by Abbie Adams
"What?"
"Fantasizing all the time 'bout my Daddy," she shook her head, "and here you are, all angry–and you're probably gonna spank me again, then I'll hate myself in the morn—"
Again? He'd never spanked her though his palms had itched to a thousand times. Shaking his head, he said, "I think you'll hate yourself in the morning for different reasons this time."
"You always go away," she said, this time with a soft cry that tore at his heart. "You never stay."
"I'm not going anywhere, little girl. Let's get you back to your room."
Upon his arrival at the resort, he'd headed straight for the room number that Tiffany had given him and had found the door wide open. After setting the ridiculously huge tissue paper roses he'd bought at the airport on the bed, he'd seen the broken glass on the floor and had walked into the bathroom thinking she'd hobbled in there to take care of some cut on her foot. Instead, he'd found the empty wine bottle lying on the bathroom rug. Had she really finished an entire bottle of wine by herself? Noticing the untouched sandwich and cold French fries on a plate, his concern had grown. Had she not only drunk the whole bottle but done so without eating first? He'd practically stomped back to the front desk and the moment the clerk said she thought she'd seen Miss Sunny going to the bar, he'd gone outside to where he heard the music and saw the crowd of people. Apparently, he'd arrived in the nick of time. He didn't even want to think about what room she might have ended up in if he'd arrived even another five minutes later.
He adjusted her in his arms, making damn sure that her naked posterior wasn't hanging out for everyone to see. The only person seeing it would be him. He patted her bottom again and she simply sighed contently and snuggled closer and he would swear she pushed her bottom down into his palm. He bent down and kissed the top of her head and couldn't help but wonder if she'd be quite so cooperative or snuggle quite so closely after he was done blistering her behind.
Chapter Ten
"Ohhh."
"Oh my God…"
"Oh my head…" Sunny reached for the other pillow and pulled it down on top of her head. What the heck? She had a brain tumor or something. There weren't elephants in Cancun so it wasn't like one was sitting on her head.
She waited a couple more minutes hoping the pressure and the pounding would subside. When it didn't, she sat up as slowly as possible. She was going to have to go for help. God, it hurt to even open her hers and try to locate the phone. Would dialing 911 work here? Did she need to dial 9911 for an outside line so she could call an ambulance? The room was spinning.
"Yeah, I'm sure you have a doozy of a headache." Trent was walking toward her, at least it sounded like him. It was hard to tell the way his face blurred in and out of focus.
She flopped backward on the bed again. "Good, I'm still sleeping." She groaned and rolled over. "Shit, what kind of dream is this? I shouldn't be in this much pain. When I wake up, I'll feel better."
"No, you are awake, baby, and when you do feel better, I'm going to bust your ass." The side of the bed dipped. "Here, take this Tylenol."
No, no he wasn't there. She sat up fast, too fast and clutched her head. The room was spinning even worse. She held one hand on her forehead and reached for him with the other. She needed him to stop moving so she could focus. What the hell was going on? It really didn't feel like she was making this up, and she didn't think she was drunk anymore. Oh no, she had gotten really drunk, hadn't she? Wait! Hadn't there been some bartender? And didn't some man talk to her? Shit, how embarrassing that she couldn't remember. Oh, but it was a dream so all those little details could be changed. Yes, that explained it all—she must still be making it up.
"Take the Tylenol, little girl."
Wow, that was nice. How long had she waited for an order from a Daddy who cared about his little girl. But, hell, why had he taken so damn long to show up in the proper role? Still, she didn’t want to seem too eager to obey—right?
"Yes, Daddy," she replied sarcastically. He had some big hands. She gulped hard, trying to focus on the little blue and red capsules in his palm. She took them and the glass of water, obeying when he demanded she drink more of the water. Hmmm, why was her Daddy constantly trying to get her to drink water? She'd much rather have a nice hot cup of coffee.
"Remember that because you'll be saying it a lot later when Daddy is paddling your ass."
