Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
H ow could such a tiny woman cause so much trouble? She sat there, wringing her hands and nibbling that bottom lip. The one still swollen from his kisses. She was gorgeous from the top of her cotton candy hair to the tips of her delectable toes. The ones he happened to know now matched the color of her hair.
He loved everything about her. Her mind. Her heart. Her courage. Not to mention her perfect, apple-shaped ass, firm enough to smack and soft enough to jiggle when he did. Speaking of which, that ass was going to be doing a lot of jiggling in the near future.
What she’d done made no sense. She knew Nico was a threat. Why in the hell would she keep something like this from him? Did she not trust him to keep her safe? He’d be willing to bet his left nut when he got to the bottom of it the General would be the root cause. He really hated that guy.
The truth of the matter was it didn’t matter why. That wasn’t going to solve the problem. It wasn’t going to keep him from tanning her hide, either.
But something about this was off. He was missing something. Something important.
He’d have to figure that out later, though. Right now, he had to find out exactly what those texts said and deliver some consequences for her bad choices. Ninety-three of them apparently.
Ninety-three opportunities to be honest with him.
He’d deal with all of that, then give her lots of hugs so she wouldn’t forget how much more important she was to him than anything else in his world.
He crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance, keeping his expression stern. His Little girl needed to know her Daddy was not pleased.
She stared up at him, nervous and vulnerable, and that pissed him off even more. He could also see the relief in her eyes. She was glad he’d found out.
Was that because she knew he’d keep her safe, or because she hated lying to him? Hopefully, both. Whatever her reason, it was unacceptable. How dare she not tell him she’d been getting those messages.
“Let me get this straight. You’ve been getting threatening texts from an unknown number since you first got your phone, and you didn’t tell me?” It took all he had to keep his voice down to a dull roar.
She looked up at him, a plea for understanding in her eyes. Well, he couldn’t give her what he didn’t have, and right now he didn’t understand anything.
Sniffling, she tried to explain. “I didn’t think the texts were sent to me, just to my phone.”
He was drowning in Little logic. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he tried again. “How could the texts be for your phone but not for you, Tildi. I’m not following you.”
She scrunched her face in frustration. “It’s like you said a minute ago, Daddy. I just got this phone when we got off the yacht. No one even knew my number. I didn’t get it, then I remembered my friend in New York.”
She was losing him. “You think a friend of yours is the one texting you?”
Frustration clouded her face. “No, no, no, Daddy. I had a friend in New York who got a new number on her phone. Only when she did, she kept getting calls from debt collectors asking for money she didn’t owe. She finally figured out she had a used number. The last person who had her phone number must have skipped out on paying their bills and the debt collectors thought it was her. See?”
He saw where she was going, but it wasn’t going to lead her anywhere but over his knee. “Tildi, are you honestly telling me you thought you were getting threats because you had a used number?”
“Exactly!” She beamed at him like he’d finally stopped trying to put the square peg in the round hole. “See, it didn't matter how many times she told them they had the wrong number, they still kept calling. I thought it was something like that and if I ignored it, they would get the message and stop texting.”
He held out his hand. “Give me your phone, Matilda Jayne.” She did as she was told. He scrolled through the multitude of messages that had been left.
The texts had started, one per hour, roughly an hour and a half after they had stopped at Sev’s house. Yesterday they’d come every thirty minutes. Now someone was texting her every fifteen minutes. From the same number in under forty-eight hours.
How could he have missed her getting that many texts? They’d been together for most of that time. One look at her settings told him all he needed to know. She’d turned her phone to silent and turned down the brightness so he wouldn’t notice. She'd been hiding them from him, keeping them secret.
Secrets got people killed. He evidently needed to make a stronger point than he’d made before. “Even if you thought these texts weren't important, you should have told me about them. What is our rule about lying?”
Tildi stared at the floor. “We never lie. Not by saying something untrue or by not saying a truth that needs to be told.”
Remorse rang in her every word, but that wasn’t going to get her out of sitting on a sore ass for a day or two. “So tell me, little girl, if you know the rule by heart, why would you keep these texts from Daddy?”
Her breath hitched. She didn’t look up when she answered his question. “I don’t know. I just hoped they were for someone else.”
“Hope won’t keep you safe, babygirl. You know better than anyone what Nico is capable of.”
To be fair, he could understand why she hoped the texts weren’t meant for her. She’d been through hell the past year and wanted it to be behind her. The texter had never mentioned her name or any specific details of what she’d endured. With all that, he could see her trying to convince herself they were from some random debt collector. It was a very Little thing to do.
