The Bottom Line by Shelley Munro

change me. I’m not putting up with a man who expects me to diet and lose weight to fit his ideals. That’s not me.
    Not anymore.
    Since I read the book, I’ve done a lot of research on the Internet. There’s so much to think about. Of course, the biggie is finding a partner or communicating with an existing partner and talking about incorporating spanking into a relationship. Then there’re positions and tools. I hadn’t thought beyond a man dragging me over his knee and using his hand, but I’ve learned about people using hairbrushes, paddles, floggers. Canes. I’ll admit the idea of a cane frightens me. Too many memories of school. The principal used to cane in extreme circumstances until the Parent-Teachers’ Association outlawed it.
    A hairbrush doesn’t seem so harsh and a paddle actually intrigues me. It will be interesting to learn how my body copes with a spanking. Will I bruise easily? How long will it be uncomfortable to sit? Will other people realize or will it remain my guilty secret? Will spanking change me?
    At first I worried I was a freak. My research has shown there are lots of other people out there who enjoy spanking. I’m not alone.
    I’m ending this post with a question—how did you know you wanted to explore spanking? What made you take the leap into the world of spanking?
     
    “Jesus,” Connor muttered, scrolling through the comments on Maggie’s blog. Her posts were attracting regular visitors, and each person had honest opinions for her. Some had fallen into spanking by accident, while partners and lovers had introduced others. Maggie was really serious about spanking. That fact came through in her posts and the way she interacted with her visitors.
    What did he do now?
    He’d always thought he was a skilled lover, giving his partners pleasure. With giving came receiving. His stepfather had told him that during an embarrassing but enlightening talk on sex. Connor grimaced. No one liked to think about their parents having sex, and even less the fact that they did it often and enjoyed the act.
    His stepfather had changed his life in so many ways. Positive ways. His mother had bloomed under his stepfather’s attention. His life, which had been like open warfare while living with his real father, had evened out. He’d gone back to being a kid again, while his mother had lost her scared, pinched look and the bruises had faded.
    How the hell could he hit Maggie when he’d sworn he’d never lift a hand to any woman, no matter what the provocation?
    Maybe he could talk to his stepfather? He toyed with the idea and reached for the phone before deciding he’d wait.
    Spanking is only beneficial if it enhance the lives of both partners.
    A visitor left the comment and it had stuck with him. He was crazy about Maggie. He loved spending time with her, even if they didn’t end up having sex. But spanking? How would it enrich his life when he hated the idea of violence and had taken a vow never to hit a woman?
    The peel of his cell phone broke into his introspection. Probably just as well since his thoughts were chasing in circles. “Yeah?”
    “It’s Julia. Do you fancy coming around for a drink? I’m sick of my own company.”
    Connor frowned at the downbeat note in her voice. “You must be scraping the bottom of the barrel to ring me,” he teased, hoping to coax a smile from her.
    “I’m not…seeing anyone at the moment,” she said. “I thought—” She broke off abruptly, but Connor heard the tears in her voice. “How about if I drop around after rugby training? In two hours. I’m about to leave now.”
    “Thanks. I need to buy some groceries anyway. I’ll make dinner for us both.”
    “Don’t forget to buy some beer,” Connor said.
     
    Rugby training went a bit over two hours, but Connor arrived at Julia’s flat just after eight. When she opened the door, he checked for evidence of tears and found none, to his great relief.
    “Hey, sorry I’m late. The coach kept us