Daddy's Way Read online

  “I thought that might be the case. It’s part of why I backed off, before. I still expect you to follow your rules, but going forward, we can discuss any infractions at home. Do you think that would help?”

  “I think so. But Daddy?”

  “Yes, Livvy?”

  “If I’m being especially naughty, I understand if you need to pull me aside and tell me. I know sometimes I don’t treat people so nice at work.”

  “Fair enough. And speaking of, I think you owe MaryAnn an apology tomorrow for how you spoke to her today.”

  Olivia wrinkled her nose at the suggestion. “I thought you might say that.”

  “Do you disagree?”

  Sighing, she shook her head. “No, Daddy.”

  “Good girl.” He tapped her nose. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about your bedtime spanking.”

  “You could, you know. Forget.” She gave him her best cheeky smile. “I won’t hold it against you.”

  “Nice try, Livvy. I think we both know you’d secretly resent it if I let you off the hook. Isn’t that so?”

  I will be honest with Daddy. The words echoed in her mind, mocking her. “On the advice of my counsel, I invoke my Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and respectfully decline to answer your question.”

  “You’re not allowed to talk to Bryant anymore,” he grumbled. “Okay, if you’re not in the mood to talk, then you can march your pretty little bottom upstairs and finish your lines before bed.”

  “But I already did them!”

  “You have twenty-two lines left. Go on.”

  Even though she knew the answer, she felt compelled to ask, “If I finish them, does that mean I don’t get another spanking?”

  “You’re getting the twenty-two licks either way, because you didn’t listen to your daddy the first time. Go on, before I decide to double it.”

  Eyes wide, she shook her head. “That’s okay, Daddy. I’ll go do my lines.”

  The corner of his lip tilted up in a satisfied smirk. “That’s what I thought. I’ll be up in half an hour. You have plenty of time to finish.”

  Olivia rolled off the couch with a heavy sigh and trudged up the stairs. But as much as she hated writing lines, and as much as she’d argued, knowing her daddy cared enough to punish her again filled her with warmth. God, she’d missed this.

  Back in her room, she sat at the slightly oversized desk and picked up where she’d left off. I will not act like a brat at work. Olivia nibbled her bottom lip while she wrote. She worried that these lines contradicted the first set. Was it really being honest if she promised not to be a brat at work? She couldn’t seem to help herself, especially when things got a little crazy and she started to feel neglected.

  Despite her reservations, she finished the lines well before her half hour was up. It took all of thirty seconds for her to get bored with just sitting in the chair at her desk. Daddy hadn’t told her she couldn’t leave her room if she finished early, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t be happy if she wasn’t here when he came upstairs.

  She settled for wandering the room, studying all the pretty little trinkets she’d picked up over the years. Her taste trended toward more of a modern farmhouse style in the rest of the house, with several distressed pieces scattered through the rooms. But she’d had a different vision for this room. Here, she’d gone for the more classical pieces. White porcelain figurines were lined up on a shelf of smooth mahogany. She loved the dark, rich wood against the pastel walls.

  As she admired her favorite pieces, some deep, primal instinct welled up in her, and she turned to face the bedroom door. James was leaning against the frame, his arms crossed over his chest, a small smile on his face.

  “Hi, Daddy.”

  “Did you finish your lines, little one?”

  “Uh huh.”

  He crossed the room to the desk and picked up her paper. “Good job. Thank you for finishing.” After he’d examined her work, he dropped the paper back onto the desk and looked over at her. “How do you feel about what you wrote?”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to just say everything was fine. But that would fly in the face of her first set of lines. “Honestly?”

  He tapped the papers, mirroring her own thoughts with his actions. “Of course.”

  “Then, honestly, I don’t think I can do both. Saying I won’t be a brat feels like a lie.”

  The knots in her stomach loosened when he laughed. “I don’t expect you to be perfect, Livvy. But I do expect you to try harder not to use our workplace to get my attention and to come to me sooner when you feel neglected. Fair enough?”

  “I think I can do that.”

  “That’s my girl. Come on, let’s get your spanking over with so we can get to bed.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, then clamped her lips together. It wouldn’t get her anywhere with him. And if she was being truthful, she craved the feel of his leather on her bare bottom. Craved the release a long, hard whipping would bring.

  Resigned to her fate, she walked to the bed and stood on her tiptoes to bend over the side. At five-eight, she wasn’t ‘little’ by any physical definition. But James had set the bed up in such a way that she had to hop up to climb in. She loved the thrill of feeling so small and helpless when she bent over the side to accept a punishment.

  James stepped up behind her, interrupting her wayward thoughts, and tugged her PJs and panties to her knees. “Feet on the floor or the stroke doesn’t count.”

  “Yes, Daddy.”

  He stepped away, and the clinking of his belt buckle sent her heart racing. Nearly a dozen years together and the sound still made her tremble.

  The first stroke caught her by surprise, as it always did. Olivia squealed at the deep burn, but before she could voice her discomfort, the second fell.

  She grabbed at the duvet, clutching it in her hands to keep herself in place. He was going for the fast, hard whipping tonight. The kind that layered pain over pain until all she knew was agony.

