Chapter Eight
S truggling to stay awake, Merry drove with the window down, the cool December air blowing in her face and the radio blaring. “Only 15 more days then you can sleep,” she reminded herself as she signaled to turn onto her street for home.
She sighed, remembering the big sale she had planned December 26th to lure in the after-Christmas bargain hunters. Wanting only to crawl into bed and pass out, it turned into a groan seeing the line of trucks and SUVs lining the street.
Reese was having friends over to watch football and was expecting her to come by to meet everyone. After his week of night shifts, when they had squeezed in time together when they could, he returned to his usual schedule, which put him home by six every evening. But during her extended holiday hours, she didn’t drag her tired butt in for another four hours. She had a manager who closed several nights a week, but she was on maternity leave and her backup was inexperienced. Leaving a rookie there during the holiday rush didn’t feel right.
Each night followed a predictable pattern. Reese came over when she got home. He made sure she ate, usually some of whatever he had for dinner. She had no complaints; he was an excellent cook. Then they would talk, watch TV, or just cuddle on the couch before Merry inevitably fell asleep. He’d carried her to bed several times without her knowing until she woke the next morning alone in her bed.
“Boy, did he get a winner with me,” she muttered as she pulled into her driveway.
He said he wanted to take things slow, but she was certain he hadn’t foreseen that they would reach the two-week mark without sleeping together. It was bad timing, nothing more, but she worried he’d get impatient.
Other than expressing his concern about being overextended and wearing herself thin, he seemed unfazed. In fact, he was the one who always put an end to things if they were getting too heated on the couch. That triggered a whirlwind of doubts and a resurgence of her lifelong self-esteem issues. Didn’t he want to have sex with her?
“Don’t go borrowing trouble,” she told herself, echoing one of her dad’s often-used idioms as she pressed her garage remote. When nothing happened, she tried again. And again. Still nothing.
Huffing in irritation, she put her car in gear and engaged the emergency brake. Topped up with brake fluid and checked out by Reese’s garage-owner buddy, her new-to-her Camry didn’t budge on the incline as she got out. Merry slogged tiredly for the keypad and punched in her code. It didn’t open the door, either. She tried three more times with the same failed result.
“This is all I need, another bill to add to the stack piling up on my desk.” Pulling on the handle, she tried to open it manually, but it still wouldn’t budge.
Hands fisted and propped on her hips, she glanced across the street to Reese’s place. She hated to bother him with this, but she wasn’t supposed to leave her car out overnight. Yet another stupid condo association rule. Weighing the risk of another fine and the uncertainty that her president boyfriend would not cut her any slack, she set off in his direction.
Not comfortable just walking in, she knocked. Her hand was still raised when the door swung inward revealing a man—tall, blond, extremely good-looking, wearing a Titan’s jersey with a beer in his hand. He smiled, perusing her body slowly up and down, clearly taking inventory,
She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at his rude behavior, but that only made his grin broader.
“I’m looking for Reese. I’m his neighbor, Merry.”
“Dang, how come none of my neighbors look like you?”
“I don’t know, because prisons and jails aren’t unisex, maybe?”
He barked with laughter then turned and strode down the hallway, leaving her standing in the open doorway. “Hey, Sarge,” she heard him bellow. “There’s a hot little redhead with a sassy mouth at the door. Says she’s your neighbor.”
A second later, Reese appeared at the end of the hall. “What are you doing standing on the porch? Come on in and I’ll introduce you around.”
“There’s something wrong with my garage door. Could you check it out first?”
“I’ll check her out for you, Sarge.” A howl of pain followed the blond’s suggestive offer. “Hey! What was that for?” he protested.
“To get you to shut up, Hansen,” another man replied. “That’s Merry, and she’s taken. Or haven’t you heard the boss droning on and on about her all week?”
Their laughter muted when Reese stepped out on the porch and shut the door behind him.
“You’ve been talking about me to your men?” she asked, beaming up at him and feeling suddenly less tired.
“I have because you’re all I think about.” He slid an arm around her waist and hauled her in for a heated kiss, which left her tingling all over and breathless.
“Okay, then,” she exhaled softly, her breath forming a small cloud in the chilly air, to which he chuckled.
“What’s going on with your garage door?”
