by Starla Kaye
Cole shifted to the side and held out his arms. “Come here.”
“I don’t think I can,” she whispered, shuddering. “Did you see what she did? She…she moved.”
Cole felt like pounding somebody good for getting her into this situation. Rusty stepped back, obviously sensing his sour mood. He’d spent half the morning swearing he wasn’t going near her the rest of her three weeks on the CW. He sure as hell didn’t want to touch her again. But he didn’t appear to have a choice in the matter, particularly when he didn’t want Rusty putting his hands anywhere on her.
With a sigh of resignation, he reached up and pulled her from the saddle. Fortunately she hadn’t had her feet in the stirrups. Her entire body trembled. Her heart raced. He felt it all as she slid down his body and clung to him in gratitude.
Rusty raised an eyebrow, smirking. Damn man knew how Cole had been avoiding women. He’d been trying for weeks to get Cole to join him and the men on Saturday nights at their favorite bar. Josie Mae’s been asking about you. So has Donna. Cole hated the way the statements ran through his mind. With the way he held Mandie so close now, Rusty would seriously harass him about getting out again.
“I think she’s okay now,” Rusty said on a chuckle. “You can probably let her go.”
Cole dropped his arms from around her, she didn’t drop hers. His jeans had gotten snug and he was pretty sure she could feel his reaction. Rusty would see it if she moved away, then he’d really hear about that.
She maintained her hold on him, but managed to crane her head around to smile over at Rusty. “Thank you for trying to help me. Maybe another time—“
“No! You’re not ever getting on another horse, at least not while you’re staying on the CW.” Cole didn’t think he could stand seeing that gawdawful fear in her eyes again. He glowered at Rusty. “Put Jezebel back in her stall. Give her an extra apple and then go on into town.”
“Sure thing, boss.” He tipped his hat at Mandie then winked at Cole. “I can see I’m not really needed here.” He took hold of Jezebel’s reins and with great effort managed to convince the mare to follow him to the gate.
When they heard the gate open and close, Mandie released him and shifted back a few steps. Her gaze locked on his other current problem. “My fault, I suppose.”
“Yep.”
Those amazing eyes of hers twinkled with devilment. “Want to find a more private spot to take care of….” She nodded down his body. “I don’t really have time to be doing this all the time, but—“
“Damn, woman, behave yourself!” He fought the urge to reach down and cover up the telltale ridge in his pants. Her amused look and the way her scent was all over him now only made his problem worse. He’d never wanted a woman as bad as he did this one.
Evidently she decided to give him a break and stopped teasing him. She glanced to where Rusty had disappeared into the horse barn with Jezebel. She shuddered. “I thought getting on a real horse might get the crazy fear out of my head.”
“Real horse?”
Embarrassment turned her cheeks pink when she focused on him. “I had a bad experience on a merry-go-round.”
He gaped at her. “One of those big plastic horses get free of the steel pole and start bucking?” He couldn’t imagine a bad experience on a carnival ride. “I’ve been bucked off on my ass countless times, had my leg broke three times by horses while on the circuit. I’m not—“
She gave him a withering look. “You were an adult, that’s what you did to make a living—a stupid way, in my opinion, but that’s beside the point. I lost my grip and slid off, okay? When the horse was at its highest point. I was four. Logic doesn’t really come into play when you’re that young.”
Now he felt low for making fun of the situation. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make light of your fear.” He thought about the foal. “You weren’t afraid of the foal yesterday.”
Mandie’s expression softened. “She’s such a little sweetie, not a two-ton beast.”
He nodded. “Guess I can accept that reasoning.”
Cole looked off into the distance, thought about the nearly three dozen horses out on the various ranges. Another dozen were kept in the horse barn or corral behind it for he and the men to use. He faced her once more, serious now. “This is a working ranch, more than it is a guest ranch. There’ll always be any number of horses in this part of the ranch and more out on the ranges. Plus we run about a hundred head of cattle. I’m thinking this is the last place you need to be for any length of time, with your fear of horses. We should cancel that contract. I’ll help you find another place for those camps of yours.”
