Night and Day Read online

  Sadie. What was she doing there? And where the hell had she gotten that dress? He distinctly remembered telling her friend Linda Fortenberry to guide her, help her keep her wardrobe modest and ladylike. More what could be found in a librarian’s closet, not a party girl’s.

  Yet there she was, dressed in that hot little red number. If there was a curve to be showed off on that body, that dress hadn’t missed a one. The tight-fitting garment was of a red satin fabric, sleeveless, the pencil skirt short enough to accentuate her gorgeous legs. Red skinny heels finished off the outfit, as did her hair swept up in a ponytail that cascaded over her left shoulder. She looked like a pinup girl that could’ve easily intoxicated every man there. One of the guys surrounding her took her hand and led her onto the dance floor, where they began to dance much too closely for Dan’s taste.

  She had to have gone with some girlfriends. Maybe a bunch of the girls from Anne Johnson’s boarding house had piled into somebody’s little sports car and landed at the club for some cocktails and fun. Even Sadie Francis knew better than to show up at a place like that without an escort.

  Unless she was out looking for some trouble. After all he’d gone through to help her get off to the right start. If that was the case, Dan was going to be giving that young lady a stern talking-to. And probably more than that.

  Seconds before he could reach them, he watched the man’s hand drift down from Sadie’s waist to cup around her derriere. Dan felt a heat coming up through him, a stab of emotion.

  That wasn’t just a matter of being angry with her over her reverting to her old ways. He’d felt that before, although not often.

  That was jealousy.

  To her credit, Sadie pulled the man’s hand back up to her waist. It didn’t stay there long, with the jerk laughing and dropping it back down. This time he did more than cup it around her butt; this time he groped. Dan heard her order sharply, “Stop it!”

  “Aw, c’mon, don’t be a tease,” the guy said, his tone half joking, half irritated.

  Dan strode up to the man and threw back his shoulder. “I think the lady told you to knock it off.”

  “What—Dan, what the hell are you doing here?” The look of genuine shock on Sadie’s face brought him some satisfaction.

  “Hey, I was dancing with her. So scram!” The twerp shot back at him.

  Dan glanced back over at Floyd Torrence, then saw his partner Martin Clark across the way. Martin was shaking his head as if to say, We don’t have time for this. That was the truth.

  “Look, I’m gonna ask you nicely,” he told the dancing Lothario quietly. “Leave the lady alone. She doesn’t want you touching her like that. I don’t want you touching her like that.”

  “Why? Are you her husband? Her boyfriend?” The man sneered at him.

  “Neither. You could say I’m her protector.” He took Sadie by the waist and turned her to face the door. “Let’s go, Sadie.”

  It would’ve gone so much easier, had she not put up a fuss. She broke free from his hold and tried to look back at him, all the while he guided her firmly, alternating with a nudge at her waist and a gentle push at her back.

  “This is ridiculous! You can’t do this, McCallister! I’m—I’m going to call the police!” she sputtered. “Or the FBI! Or whoever the hell’s in charge of you! You can’t do this, you can’t stop me from having a good time!”

  It was a long, long way to the exit, especially with Sadie and her mouth throwing her tantrum. Walking behind her, Dan grinned, trying not to notice the way her hips and bottom wiggled as she walked rapidly on those heels. It was damn exciting. He had even less time to be aroused, but aroused he was, enough that he would’ve taken her right there, if they weren’t already in a public place.

  “I’m getting you a cab,” he said when they emerged out through the nightclub’s doors. “And you, young lady, are going straight back to Miss Johnson’s.”

  “Oh, yeah? To do what?” She stood her ground and folded her arms across her chest, inadvertently propping up those full, perky breasts of hers. “Play canasta? Read a book? Do some knitting?”

  “All worthwhile activities! TAXI!” He paused to wave at a cab, but the car zipped on by them.

  “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do, Dan McCallister! I’m not some old lady. And you’re not in charge of me.”

