“Rest your eyes, sweet girl, and I’ll be back in a minute.”
After searching through his doctor bag in the closet, Josh finally returned with a few items and sat down on the bed. Reaching under her short baby doll nightgown from behind, he quickly and efficiently lowered her panties.
“What are you doing?” She attempted to turn over, but his large hand stopped her.
“Be still.” His tone was no-nonsense, but gentle. “The truth is, you do feel a bit warm and your eyes have been glassy all evening. It’s not a big deal to take your temperature, kitten.”
Turning her head to watch Josh coat an ominous-looking thermometer tip with a dollop of lube, Becca groaned, rolling her eyes. “It’s not a big deal when that damn thing isn’t going into your…”
But her sentence was cut short as he flipped her over and grabbed both ankles with a steady hand.
“Behave yourself. I’m going to bend your knees and slide this into your bum. You know it’s not going to hurt, and I need to make sure you aren’t sick.”
“I keep telling you, I’m okay. Daddy, please… aghh!”
As he touched the cool, wet bulb to her anus, she instinctively cringed before he carefully inserted the slick, firm instrument into her crinkled bottom hole.
“Shh, shh, baby, just relax.” The gentle gaze of his warm brown eyes should’ve been comforting as the smooth, slippery thermometer slid a little further into her puckered entrance—but it wasn’t.
“See, it’s not so bad.”
“That’s easy for you to say, you don’t have a thermometer sticking out of your tushy,” she grumbled.
The corners of Josh’s lips quirked upward as he lightly positioned the wide stem between his thumb and forefinger. “If you try to push this out, young lady, I’ll be reinserting it into a bright red bottom instead of a creamy ivory one.”
“Will there ever be enough medical drama for you?” she asked, narrowing her amber eyes at him.
“This thermometer will stay inside your backside until I say otherwise. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Because you’re not exactly in a position to be in the driver’s seat right now, are you?’
Her face flushed as he gazed into her eyes for longer than usual. Did he know something, or was she just feeling paranoid after her discussion with Lizzy?
As soon as the digital instrument beeped, Josh slid it from the crevice of her round mounds and wiped it off with a tissue.
“Well, I’m happy to report that your temperature is ninety-eight-point-six degrees, and it can’t get any better than that!”
“I told you, I’m just tired,” she whined, pulling up her panties.
Prepared as always, Josh picked up an alcohol swab packet from the bed as she rolled onto her side. After thoroughly cleaning the thermometer, he bent down and gently kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to have a quick meeting with the guys, sweetie. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
* * *
Josh and Peter were seated on the patio as Max walked out to join them, wringing his hands.
“Tough day, Max?” Peter asked.
“I finally got Chrissy settled in. We were both on a bit of a roller coaster ride today, and it was tough calming her down.”
“Funny, Becca didn’t seem herself tonight, either. I took her temperature just to make sure she wasn’t sick, and it turned out to be nothing,” Josh said offhandedly.
Peter bent forward. “It was almost painfully quiet at dinner tonight, and I got the feeling that something was going on. Do you know what’s up, Max?”
“Before we get into that, I have a little gift for the two of you.” Max reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out three cigars. “I don’t know if you partake, but John gave these to me after our cookout as a thank you. I believe they’re Cohiba—Cuban cigars.”
“Whoa, I hear they cost a fortune. I wonder how he got his hands on these.” Josh tore the wrapper off the cigar and waved it under his nose. “I don’t get to do this very often because the general public doesn’t think a doctor should smoke. But every once in a while…”
Max unwrapped his and clipped the end. “I get the feeling that John has connections just about everywhere. So it doesn’t surprise me that he was able scrounge these little beauties up.”
Peter tipped his head. “I haven’t had a cigar since I was in college, and it certainly wasn’t a fine one like this. I sure hope you brought something to light these stogies, Max.”
Reaching into his pocket, he produced a gold engraved lighter. “My dad gave this to me quite a few years ago, and I still carry it around as a remembrance of him.” Deep in thought, Max sat back, blowing a long puff of smoke and watching it dissipate into the cool night air.
“I’m betting this isn’t the reason you wanted to talk to us without the girls in attendance,” Peter said, flicking an ash to the ground.
Leaning forward, Max lowered his voice. “It seems we have a bit of a situation that involves Becca and Lizzy.”
“Does it have to do with the book? I thought everything was running smoothly,” Josh commented with a confused look on his face.
“No, the story is unfolding and we’re very close to finishing it.” Max sat back, took in a mouthful of smoke and exhaled gradually. “My concern has to do with all the strange occurrences around here.”
“I’m not following you.” Peter’s eyes darted from Josh to Max. “What does this have to do with Lizzy and Becca?”
“Well, I discovered this afternoon that they are the ones behind all of the hijinks around here. It turns out they’ve been running a little conspiracy.”
“Come on, Max. I can’t conceive they would do something like that,” Josh countered.
“At first I didn’t want to believe it either, but once Chrissy explained what she’d overheard through Lizzy’s closed bedroom door, I was one hundred percent convinced.” Max proceeded to retell the story in detail, explaining everything he’d learned. “It seems they haven’t had much time alone since we got here, so they made a point of locking the door.”
