Chapter 14
They had stayed at Hive for a little while, giving her a chance to catch up with Hux and Lowell and also spend some time with Tamsyn, who was lovely and also a Little. Nuala would be telling her lawyers that she understood their concerns and was happy to have no contact with Cabot and Victoria, but she would resume relations with the rest of the Foster-Webbs as she saw fit.
For as much as she was curious about what else Hive had to offer and had enjoyed their time there, by the time they’d said goodnight to Tamsyn and the twins, Nuala was ready to go home. Her nerves had been tossed into a blender and liquefied, and she was exhausted.
Of course her Daddy was only too happy to bundle her into the jeep and drive back to Thistledon. While they usually stayed at her house, she asked if they could stay in Remy’s cozy cabin tonight which didn’t have anything to do with the Foster-Webbs. Because yes, it had turned out to be a positive experience in the end and she would need to address her lingering anxiety and trauma, but none of that was happening tonight. Her Daddy agreed easily and insisted on carrying her inside which felt a little silly but also delighted her.
Remy sat on the couch and settled her in his lap, one of her favorite places on earth, but she didn’t think she was solely in for huggles.
“How you doing, Nono?”
“Okay.”
Daddy nodded. “Seems reasonable. You know there are consequences for you running from me tonight, right?”
Her mouth twisted up, but she knew he was right. She had agreed to the rules, and she’d broken them. What could things have been like if she’d gone to Remy in the first place? They maybe could’ve avoided the scene in the street and gone straight to talking things out in the back room. That would’ve been preferable for everyone involved. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Are you too tired to be disciplined tonight or do you want to get it over with?”
Nuala took inventory of her body. Yes, she was tired, but not too tired. And besides, it would be nice to have it done with so she could wake up with a fresh start.
“Tonight is good. Then I’ll get to sleep and tomorrow is a new day. Clean break from today.”
“I think that’s a good idea. Do you need anything before we get started?”
“No, Daddy.”
“Then up you get, hummingbird. Stand in front of me.”
Remy tipped her off his lap and she stood in front of him, wringing her hands. She hadn’t meant to misbehave, and she thought her Daddy knew that, but she also wanted to be so good for him. It really did feel icky to have disappointed him.
Daddy looked up at her from where he was sitting on the edge of his couch.
“You’re going to be spanked because you ran from Daddy after I told you not to leave my side. I know you were scared, but that’s when you run to me, not away from me. Daddy is here to help you, and I can’t do that if you run away. A red and sore bottom will remind you not to run away again.”
“Yes, Daddy,” she agreed.
“Over Daddy’s lap, then,” Remy told her with a pat to his knee.
Nuala pinned her lips between her teeth. She agreed that she’d broken a rule and that she deserved a spanking for being disobedient. It was still so hard to make her limbs move.
Remy wasn’t impatient though. He gave her a minute and when she was still frozen, he patted his knee again.
“Come on, Nono. Be a good girl for Daddy and submit to your discipline. You’ll feel better when it’s over, and if you’re well-behaved during your punishment you know Daddy will reward you.”
She did know that. And she knew that while she might end up with a hot, stinging, and possibly bruised backside, Remy wouldn’t really hurt her. And there was something so tempting and seductive about submission. Wasn’t that what she’d always wanted? Wasn’t that what she’d been looking for when she found Cabot instead? And hadn’t Remy showed her that he was worthy of that gift?
It still wasn’t easy, but Nuala offered her hand to her Daddy. Remy took it, and she swore strength flowed through their connection and allowed her to take the last step and bend over his lap. Weirdly enough, once she was draped across his thick thighs, she felt better, more relaxed. Almost like the hard part was over now.
Having Nuala settle herself across his lap and offer up her pert little bottom for discipline had his brain on the verge of exploding. Heady was not a strong enough word for the feeling of having the most gorgeous, poised, sophisticated, and intelligent woman he’d ever met submit herself to his discipline. She truly believed he knew best, and he wasn’t going to prove her wrong.
He turned up her skirt and exposed the creamy skin of her bottom, accentuated by the black garters that were clipped to her stockings. Those clasps had to go, though; he couldn’t have them digging into her skin and possibly cutting her. So he unfastened them and then unhooked her garter belt, but left the stockings. The space between her flipped up skirt and the thigh-highs was a perfect space to apply her punishment.
“You’re going to be spanked for twenty minutes, Nono. Hard enough to make you cry, because Daddy thinks that kind of release will help you feel better. But you let me know if it’s too much.”
“Yes, Daddy,” his Little girl murmured.
She knew how this went, but he always liked to remind her. There was always an out, always an escape hatch, because he never wanted to harm her.
“Then let’s get started.”
His palm clapped down on her pale skin, and turned it pink right away. He’d warm her up well, but he was going to go hard on her tonight. Sometimes tears were just the catharsis a Little girl needed to wipe the slate clean, and he wanted to help her do that. No, she wasn’t ever going to be completely safe from being a person of interest because of her connection to the Foster-Webbs, but knowing the twins and Tamsyn wished her well was a huge relief. The trio had even invited them back as their guests on a night when it wouldn’t be quite so crowded. Whether they took them up on the offer would be up to Nuala, but he suspected she wanted to say yes.
In the meantime, he peppered her backside with swats, progressively spanking her harder and harder until he had to restrain her with his body. And then harder still, because despite how soft she could be, sometimes Nono was a tough nut to crack.
Finally, though—his hand stinging and putting a good deal of force into the blows he was raining down on her reddened bottom—his Little girl broke and started to sob. None too soon, either, because there were only a couple minutes left on the timer and it would break his heart to listen to her cry for longer than that without offering comfort.
It still felt like forever before he was sitting her up on his lap and cuddling her close, rocking her and rubbing her back as she wept into his shoulder. After a few minutes, she calmed enough to speak into his shirt.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.”
“I know, Little girl. You’re not going to run from Daddy ever again, are you?”
“No, Daddy.”
Her sweet, whimpered agreement filled his heart, made his soul overflow. Music to his ears, yes, but she meant it, which made it a symphony.
“You’re going to let Daddy take care of you from now on, aren’t you?”
There was a sniffle and then Nuala was looking up at him, tears beading on her lashes and her chin trembling.
“I…I want to, Daddy.”
“You want to but what?”
“You said from now on and…”
More sniffles and an audible swallow. What a sweet, sensitive Little girl. One who listened to every word he said.
“You’re worried I don’t mean it?”
Such big, sad eyes. Nuala had made a deal with the devil in marrying Cabot, but she was far more an angel.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Well, I do. Every word of it. Having you for my Little girl has made me the happiest I’ve ever been. I thought I knew what I wanted, but you’re better than any fantasy I’ve ever had and I’m never letting you go. You’re mine to look after, cherish, and spoil. And I expect you to run toward me from here on out. You might be running toward huggles or a spanking or an orgasm, but I promise to always give you what you need. Want to know why?”
“Why?”
“Because I love you, Nono. And I’m going to be your Daddy forever.”
There was a beat in which he wasn’t sure she’d say it back, but then his precious Little Nono smiled so bright it nearly blinded him. “I love you too, Daddy.”
“It makes my heart happy to hear you say that, hummingbird. Now give Daddy a kiss.”