Hanna's Awakening Read online

  She returned his smile. “I’m not a kid, Mr. Foster.”

  He almost sucked in a quick breath, but stopped himself. Instead, he mumbled a placid response, released her hands, and drove to the pizza place.

  Tony’s Pizza wasn’t fancy by any means, but by the way Hanna gawked around with open wonder, it could’ve been a five-star restaurant. To his surprise, she made small talk with the waitress when she came to take their order, and she smiled at a few of the patrons sitting nearby. It seemed Hanna was starting to come out of her shell, little by little. He alone would witness her transformation. He would help make it possible, and he felt charged with responsibility to guide her and keep her safe. Failing her wasn’t an option.

  She visited the restroom as he paid the bill. His mood was light, until three college-aged girls who reeked of pot and beer walked past the counter and into the same restroom. He waited and waited, wondering what was taking Hanna so long. Just as he was about to storm in after her, she emerged, laughing amidst the group of potheads. Ben frowned as they all approached him.

  “Daddy, I was wondering if I might go to a movie with Carla, Theresa, and Vicky while you run your errands?” She gestured at her new friends.

  Ben’s jaw tightened. Carla, Theresa, and Vicky probably knew Hanna used to be Amish based on her accent. He hadn’t taken her Dutch accent into account when he came up with the grand idea of pretending he was her father. No doubt these girls thought it would be funny to get Hanna high or corrupt her in some other fashion. His teeth ground together as he glared at the mean-spirited young women, but his countenance softened when he regarded Hanna. “Not today, sweetheart. I need your help picking out some things.”

  “Oh, come on, Daddy,” one of the girls said mockingly. “Hanna says she’s new in town and doesn’t have any friends. We’d love to show her around.”

  “Absolutely not!” His incensed tone earned him curious stares from several diners.

  Hanna looked hurt and confused. Her eyes flashed. “If I want to go to a movie with someone my own age, Mr. Foster, I have a right to do so.”

  “Mr. Foster? I thought he was your dad?” another of the girls said. The three of them exchanged glances, giggling.

  “It’s time to go, Hanna. Now.”

  Though her face reddened and her eyes still blazed, Hanna nodded and said a quick apology to her friends before taking a step toward Ben. Without thinking, he gripped her upper arm and guided her outside, not releasing her until they reached the truck.

  “Young lady, I ought to give you a good spanking for that. I told you in town you needed to do as I say and call me Daddy. I warned you about people trying to take advantage of you. Did you not listen to a word I said? What were you thinking, arguing with me and calling me Mr. Foster in front of the whole restaurant?” He leaned down to scold her, hands braced against the car door on either side of her body, pinning her in place without actually touching her.

  Lip trembling, she peered up at him from under thick eyelashes, her cheeks suddenly pale. “I…. I…” She fumbled to speak but soon clamped her mouth shut.

  “Those girls were high as a kite, Hanna. That means they were on drugs. You could get in serious trouble hanging out with a group of girls like that. You could end up in jail or worse.”

  “I’m sorry.” Her apology came out in a shaky whisper. “I thought they were being nice to me. I—I didn’t know.”

  As he considered the situation from her point of view, most of his anger dissipated. He couldn’t hold her responsible for her naivety. He backed up, dropping his arms to his sides. “We’ll talk about it at home.”

  As they finished the rest of their shopping, Ben found it hard to concentrate, and Hanna avoided looking him in the eye. His threat to spank her hung between them. Her brief defiance had called up his stern, protective side. She was his responsibility. She was young and needed guidance.

  By the time they arrived back at the cabin in the early evening, turning Hanna over his knee for a bare-bottom spanking was all he could think about. The urge to scold her, spank her, and comfort her in his arms afterward was the strongest urge he’d had in ages.

  Chapter Three

  The tension as Hanna placed breakfast on the table almost brought her to tears. It was a relief to know she could cry again, but she couldn’t abide Mr. Foster’s quiet disapproval. He’d lectured her last night about the dangers of the outside world, and he was most upset that she’d argued with him in public. She felt horrible. She would’ve never dared argue with any of her family members in public. Shamed welled up tight within her until she lost her appetite and picked at the eggs and bacon.

