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Jesus, girl, get a fucking grip.
Taking a seat in the middle of the couch, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and lifted her gaze to his, refusing to be cowed despite the hammering of her heart against her ribcage. Mr. Elliott stood in front of her, arms crossed, and damn him if she didn’t feel exactly like a naughty little girl about to get a lecture from her disappointed Daddy.
“All right, Charlotte. I’m going to give you one last chance to come clean. Why do you need that much money so badly you were willing to put yourself in harm’s way to get it?”
Apparently he brought out the bratty little girl in her, because she immediately rolled her eyes at his question. “I didn’t think it was dangerous, first of all, because I thought you were running it. And second of all, it’s still none of your damn business why I wanted the money.”
“Even if you thought I was running the auction, you should have known better than to sell yourself to a complete stranger.”
“A stranger I assumed you had vetted and approved!”
Mr. Elliott raised an eyebrow. “And you really think that makes a difference?”
“Uh, duh.”
“Watch the attitude, little girl.” Sighing heavily, Mr. Elliott rubbed a hand over his face. “Fortunately for you, I can understand your logic. So I will make you a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“You are still getting your mouth washed out for lying to my receptionist. But if you tell me why you wanted the money, you can forgo the spanking.”
Fuck, that was a tempting offer. Though not as tempting as she wanted it to be. Because there was a not-insignificant part of her that desperately wanted to know what the fuss was all about. From the little bit she’d been able to see at the club, Frankie wasn’t the only one who enjoyed being punished by her ‘Daddy’. And Lottie’s own libido was practically jumping up and down, screaming for him to do it.
The fear of the unknown and the potential pain paled in comparison to the burning need to know.
So even though she was positive she was going to regret it, she tilted her chin just a little higher. “I already told you, that’s none of your fucking business, Mr. Elliott.”
Maybe it was her imagination, but she could have sworn his eyes lit with anticipation at her response. “Have it your way, little girl.”
* * *
BRADEN
He tried to tell himself he wasn’t happy she refused the out he’d given her. But while his ex-wife may have begged to differ, he’d never been a very good liar.
Excitement raced along his nerves, but he forced himself to slow down. “Here’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to go to the bathroom, where you will stand with a bar of soap in your mouth for a full minute to help wash all of those nasty lies. Then we’ll come back in here, so I can give you the spanking you deserve for putting yourself in danger with that stupid auction. Do you know what a safeword is?”
“Yeah.”
“Your safeword is ‘red’. You can use it to stop anything that is more than you can handle, whether that’s physically or emotionally.”
The little brat raised her hand, like she was in school.
“Yes, Charlotte?”
“How am I supposed to say ‘red’ with soap in my mouth?”
“That’s a very good question. Thank you for asking.” He tried not to notice the way her eyes lit up at his praise. And he failed miserably. “If you can’t speak, you can snap your fingers. Does all of that make sense?”
“I guess.”
“Charlotte, as disappointed as I am in your behavior, I’m not proceeding with your punishment until you have fully consented. Say ‘Yes, Sir’ if you understand what I’ve told you and you consent to the punishment I’ve laid out for you.”
“I wasn’t aware I had an actual choice in the matter.”
“You always have a choice, Charlotte.”
“So what happens if I say no? Will you call Master O and have him cancel the transaction?”
