Chapter Five

 

 

Shane wiped his hands off in the kitchen before making his way up to Daisy’s room an hour later. She’d looked so sick, her pale face even paler than usual, as she sat in bed.

Served her right. She ought to feel the aftereffects of her choices.

His daddy would’ve whipped his ass for getting plastered on moonshine on a sibling’s wedding day.

Still, she was sick, and he couldn’t help but feel a little bad for her. Maybe he’d been a little too harsh.

He took the stairs two at a time, eager to see her again. Maybe she felt a little better than she had this morning. He hoped she did. If she was feeling better, he’d let her get up and maybe have a good walk or something, maybe look in on the stalls and see how the rest of the horses were faring this morning.

He knocked on the door, but there was no reply.

He gently pushed the door open, and when he entered her room, she was gone.

Was she in her bathroom? “Daisy?” But only silence met him. He knocked on the door to her bathroom, but when he pushed it open, he found it vacant as well.

Son of a bitch. An hour was too much to ask? He’d only wanted her to rest a bit, and had never expected she’d disobey so soon. He ran a ranch with a dozen men who worked under him. As the eldest in his family, he was used to his siblings obeying, so it surprised him to find Daisy had gone against a direct order.

“Daisy?” He tried again, his voice louder this time.

Still, no answer. Where was the little brat? She was sick, hungover, too tired to work, but well enough to take off?

He called her name as he walked down the hall. “Daisy!” Still nothing.

With every moment that passed, his anger grew. He swept the upstairs, then went back down to the kitchen, but she was nowhere to be found. His phone buzzed then, and he answered on autopilot.

“Yeah?”

“Shane, Clay here. Just wanted to tell you we arrived safe and sound. Everything good at home?”

He moved with purpose up the stairs, two at a time, as he once again scoured the upstairs. But it was of no use. She was gone.

“Doin’ fine,” he lied, not wanting to put a damper on his best friend’s honeymoon because his new sister-in-law couldn’t do as she was goddamned told.

“Good to hear,” Clay said. “I can relax knowing the ranch is in good hands. How ‘bout Daisy? She behaving herself? She gave me and Abby a hell of a time last month.”

She had? Where’d he been, that he’d missed this? But Clayton wasn’t one to talk, and Shane had been busy working.

“Yeah, she’s fine,” he said, his lips turning down into a frown. “Gotta get back to work here. You two have a good time.” He truly did want them to have a good time. They deserved it.

“Thanks, Shane.” As Shane disconnected the call, something outside the window in the hallway caught his attention—a cloud of dust behind his pickup truck. He couldn’t see the driver, but could hazard a guess who it was. And he narrowed his eyes at the billow of curly blonde hair that trailed out the window of the passenger side. Malcolm had to be the driver. With grim determination, he marched downstairs, grabbed his keys, and jogged to Clay’s new car parked in the garage outside the door.

He could tell where they were going by the way his truck veered left. He flinched as the driver plowed right through a mud puddle, splashing his truck liberally with mud before careening off at an even greater clip. What had gotten into them that they thought they’d actually get away with stealing his truck? Hadn’t they known he’d be back and would notice her absence and his missing truck?

In front of them loomed a large, wide-open prairie. He gunned the engine of the sedan with greater conviction, sure now that they would see him pursuing in their rear mirrors. He scowled as he closed in on them, and to his chagrin, he saw a mud puddle the size of Texas ahead of them.

“Brake,” he muttered. “Goddamn brake!” He flinched as they plowed head on into the mud puddle, effectively stopping their getaway short. He parked his car as close to them as possible. There were two of them, and one of him. How would he wrangle them both? But the dilemma ceased to be a concern when Malcolm flew out the door and took off running in the opposite direction. Daisy remained, however, looked sheepishly at him and then at the fleeing form of Malcolm, before looking back at him again. He stood in front of the truck, his chest rising and falling with the deep breaths he took, trying to quell his temper. Without breaking eye contact, he merely lifted one finger and beckoned for her to come to him. She looked at Malcolm’s now-distant figure and swallowed.

