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Chapter 14

Harm smacked Mattie's behind hard as she passed him in the doorway.

"Ow." she yelped. A fresh batch of tears filled her eyes and she ran the rest of the way, and flung herself face down onto the bed. Chloe stood stock still...her eyes locked with Harm's while she mentally wracked her brain for another way into that room. The decision was made for her though when Mac's hand clapped noisily off her barely covered bottom. The smack effectively propelled her forward and right into Harm's line of fire.

"Ouch Mac!" she said as she turned her self sideways to try and shimmy past Harm. He grabbed her arm though and turned her sideways giving her two smacks instead of one for her trouble.

"Ow ow." A smart comment danced on the end of her tongue but her stinging bottom and the promise in Harm's eyes of what she still had coming kept her quiet for the time being. She turned and went towards the bed.

"Nope. Stand in the corner." Harm said.

"But Matt..." she started.

"Mattie didn't just parade herself around in..." he waved his hands in disgust at the over the top suit she was wearing. "Just get in the corner." he said before closing the door.

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

Mac stood still her heart thumping as she watched Harm deal with her smart mouthed little 'sister'. Seeing him in this role made her realise what it would be like to be with Harm...to share parenting...to share a life.

"You ok?" Harm asked as he turned to face her. Mac gave herself a mental shake but she was still flushed, with embarrassment and other more complicated feelings that she wasn't sure how to deal with.

"Ah...yeah. Of course...I..." she babbled.

"Mac?"

"Yeah Harm I'm fine." she said. "Just a little..."

"Yeah. Me too...Crazy kids..." Harm said as he watched Mac's face carefully. She looked down.

"Yeah...silly idea."

"Yeah...is it?" Mac shrugged.

"We have to deal with the kids..." she said. Harm kissed her head and then stood back. "Yeah we do." he said. "But later...we need to talk."

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

After a call to the bank and one to the desk downstairs, the two adults sat on the sofa to discuss what the consequences were going to be.

"You wanna take Chloe?" Harm asked. He knew what he wanted to do but it wan't really his place unless he was asked.

"Do you want me to?"

"What do you want Mac?" Harm asked. She tilted her head to the side.

"She wants a more hands on Dad..." she said with a smile. "I think you should give her one." Harm nodded. His thoughts exactly.

"And Mattie?"

"Can't have them saying it's no fair." she said with a smile. Harm wrapped his arm around Mac's shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

"We make a pretty good team."

"We always have. Mac said. He planted a quick kiss on her forehead and then dropped one onto her lips...lingering just a little longer than he intended.

He bounced up and headed to the bedroom and Mac was left to decipher what had just happened...

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"Mattie... go wait outside with Mac please." he said. Chloe shuffled from foot to foot. So she was gonna be first. At least she wasn't gonna have an audience. Harm grinned at the fact that Chloe seemed to have had a sudden bout of shyness. The large towel had been wrapped tightly around her waist more than once.

When the door closed behind Mattie, Harm sat down. He patted the bed beside him.

"Chloe." he said. Chloe...determined to look like she wasn't worried didn't turn at the first call.

"Chloe." Harm said more sternly. This time she turned and he again patted the bed beside him.

"Sorry?" Chloe asked.

"Come here." Harm said. His tone moved her this time and she was beside him in a flash. "Now..."

"Ok...I'm sorry...I probably shouldn't have done it." she said looking at her bare feet.

"Which thing?" Harm asked. Chloe twisted her feet and examined her painted toenails..

"Chloe!"

"Any of it?" she asked sheepishly.

"Well I would start with the stuff that was AGAINST the law..."

"Yeah well... that probably wasn't that smart." Chloe conceded. "But it was for a good reason."

"Hmmmm. If you were older...a judge wouldn't listen to...well meaning excuses." he said as he chose his words carefully.

