Page 17 of Her Courage

"You little brat." His words lacked any hint of malice, and he smirked and tickled me once again.

As I squirmed and squealed, he flipped me over onto my tummy and held me down with one large palm in the middle of my shoulder blades.

I stopped moving, my breath catching in my throat as tension rose in the air around us.

As if he knew I'd stay in place, his hand moved down and slid over the curves of my butt. "Good girl, stay very still for Daddy, but don't tense up too much. Do you know why you're being spanked?"

"For being a brat and back talking to my Daddy?" I phrased it as a question, but I knew that was the reason.

"You'll get ten this time, and I'll ease up on the pressure. Next time it won't be as easy."

I turned my head to the side, trying to look over my shoulder and see what he was doing, when his hand landed on my ass.

Caught by surprise, a scream escaped me and echoed in the room around us. I didn't expect the first strike immediately.

Andrei groaned and pulled my leggings down, taking my panties with them to bare my flesh for his use. "Fuck, you're so beautiful kroshka. All I want to do is make this ass red from my palm, then fuck you hard and deep. Every time my flesh slaps against yours, you'll feel the burn of my palm prints."

I whimpered, squeezing my thighs together as arousal swept through me like a runaway train.

"I think you'd like that." Both hands caressed over my hips to my cheeks and then squeezed.

I knew the blow was coming. I felt it in the way he moved, his body shifting as he lifted his hands from my body and brought one hand down on one cheek, then the other.

The pain morphed into pleasure, then melded back to pain. My body couldn't separate the sensations.

"Ten," he whispered before bending over my body and trailing kisses down my spine. He kissed each cheek, then smoothed a soft caress over the abused flesh.

He sank onto the bed beside me, and pulled me into his arms. "How did you enjoy your first spanking?"

Tears welled up in my eyes and slid down my cheeks, and soon I was sobbing as Andrei rocked me back and forth.

"That's it, kroshka. Let it all out. All is forgiven and the spanking has wiped away any guilt. It is done and over."

I nodded as he rubbed up and down my back and whispered soothing words in Russian. I loved the words. Some may think Russian was a harsh language, but coming from Andrei it was like the sweetest music.

I cried until I had no more tears and I was a tired and shaking mess in Andrei's arms.

"Shhh," he whispered in my ear. "Take a nap, sweet girl. I promise we still have time for that picnic."

"Mmkay Daddy A," I murmured softly, placing one hand beneath my chin and nuzzling my nose along his chest.

I felt safe and secure with his arms around me. Yeah, my ass was still on fire, but the pain was rapidly dissipating, much to my amazement. I'm glad he mentioned the picnic because after that experience I was left feeling vulnerable and raw, my mind in other places.

"You're thinking too much." Andrei's arms tightened around me. "You aren't saying everything, which means you're really conflicted. Just small little mutters, no witty line or snappy comebacks."

A yawn made me stretch an arm out. "Just exhausted." It had been an intense day yesterday. Between the lovely visit from Kaleb's mom in the horrible column, and Kaleb making love to me in the good column, I was drained. The spanking helped release a lot of the tension I'd been feeling.

"I love you, Daddy A," I whispered as sleep pulled me under.

Chapter Thirteen

KALEB

Lottie had the widest grin spread over her face as she swung our joined hands together. We walked along the sand in Cannon Beach as the wind swirled around it, causing Lottie's hair to fly in a million directions.

She lifted her ice cream cone to her lips, only to have her hair fly in the way once again.

This is why I had tossed hair ties in her sling pack.