Maggie shivered outside the courthouse and clung to Sebastian’s hand. She’d had to face the man who attacked her earlier and it shook her badly. Thinking she wouldn’t be upset had been naive on her part. It had brought everything that happened to her, flooding back. She shook her head, trying to shake the smell of his breath and the feel of his hands out of her brain.

“I want to go home,” she told Sebastian, plaintively.

“I’ll take you home,” he said. “It's over now, and you’re safe with me.”

She was, she knew that. But she gave a huge shudder again, thinking of him in there, trying to sue Sebastian for injuries sustained. The ones the idiot sustained when Sebastian was trying to stop him from raping her or worse. What kind of slimy lawyer would even take that case? Apparently, there was one, but at least the judge had common sense and had thrown the case out before she had to testify to what happened. She knew she would at some point, but the case for assault was backed up for some reason and this one got to trial first. Who knew how court worked? She was glad she didn’t. Or didn’t until now. Classrooms were much more pleasant to be in than courtrooms. She shivered again.

“Are you cold?” Sebastian asked her, she could hear the concern in his voice.

Shaking her head, she moved a little closer to him and squeezed his hand harder.

“Let’s go,” he said decisively. “Home is where you need to be right now.” He was right she wanted to be home, in bed with a hot cup of tea, her dog and man cuddled next to her. Which was ridiculous since it wasn’t near bedtime and she rarely drank tea. It just sounded like what you should drink when you were upset. She was upset.

Following him, she let him put her in the car, and shut the door behind her. Her frozen fingers managed to fasten her seatbelt, and she crossed her arms in front of herself. He got in, and started driving. “Talk,” he said firmly.

“Talk?”

“Tell me what’s going on in that pretty head.”

Maggie shook her head, not wanting to discuss her emotions right now, she might shatter if she did.

But Sebastian would have none of that. “You can tell me now, or I can pull over up there.” He pointed to a deserted parking lot. “And then you can tell me with a sore red butt. Your choice.”

He said that as if it were a real choice.

“I’m scared,” she said, trying to stop her teeth from chattering.

“You are safe with me,” he pulled into the deserted lot and pulled her into his arms.

“Don’t spank me,” she begged. “I’m trying.”

“I won’t.” He tipped her chin up to look at him. “Right now, anyway. Just feel safe in my arms and talk.”

“He tried to hurt me, Sebastian. I don’t even know him. What if you hadn’t come?” She started crying and couldn’t stop shaking. Why now? Just because she saw him? It wasn’t a ‘just’, it was because she saw him. “Help me,” she asked. “Please.”

He held her another few minutes, stroking her back and hair, and then said, “Put your hand on my leg.” She did as she was told, he put the car in gear. “Now, take a deep breath, shut your eyes, and start counting out loud backward by threes from six thousand.”

“What?”

“Picture the numbers in your mind. You heard me,” he said and drove down the road a little faster than he should be, she shivered again, but shut her eyes and started counting.

“Six thousand. Five thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven. Five thousand nine hundred and ninety-four. Five thousand nine hundred and ninety-one.” What was the point in this? She trusted him though, and his thigh felt warm and muscular and somehow comforting under her hand, and if that’s what he wanted her to do, then she would. “Five thousand eighty-eight.”

Concentrating on her numbers, she was almost surprised when he pulled into her driveway a few minutes later and said, “Here we are.” Home already. For some reason she felt calmer. She’d have to remember that trick when she couldn’t sleep at night. Less than five minutes later, she was in a tub full of warm bubbles and he stripped and slipped in behind her. This. This was all she wanted right now, to lean against him as he held her, covered in water, bubbles and lavender scent. His hands soaped her breasts and she relaxed against him.

“Will you always keep me safe?” she asked and hated she was asking. She’d been on her own for years, had a good job, a mortgage, a dog and a life. She didn’t need him to keep her safe, but held her breath waiting for his answer. Why? She didn’t know. Shock and stress, she assured herself. That was all.

