Free Laying Down the Law by Laylah Roberts

in confusion. “Ahh, yes, I can.”
    “No, you can’t. You love me.”
    “Yes, I do. I’ve loved you a long time.
    Loving you doesn’t mean I stop spanking you.
    I spank you because I love you. Each day I spend with you I love you more.”
    “Oh.”
    “You know, if you want to avoid my hand on your butt then you just need to do everything I say.”
    She snorted. “Yeah, buddy. Not gonna happen.”
    “Didn’t think so. Open up.” He held up a spoon of gray goo and she took it, grimacing as she swallowed.
    Standing, she walked over to the coffee pot to get something to wash it down with; frowning when she saw it was empty.
    “Where’s the coffee?”
    “I threw it all out; we’ll get you some decaf today.”
    “Ah-ah,” Callie shook her head. “Now you’re going too far, no one messes with my caffeine mister, how am I supposed to get through the day?”
    “Hopefully you’ll get through it without being in constant pain.”
    “What are you reading?” Callie snatched the magazine he was reading from off the counter and looked at the front cover, moaning in annoyance. It was one of the doctor’s pamphlets on ulcers; one of those things she was meant to read but never had time for.

    was meant to read but never had time for.
    “This is my life, Tanner.”
    “I believe we had this conversation last night,” he spoke quietly. “I love you, Cal. I always have. This is why I’m going to make sure you take care of your health. I want you healthy, squirt, because I intend on spending the rest of my life with you.”
    She felt a surge of pleasure.
    “Do you know I’ve never even been to your house?”
    “Well then, let’s remedy that today, shall we? I thought we’d go stay the night at my place.”
    “Ahh, I can’t,” she said slowly. “I have to work.”
    “It’s Saturday, remember? You have the day off. Now eat your porridge. We need to day off. Now eat your porridge. We need to talk.”
    Callie sat back down with a sigh, moving her spoon through the porridge that had, if possible, gotten even more disgusting.
    “You know, I think the cure is worse than the disease.” She grimaced as she took another small spoonful.
    “Yeah, it is pretty awful, isn’t it?” Tanner let out a small grin and Callie giggled.
    “It looks like what came out of Mrs.
    Jones’s hamster, and not from the front end.”
    “Uhhh,” Tanner pushed away his bowl with a grimace. “Breakfast at the diner?” Callie nodded, smiling. “It’s a date.”

    ***
Callie sighed, crossing her arms as she stared out the window at the passing scenery.

    “You gonna pout all day, squirt?” Tanner asked as they pulled into the long driveway that led to his cabin. Callie hadn’t been out to his place before. It was a few miles out of town, set on a bit of land.
    “Will if I want,” she replied childishly.
    “Callie,” his voice was a low warning.
    “You can’t threaten to spank me every time I do something you don’t agree with, Tanner,” she protested. “Besides, I think I’m entitled to my bad mood, don’t you?”
    “Sweetheart, I am not keeping you from drinking caffeine to punish you, you heard the doctor, you need to avoid it for your health.”
    “It's my body; I can do what I like to it.” And right now, she wanted coffee. Her head was pounding with a headache and she felt tired and listless. Caffeine would cure all her ills. If he would just let her have some.

    ills. If he would just let her have some.
    Tanner pulled off the side of the road just as he reached his driveway. He turned off the car and turned in his seat, looking over at her seriously.
    “Callie, I don’t want to fight with you about everything to do with your health and safety. I only want you well. Haven’t you had enough of being tired and sick?” She sighed and nodded. “Yeah. But I like to make my own decisions. I am an adult.”
    “Even adults make wrong decisions. Me as well.”
    “Yeah, so do I get to spank you when you do