“Don’t worry, as your doctor I’m prepared to take full responsibility.”
* * *
“Becca seems much better than she did earlier this morning,” Max whispered to Josh as he picked up his menu.
Josh rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “Between traveling and eating like a ten-year-old girl—I should have figured that there was going to be trouble. I’m just glad she’s feeling okay because this is one of her favorite Italian restaurants.”
“Have you been to this location, or the one in New York City?”
“We’ve never been here, but I have a brother who lives in Manhattan, so when we visit him, Renaldo’s is one of our regular restaurant stops. The pasta is all homemade, and it’s delicious, right, Becca?”
Though Becca heard his comment and bobbed her head absentmindedly, she was really paying attention to the chatter between Chrissy and Lizzy while attempting to butter a thick piece of Italian bread.
“Did you even glance at the menu, Chrissy?” Max asked, gently nudging her arm. “The waiter is going to want to take our order when he comes back, and I’d rather not turn him away.”
“I always order the lasagna—it’s the best here!” Turning to rejoin the girls’ conversation, Chrissy mumbled, “He’s such a silly daddy,” then instantly covered her mouth in hopes he didn’t hear her comment above the hustle and bustle of the restaurant.
As if on cue, the waiter arrived at their table, taking Becca’s and Chrissy’s orders first. After Lizzy finished talking with the waiter, she tapped her friend on the shoulder. “Did you see that scary man over there?”
“Which man?” Becca asked, swallowing the remainder of her buttered bread in one gulp, scanning the room.
“That man.” Lizzy pointed directly across the room at a tall, muscular man with a prominent, chiseled jaw line who was sitting in the corner by himself. “He looks evil.”
Chrissy immediately turned to her right and elbowed Max. “Daddy…”
“We see him, princess. He’s been staring in our direction for quite a while.”
“Who do you think he is? Do you think he’s the one who’s been watching us?” The words flowed rapidly as her eyes shined with fear.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions, sweetie. The man is probably just having a quiet dinner alone.”
After taking Josh’s and Peter’s orders, the waiter stood aside and politely waited until Max was finished speaking to Chrissy. “May I take your order, sir?”
“To start, I’ll have a Caesar salad with anchovies. And for my main dish, I’d like the chicken Marsala with extra mushrooms, please.”
“Very good, sir. My name is Vincenzo, in case you need anything.”
“Thank you. If you could spare a minute, I do have a question.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Do you know the man sitting in the corner over there? By any chance, is he a regular customer?”
The waiter looked across the room. “No, sir. I’ve never seen him before. Is there a problem?”
Max shook his head. “I think everything’s fine, but thanks for asking.”
As the waiter walked away, Chrissy glanced at the girls and then moved her gaze to Max. “Really? You think we’re fine?”
“Chrissy, calm down. There’s nothing unusual about a man having dinner by himself.”
“Why is he still staring over here?” Lizzy asked. “Daddy, I’m scared!”
“Oh my God, oh my God! He’s getting out of his seat!” Becca yelped, clapping a hand to her mouth.
“Everything is going to be okay, sweetie.” Josh leaned toward her, not taking his eyes off the stranger.
“He’s walking over here,” Chrissy said, bolting out of her chair.
“It’s going to be okay, kitten, try to relax. I’m going to take care of this,” Max assured her.
As the man got closer to their table, Lizzy ran into Peter’s arms. “Daddy, I can’t breathe,” she barely managed to say, digging her nails into his arms.
“Sit in my lap, baby. Everything is under control,” he whispered, though he seemed uneasy.
With hands in his pockets, Max stood as the tall, menacing-looking man with piercing sapphire blue eyes approached their table. “Can I help you?”
“Are you Max Bowman, the author?” he asked in a low, gravelly voice.
“I am.”
“Well, I’m a big fan of yours.” He paused and glanced around at the stunned faces at the table. “You don’t look the same in person,” he said, extending a large hand as a wide grin spread across his face.
