Page 41 of Daddy's Little Spy

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The sound of high-pitched laughter had Benito and Emilio raising their eyebrows at each other when they walked in the house.

“I thought Amara was restricted to her room,” Benny said, unable to resist teasing his cousin.

“She is,” Emilio growled, a dark, foreboding look crossing his elegant face. “Looks like someone is going to become reacquainted with having her bottom stuffed with ginger tonight.”

But the thundercloud passed as soon as they stepped into the kitchen and found both of their wives seated at the island, each dressed in one of Amara’s cute, playful dresses, chocolate smeared across their cheeks as they howled with laughter.

“I guess Amara got over her embarrassment,” Benny murmured.

“Looks like it. I almost hate to interrupt them.”

“As do I. But I worry if we don’t, they’ll end up eating that entire cake in one sitting.”

“True.” With a resigned sigh, Emilio stepped forward. “What is going on in here?”

Benny had to hide a smile at the stern note in his cousin’s voice, and the shocked looks he received in response.

“Oh. Um. Hi, Daddy!” Amara’s grin was a little too wide, a little too glassy from the half bottle of wine they appeared to have shared. “Want some cake?”

“What I want, piccolina, is to understand why you aren’t in your room where I left you this morning, with clear instructions not to leave until I came home.”

Before Amara could offer up an explanation, Diana fell on her sword. “It was me, I’m sorry. I was bored and lonely, so I went upstairs to talk to Amara and then convinced her to come get snacks with me. She really did want to stay in her room, but I talked her into it.”

As much as he wanted to grin, Benny carefully schooled his face in a stern expression. “That was very naughty, bambolina.”

Her lips moved into a pout and she looked up at him through her lashes. “We were hungry, Daddy.”

“Well, I hope the cake was worth the spanking you’re about to get. Come on. Let’s get you washed up.”

He held out a hand, waiting for her to make the first move. Under most circumstances, he wouldn’t be above physically hauling her away for her punishment. But with her sitting there in Amara’s dress, looking every bit like a naughty little girl, his gut told him it was important for her to make the decision, to submit on her own.

After a few tense moments of hesitation, she sighed and slipped her hand into his, allowing him to help her down off the stool.

“You’re both the meanest daddies ever,” Amara grumbled, kicking her foot against the stool and pouting. “We weren’t even that naughty.”

“Ah, but you were, piccolina.” Placing a finger under her chin, Emilio forced her gaze up to him. “You disobeyed me by leaving your room. And what is the rule about snacks between meals?”

The slump of Amara’s shoulders clearly said she knew she’d been wrong. “I have to ask if it’s not fruit or veggies.”

“That’s right. Add on the little temper tantrum you threw this morning and you were actually very naughty indeed, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I guess.”

Glancing down, Benny watched as Diana studied the pair, her eyes narrowed like she was trying to piece together a mysterious puzzle. What he wouldn’t have paid for a peek inside her mind at that moment.

“I believe that’s our cue,” he said, turning back to his cousin and his pouting wife. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

With Diana’s hand tucked in his, he led the way to their suite of rooms, straight to the bathroom where he cleaned the chocolate from her face. Surprisingly, she didn’t argue with him, even when he pulled the chair out from the desk and sat.

“Why are you getting a spanking, Diana?”

“Because I talked Amara into disobeying her Daddy.”

Simple, straightforward. No excuses or pleas for mercy. Curious. “Do you think you deserve to be punished for that?”

The question obviously surprised her, judging by the slight widening of her eyes. She tilted her head, apparently thinking it over carefully before she replied. “Yes. I knew it was wrong and when you do something you know is wrong, you have to be punished. That’s the way the world works.”

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