by Kelly Myers
Shit. I did not want to discuss Luke with them. They’d see me blushing if the topic continued. Thankfully I had on a large straw hat and sunglasses. Maybe, I could hide it.
“Luke is my boss, and he’s an adult. Please stop drooling over him.”
Piper dropped her beach bag on the sand. And, she grabbed my shoulders. She shook me a little as she stared at me. “You have got to get a life. He’s the hottest man I’ve ever seen, and all you care about is work. You need to go after him.”
“Yeah,” Penny said. “Quit being a prude. Go after him!”
I breathed a sigh of relief. They thought I was just being their big sister, who was always a stick-in-the-mud, ready to ruin their fun. They thought I was too lame to recognize that my boss was hot, and that I needed their advice. I much preferred that than them catching on to what was really going on.
“Girls, now you know I’m here to work. Stop objectifying Luke.”
They giggled for a few more minutes about what a weirdo their big sister was, identical heads pressed together. I could hear them chatting about how I got the cool, fun boss, and then finally they stretched their towels out. The three of us swam together, and then we tried out the boogie boards the hotel kept on hand for guests. Piper was successful at catching the waves and riding them in, but Penny and I mostly crashed, and the waves dragged us over the wet sand.
I was still spitting out sand when the sun began to set.
It had been a perfect day.
I glanced up at the house, and saw Luke on the porch. I glanced behind me, but my sisters were preoccupied with gathering seashells. I lifted my hand in a wave, and Luke waved back.
I ended up letting my sisters spend the night with me. The two of them slept in my king-sized bed, and I slept on the couch in the living area.
The following morning, I drove them back to Marla’s house, and promised them they could visit again before we moved back inland.
When I got back to the hotel I didn't see Luke. We kept a spreadsheet of everything that needed to be done, so I got started on all of our tasks.
I noticed that we were running low on laundry and dishwashing detergent. Unlike some of the other condos or houses for rent, we kept supplies like detergent and soap and toilet paper on hand for our guests.
I walked into the pantry to count how many boxes of detergent we still had and how many I needed to order. If we were really running low, I could send one of the new employees to pick up the supplies at a bulk goods store. After Daniela had worked out so well, I’d hired a girl named Marie, who was also a really hard worker.
I stood up on my tiptoes with my clipboard in hand and jotted down the numbers that we needed.
Before I was finished I heard a scuffling sound behind me. “Luke? Is that you? I turned around but it was not Luke who was behind me. It was my stepfather Mike.
He closed the laundry room door behind me and locked it
Fuck. I didn't think he'd ever bother coming after me. I was at work. At an upscale resort, and the guests didn't pay thousands of dollars to hear me fight with my disgusting stepfather. I was going to have to keep it professional. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Don't try to pull your goody-two-shoes act on me girl. You left me high and dry. That house is rented in my name so when I can't pay the bills, it's your fault.”
I wasn't sure where he came up with his reasoning, or what universe he thought that owed him anything, but again I didn't want to argue with him. Mike had a temper. He'd smashed more than one hole in our wall at our house in Georgia. I did not want him to cause a scene in Luke’s Hotel. Apricot Sunset had been through enough lately, and so had Luke and I.
I tried again. “What do you need Mike?”
“I need you to get your ass back home and help me pay the rent again. You can leave those good-for-nothing twins wherever they are.”
My blood began to boil. “How did you find me?” I asked.
“You think you're so smart. You think you could hide from me. But you don't know jack shit. I still have the locator app on your smartphone activated.”
Damn it. Why had I not trashed that thing when I had the chance? I could have at least removed the app. But I hadn't, and now Mike had found me.
“Mike, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I didn't take anything that belongs to you when I left, so I have nothing left to say.”
“You little bitch. You had no right to leave. You're coming back with me.
My heart was in my throat. At that point I knew there would be no further discussion. Mike’s eyes looked crazed. I'd be lucky if I could escape. But, there was no way I was getting into a car with him.
I looked around for a weapon. There was a pair of scissors out on the countertop but I couldn't quite get to them. I obviously must have glanced toward them because Mike followed my gaze and his eyes landed on the scissors.
“You think you're going to try to stab me with those scissors? I've got news for you girl.”
He lunged at me and grabbed my arm. I planted my feet to try to slow him down, but it didn't work. I grabbed onto the door handle of the laundry room even as he continued to pull me with him. God, what if he had done something to Luke first? I'd never forgive myself.
I grabbed on to the door handle with my other hand too but I quickly slipped and Mike used that time to get more leverage. He was getting close to the front door. I had no choice but to scream. I screamed at the top of my lungs “Luke!”
“Luke, help please.” He’d rescued me once before. But, a hurricane was nothing compared to Mike’s wrath.
Chapter Eighteen
Luke
I was answering emails for my Corporation when I heard screaming. I slammed my laptop closed. Was that Eden's voice? I ran from my room to the downstairs as fast as I could.
To my horror, it was Eden’s voice.
