Page 42 of Ranch Rules

“Hey now, you’re on the verge of one eye-roll too many there, Nat.”

Her eyebrows shot up. Nat now, was it? She hadn’t had a nickname since college, but found to her surprise that she liked it. “Yes, sir.”

“See, there’s a good girl.” He closed the distance between them in a couple of long-legged strides and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Hmm... how do I make this make sense?”

“Lora called Nate ‘Daddy,’” she ventured.

“She did, didn’t she? Well, then I guess you know they are in that type of relationship.”

She nodded slowly.

“Maybe she’d be a better one to ask, but I’ll do my best. Being a ‘little’ means that you let your daddy take care of you. This means takin’ your spankins’ when they’re earned, of course—”

“But I already do that.”

His lips pursed as he regarded her. “Are you gonna let me explain this or not? Yes, you do, but only because you signed a contract.”

She couldn’t deny that. It still baffled her that anyone would subject themselves to that bottom-burning paddle willingly.

“It also means he takes care of her. He keeps her safe, protects her. Sometimes even from herself when she is doin’ things that are bad for her.”

“And he decides what’s bad for her.”

“That’s generally how it works, yes. Some things are agreed on ahead of time, but as her daddy, he has final say.”

“It seems pretty one-sided to me,” Natalie said as she lay back against her pillows.

“I reckon it would, to you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

A smile curved his lips. “Oh, I reckon it means that you’ve lived by a certain set of rules for so long, that anything else is bound to look foreign to you. You’re so used to scorin’ deals for the pros and cons that’s all you can think of.”

Her brow scrunched as she considered his words. “I just mean, it seems like he gets to be king of the castle and she gets spanked if she ever expresses a difference of opinion.”

“Am I spanking you now?”

“No, but you’re not my daddy, either,” she fired back.

Thomas chuckled. “Are you this sassy at work?”

“No.” She gave a shudder. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“So what you’re saying is it takes the sight of a paddle and the threat of a good bottom warmin’ to bring out your inner brat? That’s interestin’.”

“What does the little get out of it?” she prodded.

“The feeling of bein’ loved and cared for. Bein’ safe. Tell me something, Natalie. You’re a grown woman who has a full-time, high-powered job. When’s the last time you were able to come home at the end of a long day, a long week, and just relax, knowin’ you were taken care of? That home was a place you could just rest and be without havin’ to be the one who controlled every single second?”

Never. Though she didn’t answer aloud, the word came to her in an instant, as well as the undeniable truth that the picture he painted did sound wonderful.

Her answer must have shown on her face, because Thomas scooted closer and reached for her hand. “Everyone deserves a place to feel safe, a person that makes them feel loved. And while there are rules and expectations for both Daddy and little, that’s what it’s all about.”

“So... how does it work, exactly?”

“It sorta depends on the people involved,” he answered with a chuckle. “There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.”

“What about Nate and Lora?”

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