“I will not only keep you safe, but keep you happy,” he said and started washing her hair. She loved when he did that. Nothing felt better than a scalp massage. Well, a butt rub after a spanking was a really close second.

She relaxed against his chest. “I don’t want to go to court and testify,” she said, staring at the bubbles and feeling his fingers in her hair. “I’m scared.”

“It's okay,” he said. “You don’t have to want to and it's normal to be scared. I’ll be within a few feet of you, if I can be.” He paused. “Because I’ll testify too, I might have to wait outside the room.” She tensed, and he said, “What we will do to make you feel safe, if I have to be outside the courtroom, if you need me, you just whistle.” He let out a shrill whistle between his fingers that made Simon start barking from the other room.

Maggie giggled, “You have mad skills, but I can’t do that.” She leaned back against him as he started to rinse her hair with the shower wand.

“You don’t think I can save you?” he asked, pouring conditioner on her hair.

“Oh, I know you can, but I can’t whistle.” Maggie let the feel of his fingers on her head relax her.

“Then I’ll buy you a whistle,” he said and continued to massage her head.

“You are silly,” she said, but felt much better. He rinsed her hair, then sprayed the water on her front, and made her giggle.

“Why do you make me feel better every time?” she asked him.

“Ask me that next time I’m baring your butt and turning it red,” he said and kissed the top of her head.

“Ha ha.” Maggie reached around and punched his arm gently. She liked not having to look at him while they talked about serious things. “Even that makes me feel safe mostly.”

“Mostly?” he asked.

“Yeah, there’s this bit of... panic, I guess you’d call it, when I don’t feel safe and I’m very afraid, even though I know you know what you are doing.” She traced her hand along his hairy leg.

“You always come through it, and feel better on the other side,” he stated it as if it were a fact.

“Well, after a while. I don’t like standing in the corner, I like when you hold me after,” she told him. Last week, he’d given her what she called a yank and spank, where he flipped her over the arm of the couch and whaled on her bottom, then sent her over to the corner with her hands on her head while she kept rising on her toes and wiggling, wanting to rub her bottom but didn’t want another spanking if she did. She did not like corner time, not one little bit, but he told her that she wasn’t supposed to like punishment, which was a very male thing to say. Why did she feel as if he read her non-existent diary and was fulfilling every single one of her fantasies?

“You know better than to leave the door unlocked while you’re gone,” he said, calmly. “You weren’t supposed to like it, because you were supposed to remember it next time you went out the door. After corner time, you got your holding and comforting, didn’t you? Besides,” he said as he kissed the top of her wet head, “I like watching you do the spanking dance.”

Maggie felt herself blush. What had she gotten herself into? A lifestyle she loved with a man she adored? Yeah. That.

“I have to start back to school next week,” she said, reaching down for his foot and massaging it.

“You ready for that?”

“I am, but it's been so nice the last few weeks,” she answered. She actually liked making him dinner and taking turns sleeping in each other’s houses. Playing with his taciturn self and finding out what made him tick. Learning to serve and submit to him and learning more that she loved doing it. She didn’t even really mind his spankings, or she wouldn’t if he didn’t spank so hard. There was no convincing him of that, however. He thought he knew best, and she mostly liked it.

“How did I get so lucky?” she asked him.

“Because you’re cute and I like your freckles.” He touched her nose with his soapy finger and made her sneeze. “And your ass.”

“You only like my ass when it's red,” she pouted.

“Nah, pink is cute too.” He stood up with her in his arms and kissed her. “Let's rinse and go to bed.”

It wasn’t a question and she was glad of that.

* * *

She planned to take Sebastian out to her folks’ farm tomorrow to show him around the farmette. For a man who sold farm equipment for a living, he didn’t get his hands dirty very often. He could help her pick whatever was ripe right now, and see how he liked farm life. She’d talked to Cambry and the folks had invited them, too. They hadn’t gotten together as a family all summer and hopefully it would be a calm, low key, laid back day. They could really use a day of relaxing.

