by Stella Moore
“Just getting started, little girl.” He growled, landing two more swats back to back in the same spot. Her breath hitched, and it felt like someone had placed a band around her chest and was slowly pulling it tighter and tighter with each strike of the paddle.
“When I give you directions, I expect them to be followed.”
Two more strokes, right in the center of her bottom, a pain much sharper and more focused than any before it.
“Especially when those directions are for your safety.”
Another two, one to each cheek, and the band tightened further.
“You will not ever lie to me again.”
The two hardest yet, eliciting a long, keening wail from her.
“Or I swear sitting will be a fond, distant memory for a very long time.”
Several more swats, harder and faster than those before, until she felt the pressure in her chest begin to crack.
“Do you understand me, little girl?”
“Yes, Daddy!” she wailed.
She was so focused on the pain, it barely registered when he went still beneath her. It only lasted a heartbeat, and then he pushed her forward over his knee and focused his attention on the sensitive skin where her bottom met her thighs. He didn’t lecture, just paddled, landing several strokes all in the same spot until she screamed. Then he moved onto the other cheek, repeating the treatment and she finally gave in. All the tension fled from her body and she lay over his knee, her breath coming in little hiccups as she cried.
Another half dozen swats, slow and deliberate, and then it was finally over. Fox gathered her into his arms, murmuring softly to her as she curled into him, sniffling and whimpering at the impossible burning in her bottom.
“Shh. It’s okay, princess. Daddy’s got you.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in. When they finally did, it was her who froze. “W-what did you say?” she asked quietly, her heart pounding with a combination of fear and excitement as she waited for his answer.
“I said, Daddy’s got you.” He pressed a kiss to her hair, and she melted against him.
Daddy. The single fantasy she’d never shared with another living soul. Her heart contracted painfully in her chest. How unfair for her to be given a taste of her deepest, darkest desires with a man who could never love her.
She pushed that thought aside and focused on enjoying the moment. Even if she never saw him again, Fox had given her an experience she could keep hidden in her heart, locked away to be taken out and examined during life’s bleak moments. Even if he couldn’t be her daddy for real, it was enough to pretend, even just for one night.
With that thought in mind, she tilted her face up, and his lips brushed against hers. She moaned, and he changed the angle of the kiss, taking her deeper as he explored her mouth. Then his hand was between her legs, gently stroking her soaking lips.
When his finger parted her folds and slipped inside of her, she gripped his shirt, clinging to him for dear life as he stroked her. She gasped at the flood of sensation, more intense and real than anything she’d felt before.
He broke the kiss, his lips hovering inches from hers. “You like that, princess?”
“Yes, D-daddy.” How was it that it already felt so natural? A warning bell signaled somewhere deep in the recesses of her mind, telling her it was too fast, too much, too soon. But she deliberately ignored it. For once in her life, she was going to be reckless and impulsive and take what she wanted without giving a damn about the consequences.
She spread her thighs, inviting him to touch and tease. And he did, his skilled fingers arrowing in on the exact spot to make her helpless with need. Her entire body was awash with sensation: pain from being so thoroughly punished by his hand and paddle, the bruising pressure of his lips on hers, and the slow build of pleasure tingling between her thighs as he stroked her to oblivion.
When she came, it was as brutal as it was gentle, an ocean wave crashing over her, dragging her under and stealing her breath, even as she floated blissfully in its depths. She arched in Fox’s arms, secure in the knowledge that he wouldn’t let her fall.
When she was spent, floating on the surface of the pleasure that had so thoroughly wrecked her, he lay her down on the bed, pulling her leggings the rest of the way down and off. But when he reached for her shirt, she instinctively grabbed the hem, holding it in place.
“Let go, princess,” Fox’s gentle voice still vibrated with authority. Though it went against every instinct she had, she released the shirt and allowed him to pull it up and off. Her sports bra fastened in the front, and he slowly released the hooks, letting her breasts spill free.
“Jesus,” he muttered, staring down at her like a starving man at a buffet. “You’re fucking incredible.”
She started to deny it and stopped herself. For one night, just one glorious night, she was going to believe the things he told her. She was going to let herself believe she was beautiful and desirable, and not just a warm body in his bed. Not just good enough because he had an itch to scratch and she’d been all too willing to help.
Stepping back from the bed, Fox reached down and pulled his own shirt up and over his head. And every negative thought she’d ever had about herself fled. There was no room for anything in her mind but the sheer male perfection before her. To say he was ripped was an understatement. Every single muscle was perfectly defined, and she was mesmerized by the way they rippled as he moved. And when he stepped out of his gym shorts, she knew she’d never be the same.
She forced herself to look up. He was watching her with that knowing smirk on his face. Wordlessly, she leaned back against the pillows, opening her legs for him, a silent invitation for him to take what he wished. He knelt between her thighs, lowering his body to hers until he slid into her, two pieces of a puzzle fitting seamlessly together. Mindy gasped, her eyes fluttering closed as he filled her, stretched her in ways she’d never imagined possible.
