Page 3 of Snowbound Princess

Chapter 2

Kayleigh rubbed her eyes and then looked around confused. She had fallen asleep on the couch, but she woke up in her own bed? She vaguely remembered being carried to her room. No, she had to have dreamt that. Just like she'd dreamed she'd been kissing Bastian and calling him Daddy! She’d never thought about him taking on such a role before. He always pushed her away from him, at least when she was still in high school, but one memory tightened her belly. Bastian had turned her over his knee after she drove home drunk, and he’d spanked her butt until it glowed pink.

Kayleigh bit down on her lip as she let the memory go. He spanked her hard, and it had left a lasting reminder as he had promised. Since then, she never drank without a plan on how to get home. Her choice had been stupid and irresponsible on multiple levels.She'd never forgotten the way he'd handled her. Bastian had been serious about her infraction, and his hand had punctuated the fact.

After college, she'd moved closer to the Catskills, and he'd joined a corporate office specializing in criminal law down in Manhattan. She smiled as she thought about his lovely face, and those amazing lips. With how engaged her senses were with the memory of the dream, she could have sworn they had actually kissed, but she had stayed up later than she normally did. Maybe her brain had been on overload.

She got out of bed, relieved herself in the bathroom then padded out to the living room.

* * *

Sebastian grumbled as the wake-up alarm vibrated his cell phone. He had stayed up much later than he'd originally intended, but he hoped the surprise he had in mind for Kay would be well-received. She had been so adorable last night when he'd taken her to her bedroom, even more so than the last time he had seen her, though his knowledge of her secret desires could have enhanced her appearance. With a muffled groan, he got out of bed. There was a lot on his agenda today, and, hopefully, Kay would agree to take part in it.

* * *

Kayleigh looked under the Christmas tree as she passed through the living room. Her intention had been to reach the kitchen and make coffee, but she halted in her tracks. Where had those extra presents come from?

“Oh my god!”

She rushed over to the decorated tree and dropped to her knees. Half a dozen packages, done up in cartoon kittens paper and bows, were tucked in front of the gifts she'd wrapped for her family. They couldn't be real. Kayleigh fingered the pretty wrapping paper and dared to look at the gift tag. It said her name! Holding it to her, now a tiny bit concerned, she stood and walked into the kitchen. Someone left presents and brought breakfast too? Cinnamon rolls, the makings for hot chocolate, including a big bag of marshmallows, and two boxes of donuts perched on the counter. What in the world happened last night? Snatching up the letter, she was shocked to see a reply scrawled on it.

Dear Kayleigh,

I trust you have been a good girl this year, even with the unfortunate struggles you have been through. Sometimes what you are seeking is right in front of you. Enjoy the presents I left and be good.

Merry Christmas, S. C.

Kayleigh brushed away tears; her moment of happiness overwhelmed her good senses to check the house. She carefully set the letter down, then unwrapped the first gift. To her immense surprise, it contained several hair bows, an ornate wooden hairbrush, and three ribbons. They were gorgeous. She raced into the living room and set to unwrapping the remaining ones. Little bits of paper flew off her fingers as she pulled it off. Coloring books, very detailed, fine-point markers and gel pens, several DVDs about magical princesses, and a few craft kits. Who on earth could know her deepest secrets and what she longed for? She'd always wanted someone to pamper her in such a way, but after the unfortunate events this past year, she hadn't dared seek anyone online or in person.

From down the hallway, she heard the guest bathroom door open. Her excitement waned. Could it be Rhett playing some sort of prank on her? No, her brother would never be mean, and he would have stayed in his old bedroom which was upstairs. Besides, he was far away from the cold New York blizzard swirling outside. Florida seemed like a different world for the moment. She felt foolish for believing in a miracle, but her embarrassment quickly turned to anger. In order to get to the bathroom, someone had to walk past where she had been sitting. Someone saw her admiring the gifts. Gifts purposefully selected with a little mindset. You wouldn't give a young kid these types of pens–very fine-point for some, and intricate ‘adult’ coloring books. Her gaze settled on the wooden hairbrush, and suddenly its purpose took on a whole new meaning. Shit. She hadn't thought of that earlier. Some littles, particularly those with brattier sides, usually sought physical discipline. Correction, sought what she wanted. Who knew she wanted a Daddy to take care of her in all the ways it implied and hold her responsible?

Bastian strutted into the living room, and her breath caught in her throat. Of all of the people who could have been in her house, she'd never expected to see him. She would have been less surprised if Santa himself came around the corner. Bastian wore simple black lounge pants and a gray thermal shirt, but his whole body oozed sexiness. His dark brown hair had grown out a little and salt and pepper specks showed at both of his temples while a few more strands shone throughout his short beard.

Heat flamed her face. She was ashamed he'd found her letter. S.C. didn't stand for Santa Claus. Nope, those were the initials of her long-time crush Sebastian Cruise.

Slowly, it dawned on her, from somewhere way back in her brain. He’d lived here for a while, during the winters mainly, and kept up the house while her parents were away. It didn't explain what he was doing here today. Christmas Eve dinner had been officially canceled by Kayleigh herself. Plus, an even bigger question remained. Why did he have all of these little presents in his possession?

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

* * *

Sebastian cocked his head to the side, studying the sweet woman in front of him. Her hair was done in two long pony-tails, and she had on the cutest set of pajamas. Ones he hadn't observed last night during their brief encounter. A green and red striped jumper with a reindeer face on the butt. Kay looked so damn cute.

“A storm kicked up out of nowhere last night. Your brother gave me permission to stay.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You seemed happy a minute ago. What's wrong?”

“It's not just a storm, it's a freaking blizzard, Bastian!” Kay threw her hands up, irritated at either him or the situation, but it was impossible to tell which. “So, you didn't come to check on me? Good.”

Sebastian crossed the distance between them and kissed her cheek. He saw a glimpse of sadness in her eyes, despite the defensive posture. Had she thought he was there just for her? He hated to be the source of her disappointment.

“The storm might trap me here for a few days. You think you can handle that?” Something flickered across her face, and he wished he hadn't thrown down such a crazy challenge. He knew better, but then again so did she.

“Pfft.” She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but I don't think you can.”

“The last time we spent a few days alone together, I handled you pretty well.”

Her cheeks flushed a bright pink, and she bit down on her lower lip but only for a moment.

“I highly doubt that, Bastian. It's not like you're going to stick me in the corner and spank me if I give you a hard time.”

---