Chapter 5
COLT
Tabby once again retreats into her quiet shell during breakfast. But I get peeks of the girl from the night before, once when she refuses to eat the fruit that came with her waffle and again when she tries to order a third glass of chocolate milk instead of the water I told her she needed to drink.
Both times, a stern look and the threat of a spanking is all it takes to get her back in line. I can’t help but feel she’s like a volcano, ready to burst with naughtiness at any moment, and I grin to myself at the prospect of reddening her cute little bottom in front of everyone.
“All right, little one. Where do you want to go next?” I ask as I lead her out of the restaurant and back out into the expansive lobby. “We could spend some time in the arcade or go to the toy store or—”
A loud gasp draws my attention down to my babygirl. Her gaze is riveted on something across the lobby, and when I follow her line of sight to a store filled with fluffy Little girl dresses much like the one she’s wearing, I smile.
“See something you like, baby?”
Instead of telling me she wants to go to Solene’s, however, she just shakes her head. “No, nothing.”
Hmm.
Leaning down so we’re eye to eye, I grip her chin and force her to turn her head, though she still manages to avert her gaze.
“Tabitha. What do you see that you like?”
Red floods her face and she shifts nervously from foot to foot but she still doesn’t look at me. I give her a few moments before tightening my grip on her chin.
“Tabitha Grace. Answer me right now or I am going to put you over my knee and spank you right here in the middle of this lobby.”
Another gasp, this one more shocked, as her eyes snap to mine. “No!”
“Yes. You have until the count of three. One.”
Her bottom lip trembles, and I’m tempted to let her off the hook.
But I won’t tolerate my Little girl lying to me, even over something as seemingly frivolous as clothes.
Because it’s not about the clothes. It’s about her recognizing that she is mine and I will not allow there to be any secrets between us.
“Two. You are testing my patience, little girl.”
I wait, counting to five in my head while she continues to fidget before I sigh. “Three. All right, naughty girl.”
Releasing my hold on her chin, I straighten and scoop her up into my arms, carrying her over to a sleek wooden bench where I sit and flip her face down over my lap.
“Daddy, no! Not here! There’s so many people!”
Her feet flutter wildly as I strip her diaper from her, baring her sweet, round bottom. Setting the diaper aside, I cup her cheek and squeeze. “If you don’t want your bottom spanked in public, then you shouldn’t be naughty in public. When Daddy asks you a question, you answer, little girl.”
Her howls of pain mingle with the sound of my palm striking her bare flesh, creating the sweetest music I’ve ever heard. With every swat, her bottom jiggles beneath my palm, and my cock aches with the need to be buried between those pink globes.
Later, I tell myself. Perhaps when she’s been particularly naughty I’ll finally claim that tight little hole.
But right now I have a Little girl in need of a lesson, so I set my own desires aside and focus on giving her exactly what she needs.
Over my knee, sweet little Tabitha kicks and cries and fights with everything she has. Until, at last, she goes limp with a sob, her tears soaking the wood of the bench beneath me.
Pausing her punishment, I run my hand over her heated flesh. “Are you ready to be a good girl and tell Daddy the truth now, little one?”
Her head jerks up and down, so I pick her up and settle her on my lap, cradling her against my chest until her tears slow.
The small crowd that gathered during her spanking begins to break up, with several Little boys and girls flashing sympathetic smiles at Tabby.
Not that she notices, with how hard she’s crying, but it’s sweet of them to offer their support either way.
Once she’s caught her breath, I place a finger beneath her chin and nudged her head back. Golden eyes, made even more stunning by the shimmer of tears over them, meet mine and I swear my heart stops at the sight.
“There’s my pretty girl. Now, tell Daddy which store you want to visit first.”
Sniffling loudly, she points at the boutique. “I wanted to look at the pretty clothes.”
“Good girl. Thank you for being honest with me. Daddy is very proud of you.”
“Really?” Seemingly forgetting her recent punishment, her entire face lights with joy so bright it makes my chest ache.
“Of course, baby. Let’s get your diaper back on and we can go do some shopping.”
Her nose wrinkles, but she doesn’t argue as I lay her out on the bench and wrap her up in the diaper. But as I’m helping her to her feet and wiping the evidence of her tears from her cheeks, worry creeps into her beautiful eyes.