  Acutely aware of his every move, she suffered through breakfast. He informed her that he would be working on his computers most of the day. He designed webpages for businesses, and while she wasn’t quite sure what that meant, she knew he worked for long hours on the computer, sometimes staying up late past the time she retired.

  A spanking. He’d said he should spank her yesterday in the parking lot. How unexpected. And terrifying. Until she’d witnessed his fury firsthand, she’d thought him to be a gentle man.

  She ran a hand through her shortened hair in frustration. Even though the thought of a spanking scared her, the thought of being spanked by Mr. Foster also left her squirming. Though she hated to feel pain, her curiosity kept growing—right alongside her guilt over disappointing him. The whole restaurant had witnessed her blatant display of disrespect.

  Young lady, I ought to give you a good spanking for that…

  If he spanked her, how would he do it? Would he turn her over his knee, or would he direct her to bend over a table or a desk?

  He wouldn’t be cruel. A man like Mr. Foster would be loving in his punishments. Of this she was certain. He wouldn’t punch or kick her in anger. He hadn’t threatened to do that at all, nor had he yelled hurtful words into her ears. He wasn’t a violent man. She felt safe with Mr. Foster. She trusted him.

  Would a spanking be so horrible? She suspected it would alleviate the tension between them, and she also suspected it would alleviate her guilt. His quiet disapproval stung, and she wanted things set right. Of course she’d apologized a thousand times, but it wasn’t enough for her, even if it was enough for him.

  Hanna swallowed hard and rushed to find Mr. Foster before she lost her nerve. She had never in her life craved a punishment, nor had she experienced this level of guilt over her behavior. Yet her desire to be spanked, or whatever punishment Mr. Foster deemed appropriate, was overwhelming. As overwhelming as the walls of the farmhouse that once suffocated her, prompting her to flee.

  Lightly, she tapped on the door to his office. “Mr. Foster?”

  The door flung open almost immediately. He stood, staring down at her, his expression unreadable. “Yes, Hanna?”

  “I’d like to speak with you.” Behind him, two large screens glowed on a wide table against the wall. Several large books were stacked on an otherwise empty desk against the opposite wall. Sunlight swept across the room through an open window.

  “All right. Come in.” He moved aside and she entered his domain, taking a seat on a chair he pointed at.

  She folded her hands in her lap, sitting as straight as possible. He hovered above her, and his strong presence caused her insides to flutter. She’d never reacted so strongly to any man before. It was as if she were about to melt at his feet. She was warm all over, but especially hot between her thighs, where she tingled and quaked as her anticipation grew.

  “What is it, Hanna?” The deep timbre of his voice vibrated through her chest.

  “I feel awful for disobeying you yesterday. I can’t stop thinking about it. I—I wish you would… punish me.” She dropped her gaze and concentrated on the floor. “Please.”

  “Hanna, I don’t think that would be appropriate.”

  She lifted her head, forcing herself to meet his eyes. “In the parking lot you said…”

  “That I ought to give you a good spa
nking?”

  Her whole body flushed and she felt faint. “Yes.”

  “Is that really what you want, Hanna? You want me to spank you?”

  Gulping past the soreness in her throat, she nodded and felt the heat between her legs flare up again. She watched warily as Ben paced the floor a few times. Asking for a spanking was humiliating enough, but it would be even worse if he rejected her and sent her out of his office. Guilt and shame would devour her slowly if that happened.

  Finally, he came to a standstill in the center of the room. Her gaze traveled up his jeans, up his broad chest, and to his hard visage. Determination gleamed in his dark eyes. He looked more forbidding than she imagined he could ever appear, even more forbidding than he had in the parking lot as he’d scolded her. Truly, she was glimpsing a new side of him. A stern side. But beneath his sternness, he was still Mr. Foster. Her friend. He wouldn’t hurt her. Not really. Not like her daat.

