Bet Your Boots

by Starla Kaye

  He ground his jaw and remembered the words she’d taunted him with this morning on her way out of his bedroom: “There are other men on this ranch who might be willing to share a little summer romance with me”

  He curled his hands into fists and felt acid churning in his gut. Every damn one of his men would kill for a chance to have some summer fun with her. He’d fire the whole lot of them—including Rusty—before that happened! Lord a’mighty, that pint-sized blonde doctor was trouble. Then his mind turned to their parting conversation only hours ago. Shit! He’d been annoyed about experiencing the chemical reactions she’d talked about to touching her. Hell yes, the chemicals in his body had gone nuts! Then he’d told her while leaving that she’d pay later for dragging him into the whole flirting thing. Crazy woman had dared to tell him that she’d come see him, so they could take care of what he’d meant: spanking her.

  Spanking her! Taking that sweet bottom of hers over his knee and applying his hand to bare skin. He shifted on the railing. She deserved a good bottom warming, but touching her again just make him burst into flames.

  Forcing aside the alarming thought, he glanced toward the guest lodge where the lights had been steadily going off in the various bedrooms. Everyone was settling down for the night, probably cuddling and snuggling. It made him smile when he thought about the elderly Talbots. Newlyweds in their eighties. Lord, he hoped he felt as spunky as Turner when he got that age. Right now he wasn’t sure he could even handle a good hug. Certainly not from a particular woman.

  “Waiting for me?” Mandie asked, walking from around the back of the house.

  “Damn!” His heart jump-started at the mere sound of her voice. Looking in her direction, he nearly fell off the railing. In the dim glow from the porch lights she took his breath away. But then she always did. “Not really,” he lied. He’d been waiting for her all evening.

  She strolled closer and he noted the way her jeans appeared painted on her slender legs. He was going to have to work hard to peel them off her. Peel them off her! One look at her and all he seemed to think of was S. E. X. Hadn’t he just been thinking how he couldn’t take another chance getting that close to her? He was in sorry shape, real sorry.

  “Well, if you don’t want to see me tonight….” She started to turn back the way she’d come, but she didn’t move away.

  “Didn’t say that!” he snapped in panic, and then realized she’d been teasing him, again, and he’d fallen for it. “You’re such a brat.”

  She faced him, smiling, pouty and playful. “Brat?”

  “Maybe that’s not quite the right word, but damn close. You tricked me into getting your way with that flirting thing today. Rusty said he’d never even talked about it with you, although he said he wouldn’t have been opposed to it.” He’d nearly punched his old friend right in the jaw for admitting that.

  She kept right on smiling, not looking the least bit apologetic. “I would have asked him, but you so graciously volunteered.”

  “Volunteered? Got trapped into it. You and Aunt Bessie….” He slammed his mouth shut and stood, winced at the shifting of his sore ribs. At least his head had stopped throbbing a while ago.

  Her smile disappeared. “Are you okay?” She hurried over to the porch steps, watching him with every step she took.

  The concern in her eyes took some of the anger out of him, not the frustration, just the anger. “You enjoyed every second of slowly tormenting me with those touches earlier.” Awareness shimmered through him, anticipation as well.

  She was in front of him before he even drew in another breath. Her brow furrowed as she studied him, as if she tried to analyze how badly he hurt. When she was apparently satisfied he wouldn’t keel over and die, she met his gaze. “Are you expecting me to deny it? I won’t.”

  He inhaled her soft scent and felt the heat radiating from her much smaller body. Need rushed through him. He thought about her promise—threat—again. “We’re not having an affair,” he said firmly.

  That sassy smile of hers returned in a full-blown tease. “Yes, we will.” Then she took his hand and squeezed it, nodding toward the front door. “Why don’t we go discuss it more in your bed? Fine-tune the details.”

  Cole immediately saw them in bed together,fine tuning the details in non-verbal discussion. He groaned and tried to pull his hand free. “Dr. James,” he bit out, determined to put some distance between them.

