by Kelly Dawson
What was she talking about? Had she been single since breaking up with her daughter’s father? A woman with her looks? It seemed unthinkable.
He chuckled. “You weren’t bad,” he assured her. “But if you want some more practice, I’m happy to oblige.”
The giggle that escaped her lips was girlish and innocent and her blush grew deeper. It made him desire her even more and brought his protective instincts to the fore. He stifled a groan. His swollen cock pressed uncomfortably against the seam of his pants.
He picked up his fork again. His appetite was back.
Murder trial and client be damned. The more time he spent with Jilly, the more he wanted her. She was the little girl he’d been wanting for years and he wasn’t going to throw away the opportunity.
Chapter Six
Two days later, Jilly was late to work again. It wasn’t intentional; exhaustion caused her to sleep through her alarm. By the time she finally awoke to find Lily standing beside her bed, she was late. Way late. Even though they both rushed, it was no good. Lily was late for school. Jilly was late for work. Very late.
She was so late that traffic flowed smoothly the whole way into the city so she made it in record time. But still, it wasn’t enough. She stepped out of the lift at exactly nineteen minutes past nine.
Mr. Hutchings himself was in the receptionist’s office when she arrived, speaking to Janice. All eyes were on her the second she walked into the room. She wanted to shrink through the floor. He frowned, looked at his watch. His frown deepened. He looked at her, displeasure emanating off him. She was about to lose her job.
“Miss Watson, isn’t it? Do you make a habit of being late?”
Jilly gulped. “No, sir.” But even as she said the words, she knew they weren’t entirely true. She’d been late before. Twice, in fact. Three times, if she counted falling and injuring her ankle.
“It’s the second time you’ve been late this week,” Janice pointed out. “And it’s only Wednesday.”
Mr. Hutchings’ brow couldn’t furrow any more. “I see,” he murmured.
Jilly’s feet were rooted to the floor. She couldn’t have moved even if she had wanted to. Shame washed over her. Humiliation. She couldn’t remember ever being more embarrassed. Gone was the capable, professional adult. In her place stood a scared little girl. A little girl whose very world was falling apart around her and she was powerless to stop it.
Footsteps sounded on the carpeted floor, coming closer and closer. Familiar footsteps. Matthew. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or frightened even more. Being fired by Matthew would be even worse than being fired by Mr. Hutchings. At least she didn’t really know Mr. Hutchings. Losing her job would suck, but it would suck far more if she lost it at Matthew’s hand. Being fired by Matthew would feel like a betrayal.
He came right up to them, stood next to his uncle. He frowned too. Now she felt even smaller, with two tall, displeased men frowning down at her. Her face flamed. Nausea welled up within her. Please don’t fire me! she silently begged, but she knew it wouldn’t do any good. She’d been warned. She knew the rules.
“Ah. Miss Watson. I see you have decided to finally grace us with your presence this morning.” His voice was far friendlier than she expected it to be. But then it changed. “My office, please. Now,” he growled.
She didn’t wait to be told again. Clutching her handbag tightly to her chest, she scurried off down the corridor to his office like a dog with its tail between its legs.
Her legs trembled and her hands shook, and the closer she got to Matthew’s office, the harder her heart pounded. This was it. She was about to be fired.
Matthew held the door open for her and stood back for her to enter, then closed it firmly behind them. He strode to his desk and sat down, indicating for her to do the same.
She watched as he crossed his legs and rested his hands on his desk, his eyes not leaving hers for a second. He raised an eyebrow, a silent reminder that she had not yet obeyed his instruction. Jilly gulped. She didn’t want to obey, she didn’t want to sit down. She just wanted to get it over with. She wanted him to hurry up and fire her so she could get her stuff and go. Being made to sit and be lectured first would be horrible.
“Sit,” Matthew growled. He pointed at the chair at the same time, reiterating his order. His eyes weren’t smiling now. They were dark, flashing with something she assumed was anger.
