Page 41 of Learning Little Lizzie

But it was definitely a real rule, at least as far as her Daddy was concerned, which meant she could count on spending at least five minutes in the corner every time she forgot.

After what felt like forever, the timer on his phone rang, and she sprang up from her chair. But before she could return to her spot on the couch, he called her name, beckoning her into the kitchen.

“Yes?” She tried to keep her tone as polite as possible, despite the annoyance still pricking at her chest.

Turning away from the stove, he captured her chin between his fingers. Why that single move should turn her knees to water every single time she didn’t know, but it never failed. “What’s wrong with my Little Lizzie?”

“For starters, my name is not Lizzie.” Her parents had never called her by a nickname, and her friends all called her El. “So you can stop calling me that.”

His smirk was pure male smugness. “You didn’t mind it so much when you had my fingers in your little kitty earlier.”

“Oh my god, do you have to say it like that?”

“Yes. I love the way you blush when I embarrass you. My adorable Little Lizzie.”

“I’m not adorable.”

“You are, especially when you’re grouchy. Why are you so grumpy, little one? Did you not enjoy your orgasm?”

If her face got any hotter, she was certain she would just burst into flames right there in the kitchen. “No. I did. A lot.”

“Then why are you sulking?”

“I hate asking permission for everything.”

Understanding lit his eyes and his smile turned surprisingly sympathetic. “I know you do. But it pleases me. And it’s good for you.”

Hearing she’d pleased him was almost enough to drive her grumpies away. Almost. “How is it good for me?”

“It helps you stay in the headspace I want you in. And it makes you think about things before you do them, like watching tv. So often we find ourselves doing things mindlessly, out of habit, even if it’s not the healthiest choice for us in the moment. Asking permission forces you to pause, even if it’s just for a second, instead of simply falling into unhealthy habits.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize there was an actual reason for it.”

“Ah.” Chuckling softly, he ran his thumb across her bottom lip. “And my Little girl doesn’t like to follow rules when there’s no good reason.”

“Yeah.”

“I can understand that. And as much as I appreciate that you don’t simply do as you’re told without question, there are going to be times I ask you to do things simply because it’s how I want them done. Or because it makes me happy to see you obeying me, even if there is no good reason. Maybe ‘making Daddy happy’ could be a good enough reason, sometimes, to do as you’re told.”

“Maybe.” The odds were definitely in his favor if the butterflies in her stomach were anything to go by. “I can’t promise I won’t argue or pout, though.”

“And I can’t promise I won’t put you on your knees to remind you how good Little girls are meant to use their mouths.”

Heat flashed through her again, but this time from desire instead of humiliation. “Fair enough.”

“Good girl.” He leaned in to brush a kiss over her lips, and she nearly wept with need when he pulled back after that too-brief connection. “One episode of a show, then you will come and set the table.”

“Yes… Sir.”

For a moment, she’d been tempted to call him Daddy. She hadn’t yet, not to his face, though she knew he desperately wanted to hear it from her.

Disappointment flickered in his eyes, but then it was gone as quickly as it had come and he was smiling at her again. “And after dinner, we can have dessert.”

“Really?” In the nine days they’d been together, he’d only treated her to dessert once and that had been during a meal they’d shared in one of the restaurants. “What’s for dessert?”

“You.”

CHAPTER 15

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