Reaching up to accept his handshake, Max breathed a huge sigh of relief. “It’s very nice to meet you…”
“John… Peterman. It’s nice to meet you, too. My girlfriend is going to be very sorry she missed an opportunity to see you.”
“Well, that’s very kind of you to say,” Max said, returning the smile.
“I’m really sorry for interrupting your dinner. Well, I’ll be going now.”
Max watched intently as he man nervously pivoted off balance and quickly walked out of the restaurant. “See, there’s nothing to worry about—he’s just a fan. So can we all relax now and enjoy our dinner?” he asked, examining the uneasy expressions around the table.
Chrissy’s arms crossed as her husband sat back down and smoothed the wrinkled white linen napkin across his lap.
“Haven’t you ever heard of a dangerous fan, daddy? I may be young, but I’m not naïve.”
“Now isn’t that an interesting choice of words for my ten-year-old little girl?” He took Chrissy’s folded napkin off the table and handed it to her. “Sweetie, why don’t we enjoy our delicious meal and save this conversation for when we get home?”
“Fine.” Her blue eyes focused on Max as the wait staff approached with two trays of covered dishes.
* * *
Max closed the bedroom door behind them as Chrissy quietly slipped into the bathroom and turned on the light.
“I hope you aren’t going to be in there long, Christina Hope.”
“I’ll be out in a minute.”
Max patiently sat on the bed, waiting for his wife to finish preparing for sleep. “I’ve always loved how you look in that short nightgown, kitten.”
“Besides being the sweetest man I know, you’re also the smartest. So what was going through your head in the restaurant tonight?” she asked, strolling out of the bathroom.
“What are you talking about?”
She sat down next to him and cleared her throat. “Even Josh and Peter appeared to be nervous when that stranger approached us. But you seemed cool as a cucumber.”
“The man was harmless,” Max said as the corners of his lips turned upward.
“You don’t know that for sure.” Staring directly into his glittering eyes, Chrissy’s mind switched gears. “Oh, for God’s sake! You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
After casting his face toward the ceiling, Max shook his head.
“Somebody’s stalking us, and all you can think about is including this into the plot of your stupid book!”
“I think what we’re experiencing is a string of unfortunate coincidences, and I’m trying to be rational.” Max rolled his wife over on her tummy and landed a sturdy smack onto her ass.
“Oww, what was that for?”
“You earned that swat for being disrespectful in the restaurant,” he said, keeping one hand on the small of her back. “And this one,” he continued, lifting her nightgown to wield his large palm across both bare cheeks, “is for not trusting that I always think of your safety before anything else.”
“Please, Max, these walls are thin.”
“Good. Let them all hear how a daddy disciplines his naughty little girl who doesn’t believe she is number one in his life.”
“I do believe you,” she said, reaching back to protect her backside.
Pulling her hand away, he spanked both round globes before lowering his lips to kiss each pink imprint. “I would never put th
e love of my life in danger. Even for my stupid book. Do you believe that?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now you may stand against the wall and present your bare bottom to me. I think someone needs a long-lasting reminder.”
Chapter Seven
Josh and Peter had promised to occupy Chrissy and keep her safe during the authors’ next writing time, and they all agreed that a couple of hours on the beach would be fun for her. Being a California girl, she’d spent many summers building castles in the white sands of Laguna Beach with her friends, and with her stunning figure in a black bikini, she still managed to catch the eye of almost every man passing by. As a result, Josh and Peter expended a great deal of time deflecting the unwanted attention. Giggling at the advances, Chrissy clearly enjoyed every glance thrown her way.
“Did you remember to put on sunscreen before we came down to the water? Dermatologists say you should apply it fifteen minutes before being in the sun,” Josh noted in a professional tone.
“Yeah, I did. Can’t you see the sand sticking to my skin?”
“Good. Because the last thing you need, is to be in trouble with your daddy.”
“There!” Chrissy said, clearly ignoring him as she stood and pointed to her sand masterpiece.
