Page 34 of Discovering Little Dora

Dora was fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweater. She was sitting on the edge of the bed where she and Alastair had made love just forty-eight hours earlier. Neither of them wanted to go back to Dora’s apartment until the issue of gossip on the Ranch was properly addressed.

“I know I’m not supposed to lie,” she said, “but surely you understand why I did it. I just wanted to protect you.”

“Dora.” Alastair sighed and shook his head. “I’m the protector here.”

She looked up, angry now as she rose from the bed and crossed her arms. “You need to stop this,” she said. It was the first time Dora had really spoken up to Alastair. He looked surprised.

“It’s important to speak our truths, right?”

“Of course.”

“Okay. Because I’m going to speak mine now, Alastair. I’ve been doing a lot of reading about gender identity. I love you. I want to understand you. I’ve learned a lot, including that gender is a social construct.”

“That’s right, it is.”

“Okay, then why do you always have to be the protector? Because you associate protection with dominance and dominance with maleness?” She put her hand to her chest. “I know that I’m a submissive, but I’m not a submissive because I’m a woman. I’m a submissive because I’m a submissive. But sometimes I need to take control if I see something is wrong. I did that today with Maribel and it felt good to step outside my comfort zone and be assertive. It felt healthy. It doesn’t make me any less of a sub to stick up for myself or someone I love. It doesn’t make you any less of a Dominant or a protective Daddy or a man to accept that someone you love has your back.”

“I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

“I know.” Dora said.

“The Ranch has been so good for me because I know I can be myself here.” He took her in his arms. “Sometimes I forget how different it is out there, and how insulated we are. Maribel and Steve reminded me of all the ugliness I left behind.”

“And it’s understandable that you reacted to it. I had the same reaction when she did it to me that day on the lawn, but you know what?” She smiled at him. “When she called me a fatty today, her taunts didn’t have the same power. Her hatred is her problem.”

Alastair’s hands moved around and down to grasp her bottom cheeks through her skirt. “It’s hard to justify spanking you when you wax so insightfully.”

Dora caught her lower lip in her teeth and looked flirtatiously up at him through her lowered lashes. “Well,” she said after a moment, “even if I don’t deserve either a good girl spanking or a bad girl spanking, maybe you could just spank away this tension I’m feeling. What happened today got me all wound up.”

“A good cry can help you relax. Do you trust me?”

“Alastair Robinson, you are my Daddy. I will always trust you.”

“I’ve been fantasizing about having you over my lap for a good, old-fashioned spanking. Lord knows you deserve it in every way…”

A warm flush suffused her body. The way he was looking at her with paternalistic love mingled with obvious lust was incredibly arousing, and she wondered if he had any idea how much she admired him, his strength. Alastair Robinson had weathered so much to be the man standing before her at that moment. He was the bravest man she’d ever met. She felt completely safe with him, completely whole, completely beautiful.

Dora felt no apprehension when she settled across his lap. There was no worry or fear that he would look upon her nakedness with anything less than appreciation.

His arm wound round her waist, hugging her against him. He started slow, peppering her bottom with light spanks. He lectured as he spanked, alternately scolding her for lying while praising her for holding still for Daddy.

As the spanking intensified, Dora fisted the duvet and whimpered through the pain until she couldn’t contain the cries that burst forth. Hot tears scalded her face, and she could not say whether they were from pain or happiness. Later she would remember them as both.

Epilogue

Five Months Later

The assembly was the first of its kind. Rawhide Ranch was growing and changing and both Cord Weston and Alastair as well as the Dentens who were married and served as therapists for the Ranch thought the beginning of the school year was a good time to hold a Ranch-wide gathering to talk about the Ranch’s benefits and overall philosophy.

As a featured speaker, Alastair was in the front row. Dora sat beside him, holding his hand. Master Derek gave the welcoming address, describing the history of Rawhide as a working Ranch and its transformation to a resort for couples who wanted to live as Daddies and Littles, Doms/Dommes and submissives, in a warm, judgment-free environment.

Sadie gave a talk on the facilities, including the latest upgrades to play areas. Several new staff members had been added over the summer and she had them all stand to be recognized.

Dr. Weston gave a fascinating talk on how the Ranch was addressing the mental health needs of its residents. He said he hoped everyone would attend the ribbon cutting for the newly constructed Rawhide Ranch Counseling and Research Center which specialized in not only meeting the mental health needs of residents through cognitive behavioral therapy and counseling but was also contributing to a body of academic research about couples engaged in age-play and the DDLG lifestyle.

“Our family is growing,” he said. “It’s important to keep the channels of dialogue open and to understand that the prejudice and misunderstanding our lifestyle choices are met with in the outside world can even be here. Every person, every couple is different. Our goal is to educate residents about diversity, inclusion, and acceptance. There is a zero tolerance policy for anyone who refuses to move from the path of prejudice or bigotry.”

He did not mention Maribel by name, but both Dora and Alastair knew that’s who Dr. Weston was referring to. Maribel had been called to the office the day of her confrontation with Dora. She did not get the apology she was expecting, but an immediate dismissal from the Ranch. Master Derek had also had a discussion with Steve who assured him that he had no intention of making trouble for the Ranch. If Master Derek had revealed what he knew about Steve, he didn’t say. But neither Maribel nor Steve was seen at Rawhide again.

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