“I don’t know other than it’s not working,” she said, trying to keep pace with his much longer legs as he led her by the hand across the street. “Are you sure all this security is necessary? It seems to me, it’s just more that can tear up and another service call.”
“Yes,” was his only answer.
They’d had this same discussion over the phone, via text, and face-to-face when he insisted she needed an alarm system and had a friend install it one day while she was at work. They had another “discussion” over the cost, which he was covering. He told her it was as much for him as for her, since it gave him peace of mind, and she needed to let it go. So she did until now.
Merry smirked when he tried her remote and it didn’t work for his manly touch, either, but then he took out and replaced the batteries, which she hadn’t thought to do. When nothing happened, he went to the cover on the keypad and flipped up the plastic cover. He glanced over his shoulder at her in question.
“Doesn’t your keypad light up?”
“It’s supposed to.” She looked around his broad back at the dark panel. “It was light enough when I tried. I guess I didn’t notice.”
“Give me your keys.”
She went to her car and pulled out her purse and the mail she’d grabbed on the way in. She began digging around in her large bag. When she couldn’t find them, she started taking items out of her purse. Eventually, she dumped everything out on the seat of her car and sifted through it. Glancing at the ignition, she sighed, glad they weren’t there. She could only imagine what Reese would have said about leaving her keys in the ignition. Standing, she patted down her pockets—empty. Scooping everything back into her bag, she grabbed her things and, with a frown, slammed her car door.
“Do you think it’s wise to leave your car unlocked with your purse inside?”
Before an imprudent and sassy remark came out of her mouth, she stomped past him and headed for her front porch. Retrieving her spare house key from under one of the flower pots, she turned and held it up.
“I’ve got an extra car key inside.” Frowning, she strained as her gaze wandered the path she’d taken to his front door earlier. “I must have dropped the others.”
Reese, who had followed her up the walk, shook his head as he grabbed the key she held up. “Not a wise place to leave a spare. It’s the first place a thief would look.” He unlocked the front door and reached in to flip the light switch once, twice... Nothing. “You don’t have power. That’s why your door won’t open.”
Stepping out onto the walkway, he looked at the units on either side of her. “Your neighbors have lights on. Did you pay your bill?”
“Of course,” she said indignantly then hesitated. “Um, I think I did.”
Their eyes simultaneously dropped to the pile of mail she had in her hand. Reese reached for the corner of a pink postcard that was sticking out. Merry stifled a groan, having seen one like it before.
As he slid it from the pile, he revealed a red box with Disconnection Notice printed in bold letters. Holding it up, he stared at her in question.
“I guess I forgot.”
She pulled it from his hand and studied it. “The disconnect deadline was today,” she muttered in frustration. “What kind of notice is it when the card arrives on the same day?”
“I’ll open the door from inside. Do you have a flashlight handy?”
“Yeah, but it needs batteries.
He didn’t say a word, but his look of disappointment was palpable. He pulled out his iPhone to light the way. “Get your spare keys and park the car.”
A few minutes later, she was driving into the garage. He closed the door once she shut off the engine then came around to help her out. He was one of the few men she knew who still did that.
Standing beside him in the dark, she could barely make out his shadowy movements, but he definitely raised his hand as keys jangled.
“Where did you find them?”
“In the driveway.”
“But I looked there,” she muttered. “You think I’m a nitwit, don’t you?”
“No, I think you’re careless, but we can work on that. Now is a good time to start. Lower your jeans and bend over the hood.”
“But, Reese! I’ve been so busy. It was an honest mistake.”
“Lots of people are busy and still pay their bills. Besides, it isn’t just the electricity. It’s not securing your purse and your keys. Someone could have stolen your ID and credit cards, along with your identity. Not having batteries for your flashlight in an emergency isn’t smart, either. You need to start using your head, elf. Hopefully, the spanking you’re about to get will help you remember to do that.”
“But—”
His hand cupping her chin stopped her mid-sentence. “You agreed we would try this, Merry. Do as I say.”
She was about to give him the excuse that she was exhausted and not thinking clearly, but that would prompt more lectures about overextending herself. She unbuttoned and unzipped, and with her back to him, lowered her pants, along with her panties. With them bunched around her knees, she bent over the still-warm hood.
