by Maren Smith
Strolling up the walk to the front porch of her two-story Craftsman, she noticed the weeds amassing in her gardens, but didn’t have the energy to mess with them tonight. After changing clothes and pouring a tall glass of iced tea, she sat on her front steps to enjoy the quiet evening before trying to come up with something for dinner. A squeal of laughter drew her gaze down the street where the neighbor kids were riding their bikes. Her lips curled at the corners as she recalled a spill she’d taken on her own bike when she’d been six. Both knees were bloody scrapes, and she’d lifted her tear-soaked face to see thirteen-year-old Luke leaning over her with a concerned look, a lock of ink-black hair falling over his forehead.
“Let me help you, little one,” he said as he wrapped his hands around her arms.
Carlie couldn’t help it, she giggled, her heart turning over at the soft look in his green gaze. “Evan says I’m fat.”
“Big brothers are supposed to tease little sisters.” He brushed off her shorts then lifted her bike. “I’m sure you can find a way to get even with him. You better go in and have your mom wash those scrapes.”
He tugged her hair then jogged back over to his front yard where he’d been mowing. Carlie sighed, falling in love and vowing to marry her knight in shining armor someday.
Carlie scoffed now, thinking about what an idiot she’d been for mooning over a man for so long. She knew if she ever needed anything, all she had to do was pick up the phone and call Luke. After Evan’s death, he’d stayed with her for over a week and helped her with funeral arrangements, sleeping in Evan’s room so neither of them would have to be alone with their grief yet. And one night, he’d held her in her bed while she cried her heart out, staying with her until morning, his tall, hard body curved around hers. It had been after that night that her fantasies had taken a turn toward kink.
Then out of the blue, a month later he’d come over to tell her he’d found a place in a small town in West Virginia less than an hour’s drive from Washington and would be moving there permanently. The gleam of excitement in his eyes was something she’d never seen before. The only time since that he hadn’t seemed thrilled with his career had been at the beginning of the year when he’d returned for a brief visit.
She’d hardly seen him during that week and figured he’d spent most of his time at the Castle. Along with the jealousy eating away at her had been concern over the bleak expression in his eyes and the angry tone in his voice when she’d asked him how work was.
“I hope to God you never learn first-hand just how low some people can sink, little one.” He nudged her glasses up with one finger, saying, “You keep looking at the world out of your rose-colored glasses. There’s nothing wrong with that, regardless of what others might think.”
He had been happy during his Christmas break the month before that. He and his father, who lived in a retirement community now, invited her for dinner and Luke had appeared to be in good spirits then. She’d never learned what happened in the weeks following that caused the change in him, and he still refused to talk about it. With a sigh, Carlie pushed to her feet and went inside. No use sitting there pining over what could never be.
“Oh. My. God!” With a squeal, Carlie pushed back from her computer, jumped up and did a jig around the den. “They loved it! Woo hoo! I’m going to be published!” With an exalted laugh, she scooped up her phone and pressed Jana’s number. Had it really been just three days since she told her friend she didn’t expect to hear from the publisher for weeks? “I’ve been accepted!” she sang into the phone the second Jana picked up.
“Are you freaking kidding me? I’ll be right over.” Carlie looked at her buzzing phone and shook her head. What would she have done all these years without her best friend?
Checking her wine supply, she pulled out two bottles from the small wine refrigerator that had been a birthday gift from Luke, the only other person who knew her as well as Jana. Well, maybe not quite as well as Jana did. He wasn’t aware of her interest in exploring BDSM with him as her Dom. He still told her she looked at the world through rose-colored glasses, wanting to see only the good in people. That may be true, but she’d rather do that than turn a blind eye to what was right in front of her, like he’d done with her.
Shaking her head, she shoved aside thoughts of Luke, and the urge to call him and tell him her news. The advance royalty check mentioned in her letter of acceptance took her by surprise and gave her even more to think about. Maybe it was time she gave some thought to moving away from her home town and starting over somewhere else, somewhere constant memories of her black-haired, green-eyed neighbor who would always look upon her as Evan’s little sister wouldn’t haunt her on a regular basis.
