by Starla Kaye
Rebellion flitted through her. “I don't have time for this.” So why wasn't she jerking her arm free? Why wasn't she storming off to get dressed?
Their gazes remained locked for a second. Her pulse raced and she noted how his cock had swollen with obvious interest. She wanted it. More than her next breath. Yet she refused to act on her need.
Before she could react, he sat up on the side of the bed and tugged her to him. Bare knees touched bare knees. His eyes darkened, his nostrils flared. He drew her to his side and while her eyes widened in surprise, he pulled her over his lap without saying a word.
Awkwardly, Mandy braced her hands on the floor and blew her long hair out of her face. “What are you doing?” she croaked. The position was uncomfortable, embarrassing…or it should be. For some reason she didn't feel embarrassed. She felt a tremble of anticipation, excitement.
“Heading off a problem before it gets worse.” He tucked her against him and she felt the hard ridge of his erection next to her hip. He gave a quiet groan that told of his body's awareness of her rubbing a part of him that clearly wanted her.
“I don't deserve a spanking.” The protest was half-hearted, but she attempted to wriggle off his lap.
Erik swatted her bottom and she froze. “It's not really going to be a spanking. I just want to add some color to your sweet butt. I'll enjoy the color while you move around cooking breakfast, naked.”
She tingled from head to toe at the huskiness in his tone, at the clear heat of his desire. Naked? He wanted her to walk around in the house naked? She'd never done that. And to think about him watching her as she did so…. “What if I don't want to do that?” She heard the thick arousal in her voice.
Another swat, lighter but with enough fire that she sucked in a breath and trembled. “You do, though. It's turning you on, isn't it?”
He smoothed a hand over her slightly stinging bottom. “The idea of me watching you walk around nude…the idea of having a gently spanked bottom…feeling naughty, but not.” He smoothed her cheeks again. “I bet if I put my hand between your legs now, I'll find you nice and wet.”
This was crazy. Her being held—not forcefully—over his lap. His teasing her about a spanking. The idea of strutting around the house unclothed with him watching her. Crazy, all of it. But he was right, she couldn't be more excited. Moisture beaded between her legs.
“I've got responsibilities,” she protested, but it came out weak. She raised her bottom as if in invitation for his attention. “You have business to get to.”
That wicked hand lifted and came down solidly once on each buttock. It stung, but more than that, it fired up her need to be as naughty as he asked.
“What if someone….” She knew it was unlikely that anyone would just walk into the house. Including her brother, who was, thankfully, away from the ranch.
“I won't allow anyone else to see my sexy wife walking around naked…with a pretty pink bottom.” Another pair of spanks fell, slightly harder, enough to make her gasp.
“Just remember I need to sit a saddle later today.” Was she really agreeing to this nutty idea? She pushed her bottom up. Clearly she was.
A half hour or so later Erik applied the last of many gentle-but-firm swats to his wife's beautifully pink bottom. He'd been surprised when she'd actually let him do this. He'd made the experience as good for her as it had been for him. For every few spanks he'd given her, he'd spent a bit of time playing with her clit or working her with his fingers. She'd cried out in several orgasms already and he fully intended on giving her more after they ate and before he let her leave the house.
She lie panting over his lap, his fingers covered by the cream of her latest release. Maybe they could forget breakfast, just crawl back onto the bed and….
His cell phone rang and shattered the moment.
She stiffened.
He scowled and reached for the phone. “Erik,” he snapped, disgusted at being disturbed.
“We really need you back here,” Allan stated, equally annoyed.
Mandy scrambled off Erik's knee and shot him a look of irritation. She started toward the closet, but he stood and grabbed her arm. He snapped into the phone, “I'll call you back.” Then he tossed the phone on the bed.
He made her face him and let her see the frustration he felt at their interruption. “We're not done with this yet. I'll have to call him back, just as I said. But I'll keep the call as short as possible.”
