Page 127 of Let Me In

Not in fear, but in knowing.

I already knew this was coming.

But hearing it—spoken like that—makes it real.

He doesn’t stop there.

“But not to shame you,” he says. “Not to punish.”

My eyes lift to his.

His voice softens, but the edges stay firm.

“To protect you.”

I swallow. Hard. And still, I nod.

Because I get it.

Because part of me wants that. To be protected from my own recklessness. To be kept.

“You broke a rule meant to keep you safe, little one.”

There it is.

A flush creeps up my neck as shame tries to take root. But it doesn’t find ground—not with the way he’s looking at me. There’s no anger there. No judgment. Just calm. Steady. Certain. It holds me in place, keeps the panic from rising. I breathe in slowly, grounding myself in his presence.

“I know,” I whisper.

His thumb brushes along my knuckles. Back and forth, back and forth.

“And because of that,” he says, “you’re getting a spanking.”

Heat rushes up my spine and blooms across my cheeks. My breath catches low in my belly—tight and warm and almost overwhelming. Not from fear. From the weight of what it means. From knowing he means it.

I don't look away.

I can’t.

“You’ll go over my knee. You’ll feel every bit of what I need you to remember.”

My thighs tense instinctively, and my breath hitches again, this time lower, heavier. It lands not just in my ears, but in my spine. In my pulse.

Cal’s eyes stay on mine, unwavering. One hand still holds mine, grounding, but the other lifts—to stroke down the length of my arm in a slow, steady pass, anchoring me to him even as his words lift every hair on my skin. His voice stays calm. Controlled. But there’s a current beneath it now, something deep and protective that makes my whole body go still.

“And afterward, I’ll hold you.”

That nearly undoes me.

I bite my lip, but don’t pull away. Not from his touch. Not from the promise in his tone.

“You’ll cry. And I’ll still hold you.”

The words hit low, warm and steady, and I feel my heart stutter before it steadies again—like something inside me just... lets go. My fingers tremble slightly in his, but I don’t pull away. I lean closer instead, needing the promise in his voice as much as the hand that holds me.

He cups my cheek. His thumb strokes once, softly.

“You don’t have to do anything but stay with me.”

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