Chapter 2
Chapter Two
“Ouchie, Daddy!”
Kelsey braced herself and waited for the wooden paddle to flatten her bare cheeks once again.
In the room affectionately dubbed “the nursery,” she had every stitch of clothing off and was bending over a special padded wooden sawhorse that had a cushioned kneeling rail along the bottom.
She hated even looking at that thing. It was humiliating to think it had been built specially for her, and she cringed every time she saw it.
Other than its presence, the nursery was her favorite spot in their giant apartment.
Like the spanking bench, the room had been designed with her in mind.
Her toys, a cute daybed, all her outfits, and yes, even some diapers populated the space.
It was her haven and a place where she could feel Little.
But it often served another purpose—one she truly hated.
Like right now.
Wood slapped loudly against flesh once again and Kelsey lurched forward, gritting her teeth. Reaching down, she grabbed the handles that were provided for those particularly intense discipline sessions when she needed something to hang on to.
This was one of those times.
“I told you, little girl…”
Whack! Whack! Whack!
“…that I would have taken you anywhere you wanted to go when I got back.”
Whack! Whack! Whack!
The swats were crisp and the sting they delivered was nearly unbearable. The temperature of the heat gradually rose, like a brushfire that started small and contained before the wind fed it into a raging inferno. The agonizing blaze raged across her bottom.
“All right, little girl. Come to Daddy,” Marco finally said.
Kelsey was happy to obey that command. She got off the special bench just as Marco hung the paddle back on the wall directly in front of them. Once she was in his arms, she forgot about the sting and the humiliation and was just content to be consoled by Daddy.
“You know I don’t like spanking you, right?”
She sniffled. “Yes, Daddy. I know.”
There was more silence as he gently swayed her, his chin resting on the top of her head.
“Like I said, I just need you to realize how important my instructions are. I’m not trying to keep you from having fun and I’m not the jealous type, not wanting you to go anywhere without me.
It’s just… well… honey, there are some bad men who are causing a lot of trouble. Hopefully they wouldn’t hurt you, but…”
He left it at that and Kelsey didn’t ask more, not wanting to even think about that possibility as a shudder racked her body.
There was something else she wanted to know. That burning question she always had in the back of her mind.
What is it you do exactly, Daddy?
She knew Marco. He wasn’t a bad person. If he was, there was no way she’d stay with him. But he never talked business around her. And she was smart enough to know he fought hard to keep his work and their relationship separate.
The most he’d ever said was that his professional world was ugly and he was going to leave it behind. But she was beautiful and was his soul’s comfort. Somehow, some way, he was going to get out of “the game,” leave it all behind, and start a new life with her somewhere far away from Las Vegas.
Or something to that effect. It was worded a little differently each time, but that was the idea he always conveyed.
Another question popped into her mind.
“Daddy, how long will this last?”
She listened to his heartbeat while she waited for his answer, feeling so close to him.
His big hand gently massaged her bottom, soothing the ache left by the paddle.
“It won’t last long. I’m going to… Honey, I’ve got to do something. And then we can leave this all behind.”
Again, Kelsey almost asked what it was exactly they would leave behind, but she stopped short of doing so. Marco wouldn’t talk about it. There was no use in pressing him.
“Soon, babydoll. I promise. Just remember…” He pulled away enough to tilt her chin up again and look down into her eyes. “You’re the most important thing in my world. I’ll give up everything for you. I promise.”
“Marco, I don’t want you to give up everything. Not for me.”
He shook his head. “Some things need to be given up, honey.” His fingers lightly caressed her face, his thumb brushing a remaining teardrop away.
“We have big plans. But this—holed up in this damn penthouse—is no way to live. You deserve better. And I’m going to give you the kind of life you dream of. ”
His lips brushed hers, but the kiss didn’t stay gentle for very long. By the time he pulled away she was breathless.
Smiling up at him, she said, “You’re my dream. Wherever you are is perfect.”
It was so difficult to read his eyes sometimes, but she could tell there was still something that troubled him. As if he was thinking that being with him was in fact not good enough for her, that it was far from perfect.
Maybe one day he’d let her in on that part of his life. Until then, she would just have to trust him.
There seemed to be more that he wanted to say, but the moment was interrupted when his phone rang. Fishing it out of the pocket of his jeans, he looked at the screen and then back at her. “It’s Niko. I need to take this.”
“Of course,” she said. A slight smile creased her lips. “May I get dressed, Daddy?”
Marco chuckled. “Of course.” He turned around and answered the call as she gathered her clothes, but she caught him casting a quick glance over his shoulder, the look in his eyes wolfish and conveying just what he wanted to do to her naked body.
By the time she’d picked up her panties and dress, he’d left the room.
And a very curious Kelsey found herself really wishing she could hear his conversation.
For now, she just had to trust her Daddy.
Sometimes that was easier said than done.