And then he began to move, his hips rocking against her in a dance older than time itself. Each stroke of him inside of her was a new rush of sensation, a new discovery of pleasure she’d only dreamed of. His movements grew more forceful, still slow and steady, but each thrust driving deeper inside of her, the pleasure building again until she just knew she was going to burst.
“Come for me, princess,” he murmured, lowering his head to capture her lips in another bruising kiss. “Come with me.”
It was all the encouragement she needed. Her body shuddered with it as the waves crashed over her again, leaving her breathless and trembling in their wake. He went under with her, his forehead pressed against hers in a joining more intimate than the one between her thighs.
When he’d finished, he rolled to the side, wrapping his arms around her as she snuggled into his side. She wanted to stay in this moment, in this floating, happy feeling forever.
But as the high faded, the doubts came rushing back with a vengeance. Had he meant anything he’d said since she’d practically begged him to spank her? Why had she called him Daddy? Did he think she was a freak and he’d just played along to get laid? How could she have been so stupid to think he’d actually wanted her?
“Whatever is going on in that pretty little head, stop it right now, princess.”
Mindy glared at his chest, unable to lift her head and look him in the eye. “Nothing is going on. I need to go.”
“Like hell you do.” He rolled over, pinning her under him again, his eyes searching her face. “What just happened?”
She shifted her eyes to the right to avoid looking him in the eye. “Nothing. It’s getting late. I need to go.”
“If the word nothing passes your lips one more time, you’re going back over my lap, little girl. Tell me what’s wrong.”
She closed her eyes, letting the misery and humiliation wash over her as she fought not to breakdown in front of him. “Nothing, Fox. I swear.”
Her only warning was a low guttural growl before she felt him roll off of her, a
nd found herself draped over his knees again all in one swift move. The pain from the paddling flared back to life as he landed several fast, hard spanks that had her crying out. “Little girls who hide things from their daddies get spanked. Your ass is going to wear out a lot faster than my hand. So you better start talking.”
“You’re not my daddy!” It burst out of her, and the truth of it rang in her ears. She was nothing to him, so he couldn’t be something as deeply personal and intimate as a daddy to her.
“I am now.” His simple reply knocked the fight right out of her.
“Fox, please just let me go.” God, she was tired. Exhausted physically and emotionally from the spanking and the incredible sex and the humiliation of knowing it wasn’t anything more than that for him. She just wanted to go home.
“Not until you talk to me. Did you not enjoy what we just did?” He paused, and his voice was pained when he continued. “Did you feel forced? I know I didn’t really ask, but I thought you wanted it.”
Shame weighed on her like a heavy blanket. “No,” she assured him gently. “I didn’t feel forced at all.” No way out but to tell the truth, it seemed. She’d already bared her ass for him, so why not her soul? “I don’t want you to feel like you have to keep being nice to me just because we had sex. It’s okay if this was just a one time deal. I don’t expect anything more than that.”
She hadn’t been sure what response to expect, but it certainly wasn’t his heavy hand smacking against her bottom again. He spanked her mercilessly until she was once again quietly crying over his knees. When he’d finished, he lifted her to sit on his lap. “You listen to me, little girl. This wasn’t a pity fuck, or whatever ridiculous notion you’ve talked yourself into. I’m attracted to you, on a whole lot of levels, including physical. I can see it’s going to take some time for that to really sink in, and that’s okay.”
She sniffled and finally managed to look up into his eyes. Caramel eyes shining with intensity and what she so badly wanted to hope was sincerity. “It is?”
Fox nodded. “It is. What’s not okay is you refusing to listen to me and putting words in my mouth. Every time that happens, I will spank your gorgeous backside until you get it through your head. Got it?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Is that how you talk to me, princess?”
It took a moment to realize what he wanted, and when it clicked, she felt her entire face heat. It had been so easy to say in the middle of getting her bottom roasted, but now the words stuck in her throat. “Y-yes… Daddy.” Feeling suddenly shy, she hid her face in his neck.
“Good girl.” His praise turned her insides to goo and she allowed herself to wallow in the moment. “Are you hungry? We could order a pizza.”
“Pizza sounds amazing.” She frowned and sat up to look at him. “But it’s not on the plan.”
He grinned and squeezed her bottom, and she winced at the renewed ache. “The plan allows for up to three meals off plan. Did you even read the plan?”
“Of course. I just figured that was optional so I kind of ignored it.”
“It is optional, but I strongly recommend you follow the plan as it’s written. The idea is to build a plan you can live with, not something that makes it so difficult that you continually fall off the wagon. So you can have whatever you want, up to twenty percent of the time.”
It made sense, but she still wasn’t sure. “But I have a ton of weight to lose. I don’t want it to take forever.”
“Princess, you do not have a ton to lose. Thirty pounds at the most, though you’re perfectly within a healthy range where you are. But the important thing is to stay active and build healthy habits you can stick with for the rest of your life.”
Mindy rolled her eyes. “I have thirty pounds to lose in my ass alone. Todd always said I needed to lose at least fifty.”
“Who the hell is Todd?”
Shit. She hadn’t meant to say so much. “My ex.”
“As in ex-husband? Boyfriend? What?”
