Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"What did he say?" Lyra asked an hour later. She'd spent that hour pacing in Phoenix's apartment, where he'd led her and left her after a stern lecture not to come out for any reason.

She'd known he would be interrogating the man who'd approached her, and she was glad to have Phoenix and all the other men in her court, protecting her.

Phoenix sat on the couch and pulled her between his legs. He was so large and imposing that even sitting didn't diminish his size. With his hands on her hips, he met her gaze. "He insisted he's just a huge fan of yours and was hoping to get an autograph."

She stiffened. "Do you believe him?"

"Not for a second, Crash. We are all confident he's connected to Boyd, but there wasn't much we could do except escort him off the property with a stern warning not to return."

She started trembling. "Why would Boyd send someone to harass me? Do you think he wants to punish me for firing him?"

Phoenix pulled her closer. "Unfortunately, no. I think there's more to it, Lyra, and until we figure out what Boyd's motive is, I want you to stay out of sight. Unless I or one of my teammates can be with you, I want you to stay either on this floor or in the basement. No one besides us can access these two safe spaces." His gaze was narrowed.

She set her hand on his shoulders. "Okay, Daddy."

"Did you say your accountant handles payroll and is responsible for paying Boyd's salary?"

"Yes. Tracy."

"And you trust her?"

"Definitely. I've never had a single issue with her. She's been with me since before I was even an adult."

"Okay. Is she in Kentucky?"

Lyra nodded.

"Then, we should call her first thing tomorrow morning. We want to catch her before her work day is over. Make sure she knows that Boyd is no longer on the payroll and ensure that nothing wonky has been happening with your money."

Her breath hitched. "Do you think he might be stealing from me?"

"I have no idea, but we have to assume something about you is lucrative to him. Based on what you've told me, the man has shown very little interest in you romantically for a long time. He's obviously not in love with you if he ever was. Since he keeps you overbooked, I assume he's somehow taking a cut of your earnings, either by siphoning from the top or taking money under the table. His behavior for the past few days suggests he's desperate to keep you under his control. We need to know why. We'll start with your accountant and move from there."

"Okay. Will you talk to her with me, Daddy?"

"I'd like that, Crash—if you don't mind. I might be able to ask questions you don't think of."

"Thank you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. His presence calmed her. The closer she was, the better she felt. Maybe it was his imposing size, but she thought it was more than that.

Something magnetic was happening between them. It tugged her in and wouldn't let her go. And she wasn't sorry. Already, in the short time she'd known him, she felt connected to him in a way she'd never experienced with Boyd. Could he really be so perfect?

Phoenix eased her back so he could meet her gaze again. "Here's what we're going to do. First, Daddy is going to spank you."

She flinched. She'd known this would be coming, but it made her nervous. Plus, every time he brought up the idea of spanking her, she had confusing feelings. Her nipples tightened, and she squeezed her legs together. Wetness leaked from her already. Would he find out?

He rubbed her back. "I know you're curious about what it will feel like to have your bottom peppered by my palm, so we're going to get that over with. Sometimes, Little girls need a good hard spanking. It helps relieve pent-up stress. What you went through this morning caused a lot of anxiety. A spanking will help you let go of the icky feelings you have."

She nodded. "How did you know I had icky feelings, Daddy?"

He smiled. "You're not the first Little girl to join my growing family here at Danger Bluff, Crash. I've seen what happens to Littles when they do something naughty they know they shouldn't have done. It weighs on them until their Daddies help them let go of the guilt with a good spanking."

Was he omniscient? Even though she had no idea what it would feel like to have her bottom spanked, she had to admit he was right. Icky was the perfect word to describe how she'd been feeling ever since the sprinklers had come on and chaos had ensued. She'd known immediately she'd caused the commotion with her poor choices.

"After Daddy spanks you, we'll have lunch, and then you can go down for a nice nap."

She curled up her nose. "I don't take naps anymore, Daddy. I haven't had a nap since I was a small child. I haven't even had time for a nap since then."

"That's going to change, Crash. It sounds like you've been maintaining a very tight schedule for a long time. You can't do that forever. You'll burn out. You need some downtime."

She nodded. "I think I did burn out. That's why I snapped and told Boyd I wouldn't go to Japan. I've been looking forward to a few weeks in New Zealand for months. I lost my mind when he suddenly declared that I needed to go to Japan immediately."

"See? You already knew you needed to slow down. I bet you don't eat enough either." He slid his hands to her waist and squeezed her tummy, pointing out that she was a bit on the skinny side.

She sniffled, feeling stupid again. He was right. "Sometimes, I forget to stop practicing to eat, plus I get stressed when Boyd is around. My stomach has been in knots for a long time."

"How many hours a day do you usually practice, Little one?"

She shrugged. "A lot. Not because I need to but because it's my escape. When I'm playing, I block out the world and focus on nothing but the music. It helps me ignore my problems."

Phoenix slid his hands up and down her waist. When he grazed the edges of her breasts with his thumbs, her breath hitched. He didn't comment on her reaction, though. "We need to get you on a better schedule. I would never dream of telling you how to run your business. I would also never insinuate that I know more about how much time you need to practice. However, I bet we can sit down together and work out a schedule that allows you plenty of time to play every day while ensuring you also get three square meals, snacks, lots of sleep at night, and a nap."

She thought about his words and their delivery. Even though, on the surface, he sounded dominant and controlling, he didn't give the same vibe as Boyd. He wanted what was best for her. No one had taken care of her or given a shit about her health or well-being since she'd been a small child.

Was this what it meant to be a Little and let someone Daddy her? Did it mean that he would see to her needs so that she could be a better version of herself? It sounded like heaven.

Lyra threw her arms around his neck again. "Thank you, Daddy."