“Good girl. Things go so much smoother when you do what you’re told.” His hand slid up her back and pressed between her shoulder blades until her chest and cheek rested against the warm metal. “This won’t take long, then we’ll head over to my place, call the power company, and get the lights back on. There’s going to be an extra fee for after-hours and reconnect service.”
“I know.”
A long silence filled the garage before he spoke again. “You know? That means you’ve done this before, doesn’t it?”
“Uh—” He rewarded her hesitation with the sharp crack of his palm on her right cheek, which quickly ended her stalling. “I got disconnected back in September not long after I moved in.”
“I should have guessed.” Reese rubbed her bare bottom as he gave her the rules. “No cussing, name-calling, or blocking my hand. Understand?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be good.”
“We can only hope.” His hand fell over and over with stinging intensity. By ten, she was wiggling and squirming.
“Be still, Merry.”
“I’m trying to, sir. But you spank really hard.”
“You’re being punished, and I mean to get my point across.” He continued at a deliberate pace, covering both cheeks and the sensitive spot where her butt and thighs met. Somewhere around thirty, he stopped and rubbed her heated skin. “Do I have your attention?”
“Yes, sir.” Her voice was husky from tears.
“Do you think you can be more mindful of your safety now? Or do you need more reminders?”
“My burning butt is reminder enough, I promise.”
“Mm... You don’t sound all that sorry to me. Maybe a few more with my belt would make a more lasting impression.”
The crack of his palm on her already sore butt made her instantly regret the little snort of laughter at his unintended play on words.
“Poor choice of words,” Reese muttered. “But I’m serious about this, Merry.”
“I am, too. I swear!” How could she not with her backside on fire?
“Hmm,” he grunted. “Do I take off my belt, or are you convinced to be more vigilant with your safety and well-being?”
“I’m convinced,” she assured him as he continued to rub and squeeze her fiery bottom and tingling thighs and hoping he wouldn’t stop. “I’m sorry for laughing. I know I act like an airhead sometimes, and you worry about me, but the fact you care so much makes me feel valued more than you’ll ever know. I guess that makes me feel comfortable enough to laugh, even during a spanking.”
His hand left her bottom to glide up her back. When he reached her shoulders, he wrapped his hands around them and squeezed gently. He massaged her for a few moments before sliding his warm hands over arms which were stretched out by her sides. Entwining their fingers, he moved her hands until they lay flat against the hood above her head. He was now stretched along her back, his denim-covered fly pressing against her tenderized backside. Whispering into her ear, his words stopped the breath in her chest.
“I do care, because I’m falling in love with you. That means we are going to do what it takes to keep you safe, even if it means I have to imprint my hand on your delectable ass. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.” Her answer—half whimper, half groan—came as his open mouth found her neck and he ground his hardness into her still-blazing bottom. “For the record, I’m already in love with you.”
“My sweet elf.” In a burst of passion, he pulled her up and turned her into his arms. Taking her lips in a searing kiss, he slid a hand under the hem of her blouse to cup a full breast. As he pressed into her softness, his thumb stroked her nipple, flicking the hard peak with the edge of his nail. His other hand moved between her thighs and cupped her heat.
Merry pressed against his palm. Weeks of foreplay and never getting to the main event had her on the brink of coming in seconds.
“Hell and damnation!” he bit out, tearing his mouth from her.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ve got fifteen people at my house, and we need to call the power company to get you switched back on.”
“I don’t want to stop, Reese. Please. Can’t we go upstairs to my room?”
“I want to, baby.” With a knee, he separated her thighs and ground his zipper, and the proof of his desire, against her wetness. “Feel how much. But I don’t want our first time to be a quick grope while my perverted friends are lurking at our door.”
“It’s no wonder I’m scatterbrained,” she bit out, utterly disappointed.
“That’s not the reason. But let me see if I can be of help.” Her hot bottom met cooler metal when he lifted her onto the hood and spread her thighs. Her jeans were in the way, so he pressed her knees to her chest and held them there with one hand. She sobbed with pleasure when his hot tongue licked the length of her pussy then dipped into the seam and explored further. He added a finger in a slow stroke inside her, and she came apart, his name in a throaty rasp echoing off the rafters.
While he was there, he spread kisses over the still-warm and tingling cheeks. Then he lowered her legs and leaned over until his face was above hers.
“Will that tide you over?”
“Yes, but ten seconds of heaven isn’t nearly enough.”