“Tell me you’ve already ordered pizza,” Jana demanded the minute she breezed inside Carlie’s house and hugged her with a squeal. “I’m so thrilled for you!”
“Thanks, Jana, and yes, I’ve ordered pizza with the works and have the wine ready to pour.” Turning to the counter, she didn’t stint filling the two glasses before handing one to Jana with a clink and a toast. “To the big check in the mail that will help me start a new chapter in my life away from Granger.”
“What? You’re thinking of leaving?” Tears filled Jana’s blue eyes and Carlie hugged her again.
“Not far, I promise.” She stepped back and sipped her wine, leaning against the counter. Two months ago, she’d finished her kitchen remodel, changing everything by adding a black, grey and white, multi-colored glass backsplash to the refurbished white cabinets and grey-marbled quartz countertops, as well as new black-stainless-steel appliances. Her contractor had even turned a never-used closet into the walk-in pantry she’d always wanted. With the kitchen completed, her house updating projects were finished, something she’d been working on for over two years. It seemed a shame to sell it now that the house she grew up in reflected her taste and style from top to bottom, but the desire to get away, work on new memories instead of wallowing in old and longing for something, someone she would never have pulled stronger than the nostalgia of her past.
“I’m researching small towns in Pennsylvania, close to both New York and Ohio.”
“Not running off to the big city?” The relief on Jana’s face tugged at Carlie’s conscience. She would miss being able to see her friend whenever she wanted.
“No, I’m a small-town girl, just like you. You could come with me. Nursing jobs must be fairly easy to get.”
Jana shook her head as Carlie knew she would. “No. I’ve been with Dr. Sheldon for ten years and he’s been good to me. Besides, I love it here.”
Carlie snorted. “You love the Castle, you’re not fooling me.”
“That has a lot to do with it. Speaking of which.” She strolled over to Carlie’s desk and booted up her computer.
The doorbell chimed, and Carlie questioned on her way to answer it, “What’re you doing?”
“Pulling up the Castle’s application. You don’t have much time if you’re going to be on the bus with me come Friday. They’ll need a health report, among other things.”
Carlie paid for the pizza, shut the door, plopped the box that smelled so good on the counter and marched over to her desk. “I never said…”
Jana whirled on her with fire in her eyes. “No, you just tossed out you’ve gotten your big break and you’re leaving. Now it’s my turn to throw something at you. We’re going to celebrate your contract by you spending the weekend at the Castle. I read the book you’re currently working on and it’s filled with your fantasies, the same ones you’ve been having for years. If you’re serious about moving, I may never get another chance to talk you into exploring what I know you will love. Besides,” she added, throwing out her trump card, “you owe me since you’re the one leaving me here all alone.”
Okay, so that line did generate a frisson of guilt, but Carlie narrowed her eyes, took a big bite of pizza and swallowed before replying, “First, you’re never alone. You can, and have had, any guy you ev
er wanted, and you have a lot more friends than I do, most of them members at the Castle. Second, you’re right, it is time I explored those fantasies.” The utter shock on her friend’s face would have been comical if Carlie’s stomach hadn’t bunched into a knot of nerves, leaving her to cringe on the inside. She meant it when she said it was time she indulged in the kinks she wrote about, if for no other reason than gaining first-hand knowledge for her writing. But the mere thought of submitting to a man other than Luke left her cold. He’d been the only one she wanted for most of her life and she couldn’t see that changing before Friday, or even before she started her new life elsewhere. Still, she could suck it up and fake it for the sake of friendship and in the name of research. She hoped.
“Well, it’s about time, girlfriend. I figured we’d have to go through both bottles of wine before I talked you into agreeing. Let’s eat, then I’ll walk you through the application.”
“You’ll be there, right?”