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” she asked in a little voice.

Something pulled at his heartstrings, though he was still fuming. He exhaled sharply. “You always have a choice, Daisy. You could have chosen to stay put and take care of yourself as I asked you to. You could have chosen not to take property that didn’t belong to you. And even now, you can choose to face me and own up for what you’ve done, or you can run.”

She hung her head in shame and wrung her hands. “I… I don’t know what to say. I didn’t mean to take your truck. I had something to discuss with Malcolm, and the next thing I know, he was gunning the engine.” Her eyes filled with tears as she looked to him.

He nodded, and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Jeremy, the most recently hired help, answered on the second ring. “Jeremy, got a bit of a situation here. Can you grab one of the hands and head out to the old McDonough farm?” He made arrangements for Clay’s car to be returned back to the ranch.

After disconnecting the call, he placed his phone in his pocket and gave Daisy a pointed look.

“They’re on their way. Now what will it be?”

With a heavy sigh, her eyes cast downward, she trudged over to him with a forlorn expression, softening his heart a bit. She was a naughty little girl in need of a firm hand, and it pleased him that she was not going to fight him.

“Get in the cab,” he said, jerking his finger to the door. Obediently, she stepped up into the truck and took her seat. Moments later, they were heading back to the ranch.

As the wheels rolled over the knobby ground beneath them, she held her head in her hands.

“How’s that headache?”

“Better, but still not good,” she moaned. He merely shook his head. If she’d stayed in bed like he’d instructed, she’d have been well on the way to recovery here. “I know, I know,” she said. “It was stupid of me. I’m stupid.”

“You are not stupid, and I do not want to hear you talk about yourself like that again. Your choice was stupid, and I’ll do what I need to do make sure you don’t make that mistake again. But you are not stupid, and I won’t allow you to say such things.”

“I am, though, Shane. I ruined my sister’s wedding, and I—” She stopped short of finishing her sentence.

“You what?” What was plaguing her conscience?

But she merely shook her head. “No. I don’t want to talk.”

How could she be so damn stubborn. “A little girl on the brink of getting punished for misbehaving ought to know better than to be stubborn,” he scolded.

She froze in her seat. “What do you mean?”

He barely tempered a growl. “You know exactly what I mean.”

They pulled into the long driveway that led up to the ranch, and when he stopped, her hand reached for the handle.

“Don’t you dare.” Now that she was safe, his truck was recovered, and Clay’s car was on its way back, he had more control over the situation. He’d told Clay and Abby he’d watch out for her, and two weeks loomed in front of him. No way in hell was he going to spend two weeks with a girl who thought it fitting to steal his car, hang out with a loser who gave her moonshine, and get herself plastered to boot.

No way.

“This is what’s gonna happen, young lady. You’re going up to your room. You’ll get back in bed, and wait for me there. When I come up, you and I will have a talk about what my expectations are for the next two weeks, and you’ll have a chance to talk about whatever’s eatin’ you. I will lay you across my knee and spank your little ass for what you did, but when I’m done, this will be over and done with, and we’ll start fresh. You got that?”

Her eyes were round as saucers as she turned to look at him. “You’re gonna spank me?” she whispered.

“Don’t you think you deserve it?”

She squirmed and looked out the window. “But I’m—I’m a woman, Shane. A full-grown woman. I’m an adult.”

“You sure as hell ain’t actin’ like one.”

She turned to him and looked thoughtfully at him, worry and apprehension written on her features. “And if I say no?” Her voice had dropped to a whisper.

Shane reached for her chin, holding it firmly between his fingers, making sure her eyes did not leave his. His voice matched hers, their whispered voices in the truck sealing the intimacy of the moment. Some women needed a firm hand, and in his heart of hearts, he knew Daisy was one of them.

“What if you say no?” he asked, keeping his gaze on hers.

Her eyes watered looking at his, and his heart went out to her. He had no idea what went on in her mind or why she’d made the choices she did, but he knew that he wouldn’t spend one more minute fighting her, or chasing or, or letting her make silly, foolish choices that would harm her.

