Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28
SILVER
T hey never were able to get Ace on the phone. After about a dozen calls and texts, Ice had given up and they’d returned to the floor to join their friends for the taste tests. But Silver had no clue if anything they’d sampled had been any good, as it had all tasted like ash the second it hit her tongue.
Now they were back at Ice’s house on the beach, both of them doing their best to ignore the distance growing between them the same way they were trying to ignore the armed guards keeping watch from the sedan across the street.
She was doing her ignoring out on the back deck, watching the waves roll in. It was still somewhat light out, enough so that couples and families were still strolling along the sand.
Inspiration struck as she watched a young girl dart out into the water, just up to her knees, before letting out a shriek and running back to shore. Shucking off her boots, she raced down the stairs to the beach, her toes sinking into the sand as she stumbled her way toward the water. When the sand turned wet and firm beneath her feet, she reached for the hem of her dress, pulling it up over her head and tossing it behind her without bothering to see where it landed.
Clad in nothing but her bra and underwear, which she figured covered more than most bathing suits anyway, she raced for the water’s edge, squealing and dancing backward when the freezing water crashed over her feet. But she forced herself back into the water, this time bracing for the cold.
It took her several minutes, and she earned more than a few odd looks, but eventually she was waist deep. As if by magic, the stress of the day drained from her bones, carried off to the depths of the ocean with each crashing wave.
“Amanda Louise Sterling! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Uh-oh. Daddy did not sound happy.
Turning back to shore, she grinned and lifted her arm to wave at him as he stalked to the shore. “Going for a swim! Come on in, the water’s fine!”
“The water is freezing . Get out of there before you die of hypothermia or something.”
“Dramatic much?” she asked with a roll of her eyes. “It’s not even that cold once you get used to it.”
“I’ve heard the same from people who got buried by avalanches. That just means your nervous system is shutting down.” Standing just where the water lapped at the soles of his shoes, Ice crossed his arms, and her pussy spasmed at the narrow-eyed look he sent her way. “You have until the count of three to get your butt out of that water, little girl. One.”
Luckily, nobody was close enough to hear him threaten her. “But Daddy,” she whined, running her hands over the water around her. “I’m having fun.”
“You can have fun inside where it’s warm.”
“It’s plenty warm out here.”
“Two. You do not want me to come get you, Amanda.”
Considering he was using her proper names, she had a feeling he was right about that. But then again, she had been looking for a distraction. And what could be more distracting than a trip over Daddy’s knee?
Nothing, she decided as she stepped backward, away from shore. Even with the distance separating them, she could swear she heard him growl in response.
“Three. Guess we’re doing this the hard way.”
Still backing up deeper into the ocean, she watched as he yanked his shirt off, revealing the rippling tattoo-covered muscles underneath. She lifted a hand to her face to be sure she wasn’t drooling as she watched him strip down to nothing but his boxers before he strode into the water.
Slapping a hand over her mouth, she smothered a giggle when his face twisted into a grimace as the cold waves slapped at his legs.
“That’s an extra five with my belt for lying, Amanda Louise.”
Shock had her yanking her hand away with a gasp. “I did not lie!”
“You did. You said the water wasn’t that cold and it’s fucking freezing.”
The water was up over her shoulders now, and she swam backwards a bit more as he stalked toward her. “I said it wasn’t that cold once you get used to it. You haven’t even given it a chance to warm up!”
“I’m still taking my belt to your ass for making me chase you.”
“That’s… fair, actually,” she conceded with a giggle. “Sorry, Daddy.”
“Not half as sorry as you’re going to be when I get you back upstairs.”
Need slammed into her, so hot and fierce it was a wonder the water didn’t turn to steam all around her. “Can’t we talk about this?”
Pausing just a couple feet from where she was treading water, Ice tilted his head to the side, a wicked grin curving his lips. “Nope.”
And then he was gone. Swallowed whole by the ocean, and by now it actually was dark out, and she couldn’t see where he’d gone.
