by Sue Lyndon
“It’s true,” Daniel said. “Now finish your lunch and we’ll give you a tour of the ranch.”
She glanced between them a couple of times before smiling and acquiescing with a nod. “Okay, okay.”
“Be sure to eat your carrot sticks too. You haven’t touched them yet,” Trevor said.
Nose wrinkled, she shook her head. “Carrots are icky.”
“They’re good for you,” Daniel said, sensing she was already starting to test them. “Now be a good girl and do as Trevor says.”
She gave Daniel a mutinous look and grudgingly bit into a carrot, making a face as she chewed. Based on what he’d learned of her past, he knew no one had ever made her eat her vegetables or finish her homework or go to bed at a decent hour. He wanted to do more than help her clear her name. He wanted to provide structure to her life and give her rules and boundaries in a safe, loving environment.
“One more thing,” Daniel said. “Well, a few more things, actually.” He held her gaze and prepared to use his most authoritative tone. “We have a few rules that we expect you to follow.”
“Rules?” She nearly choked on the word.
“Yes. Rules,” he said. “This is our house, and we expect you to trust our judgment and obey us at all times. Also, no cursing. You’re a lady, and we expect you to act like one.”
“What? You can’t be serious!” She frowned at him and then scowled at the carrot in her hand.
“Oh, he’s serious,” Trevor said, folding his arms over his chest as he sat back in his chair.
“Furthermore, you will be given chores to complete every day—once you’re all healed, of course. You will also have a bedtime of nine o’clock.”
“A bedtime? I’m twenty, not twelve. I’ll go to bed when I feel like it, thank you very much.”
Ignoring her sass, Daniel put his elbows on the table and leaned forward, fixing a stern look on her. “Failure to comply with these rules will result in punishment.”
* * *
Failure to comply with these rules will result in punishment.
Oh goodness gracious, he was back on the spanking thing again. Emily gawked at Daniel and swallowed hard when the dryness in her mouth became too much. She longed to reach for her water, but she could hardly breathe, let alone move.
She glanced at her plate, glaring at the last carrot and knowing she wouldn’t be excused from the table until she ate it.
“Will you really spank me?” The question slipped from her mouth so quickly it surprised her. Half of her wished she could take it back, but the other half of her waited on pins and needles for Daniel’s response, and a twinge in her lower stomach spread to a full aching sensation between her thighs. She clamped her legs tight together under the table and picked up her last carrot, praying neither brother noticed the effect the simple mention of punishment had produced.
“If you’re naughty, Emily, Trevor and I won’t hesitate to give you a spanking. Besides, I think you might benefit from some firm discipline.”
She should’ve been offended by his last comment, but she actually agreed with it. In a weird way, it touched her that Daniel had given her rules. His rules weren’t unreasonable and had been given with good intentions. Though she’d never been spanked before, she stared at his hands with morbid curiosity and wondered how much a spanking would hurt. She wondered if she would cry, and the thought of shedding tears in front of Daniel during a spanking felt intimate. She suspected experiencing a spanking from Trevor would be intimate too, but more so with Daniel. She’d spent more time in his presence and had already endured a scolding from him. Of the two of them, she suspected Daniel would be the strictest.
Another raised eyebrow from him was all it took for Emily to finish her carrot, though she still made a face as she swallowed it, causing Trevor to make a comment about how it wouldn’t be long before she ended up with a red bottom.
* * *
After being cooped up in the house since her accident, Emily was bounding with excitement to tour the ranch. The view from the front porch took her breath away, and she paused on the steps to gaze at the rolling fields and cattle in the distance. Despite her lingering soreness, it felt good to stretch her legs and breathe in the fresh air.
Daniel grasped her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “We’ll visit the stables first.”
She grinned as they rounded the house and a small fenced in pasture appeared right next to two large structures. Daniel explained that the horses they bred and raised for sale were kept in one barn, while the horses used by the ranch hands were kept in the other barn. As they reached the pasture and Emily leaned against the fence, Trevor pulled a buzzing phone out of his pocket.
“Excuse me,” he said, answering the phone as he turned his back and strode toward the house.
Anxiety shadowed the rest of the tour, because he didn’t return. She tried to hide her worry as Daniel showed her the main hall, where he said the ranch hands took all their meals. He introduced her to the cook, Sam, and several of his cousins who rode by on horses, returning from moving the cattle to a northern field, closer to the river. Next, Daniel guided her down a lane past the garage that led to four identical houses.
“How many people live here?” she asked. The houses were smaller than Daniel and Trevor’s house, but they were still on the large side. They made the little guest house she’d rented from the Maccabee’s look like a one room cottage.
“At the moment we have fifteen men. The Twisted River isn’t as large as some ranches around here, but it still takes a sizable crew to keep it going.”
“It’s beautiful here,” Emily said, staring off in the direction of the river and standing on her tiptoes in an attempt to better glimpse it.
“My cousin, Mark, has a wife and daughter, and they live in the second house there,” he said, pointing to the house that had potted bluebonnets lining a stone walkway. “They’re visiting family back east right now, but once they return, I’m sure you’ll make great friends.”