"You're welcome, Crash."

"I'm still not sure I need a nap," she grumbled as she leaned back. "I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep."

"We'll see. What matters is that you spend an hour in your bed in your playroom, snuggling with Harry. If you sleep, great. If you simply rest, that's fine, too. Now, enough stalling. My girl needs a spanking."

She held her breath as he eased her back several inches before his hands came to the button on her jeans. She gasped and grabbed his fingers. "What are you doing, Daddy?"

"When I spank you, it will always be on your bare bottom, Crash. I need to be able to keep a close eye on your skin to ensure I swat you just enough to make it red but not so hard that you have lasting bruising." He eased her hands away and resumed unfastening her jeans.

Her face flushed as he lowered them down to her knees before tugging her panties down with them. She bit her lip as he guided her to one side of his legs, scooted back on the couch cushions, and then lowered her over his thighs.

Feeling vulnerable, she rested her cheek on her folded arms under her head. This was the most submissive position she'd ever been in. The cool air in the room hit her butt cheeks, making her overly aware of her exposure. She was also awkward with her jeans around her knees.

Phoenix set a palm on the small of her back, pushing her shirt up so that she felt even more exposed. He rubbed her bottom with his other hand.

"I'm scared, Daddy," she murmured.

"That's normal, Little one. Until you experience your first spanking, it's hard to understand the kinds of feelings you'll have. Everyone is different, but I suspect you'll experience a euphoric release by the time I'm done."

That was impossible to imagine. She twisted her head to look up at him. "What if I hate it?"

"Then we won't do it again," he said without hesitation.

"Really?" Her heart beat faster at the thought that he would consider her feelings.

"Of course not. It's not for everyone. Some Little girls don't like pain. If that's the case, we'll find other ways to discipline you."

"Like what?"

He pointed to the corner of the room. "Like timeouts. Or you could sit at the kitchen table and write lines until you learn your lesson. Daddy can come up with lots of creative ways to discipline you if you truly don't react well to having your bottom spanked. But I find it unlikely that will be the case."

"It's going to hurt, though."

"Yep. But that pain is what releases endorphins that allow you to forgive yourself for misbehaving."

She lowered her cheek to her forearms again, thinking about his words. Was it possible she would enjoy the pain? She already knew the answer was yes. She'd been wound up in a tight knot inside for months. Years. She welcomed anything that would relieve that stress. If this worked, she would be forever grateful.

"Ready, Crash?"

"Yes, Daddy."

The first swat made her flinch, but she quickly realized it didn't hurt. It simply startled her. The next few were the same, and she relaxed against his thighs, letting her mind focus on the rhythmic slaps against her bare skin.

He gradually increased the pressure, which heightened the sting until her butt grew very warm and started to burn. Instead of panicking or tensing, she felt her body relaxing.

When he stopped and rubbed her heated skin, she lifted her head to look at him again. "Is that all? You're done?"

He chuckled. "No, Crash. That was just a warmup. I can see now that you're in desperate need of a lot more."

Her face heated, but there was no sense denying the truth. "Yes, Daddy. Please keep going."

"Okay, Little one."

She settled her cheek again, this time drawing in a deep breath and releasing it slowly. She felt herself sliding into a weird zone. She craved the burn. She hoped he would swat her harder and not stop. "Please, Daddy…"

He obliged, resuming the spanking with faster, firmer contact, making her wonder if his palm stung like her bottom.

He spanked her for a long time, or at least it seemed like it. She sort of left her body, losing track of time. When his swats lowered to the backs of her thighs and then the junction where her thighs and butt cheeks met, something changed. A knot formed in her tummy. Wetness leaked from her pussy.

She started to squeeze her legs together, but Phoenix stopped her by sliding his hand between her thighs. "Keep your knees parted, Little one."

Panting, she tried not to react to his command, but her body betrayed her as she clenched her pussy around nothing. How could she be aroused right now?

Phoenix focused on that same spot for several more slaps before he resumed peppering her burning hot bottom again. The pain intensified. It felt so good at the same time.

Suddenly, something snapped inside her, and she started crying. Big, ugly tears fell from her eyes to run down to her forearms. Once she started, she couldn't stop, but at the same time, her Daddy stopped spanking her.

Phoenix rolled her over gently and cradled her in his arms. He pulled her close to his torso and kissed her temple. "That's a good girl. Let it all out. You'll feel much better after a good cry, Crash."

She couldn't stop it anyway, and she sobbed against him for long minutes before finally sniffling back the last of her strange release. She was so embarrassed she burrowed her face into his neck, not wanting him to see her raw expression.

He continued to rock her gently, kissing her temple over and over. "Such a good girl. I'm so proud of you. Don't you feel better?"

She licked her lips and managed to whisper, "Yes." She was stunned by her reaction. Had he known this would happen?

"You did so well, Lyra. Now, you know what it means to get release from a hard spanking. When you misbehave, Daddy will swat your pretty cheeks until they're hot pink and make it hard for you to sit down for the rest of the day."

"Do other Daddies spank their Littles like that?" she whispered.

"Yes. Not all Littles are alike, but most enjoy a good spanking. Sometimes, Sadie, Celeste, Zara, and Juniper intentionally misbehave so they can all get their bottoms spanked. I suspect you will easily join in their antics."

She gasped. "On purpose?"

"Yep." He rubbed her burning skin. "Or you might ask me to spank you without doing anything naughty when you know you need the release. That's okay, too."

She was breathing heavily as she thought about his words. It was hard to imagine ever asking him to spank her for no reason, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe she would have a super stressful day one of these days and need this kind of release again. She certainly felt better after a good cry. Her heart was lighter. Her bottom was on fire, but in a good way that would remind her how much he cared about her for the rest of the day.