10
Julia
She was just finishing up the half-bath on the main floor when he came to tell her lunch was ready. There had been a note of surprise in his voice when he’d found her there, and she held it as close as she had the praise he’d left for her in the instructions.
“You’re making great progress, babygirl. I’m proud of you.” Placing a plate with chips and a sandwich at each of their spots, he beamed at her from across the table.
Feigning nonchalance, she lifted one shoulder, but her heart was beating at her ribs like a bird frantic to escape its cage. “It’s not that hard if you follow the instructions.”
“Doesn’t make me any less proud of you. You should be finished well before dinner at this rate.”
There was never going to be a more perfect opening for what she wanted to ask than that. “Um, about that. I was wondering, if I finish early enough, um…”
“Yes?”
Fuck, this was harder to ask for than she’d expected it to be. “Um, well, I kinda hoped if I finished early and did a really good job it might mean we could maybe skip my last punishment?”
Regret filled his eyes. “I think you know the answer to that, babygirl.”
She did, but she’d felt the need to ask anyway. “Well, then do you think we could just get it over with tonight?”
Leaning back in his chair, he studied her. His silence seemed to fill the room, slowly squeezing out all the oxygen. After what felt like an eternity, he nodded. “If you can finish everything by three, without skipping any steps, you can have your final punishment tonight.”
Relief washed over her. She only had two more big rooms to finish, so there was no reason she couldn’t have everything completed by his deadline. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“I’m not sure you should be thanking me just yet.” His expression turned solemn, almost regretful. “You came to me with the intention of filing a lawsuit against the Ranch. Even if you had lost, just that whisper of scandal would have left a huge black mark on their reputation. A reputation which, for some, hangs by a tenuous thread as it is. On top of that, you tried to blackmail Connor with a false sexual harassment charge. I intend to ensure you understand exactly how egregious those threats were by the time we finish with your final punishment. It will not be an easy one, Julia.”
Shame washed over her, robbing her of her ability to speak, but she managed a small nod of acceptance.
From across the table, Owen sighed quietly. “Come here, baby.”
Like a shot, she was out of her chair and around the table, curling up in his waiting arms. “I’m a horrible person,” she whispered, a lone tear slipping out of the corner of her eye and down her nose.
“No, babygirl. You did some things which were not nice at all, but I believe you are a good person deep down.”
“Really deep down. Bottom of the ocean deep.”
“I know it feels that way. Which is why I’ve arranged for you to begin sessions with Dr. Denten, one of the therapists at the Ranch.”
“What?” Sitting up straight, she stared down at him. “I can’t afford therapy! I can barely afford my apartment!”
“It’s covered.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means it’s covered and you don’t need to worry about the money.”
“No.” There was absolutely no way she was going to be further indebted to him by allowing him to cover the cost of therapy she didn’t even want.
“Excuse me, little girl?”
The warning note in his tone told her the ice she was treading was growing thinner with every step. “I said no. You are not paying for my therapy.”
“Why not?”
“Because we barely know each other, Owen! And you know good and damn well you have no intention of ever seeing me again after this weekend.”
“I know no such thing.”