Chapter 23
VANESSA
My heart leaps into my throat at Auntie Gray’s words and I look over my shoulder at my Daddy. But he only nods and nudges me forward, toward my punishment.
It feels as though my feet are made of lead as I drag myself over to stand in front of Auntie Gray. Her expression is stern as she reaches under the nightgown Daddy dressed me in for our sleepover to unfasten my diaper.
“When a grownup puts you to bed, you are to stay in bed,” she lectures as she pulls the diaper from me and sets it aside. “It is far too dangerous for Little girls to go wandering around this big house all alone at night.”
It is a huge fucking house. But I’m not actually a child. I’m not going to fall down the stairs or drink bleach or whatever it is they’re worried we might get into.
Voicing those opinions will probably only get me spanked harder, however, so I keep them to myself as Auntie Gray pulls me down over her lap.
“If you girls can’t behave yourselves during our movie nights, then I’ll have no choice but to stop having them. So I hope for all your sakes I do not have to repeat this lesson.”
Even before the first swat falls, tears are pooling on my lashes. My cousins were so excited about movie night, and the thought of them losing out because of something I did makes me want to sob already.
A loud crack rings out, and I jump over Auntie Gray’s lap.
It takes me a moment to realize the sound was of Uncle Eli’s hand connecting with Tabby’s bare bottom.
But I’m almost immediately distracted from Tabby’s predicament by the sharp jolt of pain on my own backside as Auntie Gray lights into me.
She spanks hard and fast, covering every inch of my bottom and the tops of my thighs with hard, stinging swats. It takes less than a dozen for whatever bravado I had left to abandon me.
“Owie, owie, Auntie Gray, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
My own pleas mingle with Tabby’s sorrowful wails, filling the air with a symphony of pain and regret.
“I’m sure you’re very sorry you got caught,” Auntie Gray lectures, raising her voice to be heard over our cries for mercy. “But you are going to be even more sorry by the time we’re through with you.”
As if they’ve rehearsed it, Auntie Gray and Uncle Eli stop spanking at the exact same time. I sag over her lap, panting to catch my breath.
But my relief is short-lived.
Something hard taps against my bottom and I let out a loud groan as I remember that my punishment isn’t over. “Oh, Auntie Gray, no! Not your brush, please, Auntie Gray!”
“Yes, little girl, you are getting your bottom paddled with this brush until I’m certain I never need to have this discussion with any of you again.”
Pain explodes across my right cheek a moment later and I instinctively rear up, trying to shove off her lap.
But Auntie Gray is just as strong as any of her brothers, and she easily holds me in place as she continues to paddle my bottom.
Over and over the brush falls, the heavy wood cracking against my skin, spreading a burning ache across every inch of my flesh.
By the time she finishes, I’m sobbing too hard to issue any more apologies as she pulls me up into her arms, cradling me on her lap as she rocks me gently and whispers soft words of praise in my ear.
“You took your spanking so well, little one. Auntie Gray is so proud of you.”
Her words reach deep down inside me, filling up parts of my soul I didn’t even know were empty. And even though the logical, rational part of my brain is screaming at me not to believe it, not to let them get to me, I can’t help but smile through the tears. “You’re pr-proud of m-me?”
“Of course, sweetheart. That was a big spanking and you took it like a champ. You’re such a good girl.”
Guilt slams into my chest, and my tears fall even faster. “I’m not a good girl. It’s m-my fault everyone got in trouble.”
“No, honey, it’s nobody’s fault but theirs that they followed you into mischief. You aren’t responsible for anyone’s actions but your own. Understood?”
Again, the logical side of me is at war with this brittle, emotional side I never knew I had. Even though I know she’s technically right, I still feel responsible.
But I also have a strong suspicion that disagreeing with her will end very badly for me and my bottom, so I nod anyway, even though I don’t believe it. “I understand, Auntie.”
The smile that blooms on her face is worth the lie. “Good girl. Now, as much as I would love to sit here and snuggle my sweet little nieces all night, you still have one more spanking coming.”
Groaning, I slide from her lap and shuffle toward Uncle Eli. Tabby and I move to pass each other and the tears on her face have the guilty knot in my chest growing heavier.
Moving on instinct, I throw my arms around her and squeeze. “I’m so sorry I got you guys in so much trouble.”
To my great relief, she returns my hug, even more tightly. “You don’t have to apologize. We all made the choice to be naughty. It isn’t your fault. Nobody blames you.”
Her words help to break up the pressure in my chest, at least a little. We hang on for a few more minutes before we each drag in a deep breath and move on to our next punishment.
And when I come to stand in front of Uncle Eli, I realize for the first time how very large he is. All of the Thorne siblings are exceptionally tall, even Auntie Gray, but Uncle Eli is possibly the thickest of them all. With bulging arm muscles that have my throat going dry.
This is going to suck.
Dane
It’s kind of cute, watching the way my babygirl’s eyes widen as she takes in her Uncle Eli.
He’s easily the beefiest of us all, but he’s also very aware of his strength, especially when it comes to punishing Little girls.
