by Julia Sykes
She might think her reactions were fearful, but I knew better. She was a little intimidated, but she liked when I imposed myself on her. I could see it in the way her eyes locked on mine and her breathing hitched as she stared up at me. When I turned that side of myself on her, I commanded her full attention.
And when I’d held her last night, protecting her and sheltering her while she cried, I knew I was just as devoted to her as Joseph was.
He might secretly want to corrupt her innocence, but I would cherish it. I’d ensure that she never lost that part of herself, no matter how depraved Joseph’s games became. She was made for both of us, a perfect match for our needs.
I just needed to convince Joseph that I was right.
“You’re not eating,” I observed. “Are you still upset about last night?”
She peeked up at me. “A little. I feel… a little out of sorts. It would really help if I could go for a swim.” Her tone turned hopeful, her eyes wide and beseeching. “It helps clear my mind.”
I locked down my emotions before they could rise, shoving them away with familiar, ruthless force.
“No,” I said, an absolute refusal. I’d been putting Joseph off, but I had no intention of getting that pool filled and letting Ashlyn in the water. “Now, eat your breakfast.”
Her brows rose. “No? That’s it? Just no?”
I placed my hands on the marble countertop, leaning toward her. The kitchen island separated us, but she shrank back on her stool.
“That’s it. No. Now, eat.”
Her lips thinned, her eyes flashing. “No,” she said, the word heavy with mockery. She flung her fork down. It clattered on the china plate.
I fixed her with my sternest stare. “I’m going to give you three seconds to pick up that fork and eat, little girl.”
“Little girl?” she repeated, her voice high and thin. Her cheeks flushed with something other than anger.
I tipped my head in confirmation. “That’s right. Now, be a good girl and eat your eggs.”
Her lips parted on a disbelieving huff. I was certain no one had ever talked to her like this. She’d probably been spoiled, cosseted. Joseph certainly treated her with kid gloves.
She wouldn’t get that from me. She’d get a firm hand and learn a little respect.
She pushed her stool back from the island and got to her feet, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she turned away from me. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“And you’re being a brat.”
To my shock, she shot me the middle finger and started storming off.
Any restraint I might have possessed snapped. I’d held back, for Joseph.
I was done denying who I was. I was done denying what I wanted.
It only took three long strides for me to catch up with her and close my hand around her upper arm.
“Let me go,” she seethed.
“No,” I said again, mocking her this time. “You want to be a brat? You’ll get treated like a brat.”
I grasped her waist and bent slightly so I could lift her over my shoulder. She shrieked and kicked out. I barely felt the little blows of her knees on my abs. She really was small and delicate, but I knew she could take what I needed to do to her.
Her fists pounded against my back, feeling more like a massage than angry punches.
I started striding up the stairs, eager to get her back to my bedroom.
She twisted on my shoulder, but holding her in place was laughably easy.
“Put me down!” she demanded.
I savored the little quaver in her voice as I stepped into the bedroom. I set her down on her feet, and she tried to shove at my chest. I grasped her wrists in one hand, pulling her toward the corner. I pressed her hands against the wall, so she was facing away from me. Then, I pushed my chest against her back, letting her feel my presence. I was careful to keep my hips away from hers, though. She wasn’t ready to feel my hard-on. Not yet.
She stopped yelling at me, going quiet except for her little panting breaths.
“You want to act like a brat?” I growled in her ear. “Brats get punished. Brats get disciplined.”
She shivered. “What are you—”
I nipped at her neck, a sharp bite of rebuke. “Quiet, little girl. You’re in enough trouble as it is.”
I kept her wrists pinned with one hand, leaning against her back so she was forced to press her chest to the wall.
“Stay still and take your punishment like a good girl,” I rumbled in her ear before brushing a kiss over the spot I’d bitten.
“Are you…” Her voice broke. “Please, don’t hurt me.”
I nuzzled my cheek against hers, letting her feel our connection. “I’m not going to hurt you, princess. You’re going to have a very sore bottom when I’m finished with you, but I won’t hurt you. Do you understand?”
“No, I don’t,” she whispered, her small body shaking.
“I think you do,” I countered. “You’ve practically been begging me for a spanking ever since you got here. You’re not a brat with Joseph, are you? You only act out around me. Because you know I’ll give you what you need.”
“And what’s that?” she asked tremulously, but she wasn’t struggling to get away from me.
“Discipline. Structure. Rules. You need someone who will take care of you, someone who cares enough to correct your behavior when you’re acting out for attention.”
“I don’t want attention.”
“Don’t you?” I challenged. “I know you care about Joseph, but he’s not giving you what you need. I’ll give you what you need.”
“You’re scaring me,” she breathed, but she still wasn’t trying to fight me off.
“You’re not scared, princess. You’ve never been scared of me. Not really. You’re scared of what you want from me. You’re scared of how I make you feel.”
I wrapped my arm around her and cupped her breast, squeezing gently. She gasped and arched into my touch.