Peter and Josh sat back, stunned. “Did they really think we wouldn’t find out?” Josh grumbled.
“Lizzy has always been somewhat passive-aggressive with this book-writing business,” Peter confided, shaking his head. “She never felt respected by the other authors in the BDSM genre, and always seemed sad when she didn’t hit the top numbers like some do. I’m sorry she went behind your back like this, Max. You were the one person who believed in her abilities.”
Josh’s face reddened. “Despite the reason behind this crazy stunt, I just can’t believe Becca would think she could get away with it.”
“I wanted us to get together, so we could stand as a united front,” Max tendered, hoping for suggestions.
“The question is—how can we properly punish them?” Peter asked, standing with arms outstretched. “We can’t let them get away with this.”
“I have an idea that just might work,” Josh proclaimed proudly, lifting his head to meet their eyes.
Chapter Fourteen
Becca and Lizzy stood motionless at the front window, their eyes glued to the bustling activity outside.
“What’s with all the commotion? Did I hear a siren?” Chrissy asked, walking to stand behind them.
Becca kept her nose pinned to the window. “A policeman just got out of his cruiser, and he’s talking to Max, Josh, and Peter.”
Chrissy moved her head around Lizzy for a peek out the window. “Look, Max just gestured at the cop and now he’s pointing at John’s house. Jesus, it seems like the policeman is trying his best to calm him down. What in the hell is going on?”
Lizzy nudged Becca in the side. “Do you think it could be related to what’s been happening around here?”
“I’m not sure what else it could be. What do you think, Chrissy? Has Max said anything?”
“He was pretty agitated this morning, but told me not to worry
because things were going to be taken care of today.”
“Did something else happen last night? I-I didn’t hear anything, did you, Lizzy?” Becca stammered.
“Nope.” They both checked Chrissy’s reaction before returning their attention back to the turmoil outside.
Chrissy edged her way in between Lizzy and Becca. “Max was pretty restless last night and got out of bed a couple of times, but I didn’t question him about it this morning.”
“And you just thought to bring that up now?” Becca snapped.
“He didn’t offer me any details to report,” she retorted defensively.
They watched in silence as the policeman, with an outstretched hand, signaled for the men to stay put before walking over toward John’s house.
“Becca, I don’t like this,” Lizzy sputtered.
“Stay calm. I’m sure it’s just a big misunderstanding.”
“What are you two talking about?” Chrissy asked, appearing confused.
“I guess we’ve all become fond of John and don’t want to see anything terrible happen to him,” Becca answered first.
“But if he’s done something wrong, shouldn’t he pay the price?” Chrissy insisted.
Lizzy suddenly seemed visibly shaken. “Becca, maybe we should go outside…”
Becca grabbed Lizzy’s arm and held her firmly. “Let the guys handle this. I’m sure everything will get squared away. Look, they’re already walking back up the sidewalk.”
Max, Josh, and Peter all calmly reentered the house. Closing the front door behind them, Josh clasped his hands together. “Well, that should take care of things.”
Becca and Lizzy came running to meet them. “What things?” Becca asked, sliding to a stop at her husband’s broad chest. Lizzy, not far behind, peeked over her shoulder.
“I called the cops this morning.” Josh calmly stated.
“You did what?” Becca screeched, glaring at him with hands on her hips.
“After you girls were tucked in, Peter, Max, and I agreed that John could be the only one responsible for all that’s been going on. So, early this morning we decided to take action. Now everyone can feel safe again.”
“What’s going to happen to him?” Becca asked as Lizzy poked her in the back.
“Well, the cop is questioning our neighbor right now, and may escort him down to their headquarters if he thinks it’s warranted,” Max answered in a matter-of-fact tone.
The blood drained from Lizzy’s face. “You mean there’s a chance he could go to jail?”
“Well, that’s certainly possible. People who harass others could end up in jail.” Max paused and tilted his head. “Why are you so upset? I would’ve thought everyone in this house should be relieved.”
“We’ve become fond of John, and I’m having a difficult time believing he could be behind all of this,” Becca managed from her dry throat, nervously smoothing strands of hair behind her ears.
“There’s no other explanation for the strange things that have happened around here.” Peter stepped forward, extending his hands. “It has to be him.”
“Have you guys not heard of a little thing called innocent until proven guilty?” Becca argued, swallowing hard.
“Yes, but that’s for the police and court to decide. Besides, with his money, he’ll probably buy a way out of this,” Josh hissed convincingly through his teeth.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Lizzy moaned, walking across the room to slouch into a chair.
Chrissy wandered back over to the window. “Uh-oh.”
“What now?” Becca asked, raking fingers through her hair.
“John is leaving the house in handcuffs.”
“What?” Lizzy shrieked, running back over to the window to take a look. “Oh, my God, Becca. We have to stop this.”
“Shit. We’ll explain later,” Becca shouted on her way to the open front door before running down the long driveway with Lizzy. Screeching to a quick halt, they glanced up at the large policeman who had John in tow.
“Officer, I think there’s been a big mistake, and we can clear up all this confusion!” Lizzy shouted breathlessly.