“We’ll work on building your endurance when your power isn’t out and I don’t have a crowd in my den wondering where we’ve gotten to.”
That hadn’t occurred to her. “Will they come looking for you?”
“I wouldn’t put it past them.”
After a quick, passionate kiss, which tasted of her, Reese set her on her feet. He adjusted himself—poor unsatisfied guy—while she pulled up her jeans and panties.
“I guess we better get back,” he said, his voice obviously strained.
“Okay, but I just want to go on record that I wanted to go upstairs, but you wanted to watch football.”
“I guess I’m the one who’s a nitwit.” He took her hand and tugged her along toward the door.
“Wait, can I run upstairs and change clothes before we go? I’d like to freshen up a bit.”
Reese stopped, buried his face in her neck, and inhaled. “Mmm, evergreen, cinnamon, and spice. You don’t need freshening, elf. You always smell like Christmas.”
Giggling at his breath tickling her neck, she melted into him once again. “It’s the potpourri at the store. Please. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
“I’ll call the power company for the reconnect. You be careful in there, it’s dark. Maybe I should come along...”
“If you’d like. You could help me pick out an outfit.”
“In your room? Near a bed? No can do, honey. We’d never get back to my house. That rowdy bunch will find my liquor cabinet if I run out of beer. God only knows what would happen after that. You go on while I call.”
“Yes, sir.” She gave him a mock salute, which, with only starlight from the two small windows, he likely couldn’t see.
“Wear a skirt. It will make it easier to spank that sassy butt. Get going.”
She could see the white of his smile when his phone screen lit up, and knew, or at least hoped, he was teasing because she wasn’t kidding when she said he spanked hard.
Just in case, Merry waited to rub her bottom until she was inside out of sight. She went to the kitchen first and found candles and matches, only because she’d recently unpacked them. Then she made her way to her bedroom with the single flickering flame lighting her way.
She planned to redeem herself a little by telling him she kept candles and matches on hand. She was definitely going to be more conscientious. No one deserved a space-cadet girlfriend.
As she walked down her upstairs hallway, the flickering flame cast long shadows on the wall. Making love by candlelight the first time would have been so romantic. Too bad fate and his beer-swilling friends had conspired against them.
When she walked into her room, she set the candle on her nightstand. Then she screeched as a sweaty hand covered her mouth.
“Shut up, bitch. We don’t want your cop boyfriend up here until I’m ready for him.”
The voice hissing in her ear was unmistakable. Johnny. He dragged her to the bed and forced her face down across the mattress. He jammed a wad of rough fabric into her mouth, then with his hand hard and unrelenting on her neck, told her how it was going to go down.
“Once I have you tied up, you’re gonna call for lover boy. When he gets up here, I’m going to beat the shit out of him for fucking up my life. Then, if he’s still conscious, he can watch me fuck you. That will rock the bastard’s world.”
Shaking her head, she kicked and squirmed beneath his hold. By chance, her booted foot caught him square on the knee and he released her, crying out in pain. She took that brief moment of freedom to spit out the gag and scream. But he recovered quickly and shoved her face into the mattress so hard she couldn’t breathe, much less warn Reese.
“Fucking bitch!” Johnny snarled.
Hard metal against her temple gained her immediate attention, and she froze as paralyzing terror encompassed her. Expecting the worst, she closed her eyes and prayed, which was all she could think to do.
At the sound of pounding footsteps on the stairs, he dragged her off the bed. “I guess the show is gonna start a bit early.”
With her in front of him, he faced the door, using her as a shield as he waited for Reese. He burst through the bedroom door a heartbeat later, service weapon in ready position. The streetlight shining in through her window was enough to make out his lethal expression. His gaze shifted from Johnny to her and back to the gunman, sizing up the situation in an instant.
“Let her go,” he demanded in a voice as steely cold as the gun against her head.
Her captor laughed, the jarring sound grating on her already frazzled nerves. “I’ve got the upper hand, Sergeant Morgan. Not you. Do what I say, or I put a bullet in your girlfriend’s brain right in front of your eyes.”
His words penetrated her terror-fogged mind. He knew Reese’s name, but how?
“If you harm her, you’re a dead man.”
