| Special Thank You to Clawkit: {{}} a great beta, with a careful eye for details and a great friend! You rock! This story was written as a challenge! :) However - be Warned - it's M/F Reminders by Rusty "Hey, you're home?" Laura greeted breathlessly, as she entered the kitchen door, purse dangling from one shoulder, a stack of folders and notebooks clutched to her breast. She dumped them on the counter, tossed her purse in the chair, giving her husband a quick brush on his cheek, then turned on the water at the kitchen sink and washing her hands, before pulling the refrigerator door open, pulling out the makings for a salad to go with the roast in the crock pot, and the potatoes her husband had already started on the stove. "I ran late getting out of work, this deadline is killing me, then had to rush to pick up Sara from cheerleading, then run her to gymnastics, she has practice tonight until 8:00, so we did the drive threw at Taco Bell so she'd have something to tide her over until she gets home; then I stopped at the drugstore. Why aren't you at baseball practice with Jason? Where is he? Did he eat something to tide him over?" "I dropped him off at the field." Mike answered, drying his own hands off with a towel. "He grabbed a sandwich before we left. Greg is bringing him home, probably be home around 8:00 too.” "Why aren't you there? Didn't they need all of the coaches?" Laura asked, her mind still rushing with thoughts of the day. "They can do without me today." Mike looked over at his wife, her body tight and tense, she was stressed, he could always tell. She was a torpedo, always in constant motion, she tended to over-compensate because she constantly worried that she didn't do enough. Super Woman Syndrome. Mike was an enlightened man, he'd read Cosmo after all! And just about every other ladies magazine you could think of, his Sports Illustrated and Outdoor Life magazines were usually buried deeply beneath them in the basket beside the toilet in the master bath. Sure, he could have easily dug through hers to get his; but a guy only had so much time alone in there. And besides, he liked women, they were an enigma, and Mike liked puzzles. Well, he was especially interested in one particular enigma, one particular woman. Mike loved the way her body curved in all the right places, how soft and sweet she felt against his own very different, harder, rougher one. He was always interested in what she was thinking, what made her tick, even after 15 years she could still be an enigma to him; at times confusing and exasperating, but always a sexy, smart, interesting and complex one. "Hello….?" Mike whispered softly in his wife's ear, he brushed her soft blond curls, which were always untamed, and a little askew, something he loved and she hated. He turned her around to face him, leaned down and kissed her soft mouth; the large hands caressed her shoulders, slowly making there way down her curvy frame, resting at the small of her back. "Now you say....Hello, honey." "Hello, honey." Laura repeated the words as she smiled into his chest, breathing in the scent of her husband, a faint musky mix of outdoors and aftershave he'd splashed on that morning. “Sorry. I didn’t give you a proper greeting when I walked in. How remiss of me.” Grinning, she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, loving the feel of his muscles flexing beneath her palms. “How was your day?” “It was a good day,” Mike gave a few highlights of his day, before adding “Oh, yeah, we got the Bennington account.” “Oh, that’s great!” Laura smiled, proudly and then kissed his cheek; she knew how hard Mike had worked on that account, how hard he worked for their family. “I knew you could do it.” “Your day sounded busy, how close are you to deadline?” Mike asked, interested, he was proud of his wife, her quick mind, her ambition, and her success in her career was important to him, because it was important to her. “I’m close, but it’s still going to be tight. I have until Friday.” Laura answered, her eyes darting around the kitchen, her mind still bustling with all that needed to be done; she busied herself emptying the dishwasher while she chatted “Laura…?” Mike leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “Yes?” Laura’s ears perked at the almost growl in her husband’s voice; pot in hand, she paused mid-way between the dishwasher and the cabinet. “Talk to *me* - in the here and now - and without thinking about what you have to do ten minutes from now.” “I’m… not?” Laura answered, unconvincingly, even to her own ears. “Yes you are” Mike answered, figuring now was as good a time as any. “And you've been doing that for the past couple of weeks.” And it was going to