Accepting His Ways (Quinlan O'Connor Book 2) (26 page)

Cheyenne was aware that asking to be the boss was just playing around but she did wonder how well she would be able to deal with a man who would step in and take control at any inclination of their life going off track. Even when things were going well, she found him reining her in from going too far afield and that was on a good day. How did her sisters-in-law deal with these men? Cheyenne knew that it was a conversation started before and some of the same questions she’d voiced then she now revisited because she had more information. Maybe the women just gazed on their absolute beauty and the rest didn’t matter because belonging to an O’Connor man beat running your own life alone, any day, usually.

“Please help me, Cheyenne, I’m going stir crazy. Ciarán is orchestrating every move I make and I’m not getting to go anywhere.”

Cheyenne laughed. “I can only imagine but you’re due, right? You can have this bundle of joy any moment and your modified house arrest will be over.”

Katie rolled her eyes and made exaggerated groaning sounds. “Please, just take me for a ride. I need some free air.”

Cheyenne was apprehensive to do that. It was one thing for her to do something risky and pay the debt with her own husband, but with Ciarán over his heavily pregnant wife, that was another story altogether. She used the same logic when she visited Katie later that afternoon to keep her company.

“I can take you over to the new house so you can see how far they have gotten.”

“Thanks,” Katie sighed, “but Jocelyn was this pregnant when my house was about at your stage and Ciarán remembered. He threatened to start a spanking journal if I even thought about going near your construction site.”

“Bummer.”

“Can’t you just take me on a back road or something to help start my labor? I’m so big.”

“Kate, I’m sorry, but my bottom just clenches when I think about how angry Ciarán would be. Then that would translate to Quinn and I’m sure you can figure the rest out.”

“Oh, come on, I’ll take all the heat,” said Katie and then giggled at the play on words saying, “Pun intended.”

“Sure, if that would work but, believe me, you would get a scolding and the only thing warm on you would be possibly a blush on your topside cheeks, mine would be a full bloom on a whole different set of cheeks, and maybe more.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Never you mind, nosey.”

“Fine, but since when did you get spooked by Quinn? You always did what you wanted. I’m so bored sitting here. I’m due next week so I wish I would deliver already.”

“All right, nurse extraordinaire, what would you do to encourage labor without harming you or baby? What is your solution?”

“Oh, what a good idea, I hadn’t thought of that!” Katie waddled to find her pharmacology textbook that she had saved and sat down excited to find something that might work. She also had brought out her anatomy and biology books to see if there was any help in them.

In the meantime, Cheyenne took up the internet and looked up things that safely bring on labor.

Finally settling on red raspberry tea and nipple stimulation right before sex, Katie decided to take a nap. She wanted to last until after Ciarán had showered, had dinner, and she could convince him that sex was okay at this stage of pregnancy. She knew that if she told him what she was trying to do, he would not go for it, saying babies come when they are ready. Well, at thirty-nine plus weeks, she was ready. Cheyenne left with Katie’s admonition in her ear not to tell Quinn or anyone because they would stop her and she was doing safe things—however, certain men might not agree.

“No problem, I’m good at keeping secrets because it’s my butt on the line as well, for helping you.” Cheyenne sighed. “Don’t you wonder how it is that we submit to these guys when we are so well educated and accomplished in our own right?”

“Didn’t we talk about this before? I used to, but not anymore. I know that my job can be stressful and giving it all over to Ciarán makes me relax.”

“Fortunately or, unfortunately, that’s exactly what I like about letting Quinn run things outside of my professional life. He’s so comforting when he steps in and takes over. I still have some difficulty, but when I’m able to let go, I’m so much more at ease. Drat these men for yanking our control and then making us like it.”

“Oh, we have all the control.”

“That’s what Quinn said but I have a hard time agreeing with that.”

“It’s true. Jocelyn helped me see it so I’ll now pass it on to you. See, when you have a need, Quinn fills it, right?”

“Yes.”

“So, you control his actions by your needs, simple so far, right?”

“It seems to be.”

“Now here is the tricky part so pay attention. Emotionally, if you’re in pain, and Quinn picks up on it, then he works on fixing it, right?” Cheyenne nodded.

