Piper's Journey (Into Submission 1) Read online

  Piper’s Journey

  Into Submission, Book One

  By

  Breanna Hayse

  ©2014 by Blushing Books® and Breanna Hayse

  All rights reserved.

  No part of the book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Published by Blushing Books®,

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  is registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.

  Breanna Hayse

  Piper’s Journey: Into Submission, Book One

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-62750-469-0

  Cover Design by ABCD Graphics & Design

  This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as Blushing Books' or the author's advocating any non-consensual spanking activity or the spanking of minors.

  Table of contents:

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

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  Chapter 1

  "Pardon me, but may I join you?"

  Piper looked up into the warmest pair of brown eyes she had ever seen. Dumbly, she nodded and watched as the tall, well-groomed stranger lowered himself with a wince into the chair at her little table.

  "Thanks!" His bright smile was cozy and inviting and revealed a prominent dimple that deliciously indented above the corners of his closely-trimmed beard.

  Hmmm, Piper recalled the old movies her mother used to watch, he has the same type of smile Dennis Quaid had when he was young!

  The stranger shifted in the small, straight chair. "Sorry to intrude. I messed up my back this morning and there was nowhere else to plant myself while they got my coffee. Name is Jeoffrey Stevens. Friends call me Jeoff."

  Piper glanced around, the full tables confirming his statement. She felt a little twinge of disappointment. She had been hoping he'd come over to flirt with her. No such luck ....

  "No intrusions. Piper Rose Hilliard." She reached to shake his hand, impressed with his firm, solid grip against hers. She hated weak handshakes. "You can sit here as long as you want. It's a free world. How did you hurt your back, Jeoffrey Stevens? Playing hockey?" She tilted her chin to acknowledge the Winterhawks jersey.

  He chuckled, "I wish it was due to something that manly. I was actually on my way to the rink when I tripped over my own two feet and landed in a puddle of mud. Believe me," he winced again as he repositioned himself in the chair that was much too small for his long physique, "getting smacked in the face with a puck hurts less than falling flat on your tailbone with no gear to cushion you. Plus, a cheering crowd is less humiliating than hearing some kids laugh."

  Piper could not resist the swell of laughter that escaped from between her lips. "I'm so sorry." she giggled. "It's really not funny. I walk into sliding glass doors all the time, and it always seems to happen when someone is watching. You're just so big, and the picture in my mind of you doing the slip-and-slide thing ... Oh, Lord, I'm going to wet my pants," she chuckled, hugging her stomach.

  Jeoff grinned, winking at her. "I have a snorter in front of me, huh? I'm glad my clumsiness amuses you. Believe it or not, I've never hurt myself playing hockey. However, if you take me off the ice, I am a walking disaster. I can trip over a flat crack in the sidewalk."

  "I'm so sorry! It's rude of me. Sorry about the snorting; I can't help it." Piper wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, forcing herself to become sober. "It is not nice to laugh at someone for being—well, challenged in the grace department."

  "That is such a nice way to call me a klutz! Not to worry; I laugh at myself at least twice a day, just on general purposes. Please don't ever apologize for laughing around me. Besides, you look like you could use a little laughter in your life. Having a tough day? You seem to be a wee bit lost."

  "What do you mean?" Piper hesitated, suddenly uncomfortable. "My day is fine, and I know exactly where I am."

  "Really? You have recently separated, possibly divorced, are desperate for a job and on a diet. That is enough to make anyone cry."

  Piper's jaw fell open as she stared blankly into the man's face. She stuttered her response, "How the hell did you come to that conclusion? You've been sitting here for three minutes, and we haven't even talked about the weather!"

  "Hmm, it looks like it is getting ready to take a turn towards winter," he teased, looking out the large window at the overcast sky. "Relax, Piper Rose Hilliard," he smiled, his eyes gazing gently into her face. "I don't mean to impose. You have a dark tan line from where you used to wear a band on your left ring finger. There are several applications to unassociated businesses sitting under your left forearm, and you are drinking a nonfat latte with Splenda and have barely touched that nasty-looking thing they call a fruit salad. The tip of your nose and your eyes are also a bit red, suggesting a recent cry. Did I miss anything?"

  "Maybe I have a cold!"

  "I don't see any chafing to that cute little nose, nor do you sound congested."

  "Are you a cop?" Piper's mouth hung wide.

  Jeoff chuckled, shaking his head. "Far worse. I'm an ex-hockey-pro-turned-sports-therapist and behavioral counselor. I see these signs all the time. How long has it been?"

  "Um ... isn't that your name they called? No, sit .... Rest your back. I'll get your coffee. Sugar?" Piper interrupted, quickly jumping to her feet with relief. She felt his eyes on her as she hurried to the counter to collect his cup. She took a deep breath. His ability to read her was uncanny. And, he was so damn cute! She grabbed some sugar packets and returned to the table, forcing an indifferent smile.

  "You know you didn't have to do that, Piper," Jeoff said, thanking her as she handed him the cup.