A scream ripped from her throat when a hand wrapped around her ankle, and she just barely had time to hold her breath before he yanked her under. She came up sputtering and swearing, shoving her hair out of her face to glare at her grinning attacker.
“That was mean!”
“Aw, poor baby. Come here.”
Before she could swim away, his arm was around her, pulling her up against him. The fading sunlight glowed on his damp skin, making him look like some kind of mythical sea creature as he lowered his head to capture her lips with his.
She sank into him, into the playful romance of it all, and let him kiss her senseless. The worries of the day, of what was coming faded to emptiness as he coaxed her mouth open. As she surrendered herself to him, body and soul.
“My naughty girl,” he murmured against her mouth when the kiss ended. “Time to get you back inside and get that bottom properly warmed up.”
“I wasn’t really that naughty.”
“Oh, really?” One eyebrow raised, mischief dancing in his eyes. “What do you call ignoring Daddy when he says it’s time to get out of the water?”
“I was just… playing.”
“Well, now it’s Daddy’s turn to play. Out of the water, my naughty little goddess. Now.”
ICE
He wasn’t really mad, but it gave him a perverse pleasure to watch her sweat about her ‘punishment’. The entire way back to the house, she kept shooting him furtive little looks from beneath her lashes, and she nibbled at her bottom lip so much he wondered how she didn’t chew the whole thing off.
“Stay here,” he said when they reached the back door. “I don’t want you slipping on the tile. I’ll bring you a towel and a fresh shirt.”
“Yes, Daddy.” Her acquiescence was given with a sigh and a pout, but at least she wasn’t arguing now.
“Good girl. I’ll be right back.”
He grabbed them each a towel and one of his t-shirts because he liked the idea of her walking around the house in his shirt with her reddened bottom sticking out from beneath the hem. Back out on the deck, he helped her out of her underwear, deliberately letting his fingers brush over her stiff nipples and her pussy lips as he stripped her.
By the time she was mostly dry and clad in nothing but his shirt, her breathing had become labored, and her pupils were blown with desire.
Good.
Taking her by the hand, he led her into the living room, where he took a seat on the couch. He managed to school his expression into serious lines as he looked up at her.
Goddamn if she didn’t look adorable, with her cheeks flushed as she twisted the hem of his shirt between her fingers. She looked exactly like the naughty little girl she was, and he couldn’t wait to get her over his knee.
“All right, little girl. Tell Daddy what you were thinking, going out in that freezing cold water, at night, all by yourself?”
“It wasn’t that cold! And it wasn’t dark when I got in the water.”
“Uh-huh. Well, if you’d listened when I told you to get out of the water, I might be willing to let you off with a warning. But you didn’t listen, did you, baby?”
“No, Daddy,” she answered with another of those dramatic little sighs that had him fighting back laughter.
“And that’s why you’re getting your bottom spanked. Come here.” Grabbing her by the hand, he guided her over his lap, her long, bare legs stretched out on the couch beside him. The shirt he’d given her had ridden up in the process, revealing her gorgeously round ass.
Cupping one cheek in his hand, he gave it a firm squeeze, enough to make her yelp and squirm over his knee. Because even if he wasn’t mad about her evening swim, he still intended to teach her a lesson about obeying her Daddy.
“When Daddy tells you to do something, you do it, little girl. Do you understand me?”
“Even when Daddy is being a tiny bit unreasonable?”
Cheeky little brat. “Yes, even then.”
“Spoilsport.”
Swallowing another laugh, he released his hold on her ass and gave it a hard swat. A perfect pink handprint appeared on her creamy skin, accompanied by another of those adorable little yelps. He landed another five crisp swats before pausing to rub the sting into her bottom.
“What are you going to do the next time Daddy says it’s time to do something?”
“Depends.”
Dangerous ground, baby . “On?”
Twisting around, she grinned up at him. “On whether or not I’m in the mood for a spanking.”