His new store was having problems with some legal thing, and he was having a challenging time finding a new manager for one of the stores he was trying to turn around. They both needed a change of scenery and her folks’ farm was just the right place for it. Not to mention her mom would make them something fantastic for lunch, and no one cooked like her mom. Looking around her classroom once more, she said quietly, “See you in a few days.” Then left the building to drive home.

“You nervous about having lunch with the family?” she asked him the next day.

“Should I be?” he asked, looking surprised. Or as surprised as his stoic self ever looked.

“I’d be nervous having lunch with your family,” she said.

“There would be no reason to be,” he said, turning where his car told him to go.

He looked so hot in his jeans and T-shirt she wanted to drool. But her tank top would make it awkward to wipe it off, so she didn’t. She wanted to pick some melons later for her mom, and she knew it would be hot.

“Ready for lunch with the folks?” she asked as they got to the long lane to her folks’ house. “I see Ben and Cambry’s car. He usually shows up just in time for food.”

“Sure,” he smiled at her, and slowed as they went down the lane. He had a bit of stubble on his cheeks and she loved it, even when he gave her whisker burn. Whisker burn was the best thing ever.

They walked to the house and said their hellos to everyone. She could smell roast beef cooking. The guys all went out back and she started helping set the table and put the food out. Pulling the bread from the oven, she could hear her stomach growl. She’d helped her mom make bread all her life and her bread still didn’t compare to her mom’s.

She turned it out to let it cool before slicing and went to help her mom and Cambry finish setting the table. “Where’s Ryan?” she asked.

“He’s staying with some friends for a few days, they were going to a water park and invited him along,” Cambry said. “Wish I could have gone with them, but I couldn’t get off work.”

“Well, he will have a good time, and I’ve heard there’s an indoor one up in the Wisconsin Dells. Maybe we can all go sometime this winter?”

“That’s a great idea,” Cambry said. “I love a water slide. We’ll have to see what winter brings.”

“I love a water slide, too.” Maggie laughed, wondering what Sebastian would look like sliding down a huge tube of water. Did he like roller coasters? So many things she didn’t know about him. “What do you think, Mom? You up for a water slide vacation this winter?” She finished slicing one of the cantaloupes that had been picked earlier and inhaled the sweet, fruity, yet earthy fragrance. Someone should bottle that. Opening a cabinet, she brought down a serving bowl and put it on the table.

“Oh, we’ll have to see about that,” her mom said. “Want to call the guys in?”

They all sat down at the table and Maggie looked around. Everyone she loved best was in this room, except for Ryan. She adored having Sebastian by her side at a family meal. It just felt proper and right. Hopefully, there would be many more meals like this.

“We have something to tell you,” her dad said after they were all served, and her mom looked both excited and nervous. Her mom was never nervous and that made her nervous.

“Something wrong?” she asked, as Sebastian put down his fork to watch and listen. She noted Ben did the same.

“No, nothing wrong,” her father said decisively. “Your mom and I are taking a very belated honeymoon.”

Maggie relaxed. This wasn’t bad news at all. Her folks deserved a vacation. “That’s wonderful,” she said. “Where are you going?”

“We’ve rented a house in the south of France for a year,” her mom said.

“A year?” Maggie choked on her potatoes and Sebastian patted her back. “A year is a long time,” she said then took a gulp of her tea.

“You know I’ve always wanted to go to France,” her mom said. “Well, we’ve been saving for it for years and while I was all but incapacitated with my broken wrist, I found a house.”

“That will be our home base and we’re going to explore France together.” Watching her parents clasp hands and smile at each other made a shot of jealousy zing through her.

“Great news!” Cambry poked Ben in the side. “I want to do that!”

“That is wonderful,” Sebastian said to them. “Congratulations, it's going to be a year to remember.”

“It is,” Maggie agreed. “I’m so happy for you! When are you leaving?”

“About a month, after harvest is over and I get my food put up,” Ellen said. “Can’t have my garden go to waste.”

Maggie shook her head. “No, you can’t. Wow, a year is a long time.”

“You going to be okay?” her dad asked, looking at Sebastian, but she knew he meant her.