"What?" Glancing up and meeting his pale gray eyes which looked surprisingly real and very stern, she snorted. She'd heard that threat a million times and a hand had yet to swat her butt much less a paddle. "Yeah, sure. In your dreams maybe…" She chuckled, laid back against the pillows and continued, "Ha, no, maybe in my dreams… but, no paddle. That might really sting."
Sunny woke again hours later, a remnant of the headache still present. She sat up slowly, looking for her imaginary perfect Daddy in her room—and, as always, didn't find him. She lay back down, both relieved she wasn't going crazy and a little sad. Her dream had felt even more real than usual. Sighing, she rolled over with a hand on her forehead.
She sat up fast. Her hand flew to her heart. There was a glass of water on the night stand and two blue and red capsules… And a note:
Sunny,
Take the Tylenol. Drink the whole glass of water.
I will be back later to talk. Trent
Reaching for the piece of paper, she ran her fingers across it. This was a real letter which meant… she was really awake. The pounding in her temples all of a sudden had to be real. You couldn't actually feel pain in your dreams. So, what in the world was he doing there? What was going on? Looking around again, she saw three humongous paper flowers at the end of the bed. They were so ugly they were cute and definitely were not something she would ever had conjured in a fantasy. That meant…
She had to call Tiff. She gasped and clutched her hand to her mouth. Shit, when had he arrived? What had he seen? Hell, what had she done and worst of all, what had she said to him last night? Oh, this was just crazy. What was she going to do? She slid out of the bed with her hands clutching her temples as she rushed to the bathroom.
As she passed the full length mirror in the bathroom, she froze. One hand clutched her mouth in shock while the other came to grasp the skimpy skirt of her white lacy bathing-suit cover-up. She didn't have anything under it. She'd worn it last night, and you could see right through it. What had she been thinking? Her nipples were dark and very visible through the flimsy material. While the rest of her body wasn't quite so noticeable, more of a shadow or suggestion of the outline, it was—oh, God, who was she kidding? If Trent had seen her like this… Forcing that thought away, she decided it had been dark enough last night that it hadn't been as transparent as now.
She left the mirror in disgust, finished using the bathroom, went back to the night stand to study the note again and picked up the phone. Screw the cost; this was a true emergency and she needed to talk to Tiff. "Come on, please answer," she half moaned, rocking back and forth as the phone rang for the sixth time before going to the answering machine. What was she going to do?
She rested her head in her palm for a moment. Another glance at her swim dress had her shaking her head. She needed to shower and dress; if Trent were really here, she didn't want him to see her like this again. There would be no concealing darkness to hide behind. He was going to think she was a tramp. A drunken tramp! No, a lunatic drunken tramp. Better yet, a lunatic drunken slutty tramp with a serious drinking problem. Wait, oh hell! She didn't know what she was thinking. Had she been talking so out of her head crazy the night before when she really was drunk? Please, God, don't let her have said any of the things she was constantly thinking about. She'd rather have him think her hidden alcoholism had killed off every brain cell she owned than to know she'd had some unrequited crush on him for years!
She was so embarrassed. It couldn't be a coincidence that he was there. For some reason he must have come here for her. And now he was probably going to think she was some nut job. W
hat was she talking about? She was a nut job.
She tore through her bags looking for something to change into but didn't seem to register any of the items, so she basically just made a mess of her clothing. What was she even looking for? The task proved beyond her abilities. Instead of deciding which of the dresses she would wear, she played out every scenario she could think of. What if something had happened to Tiff or one of the kids? Was that why no one answered the phone? Did Trent come to get her because someone had died? They didn't want to tell her over the phone. Oh, this was just horrible. It had to be something awful; that was why he'd come. She'd made the whole thing worse by being unable to converse with the man who'd personally come to break the news of some disaster.
