“Hey, brat. Waiting on your man?”
Sliding onto the stool at the bar situated just outside the doors ofRestraint, one of the kink clubs I’ve been frequenting every Monday for nearly two years, I roll my eyes at Penny’s question. “He’s not my man, you know that.”
Now it’s Penny’s turn to roll her eyes, though she does so with a knowing smirk that has my tummy doing funny little twists. “I know you’ve been trying desperately to convince yourself that you’re happy with the little scraps of attention he gives you once a week. You deserve more, Junie.”
Picking up the non-alcoholic cocktail she makes for me every Monday night—no alcohol if you’re playing, club rules—I do my best to ignore the stab of pain in my chest as I sip the fruity concoction. “I don’twantmore, Pen. I’m living my best single life and loving it, thank you very much. Even if Daddy tried to expand our relationship to outside of the club, I wouldn’t want it.”
“Uh-huh.” It’s clear from both her tone and the raised brow that she’s not buying what I’m selling. “And that’s why you refuse to play with anyone else, even when he’s not here.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks as I shift uncomfortably on the stool. “I play at other clubs.”
“Sure you do, honey.”
“I do! I go toThe Velvet Collarevery Wednesday.”
That has Penny’s brows raising. “Really? If I’d known you were looking for a Mommy I would have hooked you up sooner.”
The truth is, there is a very special Mommy over atThe Velvet CollarI have a standing play date with, just like I do with Daddy. But also like Daddy, Mommy is completely off limits outside the club, so I just shrug, as if I’m not at all bothered by the fact that two separate people seem to think I’m good enough for a weekly fuck but nothing more. “I’m not looking for anything other than a sore ass and some good orgasms.”
Snorting out a disbelieving laugh, Penny shakes her head. “Keep telling yourself that, hon.”
Annoyed, both at her prying and the niggling voice in the back of my mind that tells me she’s right, I pull my lip back in a sneer. “Fuck off, Pen.”
“Excuse me, little girl?”
Every cell in my body freezes at the sound of his voice. Behind the bar, Pen flashes a sympathetic smile, but says nothing in my defense as I slowly turn on the stool to face the man behind me. His face isn’t the pretty kind of handsome I always thought I was attracted to, but rough and rugged, with hints of his age showing at the corners of his eyes and mouth when he laughs or frowns. He keeps his beard trimmed short, and every now and then you can see hints of gray peeking through, which only makes him seem even more swoon-worthy. When he’s not angry, his eyes are a sparkling golden-green I sometimes think I could get lost in if I stare into them for long enough.
But when heisangry, the gold darkens to a deeper brown that only allows little peeks of the green through.
And right now, there’s almost no green to be found.
“Um. Hi, Daddy.”
One dark brow raises as he stares down at me. “Apologize to Penny, Juniper Skye. Right now.”
Heart in my throat, I glance over my shoulder at my friend. “I’m sorry, Pen. That was really rude of me.”
“It’s all right, brat. I’m sure your Daddy will make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“I certainly will.” When I turn back, Daddy is holding his hand out, and I place my fingers in his palm, heaving a quiet sigh as he helps me down from the stool. “Come with me, Juniper.”
I don’t bother to plead my case as he leads me away from the bar. “No swearing” was one of the very first rules he laid downfor me when we decided to be long-term play partners, and it’s one of the rules I know from experience he’s the strictest about enforcing.
But when he stops at the base of a large wooden platform rather than leading me back to the playroom I reserved for us, I balk. “Daddy, no! Not here!”
“Yes, here.” There’s no room for argument in his tone. “What’s the rule about being naughty in the club?”
I can feel at least a dozen eyes on me, watching us as I grow smaller and smaller. Not physically, of course, but mentally. Emotionally. There are only a few people in this world capable of bringing me to my Little space so quickly, and he’s one of them.
Dropping my gaze to the floor beneath us, I sigh again as I scuff the toe of my pretty pink ballet flats against the tile floor. “When I’m naughty in public, I get spanked in public,” I recite sulkily.
“That’s right. So you are going to get your naughty bottom spanked right here in front of everyone. Maybe if you take your punishment like a good girl, Daddy will take you to our playroom afterward.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
With my hand still trapped in his much larger one, he heads up the stairs, pulling me along after him. This particular podium is set up rather simply, with nothing but a straight-backed chair in the middle of it. Many of the players atRestrainthave a fondness for over-the-knee spankings, and they petitioned to have a station set up specifically for that purpose.
It’s Daddy’s favorite spot to use when I’ve earned a public punishment.
