Chapter 24
JOSH
Tinley was quiet on the ride home. She had to be exhausted.
They interviewed her for over two hours and would have continued if Kyler hadn’t put a stop to it.
The events of the day had unfolded and while I tried to push it out of my mind, it felt like on the outside looking in.
It was my job to protect her, but I had to leave it up to others in order not to push her away.
Then her aunt showing up was another wrinkle in the things she was being forced to deal with. She was close to her breaking point.
I couldn’t blame her. I understood the logic.
I didn’t know if what I imagined happened to her was better or worse than it actually was.
I feared worse. When she asked if Kyler could go with her, I had to admit it hurt, but her thoughts on how I felt about what she’d been through and the reality of what I thought about what happened to her were also different.
With her aunt showing up and no doubt wanting to take her away, it felt like I was losing her before I even had the chance to have her.
All I could control in the chaos was myself and it seemed truly inadequate.
We arrived back at the house. Rayna jumped off the couch where I left her and hugged Tyler.
“Daddy, are you still mad?” She stepped back to look up at Kyler.
“No, sweetheart.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead and then took her one good hand. “I’m no longer mad.”
“Oh, shoot.” Rayna pouted and hung her head. Kyler leaned in to whisper in her ear. She nodded. She walked over to Tinley and gave her a hug.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Tinley nodded. They stared at each other for what felt like five minutes, speaking some secret telepathic language only littles understood. They hugged again and Rayna hung her head and scurried off toward their room.
Tinley yawned and covered her mouth.
“Let’s get you to bed.” I nudged her toward our room.
“One second,” she whispered and held up a finger. I nodded.
“Mr. Kyler.” She walked over to him. “Can I hug you?”
Kyler and Tinley stared at each other for a few seconds, and he nodded. She wrapped her arms around his waist. She was even shorter than Rayna.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Tinley.” He kissed the top of her head, and he released her. Jealousy flared in my brain, but it went away when Tinley let him go and turned to me.
“Come on.” I reached out and she took my hand.
I led her into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. She stood in front of me. “You okay?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s going on in that brain of yours?” I caressed her cheek.
“My brain is fine, but I still feel yucky here.” She rubbed her tummy. She looked toward the door. “Why was Rayna sad when Kyler said he wasn’t mad?”
“Well.” I pulled her onto my lap. “I imagine she’s going to get quite the spanking before she goes to bed. Kyler doesn’t like things to fester.”
“But what about her arm?” Tinley stiffened and turned, ready to sprint.
I turned her face toward me.
“Do you think Kyler would do anything to hurt Rayna?” I asked.
“Spankings hurt.” Tinley leaned her head on my shoulder. “I remember.”
“Spankings do hurt, but it would probably hurt Rayna more to know she broke a rule they both agreed upon and Kyler didn’t care enough to punish her for breaking her promise.” I rubbed up and down her back.
“If Rayna deserves a spanking, then I deserve one, too.” Tinley lifted her head. “Instead of calling for help, I ran away.”
“True. But we don’t exactly have a relationship like theirs.” I paused and her eyes grew wide. “Yet.”
She swallowed. I laid her head back on my shoulder. “But if you feel you need a spanking for another reason, you can ask for one. I would be happy to help all those yucky feelings go away.”
“What other reason?”
“Some littles need spankings for a release. It gives them a reason to let go and then all the yucky feelings go away with it.” I patted her hip. She sat back up. “But you do have to ask for the spanking. You understand?”
She nodded.
“I need your words, Tinley.” The command calmed her.
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir?”
She shrugged. “Seemed appropriate.”
I leaned in and kissed her sweet lips. She leaned into it. I pulled back.
“Why don’t you get your PJs, brush your teeth, and get ready for bed.” I guided her off my lap and stood. “Then we will have a chat and get on with your spanking. But I want to give you some time to think about it and then I will meet you back here. Okay?”
“Okay.”
I grabbed her pajamas and handed them to her. I turned on the light in the bathroom and held the door open for her. She walked past me and stared up with those big brown eyes. My chest tightened.
I closed the door and stood for a minute. I didn’t want to be too far away from her. “Tinley, you okay?”
“Yes, Josh.” She giggled. “I’m good.”
It was such an important step for Tinley. For us. I had to make it perfect, and I had to be prepared. It had been a long time since I spanked a little.
I sighed and headed toward the kitchen. I grabbed some water from the refrigerator and found some frozen peanut butter cups in the freezer.
I chopped a few pieces in a bowl and carried them back to the bedroom.
I set them on the nightstand. Tinley came out of the bathroom.
Her pajamas had little yellow flowers all over them.
She had taken down her hair, brushed it, and put it in loose French braids.