“Then he changes his behaviors and rearranges his own needs to put yours first. When you’re bored and cross over some line he has laid out, it’s you asking for adjustment or attention and he's trying to answer that either spoken or unspoken request by bringing you back in line.”

“Okay, I guess I can see that.”

“If you’re hungry, he feeds you, cold he covers you, bratty because you want attention and are asking for it in an inappropriate way he spanks you or adjusts your attitude, or whatever you think of it as, but he gives you attention. If you ask for attention in something other than a bratty way, he gives you that attention in a way you want to receive it. No attitude adjustment needed.”

“Huh. Once he asked me what he was missing, what I needed because I was having such a hard time keeping my mouth and actions in check.”

“From what I understand, that’s a rather standard question from these guys.”

“I wasn’t in a place to look at that question then, but now it seems he feels it’s his responsibility to make sure my moods are even, as well. That’s a bit much for me to take in, you know?”

“Yes, up to a point. Sometimes I’m just moody and I like to stay moody for a bit, so no amount of soul searching on Ciarán’s part is going to meet my need besides an action like bottom warming because leaving me alone can irritate me more. So he helps me to release but I try not to get out of control too often,” Katie said with a grin.

“Well, I used to think that Quinn was all sharp edges,” started Cheyenne, “but after we started to talk about our needs, wants, desires, and just curiosities, his corners rounded. Now, the balance is much better. Quinn isn’t all rules and regulations but often like warm, liquid chocolate that I want to mainline. However, I’m positive Quinlan O’Connor likes to warm my ass so he does it for any excuse he can reasonably come up with.” She smiled. “And sometimes I give him an excuse. Can I ask you a question?” Katie nodded.

“I heard that Jocelyn says Liam gets upset if someone says he punishes because he doesn’t punish according to him. You say Ciarán says he doesn’t beat, but I can guarantee that Quinlan does not have any issues with punishing or calling it beating. Except he doesn’t actually beat or leave bruises, but he doesn’t have any problems punishing though.”

“Really, Quinn punishes you? Like you do something he doesn’t like and it isn’t just for safety or health and he’ll spank you?”

“Yes,” Cheyenne said with a sigh. “He doesn’t humiliate, though. He says that’s a big no. I have been sent to a corner before too, when I can’t seem to settle down. That isn’t him really. He’s only done it a couple of times. Sometimes I’m frustrated and don’t know what he needs to do. But it’s a sure thing that if I don’t do what he says to do, I can expect to feel his displeasure. My husband is into domestic discipline all the way. He doesn’t say what to wear, or that I need his permission in most things and I do my own career decisions, my own running of things, but if he decides he needs to direct me in something, and after discussion, I don’t listen, it’s all over.” Cheyenne smiled. “And I do mean all over as in his lap, the couch arm, the chair, the bed, the counter, whatever meets his needs.”

“You aren’t kidding, are you?” asked Katie.

“Nope,” replied Cheyenne shaking her head. “In the bedroom, it’s so different because there, whatever he says goes. Okay, if you tell anyone about this and it gets back to Quinn, my hot seat will be your fault. Honestly, Katie, he can whale on me anytime so long as he follows up with hot and spicy sex. I mean, down and dirty, you know. Not the sweet making love that we do but the nasty kind that keeps you hot all night. I like all of it really, except real discipline.” She wrinkled her nose. “That just stinks.”

Katie laughed. “I thought things would be different with Quinn because he’s so ‘my way or the highway’ but to hear that you get into some of it, is a new twist.”

“Well, for now, you just worry about taking care of you and the baby. You have raspberry tea and a husband that will be home soon. Good luck. Talk to you later. Don’t forget, not a word about our private stuff, okay?” Cheyenne went to the ranch office to see if she could find the two men who had the answers to this week’s accounting questions.

The next morning at 6:35 a.m., Cheyenne woke to a shrilling ring from her phone and after seeing who was calling, she answered, “Do we have a new baby?”

Ciarán answered suspiciously, “Yes, how did you know?”

