When the waiter returned, Pedro helped Belinda from her chair and collected the wrapped remains of her meal. He steered her to the entrance and signaled for his car. The valet raced to retrieve it, eager to drive the sports car again.
The ride home began quietly. After a few minutes, Pedro reached a hand over the console. Belinda stared at it, unsure what she should do. He waited patiently until she placed her palm against his. His fingers closed around hers and squeezed lightly.
“Everything is okay, Belinda,” he assured her, glancing sideways to meet her gaze.
“I don’t understand,” she whispered.
“You’ve never been someone’s Little girl, have you?”
“No. I’ve just read about it in books.”
“That’s why there are rules. Already, you have shared that you work an extraordinary number of hours and skip meals. While that is unavoidable sometimes when you have the responsibility you have at Edgewater Industries, it’s not healthy. And lying damages any relationship—especially one as special as ours.”
“I’m not a good liar. I try never to do it unless the truth would hurt someone’s feelings,” she confessed.
“That is an excellent policy to have,” he complimented.
“Why did you come here? To Edgewater Industries? You could have a job anywhere. Why did you choose here?” Belinda held her breath when Pedro pulled into an empty parking lot and turned to face her.
“An inquisitive, bright student showed up on my screen one day during an online course. Her questions and her knowledge impressed me. More intriguing was the feeling I had that I needed to pay attention to her. I’ve learned in life to listen to that inner voice. It tells me important things.”
“Are you talking about me?”
“Yes.”
“You’re saying that you came to Edgewater Industries for no other reason than to meet me?” Belinda looked at him in shock.
“I took a position here to work in an innovative company that searched for someone with my knowledge. Had you been working for a company that I did not believe in, I would have found another job as close to you as I could. I would have met you regardless of whether I came to Edgewater to work as your colleague.”
“This is all very…” Her voice faded away as Belinda obviously searched for the word that would complete that statement.
“Surprising? Fortunate? Fated?” he proposed, feeling his lips curve into a fond smile. He wanted to make this all less confusing for her but couldn’t. He could only support her as she reconciled everything in her brain. “I’ve had time to process my attraction to you and how I know inside that you are mine. You have not.”
“Fated?” She echoed his last suggestion.
“I do believe in fate. Easton created an incredible business empire here. It was already on my radar before I encountered you. I know you are dedicated to our company.”
“Our company,” she echoed.
“Yes. I like what Easton is doing here. I would not work for a company that I didn’t believe in. The fact that you are here is icing on the cake. I would have met you regardless of whether we worked at the same company.”
“Because you think I’m your Little girl?” She repeated his earlier statement to double check she hadn’t misunderstood.
“Because I know you’re my Little.” Pedro cupped her face, stroking her jawline with his thumb. “I know this is confusing and difficult to understand. How could I be sure that you’re mine after interacting with you over a virtual call with a hundred other people?”
“How can you be so sure?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Something in you called to me.” Pedro leaned forward to press his lips against hers softly. When she froze under his kiss, Pedro lifted his mouth. He met her gaze squarely—not challenging, not forcing himself on her, just waiting.
A small sound escaped from her lips as Belinda allowed herself to act impulsively. She pressed her lips to his and reached out to curl her fingers into the fine material of his shirt as he took control of the kiss. His mouth moved against hers as if she were the most precious person in the world. Tasting, tempting, the kisses lured her closer to his body. She unclipped the seatbelt holding her in place, only to find the console was a rigid barrier to her efforts to wiggle closer.
“Damn this small car,” Pedro cursed against her mouth.
Laughter tumbled from her lips. Belinda loved that he was as frustrated by their location as she was.
“Oh, you delight me, Little girl. It’s time for me to take you home. We will need to savor making love for the first time. This sporty car is incredible to drive but not so suited to pleasuring you.”
He straightened her hair with a few strokes of his hand before reaching across her to drag the protective belt into place across her body. With his restored as well, Pedro shifted the car into drive and maneuvered the car through the evening traffic. His hand wrapped around her knee and squeezed slightly, as if he needed to touch her.
“You knew that was coming?” she asked a few minutes later after catching herself unconsciously tracing her lips with a shaking finger.
“I suspected that our connection would be combustible,” he confirmed.
His hand stroked over the silky material covering her thigh. He did not make any moves to slide underneath, but her body reacted as if he touched her skin. She tried not to clench her thighs together to keep from cluing him in about the effect he had on her as she felt her panties becoming wet.
“It’s okay, Little girl. My body also responds to you,” he assured her softly as he pulled up to the guard shack at the entrance to the Edgewater campus.