“I’m a big girl, Daddy,” she replied and laughed. “I can handle it. I can talk to you every day if I need to. You going to use Facebook and do a diary to let us know what’s going on? And big brother is around if you worry about me.” She smiled and rolled her eyes at him, letting him know she was joking.

Ben interrupted, “Well, big brother is going to be a little busy. Cambry and I are going to have another baby.”

“What?” Maggie squealed and got up to hug Cambry. “I’m so excited for you!”

Her mom turned to her dad and said, “Oh, maybe we should put it off a while?”

“No,” Ben said. “Baby won’t be here until you are almost back home, we just found out. You’ll have the rest of your life to spoil him or her.”

Maggie could tell that her mom wasn’t real certain, but didn’t protest anymore. Maggie changed the subject and asked, “What’s going to happen to the farm and house while you are gone?”

“We plan to rent it out, temporarily. We don’t want pipes freezing or anything, but need to find someone reliable,” her dad said.

They excitedly chatted about plans for the trip and the baby for the rest of the afternoon, until it was time for her to call Simon, who’d been out sunning all day, and head home.

As they were driving back into town, Sebastian asked her, “Are you going to be okay?”

“I’m not a child,” she said, almost irritably. “I can do without my mommy and daddy. I have a job and a life, and…” she tried to tamp down her irritation, she was a little jealous of Cambry but didn’t want to mention it, because a baby was not in her plans just yet. “I have an adorable next-door neighbor guy to hang out with sometimes.”

“That’s true,” he conceded. “He is kind of adorable, isn’t he?”

Maggie giggled, all irritation vanishing. “I’m so happy for them all, especially Mom and Dad,” she sighed. “They’ve both worked hard all their lives and really deserve this. I wonder who they will get to rent the house and take care of things, while they are gone?”

“I have someone who might be interested,” he said. “I finally got a new manager hired for the store that’s about twenty minutes from their house and I know he’s looking for a place to stay. Your dad and I talked about it while we were cleaning up the dishes with Ben.”

“That was nice of you to help,” she said, patting his thigh. She loved the feel of his muscular thighs.

“It wasn’t nice,” he said. “It was just something needed done.”

Yeah, but how many guys would do that, she wondered. Most disappeared when the meal was over.

“Tell me about your folks?” she asked.

“About them?” he paused as if to decide where to start. “Dad is a lot like Henry, my older brother. All business, practical and doesn’t take anything from anyone. He’s always worked really hard and built the three stores he got from his dad to what we have now.”

“How about your mom?” she asked.

“Mom is Mom,” he said, half smiling. “She’s a tiny bit of a thing and how she birthed four boys, including the twins, is beyond me. She’s flighty and reminds me of a hummingbird. She doesn’t deal with money or business and my dad is her sole reason for being. She just lives for his happiness.”

“They seem like total opposites,” Maggie said, feeling a pang of jealousy. What would it be like to live your life for a man only? What kind of life would that be like? She thought back over the past few weeks when Sebastian had been her life and while she spent time with her folks and played ball, all she really wanted to do was be with Sebastian. In his bed, across from him during meals, cook things that made him happy, do things that made him smile, or he’d point to his lap and she knew a spanking was coming.

Now school was starting, and it would be her focus again. It had to be.

She had enjoyed the time immensely, except for a few jealous moments like when someone, who had to be his ex-girlfriend, called while he was in the driveway talking to a contractor about adding a garage on.

“Sebastian’s phone,” Maggie had chirped into it.

“Oh,” a female voice.

“Can I help you?” she’d asked, curious.

“I just miss him,” the voice had said.

“Who is this?” she asked, somehow feeling badly for a stranger.

“It doesn’t matter,” she’d said and hung up.

Maggie knew Sebastian had old girlfriends just as she had old boyfriends. It just made her sad in a way she couldn’t describe. Except she honestly could. She did not want to be that girl missing him.

“Opposites attract, I’ve heard.” He turned into the driveway. “I like your folks.”

“Yeah, they’re amazing, aren’t they?” she said. “I’m so glad Mom is all better, they are going to have a great year.”

