by Piper Stone
What, so I could spank her curved ass?
Perhaps.
While she didn’t seem uncomfortable, her laugh was fake. Even her body stance wasn’t able to portray the usual tyrant she’d tried so hard to prove herself to be. She darted a few glances around her as she nervously twisted a strand of hair in her fingers. I’d had enough of the show.
I pushed my way through the revelers, moving to the end of the bar. She’d already ordered another glass of wine and when she caught my silent gaze out of the corner of her eye, she smiled in a seductive manner.
The tigers fawning over her honestly thought she was giving them all her attention. How could I be anything but amused. Damn it all to hell, I was ready to toss her over my shoulder and it had only been five minutes or less in the bar with others hungering for her.
I didn’t mind shoving the admirers with a little too much force. A portion of me wanted to make certain they understood that she belonged to me.
“Hey, watch it, buddy!” The cowboy dared to get in my face. Even in the near strobe light effect, I could see that his eyes were dilated. Then he grinned, nearly tumbling against the bar. “Well, if it ain’t the Cobra.”
At least two other men turned around, recognizing me almost immediately.
“Hey. Bartender. Look who we have here!” another voice came from the darkness.
“Get this man a drink!”
“I’m fine,” I said, waving my hand.
“Ah, come on, buddy. Have a drink with us.” The man grabbed my arm, tugging me closer.
All I had to do was give him a hard look.
I could tell that Holland was amused and I couldn’t take my eyes off the way she swirled the very tip of her pinky around and around the rim of the glass. The other congratulatory comments and slaps on the back were drowned out the second she dipped her finger into the wine. I could almost see the slight panting she was doing, no doubt on purpose. I took another step closer, acknowledging at least two of the intoxicated men.
She exhaled then pursed her lips as she dragged that same little finger across the seam of her mouth, finally sliding it past her succulent lips. The teasing was meant only for me.
And it was working.
The level of arousal I was feeling was like some wildfire had taken over.
I also happened to notice an empty shot glass was positioned just inches away from her wineglass. Shit, she was mixing her liquors. Nope. That wasn’t going to fly.
“Hey, Cobra, you participating in the rodeo exhibition?”
I heard the guy’s question. I could tell that Holland was listening. “I’m thinking about it.” She lifted her wineglass, shrugging her shoulders.
If I knew the feisty girl, she’d do everything in her power to try to be involved. That wasn’t going to happen.
“Aww, you gotta be there. You can only imagine the number of girls who’ll be itching to ride a big, fat bull.”
The half dozen men standing around all laughed, even three of them daring to glance in Holland’s direction.
“Yeah, sounds like a good show,” I muttered.
The same asshole whistled under his breath following my gaze. “That little hottie belong to you?”
“She’s in my possession.” My answer should shut him up.
“Damn. I do respect a man who takes what he wants. You’re one lucky man, dude. She is a hot little tamale. What I wouldn’t give to suck on her sweet...” He didn’t bother finishing the sentence when I gave him the same pissed-off look as the other idiot. At least he had the common sense to back away.
She was more amused than anything, even though the closer I got, the more I could tell she was seriously under the effects of the alcohol. I should never have allowed her to drink in the first place. As she reached across the bar, grabbing a cherry by the stem, I had to fight not to reach down, adjusting my crotch. I couldn’t help but be mesmerized as she stuck out her tongue, allowing the juice to drip across the tip.
There wasn’t a man in the room who didn’t have his eyes locked on the act, their cocks no doubt in the same predicament as mine.
Hard.
Swollen.
Aching.
Je-sus. Christ. The woman was going to be the death of me.
She continued toying with the fruit, sliding her tongue around in lazy circles before wrapping her lips around the entire cherry. Every move she made was exaggerated.
As some guy leaned over her shoulder, whispering whatever in her ear, she rolled her eyes even though she laughed. Her hand fluttered to her neck, the fingertips brushing down to the bodice of her dress. I took my time closing the distance. Finally sliding into the bar next to her.
Whatever the guy had said to her seemed like a challenge. She took another gulp of her wine before taking the entire stem into her mouth.
By now, at least a dozen guys were looking on, hovering over her like some damn vultures. No matter the deal, I wasn’t her keeper and she’d been right, the night wasn’t considered a date.
Like hell it wasn’t.
“Go, baby. Go. Go. Go.”
The entire bar seemed to be chanting.
I could only stand about another five seconds as the men inched even closer, crowding her as she worked her mouth. I was about ready to grab her hand, yanking her out of the bar like a bad little girl when every asshole watching her whistled or catcalled. She’d pulled the stem out of her mouth, using her mouth to tie the damn thing into a knot.
“Shit,” I whispered under my breath. That was it. My patience had been reached.
Damn it if another shot wasn’t placed in front of her. Fucking tequila. She wasted no time tossing it back, rubbing the rim back and forth across her lips.
I shifted through two of the guys on my way in her direction when I caught a glimpse of the same guy from the dive bar the day before. He stood in the doorway leading to the bathroom, his brawny arms folded across his chest, his eyes pinned in her direction.
