Page 57 of Daddy Down Under

He grabbed his phone and took a few pictures. “I’m gonna put the lotion on first, and then you can see.”

“Why can’t I see them first?”

He chuckled. “Because I said no.”

Right. I considered arguing but then gave up. What was the sense? He’d win anyway.

He cleaned me first, then dripped cool lotion on my ass. It felt wonderful as it soaked into my skin, helping it cool down and hydrate. When he was done, he threw the washcloth in the bathroom and crawled right back in next to me. With a few swipes, he held up a picture.

Holy crap, my ass looked fiery. Much redder than I would’ve guessed based on the pain. It stung, but more a throbbing discomfort, not actual pain. But in the picture, it was fiery red, and yes, I could see his handprints. It was strangely arousing.

“It doesn’t hurt as bad as it looks,” I said.

“I’m glad. Not that I would’ve regretted it either way. You needed that.”

“You mean I deserved to be punished.”

He was quiet for a moment. “Yes, but you also needed that spanking. You needed to lose control.”

Had I? Maybe he was right, but I was too tired to make sense of it now. “Can we go to sleep?”

He immediately put away his phone. “Yeah. It’s been a long day.”

Turning on his back again, he held out his arm, and I snuggled close. I loved that he was such a cuddler. I had never been, not until him, but now I craved it. Or maybe it was all him.

As we drifted toward sleep, Ocean wrapped his arm around me tighter, pulling me closer. The gesture was so natural, so effortless, it made my chest ache with a longing I hadn’t even known I possessed. I felt a sense of peace settle over me, a quiet hope blooming in my chest.

Maybe I could be enough for him.

CHAPTER TWENTY

In which I discover how salty the ocean is and that surfing is much, much harder than it looks.

My accountant had reported that,so far, he hadn’t found anything suspicious or alarming in his audit of the Krause Group, much to my relief. Not that I had expected anything else, but still. James had gotten Garrett’s approval to give me seven days for my audit and decision without them considering anyone else’s offer, but I expected to be able to make the call after the weekend. Unless something shocking came up out of the blue, I was going forward with the deal.

Ocean, of course, pointed out that since I was waiting for the audit results anyway, I might as well take the day off. He had this way of asking me things—or maybe it was more like telling, really—that made it impossible for me to say no. Before I knew it, I agreed. And then he told me we were going surfing.

Excuse me, what now? But, of course, resistance was futile as Ocean got his way because I caved way too easily. I still grumbled during our long drive to the beach since Ocean shouldn’t think he could boss me around that easily, but I think we both knew it was a performative protest, especially after that spanking.

My ass had recovered in a day, and strangely enough, I’d been somewhat disappointed. Weird as it sounded, I’d liked the sting. It had been a reminder of the truths we shared, of how he’d taken care of me. It had mattered. We hadn’t mentioned it since, and I was pretty certain Ocean was giving me some space to process, which I appreciated.

We picked up two surfboards from a surf shop in Torquay before driving a few more minutes to the nearby surf beach, and then Ocean led us to a quiet spot, our footsteps leaving trails in the warm, wet sand. The salty air tickled my nose, a heady reminder of the adventure we were about to embark on. Ocean chattered on about the waves and swells, but my mind was focused on the warmth of his hand enveloping mine. Something simple, yet it felt so good.

“You’re gonna love this,” he told me, full of his usual confidence. “The wind is perfect for beginners today, very gentle.”

I shot him a skeptical glance. “I don’t know about this. I’m not the most athletic person on the planet.”

He grinned, revealing a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Don’t worry, baby. I have faith in you.”

His confidence was infectious, or maybe it was the way his words seemed to caress my very soul. And how I loved it when he called me baby or sweetheart or any other pet name.

“Here, let’s set up camp.” Ocean waved his free hand grandly at the stretch of pristine golden sand before us.

As he unpacked our things, I admired the way his muscles rippled under his board shorts. No matter how often I saw him naked, I still drooled over that perfect body. He was so sleek, so graceful, every line of his body defined.

“First things first, we need to choose the right board.” He gestured to the surfboards resting in the sand, and I refocused. “This one’s for beginners.” He nudged a smaller, thicker board with his foot. “She’s as forgiving as a mother’s hug.”

I chuckled at his poetic analogy, my apprehension ebbing.

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