"But you and Mac WANT to be together …..I KNOW you do." Ok so it was a blatant attempt to change the subject and buy some time but... well she was...facing the carpet. Harm was done talking for now. He needed to get her attention...really get her attention and make her listen. And his method worked. The towel hit the carpet and the first loud smack cracked against her bare cheek.

"Ow!" she howled. "That hurts!" The first smack and she was already rethinking the cleverness of that damn bikini. She wished she was wearing shorts...even wet ones would be better than the fire that was building on her cheeks that had been left oh too available for Harm's onslaught of heavy spanks. "Ok...I get it."

"Ok...now I have your attention I'm going to tell you that NONE of your excuses are going to float for breaking the law...NONE" he said with a punctuating smack.

"Yes yes it hurts Harm stop please." Harm didn't stop but he did slow down and let her catch her breath a little while he laid down the law.

"While I appreciate your effort to try and get Mac and I together..." And he did appreciate these efforts.. "What happens between us is NONE of your business."

"I'm sorry!" Chloe wailed. Her ass was on fire... "I like when we're all together."

"For the record so do I..."

"Then why are you trying to kill me?" Harm rolled his eyes. His knew teenagers had a flare for the dramatic but this one took the cake.

"I'm not killing you...I'm spanking you and you better get used to it...from now on I'll be doing it as often a I have to to get you to tow the line. I care about you Chloe!" He finished the spanking with a whack to each of her lower cheeks and then stood her up an wrapped the towel firmly around her again.

"Rea...lly?" Chloe asked as tears coursed freely down her cheeks.

"Yes really...I always did." He pulled her into a hug and a rubbed her back.

"I'm sorry Harm."

"I hope so...go have a shower and get changed out of that... thing...put it in the trash...you're way too young to wear something like that." Chloe grinned.

"Shame to waste it...I bet Mac's ass would look mighty fine in this..." Harm spun her around and reignited the fore with a few more spanks.

"Hey!"

"Watch you're mouth."

"Ok ok...just a suggestion."

"Don't come out til I say it's ok."

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Harm opened the door and crooked his finger at Mattie.

"I'm sorry..." she said. He could tell from her look and her stance that she was really repentant.

"For what it's worth Mattie I believe you. But it's after the event...you're still going to be punished. Mattie nodded.

"Harm...I know you're gonna spank me anyways but I need you to know that I didn't have anything to do with the stuff Chloe bought...I told her not to...and I warned her not to wear that suit."

"You knew she did that?" Mattie nodded sullenly.

"Yeah. But I knew it was wrong. I thought it was ok to spend your money on you cos it was FOR you...please Harm I know you're mad but I don't want you to think I stole from you... I would never do that..." She burst into tears and Harm pulled her onto his lap.

"Hey...I don't think that. I KNOW you're a good girl...you have made some questionable decisions in the past and these ones were not smart..." Mattie clung to Harm and sobbed. "You have to pay for your mistakes Mattie and then we can all move on. Mattie nodded and din't fight him when he tipped her over his knee.

"You will never do anything like that again." he said as he spanked the wriggling pair of denim shorts before him several times.

"Ow!" Mattie started crying immediately but more from guilt than form the sharp smacks that were peppering her bottom.

"What happens between Mac and I is up to us..." The fire was building at her cheeks burned, the denim no protection from the heavy handed smacks.

"I will NOT allow you to do something stupid like that again that could get you into real trouble Matilda." Harm smacked each thigh several times and then pulled Mattie up and into his arms and held her while she sobbed.

"I won't ev...er do that a...gain...I promise." she sobbed into his T shirt.

"Shhh. I know you won't honey."

"Is there any chance you and Mac..."

"Not your business." Harm said as he opened the door. "Get changed and then we'll go and eat lunch.

"Um forgotten child in the BATHROOM!" Chloe called.

"I didn't forget you Miss...or a certain promise I made you so watch that mouth.

"Yes Sir!" she said loudly from the safety of the closed door. "Permission to come out of the bathroom Sir?"

"Permission given...and Chloe?"

"Yes Sir!" Watch it...I wasn't kidding."

TBC