  It was somewhere around the twelfth stroke when she found her voice. “Daddy! It hurts!”

  “It’s supposed to hurt.” The belt connected twice more, her cries for mercy melding with the crack of the leather. “This is what happens to little girls who disobey their daddies.”

  “I’m sorry!” It was more plea than apology, a long, drawn-out wail begging for mercy.

  “Are you going to listen to Daddy?”

  “Yes! Promise!” She pressed her toes into the carpet, keeping her feet in place by sheer force of will. The instinct to kick up and cover her bottom was strong, but her bottom ached and burned and she just wanted it over so her daddy would hold her.

  “Last five, little one. Stay in place.”

  She was staying in place! Why did he need to remind her to do something she was already doing?

  Her answer was delivered in a line of fire across the tops of her thighs. Goddammit, she hated that spot! She buried her face in the duvet, and every ounce of energy she possessed was channeled into staying still.

  The next four were delivered with measured precision across her thighs. By the time the final stroke fell, she was exhausted from the effort it had taken to stay in place. A rough hand stroked her bottom and she whimpered at even that soft contact.

  “Poor baby. Daddy’s so proud of you. You didn’t even move once.”

  Now that the whipping was over, she had nothing to focus on but the pain in her bottom. It began to overwhelm her and her breath hitched.

  James stretched out on her bed and held his arms open to her. Accepting the invitation, she scrambled up and curled up next to him. When his arms came around her, the dam broke.

  “That’s my good girl,” he crooned, stroking a hand over her hair as she wept. “I love you, Livvy. So much.”

  “I l-love you t-too. I’m s-sorry I didn’t l-listen.”

  “I know. It’s all behind us now. Clean slate.”

  There was nothing left to say that they h
adn’t already said. Letting his comfort surround her, she pressed her face into his chest and wept until she had no tears left inside of her.

  When it was over, she felt hollowed out, but in a good way. Like all of the bad feelings had been scooped out of her and thrown away. Olivia sighed and snuggled into her daddy’s arms.

  “Feel better, little one?”

  “Yes, Daddy.”

  “Let’s get to bed, then.”

  When she sat up, she winced at the flash of pain when her welted bottom pressed into the mattress. She’d definitely be careful to follow Daddy’s instructions.

  At least for a little while.

  * * *

  Standing in front of the mirror in their bathroom, Olivia craned her neck to see if there were any marks left. She pressed her fingers against a slightly discolored spot, savoring the flash of pain. Other than that one little spot, the welts and redness were gone, with only a slight lingering ache to remind her of her multiple punishments the night before.

  As strange as it was, she was disappointed by the lack of marks and discomfort. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a punishment or even a play session that had stayed with her the next day. Resigned to a day of sitting comfortably, she walked into the bedroom to dress.

  James was already dressed, looking perfect as always in his dress slacks and shirt. He frowned when he saw her, most likely due to her still being naked when she had about five minutes left to get ready. “Livvy, you need to get moving. You’re going to be late.”

  With a roll of her eyes, she turned toward her closet. “I’m getting dressed. Geez.”

  “Excuse me? Try that again, young lady.”

  Ugh. As much as she’d missed him, missed this, it was hard not to resent the scolding tone. “I’m getting dressed, Daddy. Happy?”

  She’d turned away, so she couldn’t see his expression, but he didn’t answer. Didn’t so much as growl in response to her sass.

  Great. They were back where they started. So much for a fresh start. Fighting back tears, she stomped into her closet and jerked a blouse off a hanger. She was reaching for a skirt when strong fingers closed around her upper arm.

  Both of their closets had come with a long bench smack in the middle. James sat on the bench and yanked her across his knees.

  The first crack of her hairbrush across her backside had her howling.

  “James! Stop!”

  He didn’t stop, didn’t even acknowledge her demand. The brush continued to fall, lighting her bottom on fire until she couldn’t take another burning swat.

  “I’m sorry! Daddy, I’m sorry! Please!”

  “What are you sorry for, young lady?” The fall of the brush didn’t so much as falter when he spoke.

  “Ow ow ow! I’m sorry I was rude!”

  The spanking slowed, and he capped the impromptu punishment with six solid swats to her sit spots, making her howl with each one.

  When it was over, he helped her sit up, cradling her in his arms. Sniffling and whimpering, Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.

  “Feel better, little one?” he asked once she’d quieted.

  “Uh huh.”

  “Want to tell me what happened?”

  She shrugged, then yelped when he squeezed her tender bottom.

  “Daddy asked you a question, Olivia Jane. Is that how you answer me?”

  “No, Daddy.”

  “Good girl. Now tell me what got into my sweet little girl this morning.”

  Pouting, she dropped her head to his shoulder. “I just felt a little sad.”

  “Why did you feel sad, baby?”

  She picked up his tie and ran it through her fingers. “You’ll think I’m silly.”

  “If it made you sad I would never think it’s silly.”

  It was a struggle to trust him, but she knew she had to if they were going to rebuild what they’d lost. “I sort of missed my welts from last night.”

  He chuckled and Olivia sat up straight to glare at him. “You said you wouldn’t laugh!”