But it wasn’t as if debt collectors who harassed a person by blowing up their phone with texts weren’t dangerous. That wasn’t their typical MO anyway. More likely it would have been some low life, scum sucking loan shark. And picturing what that kind of man could do to his Little girl scared the shit out of him. That pissed him off even more.
“Tell me something, bluebell. What would you have done if whoever is texting you showed up in person? Today's technological advances make that more than possible.”
“I didn’t know that, Daddy. I guess I thought they couldn’t get onto the ranch.”
He needed to dial it down. He wanted her to be careful, not terrified. “I just need you to be safe, babygirl. The truth is, you have no idea who this is, do you?”
Still fixing her gaze on the floor, she shook her head. “N-no, Daddy.”
He couldn’t stand not touching her. Stepping closer, he lifted her to sit on the table again and held her close. “You don’t need to worry about anyone getting to you on the ranch. I’m glad you feel safe here because you are. And now that I know about the texts, I’ll take care of whoever is making them. What you need to focus on is how you received threatening messages and didn't come to me. I can’t keep you safe from threats I don't know exist. That has to be as important to you as it is to me, so we’re on the same page when it comes to your safety. It is never okay to keep things from Daddy. Not ever. Got me?”
This time he got a slow nod. “Yes, Daddy.” She said she understood, but evidence suggested she didn’t.
“Good, let’s go then.” He took her hand to lead her from the laundry room, but she resisted. Little girl, the last thing you need to do right now is give me more reasons to punish you by defying me.”
“Um, where are we going?”
The high pitch of her voice told him she already knew the answer to that question. “We’re going to our room now, little girl. When we get there, I’m going to put you over my knee, pull down your panties, and spank your naughty little backside until it’s as red and glowing as Rudoph’s shiny nose.”
She shivered at his words, but she also pressed her thighs together. That was exactly where he wanted her, anxious and excited. “But I said I’m sorry Daddy. I won’t keep anything from you again.”
“I believe you. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences to your actions. Before I'm finished, you’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt what my position is on keeping secrets from Daddy, especially where threats to your safety are concerned. The only question is where that lesson is going to take place. I was going to take you to our room so we could have some privacy. But if you would rather get your spanking in the laundry room here, where everyone will know you’re getting your bottom roasted, you just keep resisting Daddy.”
Eyes wide, she shook her head. “I don’t want to get a spanking here, Daddy.”
“That’s good, babygirl. Now let’s go.”
Once they were back in the bedroom he shut and locked the door. No one would interrupt them, but she didn’t know that. He didn’t want her to worry about someone coming in.
Crossing to the desk by the wall, He pulled out the sturdy wooden chair and placed it in the center of the bedroom. There was nothing to get a naughty Little girl into the proper frame of mind for a punishment like a wooden chair.
Tildi stood with her back to the fireplace, watching him with wide eyes. He wasn’t sure warming her ass by the fire was a good idea, her ass would soon be more than warm enough. Crooking his finger, he then pointed to the floor in front of him.
She dragged her feet, inspecting the floor intently as she inched her way to him. He wasn’t going to complain because that was the only thing that kept her from seeing his lips twitching. After all, teaching her a lesson regarding her safety was serious business.
With the Cosa Nostra after them, she had to keep her guard up. But still, if there was anything that spoke to his Daddy side, it was watching his Little putting off a punishment as long as possible.
She planted her feet in front of him, hands clasped behind her bottom, and twisted side to side. Still inspecting her shoes, she mumbled, “I know I should have told you about the texts. It’s just, everything here is so new and so wonderful… I didn’t want anything to spoil it. I know you don’t like secrets, but do you really think those texts were meant for me?”
“You’re right, I don’t like secrets. And yes, bluebell, I don’t just think the texts are for you. I know they are.”
That got him her eyes, but she took a small step back. “How do you know?”
He couldn’t tell her while she held herself away from him. He needed the connection, and so would she when she heard what he had to tell her.
He pulled her to sit on his lap and rested a hand on her thigh. “I know because Sev told me. That’s why he called. His housekeeper found a burner phone that someone had tried to throw away. Sev called because the phone had been used to send texts to a number with a Wyoming area code. He knew it wasn’t mine, but he figured I might know whose it was. And whose number was it, Tildi?”
“Mine.” She spoke in a whisper, as if saying it made it worse.
He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and tell her he’d take care of everything. He could tell she regretted her decision. She hated disappointing him, but that wasn’t enough. Not this time.
Hardening his heart, he kept pushing his point. “Yeah. Yours.”
Boone had damn near lost his mind when Sev told him the number, Tildi’s number. Sev, too, was as pissed as Boone had ever heard him.
