Her bottom was already tingling in anticipation of the stinging smacks to come. He lost no time in taking hold of the wooden hairbrush and placing it on the bed beside him. Then he patted his lap.
“Over you go, little one.”
With great reluctance, Abby climbed onto the bed and lay herself across his legs.
“Hands.”
With a small sob, she placed her hands behind her. He grasped hold of both of them in one of his. Shoot, the fact the was holding her hands meant she was in for one hell of a walloping.
“I’m sorry for lying, Daddy,” she sobbed, already crying.
“I know, baby girl. And I’m sorry I have to spank you. But we need the truth between us, don’t we? I need you to know you can tell me anything. If you’d just let me know you were struggling, I could have helped you.”
She kept failing at letting him do that. And she felt terrible.
“I’m going try and let you help me more.”
The tension eased out of his body. “That’s all I ask for, baby.”
And then the hairbrush landed on her ass. And she couldn’t think anymore. Could barely breathe as he roasted her poor bottom until she was a hot mess, tears soaking the sheets beneath her, her nose clogged, her butt cheeks raw.
Finally, he stopped and maneuvered them both so that they were lying on the bed, him on his back, her over his chest.
“I’m s-sorry,” she told him.
He tightened his hold on her. “Shh, baby. Shh, now. It’s all over. All is forgiven.”
“I-I’ll try b-better.”
“I know you will. Hush, now. You’re my sweet girl. I love you so much. Shh. Everything is all right.”
She lay there until her sobs dried up. Then he shifted from beneath her and she whimpered, holding on tight.
“Just gonna get a washcloth to clean your face,” he reassured her. “Be right back, baby girl.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
True to his word, he returned quickly. He washed her face gently, making her blow into a tissue. Then he brushed her hair back off her face and kissed her lightly. “My beautiful baby. Come on, let’s go to sleep.”
He got them under the covers before moving them back into the previous position. She fell asleep, safe in her man’s arms.
Abby winced as she climbed out of the shower. She turned her back on the mirror and looked over her shoulder, surprised to see that her bottom appeared to be completely normal. It felt like it should at least show some sign of the spanking she’d received last night.
She decided to put on soft sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt. She didn’t plan to leave the house today. In fact, her only plans were to sit around watching Hallmark Christmas movies and drinking hot chocolate. Kent had to work. She hated that she’d disappointed him over this Max stuff. She needed to do better about communicating with him.
She moved down the stairs and into the kitchen, searching for the note he left her each morning. Sometimes it was a task. Sometimes he left her a gift. Her breath caught. No note. Oh God. She immediately searched the floor. Had it fallen down? Why hadn’t he left her a note? Tears welled as her insecurities flooded to the foreground.
Why hadn’t he left her anything? Was he still mad about the whole Max thing? Had her Christmas craziness gotten to him? She knew her friends were all getting these little gifts and tasks as well. Every day they called each other up to tell them what they’d been given or what they had to do.
The front door slid open and she looked over in surprise as Kent walked. “Hi, sweetheart. Good, you’re awake. You were fast asleep when I left.” He was dressed just in a tank top and some very short shorts. Something that would normally have her damn near salivating.
But not this morning.
“Abby? You okay? You look worried.” He peered at her in concern.
“There’s no note,” she whispered.
“What?”
She waved her hand at the empty space on the counter. “There’s no note.”
He opened his mouth then stared at her with a slight frown. “There’s no note today because I wanted to tell you what we’re doing in person.”
What? In person? Wait. . .what they were doing? Not just her?
“So, you didn’t forget?” she whispered. “Or you aren’t tired of doing it?”
“What?” He looked at her in shock. “Of course not, sweet girl. Why would I be tired of doing it? Frankly I’m enjoying the hell out of thinking of things for you each day.”
“Oh.”
“Abby, what’s goin—”
He didn’t get a chance to get the rest of the sentence out before she landed against him, hugging him tight. He had to take a hasty step back to balance himself.
“Baby, I’m all sweaty.” He ran his hand up and down her back. “Hey, what’s all this about?”
“I’m just glad you’re not still upset about me not filling in the journal.”
“Sweet girl, of course I’m not. We had a chat about that last night.” He tapped her bottom lightly as he said the word ‘chat’. “I’m sorry I worried you when you couldn’t find a note. I just wanted to tell you in person what we’re up to today.”
There it was again. “We? Don’t you have to work?”
He tapped her nose. “Nope. I’ve taken the day off to spend with my girl.”
Her eyes widened. “You have?”
“Yep. And I thought that first of all, I’d take you into Wishingbone for some pancakes. Then we’d go to that movie you’ve been dying to see and then we might do a little shopping.”
She clapped her hands together. “Really?”
He grinned. “Really. I think there might be one or two colors missing from your nail polish collection. And then we could come home, snuggle under a blanket and drink cocoa.”
“And maybe you’ll help me work on my journal entries?”
His gaze melted. “You bet. Sound good, baby.”
“It sounds like the perfect day.” She leaned up and kissed him.
“Any day with my girl is perfect.”
