Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 40942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Oh, heck.
What else could she confess to?
“I ate cake for breakfast yesterday,” she blurted out. “And instead of cleaning the oven the other day, I practiced some magic tricks instead. Sorry, I’ll clean the oven tomorrow.”
“Baby, I don’t care about the damn oven. The eating cake for breakfast . . . well, don’t make a habit of that.”
“I won’t. Promise.” She gave him an earnest look. But not making it a habit just meant she couldn’t do it every day . . . once or twice a week was okay, right?
He eyed her. “Do I have to come back in the mornings and feed you a healthy breakfast?”
“What? No! I’ll eat a healthy breakfast. Most of the time.”
“Good girl. Now, what else?”
“I don’t think I have anything else to tell you.”
“No? Even though I told you that I loved you?” He frowned.
Oh. Ohhh. She was so dumb.
“Stafford?” she whispered.
“Yeah?” he grumbled.
“I love you so much that I can’t imagine my life without you in it. But if I did, it would make me feel all panicky inside, because you’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”
“I figured as much.” He grinned as she lightly slapped his shoulder. Then he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and kissed her.
Hot and deep.
Until all thought fled her mind, and she was left with just mush.
“Baby girl?”
“Hmm?” she asked as she tried to steal his lips for another kiss. “Another kiss.”
“No more kisses.”
“What? Why?” she asked.
“Because we have a few more things to talk about. After your spanking.”
“What? Why am I getting a spanking?”
20
Stafford eyed her.
She couldn’t seriously be wondering why she was getting a spanking, right?
“You’re getting a spanking because you were up a ladder. You put yourself at risk and that’s not allowed.”
“It was just a ladder. I wasn’t jumping off the roof using a blanket as a parachute.”
“You better not try that!”
“Of course I wouldn’t. I mean, maybe when I was seven I might have thought I could fly. And I might have tried that and broken my arm. But I have learned my lesson.”
“I should hope so,” he said sternly. “But that is beside the point. You could have fallen off that ladder and hurt yourself.”
“But . . . but . . . I didn’t know the rules. So how can I be punished for breaking one?”
Hmm.
That was a good point. Except . . .
“You didn’t realize that not being allowed to put yourself at risk would be a rule? Answer honestly.”
She sighed. “I guess if there were going to be rules that would be one.”
“Also, when I hired you, I told you not to do any outside house maintenance. That you were to leave that to me, didn’t I?”
“I guess so, but I didn’t know you were going to spank me.”
“You could spend some time in the corner instead. And write some lines. Actually, lines could be a good reminder. Writing a hundred times that ‘I will not put myself at risk’ will help keep that rule in your head.”
“I’ll take the spanking! I’ll take the spanking!” She jumped to her feet. “Let’s get it over and done with.”
All right, then.
He sat in the chair and drew her over to stand between his legs. “Why are you getting a spanking, baby girl?”
“Because I put myself at risk of getting hurt and I’m not supposed to do outside maintenance of the house.”
“That’s right. I would be devastated if anything happened to you. You’re not ever to do something that might end up in you getting hurt. No climbing up ladders or onto roofs. No driving over the speed limit or without a seatbelt. No jaywalking or crossing roads while on your phone. Things like that.”
“No jaywalking? Are you serious right now?”
“Very. No lifting heavy things out of the oven. No eating food until it’s been blown on and temperature checked. When you put your pants or shoes and socks on, you must be sitting down. No hopping around dangerously. And your shoelaces must always be tied.”
“Daddy!” she cried, smacking his shoulder lightly. He was being ridiculous now.
Then she froze. Had she really just called him that?
“I, um . . . I . . .”
“I like hearing you call me that,” he told her.
“Really?” she said with such hope in her voice that it nearly made him wince.
“I want to be your Daddy, baby girl. I know I don’t necessarily know what to do or how to show it. But I’ve been doing some more research today and I want to talk to you after this.”
“I mean . . . we could talk now. Skip the spanking.”
“Hmm. I read that if you promise a spanking or punishment that you should follow through.”
Blakely groaned. “That sounds like very dumb advice.”
Stafford grinned. “You would think that. Come here.” He kissed her lightly before arranging her over his lap. He rubbed her bottom. She was wearing purple cotton panties.