“And I’m going to make you feel so good, babygirl. I promise. But first, you need a lesson in respect. You’ve been pushing me, testing me. Then, you hide behind Joseph before I can give you what you really want. Well, I’m not going to let him come between us anymore. He’s acting like an idiot, and I’ve run out of patience. You shouldn’t have flipped me off, princess. That was very naughty. You should have been a good girl and eaten the breakfast I made for you.”
“I didn’t want to.” There it was. The petulant pout I’d been waiting for. She was playing right into my hands, even if she didn’t realize what was happening between us.
“It doesn’t matter that you didn’t want to. Daddy knows what’s best for you.”
“What?” The question was barely audible, coming out on a little puff of air.
“You heard me, little girl.” I palmed her breast, and her head tipped back against my shoulder. “I don’t have many rules, but the most important one is that you always respect Daddy.”
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The words were faint, breathless.
“You will. I have so much to teach you, princess.” I pulled back just far enough so she’d feel the heat of my declaration on her neck. “You will learn. I’m going to punish you now. I’m going to turn your pretty bottom red with my hand. You’re going to take your discipline like a good girl, aren’t you?”
“I… I don’t know…”
I shushed her gently. “You’ll feel better after. You shouldn’t have flipped me off. You know it was wrong, don’t you?”
“I was mad at you. You aren’t going to let me use the pool.”
“We can’t always get what we want, babygirl. You have to trust that Daddy knows what’s best for you. It’s not okay to disrespect me, even if you’re mad.”
I moved my hand down from her breast, feeling her body through the thin camisole she wore. When I reached the band of her yoga pants, I tugged the material down slowly, revealing her bare ass.
Fuck. J
oseph hadn’t given her underwear.
Maybe he wasn’t holding back as much as I thought.
I pushed the pants down her thighs, leaving them bunched at her knees so she couldn’t kick out at me, if she decided to be even naughtier.
I didn’t think she would, though. My princess was a sweet girl at heart. She just needed attention. Correction. Affection.
I lightly tapped my palm against her pale ass cheek, just hard enough to elicit a small pop. Judging by way she gasped and rocked her hips forward, you’d think I’d put my full strength behind the blow.
I wrapped my arm around her waist, guiding her back so her ass was thrust out, waiting for my discipline.
“Stay still,” I commanded, my tone dropping deeper without a thought.
A light tremor ran through her body, but she didn’t shift away when I released her waist.
I stroked her ass, letting her feel the heat and size of my hand. “Good girl.”
She pressed her face against her arm and let out the most adorable little whimper. She was deeply affected by my words of praise, by my gentle touch. She was still confused, probably overwhelmed by her reaction to the shifting dynamic between us.
But she wasn’t moving away from my hand.
My cock throbbed, straining against my jeans.
I took a breath and mastered my lust for her. This was for her benefit, not my sexual gratification. I got a deeper satisfaction out of her budding acceptance than I could have attained from a rough fuck against the wall.
“I’m going to give you ten,” I told her. “I want you to count them. Can you do that for me, princess?”
She kept her face tucked against her arm, as though she could hide from what was happening between us. But she nodded, and I was satisfied that she was ready to continue. She wasn’t screaming at me to let her go. She wasn’t fighting.
She was submitting, and her surrender was the hottest fucking thing I’d ever experienced.
I let the first stinging slap land. It was little more than a love tap, but she wasn’t accustomed to this. She’d probably never been spanked in her life, as a child or an adult. So, I’d get her warmed up. I’d go a little easy on her. This first time, at least.
“You’re supposed to count,” I reminded her.
“One,” she whispered.
I slapped her other cheek, spreading out the heat.
“Two.”
The third hit was harder, delivering a little more sting. I watched her, studying her reaction.
“Three.”
Her face was still against her arm, her eyes squeezed shut.
I resumed stroking her ass. “Look at me.” It was an order, but my tone was soft, cajoling.
Her lashes fluttered, revealing her pretty blue eyes. She looked at me with such innocent confusion that all the air was knocked from my chest. She was just as pure and perfect as Joseph had always said, and I now fully understood why he worshipped her.
I tucked her hair behind her ear, and she didn’t flinch away from my touch.
“You’re doing so well, babygirl. So sweet, trusting me to take care of you.”
“But you’re spanking me,” she whispered. She still didn’t understand her feelings. Deep in her heart, she knew this was a form of caretaking. But her feminist sensibilities were telling her this was wrong.
“I am.” I trailed my fingers through her hair. “And you’re being so good for me. Are you sorry you disrespected me?”
She nodded, and I saw the truth in her eyes: she really meant it. She wasn’t lying to get out of further punishment.
“We’ll make it five, then,” I conceded. “Just this once. But don’t expect me to go soft on you every time. Consistency is important, and know that I’ll always follow through.”
She nodded again, accepting.
My cock jerked toward her, my balls aching. I bit back a groan and focused on what I needed to do.
“Two more, and then I want to hear you apologize,” I told her.
“But I am sorry,” she said softly.
I gave her a small smile. “I know you are. Two more. Don’t forget to count.”
I slapped her twice in quick succession, hard and precise. She shrieked and squirmed, trying to move away from the sting I’d inflicted.
“Four,” she gasped. “Five.”