Taking a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, she sat in the chair opposite his desk just like he’d told her to, feeling very much like a naughty schoolgirl sent to the principal’s office. Or a prisoner to the gallows. She wasn’t sure which.
The lump in her throat was so big she could barely swallow. Hot tears pricked the back of her eyes but she forced them away. She would not cry. Not here. She would not give him the satisfaction. If he was going to fire her, he could hurry up and get it over and done with, she would leave, then when she was at her car, she would cry alone. And not a second before.
“I warned you what would happen if you were late without letting me know again, didn’t I?” His voice was stern, dominant, unyielding. And it made her pussy flood, drenching her knickers, despite her fear.
Damn. What was wrong with her? She could not be normal. She was about to get fired and her traitorous body was getting all turned on by his scolding. Aroused by this man who held her fate in the palm of his ginormous, sexy hands.
“Um.” She looked at him, mustering up all her courage. “Not really, sir,” she said. She twisted her hands in her lap nervously. “You said there would be consequences. But you didn’t say what those consequences would be. You didn’t tell me if I would be fired or if it would just be a formal warning or what...” Her voice trailed off as she shrivelled under his accusing glare.
“What sort of consequences do you think you should be facing, Miss Watson?” That dark eyebrow rose again, making him look even sexier and sterner than before. Powerful. In charge. “Considering that repeated tardiness is listed in your employment contract as serious misconduct and is grounds for instant dismissal?”
Jilly tried to inhale but the air around her was too thick to breathe. She felt herself begin to panic. She couldn’t do this.
“I, uh... I don’t know, sir.” How could she do this? How could she beg for mercy? How could he even put her in that humiliating position where she had to plead and grovel in order to keep her job? She’d rather be fired. There were other jobs. But none that pay as good as this one, her inner voice reminded her.
Matthew’s sexy, dark eyebrow rose further, his stern expression growing impossibly sterner. A shiver went through her again.
“I hoped that you might be lenient just one more time, and give me a formal warning, instead of terminating my employment.” Her voice shook, and it took all her effort to bring it back under control. “Please, sir. I have a daughter to support. Please give me another chance.” She hated doing this. Hated that she had been brought so low. Hated begging. But she had no choice. This was a good job. She needed to do everything she could to keep it.
“I’m not going to fire you,” Matthew told her. Relief rippled through her but when she took in the determined, stern look on his face, she wondered if her relief might be short-lived.
“What you need, young lady, is a daddy.”
“What?” She looked at him in horror. What on earth was he talking about? She was an adult, not a child.
“Listen to me, Jilly.” The firm command broke through her shock, bringing her back down to earth. “What I mean is you need someone in your corner. Someone to hold you accountable. To take care of you. To set you rules and boundaries that protect your welfare, and enforce them.”
“Right.” Jilly’s head was spinning. None of this made sense. “So you’re not going to fire me, then?”
Matthew shook his head. “No. I have no intention of firing you. I kissed you, Jilly, you’re mine. I want to protect you. I want to take care of you.”
“Uh-huh.�
�� She nodded slowly, pretending she understood, but really, she didn’t understand at all. This was completely foreign territory to her. Totally uncharted waters. She was fiercely independent; always had been. What made him think she needed protecting?
“I want your submission.”
Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow. Submission? Wasn’t that what she already did? She spent all day following his orders.
“Your complete submission. All of it. Not just doing the work required of you in the office, but deeper than that.”
He paused, but she didn’t notice the pause very much. His words twisted round and round inside her head. Your complete submission. All of it. All of it.
“Hang on. I’m completely confused. What do you mean? This isn’t just about me being late, is it?”
“No, Jilly, it’s not. Just so you know, the ball is entirely in your court, here. But before you decide what way to throw it, let me explain what I mean.”
Although he had a pretty good poker face, she was almost certain he was nervous. His hands, which normally looked so strong and steady, were shaking just slightly as he locked them together, and the confident tone had disappeared from his voice.
