Chapter 18
Unfortunately, their lunch plans had to be put on hold for a debriefing of the incidents.
Max was trapped in a large conference room with the other bomb tech, the military police, and the base commanders.
Together, the explosive experts had profiled the type of device they’d found.
Both had matched down to the coloring of the wires.
No one doubted that the attack was coordinated. The question was why.
Max had sent Saylor with Jerico and Aspen.
The team leader would keep an eye on his little girl to watch for any post-event trauma response.
Aspen’s previous neighbor had threatened her repeatedly before Jerico had swept in to pluck his little girl and her dog from the dangerous situation.
Saylor had become good friends with all the Littles. She would have a great time with Aspen.
His phone vibrated quietly, and Max glanced down to see a blurry picture of two women and an enormous dog dashing through a sprinkler.
He struggled to keep his concerned, professional expression as they discussed the serious threat.
Sending a quick TY to Jerico to thank him for the update, Max focused back on the discussion.
Finally, he and the other explosive ordinance disposal expert got the okay to head out. He talked to his counterpart for a few minutes as they walked out to the parking lot. By the time Max got into his truck, he had pushed off the challenge of defusing the bomb and focused solely on seeing Saylor.
His phone buzzed with an incoming text. At the next red light, Max scanned Hank’s message.
His teammate had debated whether to tell him or not, but ultimately felt Max needed to know.
Saylor hadn’t followed Hank’s directions to stay in a protected spot, potentially putting herself at risk.
Everything had turned out okay, but Sammie’s arrival could have gone very differently.
Quickly, he sent Hank his thanks. Saylor would need a lesson only a warm bottom would teach her.
When he reached Jerico’s home, his teammate met him in the driveway. “She’s zonked out and is napping on the couch. Want to take her home?”
“Yes. I need to have her close.” Max didn’t hesitate to share his real feelings with his teammate. Jerico understood completely.
Walking into the now cheerful house decorated with colorful pillows, Max spotted his Little snoozing away on the couch under a soft throw.
Her hair was still slightly damp from the fun she’d had with Aspen and Rexy.
Max walked silently past Aspen, who napped in a large recliner with her rainbow stuffie, Bowbow, tucked under her chin.
Scooping Saylor into his arms, Max whispered, “I’ve got you, baby. Let’s go home.”
“Daddy,” she sighed and tucked her head snugly into the crook of his neck to press a sweet kiss before drifting off again.
Jerico led the way outside, opening doors to help Max tuck his Little safely into the truck. After stretching the seatbelt across her body, Max stepped back to close the door quietly. He held his hand out to Jerico.
“I owe you, man.”
“You don’t. They had fun. Saylor had a delicious lunch. She’s a good girl,” Jerico said. “Are you keeping her?”
“Forever and ever,” Max answered.
“Good. See you tomorrow. Saylor’s welcome to hang with Aspen tomorrow if you want to drop her off.”
“I’ll let her sleep in. Thank you for the offer. I appreciate it.”
Jerico nodded and headed back for the house as if the most precious woman in the world waited for him. Max climbed into the truck and drove slowly home, avoiding bumps and braking too suddenly so his precious cargo could continue to rest.
She blinked her eyes open as he pulled into the garage. He loved her sweet, sleepy look of happiness upon seeing him. “Stay where you are, baby. I’ll come carry you in.”
A short time later, Max sat down on the couch with Saylor on his lap. “Little girl, do you have anything to tell me?”
“Like what, Daddy?” she asked, looking confused.
“Did you follow all of Hank’s directions?”
“Yes. All of them,” she rushed to assure him.
Max met her gaze and waited. She swallowed hard and squirmed slightly, visibly struggling to decide what to do. He didn’t say anything to relieve the tension. This was a lesson she needed to learn.
A few seconds later, she blurted, “I was supposed to stay behind the bleachers when Sammie appeared, but I could tell she wasn’t a threat.”
“How?”
“Well… she’s a girl and she looked nice.”
“Sounds like a good disguise for someone to get close enough to take a target out,” he said.
