Page 9 of Lion's Little Scamp

After drying off and dressing in the light purple pajamas that had been in the bag with her class uniforms, she took the time to comb out her hair. It would have been great to blow it dry, but she did not think Harrigan would have a hair dryer. He did not look like the high maintenance sort.

After untangling and combing it out, Irish looked around the bathroom. She then wiped down the shower stall, toilet, and counters, making sure everything sparkled. She was eyeing the floor when a knock at the closed door startled her. She squeaked as she spun around to stare at the closed panel.

“Irish? Are you okay?” Harrigan sounded worried.

“I’m fine,” Irish said as she crossed to the door and opened it. “I’m sorry. I’m fine.”

Harrigan looked her up and down as if to confirm her statement before looking past her to the bathroom. “What were you doing, little girl?”

Dropping her eyes to the middle of his chest, she shrugged and then whispered, “Cleaning the bathroom.”

“Cleaning the bathroom? Why?”

Irish didn’t know how to interpret his tone. For a moment she wondered if she should duck and run, or drop to the floor and pray. Instead of moving away, she hunched her shoulders and held very still, hoping he didn’t smack a hand upside her head, because his hands were big and powerful, like the rest of him. He could probably send her flying across the room if he wanted.

“Irish? Scamp? What’s wrong?”

“Please don’t hit my head,” she whispered as she ducked until her chin was digging into her chest.

“Oh, scamp, I would never hit you in the head. When you deserve it, I’ll spank your bottom, but that’s all.” Big warm arms slid around her back. He gave her a moment to pull away, and when she didn’t, he pulled her closer until her brow pressed against his body.

Slowly she lifted her chin, and he moved even closer. He did not stop until they were pressed together body to body, and his arms were hugging her. She inched her hands around to his back and held on tight.

“You won’t hit my head?”

“Never.”

“But you’ll spank my bottom.”

“When you’ve been naughty and need a punishment, yes, I’ll spank your bottom.”

Irish was not sure what to say to that. While she had read Daddy and Little girl stories, and thought she was a Little from the way she clung to Fluffy and had a hard time taking care of herself, she never ever expected to meet and come under the care of a Daddy-like person.

When she was finally able to take a deep breath, she leaned back to look up at the man. “Are you a Daddy?”

Her cheeks burned hot when he didn’t respond right away. Maybe she should not have asked in such a blunt manner, but she was curious and found that asking questions was usually the best way to get the answers she needed.

Instead of growling at her, or denying any knowledge of what a Daddy was, Harrigan smiled, his brown eyes glowing almost gold.

“Yes, scamp, I am a Daddy Dominant. You know what Daddies and Littles are?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And are you a Little girl?”

Suddenly uncomfortable, Irish dropped her gaze to his throat. “I think so. But I also have Big girl feelings for you as well, which is strange since we just met, and I’ve never had them for anyone else. Ever. What do you think that means?”

“I think that means you’re feeling the mating pull, little one. The pull that runs deeper than thought or feeling but comes when you meet the mate you will spend the rest of your life with,” Harrigan said gently.

Irish frowned, not quite understanding what he was telling her. “Is that like soulmates?”

“Similar but different. Let’s go sit down so we can talk about mates and rules and what to expect from the next thirty days. After that, we’ll get your first spanking out of the way before bedtime.”

Irish frowned. “You’re going to spank me? But I haven’t done anything. I’ve been a good girl.”

Harrigan wanted to laugh at the confused expression on her face, but knew that would hurt her. And the last thing he wanted to do was cause her pain, well, except for her ass during her spanking.

He did not answer her until he was sitting in his recliner and had lifted her to sit across his lap. “Every day for the next few days you will receive a spanking. Ten smacks with my hand. It is part of the retraining process, to assure you that as your guardian, I will never threaten something and not back it up with action. A spanking has also been known to have emotional and psychological benefits by allowing you to purge any yucky feelings or guilt or other negative emotions you’re hanging onto. So, in answer to your question, yes, I will be spanking you tonight.

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