“You bet, but after we go through orientation with the other guests, you’ll be assigned to a room and a Dom. I’ll ask for our rooms to be side by side. We can keep in touch by calling or texting each other from our rooms or the Media Room. But,” she warned with a shudder, “don’t get caught with any modern-day devices outside those two places. There’s a strict rule of keeping with the medieval time-period.”
Carlie mentally shook her head, trying not to second-guess what she’d just agreed to. Watching Jana fold her five-foot-six, slender body onto a stool at the counter as she grabbed a large slice of pizza, she envied her metabolism that allowed her to pack away those calories without gaining weight. With her blonde hair and blue eyes, she’d been turning men’s heads since her sixteenth birthday, making Carlie even more aware of her short, round figure and plain coloring. Indulging in her fetish for brightly colored framed glasses continued to be her one concession to drawing attention on herself. If she had to wear the damn things, at least she could have an array of styles and colors to choose from.
After downing her glass, she refilled it and plunked down next to Jana. “Okay, eat, drink and sign me up before I change my mind. And if I don’t like it, or my Dom, I just may take a spanker to you.”
Jana giggled. “Sorry, I don’t swing that way, but if you decide you do, I’ll introduce you…”
Carlie held up a hand. “Don’t go there. I’m having enough trouble as it is.”
Chapter 2
Turning onto Mulberry Lane, Luke Montgomery’s eyes were drawn to the driveway next to his family home, the empty driveway. He’d known Carlie Simms wouldn’t be home this time of day, yet he still looked, and still experienced a twinge of both disappointment and relief he wouldn’t be seeing her. Of course, it would be sheer lunacy on his part to look her up now, when his defenses were down, and the raw grief and anger over losing a witness still clutched at him with tight claws.
The image of Susan Mills’ mutilated body flashed through his head before he could suppress it. What Carmen, The Butcher, had done to that young girl still gave him nightmares and was why he and his partner, Dane Morgan, had gone to their boss and insisted he add them to the team of agents providing protection for another witness whom Carmen now had his sights set on. Marshall, the Castle’s owner and cousin to their witness, Grace Barnes, hadn’t been happy about bringing in more agents, insisting he had her covered in his BDSM medieval fortress. Funny how quick he’d changed his mind after seeing the photos of Susan when Carmen had finished with her.
That fuck-up was also the reason Luke had stayed away from Granger and his delectable neighbor during the past six months since it happened. Resisting his best friend’s sister the last few years had been the hardest thing he’d ever done, and it had been getting more and more difficult each time he heard her voice or saw her.
Pulling into his drive, he cut the engine and sat a moment as memories of him and Evan growing up together played through his mind. Evan’s mother had been a single parent and very pregnant with Carlie, the summer she’d moved into the house next door. He and Evan hit it off as soon as they discovered they were both going into second grade that fall and both loved baseball. They’d been inseparable all through school, as close as brothers, and as Carlie grew into a toddler, then a pesky little girl who followed them everywhere, he soon thought of her as the sister he never wanted. It wasn’t until Evan had paid the ultimate price for his habit of driving fast and reckless in his souped-up hot rod and Luke returned to Granger five years ago for his funeral that he looked upon Carlie as a woman. A soft, curvy, grief-stricken woman whose tears tore at his already shredded emotions and arms clung to him out of sheer desperation.
“Luke, thank God you’ve come.” Carlie threw her arms around him as soon as he stepped inside the house, her ravaged face matching what he’d felt since hearing of Evan’s death two days ago.
“Of course I came.” The soft fullness of her breasts against his chest took him by surprise. He’d always thought of her as Evan’s little sister, the kid next door, never as a grown woman. Since entering the FBI academy right out of college, he’d made his home in Washington, close enough to continue spending his free time in Granger, returning several times a month to check on his dad and indulge his BDSM proclivities at the Castle. He and Evan always got together and hung out, and he would take a moment to tease Carlie. But he’d failed to notice when she went from a shy teenager to an attractive young woman with his favorite body type; soft and round.