  “Sadie, listen to me. For once in your life, listen. I gotta get back in there. I got a dangerous man in there and more dangerous men who want to kill him. Now I don’t have time to be worried about you in there.”

  “So don’t! What do you care if I go out and have some fun?”

  “Because a lady doesn’t do what you were doing in there. You’re gonna get yourself in trouble. Again.” Dan flagged down another cab, shouting, “TAXI!”

  “I’m not getting in that cab! I want to go dance, whether you like it or not.”

  He glowered at her. “You go back in there, and you’ll go home with me instead of back to the boarding house. And this time I’ll take a switch to your bottom. Your bare bottom.”

  At last, he was getting through to her. Sadie winced slightly. “I know you don’t give a damn, but I’ve been locked away for all that time. All I wanted to do was go dancing.”

  “Fine, Sadie.” Impatiently, Dan sighed. “I’ll take you dancing. But I’m a little busy here tonight. I promise, though, I’ll take you dancing. Now…”

  “Why can’t I dance now? Tonight? With one of those guys. Not the jerk who grabbed me, but one of the others. They thought I was cute.”

  “I don’t want you dancing with anybody else!” He flinched, seeing the knowing expression on her face.

  “You’re…jealous!” she exclaimed with widening eyes.

  “I’m not jealous. I’m—I got a job to do and you’re getting in my way. Now I can’t get a stupid cab, so I’m calling Linda Fortenberry to pick you up.”

  “No! I don’t want to go with Linda. I’m not speaking to her. Not after—”

  Dan had turned his head for the purpose of spotting another taxi. What he saw instead was Floyd Torrence stepping out of the club. He was calling out to someone but Dan couldn’t make out what he was saying over the sound of passing traffic. He followed Floyd’s gaze to two men crossing the street. With lightning speed, one of the two drew his revolver from the waistband of his pants.

  “Sadie, watch out!” he called out, wrapping his left arm around her and shoving her behind him.

  Simultaneously he drew his own weapon, took aim, and fired the gun, just as he was leading a frightened Sadie behind a parked car.

  He didn’t notice until after the hail of bullets, some of which were coming from the uniformed local police on the scene, that Martin had also come out of the club.

  Except he was clutching his waist, the color fast draining from his face and a crimson stain on his shirt was spreading.

  Chapter Three

  “I’m so glad your friend’s going to be okay.” Sadie swallowed hard, growing more nervous by the minute. “He—he is going to be all right. Isn’t he, Dan?”

  It had been a long night. From the time they left the nightclub and Dan had deposited her there at his place, then headed to the hospital, until the time that he’d come back, it had seemed like a thousand hours had passed. In reality it was only around one in the morning now. She stood on one side of his kitchen, he on the other.

  His tie was undone and his hair was mussed. She was still wearing that dress she’d bought with the money that was left from what Linda, or rather Dan, had given her. She’d kicked her shoes off, having felt the high heels pinching after having been in them for so long.

  “That’s what the doctor at the hospital said,” he replied. “Said it was superficial. Just a flesh wound. Martin was lucky.”

  “I’ll say.” Sadie ventured a smile. “So…case closed?”

  “Yeah. Case closed. I’ll be right back. You wait right here.”

  “Ohh-okay.”

  She was stammering. A
nd no wonder. Through the window she could see Dan, still wearing his suit, out in his backyard with a flashlight in one hand and a pocketknife in the other.

  He was looking for a switch. A good, sturdy switch. She covered her red satin-clad backside with her hands in nervous anticipation.

  For the sake of calming herself down for a few minutes, she studied her surroundings. The place was nothing like she imagined. For one thing, she’d always thought Detective Dan McCallister lived in some dingy city apartment, some crowded matchbox that was sparsely furnished. His house was old but it was rustic and charming, with the view of the lake nestled in that hilly country. The house had a haven sort of feel to it, a tranquil getaway from the everyday grittiness of Dan’s job.

  Too soon he returned, peeking his head through the door. “Come on out here, Sadie.”

