Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Junie’s world tilted sideways as Tanner carried her through the club.
Her face burned with a mixture of humiliation and something far more complicated.
She was slung over his broad shoulder like she weighed nothing at all, one of his strong arms locked firmly around the backs of her thighs.
Her hair swung with every purposeful step he took, and her hands clutched at the back of his shirt because she had nothing else to hold on to.
The gaze of other people watching them burned her skin as he walked. Lifting her head up to see—because she was a glutton for punishment— she found several types of gawkers. Some were curious. Some smiled knowingly. A few even looked like they recognized exactly what was happening.
Junie squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face against his back. She had never been so mortified in her life. And yet her body was reacting in ways that made her want to squirm.
A door clicked open and Tanner carried her inside a room and kicked the door shut behind them. The slam echoed in the sudden quiet.
Scents of leather, vanilla, and cedar filled the room. Warm golden light came from more lanterns and strands of lights strung along the thick wooden beams overhead. The walls still showed the original barn wood in places, softened by cream paint and soft sage accents.
A large sturdy spanking bench sat in the center of the room, padded in deep burgundy leather.
A king-sized bed with crisp white linens waited against one wall.
In the corner stood a heavy wooden armchair that looked built for serious discussions—or serious spankings.
A tall cabinet in the corner held neatly arranged implements behind its glass doors, and a small table nearby was stocked with aftercare supplies: blankets, lotion, water bottles, and a small basket of stuffed animals.
Tanner carried her straight to the middle of the room and set her down on her feet. His hands stayed on her hips for a moment, steadying her when her knees wobbled. Then he let go and stepped back.
“Corner,” he ordered. “Now.”
Junie’s stomach flipped. This was just like in one of the books she secretly kept on her e-reader.
Her feet started moving on their own, carrying her to the corner he pointed at.
She pressed her nose to the wall, hands clasped behind her back, and tried to breathe.
Behind her, she could hear him pacing slowly, boots heavy on the wooden floor.
He was breathing hard. She could feel the anger and frustration rolling off him in waves.
Oh no.
This was so bad.
This was so exciting!
Her thoughts were a jumbled mess.
He was really angry, but he’d also said he was her Daddy, at least for the night. He hadn’t asked for consent. She needed to learn the rules. Had she implicitly consented by not protesting? The better question was, why hadn’t she?
Oh yeah, because she’d wanted to have Tanner as her Daddy for as long as she’d known what Daddies were.
In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought. She was onto something. A more philosophical approach to the whole thing was called for. Philosophically, she wanted whatever was about to happen, right?
So why was she scared out of her mind?
Her bottom already felt warm from the way he’d grabbed her earlier. Her heart was pounding so hard that he must be able to hear it. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, the ache between her thighs growing despite the nervousness twisting in her stomach.
Tanner stopped pacing. The silence stretched until it felt like it might snap.
“Turn around, little girl.”
His command hit her like a warm hand between her shoulder blades. She turned slowly, keeping her hands behind her back. Tanner stood a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest, jaw tight. His storm-blue eyes were dark and intense.
“For tonight,” he said, voice dropping into that gravelly tone that always made her knees weak, “I’m your Daddy. Do you understand what that means right now?”
Junie swallowed. Her voice came out small and shaky. “Yes… Daddy.”
God! Had she really just called Tanner Daddy?
Something fierce flashed in his eyes at the word. He stepped closer, cupping her chin so she had to look up at him.
“Good girl. Then you’re going to listen very carefully. You came into this club. You filled out that questionnaire and checked green on almost everything. Did you even know what half of the things on that list were?”
She straightened her back. “I read, you know. I know a lot more about these things than you might think.”
His eyes narrowed. “Oh, really. You do, huh? Then tell me, naughty girl, what is sounding, and what is it you like about it?”
Sounding? Had that been on the list? What the heck was it? She couldn’t very well ask, so she took her best guess. “Sounding… is… um, when you talk about how deep you are, or how far you want to go into Little space. That may not be it exactly, but it’s close.”
