Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Flipping the switch on the neon “Open” sign was all it took to officially tell the world the bakery was closed for the day.
No further signs of Preston had appeared for the rest of the afternoon.
Having Tanner there had been wonderful. Not a single word about the awful gift had passed between them the whole time.
And he’d been so good at jumping in to help whenever things got busy, especially since it was Poppy’s day off.
The steady afternoon rush had kept her mind blessedly occupied, pushing away thoughts of what was coming once the workday ended.
But now the workday was over.
She noticed that Tanner took the extra precaution of pulling down all the shades, something she didn’t usually do until the weekend. The simple act made her stomach flutter with a mix of nerves and warmth. He was protecting her, even in the small things.
It took another half hour of cleaning and putting everything away before they walked back into the bakery office in silence. She sat down on the couch before she realized Tanner hadn’t followed to sit down beside her.
“Sorry, Daddy,” she said, popping back to her feet.
“No, no,” he replied, a hint of dark promise in his voice. “I think it is a good idea for you to get as much sitting in as possible while you can.”
Junie gulped and, without thinking, rubbed her backside, already imagining how sore it might be before the night was through.
Tanner stood in front of her, legs wide and arms crossed. “For your own protection, I asked you to tell me if Preston continued to send you gifts, correct?”
“Yes, Daddy.” She looked down at the floor, regret like a weight on her chest.
“But instead,” he continued, his voice heavy with disappointment that made her tummy drop, “you ignored my request and landed yourself in trouble. Am I missing anything, babygirl?”
The words sank deep, curling warm and nervous through her middle.
Flames of remorse burned across her cheeks as she realized how badly she’d messed up.
She’d only wanted to keep the peace, to avoid anyone getting hurt…
but now her Daddy was looking at her with that stern, protective expression that always made me feel so very Little.
How could he make her feel so exposed and so cared for all at the same time? Even though he was upset that she’d disobeyed him, it was the danger her disobedience had put her in that really bothered him most.
Heat rushed up her neck and flooded her face until her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Was it suddenly hotter in here? Her heart pounded so hard, not only couldn’t he miss it, but she was pretty sure the entire town could hear it.
And what the heck was her body doing? She should have been afraid of how he was going to punish her, but her pussy hadn’t gotten that message. It gave helpless little spasms at the possibilities, sending a fresh wave of embarrassed warmth to the slickness between her thighs.
He stepped closer, crowding her until her rear pressed firmly against the office desk. The solid heat of his big body surrounded her completely, making her feel tiny and trapped in the best and scariest way possible. Her breath caught in her throat.
She didn’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes.
Or worse, discover that he didn’t want to be her Daddy anymore.
But staring at the broad, solid wall of his chest only filled her head with the wildest, most inappropriate thoughts.
Thoughts like ripping his shirt open and licking him like her favorite ice cream cone.
The naughty thought made her face burn even hotter, and her core throb with a needy ache she wasn’t sure how to handle.
She finally looked up into his dark, intense gaze.
Nope.
Definitely not in the mood for a licking. Not unless it was him delivering one right across her bare behind.
“What did I tell you to do when you got another gift?” Tanner asked.
They both knew the answer. He just wanted to hear her say it.
She hesitated, her mind scrambling desperately for anything that might somehow justify what she’d done. Or rather hadn’t done. “I… I was going to tell you, Daddy. Honest,” she said weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. “But since I was just going to throw it away, I didn’t think it mattered.”
“You know better than that.” Tanner’s eyes darkened with that stern Daddy look that always made her bottom tingle with anticipatory dread, and her heart squeeze with guilt.
“The danger is not in what you do with the gift. The danger is in the fact that he gave it to you. Did I tell you to throw them away and not bother Daddy about it?”
The question landed like a boulder right in the center of her tummy. That wasn’t what he had told her to do at all.
She shook her head, eyes dropping down to his chest as her voice came out tiny and guilty. “No, Daddy. You told me to call you right away if he contacted me or sent me any more gifts.”
