Naked and Defiant Page 13

  Jade squinted. "Ít looks like a stripped spine of a palm leaf beaded with twelve large nuts. What do you do with that?

  "We can light all the nuts at once to enjoy the pleasure of light without much heat, or we can use them to measure the time, as each one burns out and the flame goes to its companion."

  "Okay, this is very lovely, Matat, but I need to understand what you are trying to tell me."

  "Ask the spirits, Jade. They will speak if you are quiet enough to listen. Close your eyes."

  Jade obeyed, sitting cross-legged upon a tree platform that Matat offered her. She inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, and opened her mind. The jungle sprung into a chorus of sounds, from the dripping of water plopping musically into small puddles, to the wispy scratching of insects moving along the ground. An occasional bird released a plaintive cry from the giant canopy above, singing along to the whispering wind and the ghostly flapping of bats.

  Her peace was interrupted throughout the night by biting insects. Frustrated and tired, Jade finally pulled out the bug repellant and covered herself with the pungent oil. She heard Matat chuckle from his cocoon tent.

  "What are you laughing at?" she whispered, putting the bottle away.

  "Do you use that spray for comfort or wisdom?"

  "I can't sleep with these things eating me alive. So comfort."

  "Is there wisdom to what you have done?"

  "Well, yeah. If I can't sleep, I won't be alert. I could step on a snake or get into an accident. I do need to sleep."

  "Does using this spray diminish the things you have learned, or prevent you from learning more?"

  "Or course not. Why do you ask me this?"

  "Closed your eyes and allow the spirits to answer you."

  Jade grumbled under her breath, trying to exercise patience as she waved the flying insects away from her face. They no longer feasted on her, but the sound of them near her ears and the occasional ant climbing on her flesh was just as annoying. She eyed the palm spines with threaded candle nuts and spontaneously grabbed one. She lit the first nut and watched as the smoky amber glow chased away the annoying pests. With a satisfied grin, she hung the candle-nut strip from the tree limb and leaned back.

  Comfort or wisdom? She thought of the proverb her mentor had shared. Was it possible that they could be one and the same? Was she supposed to give into the journey or fight against it?

  Jade reached to rub her stiff neck the next morning as flocks of squawking birds attacked the insects in the trees above. She glanced at her candlenuts and blew the final one out before she left her platform. Matat beckoned for her to join the gathering of villagers.

  "Come, little rabbit. We eat together this morning in celebration."

  "Thank you. Celebration of what?"

  "Must there be a cause to celebrate? The sun rose in the heavens this morning. Is that something to celebrate?"

  "It rises every morning. I don't understand."

  "You do not understand because you have lost the ability to show gratitude. You take for granted it will be there, and you expect it to be. Did you not experience dark weather upon your island?"

  Jade blushed, remembering when the sun because a source of hope for her and Griffon between the dark, cloudy storms. A twinge of remorse passed through her heart. "You are right. There are many things I have forgotten to be appreciative for. Matat, I need to go home. Would you please show me how to get out of here?"

  "Choose a path, Little Rabbit." He offered a toothless smile, "Find your way to where you must go. Take this to cling to when you need direction."

  He placed a leather cord around her neck and kissed both cheeks. Her hand wrapped tightly around the hard, cold rock that dangled between her breasts. It was the piece of jade Griffon had given her, and it hung heavily against her heart.

  ***

  Jade placed her bag and bow on the marble table in the foyer and walked, dirty and barefoot, into her father's study. She entered without knocking and stood before him. The man looked rumpled, as though he had slept in his clothes and was unshaven and unkempt. He looked up at her with tired, hollow eyes.

  "Daddy? I need to say something to you." Jade held her chin up proudly. "Thank you for trying to give me what you thought I needed to live. I was wrong to judge you for using wealth to make us comfortable."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "I went on a spiritual Walkabout in the northern forest. Matat taught me something. He showed me that wisdom begins with humility, and through humility, you use the tools given to you to survive. He showed me that I don't have to force myself to be uncomfortable when it's not necessary, as long as I know it's a privilege and not a right. He reminded me that I needed to be grateful."