stop now, Mike thought to himself. “I have not?” Laura’s brow creased. Damn! Yes she had. “Well, it’s been busy, Michael; work has been a bear, the kids spring after school activities are in full swing, it’s always a rushed time.” “That’s true, and even more “rushed” when you over-extend yourself.” Mike responded, “And don’t think for a minute that I’ve forgotten how you jumped right up last week, waving your hands wildly in the air, when someone asked for volunteers to cover the baseball concessions, because Melissa Montgomery was to *overextended* to finish out the season.” “Well, someone has to do it,” Laura explained. “Or nothing gets done. If it weren’t for the committees and fundraisers, there wouldn’t be any money for the teams, and you need volunteers for that. I want our kids to do all they want to do.” “I want that for them, too, but that *someone* does not always have to be you. And the kids don’t give a rat’s ass if you volunteer for any of it. What they want is for you to be in the bleachers cheering them on. That’s what they’re going to remember, Laura, not the fact that you volunteered for every committee under the sun.” “I know that, and I totally agree with you.” Laura sighed, “But….”” “This is an old argument,” Mike shook head, holding his palms out in front of him. “We agreed at the beginning of the school year that the kids would only be in two extra-curricular each, at one time. And that you would only be on two committees. I coach little league, we sell - *hell!*- we *buy* enough candy to pay off the national debt and bake enough cookies to feed a third world country! That should more than cover our part. Which gives us more time together as a family, and you and I more time alone.” “I know.” Laura agreed knowing that she did tend to get caught up in it all. “But I haven’t over-extended this year, I mean other than the concession thing, which is only until the end of the season. And you didn’t say much about that last week, so I didn’t think…..” “No, you didn’t think. And I said plenty last week, but apparently I dropped the ball by not saying more.” “What…do you mean?” Laura asked, a little leery of his tone. “When I came home to pick up Jason for practice, there was a message on the machine.” Mike nodded his head toward the machine and waited for her to tell him ....something? Laura's brow creased in confusion, she didn't have a clue as to what could be on that message. Until Mike pushed the button on the answering machine and she heard the voice of that So-Snobby, Silicone-Injected 38-D, Never-a-hair-out-of-place, Never- a-schedule-she-couldn’t-master, Muffy Miller, over the speakers, thanking Laura for taking on the cheerleading squad’s silent auction. Muffy’s husband probably didn’t care if she over-extended - more than likely he got down on his hands and knees and Thanked God whenever she left the house! Laura wasn’t quite so… lucky? Or was she? “Oh God, I completely forgot about that....,” Laura muttered under her breath. She really hadn't remembered saying yes, until she'd heard Muffy's voice. "Is there an explanation for it?" Mike asked, hoping she had some kind of explanation. "Well, I.." Laura started to give an explanation, but she knew that, in Mike's opinion, it wouldn’t be a good one; she knew his feelings on the matter quite well. And when she was thinking clearly, she agreed with it, she just got too caught up in it all, and for all the wrong reasons. "I'll call her and cancel, there’s still enough time to find someone else. I promise.” “Oh, I know you will.” Mike crossed his arms. “I don’t even know why I said yes. I was sort of…put on the spot? ” Laura chattered nervously. “It’s just that Muffy can be so….what would she think if I turned her down? That I don’t’ care? That I don’t’ want to be involved? That I don’t know how to schedule my time?” “I think you need to be reminded of where your responsibilities lie, where you’re focus needs to be…..” Mike’s voice lowered to a soft growl, “and just whose opinion really matters.” “Michael? I said I’d call and cancel?” Laura said softly, his soft growl and determined look were very familiar to her. “Go on into the den, honey, and find a corner. We’ll talk more about in a bit. I’ll be along in a minute.” ”But …the kids? dinner?” “We’ll have plenty of time before I leave to pick up Sarah. After dinner the kids and I can clean up the kitchen, while you take a nice long bath.” Michael looked at his wife; saw her struggling to find her courage. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her soft mouth, giving her a minute to surrender to the submission she sometimes bristled against, but so willingly gave to him. When he felt her shoulders relax a bit and her head rest trustingly against his shoulder, he held her close for a few moments, then he patted her bottom to send her towards the den. *** Mike stood in the doorway of the master bath, his smile deepening at the sight of his wife, now relaxing into the long bath that was one of her few indulgences. He remembered how she had complained of the expense of the large, deep porcelain tub, with its Jacuzzi-like jets and exquisite fixtures; even though he knew it was the one she had really wanted. He hadn’t listened to those complaints though; he had brought it home and installed it, advising her that any further complaints would be taken personally. `He leaned against the doorframe for a few moments watching her. While Mike took no pleasure in the process of reminding her where her true commitment lay, the results pleased him; she looked happier, relaxed, more herself. She was a beautiful, intelligent woman, who juggled home and career with such grace and competence. He wasn't nearly as smart as his wife - no, not hardly; she was a strong, capable woman, comfortable with who she was, confident in her abilities. All of those things made her willing submission to his guidance and leadership very humbling and all the sweeter. Her complete trust in him spoke to an almost primal need inside of him, and it spoke to him in a way that Mike understood: the need to protect, the need to be strong, the need to care and provide for his woman - his wife, and their family. It was basic and as old as time. It gave him a purpose, it gave him strength, making him stronger, and it was a constant reminder that kept him focused on what was important too: Their love for each other, their commitment to one another, and to the family they shared together. He felt his groin quicken as he stood looking down at her, her eyes were closed, her untamed blond curls damp and clinging around her pretty face, her soft body and small lovely breasts teasing him beneath the almost strategically placed bubbles; a gold mine hidden beneath a white foamy cloud. Mike was certain he’d been a Gold Miner in a past life. Laura opened her eyes and smiled at him, her husband, her lover. Her belly clenched from the heat she saw in his eyes, the way he looked at her; he had a way of making her feel beautiful..soft...feminine. She loved the feel of his strong arms around her, the feel of his rough skin against hers, the way his muscles flexed beneath her palms, the feel of his hands caressing her skin. Being wrapped in his arms, reminded her that she was loved and cared for, safe and protected. It was basic and as old as time. Her bottom, still slightly stinging, was just another reminder of his love and care. And that’s really all it had been. A reminder. She’d been reminded with far more heat in previous spankings and probably deserved to feel more this time. But her husband knew her well and knew exactly what she needed …and when. It had been just enough to remind her of where her responsibilities really lay, where her focus should always be…. and whose opinion of her, other than her own, truly mattered. “Thank you,” Laura whispered, giving him a soft smile, an inviting smile...... .....a smile of a woman who felt loved and cared for. Yeah, Mike understood caveman instincts. His jeans felt so tight, his hands went immediately to his belt; after unbuckling it, he tugged off his jeans and shrugged out of his shirt. After climbing into the tub, Mike drew her against his chest and between his legs. He soaped his hands with her favorite bath gel; he loved how the soft scent of it lingered on her skin, when he wrapped his arms around her in bed at night, that scent and the soft sweetness of her body were the last things he remembered before going to sleep. His hands roamed over her body, caressing, over her sensitive breasts, up and down her belly, then between her legs. With each caress he was rewarded by her small moans of pleasure. She groaned softly when his big hand cupped her breast, teasing her hardened nipples. She arched her back in pleasure, her hand searching beneath the water until she found her prize. She caressed him in turn, and smiled when she was rewarded by his own deeper moans of pleasure. She slowly turned around, straddling his waist, wrapped her arms around his neck and looked down at the handsome rugged face that even after all of these years, still caused her heart to race. She kissed him. “So, do you have any plans for this evening?” Laura asked, her lips soft against his mouth, his jaw rough against her cheek. Mike's hands slid slowly down her back, roaming over the soft and still pink cheeks of her bottom, pulling her closer. “I can only think of one.” *The End |