Page 40 of Lily
She closed her eyes and dropped her head against his broad chest. "What does that mean?"
"It means you're working with Ashley. It means you're not setting foot back in that diner."
Lily's head snapped up. "What? I can't do that!"
"You can, and you will. I know what's best for you, and it's not serving when you could be making a living singing in a ballet production." He held up a finger, silencing her. "I don't care if it's an opera. I know you can do it. Music is my job. I know talent, and you have it. That's why I sent Ashley to talk to you. You can do this. Do you understand me?"
She bit her lip and then sighed. "Yes."
"Yes, what?"
Her pulse sped up at that simple question. She knew what he wanted to hear, what she was dying to say with him talking to her like this. "Yes, Sir," she whispered, and he hummed in approval.
"That's my good girl." He ran a thumb along her bottom lip and then pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth. "But don't think this doesn't mean there aren't going to be consequences for you second guessing yourself."
Lily's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"
"Your wellbeing is important. You tried walking away from an opportunity that I had for you, one that I knew you were suited for. That's going to be dealt with."
"But, Sir—"
"Rule number four," he reminded her. "Big opportunities and respecting my decisions. You didn't trust me there; you're not trusting me now. You do not need that diner job. It's holding you back."
Dammit. He was right. Lily scowled and looked down at her feet. "Fine," she mumbled.
"That's it?"
She sighed heavily and leaned into him. "Fine, I didn't respect your decision or the opportunity to work with Ashley on an operatic piece."
"Why didn't you?" Sam's hands came to rub her back gently, and she wrapped her arms around him.
"Because I was scared." Just thinking about being able to work with a production company, to make her living as a singer, was surreal. To have it offered so quickly in her journey to coming back to herself, almost felt unearned, and Lily knew she was holding herself back from embracing how good of an opportunity it was.
She should have been over the moon, but instead, she had tried to get out of it, refused to even audition. Sam had every right to be upset.
"Sorry," she offered, turning her head so that her cheek lay against him. "I feel bad."
"I know you do, sweet girl. And you won't feel bad for long. We are going to handle that tonight."
She already knew what Sam meant. "A punishment?"
"Yes."
"What kind?"
"A spanking, but," he held up a hand to stop her when she went to protest, "I know you don't like pain. It won't be much. Ten swats, and it'll all be over. This is a lot for you; I know it is. You're trying so hard, but I cannot let it go unpunished. You have to learn to trust me. You understand that, don't you, Lily?"
He was right. Without a firm hand, without consequences, Lily wouldn't be able to fully lean into what they had. She would second-guess it, like she did herself, but there was no room for that between them. Not if she was asking him to be her Daddy.
"I do," she told him and gave him a smile. "I understand."
"It's because I care so much about you, little girl."
Lily's chest tightened. Sam's words stoked a fire in her that the man seemed to have a direct line to. He could make her want him with just a few words or a cuddle; what would happen when he had her over his knee? Her skin tingled in anticipation. He would want more of her then; there was no way he wouldn't, not when he was showing her how much he cared, how much he desired her. She wanted that and desperately.
"Sir," she whispered and reached for him, her fingernails scraping his scalp and making the man moan. He backed her up until she was pressed against his car. The feel of him at the front of her with the solidness of the car caging her made Lily tremble with need. She hadn't felt like this in so long.
"Kiss me, sweet girl," he told her, and though his words were soft, there was no mistaking the order.
