He stands and offers his hand. “Come with me.”
I take it, letting him guide me to the bedroom. My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. There’s a rock sitting in my stomach, but something else too… mixed with the anticipation is a thrill of excitement.
He sits on the edge of the bed and looks up at me. “This is discipline, not punishment. You're not bad, you are my good girl who made a choice that wasn't safe or healthy. And I'm going to make sure you remember why that matters. You matter and your safety matters to me, baby.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Over my lap.”
I hesitate for just a second, not because I don't want this, but because the vulnerability of it is overwhelming. Then I lower myself across his thighs, and his hand immediately settles on the small of my back.
“I’m spanking you so that you learn,” he says quietly. “And you remember next time that your health and rest matters more than a self-imposed deadline.”
I nod against the comforter.
“Since this is your first discipline spanking, I’m going to give you ten swats. You're going to count them. And after each one, I want you to tell me why the rule exists. A new reason each time. Next time, Madi, there won’t be a number count. I’ll spank you until you’ve learned a lesson. Got it?”
My breath catches. “Yes, Daddy.”
He hooks his fingers in the waistband of my leggings and pulls them and my underwear down to my thighs, not all the way, but enough that the next swat will land on bare skin. For the briefest of seconds I wonder what he’ll think of my bare ass. Will it be attractive to him? All we’ve done so far is kiss.
Then, the first swat comes without warning. Landing exactly where I'm most sensitive, on the top of my thighs in the crease where my butt and legs meet. Yeah, this is definitely discipline.
“One,” I gasp. “The rule exists to keep me healthy.”
“Good.” The second lands in the same spot and the burn begins. “Count for me, Madi Baby.”
“Two. Because working all night isn't healthy and causes me to get sick.”
“That's right. Give me a new reason with this one.”
By five, I'm squirming, hands fisting in the comforter. The pain isn't unbearable, but it's insistent. Demanding attention. His swats are a lot harder than I ever imagined they would be. After peppering my sit spot, he’s moved up to the fullness of my butt.
“Five. We have rules because you care about my wellbeing.”
By seven, my eyes are stinging, not from the physical sensation, but from the emotional weight of it. The intentionality and care. This isn’t like the spankings in my book that moved directly to physical gratification. This spanking is different. By having me come up with a new reason with each swat, he’s keeping my focus. My mind doesn’t have time to wander. I’m feeling each and every time his hand lands.
“Seven,” I choke out. “Because I matter to you. Our relationship matters to you.”
“Yes, sweetheart. You matter and you better never forget it.”
Eight lands hard on the opposite side and I lurch forward a bit. He pauses and lets me readjust over his knee.
“Eight. I can’t be my best self if I am exhausted.”
Nine comes slightly harder.
“Nine. Because listening to you is a way I can show you respect.”
The final one is the firmest yet, making me cry out for the first time.
“Ouch! Owwie.” I can barely recognize my own voice. My little has been released. This man makes me feel safe and seen. I’ve known him for less than a month, but I feel like I’ve known him my entire life. “Ten,” I whisper. “Because I’m your little girl.”
The words hang in the air for a moment. Then Ty pulls me up and into his arms, cradling me against his chest.
“Yes,” he says, voice rough. “Because I care about you and I need you to take care of yourself. And, because you are my little girl.”
A couple of tears track down my face, I’m not crying hard, and not from the spanking itself, but from the release of emotion. He wipes them away gently, pressing kisses to my forehead, my temple, my cheek.
