Their Strict Daddies

by Shelly Douglas

  Turning to look at him, tears flowed down her sun-tanned cheeks. “Y-Yes,” she cried out in between sobs.

  “Was it worth the little prank you pulled on Josh and Peter today?”

  “No, daddy.” Chrissy’s eyes brimmed with tears as she raised her head to glance across the room.

  “I really should have permitted one of them to discipline you,” Max murmured, helping her to get seated in his lap.

  Chrissy tucked her small head underneath Max’s chin. “I’m really sorry.”

  The guys came closer and knelt down in front of her. “Of course, you’re forgiven,” Peter said with a gentleness in his voice.

  Still embarrassed, she bobbed her head up and down while hiccupping, trying to regain her composure.

  “We’re hoping the next time we go out together, it’ll be a lot more fun for all of us,” Josh offered with a wink.

  “The best time I had today was watching you two wipe out,” she said in between sniffles before presenting a shy smile.

  “Okay, I think she’s back to being Chrissy,” Peter advised before turning to the other girls. “And this should be a lesson to the two of you. All further mischief will result in a bare fanny presented publicly over a knee for a good hard spanking. Do I make myself clear?” As he tilted his head waiting for an answer, they both gulped, staring at each other.

  “B-But I thought our backsides would be covered in public,” Lizzy whimpered.

  “Well, your friend just set a new precedent, didn’t she?” Max stroked Chrissy’s damp blond hair and kissed her wet cheek tenderly.

  Chapter Eight

  “That was weird.” Max hung up the phone, standing motionless for a moment in the kitchen.

  “Who was it?” Chrissy asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

  “It was Jimmy Collins, the realtor. You know I’ve been waiting patiently for someone to get back to me with information on who’s renting next door…”

  “Well, what did he have to say?” Chrissy raised both eyebrows, making herself comfortable on a stool at the granite island counter.

  “You’re not going to believe this.” Looking down, Max hesitated. “Remember the guy who approached me at the restaurant?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, it’s him,” Max deadpanned.

  “What?”

  “The man watching us at Renaldo’s is the same person who is renting the house next door.”

  Chrissy clasped a hand over her mouth. “You’re joking, right?”

  “Nope, the owner told Jimmy that someone named John Peterman is renting the house.”

  Chrissy leaned forward. “Is it possible there is another John Peterman?”

  “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

  “What are you going to do now?”

  “I don’t know what we can do. I guess we’re going to have to see how this plays out.” Max glanced at the contemplative expression on Chrissy’s face. “Christina Hope, I know how your mind works, and don’t even think about going over there.”

  “Are you serious? First we have Lizzy and Becca saying they felt violated in some way. Then this guy, out of the blue, approaches you at the restaurant saying he’s big fan. And now you find out he’s renting the place right next door? To me, that’s over-the-top creepy. Don’t you think we should do something?”

  “Although it may explain a few things, we can’t indict someone on the grounds of seeming creepy. It’s possible that this man might have been watching Becca from his backyard, and it doesn’t take a leap of faith to believe someone from next door might have been peeping into Peter and Lizzy’s window,” Max stated calmly, sitting down next to Chrissy. “But all we can do at this point is keep our guard up.”

  “Well, I have no intention of going next door,” she said convincingly, putting her mug into the dishwasher. “I’m going to sit out by the pool this morning and catch up on some reading. I assume you’ll fill in the others when they come down for coffee.”

  * * *

  “Boy, that is strange,” Josh said, rubbing the back of his neck as he and the others stood around the kitchen listening to Max recall his conversation with the realtor.

  Peter glanced over at Becca and Lizzy to gauge their reaction. “Aren’t either of you concerned with this news?”

  “I’m just feeling that my suspicions are finally validated,” Lizzy said, looking to Becca for support.

  Crossing her arms, Becca leaned against the countertop and narrowed her eyes at the three men standing across the room. “Maybe you’ll be putting a little more credence in what we tell you from here on out.”

