She smiled softly. “I can do that.”
“Respect for boundaries goes both ways. These rules are firm, but they belong to both of us. You respect the rules, and I respect when you need to talk about them. We won’t be perfect. As a matter of fact, I can guarantee I won’t be. Growing and learning means mistakes, but mistakes are okay because they’re lessons, not failures. We’ll learn together.”
Tazzy leaned forward and kissed his jaw. “I like that part.”
“Aftercare's non-negotiable. After a punishment or any hard moment of any kind, I promise to hold you. And when a punishment is over, it’s over. I’ll wrap you up in your favorite blanket with Lord Nightwing and get your vampire water bottle filled with flavored water. I’ll make sure you feel safe and loved. Then, of course, there’s the daily check-ins, cuddles, and telling you how proud I am of my good girl.”
Her eyes stung with happy tears. This was the Daddy she'd missed. The one who saw her. Really saw her and understood her need for that reinforcement. It had been so long.
“Last one,” he said, voice dropping lower. “Respectful communication. Even when I enforce a rule, we use kind words. You can brat within limits, but when I say enough, you listen. And you may have missed it, but I can be as possessive as fuck when I need to be. That part of me doesn't get locked away anymore.”
Tazzy shivered. She loved the sharper edges he'd grown. She loved that he no longer tried to soften them for her.
“I agree to all of that,” she whispered. “I want this, Daddy. The real us.”
Jaxon cupped her face and kissed her slow and deep. When he pulled back, his eyes held that dark promise she craved. “Good girl. Now let's get dinner started. Daddy's hungry.”
They moved to the kitchen as one. Tazzy set the table while Jaxon cooked chicken, rice, and a big bowl of steamed broccoli. He poured her a glass of milk and set it beside her plate.
She sat down and stared at the green vegetables. Her nose wrinkled. She knew the new rules. It had only been a few minutes since she’d agreed to all of them. But the only way to find out if a boundary is really there is to test it, right?
“I don't want to eat any veggies, Daddy.”
Jaxon’s eyebrow rose as he took his seat across from her. “You don’t have to want to eat them to eat them, Tazzy. They're good for you.”
She poked at one floret with her fork. “I don't wanna.”
His voice stayed calm, but the stern edge sharpened. “Little girl, you know the rule. Healthy meals for growing goth girls. Broccoli counts. Now eat.”
Tazzy crossed her arms and gave him her best pout. “I don't want to, and you can't make me.” She’d see how serious New Jaxon really was.
The words hung in the air. She felt the thrill of bratting mixed with the nervous flutter in her belly. Jaxon set his fork down slowly. His eyes darkened in that way that always made her stomach flip.
“Stand up.”
Her heart raced. She pushed back her chair and stood. Jaxon rose too, took her hand, and led her to the living room couch. He sat and guided her across his lap without another word. Her stomach pressed against his hard thigh, her bottom lifted high.
He tugged her jeans and panties down to her knees in one smooth motion. Cool air rushed over her newly bared bottom, making her shiver even before the first swat fell. Jaxon’s broad palm settled warmand heavy on her naked cheeks, resting there, a promise of what was coming.
“You earned this, babygirl,” he said, voice low and unyielding. “Daddy gave you a clear rule. You chose to push anyway. Now you’re going to feel exactly what happens when you do.”
The first firm swat landed hard, right in the center of her bottom with a sharp, resounding crack. There was no gentle warm-up from her Daddy — never had been. The sting exploded across her skin like a burst of fire, sharp and bright, making her gasp and jolt forward over his thigh.
He didn’t rush. Each measured smack fell with deliberate force, one after another, building a slow, relentless heat that sank deeper into her flesh with every impact. Tazzy squirmed hard, her legs kicking helplessly as the burn grew hotter, spreading across both cheeks in throbbing waves. His heavy arm locked around her waist, holding her exactly where he wanted her, no matter how much she wriggled.
“Tell Daddy you’ll eat your veggies,” he ordered, his voice dark and steady.
Another hard swat landed on her right cheek, the sting blooming outward like liquid fire. “Ow!”
The next one caught the undercurve of her left cheek, sharper and meaner, sending a fresh jolt of heat straight down to her toes. “Owie! Daddy!” This “testing the boundaries” thing was a horrible idea.
The stings kept building, layer upon layer, until the surface burn had turned into a deep, throbbing ache that pulsed with every heartbeat. Her bottom felt impossibly hot, tight, and swollen, the fire sinking all the way into the muscle. Tears pricked at her eyes and spilled over as the pain finally overwhelmed her stubbornness.
“I’m sorry, Daddy!” she cried out, her voice breaking on a sob. “I’ll eat my veggies, I promise! Please?—”
He delivered five more solid swats in quick succession, each one harder than the last. Fresh tears streamed down her face until she was gasping and whimpering over his lap.
Only then did he stop. His big hand immediately began rubbing slow, gentle circles over her blazing-hot bottom, soothing the fierce burn even as the heat continued to radiate outward.