“You tell me, honey. What if you say no?”

“I don’t want to say no,” she whispered back.

He released her chin and pointed wordlessly to the stairs. “Then go, now.”

Ducking her head as she walked to the stairs, she looked so much like a little girl, so sweet and tiny and innocent, that he wanted to cuddle her up on his lap on the porch swing and sit with her till the sun went down, holding her in his tight embrace while she told him her hopes and dreams and fears. He shook himself a little when the door to the house slammed. It wouldn’t do to start letting his mind wander, to soften too much. He knew the girl was Abby’s sister, and the two of them had been raised in foster homes, lacking the stability and safety of a place to call their own.

Abby had thrived under Clay’s loving guidance. Would her sister be the same?

He did not know what tomorrow would bring, but he knew that for now, his purpose was decided: the morality code of Shane Weston was clear as day. She’d done wrong, and he was older than her, more experienced, and her ordained guardian for the time being. Granting her leniency once had backfired.

Clenching his jaw, he looped his thumb through his thick leather belt as he took the steps two at a time to the doorway. Though a part of him yearned to take his strap to her pretty little ass, he’d go easy on her. He well remembered the sting of his daddy’s belt on occasion, and though it sobered him, he didn’t want to scare or harm her. He’d also never spanked a girl as little as she was. He’d taken his last girlfriend over his knee a time or two, but she’d been a sturdy, strapping girl, not a little wisp of a thing like Daisy.

The door banged shut behind him as he mounted the stairs to her room. She’d left the door open, the glow of her desk lamp casting a half-moon yellow light on the floor in front of the stairs. Had she waited for him? Was she prepared to face the consequences for her actions? As he turned at the top of the stairs, from where he stood he could see the very tips of the toes of her shoes.

She was sitting on the bed, and she was waiting for him.

With a deep breath, he steeled himself and marched into her room.

Chapter Six

 

 

Daisy’s hands shook as she heard the hard clomp of Shane’s boots on the hallway outside her door. What was she doing here? Why hadn’t she refused to be taken over his knee and spanked like a naughty little girl? But the better question was, why did a lump rise in her throat and tears fill her eyes as he approached her? She looked up as his large frame filled the doorway, his rugged, sturdy hands on his hips, his bearded jaw clenched, those blue eyes of his piercing straight to her soul.

His jaw was set, his footsteps firm, as he grasped the curved edge of the wooden chair by her desk, pulling it toward him, the sound of the feet scraping along the hardwood floor making her jump.

He sat down and looked at her, beckoning. “Come here, please.”

He wanted her to come to him? How could she trust herself to walk? When she hesitated, he tipped his head to the side and his brows rose, a silent question. Was she really going to disobey him now?

Daisy pushed herself to her feet, her knees wobbling as she dragged her feet across the floor to him. Malcolm was a juvenile compared to this man who now sat in front of her, and she fairly quaked in his presence. By some miracle, she made it to within a foot in front of him as where he sat, legs spread wide apart, his large hands resting gently on his knees.

“Come closer, please,” he said, the deep vibration of his voice making her insides quiver, and to her shock, her pussy clenched in response.

“I can’t,” she whispered. Her limbs were ice.

Shane’s eyes narrowed a bit and she jumped as he shot a hand out and wrapped it around her waist, yanking her toward him so that her legs brushed the inside of his. He flicked a finger under her chin and his eyes met hers, the blue depths so serious, so dominant, yet somehow kind.

“What’d I tell you about obeyin’ me when I’m in charge here?” he asked, dark brows furrowed over eyes as blue as the fathomless sky.

Tears threatened to spill as she responded. “I have to obey you.”

He nodded. “You lied to me. You disobeyed me. You took what didn’t belong to you, and you’ve not taken care of yourself.”

Sorrow filled her as she stood in front of him, facing the man who would punish her, the balance of power hanging between them…

His head tipped even closer to hers as his eyes darkened. “Daisy, this will not happen again. Do you understand me?”