  Heaving a heavy sigh, Josh took a seat at the kitchen table. “We never doubted either of you,” he said, dragging a hand through his brown wavy hair before glancing in Max’s direction. “Where’s Chrissy, is she still sleeping?”

  “No, we were both up early. In fact, after we discussed the call, she talked about catching up on some reading by the pool.”

  Becca and Lizzy immediately went over to the sliding glass door and looked out. “We don’t see her, Max,” Becca announced loudly.

  “Maybe she’s taking a swim.”

  “Isn’t it a little chilly out for that? It’s seven in the morning, for God’s sake,” Lizzy said, opening the door for a better view.

  Max walked over and stood next to the two women, twisting his neck around in search of his wife. “Unbelievable!” he spurted out, rushing through the door. Sprinting over to where Chrissy stood, he came to a sudden halt. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  “You already met John Peterman, remember?”

  John extended his hand. “Who would think I’d be renting a place next door to the famous Max Bowman? What a pleasant surprise, for me I mean, probably not so much for you,” the man said with a wide grin. “I was just telling your wife that I’m down here all alone and would love some company. Maybe we could barbeque together one evening. I would enjoy discussing some of the subtle details of your books.”

  Max put his arms around her shoulders. “Sweetie, remember we need to head out in a few minutes.”

  “Of course,” she answered, quirking a sculpted eyebrow. “I guess we should get going.” After saying a quick goodbye, Max led her by the elbow back toward the house.

  “Didn’t I give you specific instructions not to approach this guy? You were terrified of him at the restaurant, and today you’re over here welcoming him to the neighborhood. What’s going through that head of yours?” he asked, turning to make sure they were out of earshot.

  “I wanted to see if it was really him. You’re the one who said we have to play this out…”

  He shook his head. “It’s hard keeping up with you, Christina.”

  “Am I in trouble again?”

  “Let’s discuss this after the meeting.”

  * * *

  Becca thoughtfully chewed on a granola bar as Max and Lizzy read over the notes they’d just written down in preparation for their next writing session.

  “Are you fine with the chapter I assigned you today?” Max asked, glancing up from his notepad.

  “Sure, but there are just a few niggling questions floating in my mind right now,” Becca responded, tapping manicured fingers on the table.

  Picking up a coffee cup, Lizzy motioned it toward her friend. “I can’t wait to hear what’s tumbling through that curious mind of yours.”

  “We’re obviously all ears, Becca. Spill, please,” he said, placing interlocked fingers behind his head.

  Calmly, she put the nutrition bar down on the table, and darted her eyes from Lizzy to Max. Gazing intently at the amused expression on his face, she spoke slow and deliberately. “Are we your puppets, Max? Is that why you asked us to write with you?”

  Moving forward, he put his large hands on the table. “I’m in the dark with that one, Becca. Could you be a little more specific?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

  “Look, we all know how successful you’ve been writing my
steries and your romance novels are also doing well. So, from the beginning, I couldn’t figure out why you’d want to co-author a spanking romance book with me and Lizzy,” she said before turning to her right. “No offense intended, girlfriend.”

  “None taken.” Lizzy rolled her eyes.

  Max opened his mouth to speak, but Becca put one finger in the air. “Give me a chance to finish, please.”

  “Go ahead.” He leaned back and crossed his arms.

  “We both knew you’d want to be in charge, and that was just fine with us. We were happy to have the direction, right, Lizzy?”

  “Where exactly are you going with this, Becca? You’re starting to lose me.”

  Max lifted an eyebrow in agreement.

  “Am I the only one who’s noticed that you don’t seem ruffled at all by the mysterious happenings around here? That man in the restaurant scared the bejesus out of everyone when he got out of his chair to approach our table, yet you remained cool, calm, and collected. And now we find out he’s renting the place next door…”

  Max’s face became expressionless.