There was a large man with his arms on Eden. He had the front door open and was trying to drag her through it. She was fighting him as hard as she could but he was much bigger and stronger. As I ran toward her, she managed to elbow him in the ribs.
I ran forward. I shoved my body in between the two of them. I punched him in the face as hard as I could. He staggered backward and when his head hit the door, I shoved him forward. He landed on the porch. He looked dazed, so I took a second to check on Eden.
“Are you hurt? Do you need a doctor?”
“No I'm fine,” she said. “But watch out. He’s really mean. And, he’s not unconscious.”
Still face down on the porch, he groaned and tried to push himself up.
“Oh no you don't,” I said. “I'm calling 911 and you will be arrested.”
“Never gonna happen, pretty boy,” he shouted. His arm shot out and he grabbed my ankle. That was my rookie mistake; he caught me off guard. I was so worried about Eden that I forgot the self-defense training I had done over the years. My knees hit the porch but I shook it off.
I grabbed the arm that he had extended, and brought my elbow down with as much force as I could gather.
With a resounding crack, I broke his arm.
I called 911 and after the police arrived and questioned all three of us, I personally escorted this thug to the police station and made sure he was formally charged, at least once one of the medics were done with him.
I hated leaving Eden alone after that kind of trauma, but I needed to see this asshole behind bars. As I was leaving, I made a large donation to the police department’s Victim Assistance and domestic violence program.
Mike was apparently her stepfather. He’d always been emotionally and verbally abusive. And, the reason she was in Seagrove was because she and her sisters had fled his home in Georgia.
She never breathed a word of any of that to me. When I asked her in the interview, I remembered that she'd been cagey about why she came to Seagrove. That was fair enough. I wouldn't expect her to tell her secrets during an interview. But, after we started sleeping together she still never ment
ioned Mike or his abuse, not even after I addressed how important honesty was between us.
I had even asked her about her family a few times and her past and childhood, but she had never indicated that she had a violent stepfather that tried to control her life.
My thundering pulse still hadn't slowed. I had to face the fact that I was in love with Eden. My feelings for her extended way beyond sexual compatibility.
I loved her. I was sure of it. I've been married before, for years on end, and I never felt that kind of panic when my ex-wife was in danger. Of course, a murderous stepfather had never showed up and tried to kidnap my ex-wife either.
I was in love with her but I would be keeping that information to myself. No good could come of it. Eden didn't need to be tied down to a thirty-eight year old man. She was young and about to start college. It would not be fair of me to tie her down by telling her that I loved her.
As soon as I got home, I used my considerable resources to make sure that he would never bother Eden again. Mike was going to be spending a few weeks in jail at the very least. He would definitely be charged with attempted kidnapping. As soon as he got out on bail, he was going to get a little visit from a friend of mine who worked in private security. He was a former Army Ranger and he could scare the shit out of even the stupidest person like Mike.
When I arrived home, I found Eden lying on top of her bed. I was furious with her for not telling me the truth about Mike. If I didn't know he existed then I had no way of protecting her.
“How are you feeling,” I asked
“I don’t know.” She sat up suddenly and flung her arms around me. “Thank you. He's a horrible person. I can't believe he came to your home.”
I held onto her tight. “I’m really glad that you're safe. And, I don’t want to upset you more than you already are. But, I have to make sure that I can protect you while you’re in my home. You should have told me why you left home.”
“I know,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
As upset as she might be, my lecture couldn't wait. “You work for me, and you live here in my hotel, and you’re in a relationship with me. It was not okay for you to conceal this from me.”
She let out a sob. “I put all of the people here in danger.”
She was correct, but I hated to hear her cry. “You did, but that’s not why I'm upset. I’m upset because you didn’t tell me. Honesty is very important, and if I had known Mike existed, I could have hired security, or had a plan to keep you safe, and keep him out of this house. But, I didn’t know.”
I sighed. “Why did you hide this from me?”
“I was embarrassed.”
“Mike is not your fault. You didn’t choose him.”
“You have such a nice life. I didn’t want to ruin this place by talking about Mike.” I did have a nice life, but I’d made plenty of bad decisions of my own. Like marrying my ex-wife, and then staying with her, long after I should have left.
But, my ex-wife wasn’t a danger to Eden, so there was no reason for me to bring her up. Maybe, one day I’d be ready to talk about that chapter in my life with Eden, but not yet. I’d had to threaten Alec to keep his mouth shut about it in front of Eden when he was here to visit.
“That’s not your decision to make. Your job is not to protect me.”
She began to sob in earnest.
“I’m not going to punish you tonight. First, you're going to tell me everything you can about Mike and your mother too; I need to know about her as well. We’re going to go to bed, and you’re going to come sleep in my room where I can keep an eye on you.”
A crease appeared across her forehead. “I thought Mike was in jail.”
“He is. And he’s going to be there for some time. But, you don’t need to be alone.”
“How are you going to punish me?” she asked.
“You’re going to write me an essay about why you won’t let this happen again. After I’ve read it and approved it, you'll get a serious spanking. And then afterward, while your bottom is on fire, you’re going to do chores.”
