Can You Keep A Secret?

Chapter 3

Marcus paced back and forth in his bedroom. He could not believe what he had just done. He didn’t know what had come over him. All he knew was he had seen that boy closing in on his baby girl and he had just seen red.

He had come home early from his date with Sarah because he was feeling under the weather. He was looking forward to seeing his baby girl and hearing about her day. That always cheered him up when he was feeling down. Instead he had come back to his worst nightmare, a teenage boy with his hands on his baby.

Even though they weren’t related by blood, Marcus still loved her as he would have his own daughter. He had given up everything to be a husband to Erin and a father to Holly. Marcus and Erin had been friends since school and whilst they had always had love for each other there was never anything romantic between them. Marcus had stood by Erin when she found out she was pregnant and Holly’s father had abandoned her. He had stepped up to be there for her and her child. He had helped out in every way he could think of from shopping for nappies to staying over for midnight feeds. He had grown to love Holly as his own. When Erin found out she was ill when Holly was 3, he didn’t hesitate to ask her to marry him. He could care for her and her daughter and if the worse did happen, Erin knew he would care for Holly for the rest of his life. Their marriage had been one of deep love and respect for each other, despite never progressing to a physical relationship. When Erin died when Holly was 8, after a long battle with her illness, he grieved for her like any true husband would. Since then it had just been him and Holly against the world. He thought they were best friends, or at least had been until tonight.

His mind was reeling from everything that had just happened. He felt betrayed by her abuse of his trust in secretly inviting a boy over; he felt devastated that he had lost control in that way and he was amazed by her revelation that she had never been kissed. Why did he have to go so far? He should have just left it at the punishment and not asked any more. Now her answer was all he could think about. Holly was beautiful: big brown eyes, sensual curves and flowing brown ringlets. He couldn’t believe that at 18 years old she had never been kissed.

Thinking about it gave him a warm sensation in the bottom of his stomach. This was his other concern. He had enjoyed spanking Holly. Enjoyed it more than a father strictly should. His relationship with Sarah was so vanilla it was sometimes difficult to stay awake, but she gave him the companionship he needed right now. The kind that didn’t take away from his relationship with his daughter. Having Holly pinned over his knee had awoken something in him he hadn’t felt since before Erin.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, as they started to head in a dangerous direction. He shouldn’t have left Holly the way he had. She was clearly upset and he needed to apologise for losing control like that. She may have been in the wrong, but he had totally overreacted.

He walked down the corridor towards her room, the door still firmly shut. He knocked gently on the door and softly called her name. He waited for an answer but none came. He stood outside her door listening carefully, his eyes pricking as he thought he could hear muffled sobs. He sighed and turned back towards his bedroom. He would apologise to her in the morning.