She’d been punished before, slapped in anger by one foster mother and pushed around by another, given detention at school by a teacher. But never had anyone in authority over her spoken with such kindness, such calm, his gentle reprimands drawing repentance from her in a way anger could not.

Daisy could only nod, as he clipped a finger under her chin and one lone tear rolled down her cheek unhindered. “If this happens again, young lady, you will find yourself not only over my knee but bared, those jeans of yours down around your ankles. Do you understand that?”

Her heart skipped a beat. The thought of him spanking her bare…

“Yes,” she gulped. “Yes, sir. I understand.”

It came naturally to her to call him sir. Where she came from, it was expected, but here was a man who was not her elder, but… something else? It felt good to call him sir.

It felt better to call him Daddy.

His penetrating gaze met hers for one more second before he nodded, satisfied, then gently pushed her back so that she stood on one side of his right leg, and before she knew what was happening, he’d pushed her down straight over his lap. Her legs flailed, her belly pressed up against the warm, rough fabric of his jeans. He tucked her into him with one hand, while the other rested on her bottom. She was secure, held fast, and utterly vulnerable.

“You’ll take a dozen licks for what you’ve done, Daisy. I’m bein’ merciful. My daddy would’ve have taken his belt to my ass.” He leaned in, and to her surprise, he grasped a fistful of her hair in his large, strong hand, pulling just a bit so that his mouth reached her ear. “Does your daddy need to take his belt to your ass?”

A warm, sensual fire licked through her, and she closed her eyes. “N-no,” she stuttered. “I-I don’t think so!”

Without another word he released her hair and fastened his hand around her waist once again. He raised his arm and brought his hand down, hard, on her upturned and very vulnerable backside. She gasped from the shock and pain of it, and before she’d recovered, he’d walloped her again, a sharp, stinging swat that took her breath away with the intensity. Another one fell, then another, and she lost herself in the intensity of her punishment. After half a dozen smacks, her ass stung, and she could barely register his words.

“Will you be a good girl, Daisy?”

Three more smacks landed sharp and fast when she failed to answer right away.

“Y-yes!” she spat out. “I-I’m sorry. Please, Daddy!”

She closed her eyes. She could not believe she’d called him Daddy, and this made twice. She’d never called any man Daddy, and the fact she’d done so embarrassed her even more than being over his lap for a spanking.

“That’s a very good girl,” Shane said, administering another hard smack, seemingly unperturbed by the name. “A good girl apologizing to her daddy for misbehaving. Two more, and your punishment will be over.” He spanked her again, and now the tears flowed freely. He hadn’t mocked her. He hadn’t laughed.

He’d called himself her daddy.

She cried without reserve as he gave her the last stinging spank, then in a whirlwind of limbs and tears and movement, she found herself snuggled up in his lap and up against his chest. Her hands wrapped around his neck on impulse, and she buried her face on his white t-shirt, quickly soaking the shirt clean through.

“Shhh,” he whispered, holding her tightly against him. “That’s a good girl. All is forgiven. There, honey, rest your head and let it all out now.” Something in her loosened, her guilt now wiped away. He’d punished her, not harshly or in anger, but firmly, in a way that somehow… she needed. She’d never been disciplined by someone as strong and sturdy as he was, and she knew in her heart she’d deserved the punishment. Though not a harsh spanking, the very fact of being humbled over Shane’s knee reduced her to a little girl, dependent on comfort in the arms of this man of authority.

He held her and waited until her tears slowed before he spoke. “Anything else you haven’t told me, darlin’? Is there another reason why you’re cryin’? Don’t much blame you, as it’s pretty normal to cry after a lickin’.”

She sniffed and shook her head. “No, sir.” But it wasn’t true… part of it was a lie, and her tears started afresh. He’d been so disappointed by just what had happened today. What would he do when he found out about what she’d done… how she’d let Malcolm take the money, gifts meant for Clay and Abby?

