Chapter 5 - Our Future Together

Part 21 – Will You?

So, the holidays were upon us. First Thanksgiving was great with Chloe home, frequently commenting to us both, and me separately, how happy we both seemed, especially her mother. I couldn’t agree more! I met her sister from Atlanta as they came down for the holiday. She had immediately commented upon seeing Susan that she looked so different, so happy, before she’d even met me or seen us together. Her husband was the quiet one, while Erin was a talker, jumping from subject to subject. Though trying to keep up with her was exhausting, we hit it off fine, with her telling me just before she left how wonderful it was to see her sister like this!

Thanksgiving was as late as possible, leaving less than four weeks until Christmas. Susan and I started talking about it right after Thanksgiving. Chloe was back two weeks later, finished with school for this term, which got us talking about how we’d celebrate.

“I know this is a family holiday, so if you want to have the day with Chloe, I completely understand,” I said, not wanting to assume anything.

“What?! Yes, I want to spend the day with Chloe, but I want you there too! I want you both on Christmas!”

“Good. I’d love to have Christmas with you and Chloe! Will we have some time alone? … maybe Christmas Eve? I’d like to be alone with you sometime during the holiday.”

“Let me check with Chloe. She sometimes goes out with her friends on Christmas Eve. They used to go caroling! If she goes out, we’ll have the evening together. I do have a problem, though. I really want to sleep with you that night, just to be together, wake up together, but I also want to be there in the morning for Chloe.”

“Why don’t I just sleep at your house?” I asked, seeing a relieved look on her face.

“You don’t mind sleeping here?”

“Why should I mind? Anyplace with you is home, Susan!”

“Ohhh, I love you so much!” she said as she was tearing up, then reaching for me for a long, loving kiss. “Wanna help me put my tree up?” she asked, still sniffling.

“I’d love to!” I said genuinely.

So, we spent the rest of the day and early evening decorating her Christmas tree and pulling box after box of additional decorations out, giving the whole house a festive atmosphere. We stood in front of the tree, holding each other and admiring our decorating skills when Chloe came home.

“Holy cow, Mom!!” she cried, looking around the whole house. “You haven’t put these many decorations up since I was a little kid!”

“Well, I guess I have a lot of Christmas spirit this year!” she replied, looking at me, then kissing me and adding, “Thanks to you!”

“Awww!” Chloe said, coming to give us a group hug. I kissed them both on the forehead as I thought about my surprise gift for Susan.

The holiday was approaching fast, and my other plans thankfully fell into place just right. Susan confirmed that Chloe would be out with her friends on Christmas Eve, so we’d have that night together. Now, I just had to figure out what exactly we would do, wanting to be sure the setting was just right. I had an idea but gave it a few days to think about it before deciding.

Once I decided, I thought I ought to run it by her so she didn’t object at the last minute, ruining my plan. Thankfully, she was agreeable. Since she was planning a Christmas day dinner, we decided to go to our favorite romantic restaurant, Stefan’s, taking the only reservation time they had left, which was much later than we usually eat. Still, in this instance, any time was okay.

Finally, the day arrived, and with much anticipation, I went to pick her up. When she opened the door, I was pleased to see her dressed simply, but elegantly.

“You look prettier than ever!” I remarked almost as soon as she opened the door. Her hair was done up in a way I hadn’t seen yet, probably with Chloe’s help and/or influence, which was very attractive. A simple white top with long sleeves was just sheer enough to see a faint shadow of her lacy bra underneath. Tailored black pants completed the outfit, fitting tightly around her waist and hips, flattering those features nicely, while the legs were loose, sharply creased, and just short of the black heels, higher than I’d ever seen on her.

“Thank you! You look handsome as well!” I also wore black dress pants with a dark green shirt and a Christmas tie. “We’ll be the best-dressed couple on the beach!” she added with a big hug and short kiss.

Yes, the beach. It was our favorite place to talk, connect, and get to know each other, and that was important tonight. The moon was a couple of days past full, so it should be right overhead when we were there. I’d told Susan about a time I’d been on the beach late at night with a full moon, and the eerie light made the white sand look like snow, which seemed appropriate for Christmas Eve.

“Oh good! You brought your bag! I don’t know why, but I’m excited about you sleeping in my bed tonight,” she said, taking my hand. “You can leave that in the bedroom while I grab a sweater in case it gets cooler.” It was an unusually warm day for December, though breezes at the beach could make it seem cooler. I’d brought a sweater as well.

