Page 14 of Papa's Rules
Chapter Five
Her obedience pleased him. More than he had imagined it would. Little Cammie rested over the arm of the couch, emitting the occasional nervous whimper, but otherwise remaining quiet and still.
He placed a hand on her bottom. “Young lady, I am going to make this quick but hard. You will learn to follow directions, and you will learn to control your temper and show more patience, or else you will find yourself in this position more often than you would like. Had you remained in the corner, as quiet and still as you are being right now, you would likely be snuggling in my lap at this very moment, rather than finding yourself bent over a couch awaiting your papa to redden your bare little bottom.”
She gasped, but before she had a chance to move, he flipped up her skirts and her chemise, then parted the slit of her drawers, revealing her nakedness. His blood heated. God, she was a lovely creature. He spread her drawers wider apart, letting his fingertips trail across her pale flesh. Inspecting her, he saw just a hint of pinkness on her lower left cheek, the only evidence that she’d endured a recent punishment. Of course, her entire bottom would be reddened by the time he was finished with her.
He still couldn’t believe she’d had the audacity to huff and stomp her foot. Had she been testing him to see if he really would spank her? Or was she simply unable to control herself when she became frustrated? Well, he supposed it didn’t matter, because either way, she was about to be on the receiving end of a good hard bottom smacking.
Standing beside her, he placed a firm hand on her lower back and raised his other hand, preparing his aim. He brought his flattened palm down upon her right buttock first, then quickly slapped her left one. She wiggled and gasped, but he continued on, spanking her with hardly a pause between slaps. Her curvy little cheeks soon pinkened, and then reddened, under his chastising swats.
“Ouch ouch ouch!” she cried. “Oh, Papa, I’m so sorry! Please no more spanking!”
“Your punishment will continue until I’m satisfied that you have indeed learned your lesson, little girl. Papa is in charge here, not you, young lady. You would do well to remember that.”
She whimpered and her shoulders heaved. A moment later, he heard the sound of sniffles followed by a heartfelt sob that wrenched at his soul. He gave her three more slaps, then stopped and rubbed her punished cheeks, deciding she had indeed had enough.
“Shh, sweet girl. It’s over now. You took your punishment well.”
He fixed her drawers back into place and gave her behind an affectionate pat. Then he returned her skirts and chemise to rights and lifted her off the sofa, only to draw her directly into his lap after he sank down on the cushions. He wrapped his arms around her and was pleased when she returned his hug and nestled her head against his chest.
“Do you know why you got a spanking, Cammie?”
“Y-yes, Papa. I was a bad girl.”
Alexander swiftly shifted position so he could look into her eyes when next he spoke. “You were not a bad girl, Cammie. You will never be a bad girl. Bad girl is a phrase we do not use in this household. Do you understand that?”
Her soft brows furrowed over her eyes. “B-but you punished me.”
“You were not bad. You were naughty, a very naughty girl indeed.” He took note of the way her breath hitched when he called her naughty. He stifled the happy smile that wanted to burst upon his lips for it would not do to have her know how much it pleased him. “You are a good girl. You are Papa’s good little girl. And sometimes good girls do naughty things or even bad things, but that does not make them bad.”
She thought for a minute and pursed her lips in concentration before resting her head against his shoulder and smiling up at him. “I think I understand, Papa. Thank you for explaining it to me so well.” She sighed. “I think I am going to like having you as my papa.”
He pulled her close and held her for a moment, planting a kiss upon her forehead.
“All is forgiven, my little poppet.”
“Thank you, Papa. I will try to be good from now on. I would not like to disappoint you again,” she said, gazing up at him solemnly. Her trust melted his heart.
“That is the point of punishment, my dear. Once the penalty has been imposed, the deed is forgotten, and we may continue as husband and wife in a happy manner, without the cloud of disappointment or worry hanging over us. Does that make sense to you?”
He watched as she pondered his words until she met his gaze and said, with a small smile, “Yes, Papa, I understand. I think your idea is a good one. Thank you for thinking of it.”
He dropped another kiss atop her head. Though he longed to wrap her snuggly in his arms and probe her pink lips with his own, he did not wish to alarm the poor girl. She had already traveled a great distance from her home in the country to the bustling streets of London, not to mention the naughty desires he had for her, his one wish was to make her feel safe and content in his home.
“Now,” he said, standing and taking her hand in his, “let us not talk of such unpleasantness. Would you care for a tour of Ashton Manor, your new home?”
“Oh, yes.” Her eyes glistened with excitement. “I would like that very much, Papa.”
He assisted her in climbing the large staircase that led to the second floor of Ashton Manor then down a long corridor to her room. He held his breath in excited anticipation, hoping against hope that she would be pleased with the arrangements he had made for her. Opening the door, he watched her face as the room was revealed to her one small part at a time.
Her eyes popped and her mouth fell open as she stepped across the threshold and then into the center of the room. Speechless, she turned in a slow circle taking in what he hoped was the perfect room for his little girl.
“D-do you like it?” he asked, nervous as a schoolboy as he awaited her response.
She circled again, this time more slowly and she made a wider circumnavigation of the room, reaching out to touch a lace covered table here or a porcelain doll there. Hesitantly, she moved to the corner where a large dollhouse stood, an exact replica of Ashton Manor. She turned to look at him and moved her lips, but no sound came out.
“Cammie? Are you well?” Crossing the room, he clasped her hands in his, staring down into her beautiful face.
