by Madison Faye
“Yeah?” Jacob scoffed. “Tell that to the judge.”
A puzzled frown formed on her face, drawing her delicate eyebrows into a cute little V-shape. Man, she was adorable.
“What judge?”
“That would be me, darlin’.”
Judge, jury and, well, executioner was too harsh a word, but he would the one to carry out whatever punishment he deemed necessary to bring her back into line. Warming this little minx’s butt was a task he would relish. The grin that settled on his face must have been a bit wolfish as Helena gulped and took a step backward.
“Now, come on, Helena, it’s time we got out of this dump.”
“What?” She looked startled. “Leave with you? But I don’t know you.”
Finally, she was showing some common sense but, as far as Jacob was concerned, her timing was off. He wanted to get her out of there quickly and with as little fuss as possible.
“Not yet,” he conceded, “but you and I are going to get to know each other a whole lot better.”
Even as he said the words, Jacob could imagine her draped over his lap, her gorgeous bottom reddened from a thorough spanking. That was going to have to wait, however, until she was clean, sober, and capable of giving him the consent he required in his relationships. Forget whatever promises he had made, there was no doubt in his mind now that Helena was going to be his.
She opened her mouth as though to protest, but nothing came out. Her big blue eyes became impossibly wide and she stumbled toward him. Cursing, Jacob stepped forward and caught her just as she was about to drop to the floor. Looking down at the aggravating bundle of femininity in his arms, he sighed. She was out cold.
“Well,” he said as he scooped her up to hold her close to his chest, “at least if you’re unconscious, you can’t complain about me moving you into my house.”
He carried her past a number of gawping onlookers, out through the back of the club to where his car sat idling in the alleyway. His driver held the door open and Jacob set Helena on the back seat before sliding in next to her. He made sure she was comfortable as his driver got back into the car.
“Home, please, Marco,” he instructed the heavy-set Italian who also handled security for him. “And put in a call to Dr. Marshall. I need her to come and take a look at this little lady.”
Before he could make any decisions on how to tackle her obvious issues with alcohol, he needed to know what other substances she might have been abusing. She was too pale and thin for her own good. He needed some reassurances about the state of her health and, once he had them, he would work out how best to take care of her.
As the slender blonde shifted on the seat next to him, her skirt riding up to expose almost virginal panties, a sudden thrill shot through Jacob. Little Miss Carmichael had a hell of a spanking coming to her and he couldn’t wait to deliver it. By the time he was finished with her, she would be totally reformed.
Chapter Two
Helena woke in unfamiliar surroundings. The soft pillows that cushioned her aching head were not hers. The cozy duvet that covered her was not the one from her own bed. Strange. As her eyes adjusted to the half-light, she took a good look around. Everything in this room spoke of luxury, from the tasteful furnishings and sumptuous silk drapes, to the gorgeous embossed wallpaper whose floral pattern she could just barely make out. For a moment, she wondered if she was in a fancy hotel. She’d stayed in places like this when she was younger, back when she used to accompany her parents on business trips. If it was a hotel, then how the hell had she gotten here?
She tried to sit up, but her body refused to cooperate. Her muscles were weak, and it felt as though someone had tried to drive a dagger into her skull. As her head sank back onto the pillows, she noticed a jug of water and a glass sitting on the nightstand. She tried to reach for it, but the effort was too much for her. She collapsed onto the mattress.
Almost immediately, she heard the door open and footsteps rushing toward her. She raised her head as much as she was able, and saw a friendly looking woman, middle-aged and matronly, hurrying to her side. Following her was a man who, through the haze of her thoughts, seemed familiar. A man who, even as she lay there in a state of misery, sparked a primal awakening in her.
“Help Miss Carmichael to sit up,” the woman instructed him.
In response to the no-nonsense tone the woman used, his mouth set in a hard line. Clearly, he was not used to taking orders. No, Helena thought as she studied his dominant stance, this was a man who was accustomed to telling other people what to do. Nevertheless, he stepped forward and Helena offered no resistance as he put his strong arms around her and helped her into a seated position. Then he moved onto the bed to cradle her in his arms. Considering he was a complete stranger, the possessiveness of his embrace should have made Helena wary, but she felt surprisingly at home next to him. Just how natural it was to let him hold her was a little unsettling.
“I’m Dr. Marshall,” the woman introduced herself, “and you already know Mr. Brentwood, I believe.”
Lucas Brentwood? Helena looked up into the face of the man who held her tight and tried not to flinch at the forbidding expression that greeted her. No, not Lucas. This was not the man her parents had tasked with looking out for her welfare after their untimely deaths in a car crash seven years ago. This was one of the younger brothers—Jacob, the dark horse. Or should that be darker horse? She hadn’t found Lucas Brentwood to be a ray of sunshine on the few occasions when they’d met.
“Jacob Brentwood.” His deep voice rumbled into the silence. “In case you’ve forgotten.”
“Yes, of course,” Helena replied. “Jacob.”
Dr. Marshall must have heard the hoarseness in her voice because she quickly lifted the jug from the nightstand and poured her a glass of water. Jacob immediately took the glass from the doctor and held it to Helena’s parched lips, so she could drink.