“I want popcorn. No ice cream. No popcorn. Oh no, I can’t make up my mind!”
Kent had to laugh as he looked down at Abby. She was wearing a pair of Christmas tights, with pictures of candy canes and snowmen on them and an oversized sweater that came down nearly to her knees. Her hair was pulled back into a high pony tail. Her eyes sparkled with delight. She looked happier than she had in a while and he made a note to take more days off to spend with her like this.
Even though they were in public, so she’d wouldn’t let her Little out entirely, she was still showing signs of peeking out. Like right now, how she couldn’t make up her mind which treat she wanted while at the movies. During their pancakes at the diner earlier, she’d been more subdued, but he’d expected that. She’d worked at the diner for years, and she still wasn’t entirely comfortable going there to eat. And he knew her boss wasn’t that comfortable either. Since Abby left the diner, Gloria had to actually do some work because she couldn’t find anyone who worked as hard as Abby did.
He gave her an indulgent look. “Why don’t you have both?”
She stared at him with wide eyes. “Both?” He could tell the idea hadn’t even occurred to her. She hadn’t been going back and forth in the hopes of getting him to offer to get her both. “I can’t, the food here is so expensive.”
“Baby, I want popcorn too. And now, I think I also want an ice cream. After all, it’s my day off. I’m gonna indulge.”
“Yes, but you went to the gym today. I didn’t. And I had pancakes. Maybe I’ll just have a bottle of water.”
He leaned in even though there was no one close to overhear him, he figured it would make more of an impression. “Little girl, do I need to take you back out to the truck and warm your bottom?”
Those eyes went even wider. She bit her full lower lip worriedly. “No, Daddy,” she whispered.
“Then I expect I won’t hear any more nonsense like that from you, will I?” h
e asked sternly.
“No, Daddy.”
“Right. I want you to wait right here while I go get the ice creams and popcorn. No moving from this spot, understand?”
“No, Daddy.”
“That’s my good girl.”
Abby waited for Kent to get back. She was so excited that they were going to the movies together, it was all she could do not to bounce around in excitement. There weren’t many people since it was a weekday. The movie they were going to see was a kids’ animated one she’d been dying to see for ages.
She just couldn’t believe he’d taken off the whole day to spend with her. When Kent returned, she smiled widely at him.
“Right, come on, let’s find a bathroom so you can go before we head into the movie,” he told her.
“I don’t need to go, though,” she told him.
He raised an eyebrow. “We’re about to go into the movies, you need to go before we do so we don’t have to leave halfway through.”
She scowled, dropping her lip. “I don’t gotta go.”
“Sweet girl, that wasn’t a request. All little girls have to go to the bathroom first. You’re going to at least try. Understand?”
She frowned but nodded, not wanting to argue over something silly on such a great day. Without any more argument, she walked into the bathroom. To her chagrin, she actually did need to go. She swore sometimes Kent knew her better than she knew herself.
When she walked out of the bathroom, he gave her a knowing look.
“Go potty, baby girl?”
She blushed, but there was nobody nearby. “Yes, Daddy.”
He kissed the top of her head and then drew her close against him, his arm heavy around her shoulders as he directed her towards the theatre room. “That’s Daddy’s good girl.”
She practically glowed as they took their seats. Daddy placed the popcorn on the arm of her chair and then unwrapped her ice cream. “Better eat this quickly, baby. Before it melts.”
She grabbed it and started licking. Ice cream. Popcorn. A Christmas movie. And Daddy.
Life didn’t get much better than that.
After the movie, they walked through the strip mall towards the parking lot hand in hand.
“That movie was sooo funny,” she told Kent, grinning up at him. “You weren’t too bored, were you?”
“There were some parts that were good. Mostly I just enjoyed listening to you giggle,” he told her.
They walked through the main part of the mall past the Christmas display. Santa was sitting in a huge seat and there was a line of half a dozen children waiting with their parents to get their photo taken with Santa. Abby stopped to watch as a gorgeous little girl with big ringlets moved up to sit with Santa.
“You okay, Abby?” Kent leaned in to ask.
“Yeah. I’ve just never done that.”
He frowned slightly, looking over at Santa and the girl. “You never got your photo taken with Santa?”
She shook her head. “Not that I can remember anyway and I’ve never seen any of the photos if they did exist.” She turned and smiled up at him. She wasn’t going to let anything ruin her day. She tugged at his hand. “Let’s go. I’ve not nail polish to buy!”
He smiled down at her indulgently. “All right, sweet girl.”
11
Jed and Daisy
Daisy stretched, sucking dreamily on her binky. She blinked hazily out at the room, dimly recognizing that she was lying in her special bed. The one she took naps in. It had started out with just three sides, but Daddy had decided to add a gate to the fourth side that he could pull across so it felt like she was really sleeping in a big cot.
She stretched and looked around. When she napped in her cot/bed she wasn’t allowed to get up without Daddy. She tended to sleep deeply and then would stumble around still half-asleep. She also knew that Daddy liked to reinforce that when she was in this room, she was Little Daisy.
