Chapter 6

Renata stood before her mirror, checking her appearance one last time. She looked beautiful, as always, and she took a deep breath, readying herself for the evening ahead. She swept regally out of the bedroom and walked into the living room, where Logan was on the phone yet again, a glass of whiskey untouched on the table beside him. He barked something into the phone and then switched it off before turning his attention to his wife.

"Ah, there you are." He raised a finger and twirled it, instructing her to turn around for his inspection. "Slowly. Yes, yes, you look as luscious as always." He walked over to her and kissed her neck, careful not to muss her appearance. "Would you like a drink?"

"No. There'll be time for that later. Are you ready?"

"Yes. The limo is waiting. Let's get this show on the road." Logan held her coat for her and they walked out of the penthouse, followed by the guards who were posted outside the door.

There was a bucket of ice holding the usual bottle of champagne in the car, and Logan's campaign manager, already in the car, handed each of them a glass as they settled in for the ride to the site of the first primary debate. Renata fiddled with her glass, taking only a tiny sip as the two men went over debate strategy yet again.

"All right, enough," Logan said impatiently. "If I'm not ready for this now, it's too late."

"You're right, darling," Renata said smoothly. "You are ready and nobody on that stage will be able to touch you. This is your night to shine."

Logan's eyes glittered as he gazed at his wife and raised his glass to click it to hers. "You're right, as always. This is the beginning of the end of my competition."

Brian Reynolds, Logan's campaign manager, shifted uncomfortably and cautioned, "This isn't the time to get overconfident. Anything can happen in politics, so don't get cocky. You need to be sharp and use the strategy we've gone over."

Logan smiled thinly and said, "I'm no more cocky than I should be. I don't intend to forget any of the strategy we've prepared."

Renata cringed inwardly, knowing full well that they had kept a full staff busy searching for any kind of dirty information they could find to use against the other candidates. Logan was going to enjoy using it, and she was going to hate it. But it seemed that was the way the game was played and it suited Logan like it had been created for him. There were nine other candidates he planned to knock out of the race and Renata knew it was likely to get ugly.

"What are you frowning at?" Logan asked.

Renata cleared her face and said, "Nothing, darling, just going over my list in my head one more time. Be ready for surprises from Pamela Dressup, especially."

"Why? Have you heard something?"

Brian said, "Word is she hired Jackson Tate for opposition research. He's as cutthroat as they come. But we're ready for her. If she brings something out, we'll annihilate her."

Logan smiled coldly. "I hope she gives it a try."

Renata's heart sank. This was going to be even uglier than she had expected. Brian could say what he wanted about Jackson Tate, but Brian had his own reputation for being ruthless. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the night ahead. At least it wasn't another endless, identical fundraising event. For a change, she had no idea what the night would bring. All the practice, all the research in the world, didn't tell them what the other candidates would do or say.

The event started out on a cordial note, with introductions and softball questions. But one of the moderators was famous for her way of going on the attack when she did interviews, and Brian had been unable to get a look at the actual questions that were to come. It was clear that the ten candidates were taking measure of each other, waiting for the first attack. The moderator, Elaine Howard, expertly raised the temperature of the questions, putting several of the candidates on the defensive. She leaned forward as she addressed Pamela Dressup.

"Pamela, you've been very consistent in your stance on immigration in our country. You believe that it's a real crime for desperate people to skirt the system in order to get to a better life here in our country. You believe that, without exception, people who want to come here should go about it legally, waiting for their turn to be invited in. Have I got that right?"

Pamela leaned into the podium she stood behind, with an earnest look on her face. "I have great sympathy for people who are living in poor conditions in countries where they have no chance for a better life for their children. But they must follow the rules; we have a system for a very good reason. We have a responsibility to protect our borders, to know who is in our country, and exactly why they are here. When people sneak across the borders without that process, it endangers all of us and it is especially unfair for the people who follow the rules and come here legally."

She spoke for several minutes about the topic, which was always at the top of her campaign speeches. Then Elaine turned to Logan, who was obviously eager to speak. "Logan, you have a different perspective on this subject. Tell us about it."

Logan said, "I do have a different perspective. While I agree that the rules should be followed, under ideal conditions, I think the system has been inadequate for a long time. People are suffering, people who live right here on the American continent, people who are victimized by tyrannical leaders who only look out for their own interests. They use their people and leave them starving, diseased, unable to provide for their own children. We must change our system, stop kicking the can down the road, show compassion for these people, who want nothing more than a safe life for their families, where they have the opportunity to prosper if they're willing to work for it. We live in the greatest country in the world; it's criminal to go on, day after day, year after year, ignoring our neighbors and never even offering a hand to help them out of their pain."

