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“Bend over and put your hands on the couch cushion. If either of you move out of position, it’s an extra stroke for both of you.”

Dread settles heavy in my stomach as I bend over to place my palms on the cushion in front of me. Solene follows suit, and a moment later my dress is flipped up over my back, baring my bottom to the entire room.

A soft whistling sound fills my ears, followed by the crack of leather meeting flesh. Beside me, Solene pops up, her hands flying behind her to rub at the sting Daddy’s belt has left behind.

“That’s an extra for each of you. Back in position, Solene.”

“Yes, Mr. Graham. I’m sorry.” But when she bends back down to place her hands on the couch cushion, I catch a glimpse of a smirk before her long hair falls in front of her face.

Two more loud cracks echo around the room, and this time I feel the sting of leather across my bottom. Squeezing my eyes shut against the pain, I dig my fingertips into the soft cushion beneath me as I try to breathe through the punishment.

A second stroke lands just above the first and it takes all my concentration not to jump up just like Solene did as the line of searing pain cuts across my bottom.

“Both of you girls know better than to play around near tools and needles and other dangerous objects.” Daddy’s voice is firmer than I’ve ever heard it, and I nearly whimper at the flash of painful need between my thighs. “If you can’t be trusted to spend time in Solene’s workshop safely, then you will forfeit your right to privacy going forward.”

Another crack of the belt, followed by Solene’s loud cry as she once more jumps to her feet.

“Solene Harper!” Miss Myra snaps, her voice as sharp as those needles they are all so worried about. “I am dangerously close to losing my patience with you, little girl. Get back in position.”

“But Mommy, it hurts!”

“Good. Then maybe you’ll remember this the next time you’re tempted to play around in your workshop.”

With a dramatic sniffle, Selene returns to her spot beside me. This time, she looks right at me, her mouth twisting up in a smug smile just as Daddy whips the belt across her bottom a fourth time.

And it hits me then that she’s doing this on purpose. Not that I can really blame her, since it’s my fault we’re in this position in the first place, but my heart cracks clean in two all the same.

Twice more, Solene moves out of position, and by the fourth time it’s clear Miss Myra has indeed lost her patience. “All right, little girl. That’s a week of orgasm restriction for you. If you move out of position one more time, I am going to go find the largest plug we own and put it in your bottom while Mr. Graham finishes your punishment. Am I understood?”

All of the color seems to leach from Solene’s face. “Y-yes, Mommy.”

Thankfully, Miss Myra’s threats seem to work, because Solene manages to stay in position for the rest of our whipping. By the time Daddy declares our punishment is over, Solene and I are both sobbing too loudly for any shopping to be done.

“Come here, little elf.” Unlike earlier, Miss Myra’s tone is soft and gentle as she scoops Solene up into her arms. Bouncing her babygirl just like a cranky toddler, Miss Myra offers up a strained smile. “I think we’re going to close up early, if you don’t mind. We really are so very sorry Kerry got hurt.”

“It’s all right,” Mommy says in the same gentle tone. “Little girls sometimes get overexcited when they’re together, and nothing truly bad happened. We’ll come back in a few days and try again.”

Mommy and Daddy say their goodbyes to Miss Myra and Solene, and carry me out to the car. I try to stop crying long enough to speak, but between the ache in my heart and the throbbing in my bottom, I can’t get the words out. My tears barely slow on the drive home, or when they carry me up the stairs to my nursery.

When Mommy takes her seat in the glider, rocking me gently as she tries to quiet my tears, all I can think is I’ve actually done it.

I’ve become the disaster I let them believe I was all along.

And I hate it.

Graham

Worry churns in my stomach as I watch my wife rock our sobbing Little girl to sleep. Something isn’t right, but I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is.

Catching Celeste’s eye, I jerk my head toward the door of the nursery to indicate I’m stepping out for a moment. She frowns, but nods, and I slip out to the hallway, pulling my phone from my pocket to dial a familiar number.

“Graham. Is everything all right? Is our sweet Kerry settling in okay?”

My gaze drifts to the closed door bearing my babygirl’s name as I blow out a breath. “Not really. There was an… incident at Solene’s today. And something Myra said is nagging at me.”

“What kind of incident?” Gone is the amused tone of an indulgent uncle, concern taking its place.

I give him the briefest rundown I can manage while hitting all the key points. “We’re at a bit of a loss, Max. Myra said Kerry’s a perfectionist and from what you told us, her behavior the past couple of days has been wildly out of character. Should we be worried?”