“Ready?” I asked as she came back. A quick kiss was her affirmative answer, so out the door, we went. I’d brought my SUV as the more comfortable choice for a somewhat elegant night out.

“Remember the first time you took me in this car?” she asked with a devious smile.

“I’ll never forget it!” I replied honestly. “We both said we wanted to do that again!”

“Yes, how about right after Christmas?” she suggested, placing her hand on my thigh and sliding it up to my crotch.

“Not now! You’ll spoil your dinner!” I scolded her as I moved her hand back down my leg, both laughing aloud.

We had a wonderful meal at Stefan’s with a couple of Christmas specials. We also had wine, but I limited myself to two glasses, not even finishing the second so that I would be in a normal state of mind. I had to remind myself not to hurry, as I wanted to get to the beach badly. I don’t think Susan noticed, nor did she have any idea what else would happen that night. We finished dinner and shared a light dessert with a cup of tea. It was almost ten o’clock when we finally got up to leave.

“Mmm, it’s still warm! I don’t think I’ll need my sweater. Ooo, look at the moon!” A golden moon was nearly, but not quite, directly overhead and looked almost full in a crystal-clear sky, allowing some stars to show despite the bright moon. What a perfect night for what I had planned!

We got to the beach and were able to park in the street. We felt a cooler breeze and decided to take our sweaters, grabbed my beach blanket, and headed for the sand. Susan had changed her shoes to something more appropriate for the beach, though I hadn’t planned to do much walking. We got to the shoreline and walked as I pointed out the illusion of the sand looking like snow. We’d walked up the beach for a few minutes when I stopped.

“Do you mind if we just sit on the beach tonight? I just feel like talking and want to see your pretty face when we do.” Another kiss for agreement, this one long and lusty. “First, I want to tell you that this past year has been the best year of my life! And that’s all because of you!”

“Oh, Mark! You’re gonna make me cry,” she replied as her eyes started tearing up. “I feel the same way! I love you so!”

“I want to tell you all the things I love about you.” I started as she was trying to stop the tears. “I love how we got together, even though it was a kinky, weird spanking thing!” Now, she was laughing through her tears. “I love that you were so open to it and eager to know more! I love that it seems to run in your family!” More laughing.

“I love the kind of person you were and the one you’ve become! I love that you’ve become such a happy person and made me one, too! I love your pretty face and your delicious body! I love that you’d give me anything I want and that you know I’d do the same for you! I love that I’m able to give you so much pleasure! I love going to bed with you, holding you, sleeping with you! … and I especially love waking up with you in the morning, whether I’m watching you wake up, or you’re looking at me when I do!”

“Mark! I don’t know what to …” she tried through her tears, but I interrupted.

“I love all these things and more about you and about us, and I never want them to end … never! So I’m asking you now …” Her eyes opened wide! “… if you would please … please marry me?” She screamed! “I love you so much, Susan! I want to spend the rest of my life with you!” I started fishing in my pocket for the ring I’d bought for her as she cried openly and tried hard to stop.

“Oh my God! Mark? You really want to marry me!?” she asked, sobbing.

“Yes, Susan, I do! Will you? Please?”

“Oh, Mark! Yes! Yes-yes-yes! I love you more than anything, but I can’t believe this is happening! It’s just too …” she stopped as I reached for her left hand, and she saw the ring. The tears and sniffling renewed, though she tried hard to stop as she stared at the ring in my right hand. I slipped the ring onto her finger. She briefly looked at the ring, pounced on me, and we fell onto the blanket.

“I love you!” she said repeatedly between kisses as we hugged each other tightly to become one. It lasted for several minutes, but we eventually regained control of ourselves and sat up, Susan leaning back against me, holding my arms tightly around her. She held up her left hand and looked at the ring. “It’s beautiful, Mark! I still can’t believe it! We’re gonna live together and love together,” she said past the tears.

“Do you like the ring?” I asked, knowing it was just a simple round-cut diamond in a platinum setting, not big, but not small either. Though I was more than willing to get a much bigger stone, I didn’t think she’d want something big and showy.

“It’s beautiful! It’s perfect! … and it’s from you! And that’s all that matters!” Her tears under control now, we touched, cuddled, nuzzled, kissed, and just enjoyed holding each other gently and lovingly. “I’m so glad you asked me here! The beach will always be a special place for us, won’t it?”

