She studied his face then cleared her throat. “When…when I graduated high school, I had plans to go to college. My parents, they had me when they were older. I think my mom was forty, my dad forty-five. They agreed to pay for college if I went to one close by and lived at home.” She shrugged. “I didn’t really want to stay home. But I also couldn’t pay for college myself. So, I did what they wanted. After a few weeks, I’d made some friends in one of my classes. Back then, I was good at making friends. They asked me to this party.”
She paused, licked her lips. “I got home at about three in the morning. I’d texted my parents to say I’d be late, but when I walked in, they were sitting in the living room waiting for me. They told me how much I’d worried and disappointed them. They made me feel so guilty for my behavior that I found myself agreeing to a curfew. Even though I was in college, I was living in their house so I thought that fair. But after a while, it got annoying. I was the only person at college with a curfew. I wanted more. I wanted some fun. So, after that first year, I told them I wanted to move out to live with my friends. I was hoping they’d be supportive.”
She paused, looked off into the distance. “That’s when Dad had a heart attack.”
“Baby, I’m sorry.” He grabbed her hand, squeezing it.
“I was so worried about him. My mom seemed so lost, like she didn’t know how to take care of him. So, I started doing more and more. They were retired by then and even though they weren’t that old they weren’t coping. So, I took over doing the grocery shopping, taking my dad to appointments, doing the housework. My schoolwork suffered until eventually I figured I better drop out for a while.”
“You had to drop out of college? Couldn’t you find someone to take care of them?” He frowned.
She grimaced. “They told me they didn’t have the money for that. Finally, my dad seemed to be feeling better. They were going out, doing things. I’d kept in touch with my friends, I decided to go back to college. I’d just re-enrolled when Mom found out she had cancer.”
“Jesus, what bad luck.”
“Sounds that way, doesn’t it?” she said with a bitter smile. “I had to take her to treatments and appointments, only she never wanted me to come in with her. She didn’t want to worry me, she said. I was basically doing everything by then. My dad wasn’t up to it because of the heart attack and they both needed me.”
“Was your mom okay?”
“What? Oh yeah, she was. Is. They both are. When I started to question why the treatments were going on so long and if she wanted me to speak to her doctor about a different specialist, she kept telling me that I didn’t know what I was talking about. I was a college dropout so what did I know?”
“That wasn’t kind.” Her parents sounded like horrid people. How could they treat their own daughter like that? And Ellie was such a sweet, loving person.
“Our family was small. My parents were both only children like me so I wasn’t used to having family around. All we had was my mom’s Aunt Rose. She was a great lady. She’d visit a few times a year, she never had children and my mom was her only niece. She used to travel to exotic places and she’d bring me back these treasures. Most of them my mother threw out, said they were just clutter.” She looked down at her hands. “When she died about eight months ago, I was devastated. I never gave much thought about who she left her estate to.”
She glanced at him, her eyes blurring with tears. “Turns out she left everything to me in her will and they kept it all from me. I never thought about why they always insisted on getting the mail. But, well, it was so they could keep me ignorant.”
“Jesus, why would they do that?”
“To keep me with them. They lied to me. Oh, my dad’s heart attack was real. There was no way to fake that, but it certainly wasn’t as bad as he and mom made out. The cancer was completely fabricated. So were my dad’s kidney issues, unless they’ve started doing dialysis in bars now.”
“They faked their illnesses to keep you with them?” They’d used her. Taken advantage of her love for them and her innate need to care for and please them.
“Sounds like something out of a soap opera, right? I mean, why take care of yourself or pay someone to do it when you can have your own little slave? And the worst part of it is I never even suspected. Poor, stupid Ellie, she believes every word we say and she’ll just keep slaving away, doing whatever we want. I only found out because my dad left his phone in my car after I dropped him off at the hospital. I turned around to take it back to him. Imagine my shock when I saw him walking along the street ahead of me. I followed him. He walked into a bar. I still didn’t believe it. I thought maybe something happened to his appointment and he’d had to go to the bar to call me. Stupid, but I didn’t want to believe the worst. I followed him inside just in time to see him buy a drink, which by the way he wasn’t allowed with his illness.”
“What did you do?”
“Well, I didn’t confront him then and there. I thought about it. Dreamed of storming over to him and telling him what I thought of him. But I don’t like confrontation. So instead, I went home. Like a wimp.”
“Careful, little girl,” he warned. “You’re already in trouble for putting yourself down.” He hated that she thought so badly of herself.
She gave him an incredulous look. “I don’t think it can be considered putting myself down when it’s the truth.”
“It is not the truth.”
“Damn it, Bear. You don’t understand what a doormat I was. They used me. For years! And I never once questioned it. I just went along with everything like a stupid, foolish child.”
“Enough.” He leaned over and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her gently onto his lap. He tucked her in against his chest as she started to cry. She kind of melted into him. Not for the first time, he’d wondered if she was a bit starved for touch, affection. Now he was almost certain.
“Enough,” he repeated more gently. “None of this was your fault. It was all on them, baby. All them.”
