Chapter 10

The food smelledamazing and tasted even better. Also, Lennon was surprisingly good company. He was funny and witty and really smart. I was blown away with how much our intellects matched, something I'd never expected. It was refreshing and enjoyable, and I really had a good time. Somehow he even managed to help me forget that I was sitting naked in my living room sharing a meal with one of my former students. Almost. When I accidentally dropped some rice on my bare leg, it was an instant reminder of our state of undress.

"Ugh," I groaned as I removed the food from my leg. Lennon dipped a napkin in his water and handed it to me.

"Thank you." I wiped up the mess.

"I was going to offer to lick it off, but I figured you wouldn't appreciate that as much."

The admission shouldn't have surprised me, but it did, and I laughed, hard. I couldn't stop. I laughed until my face and stomach muscles hurt. Even when I was able to sober slightly, little giggles would escape.

"You have a beautiful laugh. I could listen to it all day." Lennon smiled at me.

"Thank you." Such a sweet compliment had me blushing. He made me blush a lot.

"Are you done eating? Because I need to fuck you again."

I was, and even if I wasn't, I would have lied because my body instantly responded to his words and I wanted him to fuck me again. "Yes."

"Bedroom. Now."

I couldn't believe after years of being perfectly happy with no sex that my body craved him the way it did. I also couldn't believe how many times and how many different ways he could make me come. By the time he let me sleep, I'd lost track of how many orgasms I'd had.

I stretched as the last vestiges of sleep left my aching body. Every twinge of pain just reminded me that I was not a spring chicken anymore. Lennon was on his stomach next to me, softly snoring, his still-naked body only half covered with the twisted sheet. I took a second to admire his features, soft from sleep. He was so handsome. It baffled me that a man in his prime, with the world at his fingertips, had even a slight interest in me. What did he see in an old lady?

What did I have to offer him other than to satiate some long-standing fantasy he'd had from when he was in my class? Maybe that"s what this was. Maybe I was fulfilling a fantasy, and once he was finished with me, he would move on. Maybe I should just be fine with that. It wasn't like men were lining up down the block to give me the experiences he was giving me. Maybe I should just be happy with it and not look a gift horse in the mouth.

Sighing, I gently climbed out of bed. After a quick trip to the bathroom, I fixed my hair, then grabbed my bathrobe out of the closet. I wanted to make him breakfast and no way was I cooking naked.

If he wasn't okay with it there was no doubt in my mind that he would punish me in some way, but everything hurt already; what was a little bit more pain really going to do to me? I got coffee brewing, pulled out some bacon and got it started on the griddle while I mixed pancake batter. The smell of bacon wafted through the kitchen and must have made its way to my room, because after a few minutes Lennon was behind me, wrapping his arms around my middle and kissing my neck.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" His gravelly, barely awake voice vibrated against my skin.

"I was going to after I finished cooking."

"You're supposed to be relaxing, little girl. I could have ordered us something."

"Cooking is relaxing. I enjoy it." It wasn't a lie, but cooking did create a mess that would have to be cleaned up, and that part I did not like.

"If you say so. Did you make coffee?"

"Of course." I tilted my head toward the coffee pot. "Mugs are in the cabinet right above the pot."

He got down two and poured us each a cup.

"How do you take it?"

"The creamer is in the refrigerator; just a splash, please."

I watched him move around my kitchen out of the corner of my eye. After living alone for so long, I didn't think I would like someone else in my space as much as I liked having him there.

"I guess we'll eat in the living room again? I'll have to clean up the mess from last night before we do." I'd completely forgotten about that, and apparently hadn't noticed it when I walked by to get to the kitchen.

"No you won"t. It"s been done."

"Oh." Well that would explain why the mess hadn't caught my eye as I passed the living room. I didn't usually miss messes.

I thought back to the night before. I fell asleep with him next to me but I guess it was possible he'd gotten up after. I was typically a light sleeper, but he'd worn me out pretty well.