Emily seriously doubted that. Making friends didn’t come easy to her. Besides, she’d be leaving the Twisted River one day. The thought of leaving Daniel and Trevor already caused her chest to tighten painfully. She didn’t need to add to that pain and resolved to keep a distance from everyone who lived here, even Daniel and Trevor if she could help it.
Well, they’d return to work soon and she’d have the house to herself during the days. It’s not like she’d be spending a lot of time with them during the next few weeks. She gulped. Or months. Just weekends—and not even that with Trevor since his work schedule sometimes took him out of town for days at a time.
As if reading her thoughts, Daniel said, “I leave for work at eight tomorrow morning and will return between five and six. You won’t be all by yourself yet, though, because Trevor doesn’t return to work until Tuesday. But you will be alone on Tuesday and for the rest of the week. Will you be all right?” He faced her and trailed a finger down her cheek, gracing her with a smile so gentle it made her want to beg him to stay with her tomorrow and every day after.
“Of course I’ll be all right.” She tried to break his gaze, but he stilled her movement with a hand on the side of her face.
“I have a vacation coming up the following week, and I’ll be around during the days then. This week, though, while I’m gone, I expect you to stay on the ranch and behave yourself at all times, Emily. Is that clear?”
His words flustered her and left her cheeks burning. “Yes, it’s clear. But for the record, I always behave myself.” She attempted to pull away, but he clasped her chin between his fingers.
“Mmm-hmm,” he said. “For the record, lying will get you spanked too, young lady. We expect you to be honest with us at all times.”
Emotion rose in her throat, and she blinked hard at the first sign of moisture filling her eyes. Why his preemptive scolding made her want to cry, she didn’t know. All she knew was that she wanted nothing more than to please the man standing in front
“Good girl,” he said. “Now, do you remember what happens if you’re naughty?”
“Yes.” Her face heated.
“Tell me. I want to hear you say it, Emily. What happens if you’re a naughty girl?”
She inhaled quickly as her eyes widened. Shock mingled with heated arousal. She stepped back only for Daniel to follow. The pressure of his fingers on her chin increased.
“I’m waiting, Emily. I want to hear you say it. Keep me waiting and I just might haul you back in the house and give you a demonstration.”
“A spanking,” she said, her voice trembling, though not from fear. Desire had thickened her voice, making it difficult to form the words he’d commanded her to say.
“That’s right, little girl. If you’re naughty, you’ll go over my knee for a spanking on your bare bottom.”
Bare bottom. Moisture trickled from her pussy, and her nipples hardened inside her bra. She kept blinking, swallowing, and fidgeting as she processed his threat. Not only would he spank her, but he’d pull her panties down and administer the punishment on her bare bottom.
“I—I understand,” she finally said, praying for a distraction, for Trevor to rejoin them and break the tension between them, or for one of the ranch hands to interrupt him with a question. She had no such luck, and he continued to stare into her eyes as if trying to discover her most secret thoughts.
* * *
Trevor gripped his phone as the soft voice on the other end of the line gave him hope. He hadn’t expected a break like this, especially so soon.
“I’m Connie. Um… just Connie.” Obviously she didn’t realize he already knew her last name. The woman from Remsfield who’d reported Officer Patrick for assault about a year ago was named Connie. Connie Keller, he recalled. Trevor kept this information to himself, though, and cleared his throat as he walked into the house, seeking privacy. He didn’t wish for Emily to overhear any of his conversations lest it get her hopes up, only for a lead to not pan out.
“Hello, Connie,” he said kindly. “How can I help you?”
“Well, I heard from a lady in Remsfield, a woman who retired from the police station recently, that Officer Patrick assaulted a young woman. I told her to leave me alone at first, but she gave me your number and told me to think about calling you.”
“Thank you for calling me, Connie. I know this is hard for you. I understand you’re newly married with a small child.”
She paused and he heard her breathing shakily and suspected she was crying. Her strained voice confirmed it when she spoke again. “Yes, that’s all correct. My husband knows about it. We’ve been talking, and he says he’ll support me if I want to talk to you. I just want some assurances about my privacy. I mean, I don’t want my name in the news. I don’t want to worry about Officer George suing me or anything like that. I’m scared.”
“It was very brave of you to call me, Connie, and it sounds like you have a wonderful husband who loves you very much. I want to work on building a solid case against Officer Patrick before I come forward with the evidence, a solid enough case that you and any other women he’s assaulted won’t have to worry about being sued or having your rights violated further. It’s going to take some time, but with your help, it will be a whole lot easier. Are you willing to speak with me in person, Connie? I’d like to come visit you soon, both you and your husband, if you’re more comfortable with him there.”
She exhaled what sounded like a sigh of relief, and her voice wasn’t as strained for the rest of their conversation. Trevor made plans to visit Connie at her home in Remsfield in one week. He thanked Connie and spoke to her husband briefly, reassuring the man that their family’s safety and privacy was one of his top concerns, and he ended the call just as Daniel and Emily entered the house.
“Who was on the phone?” Emily asked, her voice tinged with anxiety.