  “No, little one, I said I wouldn’t think it was silly. And it’s not silly. I was laughing because you’re so cute. Do you still miss your welts?”

  Since her bottom was still throbbing from the paddling he’d just given her, she shook her head vehemently. “No. I’m good.”

  “Good girl. Now hurry up and get dressed. I’ll see you at the office.”

  She hopped off his lap and James stood to gather her into his arms. When he bent his head and captured her lips in a long, lingering kiss, everything inside of her went gooey.

  “Be good,” he murmured and dropped a kiss on her nose.

  “I will. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Livvy.”

  Chapter Five

  James was all but whistling when he walked into the office. Everything was back to normal between him and his little girl. The business was booming, which it had been for a while, but success was sweeter when he wasn’t feeling so out of sorts at home.

  He unlocked the door to the darkened building and let himself in. The lights automatically brightened when he walked through the door and down the hall to his office.

  He loved this time of day. Those few precious minutes of quiet before the office became a bustling hive of activity. Before the phones rang, before there were people knocking on his door demanding answers. It still baffled him some days that there was anybody to come knocking on his door. He had built his brokerage from the ground up, with Olivia by his side, and he never took that success for granted.

  The image of Olivia, draped across his lap with her bottom turning pink from the firm application of her hairbrush that morning, made him grin. His little one would be testing him over the next few days, if not weeks. She always did when he tightened the reins. He was rather looking forward to what she might be getting up to over the next few days.

  “All right, enough daydreaming,” he lectured himself, pulling his laptop from his bag and placing it on the desk. “You’ve got a business to run.”

  “Sir?”

  He considered it a testament to his strength that he didn’t jump at the unexpected voice. Turning, he found MaryAnn standing in the doorway to his office watching him with those wide, slightly terrified eyes of hers.

  “Good morning, MaryAnn. I’m afraid you caught me giving myself a bit of a lecture. You’re early.”

  Her eyes went even wider and she immediately looked at the floor. “I had some things to take care of, so I figured I’d get an early start. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course. I appreciate your dedication to the firm.”

  She nodded without looking up and turned on her heel to flee. James sighed. He’d hired her based on her impressive resume, and he’d just prayed she’d become less of a little mouse as she became more comfortable with the office. But a year in, the prospect of her gaining any confidence seemed increasingly less likely. Of course, if Olivia had been giving her a hard time on a regular basis, that might explain some of MaryAnn’s continued timidity.

  Making a mental note to keep a closer eye on his wife for a bit where MaryAnn was concerned, he docked his laptop and powered everything on. Jesus, how did he have so many emails since yesterday? Didn’t people ever turn their computers off these days? With a sigh, he settled in and lost himself in the work.

  He’d worked through about a dozen emails when the scent of coffee pulled him from his work like a siren’s song. He looked over and found MaryAnn again standing in the doorway, this time holding a mug and a brown box.

  “If that coffee is for me, you’re getting a raise.”

  Her cheeks immediately turned bright red and she nodded. “This package also came for you just now.” She set both the coffee and the box on the desk and took a step back. James picked up the package and grinned at the return address.

  “Liv is going to freak.” He set the box back on the desk and grabbed a letter opener to slice through the tape. When he opened the
flaps, his wife’s face stared at him from the glossy cover of Maryland Homes Today. He picked up one of the magazines and studied the picture. She looked confident and sexy as hell. The magazine was running a piece on local women in real estate, and Olivia had been beyond ecstatic when they’d asked not just to include her in the piece, but to put her on the cover.

  The sound of heels clicking down the hall alerted him to the possibility of her presence and he quickly dropped the magazine back in the box and hid the evidence under his desk.

  “Morning! Did you—oh.” Olivia stopped in the doorway of his office when she spotted MaryAnn. Her cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink and she glanced over at him. He simply raised an eyebrow in response, secretly adoring the resignation on her face.

  “MaryAnn.” She smiled politely at the now visibly panicking receptionist. “I just wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I was rude and I never should have raised my voice or used the language I did. Forgive me?”

  MaryAnn looked over at James, and he nearly burst out laughing at the confused look she sent him. “It’s not a trick, MaryAnn.” The daddy in him wanted to elaborate, but he’d never in a million years humiliate his wife that way, especially not at work.

  “Oh.” She looked back at Olivia. “Um. Thank you. I know it was my fault for missing the deadline and everything so it’s not a big deal.”

  Olivia shook her head and his heart swelled with pride. “No. Regardless of what happened, my behavior was completely unprofessional and uncalled for. Nobody ever deserves to be berated like that at work, and I’m truly sorry.”

  “It’s okay. Really. I have to get back to work.” MaryAnn darted out of the office before Olivia could say anything else.

  Olivia turned to him, her cheeks still slightly flushed with embarrassment. “Was that okay?”

  “Yes. Thank you, Liv.” He dropped his voice so only she could hear him. “Daddy’s very proud of you.”

  The pink on her cheeks darkened, but he had a feeling it wasn’t embarrassment turning her olive skin that beautiful dusky rose. His hunch was proven right when she responded with a soft, “Thank you, Daddy.”

  “I have a surprise for you.”