She was not prepared for Trent to come in just then. Thankfully, she recovered from her shock quickly. Sunny barely registered that he'd come in without knocking. It was time to start acting like the adult she was supposed to be. "I haven't had time to pack my stuff, but I wasn't really unpacked, so it won't take long. You can tell me what happened on the way."
"What are you jabbering about now?"
"I'm sure we have to hurry…" She threw her suitcase top closed, still without latching onto one item to wear.
"No, I think we have plenty of time and you and I are going to have a nice, long talk." His voice was low, and it almost sounded like a warning.
Sunny jerked her head back around. "You don't need to worry that I'm not able to listen this time. I know you didn't come all this way to have me be so… um… incoherent. I promise not to fall apart so you can go ahead and tell me why you are in Cancun. I'll do everything I can to help." Even as she spoke, she was praying that the news wouldn't be too awful. She started picking at the skin on the edge of her fingernail when her line of vision fell on her still see-through swim cover. Shit! She could feel her face heating as she tried to look casual while crossing her arms over her chest in the modesty that had evidently fled her mind the night before.
"No, it's not a coincidence, nor is it an emergency. I just heard that Tiff couldn't come, and you were here alone. I've tried to spend time with you before, but you always leave too soon."
Sunny dropped to her seat on the bed in an unceremonious slump. It was too much to consider. He pulled the chair away from the small desk and sat. Sneaking a glance at him, her stomach flipped. He was leaning towards her, his elbows on his knees and when he lifted his face, she felt her heart skip a beat. Though she knew he had to be very displeased at what he'd encountered last night, he didn't look angry. Instead, he looked a bit pensive. Almost as if he was wanting to say something but was afraid at how she'd take it.
"Are you telling me the truth?" she asked, her voice quiet. "No one is dead or… or dying?"
"Sunny, I will never lie to you. Everyone at home is fine. I really did come down here to talk with you. I've been trying to talk with you for years but you always seem to run away."
If that were true, then it meant his earlier words were also true, didn't it? Had he really come for only that reason? And, oh God, if he had, had he changed his mind after witnessing how she behaved when left on her own? Was he now going to tell her he had changed his mind but wish her well? Swallowing hard, she decided it was time to be truthful herself even if it meant losing all hopes of being with this man.
"I didn't know you cared if I ran…"
"I've cared for a long time, Sunny," he said, sitting up only long enough to reach one hand out and place it over her hands that were twisting together on her lap.
"From the way you spoke last night, I think you feel the same way about me?" His voice still held a firm edge to it, yet was softer and definitely a question.
She looked up and met his penetrating gray gaze. What had she said? Had she made a complete fool of herself? How was she supposed to answer that? "I-I want to be honest with you too. I don't know what I said to you. God, I wish I could remember but-but last night is all fuzzy." She paused, wondering if her face was as red as it felt. "I-I'm sorry for the way I acted… I never act like that. Never."
"We will discuss your behavior in a little bit. I need to know if you have feelings for me, and if so, exactly what type of feelings."
Sunny had to stop herself from pinching her arm. She couldn't believe that she wasn't making this up. She was awake, wasn't she? She started to remember snippets of saying something similar the night before. And images tickled her memory. Seeing the glass of water on the table, a vision of him pressing a similar glass into her hand materialized. Oh, shit, hadn't she spilled it on him somehow? A small moan escaped as she remembered something even worse.
"Did-did I say something about rainbows?"
His grin gave his answer and she pulled her hands from beneath his to bury her face in her palms. "I've been wondering, what exactly are skittle spots?"
"God, I can't believe I said that. Did-did I say anything else about…"
"Let's just say that you tried to explain why you weren't wearing either of your bathing suits under your cover up."
She moaned again as additional visions flashed across her closed eyelids. His carrying her like a baby. Him next to her on the floor in the bathroom, holding back her hair as she'd puked. Forget it. She'd not only embarrassed herself, she'd disgusted him. She groaned and felt her eyes filling with tears.
"Sunny?"
