Chapter 29
Frankie
I f standing in the corner with her ass on display for her friends had been the most embarrassing thing she’d endured to date, it was nothing compared to forcing herself to turn around and actually face them. It helped, a bit, that Lottie’s face was as red as Frankie’s felt, likely due to the brief punishment she’d also just gotten.
But she still felt like she might actually die of humiliation as she turned around, placing her hands over her bare mound to block her more intimate parts from Barden’s view.
“Hands behind your back, Francesca. You know better.”
Stopping just a step from the corner, she looked over at her stern-faced Daddy. “But…”
One silver brow rose toward his hairline. “Do you need your safeword?”
Did she? She’d been naked in front of Braden and Lottie both before, so it seemed unfair to claim she needed it now since the nudeness itself was obviously not out of her comfort zone. But it still just… felt different, for reasons she couldn’t explain even to herself.
“I don’t know,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes and adding to her humiliation.
In a flash, Holden was in front of her, cupping her face in those large hands. “Breathe for me, little siren. You’re safe here.”
Eyes locked with his, she dragged in a deep breath. “Sorry. Sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“This is something new. It’s completely normal to feel unsure or embarrassed. I’m not upset or disappointed.”
How did he always seem to know the exact right thing to say? With those words, the band around her chest loosened a bit, and she managed to work up a weak smile. “Promise?”
“Promise. If being bare for Braden is too much, you can keep your panties on.”
“I think I’m okay. It’s just more embarrassing than I thought it would be. It’s… different than being at the club.”
“I know. And if you need to pause, you can always say yellow and we’ll take a moment to regroup.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
Leaning in, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Now, if you’re not using your safeword, I want those hands behind your back where they belong. Understood?”
Despite the steel beneath those words, she felt stronger than she had, strong enough to move her hands into position. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl.”
He stepped out of her way, and once again heat rushed to her cheeks as she met Braden’s hard gaze. But she managed to keep her hands where they belonged as she shuffled over to stand in front of him.
Braden gripped her chin, forcing her head slightly back, and Frankie’s heart slammed against her chest. Nobody but her own Daddy had ever done that to her before, and while it didn’t give her quite the same fluttery feeling in her stomach, the gesture still made her feel very small and very submissive, just like when Holden did it.
Daddy magic.
“Why are you being spanked, Francesca?”
Her Daddy had been right about one thing. Being spanked by Braden, having to look him in the eye and tell him why she was being punished forced her to focus on the real reason she was here. The binge never even entered her mind as she met his stern gaze.
“Because I lied to my Daddy and I put Lottie in a position where she felt she had to lie for me.” Shifting her gaze to the side, she met Lottie’s wide, gray eyes. “I’m so sorry, Lottie-baby.”
“It’s okay. I forgive you.”
And that, more than the spanking she was about to get, lifted the weight that had been sitting on her chest ever since their confrontation the other day.
“Eyes on me, Francesca.” Braden’s voice wasn’t cruel, but there was no doubting the authority rippling in those words, either. “You will be going over my knee for a very thorough hand spanking, followed by a dozen with my belt. Plus the two extra you earned for your naughtiness in the corner. Do you have any questions for me?”
“No, Sir.”
“Do you consent to the punishment I’ve laid out for you?”
“Yes, Sir.”
The barest hint of a smile curved his lips as his thumb brushed gently over her chin. “So polite. You’ve trained her well, Holden.”
Happiness swelled in her chest. She’d done something right, something her Daddy could be proud of her for. And even if the more sarcastic parts of her wanted to roll her eyes, or remind them she wasn’t a puppy being housebroken, the rest of her simply soaked in the praise.
“She’s a good girl.” The same pride she felt echoed in Holden’s voice, and she couldn’t help but grin.
“Thank you, um, Sirs?”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Releasing his hold on her chin, Braden moved to sit in the middle of Holden’s long, comfortable couch. The same couch where she often lay curled up with her Daddy, watching whatever sappy romantic comedy she’d roped him into putting on.
Now, she’d always remember it as the couch Braden spanked her on, and she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that.
But she wasn’t about to ruin the moment by being a brat about it, so when Braden patted his lap, she obediently shuffled over to lay down over his knees, her legs and torso stretched out on the cushions on either side of him.
“What are your safewords, Francesca?”
“Red to stop, yellow to pause.”
“And what color are you right now?”
“Green, Sir.”
“Good girl. You’ll tell me if that changes.”
Just like with Holden, it was an order and not a request. “Yes, Sir.”
“While I’m spanking you, I want you to think about how important honesty is in a relationship. Not just a romantic one, but friendships as well. You and Lottie have been friends for far too long for you to risk what you have together with a lie. Am I understood, little girl?”