  "No biggie. It never hurts to be nice, does it?"

  "It also provided you with a momentary excuse to escape me," he said, knowingly.

  "How the hell do you do that?!" she asked, with awe.

  "What?"

  "Read my freaking mind. It's not natural."

  "Oh that." Jeoff wrinkled his nose. "Please forgive me, I am just a very careful observer. I sometimes come on too strong when I sense someone is hurting. It's the daddy in me. What can I say?"

  "You have children?" Piper asked, eager to divert the attention elsewhere. She could not deny her attraction to this stranger, especially to his voice.

  He raised his eyebrow. "Hmm, the tone in your voice suggests that you liked that daddy analogy. Am I correct?"

  Piper blushed, averting her eyes to the cup of cold coffee that she clutched in her hand. "I was actually thinking that your voice reminded me of a hot bubble bath on a cold, rainy day. It is very soothing."

  "Thank you. I consider that quite a compliment." Jeoff smiled. "Now, back to your question: no, I do not have any children. Not natural ones, anyway. You could say that my female clients become my girls at one time or another. They certainly challenge my parenting skills enough."

  "I b
et they adore you. You seem to be very considerate. Some people need to know they are cared for, especially when they are going through things that require counseling. Can I get you anything more? A muffin maybe?" She gestured to his coffee.

  "No, thank you. Do you always assume the role of caregiver, Piper?"

  "I like to be helpful. It's no big deal. Did you want the fruit? I'm not hungry."

  "You need to eat it. I honestly don't understand why you are dieting. You are absolutely tiny."

  "Thanks, but I am in the process of shedding a lot of extra weight from not just my hips, but from my shoulders. The last ten years have really weighed me down."

  "I think you are lovely the way you are. I also think that you deserve to have someone take care of you, not the other way around," he stated matter-of-factly as he eyed her over the edge of his mug. "Wanna talk about it?"

  "Not really."

  "The statement of 'not really' implies that yes, you do want to talk about it. Go on. I'm a good listener and I am thoroughly enjoying sitting at a table with a pretty lady. It's quite different from hanging with my hockey buddies, who have no front teeth and are really ugly to look at."

  Piper flushed as she rolled her eyes. Just her luck, landing face-to-face with a counselor! "The divorce was finalized three weeks ago, which is when I made my final departure from the blood-sucking leech. Since then, I've lost ten pounds after starving myself and spending hours on the elliptical. I have been in this Godforsaken, antisocial town, looking for a job to make ends meet before I go back to finish school come spring. Happy?"

  "No, I am not at all happy," Jeoff said, "but, if you would agree to let me take you to lunch, the state of my contentment might change. Not everyone who lives around here avoids newcomers."

  "You're nuts. We just met."

  "Don't you believe in fate? Here's my number. Give me a call, if you change your mind," Jeoff said, carefully standing up as he clutched his back.

  "Be careful," Piper said, frowning as he straightened himself. "Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you need to see a doctor?"

  "I'm fine. Be a good girl, and thank you for sharing your table."

  Piper watched as he limped out of the coffee shop and climbed into his cobalt-blue pickup. Biting her lip, she glanced down at his card.

  Jeoffrey C. Parker, M.S.

  Certified Sports Therapist/ Behavioral Modification

  Piper quickly downed the rest of her coffee and gathered her applications. It was time to get serious and find a job.

  ***

  With a loud groan, Piper kicked off her sneakers and plopped on the couch of the small one-bedroom apartment she was renting. She mentally recalled her day that consisted of three useless interviews for minimum-wage jobs and a painful left hamstring that she had pulled during her advanced aerobics class at the YMCA gym. She rehashed her plans in her mind: there was money in her account after the sale of their home, plus a substantial settlement that would keep her comfortable for several years. Her goal was to use those funds to return to college in the spring, finish her degree in elementary education, and eventually buy a home of her own. She was confident that her goal was reachable, but first, she needed to find work to provide her basic needs.

  The sound of the wind whistling through the eaves of the roof made her shiver. Winter was approaching, and she was ill prepared for the cold, wet weather of the Portland, Oregon suburbs. She briefly questioned her decision to move so far north, reminding herself that her plan was to remain as unobtainable to her ex as possible. She lit the tiny gas fireplace, poured herself a glass of chocolate-infused Vodka, and tossed a fleece throw across her lap. She had barely taken a sip when the phone rang.

  "Hello?" she answered groggily.

  "Did you get a job yet?" the rough voice of her ex-husband demanded.

  "What's it to you, Lyle? Why are you calling me? How did you get my number?"

  "Your mother gave it to me. She thinks you made a big mistake. By your response, I guess that you have not found a job. But then, you have no skills for anything useful. Hell, you didn't have enough skills to be a decent wife, but I decided to show you some mercy and give you one more chance to come home. It's time you grew up and stopped acting like a stupid girl."

  "Lyle," Piper sat up as rage boiled through her, "you are less than worthless as a man, let alone a husband, and I would not go back to you if you were the last man on earth. You blew it. Go back to that slut you were seeing and leave me alone. It's over."

