“He…I…I’ve had him since I was a child,” she blurted out.
“Cool. I haven’t got any of my childhood toys. My mom threw them all out.” Ellie appeared pensive for a moment and Charlie wished she could think of something to say to cheer her up. “But Bear made up for that. I’ve got so many now he complains that they take up more room on the bed than he does.” Ellie pouted. “I’m only allowed to sleep with one.”
“You-you sleep with a toy?”
Ellie’s gaze was shuttered and she grew tense. She actually hugged Inky tight then, as if suddenly realizing what she was doing, set it quickly down. “Yeah. You think that’s weird.”
Ellie stood and Charlie knew she was going to leave. And would probably never talk to her again.
“I sleep with Inky,” she blurted out. “Every night. He’s like my security blanket, even though he’s just a stuffed toy.”
Ellie turned back. Then she smiled. Relief filled Charlie. “I know what you mean. Although now that I have Bear, he’s becoming my safety net. The stuffies are just…well, they’re fun. They make me feel good. And they keep me company when Bear isn’t around.”
The other woman still watched her carefully, gauging her reaction. Charlie sat back on the bed; her legs no longer able to hold her up. Had she really found someone else like her?
“I’ve shocked you.”
“Not because you have stuffed toys,” she managed to say. “I just thought…I wasn’t sure if it was just me.”
“Oh.” Ellie came and sat by her on the bed. She was so short that she could swing her legs back and forth. “You’re not the only one.”
“That’s…good to know.”
Suddenly, Ellie giggled. Charlie stared at her in surprise.
“It is good to know, isn’t it?”
Charlie smiled. “Do you know of anyone else…like us?”
Ellie pursed her lips. “Not here, I don’t think. Eden is hard to read, but I can’t see her cuddling a toy at night.”
She wanted to ask Ellie why Eden was in a wheelchair, but thought it was probably rude.
“Neil, he’s the cook with the broken leg, his wife Andie isn’t a Little. But he is definitely HOH.”
“HOH?” she asked.
“Head of household.”
“Oh.”
“Umm, I don’t know if I’m supposed to talk to you about this stuff, but since you’re like me…”
Charlie nodded to encourage her.
“Well, do you know how things are run around here?”
“Like how the women all have guardians? And the men believe in setting the rules and…and…”
“Disciplining their women if they break them?” Ellie added. “Yep that’s what I mean. Bear loves me. He would do anything to protect me. But…well…he does punish me if I break the rules.”
“And you…agreed to that?”
“Yes.” Ellie nodded. “I need it. It makes me feel safe and secure and loved.”
Charlie nodded.
“Have I weirded you out?” Ellie asked. She nervously pulled at the bedspread.
“No,” Charlie said. “I mean, I’ve never met someone involved in a relationship like that but I have read about it.”
Ellie’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, I might need some book recommendations from you. Mostly Daddy just reads fairy tales to me. But only ones he approves of.”
“You call him Daddy?” she whispered. It was her deepest longing and biggest shame.
“Yes, I do,” Ellie said slowly. “Do you think that’s wrong?”
“No. The opposite.” Charlie cleared her clogged throat.
“Well, that’s good then,” Ellie giggled. “I thought as much.”
“Would you mind, is it rude of me to ask, I mean…”
Ellie squeezed her hand. “Charlie, do you want to be my friend?”
She was only going to be here a short time, she shouldn’t get attached to people, she knew how badly that could end. But… “Yes. Please.”
“Yay.” Ellie bounced up and down. “Me too. And friends can ask friends anything, right?”
Charlie smiled. “All right. How did you meet Bear?”
“Snowstorm,” Ellie told her. “I got lost trying to find my aunt’s place and crashed my car. I get lost a lot.”
“Is that why Bear wanted to come back and get you?”
Ellie nodded. “But I’ve lived here three months now. I know my way home. He’s kind of overprotective. That’s the best kind.”
“Kind?”
“Of daddies, of course. Isn’t that what you want? A daddy?”
More than anything. “I don’t know.” She glanced down at her shoes.
“I was scared too,” Ellie told her quietly. “My parents weren’t big on the whole love and affection thing. In fact, they were pretty crap parents. I thought I was weird for the yearnings I had. After Bear rescued me, he took care of me while I was recovering. I wasn’t used to anyone looking out for me and Bear was very sweet. And strict. Once, he had to leave and he told me to stay in the cabin. But I didn’t. Unfortunately, I didn’t cover my tracks well and he found out.”
“What did he do?”
“He pulled me over his knee and spanked the living daylights out of me.”
She couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to get a spanking from someone as huge as Bear. “He’s so big.”
“He’d never hurt me, though.”
“Umm…” Felt kind of rude to point out the obvious.
Ellie waved her hand. “Oh sure, a spanking can hurt. But that’s different. I mean, he’s always careful not to use his full strength. And he doesn’t spank me for no reason. Usually, it’s because I’ve done something stupid and put myself a risk. Bear just wants me to think about things before I act. To take my safety and health into consideration. I’ve always taken care of everyone else, so it’s hard for me to put myself first.”
“He sounds like a special man.”
