by Maren Smith
“This is really amazing,” I said looking down at what had to be millions of miles of neon curved into all sorts of letters and shapes.
“I agree, the view is indeed spectacular,” Jack said from behind me in a tone that told me he wasn’t speaking of the lights.
Smiling at our reflection in the glass, I saw him disappear from view and turned to see where he’d gone. Looking down, my heart stuttered as I watched him kneel on one knee, pulling a box from the bag that held the t-shirt I’d bought. How it had gotten there I had no idea, but when he opened it to display a ring, I felt tears begin to slip down my face.
“Oh, Jack,” I said softly.
“I love you, Savannah. I’ve loved you every moment since the first time you smiled at me. Make me the happiest man on earth and say you’ll marry me. You’ve stolen not only my heart but my soul. I can’t fathom living another day without you by my side.”
“Yes,” I said softly and then squealed and launched myself at him, knocking him over, laughing, crying and kissing him all at the same time. “Yes, yes, yes!”
Jack laughed and didn’t even try to get up. Instead, he plucked the ring from its velvet nest and slipped it onto my finger before wrapping one arm around me and palming the back of my head with his hand, pulling me down to kiss me.
“I love you, babygirl.”
“I love you, Daddy.”
That night as we slept there were two commemortive photos on the table. One of Jack getting spanked and one of us lying on the floor of the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, the smiles on our faces promising a lifetime of happily ever after.
The End
For more by Maggie Ryan, please click here.
Mastering Little Molly
Allie Belle
About the Author
Tucked in the countryside with her family and numerous stuffies, Allie Belle writes the stories she has always wanted to read. She loves the idea of being a Little to a strong, stern Daddy and explores the dynamic in every way she can.
When not writing, you can find her snuggled under her princess blanket with her kindle or watching trashy reality TV.
Copyright © 2020 by Allie Belle and Red Hot Romance, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, locales, and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, and events are purely coincidental.
Edited by: Silver Ink Editing
Chapter One
Standing at the front entrance of Rawhide Ranch, Molly willed her feet to move. She had applied to Rawhide University after talking to a friend. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that she was here, she was having some serious second thoughts. Not that it mattered. Rawhide was her last shot. Her transcripts were not up to par with any school’s standards, and she was desperate. She needed to finish her law degree or she would lose everything. After cruising through high school and graduating as valedictorian with a full ride scholarship to an elite college, she thought the world was her oyster.
College had not been what she had expected, and without someone to answer to, she fell in with the wrong crowd and picked up more than a few bad habits. Habits that made it impossible for her to motivate herself to do anything. But now, her father had cut her off financially, refusing to pay for class after class just for her to flunk out.
Rawhide would provide the stability and structure she was so desperate for, but could not manage on her own. It was her only hope.
That last thought was apparently the thing that got her feet moving and she stepped through the door into the lobby. The place was exquisite with an expensive, yet homey and very much Western feel to it. She didn’t think such a combination existed, but apparently she’d thought wrong.
“Can I help you?” A dark haired woman came out of an office. “I didn’t think we had anyone checking in today. Hi, I’m Erika.”
“Hi, I’m actually a day early, I can come back. I couldn’t stay in my dorm any longer and—”
“Don’t worry about it, we can figure it out. What did you say your name was?”
“Molly Green.”
“Nice to meet you, Molly, and welcome to Rawhide Ranch Resort.” Erika put out her hand and Molly took it. “Just give me a sec to look over your reservation.”
Molly waited as Erika tapped away at the computer behind the check-in counter.
“Hmm, I’m not seeing your name on the guest list.”
“She’s not on the guest list, little squirrel. She’s joining us as a student.” An older man came from the office, joining Erika at the counter.
“Well, that explains it. Thank you, Sir.” Erika smiled and accepted a soft kiss from the man. Molly bit her lip at the simple romantic gesture. She’d spent her entire life ignoring boys, pushing them away so that they couldn’t interfere with her plans for the ‘perfect future.’ That made things awkward and uncomfortable for her in the college dorms where sex was a thing ‘everyone did.’ All of her bad choices led to an unfortunate night with a guy she’d never have chosen to lose her virginity to had she been sober. She couldn't take it back though, she could only move forward, and that's exactly why she was at Rawhide. To get back on track and move forward.
“Jared Stark. We spoke on the phone.” The handsome, gray haired man came from behind the counter and greeted her. Now that he’d said more than a few words, she recognized his voice. Jared was the on-site lawyer and the best friend of Derek, the owner of the Ranch.
“Nice to meet you, Sir,” she managed to respond without stumbling on her words. Her palms were sweating and her heart pounded in her chest. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been so nervous. Visions of this man turning her over a desk and spanking her, or punishing her in any way, were all she could think about.