Chapter Seven

 

 

Shane stood up in the barn, his back aching from having been crouched over in one position for so long, but his work was now done and the sun had begun to set. It was well past dinnertime as he scrubbed a hand across his sweaty brow and wiped his hands on his bandana that hung at his waist. But he stood proud, having completed a hard day’s work. The cattle were safe and secure, he’d mended a post on the fence Clay’d noticed the week before, and he’d even checked in on the payroll. His stomach rumbled in hunger, and he longed for a good, cold drink. After a shower and some water, he’d make some dinner and crack open a cold one.

As he made his way to the house, he wondered how Daisy had fared. She’d given him a hand feeding the cattle, but then asked if she could go back and do some work at the house. With Abby gone, and the house mostly unattended, he’d decided it was more fitting to allow her to take care of the more domestic chores, especially since she’d seemed eager. He had a list of his own to tackle, so he gladly obliged.

He hadn’t been to the house all day, he’d been that busy, and for a moment he hoped that she’d behaved herself. He was supposed to be keeping an eye on her, after all. As he drew closer to the house, the faintest sound of music came to him, twangs of guitar and a lilting voice that was hauntingly beautiful. He listened attentively, trying to identify the singer. But as he crunched on gravel making his way to the entrance, the music quieted and the door swung open. Daisy stood looking up at him, beaming, her hair tied up in a messy bun with curly wisps framing her face, the blonde halo that made his heart twist. She wore a blue gingham apron dotted with flour and made a fetching little picture standing on the porch.

“Hey!” she said brightly, smiling at him. “Where’ve you been all day? I have supper waiting.”

He blinked, taken aback. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but it certainly wasn’t Daisy sporting an apron and greeting him at the door. The door banged shut, and he entered the house in a stupor. Lit candles sat on the table set for two, cloth napkins neatly folded into triangles with silverware atop, a basket of fresh bread aside a butter dish, and a large bowl of tossed salad. Something smelled divine in the oven, and his stomach growled.

“Well, now,” Shane said, immensely pleased with this turn of events. “Don’t you look pretty as a picture.”

Her cheeks flushed and she cast her eyes at the floor. “Thank you, Shane.”

“You made all this for me?”

She nodded, but then her eyes clouded a bit. “I made it a while ago, though.” Her lip stuck out in a pout. “Why did it take you so long?”

He walked to the kitchen sink and grabbed the large slab of homemade soap Clay kept there, lathering up his hands and washing up thoroughly. With his back to her, he couldn’t see her face, but he kept his voice even. Women were temperamental creatures, this he knew from having three sisters. She’d been sweet to cook for him, but there was warning in her little pout. He dried his hands as he spoke. “Now, Daisy, I didn’t know you were cooking or I’d have come in sooner. Clay and I took a few days off what with the wedding and all, and I had some catching up to do.”

He turned to face her. She didn’t make eye contact with him, but continued laying out casserole dishes with serving spoons. She did not respond, but her lower lip still stuck out.

Oh, boy.

This wouldn’t do. His deep baritone filled the room. “Daisy.”

“Yes?” she said, still not looking at him.

“I’m talking to you, little girl.” That got her attention alright. She looked up at him with a look of wonder, her lips parted. He leaned against the sink and beckoned. “C’mere.”

She placed the spoons in her hands gently on the table, her eyes widening as she slowly walked to him. When she reached him, he placed a hand on her waist and drew her close. He tapped a finger on her chin. “What you’ve done here is amazing, darlin’. This looks like a meal fit for a king, and I was half expecting to microwave some macaroni and cheese or something, but you’ve clearly worked hard here. Do we want to ruin this with a bad attitude?”

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “No, sir, I don’t. I just… wanted to make you proud, and it seemed I’d been waiting all night for you to come back.”

Sweet little thing. He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead, then whispered in her ear, “You did make me proud. Next time, I’ll tell you when to expect me, okay?”

She nodded against his chest. And as the sun set low on the horizon, something warm gave way inside, and he felt the instinct strong in his gut. This little girl needed him. To protect her. Care for her. Tend to her needs. And it seemed no longer pure accident that he’d ended up alone here with her at the ranch.

He’d worried a bit the night before that punishing her would push her away from him, but it appeared now that it had done the exact opposite.

