All I could do was sit there, quivering, as he slowly, deliberately, reached over and laid his left hand under my thighs and the other behind my back and lifted me in his arms.

“I…” His touch jolted me. The feel of his hand on my thighs was like an electric shock, scorching every nerve ending with violence that stole my breath and made my heart feel like it was exploding. Yet, I couldn’t do anything. If I resisted, the consequences wouldn’t be pleasing. “I just discovered something, and it was not pleasant.”

“And what did you discover?” Ralph asked as he carried me down the patio. The blinding sun...