Page 22 of Daddy's Claim
Oh, god. Had they heard him spanking me? Again? The thought had me wishing a hole would open in the floor and swallow me whole. Or that my father would come to his senses and whisk me back home where I belonged. I would be the perfect daughter forever and ever if it meant I could just gohome.
“Good morning, Nora.” Cole’s kind tone only increased my embarrassment. I wasn’t some recalcitrant toddler who needed to be coddled. Even if I could admit I had sort of behaved like one.
“Morning,” I forced myself to mumble, not wanting to get reprimanded for being rude or some such nonsense.
“Are you allergic to anything, princess?” Michael asked as he picked up my plate.
Leaning back against the chair, I crossed my arms over my chest and repeated my earlier lie. “I’m not hungry.”
“Well, I’ll get you a little bit of everything so you’ll have plenty to choose from.”
“Do whatever you want. I’m not eating it.”
A quiet sigh was all the warning I got before I was unceremoniously hauled out of my chair and into the huge kitchen. I was too relieved to be out of the dining room and away from Adele’s prying eyes to realize what was about to happen until Michael snagged something from a canister on the counter and pushed me down over the massive kitchen island. It was tall enough that my feet barely touched the floor, which sent twin shivers of fear and excitement straight to my core. I wiggled in a vain attempt to get away as he lifted the hem of my dress up over my back, but I didn’t dare protest too loudly. The last thing I wanted was for everyone in the other room to hear exactly what was happening to me.
“What the hell, Michael?” I whispered as loudly as I dared. “Let me go!”
“That’s ‘Daddy’ to you, little girl.”
I barely held back the screech of surprise and pain when something hard smacked across my bare ass. What the hell wasthat?
“I know it’s going to take you some time to adjust to your new normal. So from now on, I am no longer Michael or Mikey or anything but ‘Daddy’ to you. Perhaps that will help you remember who is in charge in this relationship.”
The swats from whatever evil implement he was wielding moved lower, and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out as it connected with the sensitive skin of my upper thighs.
“If you do not address me correctly, you will be punished. And unlike this time, I will not offer you the courtesy of privacy. I will spank your naughty bottom in front of whoever is in the room. Do you understand me?”
He never stopped spanking for one second as he lectured, and the effort it took for me to stay quiet, along with my sheer frustration at the shit show that was now my life broke the dam, releasing the tears I’d been so intent on holding back.
As soon as I let out that first strangled cry, Michael tossed the spoon he’d apparently been using to light my ass on fire on to the island and pulled me into his arms. Part of me, the part that still had some goddamn sense, wanted to push away and run as far from him and the rest of the DeCosta clan as I could get. But his embrace was warm and comforting, and after a long, tense moment, I gave myself permission to just melt into him.
“I know there is a good girl in there, Nora.”
I stiffened at his words, even though his praise seemed to warm me from the inside out. Before I could let him know I didn’t care about being a “good girl” and to tell him where to shove his patronizing words, a loud, unfamiliar voice reached us.
“Michael Vincent DeCosta!” The voice grew louder with each syllable, as though it was closing in on us.
This time it was Michael’s turn to stiffen and an odd sense of satisfaction rolled through me. Apparently he was the one now in trouble, with whoever this mystery person was.
His whispered “Fuck” was accompanied by a quiet groan.
I looked up at him, unable to keep the slightly smug smile off my face. “Who’s that?”
“My mother. She only shows up unannounced when she is pissed or needs a favor. And judging by the sound of her voice right now, it’s the former.”
My giggle was met with a withering glare. “Laugh it up, but if I had to guess she’s here to discuss our recent nuptials. Which means it’s your ass in hot water, too.”
Reaching down, he squeezed my sore bottom and I lifted onto my toes with a surprised squeal to try to escape the punishing grip.
“Boy! If you don’t come out here right now and face your mama, I will whip you into next year!”
Panic filled his eyes, and I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
“Cover me while I sneak out the back.”
“What’s it worth to you?” I asked, thoroughly enjoying his obvious discomfort.