"My clean-up crew came after you went to bed, so I had them take care of all of it. Even the dining room. Well, most of it." He looked a little sheepish. "They didn't clean the walls or the furniture."

I knew that had been a bad idea! I dropped the tongs I was using to flip the bacon and went to my dining room. Sure enough, the floors and a big part of the mess had been cleaned up, but my table, chairs, and walls looked like they'd been fingerpainted by an army of kindergarteners. Honestly, it was beautiful.

"I love it," I whispered.

"Looks like you have a new place to do your art assignment. Maybe it will be a little bit more inspirational now that it has some character."

"Maybe." My gut twisted tight when he mentioned the assignment. "I need to see to the bacon before it burns." I ducked under his arm and scurried back to the stove.

"Hmm, I see a problem here," he mused.

"What problem?" I asked, keeping my focus on the task in front of me.

"You're being naughty."

"What? How?" I turned to see a sexy, lazy smile on his lips.

"I told you I wanted you to stay naked."

"I'm not cooking naked. It's unsanitary and dangerous."

"Then you should have asked Daddy if you could put something on."

"You were sleeping!" I protested.

"Then you should have stayed in bed with me like a good girl." He sighed heavily, as if this was the hardest thing he'd ever done. "Now I'll have to spank you before we eat."

"You're making up reasons to punish me. That's not fair." I stomped my foot to show how frustrated I was, belatedly realizing I was acting like the Little girl he liked to pretend I was.

"Not fair? Did I not tell you yesterday that you were to stay naked?"

"You did, but?—"

"Listen carefully, little girl. No matter what you think is fair, you are not in charge. I don't even need a reason to spank your ass. I'm the Daddy. I'm in charge."

I swallowed hard at his chastisement. "Yes, Daddy."

"Good girl." He kissed the side of my head and smacked my butt hard.

We finished cooking breakfast side by side and settled into comfortable conversation while we ate. After he confiscated my robe, of course. It was becoming a little less uncomfortable except for the fact that he'd put on his boxers. I kept my opinions about the fairness to myself, not wanting to have him snap at me again. After we both finished, we cleaned up, and then the comfortable camaraderie changed.

Lennon picked me up over his shoulder and took me back to the bedroom. "Time for your spanking," he announced as he smacked my butt over and over on the way down the hall.

"Oww!" I kicked my feet and twisted my body, but his arm was like a steel band holding me in place.

"Calm down." He spanked harder. "If you fall and hurt yourself I will really have to punish you."

"Ow! Okay! Okay!" I stopped kicking and rolled my eyes, knowing dang well he wasn't going to drop me.

He set me on my feet in front of the bed for a second, but then I was almost instantly upended over his lap and he was spanking me again. I'd taken way harder spankings in the past, but his hand stung, and I couldn't take it with grace no matter how hard I tried. He didn't talk, either, giving me nothing to focus on aside from the burning skin of my backside. Just when it started to hurt enough to bring tears to my eyes, he stopped.

"No more clothes without permission, got it?"

"Yes, Daddy." I sniffled.

"Good girl."

He scooped me into his arms and held me against his chest.

"I could start every morning spanking your ass before I fuck you," he murmured into the top of my head.

"Maybe we could skip the spanking?" I fake sniffled. Sure, it still stung, but the heat had started to morph into something else entirely.

"But I like spanking your sexy little ass," he argued.

Rolling my eyes, I wiggled against his tight hold. He let go and I turned to straddle his lap, positioning my entrance right over the top of his already hard cock.

"Mmmm." He moaned as he pushed up against me. "Are you trying to take charge, naughty girl?"

I gasped overdramatically. "I would never."

"I shouldn't let you get away with that, especially after I just had to punish you, but I do like the idea of you bouncing up and down on my cock." He lifted me long enough to pull his boxer briefs down and out of the way, and then he was inside me.

When I gasped a second time it was not fake dramatics, but from the soreness I felt when he shoved all the way inside.

"So wet for Daddy. You must not have hated your spanking as much as you pretended to."