She so was not in the mood to talk about Todd. “Can we just not, Fox? I don’t want to get into this with you.”
His eyes narrowed. Her bottom tingled in anticipation at the threat they held.
“You brought it up, princess. Who is this Todd asshole?”
“Fine. Ex-boyfriend. I thought he was going to propose and instead he dumped me for being too fat.” She was pretty sure the string of swear words Fox let loose would have gotten her mouth washed out.
“When was this?”
“Friday.”
“Last Friday? As in, the day before you walked into my gym, demanding I help you lose weight?”
Her stomach twisted at his words. The air between them suddenly seemed tense and heavy. “Yes.”
“So, what? You want to lose weight so you can get this guy back?”
Sticky ground, she realized. “No. I’m done with him. It was more of a revenge thing, I guess.”
“And yet, you’re still letting this guy take up space in your head. What does this Todd guy do for a living?”
The question threw her off balance for a second. “He’s in advertising. Why?”
“So it’s safe to assume he doesn’t have a degree in Nutritional Science.”
Mindy giggled and shook her head. “No, definitely not. Do you?”
“As it happens, I have my masters. Plus a dozen years of personal training certification.” He gripped her chin between his fingers, forcing her to meet his eyes. “So, princess. Who are you going to believe? The asshole who dumped you? Or your daddy?”
It seemed so simple when he put it that way. She knew that wouldn’t always be the case, but what was the harm in going along with him for now? “You, Daddy.”
He kissed her lightly and her heart sighed at the sweet gesture. “Good girl. Now that we’ve settled that, what do you like on your pizza?”
Chapter 9
They ordered a pizza with everything, a fact that thrilled her to no end. Todd had turned his nose up at anything other than veggie pizza, and oh, how she’d missed pepperoni. While Fox was ordering, she slipped into the bathroom to clean up and fix her hair and makeup as much as she could without her supplies.
If they kept this up, should she start keeping some basics at his place? Was that how people did this? Or was it too soon? Definitely too soon. He’d probably have a heart attack if she so much as left a bobby pin on the sink. She was out of her element. She and Todd had never taken the leap to the bedroom, a fact she’d always assumed came down to his traditional, gentlemanly ways. Looking back, she realized he’d been waiting for her to be attractive enough to sleep with. But she wasn’t going to think about that, when she had an impossibly sexy man in the next room waiting for her.
When she was as presentable as she was going to get, she returned to the bedroom and looked around for her leggings. Spotting them under the bed, she dropped to her knees and reached for them.
“Now there’s a sight a man could get used to.”
Grabbing the leggings, she sat up again as quickly as she could and crossed her arms over her breasts. “Fox! You shouldn’t sneak up on people.”
The grin he shot her clearly said he was enjoying himself. “Whatcha got there, princess?”
“My leggings. Any idea where my shirt is?”
“Somewhere around here. But you don’t need it.”
Mindy rolled her eyes. “Yes, I do. I need to get dressed.”
“Nope.”
It didn’t really hit her until she looked up at him that she was still on her knees and they were both still completely naked. The position made her feel small and vulnerable in a way she had craved her entire adult life.
“Why can’t I get dressed, Daddy?”
There was no mistaking the need in his eyes. This wasn’t playing along to get laid. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.
She’d never realized what a powerful feeling that was.
“Because I said so, princess. And you do what Dadd
y says, don’t you?”
Everything inside of her seemed to slide into place at his words. It just felt so right and easy. Too easy, but she wasn’t going to worry about that right now. She nodded silently and was rewarded with a fierce grin from him.
“Good girl.” He walked over and grabbed his gym shorts. She started to argue, but decided she didn’t really care if it was fair or not. He was the daddy, so if he wanted her to be naked while he got to wear clothes, then that was just how it was. There was something strangely comforting about letting someone else make the rules.
When he was dressed, he helped her to her feet and led her to the living room. He sat on the couch and started to pull her onto his lap, but she balked. “Fox, no. I’m too heavy.”
“Are you calling me weak, little girl?” There was amusement in his voice, but also a hint of anger underneath that told her to tread carefully.
“No, Daddy.”
“Then sit your butt where I tell you to.”
Mindy hesitantly lowered her bottom to carefully perch on his knee. With an irritated growl, he grabbed her hips and pulled her to sit more fully on his lap.
“You’re going to have a sore ass every day at this rate,” he grumbled, shifting her so she was forced to lean into him.
“Why?”
“For starters because I like the way your bottom looks, all pink and rosy. But also because you need to learn to trust me when I tell you things. Like that I won’t break if you sit on my lap.”
“Oh. I just know I’m not little like the girls you’re used to.”
“And that. Making assumptions about me. Yeah, I’ve dated some chicks who were lean, mean, fighting machines. But I much prefer your soft curves.” As if to demonstrate, he cupped one of her breasts, running the rough pad of his thumb over the nipple.
It was arousing and soothing all at the same time. Mindy sighed and allowed herself to relax in his embrace. They stayed like that until the buzzer for the front door went off. With an easy strength that sent her heart racing, Fox lifted her and set her on the couch beside him before moving to answer the buzzer.