Cheyenne hesitated only a second and then said, “Come on Ciarán, Katie was due. That’s usually what happens when you reach the end of your pregnancy. You deliver. I thought you knew that. So time, weight, mom and baby doing well? Name, come on, the good details please.”

“Caoimbhan Connlaodh O’Connor, American version of Kēven Conley or KC born at 3:50 a.m. this morning and he has dark hair and weighed eight pounds and three ounces, twenty-one inches inches long and mom and baby are perfect and both are finally sleeping.”

“Oh, I’ll be over as soon as Quinn is off work, but you were to call us first thing when she went into the hospital so we could be there with you or could at least be waiting in the wings in case you needed us.”

“I did call but Quinlan said you were sleeping and that you had been having a hard time falling asleep lately so he would let you know when you woke up. Guess he didn’t.”

“Well, you woke me up with your call so he didn’t forget. I’ll be over later to see the family. Congratulations, brother.”

“Thanks, Sis.”

Cheyenne sent up a silent prayer, “Please Lord, don’t let me get pregnant for another year or two. I have so many fun things yet to do. Amen.”

The house was coming along nicely and it wouldn’t be long before they would be moving in. The basement was another story and with the division that was just referred to as the private side of the basement still under construction; Ciaran continued his private meetings with Parker. Cheyenne was worried that Kelli would find out and Quinn took extra safeguards in discussing things.

“I hate that I don’t have a place to talk about all of these things without fear of discovery. We need our own club so this wouldn’t be necessary.”

Quinn was moody and Cheyenne felt some of the tension he had. It had been months since they’d been able to scene with real equipment and while they did a good job of playing at home, it just wasn’t the same. And it was lonely. They both missed the camaraderie of other couples who enjoyed the same play and lifestyle as they did. A few short years ago, she would have been running in the opposite direction. Now she yearned for the connection the club and its members brought with it.

They had been invited to a local munch and another meet and greet but it was too close to home for either of them to feel too comfortable about it. In a larger community, it would have been easier to do but, in Elk Ridge, you literally knew when kittens were born. Keeping a kinky lifestyle secret would last about two seconds. So they returned to creating their own space.

To start with, Quinn and Parker had measured everything so that the first two pieces of equipment would fit. Quinn had made sure the stairway on this side of the basement was twice as wide as the other side, which was a normal width, and thankfully, neither Andrew nor Shane had commented on it. The St. Andrew’s Cross would be a tight fit but it would fit if assembled in the basement. The angle due to the size required would make it a little difficult and the fact that it was heavy would be a factor in moving it. They knew a few men who they could hire and Parker would make sure it was camouflaged well before moving.

The second piece that would be added immediately was the adjustable spanking bench. It was heavy as well because of its wooden construction. Even though it would be wider, its angle was better and; therefore, would make it easy to get through the doorway of the basement due to its movable parts construction. Quinn had been discussing the furniture with Josh, Ace, and Carter the other day and all three decided to bring the women and take a ride up to visit him and Cheyenne, see the house, the basement plan and just to spend some time together. Quinn and Cheyenne would move in soon and after that, the visitors would arrive.

“I think I’ll ask Richard and Ashley if they would like to come up too, although some will have to stay in the cabins. We don’t have beds in the other rooms yet.

“Sounds good, just remember that we are entertaining clubbers so don’t mention it to your sisters-in-law. Well, they will know but don’t divulge anything else. I will remind the guys.”

“Right, I remember. I’m so excited. I miss them all and the club, a lot,” Cheyenne sighed.

Finally, the big day had arrived and there were plenty of hands to help. Cheyenne was so excited for her new home, the renting of the house in town to a deputy’s family and a new lead on a large account that she needed to complete her business. Life was coming together nicely.

She had the O’Connor accounts and the safe house that Jocelyn ran, but if she could get this one last account, there would not be any need to have another. This was another large ranch with several other businesses under its umbrella like the O’Connor Enterprises. That would be something she would work on after her house was put to rights.

For this week, they were moving, cleaning, arranging and settling. Cheyenne waited for the final inspection that the men said she should walk through with them and then the final paper was filed for full occupancy. She had been packing all weekend, grumpy and not very receptive when Quinn wanted to have some afternoon play. He kissed her and pinched her bottom before letting her get back to her packing which did make her giggle.

