Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Frankie
With great reluctance, she unbuckled her seatbelt and slid from her seat onto the ground. “I don’t understand why I’m in trouble,” she grumbled, puffing out her bottom lip in a deliberately exaggerated pout.
Gripping her chin between his large fingers, Holden forced her head up. “Rule number one of being with me, Francesca. I will always expect honesty from you. Even if that honesty is simply ‘I don’t want to talk about it right now’. But when you lie to me, you will be punished.”
“I didn’t lie!”
“That’s another set of ten, little girl. The next words out of your mouth need to be ‘Yes, Daddy’, unless you’d like me to add a third set of ten, with my belt, to your count.”
Well, that hardly seemed fair. But arguing was obviously just going to get her in more trouble. So even though it went against her very nature, she swallowed her arguments and nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl. That’s twenty for lying, and then you’re going to tell Daddy the truth.”
Popping open the back door of the SUV, he climbed in, settling into the middle of the bench seat before waving her up. Heart pounding, she forced herself up into the vehicle with him where she was immediately pulled over his lap. It was a relief, though a small one, that the door was able to shut behind her, giving them at least the illusion of that privacy he’d promised.
No sooner was she over his knees than the shimmery dress she’d been so proud of was unceremoniously shoved up over her hips and the matching black and green lace panties she’d chosen to wear underneath were yanked down to her thighs.
The first swat landed, and she squealed at the stinging pain spreading across her bare skin. She’d somehow forgotten how much a spanking hurt in less than twenty-four hours.
And just like the night before, he spanked hard and fast, without giving her brain any time to really process the pain before the next swat landed.
“Ow, Daddy, it hurts! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll be good!”
To her surprise and relief, he swatted her one more time before stopping to rub the sting from her bottom. “When Daddy asks you what’s wrong, what is the correct answer?”
Go fuck yourself . Nope, definitely not the right answer. Not unless she really did want him to use his belt the way he’d been threatening since last night. “Um, to tell you what’s wrong?”
“Or you can say you aren’t ready to talk about it. You do not lie and say it’s nothing when something has upset you. Am I understood, little girl?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl. Ten more and we’re done.”
“Oh, Daddy, no!”
But her pleas went unanswered as another ten swats covered her ass, adding to the burn. Until she was very much the picture of a sore, sorry little girl, draped over her Daddy’s knee.
“All done, little siren.” His voice softened as he gathered her up in his arms, perching her on his knee as he cuddled and soothed her. “No more ugly lies from my little girl’s pretty mouth?”
Sniffling dramatically, she peeked up at him through her wet lashes. “You think I’m pretty?”
“Francesca.”
“Sorry,” she said with a sigh at the clear warning in his tone. “Yes, Daddy. No more lies.”
“Good girl.” Helping her balance on her knees beside him, he pulled her underwear back up, which added a layer of humiliation she hadn’t been expecting. When she was dressed again, he guided her out of the car and opened the passenger door again, a smirk tugging at his lips. “By the way, it’s lucky for you I promised myself I wouldn’t fuck you again until after our talk at the club.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
Yanking her close, he pressed a hot, hard kiss to her mouth. “Because. We never would have made it out of your parents’ driveway with your pretty little panties still intact otherwise. That dress should be fucking outlawed. Now get back in the truck.”
With her ass burning beneath her dress, she climbed back into her seat and buckled in.
And grinned the rest of the drive to the club.
Holden
He was beginning to wonder if he wasn’t more of a masochist than he’d realized.
Watching Frankie wander around in that tight little dress that practically made her skin glow was bad enough. Knowing her ass was likely still pink and sore beneath the dress was downright torture.
“Sorry, Master Holden.” Vivian, her hair a vivid blue tonight, sent him an apologetic smile as she returned her phone to its cradle on the reception desk. “I called Martin, but he said Master Braden has to review all the new guest passes and it’s gumming up the works a bit.”
Dammit. What the hell was Braden up to? “I understand. Anything we can do to speed up the process?”
“No, Sir. I’m really sorry.”
“Apologies not needed. You’re just doing your job. I don’t suppose we could have a couple glasses of wine brought down from the bar while we wait?”
Vivian’s smile brightened considerably. “I’ll see what I can do!”
“Thanks, Vivian.”
Leaving her to make another call, he crossed the room to where Frankie was standing, her head tilted to the side as she studied a series of erotic paintings decorating the lobby. “These are gorgeous. Do you know who painted them?”
“Ah… a local artist, I believe. I can see if I can get the name for you, if you’d like.”
“I would like that, very much.” When she looked over at him, mischief danced in her dark eyes. “My mother will hate them.”
Interesting. “Do you make it a point to antagonize your mother?”
“As often as I can. But it’s not hard, really, considering she resents my very existence.”
It was said so easily, he nearly missed the hurt rippling beneath the words. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Lifting one slender shoulder in a practiced gesture of nonchalance, she turned back to the paintings. “It is what it is. Did they say how much longer it will be before we’re allowed in?”
“I’m not sure. But someone is supposed to be bringing us some wine while we wait.”
