The Art of Discipline: Dani’s Discovery (The Mockingbird Chronicles) (15 page)

Dani took a bite of toast before murmuring, “I’ll say.”

“What was that, young lady?”

“Nothing, Emma,” Dani returned, quickly finishing her breakfast before grabbing a diet soda from the fridge. “I have that meeting with my attorney first thing this morning, then my financial advisor is going to meet me at the bank. I should be in my office by 10:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. I’m sorry I have to leave you all day.”

“Don’t worry about me, Dani. I thought I’d have a leisurely morning before heading over to Navy Pier and sightseeing. Do the tourist thing for a while before lunch.”

“You know where my office is if you need me?”

“Yes, Dani, and I know your cell number, and you know mine. Don’t worry.” She brushed a piece of hair behind Dani’s ear. The brunette was in a gray striped business suit with a royal blue blouse and blue heels. Emma briefly wondered if she could get her to bring that suit back to Fort Strymon. “I think you’re ready for the day. I’ll see you this evening.”

Smiling, Dani threw her empty can away and bent to kiss Emma on the cheek. “Yeah, this evening,” she repeated before grabbing her briefcase and rushing out the door.

The rest of Dani’s morning was a blur. Her meetings with her lawyer and financial advisor went as planned, and she decided to grab another diet soda before heading to the office. Stepping out of the store, Dani smiled at her drink. Emma never said she couldn’t have the 64 oz. size. This three-a-day limit might not be so bad after all.

* * *

Emma enjoyed seeing the sights at Navy Pier and even picked up a souvenir that she knew would come in handy later. Smiling, at the words
Cheezeborger, Cheezeborger
on her new t-shirt, she grabbed the bag of sandwiches and quickly made her way to the waiting cab. She’d decided to surprise Dani with lunch and figured now was as good a time as any.

Stepping out of the cab close to ten minutes later, Emma spotted the building that housed Dani’s office. Smiling, she entered the building and managed to find Ryan’s Events with no problem.

Waiting for the elevator, she was surprised when Logan stepped out, almost bumping into her as he was busy talking on his cell. He seemed just as surprised, for he abruptly stopped his phone call and hung up. Glaring at her, he mumbled a weak apology, before scooting past and out the front door.

Shivering involuntarily, she tried to shake off the creepy feeling that the encounter gave her. There was something off about him, and for whatever reason he was rubbing her the wrong way. Stepping into the still open elevator, she tried to forget the run-in as she pushed the button for Dani’s floor.

“Hi, Olivia, is Dani busy?” Emma asked as she entered Dani’s reception area.

“For you, of course she’s not busy. Oh, that’s so sweet. You brought her lunch,” the office manager winked at her. “Go on in and surprise her.”

Hearing the door open, Dani looked up, the straw to her diet soda still in her mouth. Eyes opening in surprise, she quickly put the soda down and smiled as Emma entered. Standing, she discretely dropped the container of soda into her empty trash can and greeted Emma with a hug.

“What are you doing here?” she asked releasing Emma from the hug.

Emma grinned, holding up the bag. “I brought you a cheeseburger for lunch. I bet it will go really well with your soda,” she continued as she fished the still upright cup from the trash can and placing it back onto Dani’s desk.

Dani blushed slightly before clearing the papers off her desk and opening the bag of cheeseburgers as they were interrupted by a light knock on the door.

“Come in,” Dani called as Emma watched her.

“I thought you could use another soda to go with your food, Danielle,” Olivia took the almost empty cup from the desk and replaced it with another of the same size.

“Another?” a red eyebrow rose.

“Yeah, this is only number three. Danielle can go through a lot more than that easily,” Olivia confirmed.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got you a soda and a bottle of water.” Olivia placed both in front of Emma before leaving the room and quietly closing the door behind her.

Quietly taking Dani’s new soda, Emma placed the water bottle in its place. “Come on, let’s eat our food before it gets cold,” she directed, knowing that Dani’s stomach was probably in knots waiting for her reaction. She could already see the younger woman squirm, and she couldn’t wait to see what her reaction would be to the little souvenir she’d picked up earlier.

They ate quietly for a while before Dani got up the courage to speak. “I, um… I wasn’t going to drink it, Emma. Olivia doesn’t know about my limit.”