They got out and Simon raced them to the door, apparently wanting to go to his favorite bed in the laundry room.

Sebastian kissed her nose. “I need to go work for a while. Thank you for a wonderful day.”

Maggie threw herself in his arms and planted a big lingering kiss on him. “Thank you. I’m so glad you came today.”

She watched him walk down the sidewalk to his house and sighed. She really wanted him to spend the night, but knew he had to work. Working was a fact of life. School was starting and there would be many late nights and early mornings for her coming up. Complaining about him needing to work would not be a good way to start the school year.

In bed a while later, she wondered what it would be like to be married to Sebastian? Have his children. Would he spank her while she was pregnant? That would be awkward. Well, it was too early to even think about such things. They had only known each other a few months. She flipped the TV on. She needed some house hunting show to calm her mind. Things were moving very quickly. Ryan would have a sibling by this time next year. Her mom and dad would still be gone. There would be a stranger living in their house for a while. Would they keep the garden up? Maybe her folks would like France so much they wouldn’t come back? No, they would come for the baby.

Her phone rang early the next morning. “Sebastian,” she said sleepily. “Good morning.”

“Good morning to you, too. I was wondering if you could do me a favor tomorrow?”

I’d do anything for you, she thought, but said out loud, “If I can, of course.”

“I’ve talked to my new manager and he wants to see the farmhouse tomorrow. Your dad said he’d be there if you could run him out.”

“Oh, sure,” she said, disappointed his favor wasn’t ‘be naked in my bed when I get home’. Oh well, a girl could dream.

“What time and where do I pick him up?” she asked.

“My house about nine in the morning?” he said. “That way he can come work with me the rest of the day and you’ll have your day to do whatever it is you do.”

Maggie shook her head after she clicked off the phone. Whatever it is she did? What did that even mean? Making the decision not to be insulted, she started working on whatever it was she did every day.

Showing up at his house promptly at nine the next morning, she knocked, not wanting to use his key. That would be too obvious to whoever the new manager was. Not that she was a secret. Was she? Her brain was going wild today. Two nights without him were two too many. His fault. She was willing and wanting.

Logan, his brother, opened the door. “Hi, Maggie,” he said, looking her over.

“Hi, Logan, I didn’t know you’d be here,” she said. “When did you get in?”

“Couple nights ago,” he said. “Hanging with the big brother until I can get my own place.”

“You’re moving to town? Oh, are you the new store manager?”

Logan smiled at her, and when he smiled, she could see the resemblance to Sebastian again. “Did he leave that little detail out?”

She nodded, and he shook his head. “Yeah, he often doesn’t realize the world can’t read his mind, and doesn’t bother to tell us anything.”

Maggie laughed. “I’ve noticed that!”

Striding into the room, straightening his tie, Sebastian said, “I tell everyone what they need to know.”

Maggie and Logan both laughed. She wanted to fling herself in his arms for hugs and kisses but for some reason didn’t feel comfortable doing it. Did Logan know about her? She wished Sebastian had talked to her a little more before sending her off to spend the morning with his brother. She had no clue what he knew or didn’t, or what Sebastian even wanted him to know. His fault. He should have told her if anything was off limits. Since he didn’t, she’d assume everything was on limit. On limit? Was that even a phrase?

“Let’s go,” she told Logan as she turned to go to her car. “See you later, Bastien,” she said emphasizing his nickname. She caught his look and waved cheerily as she walked with Logan to her car.

“So, you been a manager before?” she asked him as they drove toward her parents’ house.

“Nope,” he said, “but I’ve done everything else. Bastien is going to help me out for a while, until I get my bearings. We all grew up in the stores and with the business, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”

She couldn’t imagine running a store with fifteen employees and hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment would be not too hard, but then she’d not grown up with it.

“Why would you want to live out here in the middle of the country, instead of in town where you could socialize and meet people and do things easier?” she asked him.

“I’m strange,” he said. “Lucas is the party animal of our bunch, not me.”

Maggie was dying to know more about his family but didn’t want to seem like she was interviewing him for a job. “What does Lucas do?”