He couldn’t stop himself from laughing at that. “At least you’re an honest brat. Not going to save your ass, though.”
Her squeals punctured the air as he rained swat after swat down on her bottom. “Ow, ow, ow, I take it back, I take it back! I’ll do as I’m told, I swear!”
“A little late for that, baby,” he shot back conversationally as he continued to light her ass on fire. Tightening his grip around her waist, he moved the swats lower to her sit spots, where he knew she’d feel them every time she sat down for the rest of the night.
“Daddy I’m sorry !” she wailed, kicking her feet and struggling for all she was worth as he turned her skin from blush to a deep pink. “I’ll be good forever, I swear!”
Chuckling, he stopped to give her bottom another firm squeeze. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, baby.”
“Okay, maybe not forever, but at least until like… tomorrow.”
Tomorrow. The word knocked the air from his lungs. Ace would have made it to South Carolina by tomorrow, which meant tonight was all they had.
Shoving aside the morbid thoughts, he patted her bottom. “I left my belt in the bedroom. Go get it for me, please.”
“Well, that’s just cruel,” she mumbled as she slid off his lap to her feet.
Watching her walk away, her pink bottom bouncing beneath his shirt was every bit the beautiful sight he expected it to be. He didn’t take his eyes off her until she disappeared into the room, as though he could sear the image of her into his brain if he stared long enough and hard enough.
She returned a moment later, his belt dangling from her fingers. “Here.”
Settling back against the couch, he raised an eyebrow. “Ask me to punish you. Politely.”
Pink rushed to her cheeks, nearly matching the color in her bottom. “Seriously?”
“As a heart attack.”
“Oh my god,” she whined, shifting from foot to foot as she held the belt away from her as though it was a particularly dangerous snake. Which he supposed it was rather dangerous to a naughty bottom. “Will you please punish me?”
“More specific. And who am I?”
The color in her cheeks darkened. “Will you please spank me with your belt, Daddy? I’m very sorry I was naughty and didn’t listen earlier.”
“And…?”
Rolling her eyes, she huffed out an annoyed little breath. “And that you think I lied to you about the water not being cold even though it really wasn’t that cold.”
“That’ll do. Hand me the belt, baby.”
She practically shoved it into his hand before throwing herself over his lap again. Gripping the metal buckle, he folded the leather over into a loop and tapped it against her bottom. “Five and we’re all done. You don’t have to count.”
The leather snapped across her skin with a loud snap that seemed to echo around the room. Soon her cries drowned out the sound as he brought the belt down across her bottom again, and again. Until five angry red lines stood out against her pink flesh and she was whimpering into the cushions.
Dropping the belt onto the couch, he rubbed at her inflamed skin. “Shhh, baby. It’s all done. Are you ready to be Daddy’s good girl again?”
Even as he asked the question, his hand was moving down over the curve of her ass, down between her thighs to where she was already soaking wet for him.
“Yes, Daddy,” she said on a gasp, pushing her hips up to meet his questing fingers. “Make me your good girl, please, Daddy.”
He’d meant to make her come first, to give her a reward now that her spanking was over. But the sound of her pleading snapped something inside him, and within seconds he had her on her back, had his cock free of his sweatpants so he could drive into her with one quick, forceful thrust.
Arching up to meet him, she cried out as she dug her fingers into his back. “Yes, yes, just like that. Please, Daddy, please.”
“My good girl. Mine . Say it. Say it, Amanda.”
“Yours, Daddy. Only yours.” Her eyes flew open, boring into his, and he saw the truth of her words in the deep brown. “I belong to you, Elias Turner. Every fucking inch of me. Yours. All yours, Daddy.”
No other words were needed as he took her, hard and fast, bordering on desperate. Until at last they crested together, the primal sounds of their pleasure echoing around the room as he filled her.
“Mine,” he repeated when his heartbeat finally calmed and his lungs no longer felt like they might explode.
And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you.