  She raised an eyebrow and gave him a heated look. “Oh, so you want to play doctor, do you? I’m okay with that.” She reached out to gently touch his ribs. “I can even play nurse. Heal all your boo-boos with some strategically placed kisses.”

  His erection jammed against his way-too-tight jeans. He knew exactly where she intended to apply some of those healing kisses. He’d never survive. He shoved her hand away and scowled. “Stop it! Right damn now!”

  She reached for him again and he stiffened, everywhere. “And if I don’t stop?”

  “I’ll make you stop. I’ll turn you over my knee and….” He again slammed his mouth shut. She deserved a real walloping for the way she tortured him, but he was pretty sure his body wasn’t up to all that manhandling and what-not right now.

  Instead of looking appalled or even upset about the idea of getting spanked by him, her eyes flashed with warmth. She shifted her hands to cover her butt. She held his gaze, gave a crooked smile. “I’ll go willingly over your knee…at least while we’re involved.”

  Cole swallowed hard. “You’ll go willingly over my knee?” She clearly saw it as foreplay.

  She shrugged. “As long as you’re reasonable about spanking me.” She shrugged again. “Who knows with my next lover.”

  “Next lover?” They’d only had sex one time, so they weren’t reallylovers, in his opinion. But he sure as hell didn’t want to think about any other man taking her to his bed, slipping between those amazing legs, driving deep into her body. He also didn’t like thinking about someone else burning her taut butt.

  She rubbed her bottom once more, knowing he was watching. “So, cowboy, what’s your plan? Are we going upstairs to your bedroom to play nurse and patient?” She waggled her eyebrows. “Then seriously do the naughty? Or are you going to apply your hand to my poor bottom?”

  Damn, he wanted all of that. His shaft pressed harder against his jeans; it wanted to get straight to doing the naughty. But he was irritated with being manipulated into doing what she wanted—even if he wanted some of that, too. “It might be hard as hell for me to do, but I’m going to burn your ass. We might not get to any of that other, but you’re going to bed tonight with a hot butt.”

  Determined now, he took hold of her hand and tugged her with him into the house. He considered stopping in the family room, changed his mind and pulled her up the stairs with him. He might be tempting fate, but he would spank her in his bedroom.

  Now that they were actually heading upstairs to his bedroom so he could spank her, Mandie wondered about her sanity. He’d gotten hurt because she’d distracted him. She’d watched after him and even fallen asleep in bed next to him, which he’d been less than happy about. And she’d essentially tricked him into helping her today, when she’d known he really should have stayed in bed to recover from his injuries. But she’d been selfish and wanted him with her. Plus she’d teased him about having an affair this summer. Part of that had come from her wanting to please Victoria and Bessie by helping him get over his resistance to women. The biggest reason, though,she was drawn to him. She wanted to experience a whole lot more of his loving: hot and wild or slow and steamy.

  They walked into his bedroom and she noted the rumpled bed. Heat spiraled through her, curling low in her body. She’d like to be headed straight for finding out just how naughty they could be with one another. Even playing nurse would be okay. But she was less enthusiastic about the whole spanking thing. She’d accept what he considered her due because she really did feel guilty about his injuries and about pushing him when she shouldn’t have. I
t wouldn’t be the first time in her life she went to bed with a warm bottom.

  He released her hand and she missed his touch. She turned from staring at the bed to looking regretfully at him. “You could just accept my apology for… well, for everything. We could move beyond that and go right to some more intimate things.”

  “No. We’re going to have a few unpleasant moments with you over my knee for a spanking you more than deserve.” His furrowed brow showed his reluctant determination. He clearly had a need to make his frustration with what she’d done understood by the firm application of his hard hand.

  “Are you really going to be able to do that? Take me over your knee? Isn’t that going to be hard on your ribs?” There was still a chance she could save her bottom some pain. As far as sex went, she could take charge and she’d be fine with that.