She spat her binky out. “Daddy!” she called, knowing he’d hear on the camera monitor. She really had to go to the bathroom. Her bedroom had its own attached bathroom with a big bath tub for Daddy to give his Little girl baths.
This whole room was set up so there was a play area, a sleep area and a naughty girl area. She scowled over at her time-out chair. That had been Daddy’s gift to her this morning.
The chair was painted pale green with daisy chains down the legs and across the seat. But along the back were the words: Daisy’s Time-Out Chair.
She pouted. She really didn’t think she needed a time-out chair. Daddy disagreed.
“Hello, sleepyhead.”
She stared up at Jed as he walked into the room, marveling at how gorgeous he was. She still couldn’t believe he was hers. That after all this time, they’d found their way back to each other.
In many ways it was a miracle.
“Up, Daddy,” she demanded.
He raised his eyebrows as he slid the side of the bed along. “Did we wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”
“You can only get out of this bed on one side, Daddy,” she pointed out.
He reached in and pulled her up so she was sitting then he brushed her hair out of her face. “This is true. But usually you wake up all soft and cuddly, not scowling and snappy.”
She immediately felt bad. “Sorry, Daddy. Got to go to the toilet.”
He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom. “Perhaps we should consider diapers.”
She tensed against him, unsure if he was joking or not.
“I’m not a baby, Daddy.”
“Didn’t say you were, sugar,” he replied calmly as he set her down next to the toilet. He raised the back of her Tigger nightie and helped her sit. She knew by now that he wouldn’t leave while she peed. It was still a little embarrassing, but her bladder had long since given up caring that he was there. She wrapped her arms around his waist as she peed. When he reached for the toilet paper, she reacted instinctively and slapped his hands away. Then realizing what she’d done, she snatched her hand back and stared at him in horror.
“Little girl,” he said sternly. “What do you think you are doing?”
“I can wipe my own bottom,” she replied sulkily.
“Daddy will wipe,” he replied, proceeding to do just that, while she turned bright red. He then helped her up and washed both of their hands.
“And now, I think it’s time we tested your time-out chair.”
“What? Daddy, no!” she cried out as he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. “I don’t need a time-out.”
“You do,” he said firmly. “You woke up grumpy. You know better than to try to stop Daddy from taking care of you. And you hit me.”
“It didn’t hurt you.”
“Not the point,” he told her as he set her in the chair which was already facing the corner. He took hold of her chin as he crouched next to her, turning her to face him. “You could have hurt you. And that is completely unacceptable. You do not hit Daddy. Ever. Understand?”
Tears welled. I’m such an idiot.
“Hey, Daisy-girl,” he said gently. “I don’t like that look on your face, you wouldn’t be thinking bad things about my girl, are you?”
She took in a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry, Daddy. That was naughty of me to hit you. I promise I won’t do it again.”
He kissed her gently. “Good girl. Apology accepted. Five minutes in time-out and then all will be forgiven and forgotten, okay?”
She nodded. And even though she hated every second of it, she sat in that chair and stared at the wall.
So boring.
But she knew that afterwards, all really would be forgiven.
And that was an amazing thing.
“All right, sugar. Come here. Your time-out is over.”
He watched her jump quickly to her feet, nearly knocking over her time-out chair in her haste to get out of the corner.
He crooked his finger at her and she raced over to him. He helped her onto
his lap, holding her tight as he sat back in the chair.
Fuck. He was the luckiest guy in the world. He buried his face into her hair, drew in her scent.
Sugar and strawberries.
He’d been given a second chance at having everything and he was never going to forget it. Or waste it. Daisy wrapped an arm around his neck and held on equally as tightly. He drew back, knowing he’d have to get her ready or they’d be late. “Love you, Daisy-girl.”
She smiled up at him. Most gorgeous smile in the world. “Love you too.”
“All right, let’s get you dressed.” He stood and carried her over to the bed then lay her on her back. A light blush filled her cheeks. She still struggled with some of the ways he enjoyed taking care of her. Like when he remained while she used the bathroom. He only did that when they were here in her Little girl bedroom. He was going slowly and carefully so as not to overwhelm or scare her, but eventually he thought that he might get a changing table in here.
He pulled the nightie up over her head.
“Dressed?” Daisy looked up at him, her face confused. “Are we going somewhere?”
“Yep, we’re going to Charlie and Clint’s place.”
He walked over and pulled out some panties out of one of her drawers. She was allowed to wear panties when they left the house or had guests over. Since it was cold out, she’d also need some tights. He grabbed a red pair. Then he moved to the wardrobe and picked out the cute Christmas dress he’d found online. It was green with reindeer and candy canes all over it.
“Daddy? Why’re we going to Charlie’s house?”
“It’s a surprise.” He walked back over to the bed and started dressing her. First, he pulled her panties up her legs, then her tights. He helped her sit up so he could pull the dress over her head. The dress had built-in support so she wouldn’t need a bra.
He finished the look with some cute black shoes. He knelt before her and slipped them on.
She frowned. “This surprise isn’t like the time-out chair surprise, is it?”
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