For the first time, he was actually here and yet her inability to control herself made sure her deepest need would remain nothing more than a dream. Her heart was breaking and yet it was time to grow up and to let him go.
"Look, I'm sorry. I-I know I've ruined any chance with you. Please-please just go." She blinked rapidly to keep tears from falling as she looked at him. "I really am sorry." By the time the last word was out of her mouth, he had stood and scooped her into his arms.
"Oh, Sunny," he said as he sank down onto the bed, holding her on his lap. "Baby, it's going to be fine."
"No, it's not!" she wailed, the tears winning as the emotions overcame her control. "I-I wanted you to-to love me and now-now I've ruined it!" Her sobs filled the room but his arms never loosened after he pressed her head to his chest. She continued to cry for the loss of everything she'd ever dreamed of as he rocked her back and forth without saying a word. She had no idea of how much time passed before her sobs became sniffles.
"Here, blow," he said, pressing a Kleenex he'd plucked from the box next to the clock to her nose.
She should have been ecstatic to have him holding her, rocking her, and caring for her like a true Daddy and yet she was so very embarrassed at her behavior. She blew her nose and then wiped her fingers across her cheeks.
"I can't believe you came all the way here." Sunny looked at her lap. "I'm sorry it was a wasted trip but maybe you can find someone…"
"Sunny," he interrupted, his fingers gently cupping her chin and forcing her eyes to his. "I want you to listen to me carefully. Can you do that?" When she didn't move, he dropped his voice and cocked his eyebrow. "I asked you a question, little girl. Can you really listen to what I'm saying and stop assuming you know what is in my head or my heart?"
Her heart pounded as she realized several things at once. He wasn't releasing her, his eyes were full of what she thought was desire, his lifted eyebrow was causing her entire body to tingle, and his tone had her praying she was reading everything she saw correctly.
"Ye-yes, sir," she whispered and was rewarded by a smile that stirred her very soul.
"That's my good girl. I came to Cancun for exactly the reason I've told you. I was hoping that we could spend some time together and you might feel the way I have felt for you. The way I've felt for a long time."
"Did I ruin it because of my actions last night?" she asked so softly as if afraid to hear his answer.
"I'm not sure," he paused for a second and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him again. "I was very upset, when I saw the dangerous position you put yourself in, stumbling around half naked and fully drunk, in a foreign coun
try. What were you thinking? I wanted to beat the shit out of the man who had his hands all over you. Sunny, you could have been kidnapped, raped—hell you could have been murdered and none of us would know."
Shameful tears dripped down her face. "I don't know why I did it either… I never drink."
"I know you are not normally like that. That is why you haven't 'ruined' things with me. But you know the way I deal with such things. How I would deal with Tiff if it were her. If you are interested in a relationship with me, that kind of relationship is the way it will be. I'm not going to sugar-coat it. I want all of you in every way and that includes your obedience. I am praying that you want the same thing. But, I hope you also understand that actions have consequences—unpleasant consequences when you do things that put the girl I love in danger."
She could swear her heart stopped. "You-you love me?"
"Yes, I've loved you for a long time."
She threw her arms around his neck. "I-I love you too!"
His arms tightened around her and he bent to kiss the top of her head exactly as she'd envisioned him doing for years. "I'm so glad to hear that. But, I meant what I said. I'm very disappointed that you didn't think about what could happen when you left this room half-naked and already half-plastered last night. You deserve a long, hard spanking for your behavior, young lady."
Sunny's mouth fell open. "Would-would you pinch me, please?"
"What?"
"Pinch me. I-I have to know that I'm not dreaming. I've dreamed of you… of this, so many times but… ow!"
"Satisfied?" he asked, rubbing the spot on her thigh that he'd given a pinch.
Her face felt as if it was splitting with her smile. Yes, he was there and saying those words to her. Yes, he'd said she deserved a spanking and yet that didn't bother her in the least. The only thing that could bother her was if he didn't follow through because she had absolutely no intention of running this time.