Taking a step back, he held her at arm’s length and came close to smiling when he noticed her bright purple framed glasses. Her penchant for wearing large, flashy colored glasses had always been a cute perk of hers. “I’m so sorry, little one. Come sit down and tell me what I can do to help. Have you made any arrangements yet?” Grief clogged his throat, but he held himself together for her sake.
Much to his discomfort, she sat glued to his side, pressing those plush curves against his hard length and offering him comfort without even knowing it. The urge to lay her down and bury himself and his overwhelming sorrow in her softness threatened his strict control. Since they were kids, Evan had insisted Luke promise to look after Carlie if something happened to him. He’d lost count of how many times he’d sworn to make sure she stayed safe and cared for, never imagining he would be called upon to honor that vow.
“The… the funeral is Friday. He’ll be buried next… next to Mom.” She ended on a sob and tucked her face in his shoulder, one arm clinging around his waist as if he was her lifeline.
“I took a week off, Carlie. I’ll be here, you won’t be alone. I can bunk in Evan’s room, if you want me to.” Was he fucking nuts? What made him offer to do that? He was having enough trouble keeping his hands to himself without subjecting himself to sleeping just across the hall from her. With any luck, this strange surge of lust for the girl he’d always looked upon as a sister would disappear as soon as he returned to his condo. It’s just the wrenching heartache, he told himself.
He repeated that excuse in his head numerous times over the next few days, but when he lay in the dark Friday night and heard Carlie sobbing her heart out, he refused to let this new, unwanted, strange lust keep him from going to her. He’d promised Evan he’d look out for her, and that meant comforting her when she needed it as well as reining in his dominant tendencies around her.
Yanking on a pair of gym shorts, he padded across the hall and slid into her double bed, drawing her trembling body into his arms. “Shh, little one. I’m here, I’ll always be either here or a phone call away. You’re not alone.”
“Promise?” she whispered in a watery tone, burrowing closer to him.
Luke bit back a curse when her soft thighs brushed against his hips, the tips of her full breasts seared his chest through her thin night shirt and her tremulous voice tightened his chest. “I promise. Try to get some sleep.”
It surprised him how fast she drifted off, her warm breath on his neck breathing life into an erection he neither wanted nor cou
ld control. If this is a fucking test, Evan, knock it the hell off. That was the only explanation he could think of for his body’s uncontrollable reaction to her nearness. As a Dom, he never lost control, so this anomaly had to be due to the anguish of losing Evan. That was the only explanation.
Only now, five years after his death, Luke knew that wasn’t true. Every time he had returned to Granger and spent a few days with Carlie, his reaction had been the same. And, even though he still mourned Evan’s loss and always would, the bone-deep grief had healed. There was no getting around it, he wanted Carlie but couldn’t go down that path with her. Not only was he honor bound by his promise to his best friend, but his sexual preferences weren’t for an innocent like her.
Glancing at the time, he swore and slid out of his car. Instead of making the four-hour trip from Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia last night, he had risen at 4:00 a.m. to drive to Granger this morning just because he was too much of a coward to risk seeing Carlie. Now, he had less than an hour to get to the Thursday-morning bus before it left for the Castle, and both Dane and Marshall would have his hide if he missed it.
Finding Carmen before he harmed Grace, or anyone else, was their first priority, he had to remember that. There would be time later, when the stress and guilt over losing a witness abated, for him to return and reconnect with Carlie. With any luck, by then he would have his wayward libido under control and be able to once again regard her as a little sister instead of a woman he’d like to bind, flog and fuck.
Luke tossed his bag onto the king-size bed, cursing his lack of enthusiasm in being at the Castle again. It was just the case, the pressure of ensuring another young woman stayed out of Carmen’s brutal clutches that was responsible for his blasé attitude, he insisted as he unpacked. On his previous visits home, he’d always looked forward to connecting with friends at the resort and with exerting his dominant preferences on a willing sub. But that had been after he’d spent time with Carlie, enjoying her company while catching up with what she’d been doing since he’d last been home. Guilt ate at him over ignoring her now. He’d never done that before and didn’t like doing it this time. He missed her, plain and simple.