She shrugged. “You have business to deal with. I have ranch duties to attend to.” Her eyes sparked with as much annoyance as he felt. But he could see desire there as well and he could smell her arousal.
“We're doing this. Making breakfast, eating it together like a normal couple.” It infuriated him that he had to return to the phone call when he'd much rather stay focused on having this rare time alone with Mandy.
“Normal?” She motioned to her naked body, shifted so she could hold her hands on her pink bottom. “Normal?” she repeated.
Erik couldn't resist. He jerked her to him so their bodies rubbed against each other, so she fully felt the solidness of his erection. He cupped her heated buttocks and kissed her.
His phone rang again and he knew Allan had called back. With a groan of disappointment, he eased away from Mandy. Relief swept over him as she sighed and then nodded.
“Okay. I'll go make breakfast.” She grabbed a T-shirt and put it on. “I'm going to fry up some sausage. I'd rather not be splattered with hot grease.”
Since the T-shirt only reached to her waist, leaving a lot of her tempting body deliciously bare to his sight, Erik didn't protest. It was more than enough that she would continue with this little plan of his. “I'll be there in a few minutes.”
He grabbed his phone on the third ring, resigned, wary. “All right. What's so urgent?”
Mandy stood outside the bedroom long enough to hear the beginning of Erik's conversation with one of his business associates. Whatever the call was about, it was serious. The caller wasn't happy and Erik wasn't either from the way he kept cursing, something she actually had rarely heard him do. It was clear that he needed to be back in Los Angeles taking caring of business instead of being here in Kansas. Her stubbornness about not sitting down and completely talking this whole marriage issue out was causing him problems and keeping her from moving on with her life, too.
The breeze from the air conditioner sent a chill through her, making her aware once more that she wasn't fully clothed. Why had she agreed to this ridiculous idea of walking around half-dressed? Or to cooking breakfast? And why on earth had she let him spank her, even if it had really only been in foreplay? Her bottom still tingled and her body continued to thrum with the way he'd kept her aroused and taken her from orgasm to orgasm.
She walked barefoot to the small kitchen, amazed that she was actually excited about trying out her wifely skills to feed her man…besides in the bedroom. Her man. Erik was just that, for now. The situation couldn't last, though, the urgency of the phone conversation making that clear. He would be leaving soon. She knew it and she didn't like thinking about it.
Saddened by the idea, she blinked back tears and wandered to the refrigerator. It and her pantry was always fully stocked, but not by her doing. No, Tanya took care of it. Her friend didn't mind throwing out items past their “good by” date, but she insisted that food be there in case Mandy got desperate and needed to eat after missing some of the day's meals. It did happen occasionally. Today, she was thankful for the supplies.
She pulled out eggs, cheese, and salsa. Then she found sausage patties in the freezer and grabbed a roll of biscuits from the refrigerator. While she defrosted the sausage and heated up the oven, she made scrambled eggs. Oddly, she felt very domestic, something she'd never really seen her as. But this wouldn't last long. There would be no need when Erik left.
Finishing up the eggs, she set the skillet aside, feeling the weight of depression. Think of other things. Think about giving notice to the airline,
about telling Drew you're taking over as the guest ranch manager. Think about sleeping by yourself again….
Angry at her turn of thoughts, she pulled out a baking sheet and slammed it down on the counter. She practically destroyed the roll of biscuits before she managed to get them on the sheet and into the oven. Then she drew another skillet from the stove's bottom drawer and put it on a burner for the sausages. Her heart was pinching and tears threatening again. Darn it all. She shouldn't be doing this. She should be out with the men and the ranch guests.
Footsteps heading her way captured her attention. Erik. She reached up to make sure her hair wasn't standing straight up or doing something odd. Then she frowned. Girly. She was acting more “girly” than she ever did, even when she was working a flight. Because of Erik. Because she wanted to impress him, please him. Wasn't she already doing that? Wasn't she standing here half-dressed at his request…at his order?