  "You went up to Daintree? Jade! There are crocs in the rivers there, and snakes …"

  "I needed to speak to the spirits and seek some direction. I wanted to talk to Matat to see how he, a village elder who still practices the old way of life, reconciled western culture with his faith. They have cocoon tents in his village. I was shocked," Jade explained, "until he explained that there was nothing wrong with redirecting your energy. When I came home, I tried to relive my island experience. Griffon was very hard on me because I sat back at first and demanded him to serve me. He refused, and when he did, he was able to show me that life is not a game to play around with. My behavior with him was disgusting and shameful, and thinking about it is so humiliating."

  She paused to take in a deep breath, "Daddy, I know you don't understand, but I felt alive for the first time in my life when I was forced to take care of myself and work for everything I needed to survive. I felt useful every time I caught a fish, picked up coconuts, or kept the fire burning. And when Griffon sliced up his foot, he needed me. No one has ever needed me before."

  "I needed you," the man said quietly.

  "No, Daddy. You wanted me. I was nothing but another commodity for you to purchase. When you lost that ability to buy me, it left you feeling powerless, didn't it?"

  Brockton remained silent as his daughter walked calmly to the window to look out at the Great Barrier Reef. She stroked the curtains as she stared out over the beautiful scene. "All my life you have given me things to make my life easier. I learned to expect them, without gratitude or understanding of what they represented. I'm sorry."

  "I don't understand this change of heart. Are you ill?" the man asked hesitantly.

  Jade turned, her green eyes mournful against the golden-tanned face. A single tear tracked down her dirty cheek. "Yes, Daddy. I'm dying inside, and I don't know how to make it stop."

  Mr. Brockton hesitated. "It's Badger, isn't it?"

  "Yes. But the feeling is only one way. He does not love me the way I have grown to love him. Like the changes in the weather, it is something that I have to accept and learn to deal with. I need a positive distraction. I was wondering if you would want to go to a survival camp with me."

  "Me? At a survival camp?" her father looked incredulously into her face.

  Jade smiled, "Yeah. No toilets, showers, refrigerators, or cell phones. Lots of bugs, noise, and dirt. You might hate it, but I think it would help you appreciate the privileges we have. It's an olive branch, Dad. I can't give you anything more than this."

  "Do you really want me to do this?"

  "Yes, I do."

  "Then make the arrangements. You are not the only one who realizes what they have taken for granted. I always thought I would have you and tried to keep it from changing. I lost you in the process."

  "But I am back. Instead of repeating the same mistakes, let's try a different path. Maybe this one will make us both a little happier."

  CHAPTER 11

  Griffon kicked the table leg in his father's kitchen, toppling a glass of water to spill on the wood.

  "Boy, you are going to have to face this eventually. You have been here a week and need to accept that sitting around, drinking beer, and kicking my tables will not get that girl back for you," the elder Bad
ger said firmly. He sat across from his son. "Do you remember that storm that swept onto the mainland when you were twelve?"

  "Yeah. That was the night that little black lamb got separated from the flock. The dogs and I spent the entire night looking for the poor thing. What of it?"

  "The only reason she didn't drown in the river was because she got herself all tangled up in the brush. Do you remember what you did?"

  "Do we really have to talk about this?" Griffon grumped. "There is no purpose in bringing up that incident again."

  "I want to hear about it," Tasha demanded. "You are making me wait indefinitely in the middle of a sheep station as you muddle through this Man-o-pause bullshit of yours. The least you can do is to entertain me. FYI, I will never eat mutton again. I don't know how you manage it."

  "That is one lady who sounds like she needs to visit the shearing shed," Mr. Badger winked at Griffon. "She has grown to be quite sassy since the last time I was around her."