“Maybe, but it all worked out okay.”
“You didn’t follow Hank’s instructions. What if she’d pulled out a gun? Hank might have been able to overpower her, but you split his attention, jeopardizing both yourself and Hank.”
“I didn’t think about that,” she whispered.
He hated scaring her, but he had to rely on her doing what trusted experts ordered—immediately and without question. “You’ve earned your first spanking, little girl. Do you need to potty first?”
“Yes.”
He lifted her onto her feet.
Saylor took two steps toward the hallway before turning back to him. “I don’t want a spanking.”
“I know. Go potty and come right back.”
She rushed to the bathroom. After the toilet flushed, he heard her wash her hands. Max could tell she made each task last as long as possible. Her feet dragged slowly across the floor as she returned.
“Daddy…”
“Come here, baby.” Max pointed to a spot in front of him.
He waited patiently until she moved into place.
Without making her wait, he pulled her leggings and panties down to her feet.
Tapping on her right foot, he said, “Lift,” and removed her clothing entirely before repeating the process on the other side.
When she was bare from the waist down, he gripped her hips and met her gaze. “How did you earn this spanking?”
“I didn’t follow directions.” Her voice wavered with emotion as she trembled slightly.
Her scared voice her tore him up inside, but she had to learn. “Putting yourself at risk isn’t okay, baby. I need to know you’re safe. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered. “Is the spanking going to hurt?”
“Yes, baby. If your punishment didn’t, you wouldn’t remember to make better choices. Over my thighs, Saylor.”
He helped Saylor move into position, balancing her so her toes and fingertips didn’t touch the floor. Her pale bottom looked adorable. He didn’t delay. She was nervous already.
Raising his hand, Max popped his uninjured hand down on her rounded buttocks.
He peppered her skin with light swats to help her adjust before delivering the first firm spank.
Her head reared up and Saylor reached back to stop him.
Quickly, he captured her hands and pinned them to the small of her back to keep them out of the way before continuing her punishment.
“No, Daddy. That hurts,” she pleaded, wiggling on his thighs to escape.
“Spankings are supposed to linger in your mind. A hot bottom will make you think twice about deciding you know better than someone trained to deal with possible threats,” Max lectured as he smacked her tender flesh.
Soon, her protests turned to sobbing apologies and promises to be good.
When she drooped over his lap completely accepting his discipline, Max knew she’d learned her lesson.
He lightened his swats to smoothing strokes over her now red butt.
After a moment, he scooped her into his arms and held her tight against his chest, rocking her slightly.
“That’s Daddy’s good girl. I’m proud of you for taking your spanking. Now your mistake is wiped away, baby.”
Saylor’s tears slowed and her breathing deepened. Max held her as she dozed in his arms. The trauma of the day’s events had sapped her and her previous nap hadn’t restored her energy completely. She would wake up feeling much better.
The image of Saylor curled up in her crib popped into his mind. The team would visit tomorrow to help put the furniture together, but Max decided the crib was his to create on his own. Then he’d turn his attention to painting the decorations.
He couldn’t wait to check out Saylor’s creation on the wall across from his mermaid. His little girl needed a special nursery to enjoy and share with her new friends. Having both of their talents showcased would display how well they matched.
* * *
Max had ordered a ton of food for the gathering while Saylor finished her nap.
Everyone would bring something they enjoyed to share.
They had team meals down to a fine art by now.
Caden was a master at helping the team bond and understood that sharing their lives outside of maneuvers helped the men operate on a different level.
The group had morphed a lot in recent years.
Hank had switched to a new base and a new team.
Koa had joined the team as a talented new graduate from special ops training.
The addition of Jerico as team leader had caused concern before that first meeting.
Max had understood how lucky the team was in that first meeting where Jerico had protected and equipped them with a masterful diplomatic touch.
Max hoped this group would stand together for as long as possible.
The team was that solid—bonded by confidence in each other and wired similarly in their private lives.
Rushing home the next day, Max called, “I’m home, baby.”