Josh and Peter stepped back, eyeing her sand sculpture carefully, as if they were judging it for a blue ribbon.
“I have to admit,” Peter observed, walking all the way around the finished product, “you have quite a talent.”
“Did you notice the little windows I put in?”
“I did!” Peter bent over for a closer look. “The details you sculpted are quite amazing. Josh, what do you think?”
“I think Chrissy wins first prize!”
“If you’re judging between the one that I did, versus the one you two worked on, then I agree,” she said. “I’m thinking neither of you spent much time at the beach growing up.”
Peter and Josh peered at each other and shrugged.
“Anyone for a walk?” she yelled, sprinting down the beach.
“Hey, wait up!” Peter hollered back. The guys finally caught up, each taking a place at her side. “Can you please not run off like that?”
“Chill out, guys, nothing bad is going to happen here, I’m a beach professional. Let’s take a swim…” Without a moment’s hesitation, she ran toward the water and dove head first into the waves, leaving Peter and Josh speechless. Moments later, Chrissy stood and brushed her blond wet locks off of her face. “Come on in, the water’s warm,” she said, motioning for them to follow.
“Max is going to owe us,” Josh mumbled as he walked into the water with Peter not far behind. They made their way over to Chrissy who proceeded to float on her back taking in the bright sun.
“Have you two ever body surfed?” she asked nonchalantly. “The waves are pretty small, so it’ll be easy today. Here, let me show you.” Flipping over, she looked out toward the sea and stood, poised and ready. “See, the trick is in finding the right wave.” A moment later, a little three-foot curler approached and Chrissy pushed off. She expertly laid out as the wave carried her back into shore. “See, nothing to it!” she yelled, pointing to the oncoming wave.
“I’m game if you are,” Peter said, turning to get ready. The two of them mimicked her setup and jumped at the next oncoming wave. Finding out the hard way, they both discovered that it wasn’t nearly as easy as Chrissy had made it seem. Both men sank like rocks as the wave pounded their bodies down under the water, tumbling them into the shore. Ending up waist deep on their rear ends, they both spit out a mouthful of seawater and rubbed their eyes. Josh immediately glanced over at Peter. “Are you alright?”
“Yep, nothing appears to be broken.” Standing up, Peter fully expected to see Chrissy in the distance laughing at them. But instead, he pirouetted a full three-hundred-sixty-degree turn with no one in sight. “Do you see her?”
“No, I don’t. Where do you think she went?” Josh asked, glancing all around as he walked ashore.
“I don’t know.” Peter cupped a hand over his eyes, still scrutinizing in every direction.
“Oh, Jesus, we’ve lost her!” Josh yelled as panic set in. “Now what are we going to do?”
“Let’s just calm down for a minute and think. She couldn’t have gotten far because we haven’t been in the water for that long. Help me look, she has to be close by.” Scanning the horizon, they headed toward the lifeguard for help. By the time they reached their destination, Chrissy could be seen walking over a sand dune.
“What’s the problem, are you guys hurting from your little ride on the wave?” she yelled, waving her arms.
“Chrissy, where in the hell were you?” Josh scolded.
“I went to the bathroom over there,” she explained, pointing at the public restroom about a hundred yards down the beach.
“It would have only taken a minute to let us know you were going.”
“Oh, now I need permission to go to the bathroom?” Chrissy’s tone was defiant as she crossed her arms.
“Okay, that’s it! Our excursion is over as of now!” Peter grabbed her hand as they headed back to pick up their beach gear.
“Am I in trouble?” Chrissy asked, glancing back toward Josh.
“Yes, missy!”
* * *
Still holding her by the hand, Peter threw open the sliding glass door and led her inside. Pointing to the multi-colored cushioned chair along the wall, he blew out a long breath and tried to calm himself.
“Please sit down.”
He and Josh had a quick private conversation before turning toward her. “Given the mysterious events over the last few days, do you have any idea how concerned we both were when you decided to disappear?” Peter asked rhetorically.
