Page 20 of Daddy's Little Spy

8

Watching Diana scramble to get off his lap and hobble her way over to the bed with her pink, well-spanked bottom on display was a sight he’d never tire of.

“Pants and panties off before you get in position.”

The glare she shot him was easy to read. You couldn’t have told me that before I waddled over here? He could have, of course, but humiliation played a significant part in breaking a brat as stubborn and willful as his Diana.

Taking his time, Benito returned the chair to the desk, then made a stop at the armchair in the far corner to grab the stuffed bear he’d picked up for her earlier in the day. He hadn’t even meant to — he’d stopped to pick up some things Emilio had ordered for Amara, and the bear had caught his attention.

By the time he made his way over to the bed, she was stretched out on her stomach, her ankles crossing and uncrossing with nervous energy. Her head was pillowed on her folded arms, but she looked up when he held out the bear.

“What’s that?” Suspicion laced her tone, a natural side effect of being a cop, he assumed.

“For you to cuddle. This part won’t be as easy, and I want you to keep your hands out of the way. Squeezing the bear will help.”

Her expression softened, some of the lost little girl he saw in her coming to the surface as she reached out and stroked the soft fur. “I’m not a child, you know.”

With a practiced nonchalance, he lifted a shoulder and set the bear on the bed beside her. “Have it your way. Teddy will just have to watch.”

The corners of her lips dipped down in a frown, but she didn’t take the stuffed animal. Biting back a sigh, Benito took a step back from the bed and reached for the thin strip of leather at his waist. With the buckle tucked carefully in the palm of his hand, he wound the belt around his hand a couple of times until only a short piece was left free.

“Ten, bambolina. Two for each time you chose to disobey me today. If you can stay in position and keep your hands in place, you can have your reward when we are done.”

“Okay.”

“Okay…”

She huffed out a breath before correcting herself. “Okay, Daddy.”

“Good girl.” With that, he raised his arm and snapped the tail of the belt down across the middle of her bottom. The skin went white as she howled and wiggled her hips, then turned to an angry red a moment later.

At the next stripe, she instinctively threw a hand behind her, then jerked it back to her chest as soon as she realized what she’d done.

Hmmm. To show mercy or not? This was her first whipping, he assumed, but he had warned her. And he didn’t have the luxury of time to be as lenient as he might want to be as he trained her. She needed to learn to obey him, quickly.

“Hold your hand out in front of you with the palm up.”

“Daddy, no!” she wailed, tucking her hands up under her chest and shaking her head.

“Yes, little girl. Now.”

Whimpering, she slowly pulled her hand out and placed it on the pillow in front of her. She tucked her head into the crook of her elbow as if she couldn’t bear to watch what was about to happen, and he softened a fraction at the sight.

“Look at me, bambolina.”

Huge, watery eyes peeked up at him when she turned her head. “I’m s-sorry, I didn’t mean to!”

While he wasn’t able to show her mercy, he knew when a little girl needed gentleness. “I know, baby. But Daddy needs to make sure you follow his instructions or you could get hurt. What if I was using a paddle and I hit your hand by mistake?”

“I promise I won’t do it again!”

“And it’s my job to help you keep that promise. But I’ll only give you one to your palm, if you promise to hold your bear for the rest of your punishment. Deal?”

Her nod and pitiful sniffle had him fighting back a smile. God, she was adorable. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Good girl.” Gripping her wrist, he pinned her hand in place as he lightly snapped the tail end of the belt against her palm. It wasn’t as hard as it could have been, but judging by her sharp cry, it was hard enough to make his point.

This time when he held out the bear, she eagerly grabbed it, cuddling it close to her chest. Tears glistened on her lashes but didn’t leave her eyes.

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