Sev had a spy. Even worse, he had a spy interested in Tildi.
And that was why it was vital his girl was open and honest with him.
“Now you’re going to spend some time thinking about what you could’ve done instead of hiding those texts from Daddy. I don’t think you’ve had a chance to check out your naughty corner.”
Her jaw dropped. “N-naughty corner? What naughty corner?”
Boone pointed to a corner near the big window. “That naughty corner, little girl. I have a feeling you'll be spendin' a fair amount of time there. Go ahead. Get a closer look.”
Tildi stared at the corner across the room. Oh, she pretended to be upset, but the dark pink flush creeping up her chest and cheeks told a different story. As did the scent of her arousal. Ah, the love-hate relationship Littles had with punishment. It was the bane of their existence, yet they craved the security it gave them.
She obviously needed a stronger incentive to overcome her inertia. “Now is not the time you want to make me repeat myself, babygirl.”
Cute as a button, she squirmed around, thinking he wouldn’t know she was doing everything she could to relieve the need growing between the tops of her thighs.
His girl liked her naughty corner. Good to know.
When she reached the corner, for some reason, she thought sassy was the best behavior card she had in her deck. “Well, the stool is cute and all, but I don’t get the height. It’s too high to step up on, but too short to sit on.”
He could play along. Until his hand got too itchy to ignore, anyway. “I see your point. You should know that it isn’t intended to be used for sitting, and if I ever catch you standing on it, you’ll get a quick lesson in what it is intended for.”
She tried to hold back the shiver of excitement. Instead of folding her hand, she raised the stakes and kept playing. “The shelf is pretty, but it’s too small to hold much.”
It was all he could do to bite back his laugh. She was hell bent on writing checks her ass wasn’t going to enjoy paying for. “Just how many more things do you want to add to that shelf, darlin’? Cause there are a few things in the barn I think would look real nice hanging on that empty peg next to Daddy’s belt.”
She glanced at the hairbrush laying on the shelf and the paddle he’d carved years ago hanging from the third peg below, right next to his belt. “Um, no, that’s okay. They say in decorating, less is more. And I think this shelf can already use less than what it has on it.”
He’d just bet she did. “What about the sign above the shelf? What does it say?”
When she turned to read it, he moved to his bedside table and took out two of the items he’d put there the day before. It was a good thing he’d stocked it while Tildi showered. Never let it be said he was a Daddy who wasn’t prepared.
“The font is a bit hard to read, but I think it says ‘Tildi Is A Good Girl’.”
“That’s exactly what it says. But it shouldn’t say that right now, should it? You need to flip it over so the other side shows.”
“What’s on the other side?” She tipped it up and her sharp intake of breath made him smile. She turned it over, her lip poking out in an adorable pout. “Tell Daddy what it says now, naughty girl.”
“It says ‘Tildi’s Time Out Corner’. We don’t need this, Daddy. Or any of that stuff on the shelf, either. I don’t like them.”
“I hate to tell you, but you’re gonna like them even less in a few minutes.” He placed a hand on her lower back and guided her to the stool. “You didn’t say anything about your pretty rug.”
Her brow scrunched as she studied the long, narrow rug. “The shapes on it resemble paisley, but—wait, are those footprints?”
Yes. Yes, they were. He’d had that rug custom made. “Those are to tell you where to put your feet. You see how each one has a number? What’s on the two closest to the center?”
“Ones?” she questioned. Confusion looked good on her, but then, everything looked good on his babygirl.
“That’s right. As you work your way to the outer edge, the numbers go up to three.”
“Why?”
“Have you ever read a scene in one of those romance books where the Daddy starts counting because his Little girl is being naughty?” He waited for her to nod. “I count, too. But if I start counting, you’re already in trouble. When I count, I’m telling you how far apart your feet will be when you’re in your naughty corner. You see, babygirl, different things happen for each number. I didn’t count today because you wouldn’t have understood, but if you’re wondering, you’re on three.”
“Three! How did I make it to three?”
“We’ll talk about that in a minute. Right now, we need to get you ready for your punishment.”
After setting the items from his bedside table on the stool, Boone stepped to the side to help Tildi take off her shoes and leggings.
He knew the second she realized what he had placed on the stool. Every muscle in her body locked in place. He’d have worried if removing her bottoms hadn’t put him so close to her sweet mound. The scent of her arousal was impossible to miss.
Well, well, well. His Little girl was turned on by the thought of butt plugs. His cock pulsed.