“Such a good girl. Are you ready to apologize?”
“I’m sorry.” She tucked her face against her arm again, her cheeks as red as her ass.
I clicked my tongue at her, calling her attention back to me. I rested my hand against her bottom, letting her feel the warning.
“Look me in the eye, and tell me again.”
Her gorgeous eyes met mine. They were no longer clouded with confusion, but they shone with tears. I hadn’t spanked her hard enough to make her cry. These tears were cathartic, and I’d never seen anything so beautiful.
“I’m sorry.”
“Daddy,” I prompted, lightly squeezing her ass.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” She mumbled the words, still embarrassed by what was happening.
I pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I forgive you. I think my good girl has earned a reward. Are you wet for me, princess?”
She didn’t answer, but I knew the truth before I dipped my fingers between her legs. I could already smell her arousal, and when I touched her inner thighs, I found her soaking wet for me.
I growled my satisfaction and kissed her forehead again. “Come for Daddy, princess.”
“I can’t.”
“Of course you can. You’re dripping all over Daddy’s hand.”
She shook her head, but I read the need in her wide eyes.
“You don’t have to be scared, babygirl. I’m right here. I’ve got you. And I want you to give me a nice, big orgasm.”
I rubbed my thumb over her hard little clit, and she cried out. I still had her wrists pinned to the wall above her head, but she didn’t try to escape. Instead, she rotated her hips toward my touch, seeking more stimulation.
I obliged her, easing two fingers into her tight cunt. She whimpered as I filled her, and when I found the sensitive spot at the front of her inner walls, a shudder wracked her body.
“Come for me,” I urged, coaxing rather than ordering. She was vulnerable, still confused by her reaction to me and the connection between us.
I curled my fingers against her g-spot and rubbed her clit with my thumb. She shattered on a scream, and her pussy gripped my fingers. If my cock had been inside her, it would have been enough to make me lose all control. As it was, the sight of her squirming on my hand while she rode out her orgasm was the hottest thing I’d ever experienced. It took effort to prevent myself from coming in my pants.
I wanted her. I wanted to take her, fuck her, make her mine.
But she wasn’t ready for that. If I fucked her right now, I’d be taking advantage of her in a vulnerable state. I needed her fully aware and consenting before I could use her body the way I wanted to.
When she started to whine from sensitivity, I withdrew my hand. I lifted my wet fingers to my lips and sucked them clean. She tasted every bit as decadent as I’d dreamed. And the way she watched my crude behavior with those wide, doe eyes…
Fuck.
I released her hands and spun her around to face me. My fingers sank into her hair, tipping her head back so I could capture her lips with mine. She opened for me on a shocked gasp, and I thrust my tongue inside her hot mouth, allowing myself to show her how I wanted to drive my cock into her pretty pussy.
Her hands came up to press against my chest, but she wasn’t pushing me away. She softened against me, allowing me to deepen the kiss. I knew she could taste her wet desire that lingered on my tongue from when I’d cleaned my fingers, but she didn’t pull away in disgust. She allowed me to claim her with possessive strokes. I kissed her without finesse, taking what I so desperately needed from her.
I’d known I wanted her from the moment I saw her. But when I hea
rd my name on her lips—Daddy—I was lost. I’d do anything for her, fall at her feet and worship her, just like Joseph did.
She was mine, my perfect little princess.
Now, I just had to convince Joseph to make her his dirty little angel.
I’d been right: Ashlyn was made for us. Both of us.
Chapter Fourteen
Ashlyn
Shock blanked my mind. I couldn’t think, couldn’t process what I’d done. What I’d allowed Marco to do to me. He’d finally freed me from his possessive kiss, and he was holding me tight against his chest. My face was tucked against him, my cheeks still burning.
I realized my fingers were fisted in his shirt, clinging to him like I had when he protected me in the car last night.
I forced them to unfurl. My stomach dropped when I released him, but I ignored the sensation.
“I…” I swallowed and tried to collect my thoughts. “I need to take a shower.”
Yes. That sounded like a good idea. The evidence of my orgasm was slick on my thighs, and I needed to clean up. I needed to erase the evidence.
My stomach knotted, and I shied away from my budding realization of the horrible betrayal I’d just committed.
He kissed the top of my head. “Okay, babygirl. Take a shower. You can study after, and I’ll bring you lunch in a little while.”
I nodded, numbness setting in.
He finally released me from his strong arms, and goosebumps pebbled my skin at the loss of his heat.
“Go on,” he prompted when I didn’t move.
I moved quickly, tearing myself away from him, like ripping off a Band-Aid. I rushed to the bathroom and closed the door behind me to put a barrier between us.
Moving on auto-pilot, I removed my clothes and turned on the shower. I kept the water little more than lukewarm. My body was hot, flushed from my orgasm. I needed to cool off.
Orgasm. I’d come all over Marco’s hand, driven to the height of pleasure by his deep voice and demanding touch. I’d felt small in his grip, helpless to resist him.
But the awful truth was I hadn’t been helpless. He hadn’t violated me against my will. I might have been confused by what was happening, but I’d still been an active participant.