She took it with hands that still trembled but not as violently as before. He wrapped his hands around hers to help steady the mug. She had yet to say a word or even react to him in any way, and it was starting to scare him. He needed Roland here for this. Roland was the one who... connected.
But he wasn’t there. So Levi had to man the fuck up and be there for their girl.
So he sat down beside her, pulling her gently into his side, tucking the blankets tighter around her.
“You scared the hell out of me, babygirl,” he said quietly, pressing a kiss to her temple. His voice was soft, steady, but his heart was still racing. He was probably going to fuck this up, but this was the only way he knew how to get to her. He would dealwith the consequences, if there were any, later. “Little girls who scare their Daddies like that get punished.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears spilling fresh down her cheeks.
The relief he felt at her response was so immense, he sucked in a breath.
“Nothing to be sorry for. You’re safe now. That’s what matters. But that doesn’t mean you won’t get punished.” He left the promise hanging, once again relieved when he felt her wiggle a bit at his threat.
He held her against him as she sipped at the cocoa while the warmth started to come back to her cheeks. He murmured to her, soft words of comfort and promise. That she was safe. That she was wanted. That she wasn’t alone.
When she finally handed him the empty cup of hot chocolate, he reached over and put the mug on the coffee table.
“Now, I know we haven’t discussed this, little miss. And we’ve barely started this relationship between us, but I mean to start it off exactly how we will continue it going forward. And naughty girls who risk their safety need to know there are consequences to their actions.”
Sydney finally turned her large, expressive eyes his way. Rolling her bottom lip under her teeth, she looked like she was trying to solve a difficult equation before she finally spoke up again. “What if I said I’m really, really sorry?”
Levi didn’t know how she’d done it, but his wonderful girl had gotten him from terrified to furious, to nearly laughing all in the space of less than an hour. “Oh, babygirl. You won’t even know what sorry means until I’m done with you.”
Chapter Fourteen
Sydney
Sydney sat on the edge of the couch, her heart pounding so loudly she wondered if Levi could hear it. She tried to keep her hands still, but they kept twisting in her lap. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth, and she didn’t even realize she was trembling until Levi reached out and brushed his fingers lightly along her arm.
She’d always thought she’d want this. There were so many nights she’d fantasized about a Daddy pulling her over his lap and spanking her, before fucking her, but now that she was faced with the reality of it, she wasn’t so sure if this was all a good idea after all. She also wasn’t a super big fan of the fact that she’d upset him to the point where he felt theneedto punish her. What kind of woman did that to her man? Was she messing this up already?
“Little miss,” he said, his voice gentle but firm. That voice soothed and unsettled her all at once. “Look at me.”
She lifted her gaze slowly. His eyes weren’t angry. They were steady, warm, but serious. She wished she could hide from that look, but at the same time, it made her feel… safe.
“You scared me, babygirl. More than I can say. Running off like that, out into the cold, not knowing where you were going…” His voice softened even more. “That’s why you’re getting punished. Because you put yourself in danger. And I can’t let that slide. Not ever.”
The lump in her throat grew, and she blinked fast to hold back tears. Shehadscared him. She’d scared herself, too. She’d been so overwhelmed that she hadn’t paid a lick of attention to where she was going or what she was doing, and the next second she knew she was inside a barn freezing her ass off. It was scary as all heck.
But hearing it from him made it real in a different way.
“I’m sorry, Master Levi,” she whispered. She wanted to call him Daddy. Hell, he’d called himself her Daddy, but he hadn’t said it was okay... they hadn’t agreed.
“I know, babygirl. And I believe you. But sorry doesn’t erase the need for consequences.” He paused, waiting until he had her full attention. “And I think, if I’m about to have your pretty ass in the air, over my lap, you’d better be using the right title for me, don’t you?”
Oh. He said it. Just like that.
“Sydney,” he called out in warning, his tone telling her he was waiting, and not very patiently at that.
“Yes, Daddy!”
“Because this is your first punishment with me, and because I know this has been a hell of a night for you, I’m going to go easy in some ways,” Levi explained. “You’ll keep your pants on this time. And I’ll use my hand. Just my hand. We’ll talk more about how we’ll handle things going forward when you’ve had a chance to catch your breath.”
Sydney nodded, her mouth dry. She felt the weight of his words, the promise in them. This wasn’t just about tonight. It was aboutthem. About what they were building.
“But understand this, little girl,” Levi went on, his tone steady, unshakable. “I will always protect you. I will always correct you when you put yourself in danger. Because you matter too damn much not to.”
The tears she’d been holding back slipped free at that, because that was what she’d longed for, even when she hadn’t known how to name it. Someone who cared enough to step in. Someone who wouldn’t let her drown in her own bad choices.