“Oh, I’ll harm her all right. And you get to watch.” Still holding the gun to her head, he brought his other hand up and grabbed her breast, squeezing hard enough to leave bruises on her tender flesh, and she cried out in pain.
“I heard you in the garage. You look sweet as pie, but you like it rough, don’t you, bitch?” His cruel laughter continued as he twisted and pulled hard on her nipple.
Although her pain was physical, she could see the emotional torment etched on Reese’s face. Only the slight twitch in his cheek hinted at the effort he exerted to keep his fiery rage in check.
“You won’t walk away from this, man. But it will be better for you if you let her go.”
“I could have walked,” Johnny erupted angrily, “but you just couldn’t let it go, could you, fucker? I lost my job and everything because you and your asshole buddies wouldn’t stop breathing down my neck.”
This unexpected news surprised Merry. She had considered the incident with Johnny closed.
Reese answered many of the questions swirling in her head, and a few she hadn’t thought of the next instant. “When I thought you were just an asshole trying to get in her pants, I let you walk. But when I found out you were a serial abuser, I couldn’t let that pass. She’s been under surveillance. The men outside will only let you leave in cuffs or on a stretcher. Don’t make things worse for yourself.”
The sound of sirens wailing in the distance had Reese’s mouth curling into a humorless smile. “We’ve been waiting for you to crawl out from underneath your rock again. And surprise, surprise, when you did, you beat up another woman. The last one died this morning, fucker. Her brain swelled from the beating you gave her. Now your assault charges have jumped to murder one. That is not gonna happen with my woman. Take your hands off her and cooperate. It’s your only chance to stay alive.”
Merry’s terrorized mind was reeling. Did Reese say murder? If she hadn’t forgotten to pay her electric bill, she would have walked in on him, all alone. She would have been his next victim and he would have had his revenge on Reese all in one. As panic and horror rose within her, her knees buckled, which threw her off-balance, and she fell into her assailant.
The next few moments were a blur. The room exploded with sounds—breaking glass, yelling, cursing, more pounding footsteps. Hard hands pulled her away from her attacker and shoved her down. Acting on blind instinct, she crawled away, rolling under her bed for cover just as shots fired over her head. Clamping both hands over her mouth, she fought to suppress her screams and the rising tide of hysteria, determined to remain hidden and unnoticed.
After what seemed like an eternity, silence enveloped the room. Merry stopped breathing as she waited. A loud thud followed the brief stillness. Turning her head, she saw Johnny only two feet away. Lifeless, staring blankly at her as he bled from a gaping chest wound onto her new bedroom carpet.
Merry’s ear-piercing screams began at that moment. They continued—shrill, screeching, unrelenting—when hands encircled her ankles and hauled her out from under the bed. She didn’t go easily, clawing and kicking, doing anything to get away. Mindless with fear, and uncertain of what fresh horror awaited her next, her voice broke as she shrieked Reese’s name.
“Merry! It’s over. I’ve got you now.”
The sound of his voice cut through her panic. She looked up at him, bending over her, breathing hard but unharmed. Her gaze darted around the room, searching for other threats.
Her bedroom, once a sanctuary, had become a crime scene, filled with at least a half dozen men. They were obviously cops. A few wore shoulder holsters; others had badges clipped to their belts, all of them holding weapons. She recognized the tall blond who’d answered Reese’s door earlier, squatting beside Johnny, checking for a pulse.
A shudder swept through her and the wail of sirens was no longer distant. It snapped her out of the weird calm that had encompassed her.
“Baby. Say something so I know you’re okay.”
Her head whipped around as he reached for her, but she didn’t give him a chance. Hoarsely crying out his name, she launched herself at him, scrambling up his body—like a cat climbing a tree. When she reached his neck, she clung to him in a grip that clearly stated she wasn’t letting go until she was damn good and ready.
“It’s okay, elf. He can’t ever hurt you again.”
With her face pressed against his neck, she could feel him moving, but she couldn’t tell where. Her voice came out raspy and strained when she asked, “Where are you taking me?”
“Away from here.”
Unwilling to relinquish the death grip she had on him, she clung tighter. “Okay. Just don’t leave me.”
“Never, baby. You’re stuck with me from now on because you’re mine.”
Tears overflowed, and she sobbed brokenly, the terror of the past few minutes hitting her hard and because those were the sweetest words he’d ever said to her.