The idea of giving Master Derek advice on anything was so preposterous, she snorted out a laugh. “Sure, I’ll let him know that before my next paddling,” she said with an exaggerated eye roll.
“You better hope that doesn’t happen any time soon, jellybean.”
“Why?”
“Because if my little girl gets in trouble with Master Derek or her teachers, she can expect a very thorough whipping with my belt on top of whatever punishment they decide to dish out.”
Her core clenched with a need she hadn’t felt in so long she almost didn’t recognize it. “Am I your little girl?”
Glancing up from his salad prep, he smiled. “I’d very much like for you to be.”
“Really?”
“Yes, jellybean. Really. Would you like for me to be your Daddy?”
“I would...” she trailed off, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as she studied what was left of her wine.
“But?”
“It’s just… It’s been a really long time since I was anybody’s little girl. Since before Brady.”
“So Brady wasn’t your Daddy?”
“No. He didn’t want to be anybody’s Daddy.” She swallowed the last of her wine in one large gulp. “I’m going to need more wine if we’re going to talk about this.”
“You can have some more with dinner, if you can ask nicely.”
It wasn’t mean. It wasn’t outrageous. It certainly wasn’t out of line if he was going to be her Daddy. But the gentle reprimand still managed to put her back up. They were on a date, for heaven's sake! “Why can’t I have more now?”
Without even glancing at her, he sat the bowl full of salad aside and opened the oven. “For starters because you didn’t ask. Little girls in this house ask nicely when they want something.”
“Fine. May I please have some more wine?”
“Yes. With dinner,” he added, closing the oven door again.
“Ugh. Whatever,” she mumbled.
“If you want to pout, you can do it in the corner while I finish up dinner. There’s a spot over there just waiting for a naughty little girl.”
“No!”
“Yes.” He finally looked over at her, and her tummy jumped at the steel in his gaze. “I think you need a few minutes to settle before we continue our conversation.”
“But I hate the corner!”
“That’s kind of the point.”
Frustration built inside of her until she thought she might burst from the pressure. There was a part of her that longed to push the envelope, just to see what he might do. That part of her brain insisted the worst he could do was spank her, which she wouldn’t altogether hate.
But what if he didn’t? What if he thought she was too much trouble because she couldn’t just behave? Unwilling to risk it, she shoved those other urges down deep inside of her and quietly headed for the corner like she’d been told.
Assuming the position Nanny J had taught her, with her hands folded behind her back, she studied the wall in front of her. Behind her, she could hear Connor moving around the kitchen.
He didn’t speak to her, not even to remind her to be still when she started shifting from foot to foot. Maybe she’d pushed him too far after all, and he was trying to figure out how to tell her he wasn’t interested any longer. Maybe he’d decided she wasn’t worth the effort.
You’ve been a submissive far too long to still be so disobedient, Hayleigh. If this is how you’re going to behave, maybe we need to reconsider our relationship.
A shiver ran down her spine and quickly spread to the rest of her body, until she was trembling where she stood, tears filling her eyes. But she didn’t dare turn around, didn’t dare beg for forgiveness until he gave her permission.