“Nice to meet you too. You’re early.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I was supposed to have one more day but—” Jared put up his hand, effectively quieting all the excuses she had practiced on her long drive. There was just enough money in her bank account to get a hotel room for the night if they sent her away, but that was it. “You’re fine. Take a deep breath.” His voice was calm and even, with a tone that demanded to be obeyed.
Molly nodded and filled her lungs with air.
“Good girl,” he praised, and turned back to Erika. “Can you please call Emily out to show Molly to her room and let Moses and Grant know we have a new student moving in today?”
“Already done, Sir.”
“Thank you, my love.” Jared smiled at her before turning his attention back to Molly. “Now, let’s head to Master Derek’s office and get you ready to join the dorms.”
Molly followed Jared to the other end of the lobby where they came to a huge set of double doors. She forced another deep breath as he pushed one of the doors open without bothering to knock.
“Derek, our new law student has arrived,” he announced to a man sitting behind the desk, whom she assumed had to be Derek Hawkins, owner and operator of Rawhide Ranch.
“Isn’t everyone due to begin arriving tomorrow?” Derek boomed. His voice and stern demeanor made him intimidating.
“I’m sorry. I’ll just get a hotel. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. I could have stayed in the dorms one more night, but I needed out. This is my problem, not yours. I’ll see myself out.” Tears pricked the backs of her eyes as she rambled out her apologies to the men while keeping her eyes trained on her feet. She should have just spent the money on a hotel, even if that meant she had to go hungry for the rest of the night.
When neither of the men moved or spoke, she forced herself to look up at them.
“Are you finished?” Jared asked.
&
nbsp; “Um, I think so?”
“The rooms are all prepared; there is no trouble and no need for you to leave. Am I correct, Master Derek?”
“You are, Master Jared.”
For some reason, the way they referred to one another made her smile. They were obviously doing it on her behalf and it was so forced, it was laughable.
“We’re waiting on Emily and Moses to come and get her settled, but I didn't know if you’d need to see her first.”
“Let me have a look. Come on in, and have a seat, Miss Molly,” Derek instructed as he turned and began to tap away at his computer keyboard. “Ah yes, I remember your file now. You have quite a few credits to catch up on if you want to graduate on your projected date.”
“I can do it, Sir,” she promised, hoping he believed her. All she needed was structure and discipline, with those two things she could still manage to meet her father’s deadline. “I’m not afraid to work hard.”
Derek folded his hands on his desk in front of him, regarding her in a way that made her squirm in her seat. “When was the last time you got high?”
The question caught her off guard and she stumbled to come up with an answer. “I, uh, it’s been a while, Sir,” she lied.
“Good. Then you won’t mind submitting to a drug test?”
“A drug test?”
“You did agree to random drug testing, did you not?”
“I did, but…” she trailed off, not knowing what to say.
“But you didn’t think we would actually request one?” Derek pushed.
“Well, not right away,” she mumbled.
“Would you like to amend your answer then, little girl? We don’t take kindly to lying around here, and I won’t be giving you another chance to come clean.”
Molly’s mouth went dry, and she stayed silent for a long time. Nobody spoke. The room grew thick with tension as they waited to see what she would do.
“I got high last night,” she admitted.
“Do you have drugs on you now?” Derek continued to question her.
“No, Sir.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. She had a tiny bit stashed in her car in case of an extreme emergency, but she wasn’t stupid enough to bring it into the building.
“We have a strict drug policy for every person living at the Ranch. You have signed the contract and read the rules, so there are zero chances when it comes to this,” Derek warned sternly. “Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good. I am not a bear, we just want to see you succeed,” Derek assured her, sincerity written all over his face.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now that we have that out of the way, do you have any questions?”
“Not right now.” She had a million racing through her brain, but voicing them at that moment was impossible.
“If that changes, my door is always open and don’t listen to any of the little troublemakers out there that tell you that you will get spanked every time you pay me a visit.” He winked and a soft knock saved her from having to respond. Not that she would have responded anyhow. She knew what the Ranch was about, but to hear a man talk openly about spanking was new and a little uncomfortable.
“Come in,” Derek boomed, making her jump.
“I’m here to show the new student around, Sir.” An adorable young woman with shoulder length black hair and thick bangs that framed her heart-shaped face crossed the threshold into Derek’s office. She wore a pleated black skirt held up by attached fabric suspenders, white knee-highs, and a short-sleeved white blouse with a peter pan collar.
“Thank you, Emily.” Derek smiled and turned his attention back to her. “Molly, you’re in good hands. Make yourself at home and welcome to Rawhide.”
Chapter Two
Molly listened to Emily chatter softly as they passed room after room on their way to the university dorms. She wanted to stay and have a look at every space, but at the same time, she wanted to be in her own room where she could just breathe and process everything that was happening, so she kept all of her questions to herself and made mental notes about everything she could. She was bound to forget half of them, but classes didn’t begin for a few days, so there would be time for her to explore once she got her bearings back.