As if on cue, a soft voice spoke his name. “Master Holden?”
Turning, he smiled down at Ivy, one of the servers from upstairs. “Are those for us?”
“Um, yes. Viv asked me to bring them down for you and your guest.”
“Thank you, Ivy. I appreciate your service.”
Pink blossomed on Ivy’s cheeks. “Thank you, Sir.”
Turning on her heel, she hurried over to the receptionist desk, where she and Vivian immediately struck up a hushed, animated conversation.
Now what was that all about?
Ignoring them for the time being, he turned and handed Frankie one of the glasses. “I hope you like red. I should have asked first.”
“I like just about anything that has alcohol in it,” she said with a laugh. Her eyes fluttered closed as she sipped at the wine, and she let out a low sigh. “But this is gorgeous. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“So… what happens when they finally let me in?”
“Tonight, we’ll go upstairs and enjoy a nice dinner while you and I discuss your boundaries and limits. Then, if you’re feeling up to it, we can go down to the pit and watch a scene or two.”
“Aw.” Her bottom lip puffed out. “What if I want to, what’s it called? Do a scene with you?”
“Not tonight. You have research to do before we scene.” Research he should have had her do well before he’d ever laid a hand on her. But it was too late for self-recriminations, no matter how many lines he’d already crossed.
Frankie slowly raised a single eyebrow. “Even though you’ve already spanked me and dicked me down into a mattress so hard I’m still sore nearly twenty-four hours later?”
Because her thoughts so perfectly mirrored his own, he couldn’t really hold it against her. “Yes, little girl. And unless you want me to change my mind and ensure your first public scene is a punishment you won’t forget, I suggest you stop arguing with me about it.”
A lovely little blush stole across her cheeks, but he didn’t miss the way her pupils darkened at the threat of a public punishment. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl.” Pulling her close, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Come on, let’s go see if that guest pass is ready yet.”
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he guided her back over to the reception desk, where Ivy was still whispering with Vivian. Both straightened up when they spotted him, and if he wasn’t mistaken, Ivy actually looked a little guilty.
“Sorry, Master Holden. Still no word,” Vivian said before he’d even gotten a chance to ask.
“Seriously? And you really don’t know what’s taking so long?”
“No, Sir.”
“I do!” A server Holden didn’t recognize popped up seemingly out of nowhere, a mischievous grin stretched across her face. “It’s because of the auction.”
Every instinct he had suddenly went on high alert. “What auction?”
“You know, the auction.” The brunette rolled her eyes. “You know. The sex auction.”
“What fucking sex auction?” He’d never heard of such a thing, not at Club BDE. The only reason he even had a membership here was because he’d personally and thoroughly vetted the club and its owners.
“Ah, well.” The girl suddenly looked wary, which he might have felt guilty about under different circumstances. “It’s just a rumor, but supposedly the club has been running some kind of online auction. For like, kinky scenes and stuff.”
“It’s not a rumor.” This from Ivy, of all people, who looked like she was wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole. “Mistress Rogue’s last client paid fifty grand for a scene with her. Cordelia and I have made some decent money in it, as well.”
For a moment, he could only stare at sweet, fairy-like little Ivy as she confessed to having sold herself off in some kinky sex auction. What the hell was Braden up to? “I see.”
“I heard about it, too,” Vivian piped up, excitement glittering in her eyes like she’d just been waiting for a chance to spill the tea. “Kinda wish I hadn’t already gotten my cherry popped. I heard some girl got paid like four hundred thousand for hers.”
“Wonder if I could fake being a virgin.”
At Frankie’s musing, Holden turned to glare at her. “Absolutely the fuck not, Francesca. If I hear a single word about you anywhere near that auction, you will regret it.”
Apparently feeling emboldened by her new comrades, Frankie jerked her chin up. “You’re not the boss of me.”
Oh, how he wanted nothing more than to wrap a hand around her throat. To watch her eyes go wide as she realized how easily he could hurt her, if he was so inclined. To remind her that he was her Daddy, and he absolutely was the boss of her.
But he held back. They needed to talk. Needed to get some ground rules in place before he showed her the true depths of his depravity. “Vivian, would you mind calling Braden and asking about that pass, please? Maybe he can hurry things along since Martin’s hands are obviously tied.”
“Um, yes, Sir.” Picking up the phone, she dialed Braden’s extension. “Hello, Sir. Master Holden is here with his guest and he… yes, Sir. Martin said his part of the background check is done; he’s just waiting for your review.” She paused to listen, flashing a smile at Holden. “Absolutely, Sir. I’ll send them up.”
Returning the phone to its cradle, she beamed up at them. “He said to go ahead and let you in. Well, actually, he said ‘If I can’t trust Holden, I can’t fucking trust anybody. Let him in.’”
Apparently owning a security firm and having a reputation as a hardass who always followed the rules had its benefits. “Thank you, Vivian.”
“Of course, Sir. Enjoy your evening.”
Putting all thoughts of sex auctions and other illicit activities out of his mind, he placed a hand at the small of Frankie’s back, gently nudging her toward the stairs. “Come on, little siren. We have a lot to discuss.”