Since they hadn’t unpacked fully because of the expectation of this second move, it was less intense then the last. They also had furniture delivered from Missoula and from Bozeman for the new place and left some of Cheyenne’s older furniture in the house in town to be rented as partially furnished. Both Cheyenne and Quinn had been working long hard hours after their regular workday and they were happy but tired. Such was the case on the day that the spanking bench and St. Andrew’s Cross were delivered.

“Quinn, don’t worry about that stuff tonight, please. You’re tired and it can sit in the living room until our help arrives tomorrow.”

Quinn’s weariness was obvious but he needed to clear it out of the front room in case family showed up unexpectedly. “Let me move the St. Andrew’s because it’s just two wood pieces unassembled. It wouldn’t be so hard. I’m glad that Parker thought of assembling it downstairs instead of taking it down in one piece. The bench, however, isn’t as difficult to distinguish if you have even a little imagination.

“Please, don’t do it.” Quinn didn’t slow down. “Here, then let me help you.” Cheyenne went to grab onto one end of the box and grunted with the weight of it. “This thing is heavy. Let’s leave it until the morning when we have help. Maybe the movers who are bringing the last of the new furniture would help.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll wait until tomorrow. Why don’t you go upstairs and get in the shower? I’ll lock up and come join you.” His suggestion was clear.

“Hmm, I’d like that. Don’t be too long.”

“Nope, I need to get clean and I need you.” He reached over and kissed Cheyenne deeply. “You’re just what I want tonight.”

“I could do with a little action, tonight, myself. Don’t be long or I’ll fall asleep on you.”

Cheyenne climbed the stairs and smiled. She needed some loving after this long hard week. The shower was hot and she relaxed for a moment before scrubbing the layers of sweaty dirt off and then lathered her hair. She was hoping Quinn would have come up in time to scrub her back but maybe he used the downstairs shower or the guest bathroom down the hall. Taking her weary body out of the soothing spray, she completed her nighttime rituals before walking down the hall to find an empty, unused bathroom. She continued downstairs, looking for her man.

“Quinn, where did you go? You missed a great shower and a great water play companion.” She listened and heard nothing. “Come on Quinlan, I’m tired and if I don’t find you soon, I’ll go to bed without you.” Nothing. Irrational panic rose up from her knotted gut.

Cheyenne methodically went through the back of the house before walking through the living room on her way to the offices and sunroom. That was when she discovered that the basement pieces were no longer in the front room. She walked quickly to the office and saw the door going to the private basement open. A door from their bedroom to the stairwell led down to the office door and continued on to their private playroom. She smiled at her husband’s one-track mind that rarely missed details nor left a job unfinished. He must have taken the items downstairs alone and walked up the stairs to the bedroom. A fact she would chew him out for later. She started up the staircase to the bedroom. As she reached to close the office door, she heard a groan and looked down towards the basement. What she saw took her breath away as panic quickly reached its cold fingers out to squeeze her heart.

There on the steps, on his back was Quinn lying with his head on the cement floor and his feet on the stairs, one of the large wooden beams on top of him. It appeared that he had been dragging the large wooden cross half down the stairs and he tripped, landed backward slamming his head on the concrete. Cheyenne screamed his name but couldn’t get down the stairs very far at first. He groaned and she called his name, fear freezing her mind.

Quinn didn’t move and but responded. “Don’t call… okay… no one can know… listen… ”

“Quinn, Quinn. I have to call someone. You’re really hurt.”

He didn’t respond again. Her cell was upstairs so she ran into the kitchen. As she grabbed the phone, she paused for the briefest of moments. What should she do? He said don’t call anyone. She shook her head. Forget it all, he needs EMS. It could ruin his career, reputation, the ranch’s and the family’s reputation but he was hurt and it all meant nothing if he was injured or worse. She wouldn’t finish that thought. It seemed as though it took forever to make her decision but she knew time slowed down when the pressure was put to bear on an important decision.