The university dorms here at Rawhide were similar to the school she’d just left, except she would have her own room and bathroom, and a smaller group of people shared the common area. It would be nice to have some privacy and not have to worry about disturbing another person.
Five students shared each suite. They had a large corner couch facing a fireplace with a television mounted above it, and a small kitchenette with a breakfast bar. Rawhide had a cafeteria that was available to all students so she wouldn’t have to worry about cooking or money for food.
Her room was small, but big enough to fit a full sized bed, dresser, and a desk. There was a closet for her to store her things in and a small private bathroom with a shower. It was definitely a step up from what she was used to, and her stress level dropped tremendously just being in her own space.
As she was thanking Emily for the tour, a very large man came into the common room. He had long, dark hair and dark eyes, and she swore his muscles had muscles.
“This is Moses.” Emily introduced them. “He will help bring in your things. He’s deaf, so make sure he can see your lips when you’re talking to him.”
“Oh, I can carry my own things,” Molly assured them, not wanting to inconvenience anyone.
“He likes to keep busy. Let him help.”
Molly looked at Moses and he nodded with a kind smile, seemingly agreeing with Emily.
“Well, alright then.” Molly shrugged. “My car is right out front, I didn’t really know where to go.”
“That’s fine. There’s a lot around back for students and staff. Moses will help you with that. It was nice meeting you and I’m sure I’ll see you around.” Emily left her with Moses, who stepped to the side and gestured for her to lead the way.
Molly did her best to retrace the steps that Emily had taken her through to make her way back out to the car. At Moses’ insistence, she handed him the keys and allowed him to drive them around to a different parking area. After he parked her car, he insisted on carrying all of her bags as he showed her through the back entrance to the dorms. The whole thing took about twenty minutes, and even though she physically hadn’t done much yet, when she was finally alone in her room she collapsed on the bed, feeling like she’d just run a marathon. It was amazing what a toll stress and anxiety could take on a person. She already wished she could take a few hits off a joint, just to take the edge off.
She’d admitted to recent use. It wasn’t like a drug test would give a date and time of her last hit. Molly eyed her car keys. All she needed was a little, it wouldn’t take much time at all...
Decision made, she grabbed her keys and headed out the door, but she didn’t get halfway down the hall before someone was calling her name.
What now? She gritted her teeth and turned to see another new face, this one belonging to the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on. She froze in place as he caught up to her.
“Hi, you must be Molly,” he greeted her smoothly. “I’m Grant Chambers, Resident Director of the dorms here at Rawhide University. Erika let me know you arrived a day early. Are you getting settled okay?”
“Y- yeah. I’m good, thanks,” she stuttered, clutching her keys in her hand, the metal biting into her skin.
“I’ve read over your file and spoken with Derek and we believe it best if you were to allow me to go through your belongings.” There was no censure as he said this. He just stated it very matter-of-factly, as if it was not a huge intrusion of privacy.
Molly took a step backward. “I’m sorry, what?”
“We need to be sure you’re following the rules.”
“I just got here. I haven’t even had a chance to break any rules. You’re not going through my sh
it,” Molly argued, feeling very defensive.
“Do not cuss at me, young lady.” Grant’s voice dropped an octave and her stomach dropped. “You will speak to me with respect, or there will be consequences, is that clear?”
“Yeah, sorry.” Her response was immediate, but she was still processing the fact that someone she had just met could speak to her like that. That was how it was at Rawhide, she reminded herself. This is what she had signed up for.
“Yes, Sir,” Grant corrected.
Molly swallowed the lump in her throat. The formality was unnatural to her. “Yes, Sir.”
“Thank you. Now, you are welcome to join me in your room while I conduct my search, but I do not need any further permission from you. You signed the contract.”
Molly really needed to re-read the contract everyone kept reminding her about because this was getting ridiculous.
“Shall we?” Grant gestured toward her room.
“I guess so.” She sighed heavily and slowly made her way back down the hall. What choice did she have? Apparently, she had signed a contract. She rolled her eyes to herself as she followed Grant back to her room. She didn’t really have anything to hide from him, but the idea of him rifling through her things was immensely unsettling.
“Shouldn’t I be able to request a woman for this? It’s kind of weird to have a strange man digging through my panties.”
“We’ll get to know one another better soon, I’m sure,” he promised. “As Resident Director, I’m also the lead disciplinarian of the dorms. I’ve seen plenty of panties covering naughty bottoms just before lowering them for a well-deserved spanking.”
Molly shuddered. She knew what she was getting into when she enrolled, but she’d never actually been physically disciplined, so this was all foreign to her. This was her life now, random men talking about spanking naughty bottoms. She was just going to have to learn this new normal quickly so she didn’t blush and flood her panties every time she heard the word spanking.