“Better?” The tenderness in his voice caught her off guard as he removed the glass and placed it back on the little cabinet by the bed.
Helena nodded, her head ached, and she thought she might never rid herself of the terrible thirst but, for now, the water had refreshed her. Feeling awkward as the doctor and Jacob exchanged a look of concern, Helena turned her attention to making a careful study of her hands. There was a small Band-Aid on the back of her left hand. She couldn’t think why it was there. Rubbing her finger over it, she looked questioningly at the doctor.
“Ah, yes, we needed to draw a little blood to run some tests.”
“Tests?” Her brow furrowed. Did that mean she was ill? “Is this some sort of clinic?”
If it was a clinic, it was the most luxurious one Helena had ever seen. Perhaps there were such establishments, catering to the super-rich, but she couldn’t imagine how she would have ended up in one. Despite the vast wealth she’d inherited from her parents, Helena had never indulged in an over-the-top lifestyle.
“It’s not a clinic,” Jacob said, giving her a strange look. “This is my home.”
“Your home?”
“One of them, yes.”
“I see,” Helena responded, although she was now more confused than ever. “So, why am I here?”
“You’re here because my brother asked me to look out for you,” Jacob replied. “Do you remember anything about last night?”
Helena shook her head despairingly and the doctor laid a reassuring hand on hers.
“That’s not unusual, my dear. I’m sure it will all come back to you in time.”
“Not unusual?” Helena challenged. “Forgetting what I did last night and how I got here is not unusual?”
She was aware that her voice had become a little high-pitched, but she was starting to worry that there was something they weren’t telling her.
“Calm down, sweetheart.” Jacob’s words seemed to be a command rather than a request. “Surely you know your memory can be affected by substance abuse?”
Outrage coursed through Helena’s veins, m
aking her forget all about the aching muscles and her pounding headache. She wrenched herself free of Jacob’s grasp and turned to face him.
“Are you suggesting I’ve been taking drugs?”
“You can drop the innocent act, sweetheart. You were totally out of it last night.”
“I most certainly was not!” Helena didn’t care that she was on the verge of becoming hysterical. This man, this virtual stranger had no reason to assume she’d been high. “I never touch drugs. Never.”
“I guess we’ll find out when your blood tests come back,” Jacob said. Helena could cheerfully have slapped the smug look right off his face.
“You took my blood without permission, so you could find out if I was on something? How dare you, utter bastard!”
“I dare,” he said with lethal calm, “because you have just become my responsibility and, if you ask me, you are long overdue for a damned good spanking.”
“Yes, but not now, Jacob,” the doctor interjected before Helena could respond. “Right now, we need to concentrate on getting Miss Carmichael back to full fitness. What discipline you choose to administer when she’s recovered is up to you.”
Discipline? Helena couldn’t believe what she was hearing. What sort of doctor would condone a man threatening to spank a grown woman? And since when had she become Jacob Brentwood’s responsibility? She was twenty-four years old and perfectly capable of looking after herself. Clearly, everyone around here was nuts. She struggled to get off the bed, but Jacob took a firm hold of her and pulled her back against his solid chest.
“You’re not going anywhere, young lady.” His tone was stern. “Not until we get to the bottom of what’s wrong with you. So, are you going to lie back like a good girl while the doctor examines you, or do I have to hold you down?”
Helena swallowed hard as she looked up at Jacob’s implacable face. What she saw there told her that if she resisted, he would show no hesitation in restraining her. The very thought of it frightened her, not because of what he might do to her, but because of how she might respond. The idea of being held captive by this man was strangely exhilarating, but she couldn’t allow herself to give in to such ridiculous fantasies. Unwilling to risk what might happen if she allowed him to pin her down, she decided to cooperate and shook her head meekly.
“But,” Helena addressed the doctor, “could you ask him to leave the room, please. I don’t want to discuss private matters in front of a man I don’t know.”
Jacob looked as though he might object to what she saw as a perfectly reasonable request. As his firm jaw set into a disapproving scowl, Helena could see the internal struggle reflected in his eyes as he debated what to do.
“Fine.” Obviously displeased, Jacob got up from the bed and stared down at her. There was an almost menacing look in his eyes, but he didn’t try to force the issue. “I’ll wait outside but, believe me, young lady, you are going to have to deal with me eventually.”
Yes, Helena thought as she watched him striding from the room, she was going to have to deal with him at some point. She just had no idea how.
* * *
Jacob paced up and down the corridor outside the bedroom, waiting for news. He’d never known anxiety quite like this and had no idea where to channel this nervous energy. A man who liked to be in control of things, he hated not knowing what to do to help Helena. He’d hardly slept last night as his mind raced with thoughts about how she’d gotten herself into such a mess. When he’d carried her into the house, she’d lain so limply in his arms, looking utterly helpless. He’d felt a strange tugging at his heart. That was a definite first for Jacob, who tended to avoid emotional entanglements at all costs.