Without another thought, he laced his fingers through her soft blonde curls and tugged, just enough to get her attention, and when she looked up at him with a wide-eyed stare, he brushed his lips against hers, testing, and when she responded by drawing even closer to him and sighing into his mouth, he tugged her hair harder, and the kiss intensified. He closed his eyes as she leaned on him, his mouth against hers as natural as could be. When after a few minutes they pulled away, she looked up at him and whispered, “Wow.”

He chuckled, spun her around, and playfully slapped her backside. “Woman, I need grub. Why don’t you show me what you’ve made?”

And as his stomach rumbled, looking at the delicious feast she’d made for him, he knew this was something he could get used to. She fiddled around the kitchen, opening drawers and taking out spoons until finally, he’d had enough.

“Daisy.” She opened a cabinet and fetched salt and pepper shakers, then stirred another pot on the stove. “Daisy.” She looked up at him wide-eyed and he pointed to the table. “Sit, honey.”

She nodded, stepped over to him, and was just about to sit when a knock came at the door. From where he sat, Shane could just make out the spiky haircut and slight form of that little shit Malcolm. He growled as Daisy shot up from the table and opened the door.

Oh, for Christ’s sake. Couldn’t a man eat in peace?

Daisy jogged over to Malcolm and they stepped outside, where they talked in hushed whispers on the porch. Something didn’t sit right with him. No. He couldn’t stand to see the little beady-eyed boy around his girl another minute.

His girl. The words came to him unbidden but he did not push them away. Something needed to change, and he would have to find a way to make that happen.

Chapter Eight

 

 

“What do you mean, you can’t get any of it back? You were the one who was in charge here,” Daisy hissed, her hands on her hips as she glared at him. He only glared back.

“Not my fault,” Malcolm said.

“Bullshit it isn’t your fault!” She was so angry she wanted to hit him. God, what a stupid move she’d pulled. Why did she ever think when Malcolm told her he just needed to borrow the money for a night that he’d actually give it back? It seemed so long ago that she’d only wanted to please him, only wanted the boy to pay her a little attention. Now she looked at Malcolm, standing in front of her with a frown, his baby face cold and distant, and couldn’t imagine what she’d ever seen in him before, not when the likes of Shane Weston sat right on the other side of the door.

“I didn’t mean to lose it,” Malcolm whined. “Didn’t know it’d turn out that way. Was supposed to borrow it and double it over poker, but that loser Reggie tricked me. I’ll find a way to get it back.”

“Get it back!” Daisy shouted, her anger rising as she stabbed an index finger at his shoulder. Before she knew what was happening, it all happened in a blur. Malcolm grabbed her wrist and shoved her, hard. She stumbled and lost her footing, grabbing wildly at the bannister, but it was too far. She fell toward the stairway and screamed, knowing she was going to tumble headfirst down the small flight of stairs, but Shane was there before she knew what was happening. He grasped her about the waist and pulled so that she toppled backward, unharmed.

“You all right?” he said in his calm, deep voice, but she could only nod, watching Malcolm turn and attempt to flee, but Shane was quicker. His hand shot out and grabbed Malcolm by the back of the shirt. With a quick yank, the boy landed flat on his ass next to Daisy.

“You goin’ somewhere?” Shane growled. Malcolm’s wide eyes looked up at Shane, and he shook his head. He sat in silence. “You got a reason for layin’ hands on my girl?” he said. Though Shane’s voice was calm, it was laced with challenge, and from where Daisy sat she could see his right hand clenched into a fist, and a slight tremble. Malcolm shook his head wildly. “Good. Then you get your ass home and do not set foot on this property again.” He lifted Malcolm up by the front of his shirt and looked him in the eye. “And if you ever lay a finger on my girl again, you’ll answer to me. You get me?”

Malcolm could only nod, seemingly shocked into silence by his precarious position. Shane released him and Malcolm tumbled back, only long enough to get his footing and run. If Daisy hadn’t been so shaken up herself, she would’ve laughed but the best she could manage was a weak smile.

“Thank you, Shane,” she said.