The truth was he didn’t think he could stand having her anywhere on his ranch for three months, the length of the contract they’d agreed to previously. He’d already made an idiot of himself all but attacking her last night, although she’d really been the one to provoke him into action. Still. He was not ready for another woman in his life! He wasn’t! But his damn body didn’t seem to be in agreement.
The contrary female gave him a tolerant smile before sashaying toward the gate. That lust-crazed part of him kept him standing there fascinated by the sweet sway of those slim hips in tight jeans. The halfway sane part of him heard her say, “As I told you before, my clients have already made their arrangements to be here by this next weekend, four days. I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about me, cowboy.”
He wasn’t worried about her. It was him, all about him. Rusty would tell him to “man up” and deal with the situation. Hell, Rusty would be all over her every chance he got. But his good buddy was a womanizer extraordinaire and he’d never run across a woman who didn’t enjoy his attentions. Cole wasn’t a womanizer. Sure, he’d been married twice and bedded his share of willing women. Willing women. Dr. Mandie James came across as definitely one of those. Yet… Yet he got the feeling she wasn’t usually quite as aggressive and man-hungry as she’d seemed to be with him. Maybe that was why he didn’t fight even harder to get rid of her. He was curious.
She had made it as far as the path to her cottage by the time he caught up with her. His leg throbbed like the devil and he felt a bit embarrassed when she stopped to look in his direction and caught him limping.
Her brow furrowed in concern. “Maybe you should sit down, or lie down, for a while. You don’t want to make your leg worse.”
“I’m fine. Just acted like a fool, climbing over the fence instead of walking around to the gate.” He fought reaching down to rub at his swelling knee. After the way his ex had looked in disgust at him whenever he’d shown weakness, he refused to show it again in front of another woman.
One of her small hands touched his arm. “She was an idiot,” Mandie stated bitterly, as if she’d read his mind.
Cole stepped back so she had to drop her hand. “Don’t let me catch you on another one of my horses.” He wasn’t real sure why he’d followed her over here. He hadn’t known what to say once he caught up with her, but he was sure about this matter. “Understand? I’ll burn your butt.”
Her nostrils flared; her chest rose and fell in a quickly indrawn/withdrawn breath. “Spanking is on your mind a lot, isn’t it?”
He blinked. “Not normally.” In fact he hadn’t warmed a woman’s bottom in… well, in a long, long time.
Interest sparked in her eyes. “Just with me.”
“Apparently.” He felt the now familiar stirrings of arousal whenever he was within six feet of her. “Much as it distresses me, I can’t stop thinking of putting my hands on you. Anywhere. Especially that perky butt of yours.”
She grinned. “Perky butt? I don’t believe any other man has ever complimented my butt like that.”
They stood silently studying one another for a couple of seconds. Finally she said, “I have to admit that growing up I spent quite a lot of time draped over my mother’s lap, studying the carpet, and getting my bottom spanked. A bit too willful at times. Doing whatever I pleased, even more so when it displeased Mom.”
“I have no trouble believing that.” She started moving toward her small house again. He followed.
“One of my early lovers took me over his knee a couple of times. It didn’t work out between us.”
They walked into her house; she closed the door behind him.
“Because he spanked you?” What the heck am I doing here? But he couldn’t seem to make himself turn around and walk back out the door.
“Because he only saw spankings as a man’s way of completely controlling a woman. Not of showing that he respected her and wanted to guide her when she might need it. Not showing that he loved her.”
She led him into the dining room. “He didn’t understand anything about spanking other than it made him feel all powerful.”
This was the strangest conversation he’d ever had with a woman, but he was fascinated. “What are we doing here, Mandie?”
She pulled out one of the straight-backed chairs from the oak dining table and turned it around. “I can’t believe I’m saying this or doing this,” her voice was shaky, wary. “I think a spanking needs to happen now.”
Cole just stared at her, surprised, definitely interested.