  "But I love you."

  "Seriously? Oh, My God, you are a piece of work! You don't love anybody but yourself. I mean it, Lyle. Don't ever bother me again. I'm not interested in you or any more of your petty bullshit. You can also relay that message to my mother. Once again, I have one nerve left, and you have gotten on it. Leave me alone. I don't want you."

  "You don't know what you want. You are incapable of making any decisions for yourself, and you know it. You also know that I can find out where you're living and make you come back with me. When I do, I promise that after I have finished with you, you will never leave my sight for a minute. We both know damn well that you can't survive without me."

  "Just watch me, you jerk. Know this: if you threaten me again with your intent to force me to do something against my will, I swear I will get a restraining order against you. I won't stop there, either. Good riddance!" Piper growled, hanging up the receiver. She fumed as she dialed her mother's number.

  "Mom! How dare you give that asshole my number! He is threatening to kidnap and imprison me! How many times does he need to fuck around on me before you are convinced that he is scum?"

  "Now, honey," the condescending tone met her ear, "you know a man needs to be attracted to a woman. You have gained so much weight and ..."

  "Oh, my God, are you for real? I gained fifteen pounds in ten years and was never more than a size eight! Do you actually believe that gives him, a beer-bellied slob, the right to cheat on me? I am changing my number and this time, you aren't going to have access to it either. I have had it with your bullshit. You chose to stay with a man who made you miserable and neglected your needs, but I refuse! If you feel so bad for that jackass, then you marry him!"

  "Now, Piper, I don't know why you think you are better than the rest of us. You have always had this attitude that you are above everyone else, and ..."

  "No more, Mother! If you aren't going to support me, then get the hell out of my life. I've put up with this crap from you for thirty years. It's over. Consider yourself free from your miserable failure of a daughter. Don't bother to call here. I will not give you the satisfaction of a response!"

  Piper's hand shook as she slammed the phone down. Taking a gulp from her glass, she blocked both numbers, frustrated that she could not change her number and risk losing a callback from a job interview. Tears welled in her eyes again as anger surged through her. She felt trapped again, having to bend her life around this abusive family. What the hell did she do in a past life to deserve such lousy parents and a scumbag of a husband? On an impulse, she picked up Jeoff's card and dialed his number. Realizing that she was falling back on a total stranger for comfort and berating herself for wanting to hear a kind voice, she quickly hung up.

  Several minutes later, the phone rang again. Not thinking, she picked it up. "What the fuck do you want now?!"

  There was a pause on the other end of the line before the voice spoke, "Um, hello?"

  "Jeoff? What do you want? I mean, how did you get hold of my number?" she snapped, feeling a flush of embarrassment rising to her face.

  "I was just returning your call. Didn't you just ring me a couple a minutes ago?"

  "Oh, yeah. It was an accident. Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."

  "No bother, kiddo. This is obviously a bad time. I'll talk to you later, if you are up to it, okay?"

  "No, wait. Please don't hang up. Can you answer one question for me?"

  "Sure, I'll try."

  "Is everyone in this world
fucked up, or is it just me?"

  Jeoff paused, taking a deep breath. "It depends on the perspective. Do you want to give me more information?"

  "No. You don't need to know about my crappy life. How's your back?"

  "Much better. Sat in the hot tub, and it's like new."

  "You have a hot tub? How heavenly." Piper shivered as a chill traveled through the small room.

  "Couldn't live in this icebox without one."

  Piper hesitated before speaking. "I'm sure you guessed from my earlier comment about your voice that I am addicted to hot bubble baths, so the thought of a hot tub is like stepping through heaven's gates. Jeoff? I was wondering if your offer for lunch was still on the table."

  "Absolutely. In fact, we could make it dinner. I'm free tonight."

  "Tonight? I mean ..." her voice shook nervously.

  "Something easy. Maybe we can grab a burger. No pressure, I promise."

  "I haven't dated in ten years. I don't know if I'm ready."

  "We both need to eat, right? Let's just show up at the same place at the same time. We can share a table again. See? Not a date, just happenstance."

  Piper laughed, tucking the phone under her chin. "Okay, you got me. Where and when?"

  An hour later, Piper found herself running her sweaty palms across the legs of her jeans as she exited her beat up old Volkswagen at the Slow Burger. Her heart pounded as she noticed Jeoff's truck parked right across the lot from her.

  "Piper! Get inside, before you freeze to death, girl!" Jeoff ordered heartily, standing at the front door. He held it open for her to enter and led her by the elbow to their booth. "Where is your coat? It's sub-zero out there."

  "I wouldn't call 42 degrees subzero, but it is chilly and really wet," Piper said, accepting the mug from him. "What's this?"

  "Hot cocoa. Don't make faces. You know you like it."

  Piper shook her head, sitting down across from him as she sipped the hot beverage. Once again, he was correct. She did like hot cocoa ... a lot!