“Hmm,” he clucked his tongue at the thermometer. “You don’t have a fever.”

  “That’s good, right? Can I get up now?”

  “Sure.”

  When she sat up, she immediately pulled up her panties, but she’d kicked her shorts off during her struggle to keep from going over his lap. She was about to get off the couch to get them when she saw him reach for the phone. The sight of it gave her a sinking feeling. “What are you doing?”

  “I think I should take you to the ER—food poisonin’ can get serious, quick. I was gonna call ahead.”

  “Oh, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I’m feeling a lot better than I was this morning, actually.”

  “Really?” His brow furrowed. “When’s the last time you vomited?”

  “Um…” Could people have food poisoning without throwing up? She wasn’t sure. “I don’t know. An hour ago, maybe?”

  “Stomachache?”

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “Diarrhea?”

  Scarlet’s cheeks flushed until she felt sure she could fry an egg on them. “N-no.”

  “Anything else?”

  “My head hurts a little, but I think if I just went back to sleep—”

  “I don’t know, Scarlett. I’d hate to leave you and for things to get worse. Maybe we should at least go to see a doctor.”

  “I don’t think we need to do that. Really.” She waited with bated breath to see how he’d answer and hoped against hope that he’d let it go. She was sorry for the lie she’d told, and even sorrier that it was getting bigger by the minute. She wished he’d just leave already so she could have a miraculous recovery in the morning and leave this behind them forever.

  “That doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. We should at least get you some meds for nausea.”

  “I don’t think I’m up for leaving the house. But I’m okay, really.”

  “Are you sure?” He pinned her down with his gaze until she couldn’t help but squirm.

  “Yes,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I’m really, really sure. I’ll be fine. I just need to rest.”

  “Maybe more than rest,” he mused, putting her on red alert again. “I think I’m gonna put in a call to the nurse line and see what they make of this.”

  Damn. She’d been so, so close. “Colton—”

  He held up a hand to silence her and was punching in numbers before she could stop him. “Yes. Hello? Hi, I need some advice.” He glanced at her as he spoke to the person on the other line. “Yes, my little girl doesn’t seem to be feeling so well, so I called in to see what I should do.”

  She felt her insides get all squirmy at being called his little girl to a stranger. She couldn’t believe he was doing this. “Colton,” she hissed, reaching for the phone.

  He batted her hand away and gave her a look that made her ass cheeks tingle in anticipation of the spanking she’d get if she interrupted him again. But she just couldn’t help it! That was her he was talking about! On the phone! To a stranger! It was just too embarrassing.

  “Yes, she’s complaining of a headache and an upset tummy. Also, she’s been vomiting.”

  She cringed inside, knowing that now she would most definitely pay for her lies, one way or another. Oh, why hadn’t she just fessed up when he showed up at the door?

  “I did take her temperature, yes.”

  Scarlett’s cheeks went warmer still with embarrassment, as though the person on the other line could hear him and know that she’d had a thermometer up her butt. Oh, it was just too humiliating. Her eyes widened and she shook her head at him, silently pleading with him to get off the phone, but either he didn’t notice, or he pretended not to.

  “No, no fever. And she doesn’t have any diarrhea.”

  Oh, God, couldn’t he just hang up! At this rate, she might die of mortification before he got off the phone.

  “No, come to think of it, I don’t know when her last bowel movement was.”

  She could feel his eyes on her, but she refused to look at him. This was just too much. If the floor would open up to swallow her so that she’d never have to look at anyone again, she’d consider herself lucky.

  “That’s a great suggestion—you just might have something there.”

  Scarlett swallowed a groan, wondering what the ‘suggestion’ could possibly be. Surely, the nurse couldn’t have guessed that she was making it all up, that she wasn’t sick at all? At least, she hoped not. At this point, she might as well ride it out.

  “Yes, I understand. Thank you so much for your time. Yes, I’ll call you if there are any problems. Thank you for your time, I’m much obliged.”

  She watched his every move with wide eyes, holding her breath as she waited for him to speak. As though he knew exactly how she felt, Colton took his time hanging up the phone and putting it back on the clip on his belt loop. “What did she say?” she blurted out, not able to stand the suspense a moment later.

  “She doesn’t think you need to go to see a doctor.”

  Scarlett let out an audible sigh of relief. Thank God. If she’d had to go to the doctor, she just didn’t know how long she’d be able to stand it before she had to spill the truth. She would tell the truth right now, if she didn’t think that Colton would be mad at her for making him worry in the first place.

  “She thinks it can be handled right here at home.”

  “W-what do you mean?”

  “The nurse said that constipation was probably the cause of your upset tummy.”

  “But I’m not—”

  “So all I need to do is give you an enema and everything will be fine.”

  “But Colton, I’m not… I don’t need you to…” She trailed off, too humiliated to finish the sentence. “I can’t believe you talked to someone about… that,” she muttered.

  “I’m just trying to take care of you, baby-girl.”

  “I appreciate that, really, but…”

  “But what?” When she didn’t answer, Colton continued. “I think you’re just nervous. You don’t need to be. I’m going to make you feel better. But unfortunately, I don’t have the things I need here. We’ll have to go to my place.”