At first light, he’d got up to check on her. Needing to reassure himself that she was alright, he’d stood by her bedside, looking for any sign she was in distress. Although Dr. Marshall had performed a quick examination last night and had been satisfied that Helena would be okay, he’d worried that something might happen to her in her sleep. Although he’d only just met Helena, his desire to keep her from harm was almost overwhelming. Instinct seemed to have taken over from reason, guiding him toward his ideal mate. This was a woman he could nurture and protect. He wanted to offer her the world, to do whatever it took to bind her to him forever. It was crazy how much he felt for her already. Yet, he couldn’t dismiss the nagging feeling that this delicate English rose might prove to be a major thorn in his side.
As the door to the room Helena occupied opened, Jacob stopped pacing. Dr. Marshall approached him, a look of annoyance on her face.
“Jacob, I don’t know where you get your information from, but I am certain that young lady was not drinking last night, and I doubt very much that she has touched an illegal substance in her life.”
Taken aback by the scolding tone of the doctor’s voice, Jacob was momentarily lost for words. Nobody spoke to him that way, ever, but he could tell by the vehemence in her voice that she truly believed what she was saying.
“But you saw the state she was in,” he said when he’d recovered himself.
“It’s my belief that she unwittingly ingested something. Now, we won’t know for certain until the blood tests are back, and even then, they might not be conclusive, but I think it’s fair to assume she was given some sort of date rape drug.”
Jacob blanched at that. He’d known Helena had left herself vulnerable to something like that, but as a man who held himself to a high moral standard, he still found it hard to believe that someone had actually drugged her. He slowly clenched and unclenched his fists. If the person responsible for putting Helena at risk had been there at that moment, he would have throttled them with his bare hands.
“When will you know for sure?” he asked the doctor through gritted teeth.
“In a couple of hours,” Dr. Marshall replied. “Hopefully the drug will have left a trace. You’ll need to notify the police, you know.”
“Yes, of course.” Jacob had no intention of doing any such thing. He had an efficient security team he could trust to handle this. “So, date rape drugs aside, are you giving her a clean bill of health?”
Dr. Marshall shook her head. “I wouldn’t say that exactly. Miss Carmichael has been putting herself under a lot of stress lately. She really hasn’t been taking the best care of herself and she needs someone with the strength to look after her while she sorts her head out.”
She looked pointedly at Jacob and he nodded his head. Of course, he was going to be the man to step into that role. There was absolutely no question.
“What do you mean, sorts her head out?” Jacob asked.
“Speak to Helena,” Dr. Marshall replied. “I promised her confidentiality when she spoke to me and I won’t break my word, even for you.”
Flashing him a warm smile, the doctor patted his arm as if to offer reassurance a man like him had no need of.
“Leave her to rest for an hour or two and then bring her some lunch,” the older woman continued.
As much as Jacob wanted to go to Helena, he decided to heed the doctor’s words. If rest was what his girl needed right now, then that is what she would have. It would give him time to make some arrangements and get her things moved in here.
* * *
Helena sat up in bed, already feeling restless after only a couple of hours. She’d never been one to laze around and, now that her head felt a lot clearer, she wanted to get up. The women’s shelter needed all hands on deck and she wasn’t doing anyone any good by just lying here. She swiveled around and lowered her feet to the floor. She still felt a bit shaky, but she was sure that, once she’d had something to eat, she’d be ready for a day’s work.
The problem was, she had no idea where her clothes were, and she didn’t feel comfortable raking through the closets in someone else’s home. Nor, for that matter, did she want to wander around in just the t-shirt she was wearing. She assumed it belonged to Jacob and really didn’t want to think about how she’d ended up with it on instead of the dress she
was sure she’d worn last night. Pushing up from the bed, she almost toppled over, but she quickly righted herself. If she took it slowly, she’d be okay.
As she made her way across the room on legs that were far from steady, the door flew open and Jacob walked in, carrying a large tray. When he saw her, his eyes narrowed, and Helena stopped in her tracks. She watched, heart pattering nervously, as he put the tray down on a table and folded his arms over his broad chest. She had to admit, the man looked good in jeans and button-down shirt. Her eyes lingered on his muscled torso just a little too long before drifting downward. When she finally looked back up, there was a knowing smirk on his face that quickly gave way to disapproval.
“Where do you think you’re going, young lady?”
“H-home,” Helena replied, her voice unsteady. “It was kind of you to let me stay last night, but I have things to do.”
“The only thing you have to do right now is get back in that bed.”
His tone was firm. The implacable look on his face was difficult to argue against, but Helena couldn’t just give in. While she was still considering her response, Jacob strode toward her. Before she could react, he swung her up over his shoulder and planted a stinging smack on her bottom. Startled and strangely excited by his manhandling of her, Helena said nothing as he carried her back across the room and dumped her on the bed.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded as he pushed her back against the pillows with surprising gentleness and pulled the covers over her.
“Bringing you lunch.” He gestured for her to stay put while he fetched the tray.
“I don’t want any lunch.”
Her rumbling stomach immediately made a liar out of her. She didn’t know what Jacob had brought her, but it smelled good. Her mouth watered as he settled on the edge of the bed with a bowl of what looked like a hearty soup. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to eat before she left. She held her hands out to take the bowl from him.