“It will,” I answered simply and softly, “but any place with you is special! I love you, Susan! And I’m so happy you’re going to be my wife!” I added with a shaky voice, and now it was my turn to tear up. Noticing this, she got up on her knees, turned to face me, and held my head to her chest as she stroked and kissed my hair.

“Shall we walk?” she asked, and we rose together and walked arm-in-arm down the beach. “You know, at one point while you were saying … all those wonderful things, I was hoping you were leading up to ask me to move in with you, but I’ve never been more surprised in my life when you asked me to marry you! Oh God!” she said, tearing up again. “Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly be any happier than I was, you make me the happiest girl alive! You keep doing that to me, you know!?”

“I hope to make you happier still, my beautiful, wonderful Susan!” Our conversation continued along similar lines until we both managed to finally control our tears. I stopped walking and, turning towards her, I took her in my arms and gave her the most loving kiss I could, and she responded in kind. Our lips separated, but not our eyes.

“Take me home and make love to me, Mark! I want to give myself to you as I’ve never done before!”

I turned around, put my arm around her, and started walking back. We retrieved the blanket and drove home, Susan holding her hand up to look at the ring all the way, smiling, and I know it’s not just the ring she’s looking at, but the fact that it’s on her finger and that I put it there.

When we got to her home, we strolled to the door. Once inside, we walked slowly to the bedroom. Other times, we’d run to the bedroom, clothes stripping off along the way, and fall into our nakedness, devouring each other’s body, but not tonight. We sat calmly on the bed, still fully dressed and touching each other gently, lovingly.

Clothes came off gradually, deliberately, when they needed to be out of the way. My shirt and tie when she wanted to kiss my neck. Her blouse when I wanted to feel her against my now bare chest. My pants when she tried to squeeze my bottom. Her bra when I wanted her breasts in my mouth. We turned lovemaking into an art form, moving easily and smoothly around our bodies, taking the pleasure given and giving more in return. Soft whispers, touches, and caresses continued as we gradually brought each other to a calmer but immensely satisfying climax.

Sitting up in bed, with Susan leaning back against me, she again looked at the ring.

“It’s a beautiful ring, Mark! I hope you know I’d be satisfied with a Cracker Jack prize ring, but I love that you picked such a pretty one for me!”

“Yes, I know that, and I even considered doing it as a joke, but this wasn’t the time. I wanted to be sure you knew I want you the same way every day, forever, and a ring like this symbolizes that.” She turned her head to kiss me as we heard the front door opening and closing.

“Chloe’s home!” she cried with an excited look. “Can I tell her now?”

“Of course! No one should know before Chloe!”

“Chloe? Is that you?” she asked loudly as we both moved to get at least partially dressed again.

“Yeah, it’s me! You guys don’t have to get up. I’m exhausted and just want to go to bed.”

“Wait a minute! We have something we want to show you!” Susan put on her underwear and a slinky robe while I got a pair of shorts and a long-sleeve T-shirt from my bag. We opened the door and found Chloe sitting on the sofa.

“Hi, Mark! I’m really glad you’re spending Christmas with us this year!” she said genuinely, and standing up, she hugged each of us in turn.

“He’ll be spending much more than just Christmas with us!” Susan said to a confused Chloe until she held out her hand with the ring.

“OH MY GOD!” Chloe literally screamed. “Is that …”

“… an engagement ring!” Susan interrupted. “We’re going to be married, Chloe!” she cried, and they both burst into tears, with me not far behind.

“Oh, Mom! I’m so happy for you!” she said as they hugged tightly, Chloe looking back at me with a look that said both ‘Well done!’ and ‘Thank you!’ I just smiled through my tears, and Chloe hugged me just as tightly. “I’m so happy for both of you!” she said quietly in my ear.

Pulling away, she grabbed Susan’s wrist and pulled her towards the kitchen, saying, “Let me see it in better lighting! It’s gorgeous, Mom! You did good, Mark!” she said, meaning more than just picking a nice ring.

“I hope you know I love you too!?” she said as she put her arms around my neck and planted a forceful kiss on my cheek, adding, “Daddy!” as she looked into my eyes. I looked briefly over at Susan, getting an ‘I told you so’ look.

“You don’t have to call me that, Chloe. I know I’m not your real …”

“But I want to! You’ve made me very happy as well, you know, and I’d like you to be my Daddy!”