“You need to let Olivia know only to bring you water from now on, unless you request otherwise.”

“They’ll think something’s wrong. I mean they’re used to seeing me drink at least…” Dani broke off quickly.

An eyebrow rose again, as Emma asked, “How many, Dani?”

Emma watched Dani shuffle nervously in her chair before admitting, “A lot.”

“How many is a lot?”

“I don’t know, at least ten a day.”

“Of the big size?”

“Yes,” Dani looked down at her half-eaten hamburger. Suddenly she had no appetite. “I can’t help it. I like my soda.”

“I know you do, but you broke the rules today, so I think you need a reminder to help you follow them until you get home.”

“You can’t! Emma, Olivia will hear us!” Dani suddenly shot back, her face paling at the thought.

“Play some music on your computer and tell Olivia to go for a break,” Emma directed coolly.

Dani shook her head in panic, “I can’t. Not here, not now.”

Emma narrowed her eyes. “Danielle, remember I choose when, where, and how. The only choice you have is to not make things more difficult by disobeying me now.”

Dani chewed her lip for a moment before she stood and stuck her head out the door, directing Olivia to take a long break. Her assistant chuckled and gave her a thumbs-up in encouragement. Obviously she thought something much different was going to be happening in the next few minutes. Trying to keep the illusion that her assistant’s impulse was correct, Dani only wiped the plastic grin off her face when she turned back into the room, locking the door behind her.

She noticed that Emma had moved. She’d managed to put on a radio station through the computer and then had taken a position, leaning against the edge of her desk, arms crossed, with that damn eyebrow raised in a serious manner.

“Please, Emma. I’ll do anything. You can spank me tonight. I promise I won’t argue with you or anything,” Dani pleaded.

The only answer to her plea was a single finger which beckoned her closer. Knowing Emma had made up her mind and to argue would only make it worse, Dani let her eyes drop to the ground as she shuffled within arm’s reach.

“Emma, please…” Dani trailed off as Emma began to tap her foot.

“I want to show you something, Danielle. I found it souvenir shopping.” Emma picked up her purse from the chair, nearly causing Dani’s eyes to pop out of her head as she produced a small, plastic hairbrush. She handed it to Dani to examine. It was purple, lightweight, but about a quarter inch thick. The top was about six inches long, half as wide, and was attached to a stout, but sturdy handle. Along the back, in bright gold letters, was printed, ‘Navy Pier’.

Dani’s hand shook as she resisted the urge to throw the thing across the room and use the distraction to make a break for it. “Emma,” she pleaded, the tears already forming in her eyes. “Please, I’m sorry.”

“It’s a little late for sorry, Danielle. Now, bend over your desk.”

For a long moment, Dani didn’t move.

“Do I need to count?” Emma threatened.

Dani shook her head, accepting her fate. She closed her eyes and did as she was told. Putting her hands flat on her desk, she bent over and waited for Emma’s next move.

Emma didn’t disappoint. Dani felt her pat her bottom gently before quietly ordering, “Shoes off.”

Dani obeyed without question but suddenly opened her eyes wide again when she felt Emma roll up her skirt. “God, Emma. Not that. Please,” Dani started to protest again.

Emma didn’t answer and only smirked as she patted her nylon-covered bottom before rolling them down to Dani’s knees.

Dani danced a little from foot to foot, feeling the panic well up inside her again. It only got worse as she felt something cool brush along her hip. Hearing a snip, she spun her head around to see Emma cut one side of her panties, and then move to cut the other with the scissors off her desk. Giving the panties a slight tug, Emma expertly removed them.

“Emma!” Dani protested but was silenced as Emma tapped her now bare bottom.

“Don’t worry, honey. You won’t be needing them anymore today.”

Dani let out a whimper and started to squirm as she felt the cool plastic of the brush rub against her backside.

“Tell me, Dani. Why are you here?”

Dani sniffled. “I disobeyed you and went past my daily limit of soda.”

“Very good, little girl,” Emma whispered in her ear. “And tell me, what am I going to do to your backside?”

“You’re gonna spank it. You’re gonna spank me with that plastic hairbrush until I cry,” Dani whispered back. She couldn’t shake off an involuntary shudder, realizing with some surprise that goose bumps had risen on her arms. “Please, Emma. I’m sorry.”