Pamela was eager to respond. "It's easy to say our system needs to be changed, but just exactly how would you go about that change? We have to be secure, our borders have to be secure, before we can go about changing the way people come here. If they pour across our borders illegally, then our resources are all occupied with trying to catch up with the mess we're left with. Illegal border crossings mean more than just undocumented people flooding our country. Coyotes charge them ridiculous amounts of money to help them get here, then put them through terrible situations. Young girls are raped, children are sold, drugs pour into our country. We have to get a handle on it before we can change the system."

"Why?" Logan raised his hands. "We are the greatest country in the world. Why can't we do both at once? Are we really not able to solve a problem, just because it's a tough one?"

Elaine sat back and addressed him. "So what would your plan look like, Logan? You've spoken before about being able to solve tough problems. Tell us how."

And Logan was in his glory, expanding on his plans for the United States immigration system. He spoke for several minutes beyond his allotted time and the frustrated candidates were forced to listen to him while Elaine let him get away with it. When he finally stopped talking, Pamela Dressup was fuming. But Elaine was ready to go on to a different subject. At the end of the debate, Logan had clearly been allowed more time to speak than any of the others on the stage. The cameras got clear images of an angry Pamela bawling out her campaign manager and several other frustrated reactions from candidates. Reporters clamored for Logan's attention and the others were left talking to lesser members of the press.

When the Wakefields and Brian were finally back in the limo, Logan was elated. He accepted the champagne that Brian handed to Renata and him and insisted on drinking to the success of the evening. Brian gave him a cool smile and sipped his champagne before he said, "That went even better than we planned. The press has apparently chosen their candidate. Step one went off without a hitch."

Renata smiled too. "You were brilliant, darling. You kept the focus on you and your policies without Elaine ever realizing that you were leading her where you wanted to go."

Logan grinned, celebrating his own brilliance. "She was easy, just as most of them are."

Renata wondered exactly who he meant when he said, 'most of them'. Did he mean moderators and other members of the press, or did he mean women?

Brian said, "Don't be so sure about that. Elaine is experienced at this, and she's good. If she let you lead her around, it was because it suited her purposes. You need to be careful with her. She can turn on you in a second, and she bites. And you've got a real enemy in Pamela now."

Logan scoffed, "Pamela is a superficial thinker. Everything she said came out of her little book of talking points. She's not a problem. And Elaine won't be a problem either, trust me."

Renata watched him with narrowed eyes. She believed that Logan was right about Pamela, but she wondered exactly what he had on Elaine. She needed to find out before Logan slipped up and made an enemy of the wrong person. Brian was right about Elaine, and Logan couldn't afford to alienate her. She would have a serious talk with her husband, and she would insist on some answers. The limo pulled up in front of their building and Logan, Renata, and two guards went up to the penthouse.

Alone at home, Logan pulled off his tie and poured a whiskey before he turned to his wife. Then he pulled her against him and found her lips with a bruising kiss. He backed her against the wall and pulled her hands up over her head, pinning her arms to the wall and ravaging her mouth with his. Renata bit his lip hard and he pulled her blouse open, his mouth moving down her throat and to the swell of her breasts. He slipped his hand around her and unzipped her skirt, pushing it down over her hips until it fell at her feet. Renata's body responded once again, but he still held her against the wall while he jerked her panties down and slid his hand between her legs. She was swollen and dripping wet already as he bit her nipple through the lace of her bra and thrust two fingers up into her hot, tight depths.

Logan turned her around to face the wall and suddenly gave her several hard smacks on her bare ass. Renata's back arched and she couldn't stop the moan that escaped her lips. The sharp pain brought an exquisite pleasure and she waited for more. She knew she didn't have a bit of control over this encounter, but at another flurry of hard spanks, she didn't care. She craved the pain he was inflicting, she reveled in it, and her body begged him to continue. Logan pulled her back against him and pressed against her back, his hands cupping her breasts and rolling the nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. He stripped off the rest of her clothes and pulled off his own before he led her to the table and bent her over it. Her bottom was lightly reddened, and he squeezed her cheeks with his hands before he began spanking her, hard. He laughed at the way she lifted her buttocks to meet his hand, and after spanking her for several minutes, he pulled her up and spoke into her ear. "I think we need to go play."

When they got to the bedroom, Logan went to the armoire and opened a drawer. He pulled out a silk scarf and a few other things before he turned back to her. He pulled her hands behind her back and used the scarf to tie her wrists together. Then he pulled her with him over to the bench, where he sat down and pulled her down to straddle his lap, facing him. Now he took his time, fondling and squeezing her breasts, playing with the hard, rosy tips while her hands were held behind her back. He lowered his head to suckle at her breast and his fingers drifted down to tease her, pinching lightly at her hard clit and stroking her dripping wet lips. Renata's head was tipped back, her eyes closed, her body responding to everything he did.