Trevor pressed his lips together tight as he regarded her, staring up at him with a childlike innocence that made him want to drive down to Remsfield at this very moment and bash Officer Patrick’s face in. “Just work stuff, sweetheart. Did you enjoy your walk?”
She sighed and glanced up at Daniel, and suddenly pink suffused her cheeks. Trevor wondered what had transpired during their walk, and he suspected Daniel had probably threatened to spank her again. “Um, it was nice. It’s beautiful here.”
“Next time I’ll take you on a walk.” He moved in front of her, cupped her face, and peered directly into her eyes. “You look nervous, Emily. Did you misbehave and earn another scolding from my stern big brother here?”
Daniel chuckled.
“I—I was perfectly behaved,” she said, her cheeks flushing redder.
“I hope so,” Trevor said. “Because as I know my brother’s told you more than once, naughty little girls in this house get their bare bottoms spanked soundly.”
She jolted and gasped when Daniel boldly patted her backside twice, and she tried to yank her face from Trevor’s grasp. He held firm, continuing to gaze into her pretty blues.
“You’re both big bullies!” she said in exasperation. “Big mean bullies.”
Both men laughed, and Trevor finally released his hold on her chin. He towered over her, his heart pumping as desire heated his blood. “For future reference, sweetheart, name calling is a spankable offense.”
Chapter Five
The next day, Emily tapped on the door to Daniel’s study, nerves twisting her stomach. She hadn’t seen him since dinnertime, and Trevor was busy sitting on the front porch, making phone calls. She was lonely and wanted someone to talk to. After going back and forth, trying to decide which brother to interrupt, she’d opted for Daniel. So she’d rummaged through the kitchen in search of ingredients to make brownies, and now she held the plate of brownies high as she tapped on the door again, listening for his voice. She didn’t want to barge in without permission.
The door opened, and he stood above her with curiosity filling his handsome features. His eyes twinkled and his smile put her at ease. Once again, she fell hopelessly in love with him, then a second later felt like a silly girl. She scolded herself for being so ridiculous and stood up straight, holding the plate up.
“I made brownies.”
He grinned. “I can see that.” He stepped back and opened the door all the way. “Please come into my office, Emily.”
She hesitated. “Are you sure I’m not interrupting anything important?”
“Don’t be silly. You’re more important than any paperwork I’d be doing in here. Get your fanny in here and sit down. That’s an order.”
She laughed at his mock sternness and strolled into his office, taking in the tall bookshelves lining the walls. A large mahogany desk sat in the center of the room. He dragged a chair from against the wall and placed it in front of the desk, beckoning her to sit.
“Butt in chair, little girl.” His teasing prompted her insides to churn with excitement.
“Yes, sir!” she said, mimicking his tone.
Once Daniel was seated in his chair behind the desk and Emily was seated across from him, she placed the brownies on the desk beside a stack of important looking papers.
“I tried one,” she said, suddenly feeling shy. “They’re edible.”
“So, let me get this straight,” he said, sitting back in his chair as he crossed his arms. “You used the oven without permission? Little girls aren’t supposed to use the oven without permission, Emily.”
Oh, God. She flushed. His words, his tone, his demeanor… all of them combined to excite her in ways she’d never known. The way he treated her as though she were little made her melt and squirm and yearn for more of this new dynamic. No man had ever had any kind of authority over her. She found she liked it. Ached for it. She twisted her hands together, feeling like a little girl being gently scolded by her daddy.
She met his gaze, taking a deep breath as she summoned the courage to utter an appropriate retort. But before she could speak, he went on, continuing to scold her and making her feel very little.
“You will ask for permission before using the oven in the future, Emily.” His eyes darkened. “You need to be a good little girl, or I will paddle your bottom. In fact, I seem to recall promising you a spanking after you were all healed up.”
Her heart lurched as she recalled his exact words. As soon as you’re all healed up, your butt is all mine.
She lowered her head and stared at her hands in her lap, continuing to twist her fingers together. “I—I am curious,” she said hesitantly. “I am curious what it would feel like. A spanking, that is.” She peered up at him, her cheeks burning.
“Have you ever been spanked before, Emily?”
“N-no.”
Silence loomed between them, tension thickening the air as they stared at one another. She was probably crazy for asking for a spanking. Yes, she must have hit her head a tad too hard in the car accident. Anticipation rolled through her and her mouth dried up as she considered taking her words back and running up to her bedroom.
He stood up and walked around his desk, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Do you see that corner over there?” he asked, pointing to an empty corner.
The air rushed from her lungs. Was he really about to make her stand in the corner like a naughty little girl? “Y-yes,” she finally said.
“I want you to go stand in the corner, young lady.” His hand dropped from her shoulder and he took a few steps in the direction of the corner, turning back to see if she was following. “Come on, little girl. Unless you want to find out what happens when I have to repeat myself.”
She most certainly didn’t want to know what happened when he had to repeat himself. She jumped up and scampered to his side. With a hand pressed to the small of her back, he guided her to the corner, positioning her with her nose nearly touching the converging walls.
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