“If you’re interested, I’m looking for a certain type of woman. One who is a little girl at heart, who is vulnerable, maybe a bit frightened, shy. Someone who wants the protection and care that I can offer. I’m a very dominant man and I want a little girl. Not a child, mind, but a woman with childlike tendencies, who wants to be taken care of, completely. Someone to obey my rules, submit to punishment when those rules are broken; someone to let go of their control and let me take care of them completely.”
Jilly’s head spun. This was crazy! He was crazy! And she was crazy for being attracted to it, for even considering it. But as she thought about it more, she had to acknowledge that she was attracted to it. She felt the same way now as she’d done when he’d so gently tended to her stapled finger those few weeks ago. When he’d carried her inside and held ice to her ankle. When he’d commanded her to stay off her foot. When he’d kissed her.
In all of those instances, she’d felt safe. Cared for. Cherished. His.
“I would expect obedience, total obedience, and complete submission. And in return, you would be my little girl to spoil, care for, protect. Love.”
Slowly, Jilly nodded. So far, it didn’t sound too terrible. Unusual, certainly, but not terrible. Especially not if there would be more of those kisses that still had her head spinning just thinking about it.
“Okay,” she said. “I’m interested. But I have questions.”
Matthew exhaled deeply, obviously relieved, and nodded at the same time. “Questions are okay. Questions are good. Ask away.”
Jilly took a deep breath. Never, in her wildest dreams, did she ever think she would be having a conversation such as this. It felt surreal. “You said rules and punishments. Can you elaborate on that?” Considering he’d threatened to put her over his knee just two days ago, she thought she had a fairly good idea of what the punishments would entail. But still, it was hard to accept in her head, that she was an adult, a modern feminist woman, and she was considering consenting to physical punishment.
Matthew grinned. “The rules will be something we will discuss and decide on together and we’ll probably change them around a bit. But the non-negotiable ones will be not missing meals, taking all your breaks, looking after yourself properly and not running yourself ragged, ringing me if you’re going to be late for work... things like that. We can discuss it all. Punishments will mostly involve spanking.”
While she was still trying to wrangle his words into control in her spinning head, he reached across his desk and picked something up from underneath a messy pile of scattered papers. Something long, wooden.
A ruler.
He held it up. “With this.”
Jilly gasped. So not his hand, then. This was far different to her wild imaginings. In her daydreams, there had been no rulers. No implements. Just a big, strong palm. Wouldn’t a ruler hurt?
“You want to hit me with a ruler?” The thought was both shocking and thrilling. Her stomach clenched tightly, turning itself into knots.
“Not hit, spank. But yes. This ruler will be applied firmly to your bare bottom when necessary.”
“Will it hurt?” It was a bit of a silly question, but she was in shock and it just popped out.
Matthew’s eyes darkened. “Yes,” he told her firmly. “When a naughty girl earns a punishment, it is going to hurt. It would be pretty pointless otherwise, wouldn’t it?”
Once again, Jilly couldn’t breathe. Her mouth was dry, the air was thick, and a huge lump in her throat blocked her airway. She shouldn’t be turned on by this. She should be running away. She certainly shouldn’t be considering it. And yet... here she was. Horny. Her breasts hot and achy. Her knickers sopping with her juices. Her pussy throbbing with need.
She’d loved the idea when she’d imagined his bare hand spanking her bottom, playful swats that stung just the tiniest bit. But this... this was something else entirely.
“Can I refuse a punishment?”
Matthew shook his head. “No. Not if you agree to be my little girl; my word will be final. You will certainly be allowed an opinion on the matter, but if I decide you will be punished, there will be no getting around that. It might be delayed or changed if necessary, but that will be at my discretion.”
Jilly’s head was still spinning. This was quite a lot to take in. It was a bit hard to believe what she was hearing, really.
“If I decide to do this—and I haven’t yet, but if I do—what if I want to end it? Will there be repercussions? Will I lose my job?” You’ve decided, her inner voice insisted. You want this. Don’t even pretend you don’t.