  She was shaking her head before he even finished talking. “No, I don’t think I’m strong enough to leave…”

  Colton arched an eyebrow and gave her a look that told her in no uncertain terms that she was not going to win this. But she had to! She didn’t know how, but she had to think of something! There was no way she could let him give her an enema! How embarrassing!

  “Look, I really appreciate your concern,” she said, trying a different tact, “but it’s not necessary. I’m feeling better already. Promise.”

  “Hmm.” Colton tapped his foot as he surveyed her, seeming to consider what she’d said. It gave her hope and she held her breath as she waited for him to answer. “Still, I’d rather be safe than sorry. Besides, my place isn’t far from here.”

  She groaned inwardly and hung her head. She’d known she wasn’t going to get out of this without a fight and the truth was, she just didn’t have it in her to fight him. “Okay.”

  “Great. Get your shoes on.”

  I’m going to regret this, she thought to herself as she slipped on her tennis shoes and followed him to the door. She wanted to prove to him that she wasn’t sick and she didn’t need any medical attention, but as hard as he tried to involve her in conversation as he drove, she just couldn’t bring herself to say anything beyond monosyllabic answers. She could feel his sympathetic stares and she hated herself for not just coming clean to him in the first place. She didn’t deserve his sympathy. At least, not for being ill.

  “Here we are. Come on in.”

  How were they here already? Scarlett began to feel nervous butterflies as she looked at his trailer. Swallowing hard and grabbing desperately at her courage, she followed him out of the truck and up the walkway. He had her settled on the couch in minutes, and before she knew it he was telling her he’d be right back.

  “Colton… do we have to do this?” she asked, sounding just the slightest bit whiney.

  “You know we do, baby. Nurse’s orders.”

  Her stomach knotted itself into a ball as she watched him disappear down the hall. She couldn’t believe the mess she’d gotten herself into. She just needed to tell him. It would be hard, and she was sure he would punish her for it, once what she’d done sank in, but then at least she wouldn’t have to go through with more of him ‘playing doctor.’ It really was too embarrassing! She’d blushed so much and so deeply that she wasn’t sure her complexion would ever recover.

  She’d just taken a deep breath, trying to summon up what courage she possessed, when Colton walked back into the room. Her eyes darted to his hand and immediately she sat up a little straighter. “What’s that?”

  “A bulb syringe,” he replied easily, as though the answer was obvious.

  She furrowed her brow as she contemplated him. “I know that, what I mean is, what are you going to do with it?”

  “Lie back down and I’ll show you.”

  Scarlett worked her bottom lip with her teeth nervously. “I don’t know, Colton. I don’t like the look of that thing.”

  “This?” He held it up and looked from it to her. “C’mon, it’s harmless.”

  Maybe the bulb syringe was, but the picture that formed in her mind had her thinking that what he planned to do with it probably wasn’t so harmless. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  Colton had looked patient up to that point, but it was easy to see that he was getting frustrated with her. “I understand that you’re nervous, but if we want to get you feeling better, then you’re just gonna have to face your fear.”

  “I don’t think I can,” she told him, reverting to the little-girl voice that seemed to come out around him when she was feeling anxious or particularly cared for.

  “‘Course you can. I’ll be here the whole time. I’m not gonna let anything bad happen to you.”

  Promise? she almost asked. She was sure that when she confessed everything, the ‘something bad’ would be him whacking her butt! “But—”

  “Lie down and spread your cheeks,” he interrupted, giving her a pointed look.

  She bit down on her lip and blushed for what felt like the millionth time, but in the end, she just couldn’t come up with another excuse. Though she was more than a little uncomfortable, in the end she did just that. For the life of her, she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off that syringe in his hand.

  “Have you ever had an enema before?”

  “N-no,” she answered shakily, wanting to change her mind. When she tried to sit back up, though, she found Colton’s hand pressed firmly against her lower back.

  “Don’t move and we’ll get this over with.”

  “Colton…”

  “Yeah, darlin’?”

  “The thing is, you don’t really need to do that.”

  “Sure I do, baby. We need to get you feelin’ better.”

  “No, really, you don’t understand. See, the thing is, I’m… well, I’m not really sick.” She held her breath as she waited for his response, but with none forthcoming, she turned her head to look back at him. He was calmly smearing a big glob of petroleum jelly around the tip of the syringe. “Colton? Did you hear me?”

  “Yeah, I heard you, honey.” He met her eyes, his hazel ones so calm that she was sure he mustn’t have listened after all. “Now, this is going to be a little uncomfortable.”

  “Colton!” she yelped in protest, trying once more—and failing—to sit up. “I just told you that I’m not really sick!”

  “I know.”

  “Well, then you don’t need to do this!” she blurted, feeling panic begin to build in her belly until she really did have a tummy ache.

  “Sure I do. It just doesn’t have anything to do with you feelin’ under the weather.”

  She gaped at him, her mouth opening and closing without emitting a sound. She found herself well and truly speechless. Colton paid her no mind at all as he scooped out another glob of jelly. When he spread her cheeks apart and put it on her bared anus, she squealed and kicked her legs.