She watched him reach behind the seat to grab a small blanket. He dropped it on his lap as he stopped. His motion drew her attention to the front of his trousers. Immediately, she blinked her eyes closed.
Surely not.
His chuckle assured her that her assessment had not been wrong. The arrival of the guard thankfully gave her a minute to regain her composure.
“Evening, Belinda. This must be Edgewater’s newest employee. I’m Sebastien, Mr. Morales.”
“Hi, Sebastien. Call me Pedro, please. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Welcome to Edgewater Industries, Pedro. Have a good evening,” Sebastien said as he stepped back from the car to allow Pedro to drive through the gate.
“I like that there’s a human on duty to make sure everyone is safe.” He returned the blanket decorated with white paw tracks to the back and Belinda glanced behind him to find a small cat-sized cage filling the small storage spot.
“Tink always needs a blanket over his cage to comfort him when he rides behind me.”
“I really am the first passenger in this seat?”
“Yes. Tink doesn’t explore in the car. He’s brave while the ground isn’t moving, but while I’m driving, he’s hiding.”
Belinda struggled not to look back to see if her previous assessment had been correct. To distract herself, she played tour guide. “There are three towers and a variety of smaller buildings around the campus. Individual houses are located a short distance that way. There’s plenty of space to expand.”
“I will look forward to seeing Edgewater’s future,” Pedro said, pulling into a parking spot and turning off the car. He exited and rounded the back of the car to open her door.
Keeping her gaze glued to his face, she thanked him for his assistance. Pedro fell into step beside her. That warm hand settled on her lower back and steered her into the building. They stopped so she could introduce him to the new security man on duty at the desk before heading toward the elevator.
Standing in front of the metal doors, it felt awkward to know that they walked toward apartments right next to each other. When the elevator opened, she stepped in automatically and pressed the correct floor before moving to the side. Pedro followed suit but took a spot next to her.
The doors swished closed and he pulled her close to plant a fiery kiss on her lips. Pressed against his hard body, she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him for support. No barriers divided them now. Belinda reveled in the feel of his strength against her. There was no mistaking his body’s reaction to her closeness. His arousal matched her own. When he stepped back, without thinking, she moved to follow him.
He gestured at the elevator door, which had opened without her noticing. Blushing, she turned blindly to walk out. Pedro’s hand slid to her lower back to guide her down the hall.
At her apartment, Pedro turned her toward him and kissed her lightly before meeting her gaze directly with his deep brown eyes. “I’ve thrown a lot at you today. I have a feeling that the world seems a bit wonky tonight.”
She nodded without meaning to as her thoughts jumbled in her mind. How had this man gone from her career idol to her colleague to her potential Daddy in just a few hours?
“I’m really sorry I called you Daddy like it was a joke. Do you forgive me?”
“Invite me inside, Little girl. I know what you need to feel better,” Pedro instructed in a tone that did not allow her to refuse.
Belinda pressed her finger against the sensor and walked inside as he pushed the door open. “What…?”
“Little girls who try to deflect their emotions tumbling inside them need to learn how to express their feelings,” Pedro told her, walking forward.
She stared at him in fascination. “How do you know what’s happening inside me?”
“I don’t know,” he confessed. “There’s a connection between us that grows stronger every moment we’re together.”
“So, how do I feel better?” she whispered, half afraid to ask and completely turned on by the man before her.
Pedro tugged the to-go container from her hand and set it on the entryway table. Then taking her hand, he led her to the couch. “Have you been spanked as an adult, Little girl?” he asked.
Staring at him with wide eyes, she repeated, “Spanked?” She watched him sit on the edge of the sofa and jumped back slightly when he patted his thighs.
“Lie over my lap, Belinda.”
“I can’t do that. We work together. How will I ever face you again?”
“At work we are professional colleagues,” he acknowledged. “In our private time, we’re exploring our connection that I’m sure tells me you’re my Little girl and signals to you that you’ve found your Daddy. Can you be brave and let me prove to you that we’re both right?”
As if she didn’t have any control of her actions, Belinda found herself stepping forward to his side. His strong arms eased her into position, balanced over his heavily muscled thighs, just barely able to touch her fingertips and toes on the carpet. She was completely under his control. The feeling was both thrilling and terrifying.
His hand smoothed down her back and over the curves of her bottom. “Little girls regret their actions and need to have them wiped away so they can move on. Why I am punishing you for tonight?”