  “You’re getting a sore bottom one way or another.” He frowned. “I could probably tough it out and do this with you over my knee. Or you could bend over the bed and I could give you a brief belting, but I think that would hurt my ribs just as much as me sitting. Or I could instruct you how to spank yourself.”

  “I am not spanking myself!” she blustered. The idea alone was disgusting. If she was getting spanked, then he was doing it. “The belting, no matter how brief, doesn’t sound good either.”

  He nodded. “I’m sure it doesn’t. And what you’ve done doesn’t really call for that serious a punishment.” His decision made, he went to the side of the bed and eased down, sitting stiffly. “Yes, I think I can manage this.”

  “If you really think this is necessary.” Grown woman, partner in a business, responsible adult. All of it flashed through her mind, along with the image of her lying half naked over his lap getting spanked. Humiliating. Weird turn-on, too.

  “Pull those jeans down and let’s get this chore taken care of.” He looked steadily at her, challenging her to obey him.

  For a second she just stood there pondering that whole grown woman, responsible adult thing again. Then decided if she was in fact a responsible adult, she should deal with paying for manipulating him when she knew she shouldn’t have. She’d wanted her way and she’d pushed him until she got it. Fine. She’d accept his discipline in this instance.

  “Mandie,” he said a little more firmly.

  Irritated with herself—with him, too, she undid her jeans. Her face flamed as she saw him watching her while she shoved the jeans to her knees. His eyes darkened and his nostrils flared at the sight of the tiny red thong she wore. Deciding to get a little bit back at him for making her endure this, she asked, “What about the thong? Is it going to get in your way?”

  He was breathing hard now, fascinated by the thong. “No. No, it’s fine.” He patted his right thigh with a shaky hand. “Take the position.”

  Take the position. How many times had she heard those words over the years? Every time, including now, they made her stomach shudder. This time, though, she felt moisture beading between her legs. This time she was bending over a very sexy cowboy’s lap.

  He patted his thigh again.

  She tried not to look at his big, calloused hand and moved awkwardly to his side. He helped her stretch over his legs and the brush of his denim jeans against her mound had her trembling. Her lower lips swelled. Her clit pulsed.

  As if he sensed how aroused she’d become, he blew out a heavy sigh. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

  Her hands were braced on the carpet and her legs dangled over his other side. Her nearly bare bottom was in the traditional spanking position. She had not done this for nothing. “Do it! Spank me!”

  He chuckled and pulled her next to him, close enough that she felt his rigid erection rubbing against her side.

  “Most women don’t get bossy when they’re about to get their ass smacked.”

  “I’m not most women.” She braced for the first swat.

  His tone turned husky as he smoothed his hand over her bottom. “No, you’re not.” He drew in a breath, raised his hand, and planted it hard on her right cheek.

  She hissed and waited for him to deliver what he felt was necessary.

  In spite of how much the steady rising and falling of his arm must have hurt his bruised ribs, Cole delivered a memorable spanking. He listed off everything he found annoying about her and swatted her quickly heating buttocks over and over. He complained, again, about being tricked into signing the agreement for renting the guest lodge for the summer and painted her aching bottom redder.

  Tears misted her eyes and she’d nearly bitten a hole in her lip to keep from crying out. She’d been determined to let this unhappy man release some of his frustration at the sake of her bottom. But as he started on the way she’d maneuvered him, used his attraction to her against him, she finally arched up. “Okay! Okay, stop! I’m sorry!”

  His hand stilled on her tender bottom. She couldn’t hold in the sobs now, keep from squirming in misery. He listened to her, allowed her to wriggle for several minutes. And then he said huskily, “We’re done with this.”

  Mandie inched slowly backward off his lap, kneeling next to him, her buttocks throbbing. She sucked in a shuddery breath and reached around to gently touch her bottom. When he narrowed his eyes, she dropped her hands away. “I know. No rubbing. No soothing.” She dashed away her tears. “Now it’s time to absorb the pain, think about the embarrassment, remember the why.”