“But…”
“No buts, Chrissy.” Josh warned, wagging his finger. “All you had to do was tell one of us where you were going. Didn’t that occur to you?”
“I didn’t think it was such a big deal to leave for five minutes.”
“What’s all the yelling about?” Becca asked as she and Lizzy walked into the room.
“Chrissy pulled a disappearing act on us while we were on the beach,” Josh explained, narrowing his eyes at her.
“I had to go to the bathroom!” she protested, pleading her case.
Peter held up his hand, “Don’t waste your breath hoping for support from the other girls. Where’s Max?”
“He’s in the shower,” Lizzy offered.
Peter and Josh huddled once again. “Chrissy, we think you need to wait in the corner until he comes out.”
She stared at Josh and cocked her head in response. “What, in front of everyone? You can’t punish me. Girls, help me out here!”
With hands cupped over their mouths, they both shook their heads.
“Chrissy, before we left for the beach, did you hear what Max said?”
She swallowed hard. “He was trusting both of you with my safety.”
“Good. Now, I suggest you do as you’re told,” Josh directed, taking a step toward her.
“Okay, okay, I’ll go stand in the corner, but I’m doing it under protest.” Positioning herself against the wall, she mumbled in an irritated tone, “Wait until Max gets a load of this nonsense!”
“Did I just hear my name?” he asked, rounding the corner into the room.
“Max!” Chrissy screeched. “Josh and Peter are making me stand in the corner, just for going to the bathroom…”
“That’s only part of the story,” Peter broke in. He and Josh pulled Max aside and quietly explained Chrissy’s disappearing act while on the beach.
“It wasn’t five o’clock when we were on the beach,” she defended, hoping to snag the men on a technicality of the rules.
Max glanced at his watch. “But it is now…”
“Jesus,” she softly groaned, knowing her fate had been sealed.
“I think both Josh and Peter are being pretty lenient, considering t
he situation. Didn’t we just have a conversation about keeping you safe last night? How many times do we have to go over this?”
Lizzy and Becca moved to the loveseat and sat down without a peep, both visibly relieved that it wasn’t either of them in the predicament.
“It’s still not fair,” Chrissy whimpered, along with a quick stomp of her foot.
“Okay, that’s it, young lady. Come over here, right now,” Max ordered gently but firmly as he took a seat on the couch.
Chrissy reluctantly inched her way across the room, not making eye contact with anyone. Standing in front of him, she interlocked her fingers behind the small of her back, waiting for a lecture.
“Did you consider how frightened Josh and Peter would be when you ran to the bathroom without telling them?”
Silently, she lowered her bobbing head.
“And you knew they felt responsible for your safety, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you owe them an apology?”
Turning at the waist, Chrissy heaved an audible sigh. “I’m sorry, guys,” she spat out quickly, her eyes glued to the floor.
Max patted his thigh when she finally made eye contact with him. “That didn’t sound genuine at all. Get into position, please.”
“Here? In front of everyone?”
Closing his eyes, he nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose. “And I’m not going to wait forever.”
As Chrissy leaned over his lap, her bathing suit cover-up lifted, and she could feel her small, wet bikini sliding upward into the crevice of her buttocks. “Please don’t pull down my bottoms.”
Patting her hip, he examined her soft white mounds jutting out beyond her black suit. “That won’t be necessary, since you’re virtually bare,” he said before landing the first of several stiff swats to the bottom of each full protruding cheek. Lizzy and Becca both dramatically cringed at the public display.
“Daddy, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry!” Chrissy yelped as she squirmed to free herself from his hold.
But Max locked her into place with his leg, before his hand rained down sharp quick smacks to the tender underside of each round mound. When she finally hung her head and succumbed, Max smoothed her reddened cheeks with a loving firm hand. “The bottom half of your tushy is nice and red. Does it feel good and sore, young lady?”
Their Strict Daddies Page 6
