His mother smacked him on the shoulder, the Spanish ceding to perfect English now that she’d calmed. “Watch your tone, young man,” she scolded. “He’s been through a lot and their relationship is none of your business. I like her,” she said taking Victoria’s free hand. “She’s a good girl, and she doesn’t take any of his attitude.”
“Actually,” drawled Christian, “they—”
“Shut up, Christian,” warned Cruz and Victoria at the same time. He drew an imaginary zipper across his lips and threw away the key before folding his hands on his lap and going for his best angelic smile.
Satisfied, Cruz continued. “Victoria and I discussed all of this at length back in Rochester. We probably don’t have a chance in hell of keeping our relationship a secret after all of this publicity, but we can play the media’s game and still maintain some element of privacy. As soon as I can lift my shoulder, I’ll take a less public desk job someplace, at least until I can convince Victoria to run for political office, and I resign to be her business manager, campaign manager, and head of her security, all rolled into one.”
“Desk job?” said Casey dryly. “You just don’t want to spend the day telling tourists over and over again how Dolly Madison saved that painting from the British.”
“I actually like that story,” said Cruz defensively. “But I’ll talk to MacMillan. I’m sure that we can come up with something.”
“Well, I hope so,” said Victoria with a sigh. “Because as much as I like to have you around, I’m not sure that it’s going to be good for us to spend quite that much time together as we move forward. And I’ve got a long way to go before I run for any office, so I shouldn’t need a security detail for quite a few years.”
Cruz tried to cross his arms and form a frown, but the pain in his shoulder turned it into a weak grimace before he spoke. “You do realize that I took a bullet for you. It’s a known fact that that guarantees me the role of your security detail for life.”
There was a long, awkward silence before Christian asked, “Did you just propose to her? Because even I think you need to work on your romance skills.”
“Yeah, I did,” defended Cruz. “And there’s nothing wrong with my romance skills. She likes me just the way I am, don’t you?”
“Yes, dear,” she said with a sigh. “And I would love to have you as my security detail for the rest of our lives, but we aren’t putting any of those clichés into any vows. Besides, a wedding ceremony might have to wait for a little while. I want to take some law classes at Georgetown this spring to see if that’s the right path for me.”
“You’ve got some lofty goals there, little bit,” said Cruz. “From party girl to lawyer to US congresswoman. Isn’t that all kind of a dramatic late-inning switch?”
“Well, I’m kind a dramatic late-inning kinda person, Agent Cruz,” she said with a grin, kissing the back of his hand. “You’ll be amazed to see what I can do.”
The End
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More Stormy Night Books by Isabella Laase
Tamed by the Virginian
Eighteen-year-old Jory Logan has made more than her share of bad decisions, but things come to a head when she is involved with a robbery that goes horribly wrong. Facing a long prison sentence, she decides to play along with a mysterious woman who claims to be able to offer her an alternative to jail. According to this seemingly powerful stranger, Jory must spend four years in the past, learning the lessons she was never taught in her own life, and then she will be free to return to the present day with a clean slate.
Though she agrees to the woman’s offer, Jory does not truly believe such a thing could be possible, and thus it comes as a shock when she awakens in Virginia in the year 1785. Alone and utterly unable to fend for herself in a world so different from her own, she is relieved to be taken in by frontiersman Nial McKay and his brother. She soon discovers, however, that life on a farm is hard work and disobedience, disrespect, or failure to carry her own weight will earn her a sound spanking on her bare bottom.
Nial is determined to keep his relationship with Jory chaste and proper, but as time passes he is forced to admit that he is falling in love with the beautiful, spirited girl. Can he bring himself to claim her as his woman rather than his ward, or will his hesitance cause him to lose her forever? And when her four years is up, will Jory be forced to leave everything she has grown to love behind in the past?
Buy on Amazon
Breaking in Bella
After Bella Mikelson wrecks her car while driving drunk, the spoiled twenty-two-year-old faces a difficult choice. If she wants to stay out of jail and keep her trust fund, she must accept a plea bargain which will require her to spend a year working on a Wyoming ranch under the strict supervision of Jackson Sullivan and his brother Lincoln, two tough, handsome cowboys who will not hesitate to provide the stern discipline she has been missing.
Seeing no other way out of her predicament, Bella agrees to the terms, but it is only a matter of moments before her defiant attitude earns her a painful, humiliating spanking that leaves her cheeks blushing and her bare bottom burning.
As she grows accustomed to life on the ranch, however, Jackson’s firm-handed dominance sets her once-hidden passion on fire, and soon she is yearning for him to claim her properly. But is she just a project for him, or is he ready to be the master she has desperately needed for so long?