  She had a feeling his reason for summoning her out to the house’s rear porch wasn’t for the purpose of pointing out all the pretty stars in the darkened eastern sky. Her fears were confirmed when she stepped out and saw him seating himself on a hard-backed wooden chair. The switch he’d chosen and prepared waited in his right hand, and did that thing ever look dangerous to her butt. Dan waved her over.

  Was there any escape for her? Any way out of that spanking? This one, she suspected, was going to make the other one look like a collection of benign love pats. Her heart was pounding against her chest.

  What if she seduced him? Offered him to have his way with her? The disturbing part of that was that she didn’t find the thought of that so terribly off-putting.

  Neither, interestingly enough, was the fact that he was about to light a fire in her bottom with that menacing-looking thing.

  “I’m not getting out of this, am I?” she asked.

  “No, ma’am, you’re not.” Wasting no time, Dan turned her face down over his knee. “You’re not sweet-talking me out of it, you’re not bribing me, you’re not threatening me. You have any idea what could’ve happened tonight, all the while you were arguing with me?...Well?”

  “Yes.” A shiver ran through her, not the least of which had to do with imagining what might have happened, had Dan not seen those men approaching each other. “But it didn’t happen.”

  “That’s not the point. I don’t have the time to lecture you, Sadie Lou. I’ll let the switch do all my lecturing for me.”

  “Oooooh!” She bucked a bit, aware of his hands on her, tugging that tight skirt over her behind.

  The next thing she felt were his thumbs hooking into her lacy drawers, pulling them all the way down to the middle of her thighs. She blushed and muffled a groan, feeling a cool breeze playfully sweep at her exposed bottom. In that position, no doubt more than that was exposed, much to her deep embarrassment.

  Had he changed his mind? About a minute had passed and nothing had happened. Sadie rested across his lap and looked out at the property, beyond which was the lake and the small motorboat docked there. Maybe he’d had a change of heart?

  But then Dan cracked the switch down for the first time, causing her to yelp and flail at the white-hot pain in her butt.

  “Oh, dammit, that smarts!” Sadie cried out. “Dan, Dan, wait—owwwwwww!”

  A succession of well paced swats followed as that mean switch bit hard into her vulnerable, unprotected cheeks. Sadie tried to squiggle her rear end out of the line of fire, but his grip around her waist kept her stationary. On and on the switch struck its target with precision. She lost track of the swats, yet it didn’t take long for her yelling to turn into loud, plaintive sobs.

  “Oh—oh—I don’t think there’s a—a part of my ass,” she stammered, “that you haven’t spanked yet with that thing!”

  “Well, look at it this way, honey. Better to be spanked than in the hospital with a bullet in you because you didn’t listen to me—oops!”

  Sadie sniffled. What was that sound right before he’d exclaimed? Had he managed to snap and break the switch?

  “Oh, well,” she sang out. “Guess that means the spanking’s over, huh?”

  “Nope. It means next time I get more than one switch. And I still have my hand—”

  “Daaaaaan!”

  That quiet, dainty crying became loud sobs as Dan made good on his word, finishing up the spanking with his hand on her already ignited bottom. Fortunately, they were out far enough in the woods that only the fish in the lake could hear her crying and hollering.

  “All right, Sadie. I think you’ve had enough.” He helped her off his lap, then stood to his feet. “Off to bed with you. Now…march.”

  To show he meant business, he emphasized the last word with a final smack to her poor blistered cheeks. Sadie gave an indignant cry and scampered back into the house, clumsily trying to pull her panties back up over her swollen cheeks all the way up the stairs. Dan must have caught that because she could hear him chuckling behind her, the sound of his laughter making her blush with embarrassment.

  Earlier, when they’d first arrived, Dan had mentioned his housekeeper when she’d complimented him on the place being so neat. That, and he didn’t spend much time there. The bedroom was so different, neat and simple and yet inviting.

  “You want something comfortable to wear for bed?” he asked behind her.

  She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the dresser mirror. What a mess! Her hair, which she’d taken such care to fix up cute that evening, looked mussed and crazy. Her face was red and her eyes were swollen from crying. It wasn’t very ladylike, but she dragged her forearm under her nose to clear away the snot.