“He is. He’s the best.” Ellie sighed happily. “Every relationship is different, you know? There’s no one-size-fits-all. What works for us, might not work for someone else. But a spanking isn’t just given to correct a behavior, when I’ve done something I shouldn’t have, a spanking can also relieve me of the guilt. And as soon as the punishment is over, that’s it. No more bringing it up over and over again. Bear forgives me.”
“That sounds amazing. My old boyfriend, he would remind me of things I’d done for months after.”
Ellie grimaced. “That would suck. Around here, the men might be dominant and bossy, but they’re also protective and caring. I love it here. I’m sure you’re going to as well.”
“I’m only here for a few weeks,” she reminded her friend.
Ellie grinned. “We’ll see. I have a feeling you might be sticking around.” Her phone buzzed then and she bounced towards her jacket and pulled it out of the pocket. She wrinkled her nose. “Bear just sent me a text to tell me it’s been an hour and I need to get my butt back home and let you get some rest.”
“I’m fine,” she said, not wanting her friend to go yet.
Ellie stuck her tongue out slightly as she wrote a text back. Her phone beeped and she sighed. “He said, you sure seem tired and you need to rest. See what I mean? Overprotective.”
She probably should have been annoyed that someone she didn’t know was trying to tell her what to do, but it felt nice to know he cared.
There was a knock on the door before she could reply and she jumped slightly. Ellie sent her a strange look and then when she didn’t move towards the door, Ellie walked over and opened it.
“Hey, Linc,” she said cheerfully.
“Ellie,” Linc replied with surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Visiting with my new friend, Charlie. What’s up?”
Linc snorted. He glanced over her shoulder at Charlie. Something about the way she was holding herself must have clued him in that she was feeling uncomfortable because he gave her a gentle smile. “Hey, there, sw
eetheart. You must be Charlie.”
“Charlie, Linc. Linc, Charlie.” Ellie moved back into the room to stand beside her. “You want to come in, Linc?”
“You’re not supposed to invite people into other people’s houses, little bit,” Linc told her. He was a handsome man, no scratch that, he was gorgeous. He wore a button-down flannel shirt, dark jeans and a scuffed pair of cowboy boots. He held his hat in one hand and a package in the other. His dark hair was cut short, his gray eyes watchful as he studied her. She saw his gaze linger on the bed and blushed slightly when she spotted Inky lying out in plain sight, but grabbing the toy now would just draw more attention to it.
“Oh.” Ellie looked at her. “Sorry. This is just Linc though.”
“Just Linc,” he repeated dryly. “You’re so good for my ego, Ellie.”
Ellie smiled. “Oh, you know what I mean. What you got there?”
“Package for Charlie.”
“For me?” she asked in a quiet voice. “But no one knows I’m here.”
Linc frowned slightly as though he didn’t like that idea. But he didn’t know her, why would he care? “Well, this is from the boss man, sweetheart. Here you go.” He held out the package.
And to get it, she was going to have to walk over there and take it. She forced herself to move forward. She was acting like an idiot.
“Thank you,” she whispered to him.
He winked at her. “No problem. Ellie, you leaving now?”
She turned to see her new friend was pulling on her jacket. “Uh-huh,” Ellie replied.
“Bear coming to get you?”
“No.”
Linc’s brows lowered. “I’ll take you home.”
Ellie rolled her eyes. “I can find my own way home, Linc.”
“Uh-huh. Heard that before. Don’t know what Bear is thinking letting you wander around on your own.”
“You want to hold my hand as well?” Ellie asked with exasperation.
“Idea has merit,” Linc muttered. He followed her down the steps. “Where are your gloves?”
“Oh, they’re in my pockets.” She pulled them out.
“Doing no good in there, are they?” He helped her put them on. Charlie wished she could be so trusting with other people. Especially men. Ellie didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the tall man.
Ellie turned as soon as she had her gloves on and waved to her. “Bye, Charlie. See you at dinner tonight.”
“Bye.” She waved back then shut and locked the door. She glanced down at the package. What had the boss man sent her? She set the package down on her bed and grabbed Inky, pulling him close as she ripped open the packaging. She tried to tell herself not to be excited, it was probably something boring. Like more papers for her to sign. After breakfast, Kent had given her a confidentiality agreement to sign saying that she wouldn’t speak of anything that happened on the ranch. She hadn’t really read it properly as contracts confused her and frankly, bored her, but she got the general gist of it.
She drew the contents out and stared at them for a moment. The first was a jacket. It was a gorgeous turquoise color, lined and heavy. It seemed hideously expensive. She looked at the next item. A nightlight, one that you plugged in and left on all night. It was in the shape of a star. How had he known that she slept with a light on?
Because you told him you were scared of the dark, dummy.
Still, it seemed an odd thing to send an employee. But it wasn’t as bad as the next item. She stared down at the brand-new phone in her hand. And it wasn’t a cheap phone, nope this was one of the latest iPhones. It probably cost more than her car was worth. She couldn’t accept this.
Nope. No way. She didn’t even know why he would send her a phone when she already had one. And okay, its battery only lasted a few hours and it froze all the time, but it still did the job she needed it to. Which was mostly to keep in touch with the employment agency she worked for.
