Page 31 of Learning Little Lizzie

Because she had, for once in her life, learned her lesson, she dropped her hands with a sigh. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl.” He pressed the tissue to her nose, pinching lightly. “Blow.”

Apparently she wasn’t too tired to feel embarrassed, after all. Her entire body flushed hot with humiliation as she blew into the tissue.

“Good girl. Again.”

They repeated the process until she was more or less cleared out. “You really didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to.” A smile curved his lips as he brushed a few soaked tendrils of hair from her face. “I enjoy taking care of you, Eliza. I know it embarrasses you, which I find rather adorable if I’m being honest. But it makes me happy to coddle you a bit, especially after a harsh punishment. And I’m guessing you haven’t had much coddling in your life.”

“I don’t know. I’ve never given it much thought.” But now that he’d put the question in her mind, she was struggling to think of anyone who had ever babied her the way he had. As a child she’d been given the best education money could buy, and she knew her parents loved her but no, she couldn’t say they’d ever really coddled her.

And at the Ranch, well, she’d been such a holy terror from the moment she stepped through the doors she supposed she hadn’t really given anyone a chance to do more than punish her every time they turned around.

Which was how she liked it. Being in trouble normally turned her on, like a lot, and she was at her most comfortable when she was causing some kind of mischief.

Although she wasn’t turned on right now. At all. She was tired and sore and all she wanted was to curl up in bed with her bear and take a nap.

What the hell was wrong with her? It wasn’t even like that was the worst spanking she’d ever had. But she’d also never cried like that after a punishment, either. A few tears here and there, sure, but she’d never broken down weeping in someone’s arms.

“What are you thinking so hard about, little one?”

“Nothing.” He could spank her again if he wanted to, but there was absolutely no way she was telling him everything that had just gone through her mind.

To her surprise, he didn’t scold her. He simply cupped her cheek in his large hand, and when she looked up at him, his smile had turned sad. “I hope one day you’ll trust me enough to tell me.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to know you, Eliza. I’m not interested in simply being your guardian and punishing you when you’re naughty. I want to learn every piece of you, inside and out. I want to learn what makes you laugh, what makes you cry. Your favorite colors, your favorite flavor of ice cream. I want to know you, and I hope you’ll trust me enough someday to let me in.”

The air caught in her throat at his words. “You just met me. How can you want all of that with someone you’ve just met?”

Chuckling softly, he brushed his thumb across her cheek, and she belatedly realized she was crying again. “I have a confession. Master Derek told me all about you when he emailed me about taking the position here at the University. The moment he sent me a picture of you, I knew I wanted you to be my Little girl.”

“You can’t possibly know that from a picture.”

“I would have said the same thing a few months ago. I’m a man of logic and reason, Eliza. But I am also humble enough to know that there are forces at work in this world beyond human comprehension. And I believe those forces brought you to me.”

“You’re a Daddy. I don’t want a Daddy.” She might be feeling very confused about a lot of things, but that one point remained true.

Didn’t it?

“A bit of a sticking point, to be sure. But I think we can find a way that works for both of us, if you’re willing to give it a try.”

“I don’t know. This is all… a lot.”

“Fair enough. You can have as much time as you need to think about it.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and her chest ached in response to the sweet, simple gesture. “For now, we have a punishment to finish.”

Groaning, she snuggled into him. “Couldn’t you just hold me, instead?”

It was manipulative, and she knew it, but she really, really didn’t want another spanking.

“After you finish your lines, Daddy will hold you as long as you want. Deal?”

Any other time, she would prefer a spanking to writing lines, but she was so sore already she nearly sighed with relief. “Deal.”

“Good girl. Go sit at the kitchen table.”

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