Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Sydney
Sydney sat on the edge of the couch, her heart pounding so loudly she wondered if Levi could hear it.
She tried to keep her hands still, but they kept twisting in her lap.
Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth, and she didn’t even realize she was trembling until Levi reached out and brushed his fingers lightly along her arm.
She’d always thought she’d want this. There were so many nights she’d fantasized about a Daddy pulling her over his lap and spanking her, before fucking her, but now that she was faced with the reality of it, she wasn’t so sure if this was all a good idea after all.
She also wasn’t a super big fan of the fact that she’d upset him to the point where he felt the need to punish her.
What kind of woman did that to her man? Was she messing this up already?
“Little miss,” he said, his voice gentle but firm. That voice soothed and unsettled her all at once. “Look at me.”
She lifted her gaze slowly. His eyes weren’t angry. They were steady, warm, but serious. She wished she could hide from that look, but at the same time, it made her feel… safe.
“You scared me, babygirl. More than I can say. Running off like that, out into the cold, not knowing where you were going…” His voice softened even more. “That’s why you’re getting punished. Because you put yourself in danger. And I can’t let that slide. Not ever.”
The lump in her throat grew, and she blinked fast to hold back tears.
She had scared him. She’d scared herself, too.
She’d been so overwhelmed that she hadn’t paid a lick of attention to where she was going or what she was doing, and the next second she knew she was inside a barn freezing her ass off. It was scary as all heck.
But hearing it from him made it real in a different way.
“I’m sorry, Master Levi,” she whispered. She wanted to call him Daddy. Hell, he’d called himself her Daddy, but he hadn’t said it was okay... they hadn’t agreed.
“I know, babygirl. And I believe you. But sorry doesn’t erase the need for consequences.” He paused, waiting until he had her full attention. “And I think, if I’m about to have your pretty ass in the air, over my lap, you’d better be using the right title for me, don’t you?”
Oh. He said it. Just like that.
“Sydney,” he called out in warning, his tone telling her he was waiting, and not very patiently at that.
“Yes, Daddy!”
“Because this is your first punishment with me, and because I know this has been a hell of a night for you, I’m going to go easy in some ways,” Levi explained.
“You’ll keep your pants on this time. And I’ll use my hand.
Just my hand. We’ll talk more about how we’ll handle things going forward when you’ve had a chance to catch your breath. ”
Sydney nodded, her mouth dry. She felt the weight of his words, the promise in them. This wasn’t just about tonight. It was about them. About what they were building.
“But understand this, little girl,” Levi went on, his tone steady, unshakable. “I will always protect you. I will always correct you when you put yourself in danger. Because you matter too damn much not to.”
The tears she’d been holding back slipped free at that, because that was what she’d longed for, even when she hadn’t known how to name it. Someone who cared enough to step in. Someone who wouldn’t let her drown in her own bad choices.
Levi slowly peeled the three blankets from around her. Once he’d tossed them aside, he patted his thigh. “Come here, little miss.”
Her breath hitched as Levi guided her gently over his lap. The room felt so quiet now, the ticking of the old clock on the wall loud in the stillness. Her heart thudded hard, her fingers clutching at the couch cushion beneath her.
His arm came around her waist, firm and sure, holding her just tight enough to make her feel safe, held, his.
“Babygirl,” he said softly, one large hand resting on her lower back. “This is going to hurt, because it needs to. Because I need you to remember. But I’m right here the whole time. And when it’s done, it’s done. You understand me?”
She nodded.
“Use your words, Sydney.”
“Yes, Daddy. I understand.”
“Good girl,” he praised. “And if at any time, if what we’re doing is too much, all you have to do is tell me ‘red,’ okay?”
Sydney took a deep breath before looking directly at him. Her Daddy. “Yes, Daddy. Red for stop. I can do this.”
There was a pause, the kind that made her body hum with anticipation, with dread, with want, and then his hand left her back.
The first smack landed on the curve of her bottom, and even through the denim, it startled a gasp from her. A sharp sting bloomed across her skin, and before she could catch her breath, the next swat fell, a little lower, firm and precise.
Her legs kicked just a little, an involuntary reaction, but Levi’s arm held her steady. His hand came down again, and again, methodical, covering every inch of her bottom.
The heat built quickly, spreading out from each point where his palm met her flesh, the layers of cloth doing little to dull the growing burn.
She whimpered, shifting on his lap, but he didn’t pause. The rhythm of his hand stayed steady. His movements weren’t rushed or harsh, just unrelenting.
Every smack echoed in the small room, blending with the sound of her own soft cries.
And then the feelings started to well up, hot and tangled and too big for her chest.
I scared him.
I scared myself.
What was I thinking?
Why does it feel so good to let him do this?
Her tears came before she realized they would, slipping down her cheeks, hot against the cold that had clung to her skin outside.
His hand paused only long enough to rub over the heated fabric of her jeans, a comforting stroke that both soothed and reminded her who was in control.
“You’re doing good, babygirl,” he murmured. His voice made her want to cry harder. “Let it out. Daddy’s got you.”
And then his hand started again, slower now but harder. Enough that she felt the difference, enough that she gasped and sobbed his name without meaning to. “Daddy! Please, I’m sorry!”
Her bottom burned, the sting sinking deeper, but she didn’t fight it. Couldn’t. This was what she’d dreamed of, what she’d ached for. Not the pain, exactly, but the surrender. The knowing someone cared enough to stop her when she couldn’t stop herself.
By the time he stopped, she was a mess. Her bottom throbbed, her jeans tight against the heat. Her body shook with sobs she couldn’t hold back.
Levi shifted, lifting her into his lap, wrapping her in those strong arms, the warmth of him more comforting than any blanket could be.
“That’s it, baby,” he soothed, rocking her gently. “It’s over. You’re safe. I’m so proud of you.”
She buried her face against his chest, breathing him in, clinging to him as the storm inside her began to quiet at last.
Then her Daddy helped her out of her jeans, into one of his soft tracksuit bottoms, and then into the bed he shared with Roland.
There he held her while she continued to cry until she eventually fell asleep, safe in her Daddy’s arms.