed in surprise and smartly retreated to her sleeping bag, draping it over her lower body as she stared at the newcomers with a mixture of surprise and irritation.

“This is the genius?” The woman spoke first, a note of snark in her tone that made the other three men grin like chimpanzees. Instantly offended, Zora glared at them all. One of the men was a short, stocky guy shorter than her. He had a barrel chest, thick black hair that had been buzzed into some semblance of order and dark eyes that glittered with the casual lechery of a stereotypical construction worker. Zora didn't much feel threatened by him. She was accustomed to running into men like him at the bars she frequented. Those types were usually harmless, no matter how stupid they sounded.

The other two men were typical military issue, tall and broad. One was clearly quite young, he hardly looked old enough to shave, but he had a zealous, eager look about him that made her think he'd probably toss himself into a volcano if Savage told him to. His brown hair was slightly longer than the others, a nod to modern masculine fashions. The other man was closer to her age she reckoned. He had a fine beard that graced his lower jaw and an equally fine mustache that didn't quite look properly grown in. His expression held more wisdom, and possibly more pain. He did not smirk as much as short guy and young guy, as Zora had labeled them in her head.

The woman was something different altogether. She was blonde, her hair swept back from her face in a severe pony tail. Her blue eyes were large and wide, her mouth generous and sensual. She looked like a damn model. If she'd not been wearing a black military uniform with guns strapped to her thighs, she'd have appeared almost out of place, save for the hard expression in those baby blues.

Zora wasn't usually a woman hating woman, but she wasn't above female rivalry and the hostile tone in the woman's taunt was enough to spark an instinctive reaction. There was a long silence as she and the blonde intruder stared at one another like two cats that had just surprised one another in a dark alley.

An awkward silence settled over the cabin until Savage cleared his throat and began making introductions. “Everyone, this is Zora, Zora, this is Tank,” he gestured to the short, stocky man. “Archie,” the young man waved with just a hint of awkwardness, “Steve,” the bearded fellow nodded. “And this is Anja. You know Brian already. This is the mission team.”

“Hi,” Zora said, forcing a smile. So these were the people who would have her life in their hands. As a group they were quite intimidating, especially with the way they were staring at her, sizing her up with critical eyes, finding her wanting. She squirmed uncomfortably where she sat, wishing they would look at someone else. Eventually Anja spoke, distracting the group, but Zora immediately wished she hadn't.

“So she's ready now? We're not going to be held up anymore? The world isn't going to be waiting for one woman?” Anja addressed the question to Savage, but it was Zora who felt her face grow red. Anja was obviously talking about her. Apparently the fact that she'd been resisting the call of duty was common knowledge. She wondered what else was common knowledge. Was she looking at a group of strangers who knew she got spanked? The idea made her toes curl.

“We weren't held up, Anja,” Savage replied bluntly. “This would be a tall order for anyone.” That made Zora feel a little better, at least he was still on her side.

Anja didn't say anything else. She was evidently given to snark, but not to answering back to the boss. With the introductions over, the group took seats around the table in the center of the room and started chatting about various topics, none of which made any sense to Zora. She watched them silently for a bit before excusing herself to take a shower. She needed it desperately, not only because she was dirty, but because she needed some time apart to compose herself. With the arrival of the rest of the team, the mission suddenly seemed much more real. She rested her head against the shower wall, letting the hot water pour over her body. Could she really do this? Savage seemed to think so. She wasn't so sure.

When Zora emerged from the bathroom, the little group had made themselves quite at home. Anja and Savage were sitting next to one another sharing a joke about something. Savage was sitting on the bench seat with his powerful body turned towards the stunning blonde and she was faced towards him, straddling the seat so that she could give him his full attention. Zora found herself glowering at the younger woman, whose eyes were sparkling with attraction as she gazed at her commanding officer. Savage had probably never spanked her, but Zora wondered if he'd done other things with her. There was a certain intimacy between them that seemed to transcend mere camaraderie.