“He just went back to school for his Master’s in business,” he said. “He also has most of the brains. He’s aiming for Henry’s job, but right now, he’s majoring in business and minoring in partying.”

“What would Henry do if Lucas took his job?” she asked.

“I don’t think Lucas has asked himself that, or that Hank is worried,” Logan said. “Looks like the roads are good out here.”

“Yeah, Mom’s a nurse and has to get out for work no matter the weather,” she said. “Dad has a snowplow and you might want to ask him about that, if you can drive a tractor.”

“I grew up on farm equipment,” he reminded her. “We all did.”

She never thought about suited up Sebastian driving tractors or combines around, but now that she thought about it, he would know how. What else would he know how to do that she had no clue about? She smiled, and realized that she liked what she did know well enough it was really a non-issue. He could surprise her for the rest of her life if he wanted.

They got to her folks’ house and she knocked and entered. “Mom, Dad? We’re here.” They both came from the kitchen and she made a quick introduction.

Then she said, “I’m going to let you get acquainted, and I’m going to go to the garden.” She grabbed a bucket to go pick okra she noticed was getting ready this past weekend and let her folks show Logan around the house. An hour later, she came back to the house with an almost full bucket, and saw her dad and Logan on the porch having a beer.

“Seriously? I’m out there busting my butt and you all are living the good life?” she teased.

“Someone has to work,” Logan laughed at her. “I was busy signing a year-long lease.”

“We’re going to let him move in, in two weeks,” her dad said. “That way we can show him things that need done and where everything is, and he can help us pack.”

“I didn’t know you needed help,” she said concerned.

“We’re shipping a few boxes to the house, so they will be there before we get there,” her dad said. “It will be handy to have another set of hands and we want to get to know him a little better before we go.”

That made sense. It had to be hard to leave the house you’d lived in for decades in the hands of a stranger. She and Logan headed back to town a little bit later. “So, you're stuck here for a year?” she asked.

“Guess so. Henry and Lucas like to be in one spot, but I’m becoming more like Sebastian. Go to a town for a year and then move on,” he said lightly, looking out the window.

Maggie felt an arrow through her heart. “That’s what he does?” she tried to say as calmly as she could.

“That’s his job,” he said, shaking his shaggy blond hair back. “He goes to a town for about a year, straightens out the store, buys a house to flip, renovates it and moves on. Do you know any good barbers? I need a haircut before I start work.”

She told him where her dad and brother went, her mind whirling while it felt as if her world had crashed around her. Just as she suspected all along. He planned to use her and leave her. Sebastian was like a sailor with a girl in every port, or at least one in every small town. Why did she think she was special? She wasn’t. She was a small-town girl with a normal average body, a normal average job and a normal average family who for a very short time had an extraordinary boyfriend.

No more of that. She did not need a broken heart right when the school year started. She had a full schedule, was coaching the girls’ softball team as always in a few months, and this was the first year for a middle school volleyball team she was co-coaching. There would be papers to grade and a new niece or nephew to look forward to. She’d be going to whatever games her brother bullied Ryan into playing. See, she had lots of things to do. Needing a man? Nope, not on her long list of things to do, even if he was handsome, hot and fulfilled all her needs. Nope. Especially if he was planning to leave her soon. Which apparently, he was. Less than a year. Like he’d done before. Like he always did. That was his job. No reason for his brother to lie and she almost felt as if he were warning her, which she kind of appreciated. How much harder would it be for her to leave him in a year when he moved? She didn’t even want to think about it. She’d gotten so close to him so quickly that in another year, she’d be enmeshed in his life. It would be like cutting off her arm to give him up then. She had to do it now.

Dropping Logan off, she pulled into her driveway and went into the house, checking her phone as she went. Couple of messages, two missed calls. She didn’t care. Letting Simon out into the back yard for a potty break, she changed into soft cotton shorts and an oversized shirt and then let him back in.

“Let’s go to bed, baby boy,” she said, feeling depressed. Bed, her dog and some kind of reality show to distract her sounded perfect tonight. And it was just now early afternoon.

