Page 11 of Santa's Little Helpers

“Don’t let him hear you say that. He may take it as a challenge,” I grumbled.

“I’ve told him.” She winked.

“Of course you have. You’re crazy.” I was still upset and embarrassed, but talking to Sadie helped to calm me. I took a deep breath and set the towel down. “You’re right, though. I don’t need to buy myself more trouble. What else needs to go out to the table?”

“Good girl,” she praised, pointing to the remaining dishes. “Don’t worry. Those aren’t hot,” she assured me with a wink.

Standing in front of Derek’s desk, I racked my brain for an explanation for all of the weird things going on. It started with Derek thanking me for volunteering to pick Jared up. He knew I hated to leave the ranch, and he knew how nervous I was around the older man. Why would I offer to drive an hour to pick him up on my own? Then there was the bed. I made that bed more than once. It was perfect when I left, yet Derek informed me that when we got home, it was completely undone. Derek sat back in his chair with one booted foot on his knee and his chin resting in his hand. His eyes did not carry their typical joviality. He was unhappy with me, very unhappy.

“Care to explain to me what’s going on?”

“I wish I knew,” I mumbled.

He sat up in the chair and folded his hands on the desk in front of him. “Being fresh is not the direction you want to take with me this morning, sub.”

I hated when he called me that. It was so cold and impersonal. He did it to put me into a certain mindset, and it worked, but I still hated it. “I-I’m not being fresh, Sir. I don’t know what’s going on.” I managed to keep the whine out of my voice, but failed at sounding contrite. I wasn’t contrite. I was angry and confused.

Derek stood and rounded his desk toward me. It took everything I had not to step backward. He intimidated the hell out of me, but I was not afraid.

Placing his finger under my chin, he forced my gaze up to his, and I gulped. “You have been off since we started planning for our Christmas party. You are being careless and disrespectful, and it is going to stop right now. Do we understand each other?”

“Yes, Sir.” I wished I could argue, that I could prove I had little to do with everything happening. I worked hard to please Derek, but I had no explanation, and all signs pointed to me.

“If you wanted some extra attention, you got it. For the next week you will come to the office fifteen minutes early and kneel in the corner wearing your punishment plug. When I arrive, you will request a spanking. If I have time, I will deal with you right then. If I do not, I will do so at the most convenient time for me. You will wear the plug until 10:00 a.m. every day. All of your work will be completed with your bare bottom firmly in place on your punishment mat. And, Erika, you will figure out what is going on, and you will fix it and help make Jared’s stay as relaxing as he deserves it to be. Now is your time to ask questions if you have them.”

My mouth dried out, and I found it hard to swallow. If I had a question in that moment, I wouldn’t be able to speak anyway. A seven-day punishment was going to be difficult, but I’d let him down, and that was worse than any spanking. I was sincerely glad he wasn’t grounding me.

“Right, then. Fetch the school paddle, please.”

The school paddle was made of oak, and it packed a punch. I carried it at my side, weighing it in my hand. It was heavy, and it would only take a few swats to bruise me. I hadn’t been spanked with it in a long time. Kneeling in front of Derek, I presented it to him in the required manner. Without a word, he took it and set it on the desk. Tucking his finger under my chin again, he pulled my attention to him.

“I do not like having to discipline you harshly.” His eyes softened significantly. “But we both know this is the way you learn. I want you to know that, even though your punishment will last several days, you already have my forgiveness.”

Tears filled my eyes. “Thank you, Sir.”

“Don’t thank me yet, little lady. Over the desk with you, now.”

Swiping the tears away, I obeyed as quickly as possible. With my chest and forehead pressed flat against the polished wood, my arms extended in front of me, hands palms down, and my feet flat on the floor shoulder width apart, I waited. Derek lifted my skirt, but, to my dismay, returned to his desk chair. He was going to make me wait. Taking a deep breath, I forced my tense muscles to relax as much as possible.

After a prolonged period of silence, I couldn’t help but shift my weight from foot to foot. I was uncomfortable and anxious to get this over with. The longer he waited, the more likely I would have to deal with the humiliation of someone entering the office. It had happened before, and if my luck had anything to do with it, this time it would be Jared. I couldn’t fathom him seeing me in this position. He would know exactly what landed me here, and I might die of embarrassment. My mind wandered at the thought of him. What would he think of me after all the mistakes I’d made? He was probably used to perfect and mature submissives who had their shit together. I was none of those things. I lived at the ranch where my every basic need was met and then some. I had a tiny savings account Derek forced me to maintain, but it would barely last me three months in the real world. With no plans for a future and a sketchy past, it became painfully obvious how unappealing I must appear. Who would ever want a girl like me?

I was forced out of my pity party with a sharp smack to my thigh.

“Where is your focus, girl?”

How he knew I was not meditating about my behavior, I could never figure out, but each time I got lost and headed down a spiraled path to darkness, he was right there to bring me back.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” I whimpered. Sometimes he added strikes for not keeping my thoughts on my punishment. I hoped he would show some mercy today. I didn’t know how many I had coming, but any extras with the school paddle would undoubtedly be excruciating.

“Eyes, please,” Derek requested gently, and I turned my head to face him. “Where did you go? Your body tightened like a rubber band ready to snap.”

So that’s how he could tell. “I was thinking about my future, Sir.”

Derek sighed and nodded his head. “It’s been on my mind as well, little lady. For now, let’s get your punishment out of the way. We have work to do. We will discuss that at a later time, okay?”

“Yes, Sir.” It made my heart lighten that he understood, and I knew he had my best interests at heart. Having his support made everything easier. Derek’s massive hands wrapped around my bare waist and tugged backward. I took a couple of steps, knowing heavy implements would force my hips into the corner of the desk and cause terrible pain. It made me laugh that he was so concerned about hurting me when he was about to lay down some heavy discipline, but I appreciated it all the same.

“Ten, girl, count them, please.”

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