  “Very well, Hanna. Stand up.”

  She followed his command, rising up on shaky legs as he drew closer until he towered above her, dwarfing her petite form. He placed a hand on her shoulder and peered directly in her face. She fought the desire to back away, as well as the desire to lean into him. To feel his arms around her.

  Flustered, she waited for further instruction.

  “Tell me why you’re getting this spanking, young lady.”

  She gasped lightly at his order. “Be—because I disobeyed you. I argued with you in public and I deliberately called you by your name.”

  “That’s right, Hanna. I only want what’s best for you. You’re living under my roof and you’re under my authority. It’s my job to protect you and guide you. I’m going to spank you now. I hope you learn something from it, and I hope the sting of my hand on your bottom serves to remind you to mind me in the future.”

  Tears flooded her vision. She blinked rapidly as she nodded her understanding. Her heart swelled. She’d never felt so… cared for. She hesitated to use the word love, to think of love, because she’d never used that word before. It was an English word with no Amish equivalent, and it had never truly startled her until this moment, this moment when Mr. Foster was preparing to punish her. And most of all, she understood this was a far cry from her daat’s typical punishment. Mr. Foster wanted to teach her a lesson, not take his anger out on her.

  He released her shoulder, took a seat on the chair, and patted his leg. “Over my knee.”

  A single tear burned down her cheek as she moved to stand at his side. Their eyes locked before he guided her down over his lap.

  The height of the chair, combined with Mr. Foster’s tall stature, prevented her toes from touching the floor. She tensed as one hand rested on her lower back, and his other hand cupped her bottom. His touch sent a shiver up her spine. She held her breath until her chest burned.

  “I’m afraid I can’t allow you the protection of your skirt. Naughty girls get spanked on their bare bottoms.”

  “Mr. Foster! You can’t!” She squirmed in protest as he flipped her skirt back, tucking it around her waist. When she’d imagined him spanking her, it had been with the protection of her dress.

  “Not Mr. Foster. Daddy. We’ll be going out in public again, and I don’t want another slipup, so you will call me Daddy from now on, even at home.” A single swat stung her thigh. “Settle down, Hanna. You asked for this. Trust Daddy to give you what you need.”

  She froze, and he yanked her panties down to rest at her knees. He could see her. Her backside was bared to him in a most humiliating position. Could he see anything between her legs? At the thought, she tensed up and pressed her thighs together.

  “Young lady, you will relax that bottom right now. Good girl. Now spread your legs a bit. That’s it. I want you to feel every slap I give you.”

  Humiliation coursed through her in sharp waves, but she did as he asked with minimal hesitation. To ease her guilt over her nudity in front of a man who wasn’t her husband, she told herself she didn’t have a choice in the matter. Besides, she trusted him. If she didn’t trust him, she wouldn’t have asked for a spanking.

  “That’s perfect. Now give me your hands.”

  She awkwardly reached back, only for him to pin her wrists down, holding them in the firm grip of one large hand.

  “I’m going to spank you now, Hanna. Be a good girl and keep as still as possible. Don’t you dare start fighting me.”

  Fight him? The idea hadn’t crossed her mind. But after the first slap landed on her right cheek, the searing pain of that single blow made her second-guess asking for this spanking. Her left cheek came next, and he masterfully alternated smacks between her bottom cheeks, paying equal attention to them both. The sting built up quickly, blooming across her skin, and she couldn’t help kicking her legs a few times.

  She stilled when her panties fell to her ankles, determined not to lose them completely. As if holding on to the scrap of material provided her an ounce of modesty. He spanked hard, even moving lower to spank the tops of her poor thighs.

  Despite the pain, she was glad he wasn’t letting her off easy. She’d disobeyed him in public. This was a fitting punishment, exactly what she needed, just as he’d said. Trust me to give you what you need.

  He paused to rub her punished flesh. “I’m doing this because I care about you, Hanna. I was a fool to not see it before, but even though you like your newfound freedom, you still need rules and structure in your life. I can give that to you. I want to give that to you.”