“For you, something to relieve your stress at a situation that has you extremely frustrated. Your sister more or less tricked you, me, too, if you want to know the truth. I could graciously back out of the contract, yet I won’t. So you’re stuck in what you see as a bad situation. Definitely stressful.”
She guided him to the chair, nudged him until he sat down. He didn’t resist.
“Down? Up?” she asked with her hands on the waistband of her jeans.
“Down.” His heart raced as he watched her undo the jeans and shove them to her knees. “Panties can stay up,” he husked out.
She stood to his side, a beautiful, shapely woman in a short T-shirt, red boots, lacy white bikini panties, and jeans bunched around her knees. His cock swelled, pushed out against his too-tight jeans. He couldn’t believe this was happening, but he damn sure was enjoying it.
“As someone raised to answer for her misdeeds by getting her bottom warmed, I know I need this spanking. I’ve been particularly obstinate about holding to this contract. I don’t plan to change that either. And I shouldn’t have tricked your foreman into helping me ride Jezebel…not that I actually rode her.”
Without the least bit of encouragement, she slid over his lap. She scooted forward until her bottom rested in the perfect spot on his right thigh. Her hands flattened on the tiled floor.
“You do seem pretty familiar with how this works.” He smoothed his hand over her buttocks, liked the way they quivered in response to his touch.
She didn’t look at him and her face flamed. “Yes.” She’d asked for this spanking, she’d never been this aggressive before. Asking for a spanking? This was nuts. She’d have to seriously analyze her actions later. Later when she wasn’t bottom-up and vulnerable over this big man’s knee.
He swatted one cheek and then the other.
She squirmed when his hand shot down on her sit-spots a quick half dozen times. Again she surprised them both by gasping out as he continued spanking her. “I think my mother wanted to spank me a couple of weeks ago…like she used to do. About this summer camp thing.”
His hand smoothed over her stinging bottom and it made warmth spread through her. “What was her beef with the camp?”
She savored the seconds of relief from having her bottom tenderized. He had a hand like a paddle. “She’s in agreement with my partners, who think it’s a foolish idea.”
That hand gave her an encouraging tap. “And?”
She shifted a bit, winced. “Mom is pretty conservative. Definitely an inside the box thinker. Play it safe.” She remembered how they’d argued, how Mandie had gotten impatient with her mother’s attempt to interfere in her life. “She thought I shouldn’t upset my partners. Our disagreement got a little out of hand, on my side. She can really push my buttons sometimes.”
“You disrespected her.” It was a statement, not a question.
Mandie hesitated to answer. “Yes. But she disrespected me, too.”
Her mother had pursed her lips in anger and Mandie had been equally upset. She’d left her mother’s house without apologizing for the argument. They had made peace of sorts a few days later.
His hand hadn’t moved and she decided maybe it was time to end this odd situation that she’d essentially initiated. She started to push upward. “Are we good now?”
The smack that landed echoed around the room. She jerked and yelped. “I guess that’s a No then.”
Smack! “Doc, I haven’t even started lowering my stress level.” Smack! “Or making sure you don’t even think about doing something as foolish as trying to convince one of my men to let you get on another horse.”
“Time for these panties to come down.” He tugged them to her knees and she tensed. “Now it’s time to burn this little butt.”
He started spanking her in earnest. The heat built higher and higher. Although he was causing her a fair amount of pain, she didn’t really mind what he was doing. The swats weren’t as hard as they could be, just steady. And she felt his body’s reaction next to her hip.
She moaned at the sting, squirmed but not in distress. His hand was working some serious magic now, creating a sensual fire. “Ohhhhh cowboy.”
“We just seem to go from one mistake to another.” He pulled his hand away and she heard guilt and regret in his tone. “I’m not ready for a relationship. I don’t want one.”
She lie half naked over his lap, exposed to him, moisture beading between her legs. He was rigid and pulsing beside her. They both ached for relief. She glanced back at him. “I’m not asking for one.”
