Page 186 of Daddy, Take Me Away
You could tell Luna was not made for the harshness the world had become, where battles were no longer fought among men on a field of glory, but in the streets, in the political realms, with corporations and the highest bidder. Indeed, the way the world was going, where was the line between good and bad, right and wrong. Just because the state said something was so, didn’t mean that justice was winning.
These heavy thoughts often weighed on me and Luna was the freshest person I’d met in too long a time. She couldn’t lie if her life depended on it and her entire life’s experience, which I gathered to be approximately twenty-one years, she wore on her sleeve. Her innocence called to every instinct I had to protect her, so I found myself saying things that surprised even me. For a man well-rehearsed in dialogue and controlling the conversation, her raw responses surprised me.
I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. There was a plethora of not-so-nice men who would love to gaslight this woman for their personal gain. The thought of her being taken advantage of had rage boiling up inside of me. Protecting her for as long as she was in Scotland became my new mission. During the flight home, there was plenty of time to consider how I wanted to move forward with her. Yes, her safety was a primary concern, but desire certainly played its part as well. I wanted her and I wouldn’t hold that back, but with me, she could relax, be her authentic self, and enjoy whatever this was… A vacation? Or perhaps she came to Scotland seeking answers like many progenies of Scottish descent had over the years.
Regardless, there was nothing pressing in my schedule, allowing me time to devote to showing her Scotland’s hidden gems. A loud crash followed by a forceful “ouch!” pulled me from my musings.
Luna was down for the count, a piece of luggage on the floor beside her. I could tell by the look she gave me that she was angry and had passed her limit some time ago. She glared up at me and the flight attendant beside me, who’d been hovering too close since I boarded the plane. Little Luna was jealous, and I’d be a liar if I said it didn’t please me. She’d felt something for me, attraction most likely. Turning that interest into a deep-seated, passionate need was on my new to-do list. A list that had Luna as a top priority.
“All you had to do was ask, lass,” I said, handing her the heavy bag from the overhead compartment. I spoke quietly enough, but her stiffened shoulders spoke volumes. When she crossed her arms, wearing an adorable pout, my palm itched to spank her naughty bottom and have her lips part in an “O” as I pleasured her instead.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt the good time you were having.” She quickly uncrossed her arms and pressed them down her sides. Her eyes turned glassy as she fought back tears. Whatever internal battle she’d been waging to get here, was about to get the better of her. I didn’t chase her when she pushed past everyone to get to the front of the plane and the exit door.
I watched from the stairs as she raced across the tarmac without a jacket and swore I’d punish her for not taking care of herself. With my long strides, I soon caught up to her and remained a few places back in line as we passed through customs.
My heart wanted to take over when I saw the defeat and indecision in her eyes as she took in the weather and the lack of transport. Although, for the Scottish born, the weather was typical, but Stateside, being September, it was relatively warm in most places, and she’d clearly come from one of those.
Time for me to come to her rescue, whether she wanted my help or not. When I approached her, she acted like a brat, no surprise as I was sure acting bratty was her modus operandi when she was overwhelmed.
She might not know it, but the light was behind us and shone in her eyes despite the gray day. The moving clouds reflected there were a clear reminder of how stormy her feelings were at the moment.
“How do I know it’s safe? I mean, how do I know you won’t hurt me?”
“Oh, I’ll most certainly hurt you. But not in the way you’re imagining. Did you know that when one’s arse has been striped with a belt and the blood flows to that area, the entire body heats up?” Being upfront was the only way to push through her defenses and I had no compunction about being honest with her.
“You mean you’re going to spank me?”
“Oh, most definitely.” I smirked at the look of desire in those beautiful blue pools.
With the redirection of her thoughts, she appeared to settle and consider my words. “What if I don’t want you to?” she asked, with a hint of challenge in her eyes.
Was she really trying to challenge me? Adorable!
“I’d call you a liar.”
Her gasp was audible, even in the stormy weather with a host of chattering Scots surrounding us.
“By agreeing to the offer of a ride, am I also agreeing to be spanked?”
“I’m not rude, lass, I would still offer you a ride, but it would end there. If you agree to a well-deserved spanking, then you’re agreeing to more than that.” She may as well know now that I wanted to spend time with her and get to know her better and her reasons for being here. “Come with me. I will drive you to your hotel and then we can go for dinner, if your mind isn’t made up by then that I’m not a criminal out to harm you, we will part ways, amicably.”
After taking my photo and typing in my name, she sent it to a friend. I was happy she was finally thinking and taking her safety seriously. She called me and when I answered, I asked her a question, using the phone as a device to hopefully set her at ease.
“Do I have your permission to take you on a date and show you around my home?”
“Home?”
“Aye, Scotland.”
She appeared to be considering my proposal. One could almost say waging an inner battle, while I fought my own war of what my next move would be if she said no. I guess I could stop pushing and leave it at a ride and dinner, but my gut told me that if I won here and now, then the rest would be easy. It was all up to her.
“Yes, Artair, you have my permission, for now. If dinner and the ride aren’t up to snuff, then the deal is off.”
I texted my driver and told him to stay in the parking lot and I would come to him. There was something in her response and me taking her by the hand after shouldering her baggage that felt right, and I wanted this first moment to last. My driver nodded to me when we arrived, calling me Sir, and opened the door for Luna, who hesitated to get in.
“Take his picture too, lass, his name is Graeme Erskine and can be easily found as employed by Lord Artair Grant McFarlane.”
Her mouth dropped open in that “O” I’d been dying to see, but it wasn’t in pleasure as I’d desired, but in surprise. She opted to not photograph Graeme and crawled into the vehicle instead. I followed after her, pulling the seat belt across her lap and doing it up. I opened the bar and poured her an ounce of whiskey from the Isle of Islay. “Here, lass, this will warm you up.”