  “Uh…this might work better, doll.” Behind her, Dan took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. He looked mildly amused. “And here’s a shirt for you to wear. It’ll be a little big on you, but it’ll be more comfortable than that tight dress to sleep in.”

  Sadie blew her nose and accepted the shirt from his hand. “Where—where are you going?”

  Dan stopped and turned in the doorway. “I gotta hit the sack. I’ll be out on the couch if you need anything.”

  “I can sleep on the couch. I’ve slept in worse places.”

  “Join the club.” He grinned. “I’ll be all right. You get some sleep.”

  “All right, Dan. Sweet dreams.”

  He did a double take at her. “Yeah. Sweet dreams to you, too, doll.”

  Sadie could swear her feet were glued to the floor. She stood there, clutching the shirt he’d given her in her arms, staring back at him.

  Her gaze fell then to his mouth. Maybe she shouldn’t have focused on that, especially with him being so gentlemanly and giving up his bed and all. He’d probably think she was a floozie. Seemed like most people had thought that about her.

  Then she kissed him. Hard and hot, like she meant it—which, to her chagrin, she did. He kissed her right back, too, like a man who was hungry for kissing, a man who hadn’t been kissed in too long.

  What was she doing? Kissing that man after he’d left her butt redder than her dress? She should have been staying as far away from him as possible.

  And yes, she loved kissing Dan McCallister. She could have kissed him all night long…among other things they could do together.

  It was Sadie who ended the kiss. So close to him, pressed up tight against his fabulously masculine body, she could feel his excitement. She smiled when she saw him having to catch his breath.

  “Damn,” he muttered, grasping the doorframe. “I gotta get outta here…”

  * * *

  “Women!’ Dan mumbled to himself as he slipped out the back door. If he lived to be a hundred—and there was a good chance he would—he still wouldn’t have figured out those mysterious creatures.

  Especially those like Sadie, with the great legs. That pretty doll wouldn’t be able to sit for a couple of days after he’d taken her over his knee. And what did she do? She gave him a kiss that felt like an earthquake going through him.

  Is she kissed like that, how good would she be in bed with him? It didn’t matter be
cause it wasn’t going to happen. He couldn’t afford to get mixed up with a girl like Sadie Francis.

  Realistically, with him in that crazy line of work, it wasn’t fair to any woman getting involved with him. Then, too, there was another matter, a facet of his life even more complicated than his gritty life as a detective.

  It was late when he reached the marina. Dan walked quickly and as quietly as he could, though his feet clad in shoes formed a staccato beat against the old wooden planks. He cast a watchful glance behind him.

  He could barely wait to be in that water. The need had transformed into an actual physical ache.

  He jumped down beside one of the boats which he knew for a fact was never used anymore. It was the perfect place to hide his clothes and shoes, and when he returned they would still be there. Dan stripped down, stopping when he heard something at the other end of the pier. The noise made his heart thunder in his chest.

  Would there ever come a day when he wouldn’t have to do that, he wondered? When he could return from the sea freely and not be looked upon as a freak?

  Sadie Francis would be like other people. She wouldn’t understand. As for him, he wasn’t a man given to feeling sorry for himself. He had no patience for that, either in himself or in others.

  Lowering himself into the water, he moaned with both relief and pleasure. In the sky beamed a three-quarter moon. He’d waited too long this time, almost to his detriment.

  The water was shallow there, only deep enough for the vessels to dock. In the time it took for him to swim out of the marina, out to the deeper water, his body began to change. Dan submerged himself completely. He opened his mouth, savoring that first full breath beneath the surface.

  A little time out in the ocean would do him good. Just a little time.

  That was the part of him that didn’t fit in with the rest of his life…or the world. The part of him that he had to keep from everyone. Even Sadie.

  Behind him, his fish tail—a large, magnificent thing that his legs disappeared into each time he was in seawater—gently stroked the water. It propelled him forward with speed and agility, out towards the open sea.