When Tildi was naked from the waist down, he picked up the smallest plug. Made of metal, it reflected the firelight. Her gaze never left the plug as he took the bottle from her naughty girl shelf. “Do you know what this is, Tildi?”
Still staring at the plug, she answered him in a hoarse whisper. “I don’t suppose it’s a tiny silver Christmas tree decoration, is it? I mean, it has its own stand with a jewel on it.”
His girl had a vivid imagination. Not much by way of self-preservation, though. “No, bluebell. Try again, and if I don’t think you are taking this seriously, I will get one of the larger ones by the bed.”
Now he had her attention. The tip of her tongue slid along her lip before disappearing back into her mouth. He wanted to grab her hair, tilt her head back to gain access, and chase after it. Wanted to but didn’t.
Later. There’d be time for that later. Once his point had been made.
“It’s a b-butt plug,” she managed to say before snagging her lip between her teeth. “Um, y-you weren’t thinking of using that, were you?”
“As a matter of fact, I was.”
“On me?” Her question ended in a squeak.
“Yes, babygirl. You see, you hid ninety-three texts from me. But just because you hid them didn’t mean they went away. Things we hide can still have an impact on what we think and feel, babygirl. I have something I think will help you remember that.”
Her lavender eyes widened and darkened to a deep shade of indigo.
He tucked the hair tickling her eyelashes behind her ear. “Good girl. I want you to bend over and place your hands on the stool. Then move your feet apart until you have one foot on each of the number threes.”
She stared at the stool as if it might bite her before doing as he said. Bent over with her legs spread wide, her sex was on full display. It almost sent him to his knees. God, she was beautiful. Her trembling legs. Her weeping pussy. All of her.
It took everything he could do not to toss the plug to the ground, drop to his knees, and fuck her senseless with his mouth.
Her words interrupted his thoughts. “I’m scared, Daddy. I don’t want it to hurt. I might accidentally say my safeword. I’d be a disappointment, and I couldn’t take that. I don’t want to do that. I… I’d rather have a spanking.”
He placed a calming hand on the small of her back and ran it over her ass and down her thigh. “There is nothing you could do or not do that would make you a disappointment to me, babygirl. You are so brave. You try so hard to keep everyone happy. And if you need to say your safeword, for any reason, at any time, you say it. If you don’t, then it’s not a safeword, it’s just a word. We can stop this right now and I won’t be disappointed.”
“You’d have to be! I would have failed. You’re supposed to be disappointed in someone when they fail you.”
Fuck. That.
He pulled the rag he put in his pocket free and placed the plug on the shelf. Gathering his Little girl in his arms, he carried her to the rocking recliner in front of the fireplace. After lowering himself to the seat, he covered them with a blanket and held her close.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice clogged with tears.
“There is no reason for you to apologize, babygirl. Not one. The only people who should feel shame are the ones who taught you that being human is a weakness. There is no truth in that. None.”
She didn’t say anything, but he had her attention. “Babygirl, being human is messy. We make mistakes. We fall down. We make bad choices. That’s how life works. No one is perfect, least of all that son of a bitch who donated sperm to your conception.”
That earned him a gasp and a giggle. “General Sperm Donor. I like that.”
Nothing had ever sounded as good as that giggle. “Here’s the truth, bluebell. We make mistakes because we’re pushing ourselves to grow. We fall down because we’re being brave. We make bad choices because the future is invisible until it becomes the past. Those are all very good things. The only way we fail is when we let assholes like the General bully us into never trying to succeed. You are so much better than that man. He knew it, and that’s why he tried to control and manipulate you. You were something he could never be. Brave enough to love.”
He glanced down half expecting her to have fallen asleep. Instead, she stared up at him, her eyes filled with more love than he’d ever deserve. “Will they hurt?”
“What, life? Sometimes.”
She shook her head, smiling. “No, not life. Butt plugs.”
The shift in subjects threw him. “We don’t have to do that tonight.”
The joy in her face fizzled right in front of him. “Oh. Okay.”
Fuck. He’d just told her it was all right, even admirable, to try and fail. Then the first time she tried to follow his advice, he shot her down. Now who was the asshole?
He caught her chin and tilted her face back to him. “That wasn’t what I meant to say. What I meant to say was, butt plugs can hurt but this one won’t. Now, the spanking you’ve got coming after that is a completely different thing. You earned one hell of a butt blistering, and you’d better believe it is going to hurt.”
Only a Little in love would respond to that statement with a smile. It warmed his heart and ramped his need to drive his cock deep into her tight, wet pussy and fuck her until she screamed his name.
She shrugged one shoulder as her smile grew shy. “Okay,” she said. “I’m ready now.”