Page 50 of Daddy's Heart

He leaned back, remaining silent as though he were replaying all the information through his mind. Maybe he was coming up with a worse punishment than the paddle staring at her from the cushion next to him.

“I swear, I was only trying to make sure you were safe.” She raised her gaze to his, trying to make him understand.

Pressing his elbows to his knees, he leaned forward, bringing his face too close to hers for her to pretend she didn’t see the resolve in his eyes.

“Your job, little girl, isn’t to protect me. That’s my job. Your job is to be a good girl, to be honest with me. Not keep secrets that could put you in danger—or me.” His jaw ticked. “What do you think would happen if Randall came knocking on my door while you were at an interview? I wouldn’t have known who he was. I would have been completely unprepared.”

She hadn’t thought of that. If Randall had made the trip to Chicago, he would have introduced himself as her ex-boyfriend—or a friend. Ryder wouldn’t have known any different, and who knows what would have happened then.

By keeping him in the dark, she had put him at risk.

“I didn’t think of it like that,” she whispered. Her heart ached for what could have happened, for what was happening right there. The disappointment in his eyes hurt.

“Your intentions were pure. I understand that.” He ran a finger along her jaw. “But you were very naughty. You kept dangerous secrets from me. You lied to me when I asked if something was wrong. All those times your brother called and you were busy texting him, you said nothing was the matter. You said he was checking up on you.”

He didn’t need to keep listing her misdeeds, she already knew them well enough. But he seemed intent on making sure she completely understood what she’d done wrong.

“I know, Daddy, and I’m sorry. Really, I am. If I hear from Randall again, I’ll tell you right away,” she vowed.

His lips curled at the edges and he huffed. “Damn right you will, little girl. But we’ll talk about the new rules, after your spanking for breaking the old rules.” His finger left her jaw and he moved on the couch until he was settled on the middle cushion. Picking up the paddle in his right hand, he motioned with his left.

He wanted her over his lap.

Her bottom vehemently disagreed.

“Sammy, over my knee right now, little girl, or you’ll be getting my belt as well.” His voice hardened to steel. There would be no give, no mercy here. Only the results of her actions.

She swallowed hard and sucked in her bottom lip.

“But the paddle hurts so much,” she whispered as she moved up to her feet, folding her hands in front of herself.

“Yes, it does. And I’ll make sure you feel every bit of it.” He didn’t even pretend like he was going to go easy on her. He was going to make her spanking miserable.

“I hate punishment spankings,” she whined, shuffling a little closer to him.

“Then you should have thought about that before you were so naughty, don’t you think?” He turned his dark glare up at her.

Her heart panicked and skipped a few beats, but her feet continued to move forward until her legs bumped up against his.

“I know, but…” All words flew from her mind when he grabbed hold of her and yanked her down over his lap. The air whooshed from her lungs from the hard impact to her middle. Automatic self-preservation kicked in, and she tried to scramble away.

“Nope. None of that,” he decreed, and placed two sharp smacks to the backs of her thighs. He hadn’t used the paddle, just his hand, but the instant sting shocked her still.

“When I tell you to get over my knee for your spanking, you don’t delay, and you don’t start trying to weasel your way out of it,” he said, a pointed finger poking into her ass cheeks. “Do you understand me, Sammy?”

She took a shaky breath and nodded. “Yes, Daddy. I’m sorry,” She was only making it worse for herself. The mess she was in was her own doing, and the time came to clean it up.

But she didn’t want that damn paddle.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?” he asked, running his hand over her upturned ass.

“Can you maybe—not use the paddle? Maybe just your hand?”

A loud burst of laughter was her answer.

“I think maybe you’ve forgotten who’s in charge here.” He shifted beneath her, but before she could turn to see what he was up to, the pacifier gag was in front of her face. “Open that pretty mouth of yours,” he ordered.

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