  “So, let’s recap,” Becca stated, crossing her arms to mirror his. “We’ve had two odd phone calls, two possible acts of stalking, and one episode of a creepy man watching us from a distance, who turned out to be an admiring fan vacationing next door.”

  Lizzy sat in silence, nervously picking the polish off of her nails.

  “Every day we meet at this table to discuss what we’ve written and how we’re going to progress, but I’m getting the strong feeling that you’re controlling this mystery,” she said, staring into his eyes. “And by doing that, you’re providing events for us to react to.”

  “Is she right, Max?” Lizzy asked without glancing up.

  “First of all,” he said in a deep, calm voice. “I don’t need co-authors to write a mystery…”

  “But it doesn’t hurt to mix it up with spanking and age-play. I’ve never written one, but erotic suspense does sell well,” Lizzy countered.

  “And you were the one who wanted to include all of our interactions from this vacation into the book.” Becca uncrossed her arms and paused. “If we’re truly co-authors, then I want to be in on this little scheme of yours. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a genius idea, but at least be honest with us,” Becca said, her hands outstretched.

  “Jesus, Max. Did you arrange for that scary-looking guy to rent next door?” Lizzy asked. “Oh, my God, I love being on the inside.”

  “Enough!” Max scolded. “Are you two finished?”

  There was no answer, but each wore the expression of a ten-year-old girl about to be reprimanded.

  “Though I’ll give you credit for dreaming up that little fantasy of yours, it couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Max said with a gentleness returning to his voice. “I won’t deny that I’m enjoying that there is even a hint of mystery on this trip, but I can’t take credit for it. I guess I’m not nervous, because it doesn’t seem like any of us are in real danger. It’s purely a coincidence that a fan happens to be renting the house next door, and he probably just didn’t want to get caught staring at us in the restaurant.”

  Blinking twice, Becca remained silent.

  “And with respect to asking both of you to co-author… well, I thought it would be different for three authors to collaborate and hoped it might stand out a bit more in this genre. Since we all sprinkle age-play into our lives, it was my hope that vacationing together would give us realistic material and juice up the storyline. Weren’t we all in a funk, searching for something a little more diverse than the usual spanking romance story? Seriously, Becca, we’ve been through all this. I’m sorry you feel like a marionette, though. Are you unhappy that I’m the one assigning chapters to write?”

  Lizzy giggled. “Maybe having three daddies in the house is a little too much control for us.” She looked at Becca and then narrowed her eyes at Max. “It did get pretty intense yesterday when you spanked Chrissy’s bare bottom in front of us…”

  “There’s a mixed cocktail of excitement and anxiety on this vacation, and though I can’t take responsibility for it, we’d be foolish not to embrace the situation,” he said to both of them before turning his attention to Becca. “While I hope the time never comes, if something does happen that needs to be addressed by the police, you can be sure I’ll be the first to call them.”

  “Okay,” Becca acquiesced, relaxing back into her chair.

  “Are we still a team?” Max glanced from one to the other.

  “Of course,” they both replied simultaneously.

  “Would you like to assign chapters, Becca?” he asked, pursing his lips. “Because I’d be totally fine with that.”

  “No, I think you’re doing a wonderful job, Max.” She snuck a quick glance over to her girlfriend for approval.

  Lizzy nodded. “Agreed.”

  “I guess you two already know that Chrissy met our new neighbor this morning,” Max said, casually picking a piece of lint off his dark shorts. “And just for the record, I did ask her to keep a distance. After all, we don’t know much about this guy and until we do, I don’t think it’s safe for any of you to be alone with him.”

  “So, what did they talk about?” Becca asked.

  “Believe it or not, he wants to have a cookout…”

  Chapter Nine

  Chrissy got comfortable on the chaise next to Becca at the pool, pulling a bottle of sunblock from her tote.

  “Would you mind putting some lotion on my back? I can’t reach and want to lie on my stomach.”

  “Sure, no problem,” Chrissy said, pouring a generous amount of sunscreen in her hand before applying it to Becca’s shoulders.