  “Hush, it doesn’t hurt.”

  “It’s cold!” she whined.

  “Don’t worry, it’ll warm up here in a minute.”

  “But that’s not fair!” she protested, feeling very much like the three-year-old he was treating her as. “I’m not sick! I can’t believe you knew and you didn’t say anything!” she huffed.

  “Well, of course I knew, Scarlett. Tell me somethin’, do you think I’m an idiot, or do you think you’re a good actress?”

  She glowered at him and this time, she did stick her tongue out at him.

  Colton chuckled at her antics. “Mighty fine time for you to be actin’ out when I’ve got your bare butt right in front of me.”

  Scarlett rewarded him with her best scowl, even as she silently acknowledged that he had a point. Damn him.

  “Now, just do your best to relax. It’ll be over soon.”

  Relax! Ha! She’d like to see him relax if the shoe was on the other foot!

  “That’s a good girl,” he told her softly as he gently but firmly pressed against her bottom hole.

  “Ooh,” she moaned as she took it, bit by bit, inside of her. “I don’t understand. If you know, why are you doing this to me?”

  “Well, the way I figure it, you did it to yourself, sweetheart. I gave you chance after chance to confess, but you never did. So, the way I see it, you had this comin’.”

  She sniffled, as hurt by his words—and the truth of them—as she was by the uncomfortable feeling of having something inside her that did not belong.

  “Unclench those cheeks.”

  “I was going to tell you.”

  “Were you? Didn’t look that way from where I sat.”

  “Well, if I’d known you knew…”

  “That’s not exactly the point, now is it, Scarlett? Now, I’m about to start letting the water in.”

  “Please, Colton,” she whimpered. “I am so sorry. It won’t ever happen again, I promise.”

  “Oh, you can bet it won’t,” he replied sternly. “I’m going to see to that.”

  “B-but can’t you j-just trust me?”

  “Trust is earned, Scarlett. Do you think you earned any today?”

  She buried her head into the couch cushion, sniffling and feeling sorry for herself. She shut her eyes tightly and tried her best to ignore the discomfort she was feeling as her anus stretched to admit the foreign object.

  “I asked you a question, little girl.”

  For a minute, she considered not answering, just to spite him. But she quickly realized that the only one who would hurt was herself. “No,” she admitted.

  “And why do you think that is?”

  She groaned inwardly. He knew exactly why, so why was he making her tell him? “Because I lied to you.”

  “That’s right. Two people in a relationship need to be honest, always. Do you understand that?”

  “Yes,” she grumbled.

  Thankfully, he let her grumpiness pass and the scolding stopped. She was grateful, until she felt the water begin to enter her tight, puckered hole. She’d expect it to be a trickle—and that would have been bad enough, but it was a flood of warm water pouring into her. It magnified her discomfort a thousand times. Colton didn’t say anything as he let the water run from the bulb into her bottom hole and after a minute, she began to cry.

  It wasn’t just from the discomfort of the enema—it was all of it. It was the scolding, the fact that she knew she’d earned it, the humiliation of her punishment. Now that she knew that he’d known all along she was lying, she realized that he’d probably only called the nurse line to embarrass her, and that made her cry too. But most of all, she cried because she was exhausted, physically and mentally worn out, and her nerves were shot. She should have just told him in the first place, then maybe he would have held her and made her feel better. Right now, she’d like nothing better.

  But no, because she’d decided to be such a naughty girl, she was having her bottom washed out. And even with the shame of it, she was pretty sure she deserved it. That was the worst feeling, knowing she’d done something bad enough to deserve such a punishment.

  “I’m sorry,” she whimpered. She’d spoken so low, and her words were so muffled that she was sure he couldn’t hear her. It didn’t matter—she just needed to say it.

  “Me too,” he surprised her by answering.

  “What are you sorry for?”

  “I’m sorry that you don’t trust me enough to be honest with me. Do you think we can work on that?”

  Hearing the soft sincerity in his voice shamed her more than before. “I do trust you, Colton. It’s not that, I swear.”

  “Then why weren’t you up front with me from the beginning?” he pressed. “You told me you were sick, knowing full well that you weren’t.”

  “Because…”

  “Because what?”

  She cried softly into the pillow and this time, Colton patted her back.

  “It’s okay, baby. We don’t have to talk about it until you’re ready. We’re almost done here, anyhow.”

  * * *

  For all her whining and carrying on initially, Scarlett was actually doing quite well. Colton filled the bulb once more and let the fluid enter her tight anus. Though she whimpered and cried, she laid still and was generally receptive to his corrections, when he had to give them. She sure was pretty, he reflected as he looked at her. With all that golden hair, her tiny waist and curved hips, she’d be easy on anyone’s eyes. From the minute he’d seen her bare slit, he’d felt his pants become uncomfortably tight and they hadn’t loosened yet. Every inch of this girl got him stiff and hard. Seeing her take her punishment so well was another big turn-on—God, she was damn-near perfect. Now if only she could learn to be a good girl.