“I c-called their doctor. I pretended to be worried over my father’s kidney treatments. I could hear from the silence on the other end that the doctor had no idea what I was talking about. I thought he’d tell me he couldn’t say anything because of confidentiality agreements. I’d known Doctor Steward all my life. He kind of cleared his throat then told me that my parents were two of the healthiest people he knew. That my dad’s heart attack had been mild and he’d been lucky but as long as he didn’t drink too much and ate healthy, he’d be fine.”
She placed her hand on his wide, warm chest, soaking in his comfort. Even though she knew this really was her fault.
Naïve, stupid idiot.
He ran his hand up and down her back, crooning to her under his breath. “So, you left?”
She nodded, taking in a shuddering breath. She wiped at her cheeks. “Not right away. I didn’t have any money or anywhere to go. So, I pretended everything was okay, while I squirreled away money. Whenever I was alone in the house, I went through any paperwork I could find. One day, I found the letter from the lawyer about Aunt Rose’s estate. It was like a Godsend. I packed a suitcase, filled it with everything I wanted to take which wasn’t much. I thought they were hard up for money so I’d been wearing the same clothes I had since high school. Just as well I hadn’t put on any weight. Thankfully, my aunt had bought me a secondhand car for my graduation present.”
He kept rubbing his hand up and down her back.
“My parents walked in as I was coming down the stairs. They both wanted to know what was going on, why had a suitcase. I told them I was leaving. That I knew they’d been lying to me and I was no longer staying here to wait on them hand and foot. They were furious. They threatened that if I walked out that door then I was no longer their daughter. They’d cut me off entirely.”
“Oh, baby. That had to hurt.”
“I told them I didn’t care, that parents who loved their child wouldn’t treat them like they’d tr
eated me. They yelled horrible things at me, how I’d never amount to anything, how I’d come crawling back when I realized that I couldn’t make it on my own.”
His heart hurt for her. “None of that is true. You did a brave thing driving halfway across the country to a place you’d never been to. My poor little girl. It’s okay. You’re not on your own now. I’m here.”
“It felt so freeing to leave. Sure, it was scary. I didn’t know what would happen when I got here. I don’t know how much is in the trust my aunt left me. I’ll probably need to find a job. I don’t know what state my aunt’s house is in.”
“No wonder you were so scared.” The bravery it had taken her to do what she had astounded him. Even as he couldn’t help but think of all the things that could have gone wrong.
“I’ve lived all my life by someone else’s rules. Done what others wanted of me. I feel like for the first time I get to be me. To be on my own.”
Guilt filled him. Because now she was living by his rules. But it was only temporary. Once they left this cabin, it all ended and she could get on with her life. A knot formed in his gut and he realized there had been a kernel of hope inside him that they might be able to take this beyond these few days. But this sort of relationship would be too constrictive long-term for someone who’d just found their wings and wanted to fly.
He kissed the top of her head. So, he’d shelter her while she was here and then let her go when this had to end. Sounded like she’d spent years in virtual slavery and even though being with him wouldn’t be like that, she’d be restricted all the same.
And this was why it was a bad idea to hope. He should have remembered that.
“Is your aunt’s house in an isolated area or a town?” he asked her, trying to distract himself from his thoughts.
“Umm, I have the address in my bag. I think it’s in a small town, Russell?”
“Russell? That’s about an hour from here.”
He set her back on the bed, tucking her under the covers again. She gave him a slightly exasperated look but didn’t say anything. Okay, so it was nice and toasty in the cabin and she was obviously feeling better. But he still intended to watch her.
He grabbed her handbag and handed it to her. She pulled out a document and gave it to him.
“Do you know Russell at all?” she asked.
“Don’t go there much. It’s not the closest town to us and you were headed in a strange direction. You must have gotten turned around somewhere. You say the GPS on your phone led you to here?”
“Ah, well, my phone kind of died several hours before you found me,” she admitted.
He gave her a look and she shifted around a little. “You’re not gonna spank me for that, are you?”
“Little girl, I understand why you traveled halfway across the country with no luggage and little sleep, I don’t like it but I get it. But not having your phone charged?” He clenched his hands into fists. “Do you know what could have happened to you?”
“What? Something worse than crashing into a tree, getting a concussion and nearly freezing to death?”
He growled at her. Actually growled.
“I’m beginning to see why your nickname is Bear.”
He just gave her a look.
“Want to tell me what your real name is?”
No, he did not.
“You know, I kind of see what happened as a good thing.”
“A good thing?”
“Well, if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have met you.” She tilted her head back to smile up at him and he couldn’t stop himself.
“You’d find something good in anything, wouldn’t you?” he murmured. He leaned in. He shouldn’t. He knew that one kiss wasn’t going to be enough. And she wasn’t up to anything more. But then she licked her lips, her eyes filled with arousal.
He was gone.
He brushed his lips against hers, giving her a chance to push back. To tell him no. But her lips met his eagerly, her body pressing up to meet his. He ran his tongue over the seam of her lips.
