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“None of that,” he whispered before pressing his hand against the small of my back.
I wrapped my fingers around the blanket, tugging and twisting as he delivered two more.
Then another two.
I kicked out like a little girl having a temper tantrum, several whimpers slipping past my lips. My body’s reaction no longer surprised me. I was wet and hot, the scent floating into the night air. I closed my eyes, pressing my face against the warmth of the blanket, waiting for the next series of hard smacks.
“You’re so disobedient. This is what you’ve needed for so long. Isn’t it, Aspen?”
His question seemed rhetorical, as if the man knew everything about me. My needs. My wants. My dark cravings. Maybe he did. “Uh-huh.” A light tap of the paddle made me squeal. “Yes, sir.”
“Then you’re getting everything you need.” He resumed the spanking, bringing the paddle down so many times I lost count.
I knew I was whimpering, tears even forming in my eyes, but I was also floating above the stratosphere, staring down at what was happening. How could a brutal spanking shove me into ecstasy? When I realized the hard round of discipline was over, I almost begged him for more. That was crazy. That was… sighing, I took pleasure in the way he continued to comfort me, murmuring filthy and delicious things while I took my time to relax and breathe.
As I was finally eased to my knees, I had to blink several times in order to focus. He pressed his hand against my face lovingly, rubbing his thumb back and forth across my lips. Then he let me go.
No. No!
I almost reached out for him, but I restrained myself.
“Would you like some wine?”
Laughing softly, I tugged my panties into place, fighting with my jeans. “Yes. This is unexpected.”
“You don’t know everything about me, Aspen, nor do I know much about you at all.”
I shifted onto the blanket, crossing my legs. My bottom ached like a son of a bitch, but the anticipation of actually being able to have a full conversation with him was amazing.
He took a deep breath, pouring a hefty amount into a glass, taking his time before he handed it to me. The spark was the same as we touched, his eyes lighting up as if fueled with fire. Smiling, he pulled another glass into his hand.
“You are right. You deserve to know what’s going on. I had two phone calls in less than a week regarding the contracts you mentioned. From what the representatives told me, the wines were not selling as expected so they would not be renewing the contracts. The words were almost identical.” He chuckled as he leaned back, studying the sky once again.
“I haven’t delved into the financials for more than the past four years, but that’s bullshit.”
“I know that. However, given they honored the contract, I couldn’t fight them. Hell, my father hadn’t been the best negotiator, but he’d fought to get those contracts signed. He’d been so proud of being able to do so. That’s the only time I was glad he was dead so he wasn’t forced to learn what had occurred.”
“You think this Prescott Westfield is behind that?” I knew I had an incredulous tone in my voice.
“I know it, Aspen. Before you ask why, I’ll tell you. About six or seven years ago, a rumor started that Prescott was in negotiations with some very powerful people to form a business alliance. These are the kind of people that you don’t fuck with. With their combined money and influence, they could dramatically alter Napa Valley by building a fancy resort complete with a huge casino and expensive condos as well as a massive hotel.”
“But he needs more property in order to do that.”
“Exactly.” He held up his glass, allowing the moonlight to cast a shimmer across the cabernet’s surface. After taking a sip, he whispered something that I couldn’t understand, but I could swear it was some form of American Indian language.
“The rumor turned out to be the truth.”
Montgomery laughed. “Yes, but Prescott did his very best at keeping it a secret for a long time. Not long before my father’s death, he’d found enough evidence through some people he knew that allowed me to continue delving into the truth after he was gone. Unfortunately, I waited, then with what happened to Carmine, I just couldn’t do it. A few weeks ago, I began against in earnest.”
“So, with Prescott’s power and influence, he was able to convince the various vendors not to renew your contracts. My guess is that also included the grocery store chains.”
“You’re very astute.”
I took a sip of my drink, thinking about what he was saying. “You don’t think the Kingstons can rebuild, which means it’s ripe for a sale.”
“Yes. Let’s say that his insurance covers the buildings and equipment as well as a portion of the plants needed for him to start over, it would still be years before he’ll have a full production. Even with what inventory he has stored off the property, he won’t make the required payments he already has.”
“Thereby being forced to sell to the highest bidder.”