Saylor rushed out to greet him and skidded to a stop five feet away. She pinched her nose. “Daddy! Ewwww!”
Max picked her up and rubbed his face against her soft skin. “You don’t like how your daddy smells?”
“You’re covering me with stink, Daddy. I’m going to have to shower!”
“Oh, no! I have to strip off your clothes?” he asked in mock regret.
“Daddy! Everyone’s coming,” she whined.
“Then you’re going to have to be fast, aren’t you, baby?” he asked, carrying her to the bathroom as he nibbled on her sensitive neck.
“Um…” Her fingers threaded through his sweaty hair as he captured her mouth and kissed her breath away. When Max lifted his mouth from hers to set her down on the shower mat, Saylor promised, “I’m good at super speed.”
“That’s my little girl.”
After turning on the water to heat, Max flung their clothes in all directions as he revealed his Little’s gorgeousness.
Wrapping his arms around her torso, he lifted her feet from the floor and backed into the spray.
He rinsed the worst of the sweat from his body before pinning her back to the tiled wall.
“Wrap your legs around me, baby.”
Max glided his cock through her pink folds, drawing breathless gasps from his little girl.
Saylor clung to him, meeting his kisses eagerly.
Her hands ranged over his body as she wiggled her pelvis against him.
Max let her play for a few minutes before he grabbed a condom and leaned back to open the small wrapper.
“Help Daddy,” he instructed, handing the protection to her.
Saylor grabbed the condom eagerly and guided it over his hard shaft.
He gritted his teeth as her fingers brushed over his cock.
Her touch pushed his arousal into overdrive.
As soon as she finished, he brushed her hands away and fitted himself to her drenched opening.
Flexing his hips, Max buried himself in her heat.
Her sweet moan of enjoyment made his cock jerk inside her.
“Damn, little girl. You feel like heaven,” he groaned, resting his forehead against hers to regain his control.
“Go, Daddy. I need you,” she begged, bouncing slightly on his pelvis.
He didn’t need any more encouragement. Kissing her hard, Max withdrew and filled her repeatedly until the heat inside the shower built.
Their bodies strained together as pleasure built inside him.
Saylor’s hands rubbed all over his body as if she couldn’t get enough of him.
Soon he felt the tremors inside her tight passage that signaled her imminent climax.
Increasing his strokes, Max ground his pelvis against her clit as he squeezed her still pink, punished bottom to deliver a small reminder of her spanking.
A scream of delight burst from her lips as her fingernails bit into his shoulders. Her pussy seized around him, launching his own pleasure. His groan echoed against the hard tile as he emptied himself into the condom.
“I was fast, Daddy,” she said proudly.
“You are always worth any time you need, baby. Our guests can start the grill and eat without us if we aren’t ready for them. Okay?” he asked, wanting her to know her enjoyment meant more to him than their company.
Her eyes sparkled with amusement at the mental image that must have sparked inside her brain. “Okay, Daddy. I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.”
* * *
A bang on the front door signaled the first arrival. Max yelled from the kitchen to the large man standing on the porch, “Hank, get in here. You don’t have to knock.”
“You didn’t bring Sammie?” Saylor asked, sounding disappointed.
“Hey, Saylor. No, sweetheart. I’m sure she’s busy tonight.”
“You could have invited her. She’s nice.”
“You’re just stuck with me, I’m afraid. I did bring my famous white queso dip,” Hank said, waving a bag of tortilla chips.
“Oh, damn, Hank. We’ll take you just for that,” Max said, helping to distract his little girl. “Saylor, why don’t you look to see who’s here. I heard another door slam.”
“Okay!” Saylor bounded off to peek out the door.
“Thanks, Max,” Hank said with a grin.
“Even the newest Little noticed how Sammie turned to you for safety. Did you at least get her phone number?” Max asked.
“Better than that. We have a date when she gets back in town in a couple weeks. Turns out she has some questions,” Hank said with a straight face, not revealing anything.
“You old dog. Good for you. Grab a beer,” Max invited as Aspen and Zale entered.