Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Fiera stood near the edge of the rug, fingers still tingling from where they’d curled into his shirt. Her lips felt swollen. Her chest felt too tight and too full all at once. Man, her Daddy could kiss!
Her Daddy. He was hers. Fire shot to her core at the picture of licking him everywhere to claim him.
He’d claimed her, and she wasn’t letting him take it back. Not ever.
We still have your punishment to deal with.
He had said it like a promise, but a promise of what?
Her first spanking hadn’t been fun at all.
She wasn’t sure how this could be any different.
The smile on his face made her shiver, and not out of fear.
Even if it wasn’t fun, she knew she was safe.
That was the part that amazed her. How could a person feel safe and nervous at the same time?
He moved away first, not far, but far enough for the cool air to chill her. He dragged his hand down his jaw and exhaled with slow purpose. “Are you ready, little girl?”
Her stomach dipped. He glanced at her, eyes dark and thoughtful. Her pulse skipped so hard she felt it in her throat. Was this it?
Her back snapped straight as her pulse quickened. He’d probably turn her over his knee now. She braced for the firm press of his hand against her back. Heat curled low in her belly at the thought, anticipating what he would do.
She wanted this, needed the forgiveness that came after consequences were meted out. She wanted to be good for him. And some small part of her wanted to prove to herself she could handle whatever he decided. Because he was safe.
“Yes, Daddy,” she said softly. Her voice didn’t tremble. No, that would be her thighs. This was not the time to get turned on. When he spanked her, he’d see everything. What if he thought she wasn’t taking her punishment seriously? She squeezed her thighs together, but it didn’t help.
His gaze lingered on her a moment too long. Should she have said no? Or was he trying to draw things out or build tension before he spanked her?
Narrowing his eyes, he said, “All right. Go gather what you need for a bath.”
She took two steps toward him before it occurred to her what he’d said. Freezing in place, she blinked at him like a frog on a lily pad, waiting for lunch to fly by.
Um…what?
“A bath?” The words slipped out before she could stop them.
One corner of his mouth curled up, but not in amusement. He nodded, tipping his head toward her bedroom door. “A bath,” he repeated. “Don’t take too long. Do you need me to count?”
Her stomach flipped hard enough to make her sway. “N-no, Daddy. I’ll be right back.” As she turned toward the bedroom to get what she needed, her thoughts tangled.
What the heck was going on? Where was the demand for her to bend over his lap? She wasn’t one to crave spankings or anything, but disappointment slammed into her chest. Had she made the same mistake twice?
No, Mace was a much, much better man than Erwin, but she couldn’t take another Daddy who promised consequences and didn’t deliver. She just couldn’t.
He’d said punishment, right? Maybe he would spank her after her bath. That must be it. In the books she read, spankings always hurt more on a wet bottom. She swallowed, her heart beginning to race for an entirely different reason.
Trying not to panic, she grabbed her pajamas and walked back to the main room. What would happen next? She had no idea, and somehow that uncertainty felt even more dangerous than any spanking ever could.
The scent of damp wood and rain clung to the hall, mingling with the faint warmth that seeped from the bathroom ahead. Her heart thumped, loud in her ears, and she realized she was ready—more than ready—for whatever he had planned.
Fiera tucked her pajamas under one arm, as Mace moved beside her, steady and unhurried, his presence grounding her even as anticipation curled in her stomach.
When they entered his bedroom, the sound of running water caught her attention.
Steam whispered from under the door, curling into the room like a soft invitation, quickening her pulse.
She tightened her grip on the folded pajamas, realizing she’d never wanted anything as much as she wanted to do exactly what he asked next, even if it meant taking a bath.
He opened the door to the bathroom and stood to the side. “After you, babygirl.”
Steam curled thick and slow through the bathroom, turning the air warm and heavy. The steady rush of water filled the small space, low and constant. The lights were dim, amber against tile and mirror, making everything feel cozier.
Her Daddy walked in after her and shut the door behind him. Was he… he wasn’t going to stay in the bathroom with her, right? He crossed to the huge round tub and tested the water temperature with his wrist.
Okay. Deep breaths. He’s probably leaving in just a second. But he dashed those hopes when he said, “Just go ahead and get undressed while I get the color fizzies for your bath. Then Daddy will help you into the tub.”
