Page 53 of Daddy's Naughty List

“You don’t have to say thateverytime,” she mumbled, deliberately keeping her voice low enough he couldn’t hear as he climbed out of the car. The spanking she’d hoped to get for the hot chocolate would have hurt, but she’d been counting on him not beingtoomad.

Being rude to his face, however, was more likely to end with her standing in the corner with a bar of soap in her mouth than with a fun little spanking, so she wasn’t willing to push her luck on that front.

“Shower or bath?” he asked when they stepped into the small house they shared on the edge of town. It was one of their nightly rituals, and an easy way for her to tell him if she wanted to be Big or if she needed some Little time.

She’d been hoping for Little time. The parade and seeing Santa and the hot chocolate and spending time with Noelle had all put her firmly in that headspace, but she hadn’t been able to really let her Little free in public. So she’d been looking forward to coming home and letting Daddy Ian take over for a bit.

But now she just wanted some space from him. Space she wouldn’t get if she chose Little time. “Shower.”

A frown tugged at Ian’s mouth. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m kinda tired, actually. I think I’ll just grab a shower and head to bed.”

The frown deepened as he pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. “Do you feel okay, baby? It’s barely ten. Usually I have to threaten your sitting privileges for a week to get you in bed before eleven.”

“I feel fine. Guess the parade just wiped me out.”

“Okay. I’ve got some papers to grade, so just let me know when you’re out of the shower and I’ll come tuck you in.”

“Sure.”

Guilt pricked at her as she climbed the stairs, because she knew she had no intention of letting him know. It was petty and small of her, but she didn’t want to be near him just then.

The worst part was, she couldn’t really pinpointwhyshe was feeling that way. Not getting the spanking she’d earned wasn’t the end of the world. Or their relationship.

But for reasons she couldn’t explain even to herself, it felt… big. Too big for Little Taylor to deal with, so she’d just have to wait until her Big side was ready to take over for a bit.

Leaning back in his office chair, Ian pressed the heels of his hands to his aching eyes. How long had he been at this, anyway?

A glance at the clock told him he’d been sitting there far longer than he’d intended, which accounted for not only the pressure behind his eyes but the ache in his neck.

That quick glance also told him Taylor should have been done with her shower a long time ago. Worry snaked its way around his gut as he pushed out of his chair and made his way upstairs.

“Taylor? You okay, baby?”

No answer.

Worry grew to panic and he hurried up the last few steps, making a beeline for their bedroom. But instead of finding her unconscious on the bathroom floor, or the dozen other scenarios his overactive imagination had managed to conjure in those few seconds of worry, he found her in bed. Curled up on her side with the covers wrapped tightly around her.

Now it was a different kind of worry making his stomach churn as he approached the bed. Why hadn’t she called for him after her shower? He’d already been thrown off by her not wanting any Little time when they got home, but in all the months they’d been living together, not once had she gone to bed without him tucking her in.

Was she mad at him about something? Running the day through his mind, he couldn’t think of anything he’d said or done to piss her off that badly.

He was tempted to wake her up and demand answers. But on the off chance she really had just been extra tired, or she wasn’t feeling well, he decided it could wait until morning.

Stripping down to his boxers, he climbed under the covers with her, smothering a laugh when her brows furrowed in her sleep and she let out a soft whine as he gently unwrapped her.

“You have to share the covers, my little burrito,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

A growl slipped from her lips and she tightened her grip on the comforter. “Mine.”

Even in her sleep she was a brat, and this time he couldn’t help the quiet laugh that escaped. “I love you, Tayter Tot.”

She was already fast asleep again, so she didn’t answer. But she did snuggle into him when he pulled her close, so that had to count for something.

Right?

During the work week, it was rare for her to wake before Ian. But on weekends, or when school was closed like it was now for the holiday, he liked to sleep in.

---