  “So was Max really angry with you earlier?”

  “Well, let’s say he wasn’t happy, but as usual seemed more worried about keeping me safe than anything else. Lucky for my ass, he’s been picking his battles lately.” Chrissy giggled then became serious for a moment. “Becca, I probably come off as a ditzy blonde most of the time, but Max understands there’s a lot more to me than that. Did you know I was accepted to law school before we got married?”

  Becca twisted her neck around, squinting a look of disbelief.

  “That’s the reaction I get from most people.”

  “I’m sorry, Chrissy, I didn’t mean…”

  “Don’t worry. I bring a lot of it on myself.” Chrissy patted Becca on the back. “There, you’re all done and ready to soak up the sun.”

  Lizzy carefully maneuvered through the sliding glass door, carrying a tray full of margarita fixings in her hands. “What are we chatting about this morning, girls?”

  “Nothing worth repeating,” Chrissy said sheepishly.

  “Well, I’m glad the guys decided to go hit a couple of balls this morning at the driving range. I think we all needed some breathing room. And to celebrate, I’ve come prepared. What do you say?”

  “Count me in!” Becca squealed with a wink.

  “I’m always up for a party,” Chrissy chimed in.

  “I hate to throw in this little disclaimer, but there could be hell to pay later,” Lizzy warned with a devilish grin. “God knows what the price would be for having a boozy party at the pool.”

  “We all read those silly rules, and nowhere did it say anything about margaritas in the morning,” Becca stated sarcastically.

  Lizzy poured three drinks and the girls toasted to their brief act of independence. As each of them took a sip, their wide eyes acknowledged hearing a voice off in the distance. In unison, they all turned around and spotted their neighbor, John Peterman, waving and yelling. “Hey, what are you girls celebrating?”

  Becca glanced at Lizzy and shrugged. “He seems relatively harmless. Let’s invite him for a drink.”

  “But Becca,” Lizzy whispered with both eyebrows raised. “Max said we should stay away from him.”

  “To be precise, he said we shouldn’t approach him alone,” Chrissy mocked, forming ai
r quotes. “And we aren’t alone.” Bravely waving across to John, she yelled, “Come on over!”

  With obvious excitement, he made his way across the yard, acknowledging Lizzy and Becca first. “I haven’t had the pleasure—my name’s John,” he said, extending his hand. Responding quickly and graciously, they introduced themselves. “Hopefully I’m not intruding, but it seemed like you were all having such a good time, and, quite frankly, I could use the company. It’s pretty lonely being in that big house all by myself.”

  “Do you drink margaritas, John?” Chrissy asked.

  “I sure as hell do!”

  “Then it’s settled. Have a seat, and I’ll go get you a glass. Would you like the rim salted?”

  “Ah, a woman who knows how to make a classic margarita. Yes, please.” He made himself comfortable on a chair under the umbrella and eyed her up and down as she walked into the house.

  “So what brings you to Palm Beach?” Lizzy asked, trying to get his attention.

  “Well, I come down here every year.”

  “Really?” Becca leaned in with a curious gaze.

  “Yep, I’ve been doing it for five years now. Usually my girlfriend comes with me, but she had to work. So, here I am, all alone.”

  “What do you do when you’re not vacationing?” Lizzy asked.

  “I retired quite a few years ago, so I haven’t really had a strict schedule,” he admitted bashfully.

  “You don’t look like you are old enough…” Becca started to say.

  John held his hand up, chuckling. “I started a company with a couple of friends while we were still in school. It did really well, and a big conglomerate offered us a huge amount of money. We sold out and have been living the good life ever since.”

  “Do I detect a southern accent?” Lizzy asked, picking up her glass.

  “I’m originally from Atlanta, but I’ve become extremely fond of Florida and am thinking of building or buying a home down here—renting can be a bit awkward. Although I feel quite lucky right now having y’all as my neighbors.”