Logan pushed her up and off his lap and then draped her over his left leg, putting his right leg over both of hers and leaving her pinned helplessly across his lap. He stroked her warm cheeks and then there was a sharp crack as he swatted her right cheek hard with a smooth leather paddle. Renata let out a little gasp of surprise and the paddle came down again and again, each swat harder than the last. Her bottom turned a deeper red and she squirmed against his leg, each crack of the paddle feeding her arousal.

"Oh, baby, you really do like that, don't you?" Logan was stroking her ass with the paddle, moving it around in slow circles on her burning cheeks.

"Shut up," Renata gasped. "Just give it to me."

He laughed and continued stroking with his left hand as he slid his right hand between her thighs, making her cry out when he thrust his fingers up into her. She was trembling, teetering on the brink of an orgasm, when he pulled his hand away and began paddling her again, hard and fast. When he finally stopped, her ass was deep, fiery red and her pussy was dripping. Her nipples were hard and aching and her butt was burning and throbbing. But her husband wasn't done with her yet. He pulled her to her feet, and then he picked up a blindfold and slipped it over her head, leaving her with nothing but sensation. Logan took her by the arm and led her out of the bedroom. She tried to keep her bearings, but she had no idea where he took her until he untied her wrists and bent her over a padded barstool. He leaned down and retied her wrists to the legs of the stool. It was just high enough to force her to stand on her toes and she was spread open for his enjoyment. He stroked her pussy lightly with the handle of the leather paddle and she gasped at the feeling. Then he walked away and left her for several minutes.

When Logan came back, she heard a little jingle and then a sharp crack, and she knew immediately that he had a belt. A shudder, half of dread, and half of eager anticipation, ran down her spine and she was covered in gooseflesh. She felt his hand on her hot cheeks, stroking and squeezing, and a moment later there was a swish and then the bite of the leather cracking across her ass. Renata gasped and came up higher on her toes. The second stroke of the leather licked across the center of her butt and then there were three more strokes, each slightly lower than the one before. Then Logan paused and took careful aim. The belt bit across the very lowest curve of her bottom, snapping against her swollen pussy as well. Renata cried out at the delicious pain, moaning when the belt fell again in the same spot. The next few strokes were across the backs of her thighs, making her struggle in vain against her silk binding. He returned to her ass, painting it with a few more stripes and then finished with two more strokes that bit at her swollen feminine parts.

Renata was panting when Logan finally dropped the belt and stepped up behind her. He entered her from behind with one deep, smooth thrust, making her cry out again. He thrust deeply then pulled out slowly, before burying himself deep inside her again. His balls swung heavily against her clit and on the sixth or seventh thrust, she came, jerking and shuddering in a fierce orgasm. He kept on, ramming himself into her harder and faster until she climaxed again, and as the spasms shook her, he emptied himself into her with a shout of triumph. She could feel the shudders of his climax as he collapsed onto her and he didn't move until his breathing slowed. Finally, he pulled out of her and she heard him walking away. Several minutes passed before he returned, and when he did, he had a warm, wet cloth and he cleaned her up with a gentle touch. When he was finished, he bent down and untied her wrists, but when she straightened up, he drew her arms behind her back again and retied her. The blindfold was still in place and he led her away. The floor was smooth and cold on her bare feet when he stopped. He walked away from her and when he came back, he put a glass to her lips, raising it so that she had a sip of his very fine Scotch on ice, cold and smooth.

Logan led her to the bedroom, and she was alarmed when he sat down and pulled her across his lap again. But she felt something cold drip onto her burning ass and then he began to gently smooth it into her scorched skin. There were welts from the belt, and he kept at it until her bottom and thighs were down to a warm throb instead of a hot burn. She knew she would be sore for a few days, but her whole body was deliciously satiated and totally relaxed. When he was finished, he helped her get up, and then he untied her and pulled off her blindfold. He offered her his glass again and she took another sip of his Scotch. Suddenly, Renata was swept with exhaustion as the long day, longer evening, and then Logan's brand of lovemaking all caught up with her. She swayed as she yawned and Logan pressed a kiss to her forehead and said, "Go to bed."

Renata watched him leave the bedroom, and then she pulled on her beloved old nightshirt and climbed carefully into bed. She felt the tight, hot skin on her bottom and thighs and gently stroked the ridges of the welts that were left. Once again, she wondered what was wrong with her that she was so turned on by the violence of her sexual life with her husband, but she was too tired to think about it for long, and in less than five minutes, she was sound asleep.