Cheyenne called Liam, Ciarán and the ambulance before grabbing some blankets in the office they’d used to protect the desk when moving it. Then straddling the beam to get to him, she inched her way down and got behind his head. She threw one blanket over him and one over the bench to hide it. She knew not to move his head because they would want to put a collar on it. She didn’t want to hurt him more. She inched her way down and got behind his head.

There was blood seeping all over the floor. She feared the worst but he was breathing easy. He just looked asleep with a plank on him, lying in a pool of blood. Normal, right? It felt like a lifetime but the portable phone in her hand declared it only a few minutes before she heard her door being pounded frantically.

She hoped that one of the men brought their house key that they’d received only hours ago from Quinn. Each family carried a house key to the other houses in situations as important as this one, as well as the more mundane reasons. Cheyenne looked over at the bench one last time. The bench was on a flattened narrow cardboard box. The bench itself was collapsible until final bolts were put in the assembly. It looked like he had slid it down the stairs. It was still fully covered by the blanket and she expected no one to notice it during the push to get him to the hospital. If by chance his brothers checked, it would just be something they would deal with but his professional world would not be privy to it or their lifestyle differences.

The beams were just that. Beams with bolt holes and huge bolts attached to it. It could have been an exercise bar, or corner beams, or even the foundation of a wet bar. There was nothing else in the basement that would lead to any speculation, thank goodness. There was a ruckus going on upstairs and Cheyenne jumped up to shimmy back up the steps when Liam appeared at the top stairs along with several hands and Ciarán.

“What the hell?”

“He must have tried to move the wood himself. I told him not to,” Cheyenne stifled a sob. “He hit his head and he’s bleeding badly.”

“Hold on, honey,’ said Liam, his voice shaking.

Katie called over the top of the men, “Get out of my way so I can get to him. Did anyone call the ambulance?”

“I did. They’re coming,”

“Good woman. Guys, get this log off him, carefully.”

Just as the piece of timber was about to be removed from its residence on Quinlan’s body and leaned against the far wall next to its matching set, the rescue squad was piling in the door and the ambulance was behind them. Several volunteer firemen arrived and between them all, the beam was removed, the medical care assessment was done. They carried him from the stairs on a spinal board up to the waiting gurney.

Within ten minutes of their arrival, the men had Quinn loaded and on his way to the hospital. Cheyenne jumped in the back of the ambulance just before the door closed with nothing but her cell phone and wallet that someone had gotten for her clutched in her one hand and Quinn’s discarded shirt in the other.

“We will be right behind you,” Katie assured Cheyenne. “I’ll bring you some clothes.”

“You have to take care of your little one.”

“Jocelyn is in hog heaven keeping him. Don’t you worry about Kēven. And we will take care of calling Da.”

Once they reached the hospital, things moved quickly. Quinlan hadn’t regained consciousness and Cheyenne was feeling that panic return. She sat in his ER room while they hooked him up to IVs and stripped his jeans off all the while getting her story of the events. For some reason she hated that they stripped him and she took his jeans and the later discarded briefs, refusing to send them home to be washed with Katie. They had his scent and she needed that reassurance of him with her.

As hectic as the first hour had been, now time stood still as she was directed to the waiting room while the medical team did the MRI and the CAT scans of his brain and spine. Then they did X-rays and blood work, tapped his bladder and left in the catheter. Every time something else was done or he was resting between tests, the family was encouraged to sit and talk to him and around him so that he could hear his family.

“Why won’t he wake up?” Cheyenne asked in the now familiar tortured voice of one numb with fear. She rocked back and forth, holding his clothes to her face and staring for any movement.

Katie answered with a firm and calm voice cultivated from her work with the Bhaile Haven and her nursing profession. “His brain needs a rest, honey, and this is the way it gets it. You heard the doctor, he could have a brain bleed, swelling, certainly a concussion and any one of those is enough to keep him out for a while. His vitals are good and strong which is awesome.”

“How long does it take to get the results back? It seems like we have been waiting forever.”

“It takes as long as it takes but we should hear something soon,” Katie assured everyone.

Ciarán tried to pull Cheyenne into him just as Kelli and Parker arrived but she would not have it. Comfort was not something she could allow. Kelli ran to Cheyenne and hugged her for a moment before Cheyenne distanced herself from even Kelli.