16
Julia
It was an impossible choice. If she chose one of the huge, heavy paddles, she might never sit comfortably again. She also wouldn’t be able to be over his knee, and right then she craved his touch with every fiber of her being.
But with a smaller paddle, the punishment would be much longer, more drawn out. Although, that might not be a bad thing. There was a knot in her chest, one she knew from experience would take more than a few swats to unravel.
There were the more sensual paddles, leather on one side and fur on the other, meant more for pleasure than punishment. But if she chose one of those, he might think she wasn’t taking this seriously enough and then god only knew what he would come up with to make this a memorable punishment.
Because no matter what she chose, there was no doubt in her mind that was exactly what he intended to do. Not only did she have her final punishment of the weekend still due, she had indeed snuck out of the house and borrowed his car without permission. What Daddy would let that go with a couple playful swats?
There was, possibly, one more option open to her. She’d already apologized, and Connor had promised to send the letter on Monday. Really, nothing was keeping her from just walking out of here and telling Owen to shove his punishments where the sun didn’t shine.
Except for one, glaring detail: she didn’t want to leave. Not yet, anyway. Walking away now might save them both some heartache, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Maybe it was selfish, but she wanted, needed, this one final night with him.
So, she’d pick a damn paddle and accept her punishments with as much grace as she could muster. Just as she was despairing of ever making a decision, her eyes fell on a short, square paddle, with the phrase Daddy’s Babygirl carved into the wood. There were others with the same phrase, but for some reason, this paddle in particular called to her.
“That one,” she whispered, pointing to it.
Owen lifted the paddle from the wall, testing the weight of it in his hand before meeting her eyes. “Turn around and put your hands on your knees.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks as she glanced around the shop. There were nearly a dozen other patrons milling around, and even though none of them were paying her any attention, she still felt the keen sting of humiliation at the idea of being spanked in such a public place.
But since she already had an inkling of what he might do if she refused, she obeyed, turning and bending at the waist, her hands on her knees as she waited for the first blow.
When it fell, the pain exploding across her right cheek startled a cry out of her that had a few heads turning their way, completing her humiliation.
“Oh, yes. I think this will do nicely. Stand up, babygirl.”
Years of training were the only thing that kept her from jumping up and rubbing the sting from her bottom. But it wasn’t quite enough to keep her from pouting up at him as pitifully as she could manage. “It hurts, Daddy.”
“I’m sure it does, baby. Which, I’m forced to remind you, is the point. Come on, let’s go see what else we may need.”
With a quiet sigh, she fell into step beside him. “Yes, Daddy.”
Owen
Purchases in tow, they followed the directions Erica had given them to their room. Despite the early check-in, Derek had managed to snag them one of the few empty rooms available. Swiping his card, Owen pushed the door open and gestured for Julia to lead the way into the room ahead of him.
“I’d forgotten how gorgeous it is here.” A small, sad smile tilted her lips as she wandered the space. “Derek’s attention to detail is unmatched.”
“Agreed. Have you eaten anything this morning?”
Turning from her inspection of the rings attached to the headboard, she nodded. “Yes, sir. Derek made me eat when I got here.”
“Good, then we can get started. Clothes off, little girl, so we can get you changed into something more appropriate.”
Her nose wrinkled in obvious annoyance, but she didn’t argue. Part of their shopping trip had entailed picking out new outfits, and as much as she tried to pretend otherwise, he’d caught the way she’d admired her reflection while trying them on at the shop. They were a bit “older” in style than what he had at the house, and he made a mental note of her preferences for later.
While he waited for her to undress, he pulled their purchases from the bag: a pair of plain white panties, a short, blue, pleated skirt, and a simple white top with a Peter Pan collar that matched the blue of the skirt. When she was completely naked, he knelt in front of her, holding the underwear in front of her so she could step in.
“I can dress myself, you know,” she mumbled as he pulled the panties and then the skirt into place.
“You can. But you may not.” Fastening the skirt, he deliberately skipped her bra, tugging her shirt down over her bare breasts. “Which is your first lesson of the day. Since you seem to think you are a big girl who can do whatever she wants, whenever she wants, you will do nothing today without my permission. You will ask permission to sit, to stand, to eat, to use the bathroom — everything you do will be only at my discretion.”
With the shirt in place, he placed a fingertip under her chin, forcing her blazing eyes up to his. “I own you, little girl. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Daddy.”