Coincidences I certainly didn’t believe in. Assholes trying to muscle in no matter the reason was typical. This guy had something more dangerous on his mind. I continued to ease through the other cowboys, wrapping my hand around her arm. “Stay right here. Do not move. I’ll be right back. Do you understand?”
“Why... yes. Sir.” Her words were over-pronounced yet slightly slurred. If she had an adverse reaction with the medication, I’d never forgive myself. I fought my way through the rest of the crowd, catching a glimpse of the mystery guest as he turned and walked down the darkened hall. What the hell was the jerk doing?
By the time I made it into the corridor, there was no sign of him. I slammed my hand on the bathroom door, taking long strides inside and wasting no time checking the stalls. Nothing. “Damn it.” After rushing out, I noticed the exit sign at the end of the hall. Now I ran, bursting through the door, moving toward the parking lot. There were enough lights to highlight the dozens of vehicles and motorcycles. I raced up and down the aisles checking. There was no sign of him.
Given the backroads location of the place, there was also no sign of a car on the road. The man had all but disappeared. “Damn it!” Why did I have the distinct impression that he’d followed us here or that he’d been tipped off by someone? As the light breeze whipped all around me the hair stood up on the back of my neck. I knew without a doubt the man was trouble.
And Holland was his intended victim.
I half jogged back into the club, moving to the same spot at the bar. Only her purse remained. The glass was empty, turned over with the last remnants of wine spilled onto the top of the scratched bar. Vile anger rose from the deepest portions of me, my heart racing. The asshole had doubled back, dragging her out of the restaurant. I’d been a fucking idiot.
I slapped my hand on the bar, drawing the bartender’s attention. The air around me was suffocating, my eyes watering. The stranger had led me straight into a trap. I rubbed my eyes, trying to keep my cool. Come on. Come the fuck on.
He eyed me w
arily, turning his attention back to the customer he was talking to—one well-endowed blonde. I waited for a solid ten seconds before exploding.
“Hey. You. I need your attention, now.” The deep baritone of my voice barely made it above the loud music.
“Hold your horses. I have other customers, you know.” His eyes opened wide the closer he came. “You really are the Cobra, aren’t you? In this here bar. What can I get you? Anything you want is on the house.”
“Thanks, but I don’t have time for that. Did you see what happened to the girl sitting here? Beautiful. Long copper hair.”
The bartender grinned. “Tight little red dress that showed off what God gave her?”
The ugly green monster reared his head again. “Yeah. There was a big, tattooed dude just in here. I think he may have taken her.”
“Taken her? You mean Brody? Looks like a badass biker?”
Looks like a dead man. “No idea what his name is.”
“Has to be Brody. New bouncer. Sent him out back to get some brewskis.” He nodded over my shoulder as the hulking figure walked in, dumping a case of beer on the bar only inches from where Holland had been sitting.
Brody took a solid hard look in my direction, narrowing his cold eyes. I was almost thankful there was no recognition. He moved away, walking into the crowd.
“He’s not that bad,” the bartender said. “Keeps all the riffraff away.”
“What’s his last name?”
The bartender lifted his eyebrows. “I think it’s Smith.”
Smith. How clever.
“Damn it.” Brody was indeed the man I’d seen before. “Then where in the hell did she go? Did you see her leave with someone else?” I half mumbled.
The bartender grinned only a split second after I heard a woman’s voice behind me, all the way across the crowded bar. When I heard a few more words, lyrics to a song, I froze. The girl was singing. No, Holland was singing, although every third word was slurred.
The crowd was already cheering.
“I think you might have found her,” he said, laughing. “Not too bad either. Might want to keep her. You sure you don’t want a beer or something? I have a feeling we’re in for some mighty fine entertainment.”
I hissed under my breath before turning around, glaring in her direction. You little minx. She was obviously enjoying herself, swaying back and forth as she crooned into a microphone, only every twenty seconds or so darting her gaze in the direction of the television scrolling lyrics across the screen.
Her selection?
Oops, I did it again.
There wasn’t a red-blooded male in the room who hadn’t sauntered in her direction and as she played the part far too well, I knew exactly what they were thinking. Was I hungering in the same manner? Hell, yeah, but there was a major difference.
She was already mine.
This was crazy. I had to remind myself yet again that neither fucking her like some crazed man nor spanking her like a wayward child gave me the right to snatch her out of a bar. We weren’t committed. I knew in my gut that the moment I released her from her penalty phase we’d figure out a way to avoid each other.
She wasn’t my type. Not really.
Why the hell are you lying to yourself?
“If that’s your girl, Cobra, you should probably get her off the stage before it gets too rowdy in here. It’s payday. You know what that means.” The bartender grinned as he tapped on the bar, nodding toward the stage.
I honestly was afraid to turn around but the whooping and hollering certainly was an indication that she was right.
“What. The. Fuck?”
The single song was turning into something else resembling a strip show act and Holland was the main feature. Everything was a blur as I shoved my way through the crowd, jumping on the stage and snatching her out of the neon lights swirling and further electrifying the group of men.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” I half yelled as I attempted to pull her down the stairs.