He set her on her feet. It felt awkward standing there with her clothes at her knees, aroused and facing a man equally turned on, but determined to resist this time. “You’re walking out on me, aren’t you? I’m going to be soooo mad.”
He reached down to cup his erection. “I’m not thrilled to leave now either, but I am.”
She jerked up her clothes, hissed as the fabric moved over her tender flesh. “Cole, don’t do this.” She really wanted to feel that thick shaft inside her. She needed an orgasm, bad. “Just because we—“
“Not happening, Doc. You got the spanking you needed and that’s all you’re getting this time.” His jaw set stubbornly, he marched through her house and out the front door.
She stormed after him. “You’re a jerk! A real jerk.”
“So I’ve been told before.” He didn’t even look back.
* * * * *
Late that afternoon Mandie sat cross-legged on the braided rug in the great room, chewing on the eraser of a pencil as she stared at a pad of paper balanced on her thigh. Open books and a number of files were spread around her. She’d been trying to concentrate on finalizing her plans for the first therapy session. So far all she’d really managed to do was make a sketch of Cole. Not a particularly complimentary one either. The rat. He’d left her with a warm bottom and a burning need. She’d had to take care of that need herself and then she’d stretched out on her bed to sleep away her frustration from being spanked.
In the background, George Strait sang about the tribulations of another relationship gone sour. Relationship. Cole had claimed he didn’t want one, yet she’d sensed his intense attraction to her. Yes, he’d had a definite hard-on. But she thought maybe he had more than just a physical interest in her. How did she really feel about that? They didn’t know each other at all. That hadn’t kept them from doing the naughty—very naughty—yesterday or kept them from getting pretty intimate with the whole spanking thing earlier. Victoria wanted her help with healing her brother’s emotional wounds. Was she only making them worse?
A knock on the front door interrupted her confused thoughts. She scrambled up and hurried over to find out who was there, but she doubted it would be Cole. Which depressed her. She wanted to see him again, talk to him a
bout what had happened.
Bessie smiled at her and held up a plate of cookies. “Brought you a snack. Got time to take a break?”
Mandie motioned the older woman inside. “I’ll get us some lemonade. Sit wherever you please.”
She returned a few minutes later with two glasses and found Bessie sitting in one of the Boston rockers beside the fireplace. She was studying the sketch of Cole. Mandie inwardly groaned.
“You two have a disagreement of some kind?” Bessie’s lips twitched. “Pretty good likeness of my nephew, even with the addition of Devil’s horns.”
Mandie eased down next to her files and Cole’s sketch. Cheeks flaming, she turned the paper over. She’d drawn the upper half of his body with exceptional detail, captured his muscled chest from vivid memories. She’d added horns because she’d been ticked at him. Fortunately she’d only started drawing his bottom half, only gave him part of a leg so far. Given enough time… Well, she wouldn’t have wanted his great aunt seeing the overly revealing sketch she would have ended up with.
“So how’s your garden? Get the new section planted yet? If not, I could help you.” Mandie desperately wanted to steer the conversation away from Cole.
“One of the boys helped me earlier. They’ll pretty much do anything for me, if I make them some cookies.” She took a sip of lemonade. “I do most of my cooking in Cole’s house. Easier that way, since I make most of his meals.”
She looked directly at Mandie. “Thought I saw my nephew leaving your house earlier. Scowling. Not that the expression is anything new on his face lately.” She sighed. “Is he still trying to get you to leave?”
Mandie picked up a chocolate chip cookie. “Actually we’ve come to an agreement about that. At least until after my first two-week camp.” She studied the cookie. “I assume you know Victoria wants me to work some kind of miracle with Cole. She thinks he’s been sulking long enough about his failed marriages. Thinks he needs to start going out again.”
“The boy is hurting, which is understandable. But Victoria loves her brother. She wants to see him happy, and she’s been irritated for a long time with his bad choices, women wise.” She smiled thoughtfully. “I’m thinking he’ll be coming around before long. Now that you’re here.”