She walked over to where her phone was charging and biting her lip, sent the boss man a text message.
Hi. Its Charlie. Thnks 4 the gifts bt I cnt acpt thm.
His text came back surprisingly quick and her stomach danced with nerves as she read it.
Was that English?
She rolled her eyes and retyped the message.
Thanks for the gifts, but I can’t accept them.
His text back was short and tense.
Yes, you can. The coat was Eden’s. It will be a bit big but will keep you warm. Keep the phone charged and on you..
Arrogant cowboy. But she didn’t want to argue with him. She could just leave it here when she left. He could sell it or give it to someone else.
That had been five days ago. And unfortunately, the nightlight, as thoughtful as it was, wasn’t enough to make her feel safe. Especially as it was so dark here. She’d never lived in the country and the lack of street lights and noise kind of scared her. She was finding it even harder to sleep than she had when she was living in her car. It was frustrating. She’d always slept lightly, and she’d expected the quiet out here to help her sleep. But it was too quiet.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was exhausted. The long hours of work. Not sleeping at night. It was all getting to her. And she couldn’t afford to get sick. That would mean letting everyone down.
Letting Clint and Kent down.
Like you haven’t done that already.
Her stomach tightened into a knot until she thought she might vomit. She could just imagine the reaction of everyone here if they learned her secret. They wouldn’t be so friendly then. She’d tried to stop. Really, she had. She didn’t know what was wrong with her.
You’re fucked in the head, Charlie. You need help.
“Go away, Brian,” she muttered while she rubbed at her aching head and glanced at her new phone to check the time. She had to admit; it was a nice phone. Ellie had oohed and aahed over it and immediately announced she needed to get it a pretty cover. She hadn’t wanted to admit that she didn’t have the money to spend on anything like that. She needed to save every penny she earned. So, she’d told Ellie it was just a loan while she was staying here. Her friend had given her a strange look then shrugged.
Ellie was the best part of working here. She hadn’t seen Kent since that first day when he’d stopped by to check on her and she’d only seen Clint occasionally. She felt a little hurt by his distant attitude, which was silly. The more space between them the better. She was far too interested in him than was healthy. He was her boss.
Drat. It was time to head over to the kitchen to make dinner and she could barely find the energy to get off the couch. Not that her low energy levels were the real reason she dreaded going to work.
It was Allan.
Her stomach bubbled with nerves. He hated her. Like truly hated her and she had no idea why. He wouldn’t talk to her, he never helped her, but even worse was the way he stared at her.
Like he knew her secret.
But he couldn’t. She was careful. She just had to ignore him and get on with the job.
Maybe you should tell Clint.
No. She couldn’t go to Clint. Allan had worked here for years and she’d been here less than a week. Besides, she didn’t want to be a nuisance. Clint was busy and she knew better than to complain. She’d just have to do the best she could.
8
“I know it’s you,” Allan came up behind her, crowding her against the counter.
Breathe. Don’t panic.
His breath was hot against her cheek. It stank of tobacco and garlic and she had to try hard not to gag.
“I know you’re the one doing it and I’m going to prove it.”
She firmed her shoulders. She wouldn’t cower away from him. Charlie hated confrontations. But she was tired of being pushed around and bullied.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He pressed closer. Her heart raced. Her hand trembled so bad she dropped the knife she’d been using to slic
e carrots.
“You know what I’m talking about, girlie. You don’t fool me. I’m watching you.”
“You need to step away from me.”
He didn’t move.
Charlie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Step away from me or I’m going to tell Clint about your behavior.”
They both knew it was an empty threat. Part of her wanted to retreat and protect herself. But it was impossible with him so close.
He grabbed her arm and spun her; his hand so tight around her upper arm she knew it was going to bruise. She couldn’t stop the cry of alarm that left her lips.
“We both know it’ll be your word against mine,” he told her, glaring down at her. “And I’m like a second father to that boy. He’d never believe you.”
No. He wouldn’t. She knew that. Helplessness surged inside her. Why did it seem like the world was against her? So much for this being a safe place. A place where women were protected. It was just like everywhere else.
“You’d best not say a word to him, girlie. Because we both know when I tell him what you been doin’, he’ll kick your ass out of here.”
She summoned every ounce of courage she had left.
“Get. Away. From. Me.”
Thankfully, he pulled back. But his words continued to roll over and over in her mind for the rest of the night.
* * *
He glanced around, trying to catch a glimpse of her.
Disgust filled him and he shook his head. He was acting like some damn lovestruck teenager. He knew she was all right, he got daily reports from Ellie, Bear and whoever else had seen her that day. They were all filled with praise for their new cook.
She was sweet. Kind. Thoughtful.
And he wanted to bend her over the closest piece of furniture and fuck her. What was wrong with him? She was his employee. He couldn’t make a move on her. Bad enough, he’d kissed her the other night, he couldn’t go any further. As her boss and her guardian, he was in a position of authority over her.
It would be wrong to take things further.
Even if it was all he thought about. Kissing her, touching her, taking her over his knee and spanking her little behind.
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