Trained By Her Daddy by Shelly Douglas
Chapter 9
“You didn’t realize he’d interrogate me?”
“Watch your tone, young lady,” John scolded, tapping his foot on the hardwood floor. “I figured he heard me paddle your behind this afternoon, but since it was his idea that you should be trained in this lifestyle…”
“What happened between us in the bedroom today wasn’t on Jake’s cross-examination agenda. Thank God he never mentioned hearing anything—although I’m sure he did.”
“Before I drove to the store, he asked how long you were going to stay here, but it seemed like a benign question.”
“That’s not all he wanted to know,” I managed through tense lips. “Your son insisted on hearing details.”
“Dear God. What did you tell him?”
“He asked for honesty, so I tried to be above board with him. If I ever doubted it before, it’s now clear Jake never intended to play matchmaker—he was only getting us together to improve my D/s writing. And now that he knows the truth, he’s concerned.”
The vibrant green and gold flecks in John’s warm brown eyes made up the most beautiful combination of my favorite autumn tones. But it was never a good sign when his compelling hazel eyes narrowed. “I couldn’t have been gone for more than twenty minutes. In such a short period of time, you told him everything that happened between us in the last week?”
“Well, not everything,” I mumbled, looking down at the floor. “Just the highlights.”
“Look at me when I speak to you, young lady.” He waited until I obeyed, and then his intense gaze locked with mine. “What exactly do you mean by the highlights?”
“He wanted to know if I was in love with you. He’s worried if I continue to live here, someone’s heart will be broken. And I’m certain he’s more concerned with your heart than mine.”
“We don’t need my son’s blessing to live together. For God’s sake, we’re consenting adults.”
“Not to mention whose idea it was that I spend a week here…”
John firmly folded one arm over the other and growled. “What else did Jake want to know?”
“He asked if chutzpah was really a part of my personality, or if I was just trying to provoke you by constantly misbehaving. He’s wondering if I’m playing the part of a disobedient young girl only for the sake of my next book.”
John’s clenched jaw was outlined by his handsome five o’clock shadow. “But during your last phone conversation with him…”
“Jake said he knew I had a saucy mouth. But this time he was obviously searching for more. He wanted to know if we’re right for each other.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Besides the fact that a rebellious nature didn’t end with my teenage years, I told him why our relationship has become so important to me.”
His curious eyes studied mine. “Keep going.”
“In the past, I hadn’t given Jake any background on my history, or why I’d had an interest in writing spanking romance. When our conversation started, I gave him a few glimpses into our week together, but after he asked for information about my family—our discussion naturally veered into another direction. Most mothers and fathers try to infuse strong morals and values into their children, but because my parents were seriously lacking in the integrity department—there were major holes in my basic understanding of right and wrong. Dark holes that you had an honest desire to fill with not only rules, but care and compassion. And even though Jake said he understood and believed everything I shared with him today—he still seemed nervous about me moving in.”
Unfortunately, the muscles in John’s jaw weren’t relaxing one bit, and my incessant rambling forged ahead like a freight train barreling down the tracks.
“So, what do you think your son is really afraid of? Does he think I’m not good enough for you?”
He held one finger up in the air and spoke softly. “Enough. I don’t ever want to hear you put yourself down again.”
My arms crossed as my mouth instantly closed.
His head tilted. “Body language.”
“Yes, sir,” I mumbled, dropping my arms.
“Now then. Did he tell you about my relationship with his mom?”
“Not much. Only that she missed having a loving father, and you were the head of their household.”
“My marriage with Jeannie wasn’t complicated at all. Her father came home from work one day when she was four years old and told her mom he didn’t love her anymore. Not that there was much love in the house before he had an affair with his secretary, but Jeannie said her mom became depressed and even threatened suicide on several occasions. Can you imagine? Her mom would open a picture window in their dining room and hoist a leg out onto the ledge, threatening to jump. Jeannie said she was probably five years old when she began daydreaming about having a real Daddy who’d love her—and those thoughts eventually morphed into fantasies which included an older man who would care enough to scold and spank her for putting herself in danger. She was young when we met and didn’t speak of her past until I started sharing theories from my psychology classes. That’s when the pieces of the puzzle fit together for both of us, and I was more than happy to give my wife the loving attention she’d been craving.”
“I guess you had the dominant husband gene.”
“There’s a lid for every submissive pot, so they say.”
It was the most he’d spoken about Jeannie since I’d come to stay with him, and I felt honored that he felt comfortable enough to share such personal memories with me. Naturally, a major question about their family dynamics had been burning up my brain for the last week, and it seemed like a good time to ask. “Did you display your Daddy/little girl relationship in front of Jake? Because when he first suggested that I be trained by you, he referred to you as a real-life Daddy Dom.”
“He knew I played the role of her protector, but I’d always made sure he wasn’t close by before disciplining her disrespectful behind. There was no reason for him to be aware of all the details of our marriage. Those were secrets we kept hidden in our private marriage vault.”
By the time he was finished speaking, the corners of my mouth were curled upward. It was easy to understand why Jake was perfect in his role as a publisher of spanking novels, because even though he didn’t see all the aspects of their DD marriage first-hand, he grew up with the lifestyle in his home. “Why do you think our relationship came as such a surprise to your son? He knew you enjoyed being the head of his family’s house, and doesn’t it make sense that I’d have the desire to pen novels around a way of life I was interested in? Did it not occur to him there was a possibility we’d be attracted to each other?”
“Jake’s probably just feeling a bit overprotective of his dear old dad. After all, I’m almost twice your age.”
“But wouldn’t an older man make the best Daddy for someone like me?”
John’s eyes sparkled in agreement as they observed mine. “I think I’m the perfect man for you, but Jake is seeing our relationship from another angle. Remember, he doesn’t have the whole story, because he’s on the outside looking in.”
“I didn’t give him any information on our intimate moments—but as the publisher of my next novel, don’t you think he’s going to know every detail of what went on here this week? Eventually, he’ll have a bird’s eye view, right?”
Uh-oh. The instant change in his countenance immediately told me he did not agree with my last sentiment. And if history had taught me anything, it was never a good idea to spar with him.
“Lori, maybe we should talk about the personalities and backstory of your next characters. The relationship we’ve been building between us is extraordinary, but the details of the time we spend behind closed doors are no one’s business. This venture began to help you understand how a submissive and dominant live together, and, of course, you have my blessing to put all your new knowledge into fictional characters. But I’ll be extremely disappointed if you reveal our precious moments on paper. What happened between us is special and needs to remain private.”
His words were delivered slowly, deliberately and as usual with a bit of drama. Okay, I understood his privacy issues, but this was going to make my job as an author rather difficult. Naturally, from the time I arrived in his home I’d planned to write about our experience together. After all, it’s no secret people love stories based on truth. But since our relationship had turned into one which was more personal than business, his request was reasonable—so I nodded. It never ends well for my backside when I disappoint him.
“I’m going to ask for more than a nod, young lady.”
“I promise not to include our real life in any of my future stories.”
“Good. Now I need to talk with Jake. What’s happening between us right now is not his concern, and he needs to trust our instincts going forward.”
Yawning and stretching my arms, I hoped our long day had finally come to an end. “Am I in trouble for spilling the beans about our relationship?”
His mouth formed a lopsided smile. “Not at all. But that doesn’t mean your Daddy won’t take a golden opportunity to teach his girl a lesson.”
My gulp was audible.