“Tell me if you don’t want this. Tell me no and I’ll back off. Remember, if any of this gets too much or isn’t what you want, you just need to say.” He didn’t want her to ever think he was like her parents.
She reached up and with one hand touched his cheek. “Bear, I want this. I want you. Please kiss me.”
“I don’t want to take advantage of you.” He sat on the mattress, facing her. “I don’t want you to think I’m trying to control you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Bear, out of everyone I’ve known in my life, you are the least likely person to take advantage of me. You’re so careful, all the time. Like you’re worried I’ll break or something. I’m not weak or fragile. Just a naïve idiot.”
“Three,” he growled at her warningly.
“Three? What happened to two?”
“Two was not keeping an eye on the weather and driving into a storm without enough gas or a charged-up phone. Can’t punish you for making that trip, when I know you had little choice. But you should have taken more care. Three is for the same reason you earned your first spanking. Talking down about yourself. Once you’re feeling better, you’re not going to be able to sit comfortably for a while.”
Funny he always thought he wouldn’t get involved with someone else because he couldn’t trust them. But he didn’t have any issues trusting her. She was so different from Maria. She didn’t have a deceptive bone in her body.
“I want you to know you don’t have to say yes to anything just because I’m in a position of authority. Ultimately, you’re always in charge. You have your safe word. It stops everything.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Even if we were in the middle of…” a blush covered her cheeks.
He ran a finger down her cheek. “No matter what. But when it comes to a punishment that you’ve earned, remember if you use it then be prepared to pay the price in another way. And I’d only expect you to use it if you truly needed to. It’s not a get out of jail free card. But yes, you can use it even if we were having sex.”
Shit. He couldn’t get the idea of stripping her naked and licking her all over out of his head. He wanted to know what she tasted like, wanted to know what noises she made as she came.
She’s still weak and recovering, asshole. Plus, she’s a virgin. Her first time should be special.
But he still couldn’t stop himself from leaning in and kissing her. He was gentle at first. Lips only. But then her mouth parted beneath his and he swept his tongue inside. Heat flooded him. He needed more. Wanted everything. He forced himself to pull back. His breath was fast, ragged.
“That was amazing.” She smiled up at him.
Jesus, she was sweet.
“It was,” he said gruffly. Fuck, he needed some space. He ran his finger down her cheek then gave her another kiss on the forehead. “Rest. I need to go get some wood.” Maybe stepping out into the cool temperatures would work like a cold shower at dousing his arousal.
Maybe.
5
“Put that foot back in the bed,” Bear commanded, from where he stood at the counter, drying some dishes. He didn’t even look back. Did the man have eyes in the back of his head?
She poked her tongue out at him, but she put the foot she had been creeping out of bed back under the covers.
“I saw that too,” he told her. Finally, he turned around to look at her, drying his hands on a towel.
“I wasn’t doing anything, Daddy,” she said innocently.
He lowered his chin and looked at her sternly from under his eyebrows. He crossed his arms over his wide chest, the towel still held in one hand as he leaned back against the counter.
She heaved a big sigh. “Fine, I’m just bored. I’m tired of being stuck in this bed.” It was day four and she’d had enough. “I feel much better.”
He gave her a nod. “All right, I’ll let you get out of bed.”
She clapped her hands excitedly. But she should have known
there was going to be a ‘but’. There was always a ‘but’.
“But you will stay on the sofa.” He pointed over at the sofa.
She guessed it was as much as she was going to get out of him. Still she didn’t care. She would do anything to get out of this bed. He turned back towards the counter to put the dishes he’d been drying away.
She climbed out of bed before he could change his mind and headed to the sofa. He looked over at her with a frown on his face.
“See, I’m fine. No dizzy spells. I didn’t injure myself. There is nothing wrong with me.”
He crooked a finger at her and she moved closer to him. He wrapped one arm around her, pulling her so she was flush against him.
“What was the rule about getting out of bed?”
She sighed. “You’re being way too overprotective.”
“What was the rule?”
“Not to get out of bed without you.”
His hand cradled her head against his chest and gave her a couple of sharp smacks to the ass.
“Hey, ouch! What was that for?” She gaped up at him.
He drew her back, giving her a stern look. “That was just a small reminder that you’re not to break Daddy’s rules for you.”
She rubbed at her bottom. Okay, those smacks didn’t really hurt. In fact, her body was kind of lit on fire, wanting more. But she thought she should make a token protest. Daddy grabbed hold of her hands. “No rubbing.”
“You’ve got lots of mean rules, Daddy.”
“I know, Daddy is just a big old meanie. But you know how to avoid being spanked, don’t you?”
“I suppose so,” she muttered.
He led her over to the sofa. “Sit.”
She sat. She didn’t want to push him too far. And really, she was getting what she wanted. He placed a blanket that had been lying over the end of the sofa over her bare legs. Then without a word, he went searching in the chest where the board games were kept.
When he returned, he held a pad and a box of colored pencils and is hand. He placed them on her lap.
“What is this?” she asked.
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