Color fizzies? She’d wonder what he was talking about if she weren’t trying so hard not to panic. There wasn’t a separate room for the toilet. She was going to have to strip right here in front of her Daddy. Tears stung the back of her eyes.
Then his large, calloused hands were resting on her shoulders. “What’s on your mind, babygirl?”
Spinning around, she buried her face in his chest. “I have to bathe with my clothes on.”
He stiffened for a moment, and then he began to shake. She’d triggered some kind of seizure. Wait… was he laughing?
She tipped her head up to face him. He was! If she didn’t think it would break her hand, she’d punch him in the stomach. Instead, she did the most rational thing she could think to do. She stomped her foot. Hard.
It would have been a great moment if she hadn’t accidentally stomped on his foot.
Holy smackerolly! Even his feet were hard.
And now he was going to think she was trying to hurt him.
“I’m so sorry! I was trying to stomp the floor.
I didn’t know your feet were that big. I mean, I should have known since you’re so tall.
Firm foundations and all that. Take my feet.
I’m short and my feet are short, too. Well, not short. Nobody has short feet. It’s just—”
His finger pressed against her lips, halting her ramble. “I know you weren’t trying to hurt me, firefly. Now, what’s all this about bathing in your clothes?”
Yeah. What about that? “I can’t just get undressed in front of you, Daddy. I can do my own bath. I’ve been bathing myself for almost two decades. I don’t need help.” Please, don’t let him want to help. She would die of mortification.
“Look at me, firefly.” When she did, the smile on his face and the heat in his eyes almost stole her breath. “I know we haven’t known each other very long. And I know you don’t need my help. But I’d very much like to help you. Can you be brave and tell Daddy why you don’t want that, too?”
Could she be that brave? She’d been many things, but a coward wasn’t one of them.
True, she hadn’t known him that long. If she were meeting him anywhere else, she might be more worried.
But she knew how careful Master Derek was about who visited Rawhide Ranch.
She’d think he was even more careful about who he brought in to teach and run the summer camps.
Besides, she knew how a bad Daddy acted. Nothing Mace had shown her made her doubt him. So, was her problem more about him… or was it more about her? Taking a steadying breath, she did the bravest thing she’d ever done. She talked to her new Daddy.
“I’m scared, Daddy.”
“Of me, babygirl? Have I done something to make you afraid?”
“No, Daddy. Not of you… of me. You’re so big and strong. I’m not like that. What if you see me, and you don’t like what you see?”
He hugged her close, and it felt wonderful.
“First of all, you are beautiful. Of all the things I worry about, you not taking my breath away with your looks has never been one of them. I can barely keep my hands off you. My cock has been hard since I saw you conquering your luggage the day you arrived at the Ranch. But let me tell you a secret, babygirl. A Daddy knows the outside of a Little isn’t nearly as important as the inside of a Little.
And I’ve seen the inside of you for two whole days now.
You have the most beautiful heart and spirit I’ve ever seen.
You are drop-dead gorgeous inside and out, and there’s nothing you can do to change that because that’s how Daddy’s eyes work. ”
Fiera couldn’t move. No one had ever spoken to her like that. He thought she was gorgeous. If she’d figured out anything about her Daddy, it was that she could trust him. And if he said she was beautiful inside and out, that’s what he believed. Who was she to argue with her Daddy?
Taking a step back, she smiled at him and tried to hold the panic at bay. Knowing he thought she was beautiful was one thing. Undressing in front of him was another. She did her best to pull off her top, but her hands were shaking.
Before she realized he’d moved, his hands were on hers, holding them to his chest. “Would you like me to help you?” he asked, his voice a deep rumble.
Her words wouldn’t work, so she nodded. She stood there, stunned as he dropped to his knees in front of her. “Tell me if you change your mind. All you have to do is ask me to stop.”
Catching the bottom of her shirt, he slid his hands underneath it.
His warm palms settled on each side, pebbling her nipples as he ran them up her abdomen to her ribs, gathering her shirt as he went.
He stared at her stomach so long her nerves sparked.
Then he leaned forward and pressed kisses on her chilled skin along her waist and then higher.
She’d never felt worshipped before, but this had to be how it felt.