Page 15 of Sawyer (Sabre Security Daddies #6)

L ele ran for her bedroom. She had to hide. At least she had a few extra seconds since her new Daddy was talking on the phone.

She darted toward her bed but paused before she reached it. Everyone hid under the bed. That would be the first place he would look. She had to get creative.

Racing to the laundry closet, she just managed to crawl into the dryer and pull the door mostly shut when she heard the screen door squeal open, bang against the side of the house, before slamming shut. Twice.

“Leyla Cortez. Get your naughty bottom out here right now!” her Daddy thundered.

Wow, he sounded pretty doggone angry. Was she breathing too loud? She’d never hidden in a dryer before. Did it amplify or dampen the sound?

Her heart took that moment to take up the art of tap dancing all around her chest. Why hadn’t she stayed on the floor like he told her to? She shifted as far back into the drum of the dryer as she could .

She was looking for a new house tomorrow. First priority: a laundry room big enough to house a larger dryer. Maybe even an industrial-sized one. If she’d known she was playing hide and seek today, she’d have worn all black instead of the bright yellow sundress she’d picked.

Her heart began skittering a step, ball, change move as her new Daddy stomped by her hiding place and into her bedroom. First of all, she was really glad she’d chosen a different spot.

Second, um… rude! He shouldn’t barge into her bedroom without her permission. What if she’d left BOB out on her bed? Oh, god! Had she left BOB out? She had a terrible time remembering to put her toys away.

“You are not helping yourself, babygirl. You are adding to your punishment.”

Like she’d fall for a classic Daddy move like that. She wasn’t going to get any punishment at all because he wasn’t going to find her. No way, no how.

She screamed when the door of the dryer flew open and a ginormous hand reached in and grabbed the bottom of her skirt. Without thinking, she kicked out. Her foot caught her Daddy’s shoulder, and he disappeared.

Only for a minute, the next time he reached in, he grabbed her foot and pulled. “You are in so much trouble, young lady.”

But even though he was angry, he pulled slowly and put his hand on the top of her head so she wouldn’t bang it getting out. So, how mad could he be?

Mad. Really, really mad. Like, furiously mad.

He grabbed her arm and marched her to the couch. Pointing to the center cushion, he said, “Sit!”

“Woof!” she said and sat down.

What was wrong with you?

She was nervous. She always got like this when she was scared. She was the poster child for mindless terror, emphasis on the mindless.

Holding both hands up in a plea for mercy, she said. “Sorry! Sorry! I can’t help it.”

He glared at her. “Don’t worry, I’m going to help it for you in just a minute.”

She pinched her lips together to stop herself from pointing out that things like that were actually the opposite of helpful.

Saul—no, her new Daddy took a few deep breaths before pulling a straightback from her small kitchen table and planting it in front of the couch. After a long pause, he said, “We had a discussion right before all hell broke loose about me becoming your Daddy. Do you remember that?”

She nodded. “Absolutely! Easiest and bestest decision ever!”

He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m glad you think so, Half-Pint. I hope you still feel that way when we finish our discussion.”

Man, he had that stern Daddy voice and scowl down pat. “I don’t suppose you crossed your arms because you’re cold.”

“You’d be right. I crossed my arms so I don’t strangle you.”

Well, she’d never seen a Daddy in one of those books say that. It probably wasn’t a good sign. She pinched her lips between her teeth again.

“Your choice made me happy. I love that you wanted to be my Little girl.”

Past tense. He said he loved, not love. “Do you not want that now? I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to be so bad. I promised I’ll never make another mistake. Never ever, if you’ll just give me another chance. I’ll?—”

He immediately moved to her. He knelt so they were at eye level, and he pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, babygirl.

I didn’t phrase that right. I still love that you want to be my Little.

That is not going to change. I don’t expect you to never make a mistake.

We have a way of dealing with that. A way you are going to experience in just a few minutes.

But I will never stop wanting to be your Daddy just because you make a mistake. ”

She sniffed, trying to keep her nose from running. “Even if I make the same mistake twice?”

“Yes, babygirl. I promise.”

“Even if I make the same mistake ten times?”

“Yes, Half-Pint. Even then.”

“Even if I make the same mistake?—”

He didn’t let her finish. “I think you get my point. I don’t expect you to be perfect. Okay?”

Whew! Hopefully, he meant that. She’d never been very good at being perfect. She pretty much sucked at it.