“That’s right. And when I asked you earlier what was going on, you weren’t honest with me, were you?”
“No, Daddy, I—”
“So you lied to Daddy.”
The word hit her hard. Lying was a big no-no. She shook her head, her cheeks burning hotter than ever. “No! I mean, well, yes… I mean, I really just wasn’t… quick. That’s it. I just wasn’t quick enough.”
Tanner’s jaw flexed, that firm, disappointed line making the skin on her bottom tingle. “Lying by omission, or as you say, ‘not being quick enough,’ is still lying, Junie. You didn’t tell me because you knew I’d be upset. You knew I’d do something about it.”
The truth of his words settled deep inside her.
She’d known. She’d known exactly how much trouble she’d be in, and she’d still chosen to try keeping it from him.
Her guilt twisted tighter and tighter, mixing with that now familiar nervous flutter low in her belly that always came when he was disappointed in her.
“What you do not understand, Cupcake, is that the more expensive and intimate the gifts are, the more he thinks he has a right to ignore everything you’re saying to him and do whatever he wants with you.
Flowers and notes are one thing. A chastity belt is something else entirely.
It’s my job to keep you safe. When you don’t tell me what is going on so I can step in, Preston takes your silence as approval and encouragement. That puts you in more danger.”
It had never occurred to her to look at it that way. She hadn’t wanted to admit how much worse it was getting. Not even to herself.
Now she was getting scared. Really scared. The kind of scared that made her want to crawl into Tanner’s lap, hide her face against his chest, and let him make the whole scary world go away. She’d done just the opposite by trying to protect Preston. What had she been thinking?
Tanner cupped her chin with his warm hand, tilting her face up so she had no choice but to meet his eyes.
His gaze was steady, protective, and so full of…
something she was too chicken to name… that it made her knees weak.
Now her heart squeezed with both fear and longing at the same time. All because she was so stupid.
But Tanner wasn’t finished. “Two things. One, I know what you’re thinking, and I am just warning you, I don’t take kindly to anyone putting you down. Even you. No, especially you. You made a mistake. One I’m going to make sure you learn from.”
Her eyes widened, a fresh swarm of buzzy butterflies erupting in her tummy. “Tanner, I’m sorry I’m so much trouble,” she whispered. If only she could stop the tremble in her voice.
His thumb brushed slowly across her lower lip, the touch so gentle yet undeniably possessive that it made her breath hitch and her knees feel weak.
“You could never be too much trouble, little girl. That’s another reason Daddy wants to move you to the ranch.
If you stay at Rainbow’s Edge and Preston goes off the deep end, you wouldn’t be as safe there as you are at the ranch. ”
Her shoulders sagged in quiet surrender. It was like the fight drained right out of her. “Yes, Daddy,” she whispered, trying to hold back her tears. She wasn’t sure why she was crying this time. It could be either embarrassment or relief.
Relief flashed across his face for just a second before that dark, determined Daddy look returned. The one who always made her knees go weak.
She reached for the chastity belt box Tanner had set on the desk. “I’ll just throw this away—”
Tanner’s hand closed over hers before she reached it.
The touch sent a shiver racing through her.
“I’ll take care of this,” he said, picking up the box and turning it back and forth in thought before laying it on the desk again and snapping a picture of the belt and the card with his phone.
“You never know when we might need proof.”
Putting everything back in the box. He took it from the table but didn’t throw it away.
“I think I can use this tonight,” he said, his voice full of dark promise.
“It’s the perfect way to make sure we’re on the same page when it comes to not keeping things from Daddy when your safety is in question.
Have you ever heard of making the punishment fit the crime? ”
“Yes, Daddy,” she agreed, but what the heck? How that could possibly be applied to her, she had no idea.
Surely he wasn’t going to spank her with it. Heat flooded her face before settling between her thighs. Her bottom tingled harder than ever, almost like it was anticipating what might be coming.
What in the world did he have planned? Whatever he decided for her, it was sure to be very thorough and very long. And she was pretty positive it would end with her being very, very sorry.