Tanner’s jaw flexed. “You’re not on a submarine, Cupcake. You’re in a fucking kink club. And you just gave your play partner free rein to shove things in your pee hole.”
Holy catfish whiskers. “So…not about Little play.” She didn’t like the way he began to rub his hand over his thigh. “Okay, so that was just a one-off. I knew what the rest were.”
“Right.” He glanced at his phone again. “See, I didn’t think you liked confined spaces. So, how long have you been interested in mummification?”
Junie could feel blood draining from her face. “Mum… mummification? Like wrapping someone up in strips of cloth?” Her skin crawled. “I must have read that one wrong.”
Suddenly, his hand was gripping the back of her neck, and he pulled her close. “You let another man put his hands on you.” His thumb brushed her lower lip. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”
Junie’s eyes stung. “I… I only came here because I was trying to find you. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen.”
Tanner’s expression didn’t soften. “I don’t care why you came here, Cupcake.
You put yourself in a situation where someone could have hurt you.
You put yourself in a place where my protection was not guaranteed.
That is never happening again. You do not step one foot inside The Red Barn, or any other club, unless you are with me. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered.
He studied her for a long moment. “Can you tell me why you got it in your head to come here to find me?”
Junie hung her head. “Cherry called and said you were down here playing with her tonight.”
“Cherry Winters?”
Junie nodded.
“And you believed her?” His stormy eyes turned such a dark blue they were almost black.
Her head shook side to side as if to emphasize her answer. “My brain didn’t, but my heart was afraid.”
“Well, Cupcake, Cherry and I were not playing together. She did approach me. Would you like to know what I told her?”
She wanted to be the kind of person who would say no. If it had been anyone else who called her, she would have. But it hadn’t been anyone else. It had been Cherry. So she needed to know. As much as she hated it, she answered, “Yes, Daddy.”
“I told her, in so many words, to go to hell. Do you really think I could ever be interested in someone who has treated you so badly over the years? Someone that vile?”
Her throat squeezed tight, and tears burned the back of her eyes. “No, Daddy.”
“Roman said that there were three new initiates. Would I be correct in assuming that Kenzie and Poppy are here, too?”
As much as she wanted to pretend ignorance, she didn’t want to lie, especially since all it would take would be for her Daddy to ask Master Ren the names on the new applications.
“Yes, Daddy.” Her heart was going to crack wide open.
The disappointment in his voice gutted her.
He was right. What had she been thinking, bringing her friends with her?
She should have insisted they stay home.
Through clenched teeth, he growled. “Corner. Nose to the wall. Hands behind your back. I need a minute.”
As she walked back toward the corner, Tanner made a call. “Ren, find Seven and tell him to get my sister and Poppy and take them home.”
On hearing Tanner’s end of the conversation, Junie was very glad she’d decided to come clean. She pressed her forehead to the cool wood. The cedar reminded her of Christmas. She’d probably be getting switches in her stocking this year.
Her skin on her bottom crawled in anticipation. They didn’t have switches here, did they? Her heart raced.
The room grew closer once Tanner finished his call. He took in slow, deliberate breaths, and the faint fall of footsteps as he paced increased her tension with each step. He wouldn’t be this angry if he didn’t care. So… silver lining in a very dark cloud.
Something warm and painful bloomed in her chest. She wanted this so badly it scared her. She wanted him to be her Daddy. Even if it was only for tonight. Even if it hurt.
Tanner’s voice came from right behind her.
“You’re going to get the spanking you earned tonight, little girl.
And while I’m spanking you, you’re going to think very hard about what you did.
About how dangerous it was to come here without me.
And how even more dangerous it was to check green on everything, especially the things you didn’t understand.
About how you could have gotten hurt. And you’re going to promise me—right here, right now—that you will never do anything like this ever again. ”
Junie’s breath hitched. Her thighs pressed together involuntarily.
“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered. “Can I ask what happened to Kenzie and Poppy?”
“Seven found them and is taking them home. If I were you, I’d be more concerned about myself right now.”