She purposely stayed turned toward the stove, well aware that her recently-spanked bottom was on display. It should annoy her, yet it didn't. She placed the sausages in the skillet and turned on the burner. The heat she felt reminded her of the warmth spreading low inside her. She was very aware of Erik coming closer.
He smelled of Ivory soap as he walked up behind her. She held her breath as he shifted her hair so he could kiss the side of her neck. She shivered and tried to duck away from him, but not too much. “I'm busy here.”
“Making breakfast. Yes, I see that.” He nibbled her ear lobe, chuckling when she trembled. “It smells good. Almost as good as you do.”
“You're not making this easy.” His hands moved to cup her breasts, thumbing the nipples until they hardened and ached. “Really.”
“Am I in your way?” He squeezed each breast again, pushed his obviously hard rod against her bottom.
“Yes.” But don't move away. She reached for a spatula to turn the sausages starting to sizzle in the pan.
“This domestic side of you is a real turn on.” He nudged her legs apart, guided his shaft between her legs to rub along her pulsing lower lips.
Mandy shivered all over, breathing raggedly. “You're always turned on.” It was getting hard to concentrate on the blasted sausages.
He moved back and forth, teasing her, torturing her…torturing him, from the way his breathing, too, grew heavy and deep. “I don't suppose those sausages could be put on hold for a few minutes?”
“Maybe.” Definitely. “But the biscuits….”
He reached around her to turn the heat off the burner under the sausage then flicked off the oven. “If they burn, they burn.”
She completely agreed. She waited anxiously for what he would do next. Take her back to the bedroom? That seemed kind of far to go at the moment. Take her on the tiled floor? Not particularly desirable, but doable. Instead he shifted her away from the stove and toward the counter, keeping her turned away from him.
“Grab the counter.”
Without a second's hesitation, she obeyed. The T-shirt rode high on her back; her bare butt was thrust out, eagerly waiting. She shifted her legs further apart.
She felt the heat of him as he stepped behind her and heard him opening a condom pack he must have brought with him. She quivered as he rolled it on, craned her head around to watch him. So big. Mine. All she wanted was for him to drive it into her over and over again.
“Ready, baby?” He gripped his cock with one hand and massaged it, meeting her gaze. With his other hand, he fingered her slit, found her clit and flicked it before showing her his wet finger. “Yeah, you're ready.”
“How can I want you so much?” she asked and waited breathlessly for his drive home. She'd never felt this crazed for any other man.
“Because we are meant for each other.” He plunged his cock inside her, anchored her hips with his hands. “So good. So damn good.”
She agreed completely, except about his comment. They couldn't be meant for each other. They lived different lives, wanted different things. Except for now. Right now they both wanted this. “Fuck me, hard,” she gasped, gripping the counter's edge.
He smacked one side of her bottom and the sound echoed around the kitchen. “Language.”
The swat stung and she'd jerked when he'd done it, but the feel of him ramming over and over into her mattered much more than getting spanked. She moaned, trembled, shoved back to meet his ever-deepening thrusts. Skin slapped skin. Her wet pussy made sucking sounds with each of his partial withdrawals, with each determined drive inside her.
Finally she stiffened and arched her back. His cock was big and solid deep within her. Her muscles contracted around him and then she cried out with her release, “Oh, oh, oh, ohhhhh, Erik!”
She'd no sooner collapsed her head against the counter when he held her firmly and pounded another two times. His fingers dug into her hips as he roared, “Christ! Mandy! Oh, Mandy.”
Erik slid from Mandy's body where she stood bent over the counter. He'd been amazed that he had the strength to take her again so soon after their sex marathon last night. But he couldn't seem to keep his hands off her, his dick out of her. No other woman had ever made him this crazy. No other woman ever would.
He pulled off the condom, thankful he'd had the brilliant idea of bringing it with him from the bedroom. At this rate he'd have to buy them by the case. It suddenly occurred to him that he would like to forego them, that he would like to give her his seed…like to get her pregnant with his child. But then he would never do that without her permission. Such permission he didn't see as coming anytime soon. Not when she believed the marriage had to end. Not when he had to leave…for now.