So, her brother was having another baby and who knew when or if she’d ever have one? The guy she was starting to—if she hadn’t already—fall in love with, was planning to dump her in a year. She wasn’t going to waste a year of her life on a player. Plus, wouldn’t it be nice to have someone in her life who didn’t spank her whenever he thought it was needed?

Not really, she sighed and flipped the TV on. Yeah, she wanted to watch a bunch of fit twenty somethings making out in swimsuits on a beach. Not. There should be a cooking show on, one where they cooked fully clothed and didn’t make googly eyes at each other. She was all done with googly eyes and anything else. She had a challenging career and a great family. She’d just focus on them.

Her phone rang, and she reached over to check the caller ID then turned off the ringer. There was no reason to talk to Sebastian anymore. Well, once more, but not tonight. Tonight, she was going to watch people create real food out of mismatched items. That was how she and Sebastian had been—mismatched. She wanted a real relationship with a real man like her dad and brother, not a player who had a girl in every town and loved and left them. No wonder he rarely showed any emotion and never talked, she was a disposable item. He’d already proven that a few times, when he’d not spoken to her for over a week after the first time they were together, then just the other day when he’d spanked her, made love to her and left her without speaking again. If they did get together, he’d drive her crazy in a very short amount of time by his lack of communication skills. She couldn’t deal with that.

Her phone lit up with a text and she looked at it. Two could play the ignore game, she’d just see how that sauced his gander. Rolling over, she started counting back by threes from six thousand. She’d have one thing to remember him by when he was gone.

* * *

Sebastian smiled. He’d had a productive day at work. The legal issue for the new store had been settled to his satisfaction, Logan started his first day as the manager for the struggling store and everyone seemed to respond well to him. The atmosphere in the store had changed totally when he had dropped in that afternoon. For all his youth and flighty behavior, he thought Logan would do great there. There was just one item to tick off his to do list, find out why Maggie was ticked off at him.

He thought back. They hadn’t had words. He’d satisfied her completely the last time they were together. He hadn’t even spanked her for a while. Was that the issue? Or was it something completely different? There was only one way to find out. Show up at her place and ask. He also couldn’t wait to tell her the good news. His lawyer had called earlier with the news that the slimeball creep had taken a plea deal and she didn’t have to go to court again. He stopped by a florist on the way home and picked up a small bouquet for her. Flowers never hurt but if florists were smart, they would carry chocolate too. Easy add on sale, if you asked him. Oh, hell. He stopped at a gas station and found an outrageously large candy bar. It was the thought that counted, right? When was the last time he’d seen her? A few days ago, when he’d asked her to take Logan to see the house. Today should have been her first day of school, if he recalled correctly. He hoped it was a good one, but the real question was why she wasn’t answering his texts or calls?

Why did he care so much about what this adorably naughty, extremely sexy, funny, intelligent girl next door thought? It wasn’t like he was planning to fall in love with her and spend the rest of his life with her now, was it?

Was it?

Of course not.

Was it?

His mind raced. Could he see spanking that sweet ass the rest of his life? Actually, he could. She would never bore him and would always challenge him. However, she was settled in this town, with her life and he wasn’t. He moved. It was what he did, and he loved his job and his life. And her. Yeah. Sebastian sighed, knowing that he could never lie to himself. He’d known her a few months and didn’t want to not have her in his life. Even being apart from her a few days was misery. Right now, she lived next door to him, what would happen when he moved?

That wasn’t an issue for a few years, but it would come up. The new store would be built, up and running in about a year, he’d have the house remodeled to flip, and the two other stores would be on solid footing. Then he’d move on. There were always stores to put back on the straight and narrow, that was his job and he was good at that. Stores and women. Different tactics but same results. He liked that Maggie didn’t have any major issues. She was a grown woman with her life together and a predilection for being spanked. She bratted once in a while to get one, which didn’t bother him a bit. Giving a good and proper spanking was something he quite enjoyed doing. He still couldn’t stop smiling over her opening his dresser drawers. It was ridiculous in a silly adorable sort of way. Was that the worst thing she could think of to do? He loved it. And her.