He moved in close behind her and, taking her by the hand, he led her to the spanking bench. One big hand settled on her lower back. “Bend over the bench.”
She obeyed, bending over the padded leather. The position made her feel small and exposed and strangely safe all at once. Tanner adjusted her stance, tapping the inside of her ankles until her feet were spread just enough. His hand smoothed over the seat of her leggings.
Then the first swat landed.
It was firm and heavy, solid, and the loud crack echoed in the quiet room. Heat bloomed across her right cheek. She gasped, rising up on her toes as the burn sank in.
Tanner didn’t ease her into it. He set a steady, deliberate rhythm right from the start, each swat building on the last until her entire butt was on fire.
He covered every inch of her bottom. The sting spread, licking downward to her sit-spots.
She whimpered, gripping the edges of the bench so tight her knuckles turned white.
“Ow. Oh, wait. Wait!” She tried to shift her hips to avoid his hand, but he held her in place without missing a swat.
“Waiting is what you should have done when you were filling out your limit list. Do you have any idea what could have happened? You checked green on things you didn’t even understand,” he said, voice stern as swat after swat landed on her aching backside.
“You could have ended up in a situation you couldn’t get out of.
That is not acceptable, Cupcake. Not ever. ”
“I’m sorry,” she cried out. And it was the truest thing she’d ever said. She should never have come here in the first place, much less check that she was fine with whatever anyone wanted to do with her. “Really… ouch! I get you… oh! Oh! I’m so sorry!”
He didn’t even slow down.
Another swat. Then another. Her breath hitched into little sobs. Tears prickled hot at the corners of her eyes. If she was honest, she didn’t really want him to stop. Not yet. She needed this. Needed the fire blazing across her ass to wash away her fear and guilt.
Tanner paused, his big, warm palm rubbing slow circles over her throbbing skin. “You are never coming back here alone. Say it.” He accompanied the command with another smack.
“Oh! I… I won’t come back unless I’m with you, Daddy,” she managed, voice thick. “I promise!” She might not even come back with him.
“Damn right.” His hand came down again, even harder this time. “Because you’re mine to protect. Even if you don’t understand that yet.”
Junie’s breath caught on a sob. The words hit something deep inside her. Mine to protect. She wanted to be his so badly it hurt.
She’d hoped that meant he was finished. She wasn’t going to have a butt left if he kept going. But he did. The spanking continued with steady, firm, thorough strokes. She was never going to be able to sit down again.
Tanner lectured the entire time, his voice calm but unyielding, each swat driving the lesson deeper into her skin and her heart.
By the time he finally stopped, her bottom was hot and throbbing. Her face was wet with tears. A rawness she’d never known filled her in the best possible way.
He helped her stand, then pulled her into his arms. Sobs of remorse and pain broke free.
She buried her face in his chest, breathing in his familiar scent as he held her tight.
One big hand rubbed slow, soothing circles on her back while the other cradled the back of her head like she was something precious.
“You did so good, Cupcake,” he murmured against her hair. “I’m proud of you for using your voice when you needed to. But we’re not ever doing this again. Right?”
Junie sniffled and shook her head against his warm chest. “N-no, Daddy. Not e-ever.” She felt small and safe and completely owned in the best possible way.
He carried her to the big armchair and settled her in his lap. She curled into him as if she belonged there, tears soaking his shirt while her sore bottom pressed against his hard thigh. He held her close, one hand gently stroking her hair, telling her without words how precious she was to him.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered brokenly. “I’m so sorry, Daddy.”
“I know, babygirl.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“I know you are. All is forgiven. But you’re going to remember this the next time you think about doing something reckless.
” He tilted her chin up with gentle fingers.
“And, by the way. If you want to know if something is true, all you have to do is ask me. I will always tell you the truth.”
She nodded, clinging to him tighter. Her body ached, her heart felt raw and open, and yet… she felt lighter than she had in days.
For tonight, at least, she was his Little.
And nothing had ever felt more right.