“I know, baby,” he said, not unsympathetically. “But when you’re naughty, you get punished.”
More spanks landed over and over on the tops of her thighs. By the time he finished, her ass was throbbing and she had tears dripping down her face.
He lifted her onto his lap again so she was facing him, and she buried her face into his shirt as she sobbed. He held her, running his hand up and down her back as he whispered soothingly into her ear.
“You’re okay, baby. I have you. You’re all right.” His arms were tight bands around her, holding her together, just the way that she needed so she didn’t go off into a million pieces.
So she didn’t feel fractured and lost.
Gradually, she came back down to earth.
Cash leaned over and grabbed a tissue to wipe her face. “Blow your nose, little Stowaway,” he told her.
She blew. She didn’t even really feel embarrassment. She just felt tired and empty, but it wasn’t a bad empty. It was the sort where all of her mind quieted, and there were no worries or fears.
It was the sort of quiet that you could just live in. The sort that she had never had until him. The only other time she felt close to this was when she was Little, and she knew that she didn’t have to think about anything important because he had it all handled.
Because she trusted him to take care of her.
“How are you feeling, baby? Mad at me?”
She took stock of her emotions. “A little bit.”
He let out a small chuckle. “Thanks for being honest with me. But you deserved it, and deep down, I think you know that.”
Rude. He shouldn’t use her own feelings against her.
“How about we go and see if your package has arrived and you can get dressed? And then we’ll go next door and sort out where you want your playroom. Then we’ll go shopping.”
“Yeah, that sounds like fun, Daddy.”
Oops, she hadn’t realized she was going to call him that, but he smiled down at her, cupping the side of her face. “Daddy, is it? All right then, baby girl. How about Daddy is in charge for the rest of the day?”
Her eyes widened. She wasn’t sure if she should let him go that far.
“Yeah, I like that. Daddy’s in charge,” he stated.
“Aren’t you always in charge, Daddy?” she asked as he stood with her in his arms.
“That is true. I like that even more. Perhaps I’ll get it put on a mug. Maybe a hat. I could start a whole range of Daddy merch.”
She snorted. She could see him doing that as well.
“There’s something I have to tell you. About Ortega.”
“Oh yeah. Why does he want to stay here? What is his obsession?”
“Ahh, well, he seems to be obsessed with a woman. I don’t know who. But in an effort to show her how much he cares about her, he’s been taking care of her enemies.”
“Taking care?” she asked.
“Yeah, as in removing them. And in a weird coincidence he is the man who was carrying the body that night.”
“What? Really?” Shock filled her. “It was . . . your friend?”
“Yeah. And he actually saw you that night. He spotted you getting into the back of my truck.”
“Oh my God.” This was so bizarre. She swallowed hastily. “Why didn’t he stop me?”