Taking a deep breath, he parked in her driveway, noting her car was there. School had to have been over a few hours. Knocking on the door, holding the candy and flowers, he waited for his future to open the door.

Maggie sighed, and finished putting her laundry in the dryer, then shut the door on Simon as she went to answer the door. It was too early for popcorn or cookie sales, so she knew who was waiting on the other side. School had been the usual first day chaos, and she was tired, emotionally and physically. Tonight, was not the night she wanted to deal with him, but she guessed it was the night she was going to and she would rise to the occasion.

Squaring her shoulders, she marched to the front door and flung it open, ready to tell him to go away. Damn. Flowers and candy. Who did he think he was, her boyfriend? Well, she wasn’t stupid, she was going to take them.

“Thank you,” she said, and took them, knowing he would follow her into the kitchen. Getting out one of her empty canning jars, she filled it with water and put the flowers in there, arranging them and smiling at their vibrant colors. Then she stuck the candy bar in the freezer for later. “That was very thoughtful of you,” she said, finally looking at him while she sniffed the flowers.

“You’re welcome,” he said, sitting in the chair and she deliberately did not look at the wooden spoon back in the crock on the counter. Last time he’d sat there, he’d used it on her bare butt. She did not want that again. Did she? No. Probably.

“Well?” he said as if it were a question.

“Well?” she echoed, crossing her arms.

“How was school?”

He wanted to talk about work? Seriously?

“Stressful, like every first day,” she snapped at him. “How was work?”

“Pretty good,” he said. “Figured I’d take the prettiest lady I know out for dinner if she was free.”

“Free?” Maggie sighed and fought back tears. She didn’t want to be free, she wanted to be his.

“I don’t think so,” she said trying not to let her voice quiver.

“You have to work?” he asked as if he really cared. Dang him anyway. Who cared if she cried? Not her and not him apparently.

“I don’t think us seeing each other anymore is a good idea,” she said it as fast as she could, trying to get it out before she thought too much about why she shouldn’t.

“Because?”

“Because?” she said incredulously. As if he didn’t know he was leaving her in a few months.

“Because,” she glared at him, and the tears fell despite her efforts. “Because you are using me. You plan to make me fall in love with you and then leave me. Move on and never see me again, just like with all your other women.” Putting her hands on her hips, she gave him her best you better believe me when I tell you something teacher glare. She’d practiced it today, several times. He deserved it.

Well, apparently, he didn’t think he did, because in one fluid movement his large body moved, grabbed her by the arm and she was over his lap. Oh, hells to the no. She was not accepting this.

“What are you talking about?” His large hand slammed down on her cotton covered bottom and she bit back a squeal.

“You come to town…” She twisted and squirmed and tried to get away from his brutish self. “You find someone handy, use them until you move on.”

He smacked her again and this time she couldn’t stop the squeal. “Stop that!”

“I can’t. You won’t stop being ridiculous.” He started a familiar pattern and she fought him as hard as she could. She saw his leg down by her head and seriously contemplated biting it, but knew all she would get was a bite of very expensive suit and then she’d feel bad for ruining it. Who in their right mind worried about ruined suits in the middle of a quite painful spanking? Her. Of course.

“Sebastian! I said stop!” she demanded, and oddly enough he did and even pulled her up on his lap. What the actual heck? That never happened.

She sat on his lap and glared at him.

“Yes, I have a pattern of doing that. No, you are not in the line of women I love and leave. You, Miss Maggie, for some reason I can’t define, are very different. I will not be leaving you and we both know I don’t lie.”

“Because your butt is too tender to take a spanking?” Fine, she couldn’t help it.

He leaned down and kissed her until her toes curled. “Because I love you. Please don’t leave me either,” he said softly.

She shook her head, and he smiled at her, brown eyes warm and gentle as she said, “I won’t.”

“Good, then let's finish getting this bottom warmed up and head to bed.”

All she could think, as she went rear up over his lap again, was that she didn’t realize what she’d been missing from life, until along came Jones.