The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) 📕

I check her again. Sweat’s making her pale skin gleam. Her breathing’s become audible in the quiet room: fast, shuddery breaths that rise to a whimper as she shifts position.

“That’s the plan,” I grit. “I want her to remember this.”

“You think she won’t? First of all, I’m willing to bet that what will stay with her far longer than the pain is your disappointment—”

“She’s felt that before and it didn’t make a sufficient impression. Stop pleading for leniency, J. You’re not the one in the middle of the constant cat-fights.”

Ten shifts and casts a dark glance over his shoulder at Javier. “Can’t believe you call yourself a sadist.”

“I’m a complete proponent of giving and receiving pain,” Javier retorts. “When it’s for the gratification of both parties. This isn’t gratifying anyone.”

He’s wrong about that.

“I don’t agree,” Maude says quietly from my other side. “Emily will feel much better when the punishment is over, even if she can’t sexualize the pain. She’ll feel free and forgiven. It’s you I’m worried about, Logan.”

“Me?”

Maude nods her sleekly styled gray head. “Your sub is suffering. Why aren’t you aroused?”

Because I don’t want to be doing this. I want to skip over the punishment to the part where I reassure Emily that everything Miranda said was a lie. It’s rare that my nurturing side overrules the side of me that wants to see my bottom suffer, but my inner caregiver is hammering my sadist into the closet right now. I want to make sure Emily knows she’s my future, and I want to be certain that nothing Miranda’s said has tarnished the brightness of that future.

But Emily’s not ready for that conversation, or my comfort, yet. I need to break her down first, allow her to release all the guilt and shame and insecurity she’s carrying, and get her to that very open place where every word I say sinks deep and bolsters her belief in herself and in us.

She needs that, and I need it, too. I need to know she still believes in her daddy. That my own mistakes haven’t ruined what’s between us. I need her to forgive me as much as she needs me to forgive her. That’s why I’m enduring Emily’s punishment as much as she is.

“I’m worried that some of the things Miranda said to Emily might have damaged her faith in me,” I admit. “I said we’d talk it out, and we will when she’s ready, but we need to get through this first. I don’t have to like it, though. Excuse me a moment.”

Emily’s battling. The muscles in her thighs flex constantly with the temptation to go up on her tiptoes. The color in her cheeks and chest is still good, but her labia have darkened to red. She whimpers with each breath. I want to check in with her and push her along a little bit towards the catharsis I want her to achieve.

I move to her side and let her know I’m there by running my hand down her upper arm. She shivers but doesn’t flinch at my touch.

I lift the headphones off so she can hear me. “Emily, give me a pain number.”

“Seven, Daddy,” she whimper-whispers.

“As bad as a caning?”

“Yes, Daddy. Bit worse.”

“Do you want Daddy to flog you to help you deal with the pain?”

“No, Daddy.” She shifts position and a wounded moan escapes her.

“Still a seven?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Okay. Have you had a think about breaking my rules and running away from me and how that makes me feel?”

She nods so fast the blindfold slips. I cup her nape to steady her while I fix the blindfold. When it’s back in position, I prompt her. “How do you think it makes me feel, Emmy?”

“Angry and frustrated and like I can’t do anything right.”

My poor little girl. That’s how she feels.

“No, sweetheart. I’ve never, for one second, felt that you couldn’t do anything right. I was frustrated, and annoyed, but mostly I was scared. Do you understand why I might be scared?”

“No, Daddy.” She bites her lower lip and her chin quivers.

“I’m scared that you could be badly hurt if you keep getting into these confrontations.” I run my hand over her soft head, careful not to dislodge the blindfold again. “And I’m so scared of losing you when you run away from me that I can barely fucking breathe.”

Her mouth forms a little round O, but no sound comes out for a moment. Then she says all on one breath, “I’m-sorry-Daddy-I-didn’t-mean-to-scare-you.”

I lean in and kiss her forehead. “I need more than words, sweetheart. I need to be absolutely certain, and the only way I can be absolutely certain that you’re safe is if you walk away from confrontation in the future. You did it perfectly with Pence. Why didn’t you do it with Miranda?”

“Sorry!” she wails, her face collapsing in pain and grief. The bottom of her blindfold turns shiny as her tears saturate it. “I’m s-s-sorry, Daddy!”

“I know you are, baby girl. Okay, give me a pain number again and then I’m going to put your headphones back on and let you think a bit more.”

Her voice is a little stronger than before when she says, “Seven.”

I give her another kiss on the forehead before I settle the headphones back over her ears.

Maude watches me as I sit back down, her gray eyes gleaming with approval. “I take back everything I’ve ever said about the emotional unavailability of dominant men. Well done, Logan.”

It didn’t feel well done. It sucked. I’m not at all a fan of exposing so much of my inner life, particularly not in front of Vultures One, Two, and Three. But Emily needed it. She’s still too mired in self-doubt to achieve a catharsis. Hopefully, the prompting will set her on the right path.

I check my phone and take the rubber flogger out of my toy bag before I answer Maude. I’m going to flog Emily’s breasts at the half-way mark whether or not she asks me to. It