But before he could respond, Max called out from the top of the driveway, “Thank you for all your help, officer.”
“No problem. I’ll be taking Mr. Peterman down to the station for more questioning. I’m sure he won’t be bothering you anymore.”
“You can’t possibly believe I’ve had anything to do with all your strange incidences,” John pleaded as Max approached them.
“That won’t be necessary, officer,” Lizzy said, her eyes darting from one man to another. “There’s been a mistake. He’s innocent!”
“Ma’am?”
“This is just a big misunderstanding. I’m really sorry, John, this is all my fault…”
But before she could finish, the corners of the officer’s lips curved upward as he pulled a key from his pocket. “So, are we done here, John?”
“It would appear that way. Thanks so much for your assistance, Mike,” John replied with a wink, watching him carefully remove the cuffs.
The officer waved, walking back to his cruiser. “You owe me one, buddy,” he yelled over his shoulder.
Astonished, Becca turned to John. “What? You know him?”
“Yep, we’re pretty good friends. I also have a great relationship with the police commissioner of this town.”
“The guys and I really appreciate your help, John, and we’re hoping these two have learned a valuable lesson. Now if you would excuse us, we have some business to take care of.” Max shook John’s hand before turning to walk back up the driveway with the girls.
After shutting the door behind them, Peter turned to Becca and Lizzy. “Why don’t you two take a seat on the couch?”
Becca cleared her throat. “I take it we’re in a bit of trouble…”
Josh stepped forward. “That’s putting it mildly. I hope you have a defense prepared.” His voice was stern as his eyes darkened.
They both shrugged without looking at each other. “We just wanted our working vacation to be successful. I never expected it to get so out of hand,” Lizzy muttered with her head down. “After Max got in touch with us, explaining his idea to co-author, I got excited and contacted Becca about a possible scheme of adding suspense. We communicated pretty regularly and agreed that a mystery carefully woven through an erotic storyline would liven things up. At the time, it looked like Max was leaning toward writing a realistic story, so our plan had the potential to fit like a glove…”
“Just out of curiosity—how did you know it was us?” Glancing around the room, Becca spotted Chrissy standing in the doorway. “Let me guess—our modern-day little Benedict Arnold,” she accused, pointing in her direction.
“Becca, don’t you think you’re in enough trouble? How we found out doesn’t matter,” Josh scolded with arms crossed.
“But it really will give our plot some depth. Don’t you agree, Max?” Lizzy asked, trying to regain some semblance of composure.
“Put a lid on it, Lizzy,” Becca whispered under her breath.
Max stepped forward. “Finally, one of you is displaying a little common sense. So guys, what do you think their punishment should be?”
“Hmm—why don’t we talk about what they’re being charged with? Let’s see—dishonesty, false pretenses, causing undue mental stress, defamation of character… have I missed anything, girls?” Peter asked, inclining his head.
“They never actually slandered anyone,” Chrissy quietly pointed out.
“Look, even though Josh and I are married to these two, Max, you’re the head writer of this book, and I think you should be the one to punish them.”
“I feel like I’m on Court TV,” Becca whispered to Lizzy.
“Even now her mouth doesn’t close.” Josh said, sighing. “At least Lizzy has the good sense to keep quiet.”
Becca narrowed her eyes. “Sure, now she’s quiet.”
Max turned to Peter and Josh. “I think what we agreed upon yesterday will be quite effective. We’ll all meet back here at five o’clock for their punishment.” The guys nodded their assent.
“Jesus,” Lizzy hissed through clenched teeth.
Chapter Fifteen
With her nose pressed firmly against the wall, Becca nervously shifted from one leg to another. Her petite hands held the pale pink sundress at the small of her back, and her white nylon bikini panty extended tight across the top of her thighs.
“You know better than that, Rebecca Sue,” Josh called out from across the room. “Push that bottom out, so Max can properly punish you.”
“Yes, daddy,” she mumbled, jutting her bare buttocks out for all to see.
After glancing around the room, Max approached her from behind, holding a thin brown strap. “Becca, do you understand the reason for this punishment?”
She nodded.
“I’m going to need more than that, please.”
“We were wrong to deceive everyone, and I’m really sorry.”
“I’ll bet you are,” he said, cracking the leather onto her soft flesh.
“Oww!” she yelled, reaching down in an attempt to soothe the burning streak.
“Hold your dress up, Rebecca,” Josh warned in a stern tone.
Large tears gathered in her eyes as Max tapped her bottom with the soft Italian implement. “This will be another reminder of why you’re sorry, Becca.”
Her skin fluttered as the strap landed sharply across both cheeks, leaving a fiery crimson stripe directly below the first. “Oh, my God, that hurts!” she cried out.
Max turned to her husband. “What do you think, Josh?”
Becca hung her head, waiting for his response.
“I’m thinking that two more should be adequate and I’d like her to count them.”
Max nodded, touching her red, inflamed skin with his finger. “Are you ready, Becca?”
After she took a deep audible breath, Max quickly snapped the underside of her rump with the smooth leather. “One!” she yelled through clenched teeth.
Their Strict Daddies Page 11