Page 53 of Daddy’s Hunted Bride

“On it.” Striding forward, I scoop my babygirl up over my shoulder, ignoring her screams of protest and the pounding of her fists at my back.

“Let me go! Let me go!”

Once we reach the living room, I sit on the couch, shifting her until she’s trapped on my lap. Her diapered bottom presses against my cock and I have to grit my teeth against the flashes of painful need each wriggling movement sends shooting through me.

“Stop. Moving,” I manage to grit out between my teeth.

Surprisingly, Vanessa does as she’s told and freezes on my lap. But my growled command has not dimmed the anger burning in her gaze as she glares up at me.

“Let me go. I need to help my friends!”

As if on cue, the sound of palms connecting with naked bottoms echoes throughout the house, followed by Lanie and Josie’s pitiful wails.

“Your cousins,” I say, making sure to emphasize the correct word, reminding her that we are indeed a family here, “are getting the punishments they earned for following your lead.”

I almost feel guilty about the way she practically deflates before my eyes. “I didn’t mean to get them in trouble,” she whispers, sounding so heartbroken I don’t have it in me to continue being a hardass.

Wrapping my arms around her, I pull my Little girl in for a tight hug. “Can you tell Daddy what happened?”

“Will you spank me if I tell you?”

Hmmm. That’s an interesting question. “That’s going to depend on what you have to tell me, little fox.”

In my arms, Vanessa sighs, a world-weary sound that has me fighting back a laugh. “I was trying to run away again.”

Ahhh. “How did the others get involved?”

“I don’t know. Tabby woke up while I was trying to find a way out of the fort, then she woke Lanie up, and Lanie woke Josie up. I figured if I told them what I was really up to, they’d go running straight to you so I made up a story about wanting some water and the next thing I knew we were planning a midnight snack run.”

“So this wasn’t really your idea.”

“I guess not. But it’s still my fault we’re down here and my cousins”—she rolls her eyes on the word—“are getting spanked.”

“No. Your cousins are getting spanked because of the choices they made. Maybe you were a bit of the ringleader, but they could have chosen not to go along with your plan at any given point.”

Vanessa jerks a shoulder. “I guess. I still don’t think it’s fair for them to get spanked.”

“Do you really not think it’s fair or do you just feel guilty and you think taking their punishments for them would help you feel less guilty?”

Eyes narrowing, she glares up at me. “You’re annoyingly insightful sometimes, you know that?”

“Mmm.” Gripping her chin, I run the pad of my thumb over her bottom lip. “It’s very brave of you to want to take their punishments, but that isn’t how this works, little one. Little girls learn best when they’re held accountable for their actions, so that’s what your Uncle Eli and your Auntie Gray are going to do.”

“Do you have to let them spank me?” Her voice has pitched up, making her sound more childlike than ever before. “Please, Daddy, can’t you do it?”

There is a part of me that wants to give in. I would enjoy punishing her, spanking her naughty bottom raw and then fucking her there until she was a sobbing, pitiful little mess in Daddy’s bed.

But it’s important to follow through on a punishment once it’s been decided, and it isn’t fair to the others if my babygirl receives any different treatment.

“I’m afraid not, little fox. But once it’s all over, Daddy will hold you and snuggle you for as long as you want.”

Apparently sensing that’s all the concession she’s getting, Vanessa heaves another deep sigh.

“All right. Let’s get this over with.”

Vanessa

We return to the kitchen just as Josie and Lanie are swapping places. They’re already sobbing, their bottoms bright red and covered with darker splotches from Auntie Gray’s hairbrush and Uncle Eli’s wooden spoon. Righteous indignation wells inside me, but I swallow it down. It’s my fault my friends are being punished, and I’m determined not to make it any worse for them by lashing out.