  He nodded approval. “Ever do corner time?”

  “Occasionally.” She’d never liked it, but it was certainly better than being made to sit down and write an essay about what she’d done wrong and why she’d been disciplined. Her mother had been big on her doing that when she was a teenager.

  “See that corner over by the window?” He looked at her with a heated gaze, an aroused expression that he was fighting. “I want you to spend some time there. Pants down, pretty red butt facing me.”

  She didn’t move at first, and then decided to do as he requested. If she didn’t, she was afraid he’d send her to the cottage right now. If she stood there as he wanted, there was the hope he’d finally get so turned-on he’d let her spend the night with him. She wanted that. So she let him help her to her feet and walked awkwardly across the room with her jeans at her knees.

  Was he crazy? Cole watched Mandie gingerly make her way over to the far corner of the room. He’d never made another woman do this, although he’d thought about it. He knew Victoria had done a lot of corner time. She’d complained to him about it, hated doing it. Corner time was supposed to be about inwardly dealing with the reasons you’d gotten spanked, with handling the pain from the spanking. He’d wanted Mandie to spend time thinking about the consequences of misbehaving. He wanted her to understand he wouldn’t put up with her manipulations.

  She stopped a foot from the corner, standing there in her red boots, lowered jeans, cropped T-shirt, and tiny red thong that pretty much matched her bright red bottom. A well-spanked woman.A beautiful woman who he desperately wanted to drive his shaft into right here and now.A thought that frustrated him all over again.Dammit! They were going to have an affair—or something—after all. But he wasn’t letting her get her way just yet. No, she was going to earn her win.

  “Hands at your sides. Push that red butt out and put your nose to the corner.” He shifted, suffering probably as much as—oreven more than—shewas.

  She didn’t offer a protest, which surprised him a little.

  He slowly got up just as his phone rang. Annoyed at the interruption, he snagged the cordless phone from his nightstand. “Cole.”

  “I’ve been trying to call Mandie,” his sister said and he punched the Speaker button. “Have you seen her?”

  Cole saw Mandie stiffen and glance at him, mortified. He shook his head and motioned her to turn her head back around. “I think she said her cell phone’s battery died. I’ll have her call you tomorrow.”

  “She’s okay, though, right? You two haven’t been arguing again? I’ll be really upset wit
h you if you hurt my friend, Cole.”

  He focused on the bottom he’d just finished turning red hot. “Yes, she’s okay but not real happy with me right now.” He thought about how much his hand stung, how much Mandie’s bottom had to ache. “We’ve come to an understanding of sorts. You don’t need to worry about your friend. I won’t ever really hurt her.”

  Mandie’s hands eased back to cover her bottom. Evidently she’d thought he was distracted with the phone call. He walked over to her and shoved her hands away and held his spanking hand against her quivering bottom. “Gotta go, Sis. There’s a matter I need to tend to before I go to bed.”

  He disconnected the phone and sent a loud, room-echoing swat at Mandie’s bottom. “Bad girl.” He spanked her a couple more times as she danced on her toes and yelped. “Five more minutes in the corner. Then I want you naked and in my bed. Understand?”

  “Yes,” she gasped, relief in her tone.

  “Good.” He walked away from the temptation that she was. “I’m going downstairs to turn off the lights.”

  It hadn’t been pleasant, but Mandie managed to strip out of her clothes, spend a minute in the bathroom, and crawl onto Cole’s bed. When the side of her bottom brushed against the sheet, she sucked in a breath. He’d only spanked her with his hand. Geez it hurt! She couldn’t imagine what a session with his belt would feel like and she hoped she never found out. And corner time! Yuck! But she’d survived it, even if she’d made the mistake of touching her bottom and earning several more hard swats.

  She heard Cole making his way back upstairs. Her heart raced. He hadn’t demanded that she leave. He’d ordered her into his bed. Yes! Yes! Yes! She tingled all over.