So even if Vanessa is absolutely terrified of him right now, I know she has nothing to fear.
Not that I’m telling her that, of course. Her fear is just too sweet.
Reaching down, I give my aching cock a squeeze as my brother pulls my naughty Little girl over his lap and picks up his spoon. Like Gray’s brush, the wooden spoon has become synonymous with Uncle Eli’s discipline and all the girls have a healthy fear of said spoon.
Eli snaps the wooden bowl against her already reddened bottom, and my Little one lets out a loud wail as she kicks and struggles over his lap.
Biting my lip, I swallow down a groan as my cock jerks against the denim of my jeans.
This is, quite possibly, the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever witnessed.
I can’t wait to get Vanessa back to my room, so I can bury myself in her poor, bruised little bottom while she sobs and begs for mercy I have no intention of giving her.
By the time Eli ends her punishment and pulls her up into his arms, my cock is so hard I worry I might pass out from all the blood being redirected to that particular organ.
It takes every ounce of self-control I possess to give him even five minutes to comfort her before I swoop in and scoop her off his lap.
A scowl twists his features as he glares up at me. “She’s still crying, Dane.”
“She can cry in her Daddy’s bed, then.”
God knows she’ll be crying even more by the time I’m done with her.
Eli’s eyes narrow even further. “Fine. But make sure she has plenty to drink after. She’ll need to rehydrate.”
Irritation runs prickly fingers up my spine. “I know how to take care of my baby.”
“Uh-huh.”
Annoyed, I turn and head for the stairs, bypassing the rest of our family as I carry my sniffling Little girl up to my bedroom. I’m just closing the door behind us when she finally speaks.
“Daddy?”
Her voice is soft, far quieter than I’ve ever heard from her, and I freeze in place to look down at her. “Yes, baby?”
Bottom lip trembling, she peeks up at me through sooty lashes wet with tears. “Are you still very mad?”
My heart threatens to snap clean in two at the sadness in her voice. “Oh, baby. I was never mad. A bit disappointed in your behavior, but I wasn’t mad then and I’m not mad now.”
“Pinkie-promise?”
She holds her fist up, her littlest finger pointing right at me, and if I hadn’t already been head over heels in love with my little fox, I would have fallen like a rock then and there. Hooking my pinky with hers, I bring our joined hands to my lips for a kiss. “Pinky-promise.”
And just like that, she relaxes in my arms, her head falling against my shoulder in a gesture of such sweet trust and surrender, I can’t even move, can barely breathe for the emotions threatening to crush my chest.
“Are you still gonna punish me for getting in trouble with Auntie Gray and Uncle Eli?”
I should. I know I should. It’s a standing rule in our house, and even though I don’t hold her responsible for the other Little ones getting into mischief, she did admit to it being somewhat her idea.
But staring down at her sweet little head resting on my shoulder, I don’t have the heart to go through with what I’d had planned. The desperate need that gripped me downstairs has all but vanished, and all I want to do is snuggle her and comfort her until she falls asleep in my arms.
“Do you promise not to sneak out of any more blanket forts or raid the kitchen for unauthorized snacks again?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“All right. Then I think it’s safe to say you’ve learned your lesson tonight.”
She heaves a deep sigh of relief and relaxes even further in my arms. “Daddy?”
“Yes, baby?”
“I–I know I was really naughty. But could I… could I have a bottle of milk?”
Fucking hell, my heart. “I’ll do you one better. Just a second.”
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I tap out a message to Eli and send it off before carrying my sweet bundle to the nursery, where I settle in the oversized glider with her on my lap. We rock there for a few minutes, until someone knocks on the half-open door.
“You can come in, Eli.”
My brother pokes his head around the door and steps inside, followed by Gray. The former is holding a bottle full of the frozen hot chocolate I requested, while the latter has my babygirl’s stuffed Loch Ness monster.
Love wells in my chest as they each bring their gifts over to the glider. Eli hands me the bottle while Gray places the stuffie in Vanessa’s arms.
“Nessie!” she squeals, wrapping her arms around the animal and burying her face in its softness. “Thank you, Auntie Gray!”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Couldn’t have our little niece going to bed without her best friend, now could we?”
A sweet, high giggle slips out of my babygirl as she shakes her head. “Uh-uh! Nessie would be so lonely without me!”
I hold up the bottle for her to see. “And look what your Uncle Eli brought you.”
She gasps. “Frozen chocolate! Thank you, Uncle Eli!”
“You’re welcome, little one.” Bending down, he presses a kiss to the top of her head. “Make sure you drink all of that before you go to bed. You’ve had a very big night.”
Straightening again, he meets my gaze and lowers his voice. “I added some vitamin powder Ford recommended.”
“Thanks, Eli. I appreciate it.”
“Any time.” He and Gray each take a turn giving Vanessa another kiss goodbye before turning to leave.
Shifting her on my lap, I bring the bottle to her mouth, and I can’t help but chuckle when she sucks greedily at the sweet treat inside. This isn’t how I’d planned for our evening to end after we’d found our Little ones sneaking around in the middle of the night.
But somehow, it’s even more perfect this way.