Matthew smiled, then reached out across his desk and held out his hands. She put her hands in his and he squeezed them gently. “I promise you, any time you want out, you will always have that option and no, it will never affect your job. Regardless of what you decide right now, or what you might decide in the future, your employment here is secure. I kissed you, Jilly. That means something to me.”
Jilly nearly swooned. “It means something to me, too.”
But still, it was a lot to take in, and her head spun crazily as she tried to digest everything Matthew had just told her. “But what does all this have to do with me being late?”
“Everything and nothing,” Matthew told her cryptically. “If you don’t want to do to this, or if you need more time to decide, you will be given a formal warning about your tardiness, as per HR’s standard procedure. If it was to happen again, there would already be a formal warning against your file, so it is possible your position could be terminated. Of course, if you have a genuine reason outside of your control for being late and you ring and let us know, or if you have an appointment that you advise us of in advance, that is different. I’m talking purely about the sort of thing that happened this morning—rocking up late without a care in the world, without giving us the courtesy of a phone call.”
“I didn’t exactly rock up without a care in the world,” she objected. She would have said more, but Matthew’s raised eyebrow, and the stern way he cleared his throat in warning, stopped her. She swallowed, biting back her words, then nodded. “Fair enough. And if I decide I want this? What then?”
Matthew grinned. “Then, little girl, you will get your first taste of Daddy’s ruler. There will be no formal warning against your name; you will be punished by me instead.”
“Okay.” Jilly took a deep breath. She was so nervous that every muscle in her body screamed with tension and butterflies were going crazy in her tummy. There wasn’t really an option. She’d been intrigued by the idea right from the start. There was no way she could turn down what Matthew was offering.
“I’m in. Daddy.” She nearly giggled, calling him that. Until she saw the look on his face; first kind, then morphing into stern, dominant. Authoritative. Like he tru
ly was her daddy and she truly was a naughty little girl in desperate need of correction.
“Are you sure about this, little girl?”
Jilly nodded. “Yes, Daddy. I’m sure.” This time, calling him Daddy felt so right.
Matthew stood up. Even though he was still behind his desk it felt like he was towering over her; she felt so small and timid. Scared, almost. She eyed the ruler dubiously as Matthew plucked it from his desk and tapped it against his palm. The crack of wood against flesh made her quiver. Was it excitement? Or fear? She wasn’t sure.
“Okay then, Jilly, let’s get this first punishment over with. I want you to position yourself over my desk, with your skirt folded up out of the way.”
She watched, her heart in her mouth, as he cleared a space in the centre of the large antique mahogany desktop, stacking papers up on either side. Her legs turned to jelly. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t make herself move; couldn’t intentionally put herself into such a vulnerable position.
Don’t be a wuss! her subconscious mocked her. It’s just a little ruler! How much is it going to hurt, really? Her buttocks clenched involuntarily. It’s going to hurt plenty, she told herself.
Matthew waved his arm across the clear expanse of desk, indicating for her to obey the command he’d just given. But her feet were rooted to the floor. It didn’t matter what her crazy inner mind thought; she was afraid. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to do this anymore. But at the same time, she didn’t want to back down. If only she could make herself move!
“Come on,” Matthew urged. “Let’s get it over with.”
Jilly shook her head. “I... I can’t.”
Matthew put down the ruler. “Would you like me to help you?”
Looking at the floor, blinking back tears of shame, Jilly nodded. “Yes, please, Daddy.” Her voice was little more than a whisper. She was torn between wanting to run, and the unmistakeable bolt of excitement in the pit of her belly.
Matthew took her arm, grasping it firmly just above her elbow. Gently, he led her two steps forward to his desk. Placing one hand between her shoulder blades he pushed lightly, pressing her down against the cold, hard wood. Taking her hands, he stretched her arms out in front of her, tucking her fingers under the edge of the far side of his desk.