He hadn’t even spanked her yet, and already tears were blurring her vision, clogging her throat. “Yes, Sir,” she managed to whisper.
And with that, she sealed her fate. The first swat landed, so heavy and sharp she gasped in response to the stinging pain.
Where Holden was usually more measured with his spankings, Braden’s hand fell hard and fast, without giving her time to recover between swats. It wasn’t long before the pain from the individual swats melded into one large surface burn that covered her entire bottom.
She wanted to take the spanking she knew she deserved like a good girl, to not fight or fuss, but all too soon the pain was more than she could bear in silence.
“Ow, ow, ow, Braden I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’ll never lie again, I promise !”
If she’d thought her vow would win her any leniency, she was wrong. Instead, he simply shifted the focus of his swats to her upper thighs, and she fluttered her feet against the cushions at the fresh, overwhelming sting.
“Daddy, stop! That’s enough!”
To Frankie’s utter shock, Lottie’s outburst did actually pause the spanking. But not for the reason either of them might have hoped.
“Charlotte, we talked about this beforehand. You can remain in the room as long as you do not interfere. One more word from you and not only will I have Holden remove you from the room, you will be writing me lines about the importance of not interfering with a scene.”
“But Daddy, she?—”
Braden sighed. “Holden, do you have somewhere Charlotte can sit and write while we finish up here? One hundred lines, ‘I will not interfere with any scene or discipline I am given the privilege of witnessing’.”
“No!” Frankie tried to roll off Braden’s lap, but he wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her in place with the immovable force of a steel band. “That’s not fair!”
“It’s entirely fair, Francesca. I warned Charlotte of the consequences when we discussed the possibility of me punishing you. She chose to break the rules we put in place anyway, so now she is facing the consequences.”
Lifting her head, Frankie sent Lottie a pleading look. “I’m fine, Lottie, really. You don’t have to get yourself in more trouble for me.”
“I just hate seeing you cry,” Lottie whispered, her own tears slipping down her cheeks.
“Come with me, Charlotte.” Holden’s words were firm, but not unkind as he stepped forward to cup Lottie’s elbow. “Trust your Daddy and Frankie to know their limits.”
Trust. That was what this whole thing came down to, wasn’t it? “I promise it’s not more than I can take, Lottie.”
Still looking unconvinced, Lottie nodded slowly and allowed herself to be led from the room. When she and Holden disappeared, Braden sighed again. “She loves you. And there is no punishment I can give her that will ever stop her from putting you first, nor would I ever want to stop her from loving as big as she does. I hope after tonight you won’t take advantage of the love she has for you again.”
Guilt gripped her, squeezing her chest so tight she wondered how she didn’t simply crumble to dust under the force of it. “I won’t. I’m so, so sorry, Braden.”
“I know you are, sweetheart. And I know the past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for you. But we all care about you, too much to let you put yourself at further risk with your lies. You are incredibly loved, Francesca. I wish I could make you see that.”
“It’s not… never mind.”
Two hard swats connected with her bottom, reigniting the ache. “None of that. Talk to me.”
Swallowing hard against a fresh wave of tears, she shook her head. “It’s not that I can’t see how loved I am. It’s just that it doesn’t really feel like I deserve it.”
“Being loved isn’t something you earn, Frankie. It’s something other people give you because they want to. All you have to do to be worthy of that love is to just exist. No other requirements. And this one issue aside, you’ve been an incredible friend to Lottie. I haven’t forgotten how you were there for her when she learned about her father’s gambling addiction.”
“That’s just being a good friend.”
“Exactly. You’re a great friend, Francesca Legare. And don’t you fucking forget it.”
His words helped to ease some of the guilt, if not all of it. “Thank you, Sir.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now, that being said, we have a punishment to finish. I want you to stand up and go bend over the arm of the couch, keeping your bottom nice and high for me.”
“Yes, Sir.”
She scrambled up from his lap, eager not so much for what came next but for what she knew it would bring. Relief from the guilt still gnawing at her, and the comfort of her Daddy’s arms when it was all said and done.
The sound of Braden’s belt leaving the loops of his pants sent a shiver up her spine as she settled into position.
“You will not lie to the people who love you. And you will not put your friends in the position of choosing between honesty and protecting you. Am I understood, Francesca?”
“Y-yes, Sir.”
Thick leather snapped against her bottom a moment later, drawing a pained cry from her throat. But she didn’t move an inch out of place, didn’t even kick her feet up to try and block the next blow.
She’d earned this punishment and she was damn well going to take it.
Even with that resolve, she only made it halfway through before she cracked and she reached back to cover her bottom. “Please, Braden, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
“We’re almost done, sweetheart. Six more and then the two extra you earned. Put your hand back where it belongs.”
