Panic sends me scrambling and I run straight for the door on the other side of the bedroom, yanking it open and?—
What the actual fuck am I looking at?
A nursery, from what I can tell, though everything in it is far too large for your average baby. The crib looks almost large enough for me to climb in myself, and I can’t for the life of me think of what that might mean, though I can feel the answer hovering there just out of reach.
Behind me, the door flies open, and before I can run again, a large hand clamps down around my upper arm. Horror fills my chest as I stare up into Axel’s dark, glinting eyes.
“There you are, my little runaway bride. It was very naughty to hide from Daddy like that.”
“I amnotyour fucking bride!”
Fire flashes in his onyx gaze as his grip tightens on my arm. Hauling me up against him, his voice drops to a low growl that crawls up my spine with every word. “You are. More, you’re my Little girl. And it’s high time you learned what that means.”
Without giving me a moment to protest, he hauls me up over his shoulder like a sack of flour. And no amount of kicking or screaming seems to deter him as he carries me down the stairs. My fists feel like they’re beating against concrete, but I can’t give up. Can’t just give in after I went through all that trouble to escape one arranged marriage only to end up trapped in another.
Back in the living room, he sets me on my feet again, but he doesn’t release his hold on me. “Gray, help me get her out of this dress.”
My clothes feel like the last barrier between me and whatever comes next, and fear tightens around my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs as someone tugs at the zipper, exposing my back to the air.
“Please don’t do this.” I’m begging now, my voice thick with tears, but I’m too desperate to be embarrassed by it.
“Sorry, little one. I wanted to give you the wedding you deserved, but you’ve forced my hand. So now we’re going to start our marriage exactly as I mean to go on, starting with you learningexactlywhat it means to be Daddy’s Little girl.”
My dress is wrested from me with ease despite my struggles, leaving me standing in front of a room full of complete strangers wearing nothing but a strapless bra considering my panties were confiscated after my first spanking. Tears fill my eyes as I try tocover the most important bits, but there’s only so much my arms can do.
And then even the protection of my bra is stripped from me, leaving me completely exposed to these giant, brutal men.
Fuck.
Dropping down onto one of the sturdy dining room chairs someone sohelpfullymoved to the living room, Axel drags me down over his left knee. Unlike before when he spent time squeezing and rubbing my ass before my punishment began, now he starts spanking right away and I’m hit with the horrible realization that he was holding back before.
Like,a lot.
Pain explodes across my backsides as the swats fall, hard and fast, turning every inch of my exposed skin into an inferno as I kick and struggle over his knee.
“We could have been having a nice ceremony,” he lectures, and if I didn’t know any better I might have said he sounds almost disappointed. “But clearly I need to have a firmer hand with you, my naughty little runaway. So instead you are going to get your bottom spanked bright red and then Daddy is going to wash those naughty words out of your mouthagain.”
Even with the hot cocoa I haven’t forgotten the taste of the soap and my brain immediately shifts to damage-control mode. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I won’t say any more naughty words I promise!”
To my shock and relief, the spanking ends and his large hand settles on my burning bottom. “We can talk about your swearing in a moment. But for now, your Auntie Gray is going to loan me her hairbrush so Daddy can make very, very sure you’ve learned your lesson about trying to run from me.”
Something cool and hard taps against my bottom a moment before a million stinging bees attack my skin. At least, that’swhat it feels like, and the pain pulls a long howl of agony from deep inside me.
“I’msorry! Daddy, please!”
The words slip from me without thinking, a desperate bid for mercy that is only met with another blazing swat from that infernal hairbrush.
“That’s what you said not two hours ago when I had you over my knee. Clearly I didn’t make my point then, but I won’t make that mistake twice.”
Over and over the brush falls, scorching my skin with every swat. The ache goes deep into my flesh and it doesn’t take long for all the fight to simply drain out of me. Collapsing over his knee, I let the tears come, great big gulping sobs that rack my entire body.
“There’s my good girl,” he murmurs, picking me up to cradle me against his chest. “Daddy’s right here, baby. Go ahead and cry it all out.”
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I bury my face in his shoulder as I weep, my tears soaking his shirt. Warmth spreads through my chest as he holds me close, rocking me gently as he whispers words of comfort and praise.
At long last, my tears run dry and I slump against him with a sigh, sniffling pitifully as his large hand pats my bottom. I’m so sore even that gentle touch reignites the ache from my paddling and I can’t help but wince.
“Are you ever going to run from Daddy again, little girl?”