  "That is going to happened soon, Da. Trust me." Griffon eyed the women warningly. "She has been like this since the minute we left the courtroom. Consider yourself lucky that she loves you like family. A stranger would really feel the sharp edge of her tongue."

  "I really don't give a damn about shearing sheep," Tasha commented, the underlying threat missing her attention. "Tell me about the storm and that poor lamb."

  "Griff was so angry with the bush for tangling the animal that he chopped it down into several hundred pieces. That was right before he burned every leaf. He was too emotional to understand that the very thing he hated was the very thing that kept the animal alive. Sometimes we don't see the good in front of us because all we seek is evil."

  "What is the big deal about chopping down that stupid tree? Do you have a point, Da?"

  "I always have a point when I try to embarrass you in front of a pretty lady," Mr. Badger grinned. "If your mother was still with us, what advice would she give you?"

  "Oh! Oh! I know this one!" Tasha twittered, waving her hand in the air and ignoring the angry furrow forming on Griffon's brow. "She would tell you to get you head out of your arse and go find your 'giiiiiiirlfriend'!" She mimicked the sound of sheep bleating.

  "You know what, Da? You are right. She does need a visit to the shearing shed. Excuse me," Griffon said, standing abruptly and grabbing Tasha's wrist.

  "Hey! What did I do?" Tasha asked, as he dragged her outside and towards the empty sheds.

  "You have been whining about the smell since we got here. You've been bossy and disrespectful to me in front of my father on several occasions. You've been …"

  "Okay, I get it! But can't this wait until we get home? Your dad …"

  "…has known you as long as I have. When he makes a comment about the shearing shed, I know that he's got an itchy palm as well. In you go."

  "This place reeks. It's dirty …"

  Griffon looked around at the pristine cleanliness of the specifically-designed sheep clipping area. Other than the metal grates in the floor which allowed the bleaching and scrubbing of the room, everything was covered with smooth, poreless surfaces and sealed paint.

  "This room only smells when there are sheep in here. Between wool-gathering seasons, it is kept so clean that you can eat off those floors. Go to the wall unit and pick out a harness."

  "Noooo …." Tasha gripped his hand, "Please, Griffon? I'm sorry. I'll behave, I promise."

  "You have until the count of three, Tasha. Go get a harness and then return to this bench. I plan on making this little event memorable … New Zealand style."

  "And if I refuse?"

  "Do you really want to go there?" Griffon asked, gravely.

  "This is not very professional, you know," Tasha pouted, tracing an invisible pattern on the smooth floor with her toe.

  "This is not a courtroom. Behind closed doors, we do not maintain the same relationship as do other coworkers. That has never been a problem for you until now. What gives, Tasha?" he asked, seating himself upon the large white bench against the wall.

  Tasha shrugged, her eyes not leaving the floor. "I don't know. I guess I am afraid of things changing between us. You aren't the same with your feelings for Jade as you were with demon spawn … uh, I mean, your ex."

  "Keep talking."

  Tasha's eyes welled with tears, surprising Griffon. The only time he had seen her cry was after a spanking. "You really love this girl, Griff. She does not strike me as the kind of woman who will share you easily. A lot of subs are very possessive and I get the impression that she will be one of them."

  "You're possessive. How is that different?"

  "I share you with the office staff because, well, I have to. I am also the lead and get the most attention."

  "I see. So this is about your fear of losing my attention?"

  "I suppose," Tasha muttered. "It's stupid, but it's how I feel. You are the only man I can't hide my feelings from. You are my best friend, and I am afraid that if you bring her in …"

  "I assure you that nothing will change between us. Come here," he held his arms out for his old friend and pulled her onto his lap to hug her tightly. "You have been my closest companion and most trusted advisor for ten years. I am not letting you go. We still don't know what is going to happen with Jade, but I can promise that you will not be pushed out of our life if she and I come together."

  "How do you know that?" Tasha asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.

  "I've told her all about you. We had nights of being stuck in the shelter with a storm raging around us. She knows everything."

