Chapter Seven
Kay woke up in a much more adult mindset and begged Bastian to make his eggnog for breakfast. He had argued it was too early in the day to start drinking, but somehow he caved into her pleas. Lounging on the couch, she sipped her drink, and sighed. "You should consider making vats of this stuff and selling it."
"I don't know about all that."
"No one was supposed to read my letter you know?" She dragged the topic back to what had been on her mind since she'd seen the reply on her letter. He had done so much for her, but she didn't think she had anything to offer in return. It would be easier on both of them if she got everything off her chest and they returned to normalcy. A life where Sebastian Cruz wasn't around to keep her in line. The thought caused her lower lip to tremble, but she pressed on. "I certainly didn't expect you of all people to see it."
"Why me of all people?"
"I don't know, Bastian. Maybe because I've been so down on myself lately. I figured you would be way too busy with your own life to help me out."
"Don't be down on yourself, Kay. Let me be the one to go down on you."
"You!" She smacked his upper arm. "I'm not a five-star meal for you to feast on."
"No, definitely not. I don't have enough stars to award to you." He winked. "In all seriousness, I want to help you out. Let me worry about the how, okay?"
"Fine, but I don't think you understand what you're getting into. Can you imagine how hard it is to face the world when you've been the subject of every man's fantasy in a five-hundred-mile radius?"
"I do. I was on a billboard in Manhattan once, so I understand your concern. It is rather annoying to be the star in every man's fantasy."
"Bastian!" She smacked his arm again. "I'm really being serious."
"Listen, Kay. Most people are so caught up in their own lives, they probably wouldn’t notice if you walked down the street naked as a jaybird. I would notice you even if I was blind, but other people are too busy. I think you're perceiving their looks as judgment."
"The lady in the boutique last week called me a hussy."
"What were you wearing that day?"
"Excuse me?"
"Do you remember the outfit you were wearing?"
Kayleigh bit down on her lip. Fuck. Bastian had the magical ability to shake up her memories and get her to dig deeper into the events surrounding them. "Yes. I had on black jeans, short black fuzzy boots and a cute red top."
"Go get the top."
She raised an eyebrow, but placated him by rising to her feet. "Whatever." One swat landed across her ass, and she hissed. Hadn’t he punished her bottom enough since he'd shown up? Kayleigh huffed but went off to do as requested. She brought the shirt out and handed it to him.
"You wore this to work?" Bastian cocked an eyebrow. "Look how deep the v-neck is. With your incredible assets, I'd bet this shirt was inappropriate for a retail environment."
"You mean the woman called me a bad name because of my outfit?" She sank down onto the couch. "What an idiot I am."
"No, you're not, but you are lacking customer service skills. Think about it for a minute. You started modeling when you were in high school. Most girls around here suffered through the horrors of being a waitress or ringing up hungry people at fast-food restaurants. Yes, this woman could have kept her opinion to herself, but I don't think it had anything to do with your photos. Does that make sense?"
"Where the hell was your logic right before I smashed a perfume bottle on the floor?"
"You could have called me." He trailed his hand down her cheek. "Lately you've isolated yourself. Am I right? That's what I've heard from your brother. I think you're so worried about people judging you, that you haven't given anyone the chance to help you out of your situation."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Listen, I'm done talking about this. I'm ashamed of those pictures. I don't ever want to think about them again. I'll never regain the popularity I once had, and even if I could, it wouldn't be for the right reasons."
"You shouldn't be ashamed of them. You are absolutely gorgeous, and your photos were amazing. They captured something, Kay."
"I don't want to hear it. I'm done modeling."
"What if you changed the path slightly? There's a high demand for the kinkier style you showcased. My friend Brian, the one throwing the party, is a fetish photographer."
"I didn't even know that was a thing." She rolled her eyes. "I couldn't model for him."
"You might love it. Come to the party with me, Kay. I've got something special in mind for us once we get there if you'll agree to it."
Kayleigh cocked her head to the side, a little worried about what his special something could mean, but they had shared so many amazing moments together in just a few days, and going to the party would extend their time together. "I trust you, Bastian, but damn if your grin isn't a mile wide. Can you tell me what you've got up your sleeve?"
"An addendum to the contract." He winked. "I promise you'll have fun. They have a wonderful house which they open to a small group of friends. All of them are either in the lifestyle or kink friendly. They won't judge you."
"An addendum, huh?" She tapped her chin, thinking over the pros and cons in her head.
"I'll make another batch of eggnog."
"You can't bribe me!"
"Okay, then I'll spank you until you agree."
"Bastian." She raised her eyebrows. "You've already spanked me enough."
"Just think it over."
"Do I get good girl spankings and eggnog if I agree?"
"Yes." He grinned and pulled her up into his arms. "In fact, when you release your first set of kinky photos, I think you should call the shoot Spankings & Eggnog. Think of all the fun props you could use."
"Mmhm. You're just thinking about tying me up with green rope and hanging ornaments off my nipples! I bet you'd—" Bastian interrupted with a kiss and then another. Kayleigh loved the way Bastian's eyes sparkled as he stared into hers, and she sent up a silent thanks to Santa Claus who proved holiday magic does exist. After all she'd gotten exactly what she asked for. A Daddy for Christmas.
THE END