Returning to his seat, he leaned his elbows on his knees. “What did I tell you to do before I ran out the door, little girl?”

Her cheeks grew hot. “You said to stay in my spot on the floor.”

“I did. And what did I say would happen if you moved even an inch?”

She pretended to lock her lips with an imaginary key. “I plead the fifth.”

“No, you can only plead the Fifth if it’s something you said. I’m asking you what I said, so no Fifth.”

Rats! “You’re sure?”

“I’m very sure.”

She sighed. “You said you would blister my ass.”

He ground his teeth together. “Don’t say ass, babygirl. That’s a Daddy word. Did you do what I told you to?”

“Well, I did for a few minutes. But then the shooting stopped, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Is that what I told you?”

“But…I was going right back to my spot. I just wanted to take a quick peek.”

“I get that. But I wanted you safe. ”

“I was, Daddy. No one else fired a gun.”

“That’s not the point. You have to mind Daddy. To the letter. Every time.”

She was determined to plead her case. “I was worried about you.”

“I get that. But I wasn’t worried about you because I thought you would obey me. Staying down on the floor inside was safe for you. From now on, I will worry because you didn’t do what I told you to.”

Her chest burned. She wasn’t used to following someone else's instructions. Not for the past two years, anyway. She was a Little, but she was a very independent one.

“I can see that spark of stubbornness in your eyes, Half-Pint. That uptilt of your chin. I’m not just being a controlling ass. You could have been hurt. So, I’m going to show you what happens to Little girls who decide they know better than their Daddies.”

Suddenly, her fears were all back. Had she made a mistake? She wasn’t sure she could do this. She needed more time to think. “I just remembered I need to go to the store. I need… well, I don’t remember right now, but I’ll know it when I see it on the shelf. I’d love for you to come with me.”

He stared at her like she had lost all her marbles. “Someone just shot up the front of your house, and you want to go to the store?”

The only thing left was to power through. “Yes, I do. I hate shopping. So, this is a really good way to punish me. I’ll hate every second of it. Except, spending time with you, I mean. I could never hate spending time with you.”

His eyes narrowed. “Did you bump your head when I tackled you?”

Great! Now he thought she was concussed. “No! I’m just trying to think of alternative punishments to what you have in mind.”

“And your idea of an alternative punishment is going shopping. ”

“Yes. Maybe.” He glared at her and returned to his chair.

Heart thundering, she came clean. “It’s just... well, from what I’ve read, spankings hurt. And your hand is really big and calloused. I think a spanking from you would really hurt.”

“You can bet on it, Half-Pint. It’s supposed to hurt.”

She flushed. “I get it's supposed to hurt. But I’m scared.” There. She admitted it.

“You’re supposed to fear a spanking, too.

If you didn’t, it wouldn’t work. But listen to me, babygirl.

Spankings hurt in the moment. But no spanking I give you will ever harm you.

I will never spank you when I’m angry or out of control in any way.

I promise. It’s up to you whether you trust me or not.

And let’s look at how well you are treating yourself without rules and someone to hold you accountable.

You endangered your health by putting your safety at risk.

You disobeyed me by not staying where I told you to.

And you ran from Daddy and hid when you knew you were in trouble.

I think that warrants a very well-spanked bottom. Don’t you?”

Double rats. He was right. The question was, did she want a Daddy or not? She did. She’d wanted someone for a long time, and he was perfect. She felt safe and cared for around Saul. He was someone she could trust.

Besides, it was just a spanking. Even a long, hard one wouldn’t last forever. So, how terrible could it be? And more than that, she needed one. Guilt burned in her chest, and she hated it.

His face was serious when he pointed to a spot right in front of him. “Come here, Half-Pint.”

Her stomach clenched, but not as hard as her bottom. Staring at the floor, she walked as slowly as possible to stand before him. Her stomach quivered so hard she thought she might throw up all over his scuffed black motorcycle boots.

She wondered briefly why a data analyst would have scuffed biker boots, but his hand on her hips as he pulled her closer drove every other thought from her mind.

“Tell me why you are getting a spanking, naughty girl.”

Her mind blanked. She couldn’t even have told him her name right then. Thankfully, her brain eventually kicked back in. “I didn’t stay where you told me to. and that wasn’t safe.”

He nodded. “And?”

And? He wanted more? Ugh! “And…even though it wasn’t this time, it could have been unsafe.”