  As his words sank in, as well as the fact that he’d ordered her to address him as Daddy, he assaulted her backside with a series of quick, painful slaps that broke through her self-control and left her howling. Sobs caused her shoulders to heave when his hand stilled again and he rubbed her flaming bottom.

  “Shh, baby girl. It’s over now. All is forgiven.”

  *

  Ben helped Hanna rise to her feet. She buried her face in her hands, though her crying had stopped. No doubt she couldn’t look at him yet. He knelt to pull her panties up, and she was so deep in her shame that she didn’t protest his familiarity with her body. At least he was pulling them up rather than down.

  “Come here.” He pried her hands away and wiped at the remainder of her tears with a tissue. “Are you all right?”

  “Yah. I—I mean yes. Thank you, Mr. Fost… Daddy. Thank you, Daddy.” She smiled at him through her misery.

  A tremor coursed up his thighs, and desire tightened his balls when she called him Daddy. The idea had struck him in the heat of the moment, and her receptiveness to the name change pleased him.

  He cupped her face, not allowing her to look away. “I don’t want to take your choices away from you, Hanna. But I do expect you to follow the few rules I have. I promise I only want to protect you. I won’t let you carry around guilt, and if a spanking helps you feel better, I’ll give you a spanking.” If anyone understood the devastation of guilt, it was Ben.

  “It did make me feel better, but I didn’t expect you to…” Her words trailed off and she blushed.

  “Spank your bare bottom?”

  “Yes. I didn’t expect that.”

  Ben hadn’t expected it either. He felt wicked for baring her to his gaze. At the time he’d told himself he only wanted to punish her properly, but the truth was much darker than that. He’d wanted to see her little ass turning red under his slaps. The fruits of his labor. He’d wanted to glimpse the sweetness between her thighs as she squirmed over his lap. He’d wanted to slip his fingers into her wet core, but he had at least shown some restraint in that department.

  This time.

  “Do you wish to be spanked over your panties or over your dress next time?”

  “Next time?”

  “If I have to spank you again, Hanna.”

  She gawked at him as the seconds ticked by. Outside, Lady barked and her footsteps sounded on the porch. The wind chimes clattered their familiar slow song. A gust of wind lifted the curtains and sent a
few papers flying off his desk. Lost in the moment as their eyes remained locked, he waited for her answer, heart hammering in his chest.

  “If you have to spank me again, it should be as it was this time. I—I trust you to give me what I need.”

  Bare bottom. His cock hardened and strained against his jeans. Not exactly perfect timing when he’d planned to give her a hug. But he couldn’t send her away without offering her comfort. Hell, he needed it as much as she did after bringing her to tears.

  “Come here. Come to Daddy.” He gathered her close, tucking her head under his chin. He stroked her hair and wrapped an arm around her waist. She melted against him, circling her arms around his center and pressing her cheek to his chest.

  He never wanted to release her. If he could have stopped time, he would have done so without a second thought, even if it cost him his soul. He leaned into her, inhaling the scent of the shampoo they’d picked up at a drug store after leaving the pizza place yesterday. In fact, he’d gotten her all sorts of female toiletries he suspected she wasn’t accustomed to. It occurred to him that her legs had appeared smooth and bare when he lifted her dress. Apparently she’d used some of the stuff he’d bought her. More transformation. The shy Amish girl was disappearing, and a beautiful, innocent woman was taking her place.

  More barking from Lady broke into his reverie, and he pulled back far enough to place a kiss on Hanna’s forehead. She blushed again. It appeared he pushed her limits, but it also appeared she liked it.

  “No one has hugged me in years. Well, besides my little nieces and nephews. My mother was the last adult to hug me, and that was when I was five years old, right before she died.”

  “Amish people don’t hug each other?” Ben had had no idea. He was stunned.

  “We do. Sometimes. But it’s not allowed in public. My daat is rather rigid on the subject and doesn’t encourage it at home either.”

  Though Hanna had grown up a few miles away, she might as well have been from another country, as different as her upbringing had been.