Buy on Amazon
Saving Sophia
After a tragic accident left her alone in the foster care system at a young age, Sophia Montgomery grew up relying on no one but herself, but at age twenty-three she faces homelessness after her plans for a summer job fall through. Seeing no alternative, she lets two of her friends convince her to apply for a gardening job at Cloudcroft, a combination working ranch and BDSM resort. Though she is nervous about the whole idea, Sophia pretends to understand what she is getting herself into despite having no experience with anything kinky.
Sophia is immediately impressed by handsome rancher and resort manager Marcus Greene, but when her intense focus on her work puts her health at risk she quickly discovers that her new boss takes her well-being very seriously. After a thorough scolding, Sophia’s bottom is bared for a sound spanking, and to her surprise the humiliating chastisement arouses her deeply.
She soon learns that Marcus can be tender as well as stern, and being held in his lap and comforted after her punishment makes Sophia feel safer than she has in a long time. Over the coming days she grows to trust in Marcus’ discipline and guidance as he takes it upon himself to teach her what it means to truly surrender to a dominant man, but when Sophia makes a startling discovery about her past will she end up leaving Cloudcroft behind?
Buy on Amazon
Lassoing Lilly
Sophisticated, confident businesswoman Lillian Adams spends her days managing a sizable staff, but her lonely evenings are spent imagining deliciously naughty stories about firm-handed men and the feisty women who love them. But when an emotional confrontation at work leaves Lilly at a crossroads in her life, she decides it is time to take the leap and see if she can truly make a career for herself as a romance novelist.
As both a working ranch and a kink-themed resort, Cloudcroft offers the perfect location for Lilly to learn more about real life spanking and BDSM. Though she is all but terrified upon her arrival, after meeting Lincoln Sul
livan, the handsome, boldly dominant co-owner of Cloudcroft, she quickly ends up agreeing to spend the weekend as his submissive.
Soon enough, Lilly finds herself naked, blushing, and burning with need as Linc teaches her what it means to surrender her beautiful body to his masterful lovemaking. But though it excites her deeply when Linc spanks her bare bottom for any disobedience, Lilly struggles to come to terms with her intense arousal at being made to submit. Can she find a way to balance what is expected of an independent, modern woman with her desire to be taken in hand?
Buy on Amazon
Two Daddies for Olivia
The moment he sets eyes on Olivia Baldwin, small-town doctor Dan Garcia knows what she needs. Though the desperate, hungry girl was just caught in the act of stealing Lincoln Sullivan’s car, Dan convinces his friend not to get the law involved. Instead, he brings Olivia home with him, promising to help her get back on her feet but also warning the beautiful young woman that any further delinquent behavior will earn her a thorough spanking on her bare bottom.
Over the coming weeks, Dan is joined in his efforts to guide and correct Olivia by the town sheriff, ex-Marine Gage Collier. While it makes her blush to be bathed and cared for like a little girl and scolded and spanked when she has been naughty, Olivia delights in their intimate attention, and before long Dan and Gage have taken on the role of her firm but loving daddies.
After a job is found for her at Cloudcroft, a nearby ranch which doubles as a kink-themed resort, Olivia’s eyes are opened to the world of dominance and submission, and she soon discovers just how pleasurable it can be to surrender her body completely to her daddies. But when Dan and Gage learn the truth about Olivia’s past, will it change how they feel about their little girl?
Buy on Amazon
Sparked by Deception (included in the collection Ladder 54: Five Firefighter Romances)
When twenty-two-year-old Claire lets her twin sister Claudia talk her into pooling their money to bid on a date with firefighter Declan Kennedy at a kinky charity auction, the covert plan is for them to take turns over his well-muscled thighs. After Declan strips her, spanks her, and claims her hard and thoroughly, however, she cannot bear the thought of sharing him with anyone, especially Claudia. But will Claire’s jealousy end up alerting Declan to their little scheme?
Buy on Amazon
Reclaiming Emma
With credit card debt piling up and her marriage seemingly in trouble, Emma Lanyon makes an impulsive decision and flies to Cloudcroft Ranch unannounced to visit her sister. Upon her arrival, however, she is scolded about running away from her problems, and once her husband joins her at the ranch he quickly leaves Emma in no doubt that things are going to change. From now on, when she needs to be taken in hand her bottom will be bared and very soundly spanked.
Over the coming days, Emma is taught to surrender her body to her husband’s demands. His stern dominance arouses her intensely, and when he decides to share her with another man she is brought to heights of pleasure she never imagined. But obedience is expected, and she soon learns the hard way that putting her safety at risk will earn her a truly shameful punishment.
Emma’s desire for both men grows stronger with every new experience and every blushing climax, but will their shared bond endure even when the time comes to leave Cloudcroft?
Buy on Amazon
Isabella Laase Links
You can keep up with Isabella Laase via her Twitter account, her Facebook page, and her Goodreads profile, using the following links:
https://twitter.com/isabella_laase
https://www.facebook.com/lsabellalaase
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15574842.Isabella_Laase
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