“Get off me. I was just having fun.” She struggled so hard she almost jerked out of my arms. The tumble off the stage would have been horrific.
“Fun? You’re drunk.” The cowboys were none too happy I was ending their entertainment.
“Ah, come on, Cobra.”
“Let her finish, Cobra.”
“We were all just having fun, Cobra.”
If I heard the damn moniker one last time I was going to lose it.
“I’m not drunk,” she purred, easing her arms over her head and tangling her hands in my hair.
“Like hell you aren’t.” I yanked her purse from the bar, fighting with her every step of the way into the parking lot. While I should be thinking about spanking her naughty little ass, my thoughts were parked in worry and concern.
Until she punched me in the gut with one solid hit, knocking the wind out of me. The very same time I staggered back, she pitched forward, falling onto her hands and knees.
“Shit. Shit. Shit!” Her cries filtered into the night.
My patience had reached an end. Date or no date, she’d embarrassed the both of us with her foray into stardom. I wasn’t the kind of man who could allow that to pass without some form of punishment.
“Ouch. Jesus.”
I picked her up by the waist, holding her against me as I unlocked the truck, leaving the door open as I climbed in. I tossed her bag onto the floor, groaning when I noticed half the items had spilled out. When I yanked her across my waist, pinning her down with my arm, the fighting started all over again.
“Get off me, you brute!” Holland screeched, kicking out her legs.
“Not gonna happen, sweetheart. You play, you pay.” I reached into the console, trying to see if there was any kind of implement that I could use. Additional emphasis was needed for an event like this one.
Hmmm... A thick wooden paint stirrer. I snapped it across my palm. The damn thing would do nicely.
“Don’t do this. Please!” she begged. She pushed up from the seat, trying to lash out.
“You should have thought about that before almost making a fool of yourself in front of a hundred or so guys.”
“I did not. I can sing really well.”
Sighing, I tugged at her dress, my balls tightening just seeing the slip of material in the crack of her ass. There was no need to rip away her panties.
At least not yet.
“We’re going to talk more about this later. This is just a reminder about our deal.”
“Fuck our deal!”
“That’s it. Deal or no deal, you’re getting one hard spanking.” I snapped the wooden piece, bringing it down hard on her backside. Her yelps filled the tight space, much like my cock was shoved against my zipper, almost screaming for relief.
“Ugh. Stop. Please. I mean... sir. I’m a ga... good good, gurrel.”
Her words were becoming even more slurred. “You drank against doctor’s orders, including shots of tequila. You basically stripped in front of strangers. And you made a damn fool of yourself. You deserve the belt.”
I continued the spanking, moving from one side of her jiggling bottom to the other, controlling my anger.
She pounded her hands on the seat several times, whimpering and bitching that she didn’t deserve this.
“Oh, you deserve this.” I tossed the wooden stick, finishing with my hand. The heat on her bottom slithered into my arm, dancing all the way down to my cock. I was turned on by disciplining her. I heard several noises and noticed a few customers had left the bar, but I refused to stop.
Holland was now sniffling.
“Do you realize that everyone who leaves the bar is going to see what a naughty girl you really are? Is this what you want, a spanking in front of people?”
“No. Sir.” Her words were almost inaudible.
“Then you need to stop this crap.” I gave her another ten brutal smacks then realized she was no longer struggling. “Do you understand me?”
&nb
sp; After the hesitation, I couldn’t help but smile.
She’d fallen asleep right after a spanking.
I eased my head back, staring out through the windshield, watching the various customers come and go. I bit back a laugh until I noticed Brody walking through the parking lot, glancing into vehicles. Now, what was a bouncer doing searching cars?
I managed to ease her onto the passenger seat, buckling her in. When I looked for the man again, there was no sign of him. I knew he was around and I was determined to find out who the hell he actually was.
After revving the engine, I grabbed my phone. Garland owned me a couple of favors. “Hey buddy, I need you to look someone up for me.”
“Do I want to know why?” Garland asked.
“Just a guy I think might be following me.”
He huffed, his breathing exasperated. “You’re pushing me here, buddy.”
“Just find out about a new hire at the Rattlesnake named Brody Smith.”
Garland hesitated before bursting into laughter. “You’re at that dive bar? With that little filly of yours?”
“Garland. Let it alone. I need to find out who this guy is.” I rubbed my eyes, making a tough decision. “You might also want to check out who Holland’s father is.”
The line seemed to go dead.
“Garland, you there?” I huffed.
“Yeah, that’s just an awful strange request. You mind telling me why?”
I had no intention of putting the spotlight on her. Not yet. “Just see what you can find out. He might be causing her trouble.”
“Uh-huh. Whatever you say, buddy.”
“Are you going to do it for me?” I barked, losing my patience.
“Yeah, hold your horses. What’s her father’s name?”
“I have no idea. She’s Holland Kennedy. I have a feeling her father is of some importance.”
“I’ll do this favor for you, but you need to keep your shit out of what we talked about earlier. I’m telling you. You’re my friend but I’ll haul your ass in for obstruction of justice if I need to.”