“Thank you, Chloe!” I said, hugging her now, “It would be an honor to call you my daughter.” Everyone was crying when we all hugged, and I thought of how lucky I am to be part of this family, my family now.

After much talk and questions, No, we don’t have a date yet; who should we invite? Where will we go on our honeymoon? We all finally went to bed.

“I love you!” Susan said as she took one last look at her ring before we closed our eyes while I held her tightly to my chest, and she held my arms to be sure I didn’t let go.

Christmas morning, we started late as we all slept later than usual. When we were both awake, we didn’t want to get out of bed right away, preferring to hold each other and talk.

“I know we rushed through all this last night, but do you have any date in mind?”

“Well, I think we’ll be too busy today, but how about tomorrow?” I joked, getting a slap on my hand for my effort. “Okay, but my point is I don’t see any point in a long engagement, do you?”

“No, I don’t. I’m all for ‘as soon as possible,’ but there are preparations to make. I don’t think I want a big deal made out of it, just a small event with family and close friends, but still, a nice event.”

“I’ll help or give an opinion if asked as much as you want, but it’s all up to you; whatever you want.” That seemed to settle the issue for now.

We went to the kitchen, and I made a pot of tea. We toasted Christmas with our mugs and decided I would make breakfast since Susan was making a later afternoon dinner. Waiting for Chloe to wake up, we went to sit on the sofa with our tea and talked some more about wedding plans, not deciding anything but considering ideas. We were about to get a second cup of tea when Chloe came out in Christmas pajamas, all red with big white snowflakes.

“Merry Christmas!” she said and came to give us both a hug and a kiss.

“I’m making breakfast, Chloe. Got anything particular in mind?”

“Mark likes a big stack of pancakes,” Susan said, getting both of us laughing at our private joke.

“O - kay,” Chloe said, confused, “I’m good with simple bacon and eggs.” So, I started making our breakfast while Susan and Chloe got presents out and placed them under the tree. I saw Susan take one gift and hide it behind a pillow on the sofa. It was past noon when we finally sat down for breakfast, after which we went to open presents.

There was the usual mix of clothes, funny, offbeat, and practical gifts, and it didn’t take long for the three of us to finish. Nevertheless, I enjoyed being part of a family again as I rarely went up north to visit my siblings at Christmas, partly because, still being single, I never felt like I really belonged, as well as the hassle of traveling during the holidays. I was thrilled to have this day with Susan and Chloe and even happier to know there would be many more like it.

I cleaned up the breakfast dishes, after which Susan started dinner with some help from Chloe. When we were almost ready, I opened a couple of bottles of wine, and we all sat down.

“Take my hands,” Susan said, reaching out to us as we created a circle. “Merry Christmas to the two most important people in my life on this very special Christmas!” she finished, looking at me.

“Merry Christmas to my new family!” I said, taking my wine glass and offering a toast. The dinner Susan prepared was delicious, and as is common on such holidays, we all ate too much, sitting back fat and happy when we were done. I volunteered to clean up the kitchen again. I heard the two of them talking in the living room but lost in my thoughts, I wasn’t paying much attention.

“More wine, everybody?” I asked, coming out of the kitchen with two glasses of red and one of white. We all talked for a while, including wedding plans, and Chloe had some excellent input, but again, nothing definitive. It was getting dark when Chloe announced she’d be leaving soon to visit some friends, suggesting we’d probably like to be alone.

“Chloe, I have one more gift for you,” Susan said, pulling out the package I’d seen her hide earlier. It was a small flat box with wrapping, which Chloe opened while standing before us on the sofa. Her eyes went wide when she opened the box and found a small leather paddle, her feelings a mixture of arousal and embarrassment. It was a little smaller than a ping pong paddle, round with one side smooth and the other with an intricate design tooled into the leather.

“It’s beautiful, Mom!” she said, still with mixed emotions, but turned to give herself a good swat on her right cheek. I was going to get up to look at it and then disappear in case they had anything private to say to each other about the gift. It was a lovely paddle, and I slapped it against my hand a couple of times with a smile that Susan understood meant I’d like to have one, too.

Chloe scooped up her gifts and took them to her room, leaving us alone.

“It is a very special Christmas, Mark! I’ll remember it always!” she added, turning for a long, passionate kiss.

“As will I! I love you, Susie!” I said, using the name I’d first known her by for the first time in months.