"Maybe not," I answered without thinking, and let my head roll all the way back. Having him inside me, stretching me, felt so amazing. So full.

"I'll let you control the pace for a little while, but I want you to tell me when you're about to come, got it?"

"Yes, Daddy."

He leaned back against the pile of pillows and braced his hands behind him. "Okay, baby. Show me what you've got."

Taking his permission, I ran with it and began to move. I tested it at first, trying to find the angle that I liked most, but once I got there, there was no stopping me, and I almost came.

"Daddy. I'm there," I whimpered as I forced myself to stop moving. I was so close that my body ached with the need for release.

"Good girl. Now it's my turn."

In one swift movement he flipped us over and I was flat on my back with him on top of me.

"You can come whenever you're ready" he told me before he was fucking me in earnest.

It didn't take long for both of us to reach our peak and tumble over the edge of bliss together. As we came down, he pressed his lips against mine. Our tongues tangled together in a passionate dance for several minutes before he pulled back and put his forehead against mine.

"God you're amazing."

"You're not so bad yourself," I said as a yawn escaped.

"I kept you up way too late last night. We should take a nap."

"But I'm not tired," I lied. I was exhausted.

"Do you want me to wear you out with a spanking first? I can arrange that."

"Actually, a nap sounds wonderful," I corrected myself.

"That's what I thought." He pulled out of me, eliciting a soft hiss. "I should probably give you a break. I don't want to hurt you."

"But I like it. It doesn't really hurt, just kind of feels like you're scraping against every nerve ending down there."

"Down there, huh?" He laughed. "Say pussy, Zoe."

"I don't want to." I felt the blush heat my cheeks.

"I don't care, do it anyway."

I sighed, knowing that another spanking threat was just below the surface.

"Pussy," I mumbled. "There, happy?"

Lennon smiled and shook his head. "For now. But we are totally going to work on your aversion to those words at some point. For now, nap time."

We crawled up to the head of the bed and he tucked me against him.

"Sweet dreams, little Picasso."

"Sweet dreams, Daddy."

"So, what's the plan for tonight?" Zoe practically purred the question as she rolled over in bed, just popping her eyes open after our post-sex nap.

"Arggh," I groaned, stretching carefully so as not to upset Zoe's head still resting on my chest, and twisted my wrist to look at my watch. It was six p.m., about an hour and a half before I needed to be at the club for our regular Friday night meet-up.

"Food," I grunted, pulling myself up so that I was sitting against the pillows. "And then we have to get ready to go to the club."

Zoe's reaction was immediate as she sat up with a start, twisting her upper body around to look at me, her head no longer resting on my chest and her post-sex languish gone. "Come again?" she replied, in her best snooty professor voice.

I was pretty sure if she'd been wearing her glasses, she'd have pulled them down to peer at me over the tops of the rims.

Her reaction was puzzling to me—or it would have been if she was any other submissive—but she was Zoe. What she lacked in experience she made up for in enthusiasm, so I'd forgotten how green she really was. I'd also forgotten that out of all of our clients, she was the only one who hadn't already been a Penthouse member.

"I go to the club every Friday," I informed her. "It's an informal business meeting of sorts, and really just a way for us all to catch up after a busy week. As my submissive, I assumed you'd go with me."

She shot me a withering glare, popped her mouth open, then softened. "It's a business arrangement, Lennon, and as fun as it is, we can't forget that. I'm not your submissive."

Her words were sharp, shooting through me like an arrow to the heart. But I couldn't let her know that, and yet, it was still too early to insist that what we had was more than just business. So instead, I shot her a withering glare of my own.

"For the purposes of this contract you are, and it's not outside the scope of reality that as my submissive, or even as my client, you would attend the club with me."

Her eyes narrowed. "I thought you said it was a business meeting. Why would I accompany you to a business meeting?"

"Informal business meeting," I corrected. "It starts that way, but once we open, it"s a regular club visit with friends. It's just a way to unwind, and it"s something that is important to us. But it"s not a bunch of hush-hush, top-secret shit. Jasmine will be there, and probably Audrey, as well, and maybe even Erin."