Choking back a sob, she slowly pulled her hand away, pressing her palms into the couch cushion beneath her as the seventh stroke fell. Her entire backside and the tops of her thighs felt swollen, achy, and she had a feeling she wouldn’t be sitting comfortably any time soon.
But with every stroke of the belt across her aching nates, the pressure around her chest eased a little bit more. As if each lash was somehow cleansing her of her sins.
“That’s twelve,” Braden said at last, his tone surprisingly gentle. “These last two are because you know better than to talk to someone when you’re standing in the corner.”
They fell hard and fast, right along the sensitive crease where her ass met her thighs, and she couldn’t stop herself from crying out.
“It’s all done, sweetheart. You took that so well. I’m so proud of you.”
“So am I.”
Strong, familiar arms picked her up, cradled her close to an equally familiar chest as the last of her resolve shattered. Wrapping her arms around her Daddy’s neck, she sobbed out all the guilt and pain and ugliness she’d been carrying around with her.
“My good girl,” Holden murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Go ahead and cry it out. Daddy’s right here.”
And so she did, weeping until she simply ran out of tears to cry. Blowing out a shuddering breath, she pressed herself even closer to him with a whimper.
“I’m s-so s-sorry.”
“I know, baby. It’s all forgiven.”
Lifting her head, she scrubbed at her aching, swollen eyes and looked around. “Where’s Lottie?”
“Still in the other room. I didn’t think she’d want to see you like this. And I needed you to myself for a little bit.”
“You did?”
“I did. It was harder than I expected, watching someone else discipline you. All I wanted was to step in and tell him you’d had enough so I could hold you.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. I deserved what I got. And I really am so, so sorry I lied to you, Holden. It won’t happen again.”
His smile was full of tenderness. “If it does, we’ll deal with it. But if you ever lie to me again about something that directly impacts your health, I can promise this spanking will seem like a walk in the park. That is one thing I am not willing to compromise on. Understood?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl.” Another of those gentle kisses that made her feel like the center of his whole world before he helped her to her feet, pulling her panties and leggings up over her welted ass. “Go get yourself cleaned up and then you can meet us in the dining room. Lottie is still working on her lines.”
She took the offered moment, not only to splash some cold water on her face, but to just breathe for a bit. And to peel her leggings down, twisting around to get a glimpse of the damage in the mirror.
Letting out a low whistle, she pressed her fingers against a slightly darker spot and winced at the flash of pain. She’d definitely deserved everything she’d gotten, but she sure as hell wouldn’t be telling more lies any time soon. Especially not ones that involved her friends.
When she felt steadier, she made her way to the dining room, where Lottie was slumped in a chair, glaring at a paper in front of her while Braden stood to the side, his arms crossed and that same stern expression he’d worn during Frankie’s punishment etched into his features.
“Charlotte, you can either write the lines or you can write the lines with a freshly spanked bottom. It’s your decision.”
“They’re stupid lines! What if I’m at the club and someone is really in trouble? Are you saying I can’t step in?”
“If that were to happen, I would expect you to get one of our dungeon monitors and explain the situation to them. But I think we both know that’s not what happened tonight.” Uncrossing his arms with a sigh, Braden crouched beside the chair. “Look at me, Lottie-bug.”
Bottom lip trembling, Lottie turned her head to look down at him. “What?”
“I understand you were worried about your friend. But have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Especially when it comes to a scene?”
“Well… no.”
“Then you should have trusted me with Frankie, the same way you trust me when it’s your bottom on the line.”
Hands falling into her lap, Lottie let out a sad sigh. “Yeah, I know. It was just a lot harder than I thought it would be.”
“That’s understandable. But do you think you handled it the right way?”
“No, Daddy.”
“And that’s why you’re writing lines.” Braden glanced up, a smile curving his lips when his gaze latched onto Frankie. “But we can finish them at home. For now, I think someone could use a Lottie hug.”
Jumping up from her seat, Lottie turned and raced straight for Frankie, nearly knocking her over in the process. “Oh my god. I was so worried! Are you okay? How’s your butt?”
“I’m fine, and sore,” Frankie responded with a laugh, tightening her hold on her friend. “I’m so sorry I put you in the middle of my lie.”
“I don’t even care about that. Well.” Pulling away slightly, Lottie let out a watery laugh. “I do care because I hate Daddy’s belt. But I care more about you actually going to therapy. Promise me you’ll go, Frankie. Please?”
“I will. I’ll call first thing in the morning and see if she can squeeze me in.”
“Good. I love you and I’ll be really pissed if anything bad happens to you.”
“I know. I love you, too, Lottie-baby.”