Chapter Nineteen
Eden
Having Mike show up at Luke’s hotel -- his sanctuary -- rattled me. I never dreamed that he would take the time and energy to try and track me down.
I should have known better. I’d spend the last four years of my life, the years that anyone else would have been in college, working full-time to support Mike and pay his bills. I’d bought into his narrative that I owed him, and that the twins and I couldn’t survive without him.
At the time, I’d been terrified that Child Protective Services would take them away if I didn’t do everything just right. I’d become their guardian as soon as I turned eighteen, and they were only twelve, even though our mother was still sort of around. ‘Around’ had been a good word for our mother. She was around, but not present. She never had been.
But, I’d been delusional to think that I could just walk away from Mike without him trying to find me and force me back into our old patterns.
Once again Luke had recused me. And, once again I’d put Luke in danger. Mike could have had a gun with him. He’d never actually purchase one, but he could have stolen one, or borrowed if off one of his unsavory buddies. If he’d had a gun, he could have killed Luke. I couldn’t bear thinking about it.
Now he was going to punish me. I knew I deserved it. This time I couldn't imagine getting turned on. I didn’t feel like I’d ever get turned on again.
I didn't usually sleep in his room, not when we weren’t having sex. The only other time had been in his room was after he spanked me.
He rubbed my shoulder. “Go to sleep. This is all going to work out.”
By some miracle, I did fall asleep.
When I woke up, he was already up and waiting for me. “We’re spending the day together, but it’s not going to be fun.”
I nodded. I had accepted that. My only regret was that we had so little time together, and I’d managed to waste a full day by being in trouble.
“Go bathe and brush your teeth. Do not get dressed.”
I did as he said, with a heavy heart. I knew he was right, but that didn’t mean I was ready for it.
Fifteen minutes later, I stood before him. As he’d asked, I was completely naked. It felt very different than the times when he wanted me naked so he could look at me, or touch me.
“Come with me.” I followed him into his office in his part of the condo. He placed a cushion on the floor beside his desk. “Kneel there. You’ll stay there, not move or speak while I work. The only thing you may say is ‘red’ if you must stop. Otherwise, I want you to reflect on why honesty between us is so crucial.”
Shame colored my cheeks. I could feel the hot flush. I knelt on the cushion, acutely aware that he was fully dressed. He didn’t touch my breasts or pussy. He didn’t make any suggestive comments. He just worked, reading and typing, and occasionally making phone calls. I wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but after about an hour, my legs grew numb. A single tear slid down my cheek, but I didn’t wipe it away.
Another slid down, and I felt Luke’s large hand had come to rest on the back of my neck. He squeezed, and the contact felt good.
“That’s good. You’ve done well. Let’s get you up.” He pulled me up. My legs were on fire with pins and needles, so he lifted me and carried me to the couch. He handed me a notepad and a pen. “You’re doing this the old fashioned way. I think it connects more than typing would. Write me three pages on how you’re going to change your behavior, and why.”
I began to write, filling up the pages with all the ways I could have brought the topic of Mike up. Essay writing was no challenge to me, and neither was self-reflection. Once I was finished, I read the essay over and fixed any errors.
“Daddy? I’m finished.” I knew what was coming next.
Luke took the papers and read them, then he ripped them in half and put them in his desk drawer. “I’ll shred them later, so that no one reads them. But, it�
��s over now. You’re forgiven, and you’ve clearly learned from this.”
“Does that mean I don’t need the spanking?”
“No. It doesn't mean that at all. It’s the final part of our process.” He lifted a hairbrush from his desk. “The first three strokes will be with a brush. Because your safety was involved, I need to make an impression on you. After that, I’ll switch to my hand for the next ten.”
My stomach dropped. The brush looked scary, and I didn’t want it on my bare bottom. But I didn’t want to displease Luke, not after everything he’d done for me.
Luke sat down on the sofa, and beckoned me closer. “Over my lap.”
Just as I had before, I lowered myself over his lap, until my bottom was in the air. I couldn’t help but tense up in anticipation of the hairbrush.
He smoothed his hand over my bottom. “Relax.”
I took a deep breath and tried to unclench the muscles in my body. “I’m going to start now. I’ll count.”
“One.”
The hairbrush landed on my ass, and instantly it was on fire. I knew it would sting, but this was unreal. I let out a howl of pain, and without meaning to, I kicked my legs in the air.
“You can make noise, but don’t move your legs.” He pressed his forearm down over my back.
“Two,” he said, just as the wooden hairbrush landed on my ass.
I clasped my hands together and gritted my teeth. I would get through this.
“Three.” I zoned out a little as I struggled to stay still. It hurt so much I could barely suck in air to get a good breath. My ass now was a red-hot point of pain.
The brush landed on the couch next to him. “Now on to my hand.”
Luke did not spare my skin with his hand. He continued on, spanking all over my backside, both on top of the marks from the brush, and around them.
But an odd thing happened. As the worst of the pain from the hair brush faded, and I felt Luke’s hand on my bare bottom, I began to get turned on. I didn’t expect it.