  "Everything? Including your office policy?"

  "Especially my office policy," he chuckled. "She expressed the desire to get to know you. She has never had a female whom she could trust. I also suspect she is interested in gaining some advice about how to weasel out of trouble. I wasted no time in describing your expertise."

  "I am kind of good at that, aren't I?" Tasha smiled, cuddling in his muscular arms.

  "The best. Please tell me that you are done with the bitchiness?"

  "I'm done. Thanks," she kissed his cheek and prepared to stand.

  "Where do you think you are going?" Griffon asked, holding her wrist tightly. "Take those jeans down."

  Shaking, Tasha slipped her fingers into the waistband of her jeans and offered up a pleading look in Griffin's direction. Seeing that he was unwilling to change his mind, she yanked her jeans down to her knees, all the while looking shamefully at the floor. Griffin gently pulled her reluctant body across his lap, raising her bottom high in the air while positioning her forward so that her head dangled at his calves. With a loud sigh, he slid her panties down past her thighs and waited for the sound of her submissive sigh.

  "I'm very disappointed that, after all of these years, you still doubt my commitment to our friendship. Tasha, we've been through so much together. You were there when I started my company. You were there when I got married and adamantly advised against it. You were there when I got divorced, and not once did you say 'I told you so.' Over the last ten years, you've been by my side through thick and thin, guarding my back from every attack under the sun. What have I done to make you believe that I would not want you in my life any longer?"

  "You haven't done anything, Griffon. I allowed my insecurities to show, and I'm sorry. I should never have doubted you," Tasha said, her voice choking with emotion. "I was just afraid of losing you."

  "You never have to fear that," Griffon proclaimed, resting his hand on her shivering bottom. "What you should fear, however, is the lesson I am about to teach you. I hope that it will make some impact and show you exactly how much I care."

  He raised his hand in the air and landed the first smack upon her upturned bottom. Tasha gasped, turning her head to look at him with shock. "That fucking hurt!"

  "I have not even begun, my dear," Griffon chuckled. "And do I have to remind you what happens if you do not watch your language?"

  "This is so humiliating," Tasha grumbled.
"You never make me go in this position."

  "That is why spanking your bare bottom works so well on you, especially on the rare occasions that I have to put you over my knee. This position forces you to submit and opens your ears to hear me expressing my anger and disappointment in you. When this little backside is underneath my palm, instructions about how to behave properly are actually heard and taken to heart. You might be a live wire in the courtroom, but here, with your bottom over my lap waiting to be thoroughly spanked, you're nothing more than a little girl in need of direction."

  His hands began to fall in a heavy rhythm, not once losing their beat, quickly turning her pale bottom to a vivid pink. "I'm sure that after today, you will never make the same mistake and doubt our relationship again, will you?" he admonished.

  Tasha began to kick furiously in a useless attempt to escape the wooden hand that fell relentlessly upon her rear end. He could feel her heart pounding against the material of his slacks, but he did not pause. Her cries increased in intensity and volume, her legs scissoring frantically at twice the speed of his slaps.

  Tasha's bottom was a deep cherry-red within minutes, and the only sounds in the room were of her muffled sobs and the loud smacking of flesh meeting flesh. Griffon paused to adjust her position, pushing her further forward across his knees, so that she had no choice but to plant her hands flat on the floor. He felt her bracing in anticipation of what was yet to come.

  "OW!" Tasha bellowed, reaching back to protect her bottom. "Not so hard!"

  "Really now, Tasha? You have received much harder spankings from me in the past. You need to take your punishment like a big girl." He gave her a few seconds to regain her composure, shifted her slightly forward to project her bottom higher into the air, and then resumed. His hand whipped down, this time landing a little lower than the first smack. His grip tightened around her waist as she attempted to wiggle away, and he landed a series of ten vicious smacks, one after another. Tasha clenched her fists and pounded on his legs, her kicks accelerating as the unbearable pain began to work its way down her thighs.