Irritated again, he grabbed a nearby paper towel and wrapped the condom in it. He grabbed another one and before she could move, he gently cleaned the woman he loved. When he was done, he carried the towels to the trash.
When he faced her again, she had straightened. “You need to leave, don't you?”
“Yes.” He couldn't deny it, didn't want to, but he had to go.
“When?” She moved to the stove and looked in the oven at the biscuits.
The sight of her still lightly pink bottom thrust up at him had him drawing in a shaky breath. “I have a flight out of Wichita early in the morning. I'll need to go there later today.”
She stiffened and then pulled the well-browned biscuits from the oven. She barely glanced at him. “I guess they're all right. I'll finish up the sausages and warm the eggs.”
He'd seen the sheen of tears in her eyes, heard the resignation in her tone. “I'll miss the trail ride and camp out.”
Mandy shrugged and set the baking sheet on a couple of hot pads on the counter. “You wouldn't have gone anyway, we both know that.”
He'd actually considered the idea, but not seriously. “As I've said before, I'm more comfortable on a surf board than a horse's back.” Horses intimidated him, but he had gone riding a few times.
She seemed to withdraw from him even more. “It was inevitable. You leaving, I mean. For the best, too. Really.”
Not in his opinion. And not permanently. Somehow he had to find a way to make this marriage work. He wanted—needed—Mandy in his life. He put a hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off. “We're not done. I'll come back.”
Now she faced him and he saw the misery in her expression. “Why? What's the point? I've finally realized this ranch is where I need to be, what I want to do.” She dashed at a tear that slipped down her cheek. “You're Mr. California. Surfer boy. High tech game designer. So un-Kansas.”
It hurt that she didn't seem willing to even try to make the marriage work. “You're so determined to get rid of me—”
“No! I'm determined to let you go. What we have is some kind of crazy lust thing. You're a passionate man, an amazing lover.” She swallowed hard. “You'll find someone else. Someone who fits into your life.”
With that, she shoved by him and ran down the hall back to the bedroom. He heard the door slam, heard her ragged cries.
Chapter Six
“We could put this trail ride off until tomorrow,” Chet said as he walked up next to Mandy where she stood next to the arena. He followed her gaze to the guests talking excitedly and walking toward the over-sized bunkhouse they stayed in. “I know Erik is leaving later today and—”
“And nothing,” she cut him off. Her heart pinched, had been hurting ever since she'd left the house not long after their disagreement an hour ago. He hadn't followed her to the bedroom when she'd rushed away in tears. He hadn't stopped her from striding out of the house a short while later. “He has his life and I have mine.” And never the two will meet.
“But….” He started to protest and gave up, frowning in disapproval instead.
She curled her hands into fists at her sides, tension thrumming through her. “This was never going to work. I knew it. He knows it. Every person on this ranch—besides the guests—knows it.”
The man she'd known for years shook his head; his expression sad. “Erik Mallory is a good man, Mandy. You're not giving him a chance…not giving yourself a chance.” With that said he turned on his heel and headed for the horse barn, muttering to himself about stubborn women.
Erik was definitely a good man, she couldn't deny that. But if she hadn't gotten drunk that night in Maui, they never would have met. They had nothing in common. He was the stereotypical blond-haired, tanned, lean and mean California surfer boy grown up. She had no interest in surfing, little even in anything more to do with water than playing in a pool. He was evidently brilliant and a computer genius. She struggled with balancing her checkbook, could barely manage to do email and get around Facebook. What could she possibly give him as a wife…other than to satisfy his sexual needs.
A spidey sense prickled the hairs on her neck and she glanced toward her house. Erik walked out onto the porch and cupped his hand over his eyes to look across the ranch yard. Looking for her? Her heart pounded. Did he want to tell her good-bye? Could she handle that? She almost walked away, but her feet wouldn't cooperate and she remained still.
