Page 18 of Daddy's Claim
Whatever it was, I didn’t have the heart to give her a third spanking in one day, so I settled for letting her crawl into bed without me and I made my way downstairs to search out Cole. I found him in his office, the glow from his computer screen illuminating the scowl on his face.
“Everything all right, boss?”
The scowl disappeared, replaced by a wry smile. “Yes. It seems I may need to have a discussion with my wife about sticking to a budget.”
“Adele? I wouldn’t have pegged her as much of a shopper.”
“Normally, it isn’t a problem. But she discovered online auctions and it’s becoming a problem. Apparently, she just had to have this original Tiffany lamp. Luckily, I’m familiar with the auction house she bid through, and they’re canceling the order and moving on to the next highest bidder.”
“Must have been some lamp.”
“Yes, well. Even an original isn’t worth the three-quarters of a million price tag she agreed to.”
Jesus Christ. Six figures for a light fixture? The revelation sent a chill down my spine. Was Nora used to spending that kind of money? Just in case, I probably needed to have the budget discussion with her sooner rather than later.
“Anyway,” Cole clicked on something and then folded his hands on the desk, an eyebrow raised in my direction. “I assume you didn’t seek me out to discuss my wife’s spending habits. How is Nora?”
“Pouting. I was hoping she’d be in a better mood after I whipped her ass, but she just seems cranky.”
“It happens.” Cole lifted a shoulder in a careless shrug. “Sometimes it takes them longer to get over the perceived injustice of a punishment. And sometimes it means they need another round to help them settle.”
“Fuck. I really don’t want to spank her again.”
“I don’t think you need to.” Uncharacteristically hesitant, Cole tapped his fingers on the desk. “If I may offer some advice?”
“What the hell do you think I’m here for?”
“No need to be a dick, cousin.”
“Sorry.” Sighing, I scrubbed a hand over my face. “I’ll take whatever help I can get right now.”
“Leonora is used to getting her way in everything. It’s something she learned as a child and, like a lot of spoiled children, she never really grew out of it. You need to stop thinking like a man waiting to be obeyed and think more like a Daddy.”
As soon as the word left Cole’s mouth, something inside of me seemed to click into place. I’d heard Adele use the word plenty, but imagining it from Nora, it held a weight it never had before. “A Daddy. Hmmm.”
“Yes. A girl like that, she’ll take a mile if you give her an inch. So, you don’t give her an inch. You make all the decisions, right down to the panties she is or isn’t allowed to wear. If she wants privileges, she’ll have to earn them.”
“I’m pretty sure Adele would cut your balls off if you tried that with her.”
“She would,” Cole agreed cheerfully. “But Adele is, at her core, a submissive. Shewantsto obey, most of the time. We have a very different dynamic than you and Nora, so what works for us won’t work for you.”
It made sense, and I couldn’t deny that the darker parts of me thrilled at the idea of being so completely in control. Still… “She’s going to hate it.”
“Every second of it. Well, not every second, if you do it right. Little girls should be rewarded for good behavior, after all.”
“I don’t know, Cole. I want her to be happy.”
“As do I.” Sobering significantly, Cole sat up straighter in his chair. The change from easy going cousin offering advice to leader of the family was as drastic as it was immediate. “But I imagine you want her safe more than anything. Alex was here earlier, things over by the docks are getting heated. We can’t afford to coddle her, and I can’t afford to have you distracted byher. If things were different, I’d be happy to give you a month all to yourself to settle in, get her acclimated to her new life. But that is a luxury we just don’t have right now. The sooner you can get her under control, the better for everyone involved.”
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. Nora was a wildcard at the moment, and we couldn’t afford wildcards. “All right. Tell me what I need to do.”
Seven
Nora
“Nora. Wake up, princess.”
Whining at the far-too-chipper voice intruding on my sleep, I rolled to my stomach and pressed my face against the pillow. “Go ‘way.”