I frowned as I voiced the thought. When was the last time I'd seen Erin with Theo? They'd been coming to play regularly, starting months ago when she'd first contracted his Rent-A-Daddy services, but come to think of it, I hadn't seen her in weeks. Interesting. I'd have to ask him about that.

And I would, but right now I needed to concentrate on the matter at hand. Zoe was staring down at the pristine white down comforter, her expression pensive. I could tell she wanted to say something, so I just waited.

Finally she looked up at me, sighing deeply. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not go. It's just really not my scene, and I'm barely comfortable with what we're doing right now, in private. I just… I won't have a good time, and I don't want my discomfort to negatively affect you. So can you please just go by yourself tonight? I'm more than capable of minding myself for the evening, Lennon."

At the use of my name rather than my title, I inhaled sharply, grabbed her by the curve of her hips, and upended her over my lap, face first, landing a good smack before she even had time to protest. "What did you call me, young lady?"

Instantly she transformed from cool, sophisticated professor to repentant little girl, throwing her hands back to cover her still-pink bottom. "Daddy!" she shrieked. "Daddy, I meant Daddy!"

"Uh-huh." Shoving her hands out of the way, I pinned them to the small of her back, and laid down a volley of hard smacks across both sides of her cheeks. "Why is calling me by my preferred title so important?" I asked, pausing my onslaught to give her time to answer.

She sighed. "Because it keeps us both in the right headspace."

"And why is that so important?"

I hated this part. I hated the reality that there was a power imbalance between us, and that we had to actively work to turn it on its head. On my end it wasn't a hard shift; I'd been out of school for a decade, and it's not like I would have ever submitted to her just because she was older. But for her, it was a real struggle to overcome the idea that she could be with someone so much younger, someone who had once been a student. It was something I had to actively work to counteract.

The reluctant tone in her voice when she finally answered told me she hated it as much as I did. "Because it's a shift for me, due to our history, to think of you as the one I submit to, and give you power over me after having had you as my student, even though that was a long time ago. Also, because it feels weird to me since I'm so much older than you. Having to use a title to address you ensures that the power balance stays where it should be." She repeated the words rotely, as it was not the first time we'd had this discussion.

"Good. So you do understand. Then why do we keep having to have this discussion?"

"I don't know, because Lennon is your name?"

I answered her sass with a hard smack to the tops of her thighs that had her bucking off my lap. "Ouch! Stop! I didn't mean it like that… I mean… it is your name. I'm used to addressing people by their names. This title thing is new to me, okay?"

I answered by way of a few more good, hard smacks before helping her off my lap. Her hair fell in her eyes as she looked up at me. "Daddy, may I please stay home while you go to the club tonight?"

I huffed a breath, knowing I was going to give in even though I didn't want to, also knowing it was too early in our arrangement to push. "You may," I answered, pushing her hair back from her face, and tucking it behind her ear. "I know you're a grown-ass, independent woman who doesn't need my round-the-clock guidance, and I don't want to push you to do something you aren't ready to do, but I do hope you'll accompany me sometime in the future." I lowered my voice to a whisper and leaned close to her ear. "Just the thought of you in nothing but a G-string and garter belt, strapped across a spanking bench, getting your ass paddled while you beg Daddy for forgiveness, makes me hard."

It aroused her, too, though she wouldn't say it. She didn't have to. It was evident in the way her lips parted ever so slightly, her pupils dilated, and her breathing became shallow as a blush rushed up her chest and neck to color her cheeks. I didn't wait for a response, just pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, and pushed out of bed.

"Takeout for dinner?"

Zoe shrugged.

"We slept too long, so I don't have time to cook and get ready. How about Thai?"

"That sounds fine."

She stayed on the bed, but her gaze followed my naked form as I strutted around her monochromatic bedroom, rummaging through the suitcase I'd packed for my gray linen slacks and black silk dress shirt before lumbering off to her en suite bath and closing the door behind me.