She had her clothes in her hands; she set them on the dresser and walked over to the bed.
She moved around the room while keeping one eye on me like I was going to pounce on her.
“I’m going to get ready for bed, too.” I grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt and stepped into the bathroom to change.
I wanted to give her enough time to think about it.
The last thing I wanted to do was trigger her in any way, but I felt her uneasiness.
It gave me hope. We were connected. I felt my little girl’s pain, hurt, sorrow.
And I felt her joy and happiness, too. In the way she looked at me and the way she smiled and giggled.
She wasn’t going to let what happened to her steal her joy and I was so proud of her for not letting what happened to her define her.
I selfishly felt needed and for a Daddy, that was the best feeling in the world.
I washed my face and used the bathroom.
When I came back out, Tinley sat on the edge of the bed, her legs crossed, her chin resting in her hands. She was deep in thought. She looked so little. She jumped when I closed the door behind me and scrambled off the bed. I took her seat, and she stood between my legs.
“J-Joshie.” She swallowed and fiddled with her hands. “Joshie, will you please spank me?”
The sincerity broke my heart. I kissed her forehead and pulled her in for a hug.
“Why do you need a spanking?”
“Because Rayna’s getting a spanking?” I could hear her mind racing.
“Well, I don’t think I can give you a spanking because your friend’s getting a spanking.” I pulled her back onto my lap. “I don’t think it works like that.”
“I don’t know why. I just think I need it.” She played with the sleeve of my T-shirt. “I think it will make me feel better.”
“What are you feeling?”
“Sad.” She pouted. “And mad at myself.”
“Oh, Tinley.” I held her tightly. “Why are you mad at yourself?”
“I don’t know.” She lifted her head. “For being too scared to talk about what happened to me. Who knows how many people I might have been able to save if I had talked about it sooner.”
“Oh, sweetie.”
“And for getting Rayna hurt.” Tears pooled in Tinley’s eyes. “For running off when I knew it was wrong and dangerous. And for making you worry about me. I know we haven’t made promises to each other, but I feel like I let you down anyway.”
I blinked away my own tears. This girl was turning me into a pile of mush. She needed me to have a stake in this spanking too. My brave little girl.
“You remember when we met, I made a very important promise to you.” I grabbed some tissues and wiped her face. “You remember what I promised?”
“You promised not to let anyone hurt me again.” She nodded and exhaled. “But it wasn’t your fault. I ran away from the security.”
“The security that I set up to help protect you.”
“Oh no.” She wailed. “I made you break your promise. I’m so sorry.” Tinley’s arms flung around my neck, and she sobbed into it. Her tears dripped onto my skin.
I held her and rubbed her back while she let it out. She might not have anything left once this spanking got underway.
“That’s not exactly what I meant.” I chuckled. “I won’t let you hurt yourself either and if sitting with this in here” —I patted her tummy— “hurts, I will do what I can to make it better.”
She hiccupped.
“You understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You ready?” I pushed her off my lap.
“Y-yes.” She wiped her face with the back of her hands.
“What is your safe word?” I asked.
“Uhm.” She sighed. “It’s… I don’t know.” Her face dropped.
“What were you about to say?”
“It’s the safe word I used with Damon, but…”
“What was it?”
“Domino,” she whispered.
“That’s a good safe word.” I clasped her hands in mine. “Do you still want to use it?”
“Isn’t that weird?”
“Sweet T.” I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed her knuckles. “Your safe word is for you and if it made you feel safe in the past, I think it’s perfect to help you now, too.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “Domino.”
I scooted farther on the bed and leaned against the headboard. I steepled my hands on my lap. “Crawl up here and lie across my lap.”
She climbed up on the bed.
My cock twitched. I hoped she didn’t feel it.
“I’m going to pull your pjs down and we will start your spanking.”
“How many?” Tinley looked over her shoulder.
“I’m not sure.” I rubbed her covered bottom, and she shuddered. “We’ll get started and see how it goes.”
“Joshie.” She glared back at me.
“Tinley.” I gave her a quick slap, not meant to hurt but to get her attention.
“Ouch.” But she laid her head back down on her arms.
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “I trust you.”
“Then let’s get started.”
She settled more on my lap.
“Just relax.” I rubbed her butt and then pulled her pants down and rested them just below her sit spots.
“Easy for you to say.” She turned her head to face me. “You’re not about to get your butt roasted.”
I chuckled and rubbed her bare bottom. Her skin was so soft. Her round ass fit my hand perfectly.
“What’s so funny?”
“I learn something new about little Tinley every single day.” I squeezed her left cheek, and she grunted.
“What have you learned today?”
“Little Tinley gets sassy when she’s about to be spanked.” I didn’t wait for her to respond. The warmup began.