A short while later, when it was fully dark outside, Chloe came out of her room dressed beautifully and ready to go out. We both got a big hug and a kiss, and I got another ‘thank you’ whispered in my ear.

“I have another gift for you too!” Susan announced as soon as the door closed behind Chloe. She pulled out another box, identical to Chloe’s, from behind the pillow and handed it to me. It was the same paddle as Chloe’s in a different color.

“It is a beautiful paddle, Susan. I look forward to us both using it!” I said, wishing that could be right now but not wanting to spoil any of the great atmosphere of the day.

“I have something else as well. If you don’t want it, please tell me! It’s fine!” Seeing acceptance in my face, she continued. “I want to give you a … a spanking!”

“What? I give you an engagement ring, and I get spanked for it!?” I said in mock protest that I’m not sure she understood.

“No, Mark! I’m sorry! I just …”

“I’m kidding!”

“Good. Any kind, any way you want, but I really want you over my knee for a sexy spanking!”

“I’d love it, little one!” I said as I moved to get up, offering my hand to help her up as well.

“Yeah? Would you like to get spanked? Hm? Have me pull your pants down and take you over my knee so I can spank your bare bottom? A nice … long … sexy … spanking?” she offered, knowing that every use of the word ‘spank’ was getting me harder.

“Yes! I want to get spanked! Put me across your knee and give me a good spanking!” I said, continuing one of our favorite scenes as we walked to the bedroom. Once there, Susan took our chair and put it in the usual spot facing the end of the bed.

“Yes, I’ll give you a spanking, but you have to ask me nicely for it!” she said as she sat in the chair and removed my clothes.

“Please spank me, Susan? Please give me a nice, long spanking across your knee! You know I love the way you do it! Spank me? Please?” I said, fully naked, and started undressing her as well.

“You’re gonna get a really good spanking,” she said as I pulled her panties down and off. “Come! Over my knee!” she instructed with my hard-on in one hand and her other hand pushing on my left cheek, guiding me onto her lap with my dick held tight between her thighs.

What followed was a long, sexy spanking with her hand and my new paddle, and like the many more that would follow, it led to other erotic activities from which several climaxes would result. We both agreed it was the best Christmas ever!

Several months later, we were married in a small ceremony with about thirty friends and family in attendance, followed by a reception in our favorite Italian restaurant, which they opened in the late afternoon, just for us.

We had decided not to have any sex or sleep together for a week before the wedding to build up the anticipation for our wedding night, and it was magical! We made love like never before, and our bond strengthened that night as we spent hours in bed holding each other and having the most amazing sex with no red bottoms involved. And while the wedding night included no spanking, we made up for our week of abstention during our two-week tropical honeymoon, where we rarely went more than a day without someone having their bottom smacked.

Coming home involved the move of Susan into ‘our’ house now, and while the result was terrific, getting there involved more than a couple of disagreements, which we settled quickly with a bare bottom getting spanked if necessary. Our first night together in our house was cause for more celebration, keeping us up till early morning hours as we couldn’t get enough of each other.

In the years that followed, we invented many fun scenes, and the best would become part of our spanking catalog, repeated appropriately. Birthday spankings were always fun, with me getting my first from Susan just a few weeks after the wedding, and she made good on her promise of making up all fifty-seven years of almost no birthday spankings, which involved over seventeen hundred spanks!

One of the more memorable scenes was when Susan recreated her first spanking in the dentist’s chair. She arranged it with the office manager without revealing any specifics, who saw it as a romantic gesture and agreed to let Susan work late and leave her to lock up. I knew nothing about it, going to what I thought would be a routine appointment, until Susan whispered, no breathed, in my ear, ‘I’ve been naughty’! Susan, being a seasoned pro now, her spanking lasted much longer than her first.

I feel like the luckiest man alive to have found someone as special as Susan to share my life with, and I have no regrets that this happened later in my life. We have the rest of our lives together, and there will likely never be a time when one of us isn’t telling the other, ‘You need a spanking!’ But although spanking defined our sexual relationship, it didn’t define ‘us’! We were two people in love who shared many things that just happened to include spanking, a lot of spanking!!

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I really hope you've enjoyed this long sojourn through Mark's life and the romantic conclusion with Susan! It was a very emotional ending for me that never fails to get to me. Please remember to 'like' and/or 'favorite' it! Thank you so much for sharing this with me.