Emma didn’t answering verbally but rather tapped the brush gently three times before pulling back and giving Dani a solid swat. Dani jumped at the sound and then cringed as the ritual was repeated on the other cheek. She closed her eyes tightly, feeling a sting resonate from each impact. She then tensed, waiting for the third strike, but was surprised when she felt Emma’s hand on her shoulder. Looking up into her firm green eyes, she swallowed hard.

“This better be the last time you ever try to pull a fast one on me, Danielle. If I tell you there is a limit, I expect you to follow it. Do I make myself clear?”

Dani’s eyes went wide, but she nodded vigorously. “Yes, ma’am. Crystal clear.”

“Good,” Emma agreed. She walked back around Dani, replaced her nylons, and then smoothed down her skirt. Tapping her bottom again gently, she helped Dani to stand. “We will be talking about this later tonight.”

“I know,” Dani answered in a whisper.

“Dani?” Emma asked, as blue turned from the floor into a sea of emerald green. “C’mere.”

Relief washed over Dani as she practically flew into Emma’s arms. Giving her a chance to recover, Emma pulled back and made eye contact again. “No more soda today.”

Dani sighed in agreement.

Emma smiled. “What time do you think you’ll be home?”

“About six, if nothing comes up.”

“Alright, I’ll see if I can change our dinner reservations for 8:30 p.m.”

Dani frowned, a little pout forming on her lip. The last thing she wanted to do was squirm all night long on a hot bottom. Antonio’s was the best Italian restaurant in town, but it also had a unique ambiance which included using refurbished pew benches from an old Gothic style cathedral instead of chairs. And if she remembered right, they didn’t have any pads on them either.

“Couldn’t we just skip dinner? Order in?” Dani asked hopefully.

“Oh no, you promised me the best stuffed shells in town, and I expect you to pay up,” Emma teased. “I’ll see you at six, okay?”

Dani scowled but agreed, “I’ll try my best.”

“You do that,” Emma returned, kissing Dani on the cheek. “Now, I think I’ll keep these,” Emma continued, putting Dani’s panties into her purse. “You can keep this. Make sure you bring it home with you.” She laid the purple brush in the middle of Dani’s desk. “And I think I’ll let you get back to work.”

After saying their goodbyes, Dani moved back to the other side of her desk. Sitting in her leather chair, she squirmed as the nylons itched against her backside. For some strange reason, she was both dreading and looking forward to six o’clock. Either way though, she knew it wouldn’t come soon enough. Turning the music off, she looked longingly at the empty cup now in the trash. Sighing, she unscrewed the lid to the water and took a long drink.

* * *

Later that night, Dani shifted from one side to the other, briefly wincing as her backside came in contact with the sheet. Dinner had been spectacular, even as she squirmed through it. Emma had made good on her promise and thoroughly made her displeasure with Dani’s behavior known through the quick repeated use of her palm against Dani’s backside.

The procedure was then repeated when Emma insisted on picking out Dani’s outfit for the evening. Dani wasn’t fond of the tight black jeans, silk shirt, and lack of undergarments that Emma had produced. Dani had only made the situation worse when upon arriving at Antonio’s, Emma had discovered she had somehow procured a pair of black, padded bicycle shorts underneath her jeans. Dani never would have guessed that Emma would put her hand to the small of her back to guide her to the table. When her hand made contact with the extra waistband, Emma quickly changed directions, escorting Dani to the restroom to remove them. The fact that Emma removed them herself made Dani vow never to try that stunt again.

The third spanking though, that was the worst one, and perhaps Dani had pushed Emma a little too far. She’d almost forgotten how much a prolonged attack from the hairbrush hurt, but Emma had made sure she wouldn’t forget anytime soon. That third spanking had none of the flirtiness that the two previous ones had. Not that Emma hadn’t been serious the first two times, but Dani got the feeling that she was almost enjoying it. To be honest, Dani was almost enjoying it too. The pain, of course, was real, but with the way that Emma touched her, brushed her hand over her backside, hugged her and comforted her after it was over—it was almost worth getting in trouble in the first place.

Rolling over again, Dani suddenly froze as she realized that Emma was watching her. “I thought you were asleep.”

“And I thought I told you to go to sleep,” Emma returned.

“I’m trying,” Dani couldn’t help the hint of a whine. “I can’t get comfortable.”