“I called you Daddy, trying to make light of our conversation, because I was scared,” she admitted, staring at the flooring below her. It was easier to tell the truth when she didn’t have to look at him.
“Good girl.” Pedro lifted her skirt and smoothed it over her back.
When she jumped in reaction, he explained, “Little girls always get spanked on their bare bottoms. If there is something between your skin and mine, the bad feelings don’t disappear completely.”
“That’s embarrassing,” she whispered, trying to staunch her body’s reaction to the thought of Pedro seeing her so intimately. Her panties were already soaked. He’d know. Belinda couldn’t believe that she was allowing him to touch her like this. She worried she’d never be able to look at him again.
“There are no secrets between a Daddy and his Little girl.”
The statement rang completely true in her mind. He was right. Belinda bit her bottom lip as she felt his fingers guide her lacy panties over her hips to encircle her thighs.
The first swat drew a gasp from her lips. The sting captured her attention. Quickly followed by another, Belinda felt his hand land on different spots across her sensitive skin, keeping her off balance, heating her bottom, and making her wiggle on his lap. Only able to concentrate on the sensations filling her mind, Belinda’s embarrassment faded from her mind as tears filled her eyes.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she wailed as suddenly all the tension fled from her body and she submitted fully to his control. “I’ll never use Daddy as a joke to cover up what I’m really feeling. I was so scared, I didn’t know what to say.”
Her punishment stopped immediately. Pedro lifted her to sit on his lap. Her fiery bottom pressed into the corded muscles of his hard thighs covered by his smooth wool suit, the prickly feeling continually reminding her of his discipline. Belinda pressed her face into the curve of his throat as he rocked her gently.
“What could you have done differently?” he asked quietly.
“I could have just told you I was scared,” she mumbled against his skin.
“Daddies specialize in helping their Little girls feel more secure. That helps with that scared feeling.”
“How?”
“Maybe you needed to know that I respect your skills and knowledge. That I will never undermine you or take away the control you’ve earned at Edgewater Industries. You’re my Little girl. I want to see you continue to excel. I’m here to support you if I can.”
“I still get to be the professional me at work?”
“No one who cares about you would ever jeopardize that,” he assured her.
“My Daddy wouldn’t,” she agreed, peeking up to meet his gaze.
“Your Daddy certainly wouldn’t,” he agreed. “You’re safe with me, Little girl."
“Where do we go from here?” she asked.
“You go to bed and sleep like a baby, knowing that all the bad stuff you worried about is gone now. I’d like to hold you close all night but I want you to be as sure as I am that you are my Little girl before we take that big step. Only then will I take you to bed.”
Belinda nodded as she squeezed her legs together. She was more turned on than she’d ever been but she wasn’t ready. And he didn’t know all her secrets.
His hands wrapped around her waist and he lifted her to her feet. Pedro slid her panties down to the floor and helped her step out of them without any awkwardness before standing and wrapping his arms around her. His mouth captured her lips with a sweet kiss that almost hid his desire for her. She liked that he struggled to hold himself under such rigid control.
“Put your lunch in the refrigerator.” He reminded her of the leftovers as he led her back to the door.
“It will all be okay,” he reassured her before adding, “Sleep well, Little girl.” Pedro blew her a kiss as he backed down the hallway toward his apartment. He did not enter his apartment until she was safely inside hers.
Shaking her head as she locked the door behind her, Belinda stashed the macaroni in the fridge before turning off the lights. Deciding fresh air might calm her thoughts, Belinda opened the balcony door a few inches and leaned against it as she breathed in the cool night breezes. A swishing tail flicked her leg as the fluffy cat waltzed into her apartment.
“Tinkerbell. You should go home. It’s late,” Belinda told him.
With a meow, the creature turned and disappeared into the darkness of her apartment. Belinda called him several times, but the cat did not respond. Exhaustion crashed over her. She decided to go shower, guessing that Tinkerbell would be ready to stop exploring her apartment by then, and she could let him back out again. She closed and locked the door.
Twenty minutes later, Belinda had looked and called for that silly cat. Not finding him immediately, she gave into her exhaustion and turned out the lights to crawl into bed. Turning onto her stomach, Belinda slid her arm under the pillow and closed her eyes. The bed dipped slightly and a warm body settled against the curve of her body.
“Tinkerbell,” Belinda reproached. The cat simply cuddled a bit closer to her.
Belinda considered getting up to put the purring feline on the balcony so Tink could make his way to Pedro’s apartment, but the silly cat seemed happy to sleep with her. Closing her eyes, she cascaded into sleep.