“We can really go look at the clothes? You promise you don’t mind?”
It's then that I realize she wasn’t holding back from telling me out of stubbornness. Someone, somewhere, clearly made her feel unsafe expressing her wants, maybe even her needs.
If I ever find that person, I will rip their still beating heart from their chest for daring to hurt my babygirl.
For now, however, I’ll have to settle for giving her everything her sweet Little heart desires. “We can do more than look, baby. Come on.”
As we cross the lobby, I can feel her excitement growing. And when we step into the shop, she lets out a soft, dreamy sigh. “Everything is so pretty.”
I can’t disagree. All around the store hang Solene’s creations. Some are like the dress my Little one is already wearing, fluffy and rather impractical for day-to-day life, while there are other, more subdued options that are just as cute if not quite as… elaborate.
But watching Tabby drift from rack to rack, running her hands gently over the layers of silk and tulle, I know without a doubt that no matter how ridiculously impractical her choices end up being, I won’t be able to deny her a single thing she asks for.
A woman dressed in one of the more subdued designs steps out of the back room, her dark hair hanging in dozens of thin braids around her beaming face. “Hello! Welcome to Solene’s. I’m Jade. Are we just browsing, or…?”
“No, we’re definitely buying.”
Spinning away from the dress she’s currently drooling over, Tabby stares at me. “What? No, absolutely not. I just wanted to look.”
“And Daddy wants to buy. So who do you think is going to win this battle, little one?”
Her twin braids fly as she shakes her head. “They’re way too expensive. I can’t own anything this nice.”
“Most of the pieces aren’t any more expensive than what you’re wearing,” Jade interjects, clearly eager to help.
But her assurances have the opposite effect. Staring down at her dress, Tabby inhales sharply and shakes her head. It takes me a moment to realize she’s having another panic attack.
Fuck.
Crossing the room in three strides, I scoop her up in my arms and carry her to one of the plush armchairs situated around the store. While she struggles for breath, I place my hand over her heart and press. It’s a move Ford taught all of us years ago, when Gray’s nightmares were at their peak.
“Breathe with Daddy, little one.” I deliberately inhale deeply through my nose, waiting for her to mimic me, and I hold the breath for a count of four before blowing it out through my mouth. “And out, slowly. Good girl.”
Glancing up at Jade, whose expression has turned distressed, I offer up a reassuring smile. “Do you have any bottled water?”
“Oh, yes.” Some of the color rushes back to her cheeks. “Yes, I’ll be right back.”
As Jade hurries off, I refocus on my babygirl. “Another breath, baby. You’re doing such a good job for Daddy.”
It takes several of those breaths for her heart to stop hammering beneath my palm, and by then Jade has returned with the requested water. Taking the bottle from her, I twist the top off and lift the plastic lip to Tabby’s mouth. “Drink.”
She obeys, sipping eagerly at the frigid liquid before I pull the bottle away and press a kiss to her hair. “There we go. Feeling better, little firecracker?”
“Yes.” Red floods her cheeks as she drops her gaze to her lap. “I’m sorry, I’m such an idiot, freaking out like that over clothes.”
“You are not an idiot, and if I ever hear you talking negatively about yourself again I will wash those filthy lies right out of your mouth before I spank your bottom red. Do you understand me, little girl?”
Silence stretches between us, with Tabby pressing her lips together, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge my threat.
It’s Jade who breaks the tension. “I’d listen to him,” she whispers. “He sounds like he means business.”
The hushed encouragement teases a giggle from my babygirl who finally peeks up at me through her lashes. “I understand. But I do feel very silly for melting down like that.”
Flashing Jade a grateful smile, I pull Tabby closer to me, gently rocking her. “You don’t ever have to feel silly with me, little one. But if you really want to make it up to me, then you won’t argue with me about buying you these very pretty dresses.”
“Oh. You really want to?”
“I really do.”
“Um. Okay. I won’t argue, then.”
Something tells me she’s still going to have a bit of sticker shock when it’s all said and done, but for now, I’m willing to accept her reluctant agreement.
Looking up at Jade, I give her a wide grin. “We’re going to need your largest dressing room.”