Shane frowned, dusting his hands off on his jeans and shook his head.

“Took all I had not to teach that boy a lesson.” He smiled ruefully. “Not gonna be much help around here if I land my ass in jail. But he better not come back.” He looked at her, and her insides melted a little at the way he looked at her. “You okay, honey?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Come here, now, honey,” he said, his voice lowering as he pulled her to him. He looked her over, and lifted her wrist when he found an angry red patch. “You whacked your wrist, Daisy.” He frowned. “I’d like to whack him.” But then he lifted her wrist to his mouth and kissed where it hurt, the tender move making her melt a little. Brushing a piece of hair behind her ear, he pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. “Go in the house now. Let’s eat some of that grub you made. I’m about to keel over if I don’t get some food in me.”

She didn’t respond, feeling suddenly shy, but inside she whispered yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Daddy.

Would he laugh at her, how she’d fallen for him in such a short time? He didn’t know she’d been observing him for months now, hoping she could catch a glimpse of him before her shift at the supermarket, her heart pitter-pattering whenever he acknowledged her presence. But she’d convinced herself he thought no more of her than he did a little girl who came to the doorstep peddling Girl Scout cookies. He’d pat her on her head and send her on her way. But now, she had a chance to get his full attention, if only stupid Malcolm would stop getting in the way. She frowned as she turned her back to Shane and prepped the food on the stove. What a stupid little jerk. How would she ever replace the money he’d stolen? Fortunately, she’d kept a stack of gifts aside that he never laid eyes on, but he’d stolen several thousand dollars, far more than she had in her possession.

“What’d you make, Daisy?” Shane asked, pulling out a chair.

She turned to go to the stove to show him, but he nabbed her around the waist, eliciting a little squeal.

“Nope. You sit here, and I’ll fetch the pots and pans. You worked to get this all set and now it’s my turn to serve the chef. Sit, honey.” He gestured for her to sit. Her gaze flitted back to the stove, and she hesitated for a second. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. She’d planned on showcasing her cooking talents with one entree at a time, wowing him with her skills, hoping he would take notice that she was a woman.

“Oh!” Daisy gasped, as a sharp spank got her attention. She turned wide eyes to Shane, who stood raising a brow at her. He pointed wordlessly to the chair. Ducking her head, she obeyed, and he gently pushed her to the table. She started as he leaned in and whispered in her ear, making goosebumps raise up along her arms.

“You do as Daddy says now, darlin’. Or do you need Daddy to take you over his knee again?”

Oh, yes, Daddy.

Her belly warmed and her cheeks flushed at her instinctive response. Hell, yeah, she wanted to be taken over his knee again. The clattering at the stove behind her made her sit up straighter. What was wrong with her?

“Which first, Daisy?”

“The blue one on the left, and the smaller pot behind it would be perfect.” She smiled as he served up grilled chicken and fragrant, buttery mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans, with a side of stewed apples and fresh bread. She smiled as he served himself ample portions, so large hers looked like a child’s next to his. And somehow, she liked that.

“Thank you, Shane.”

“No, thank you. You saved me from heating up noodles or canned ravioli.”

“Oh, eww. Do you really eat that?” She buttered a piece of bread and nibbled the edge, feeling shy and a little reserved around him.

“I eat whatever’s put in front of me,” he said with a shrug. “And if I miss dinner with Abby and Clay, then I just fill my belly.”

She nodded. It pleased her to see him eating what she’d served. He tucked into the chicken and potatoes like a starving man, eating large bites. “This is delicious,” he said. “You’re a mighty fine cook, honey.” It was all she needed. She smiled to herself as he cleared his plate and pushed back from the table, clearly sated. “Alright, Daisy. Now that I’ve had some grub and calmed myself down, you tell me why that boy was here.”

Her appetite suddenly fled. No, she could not tell him that he came to talk to her about the money. If Shane found out that Malcolm had taken Abby and Clay’s money, he’d lose his mind. And if he ever found out it was Daisy’s fault…

“He’s a pain is all,” Daisy said, taking a large, chewy bite of bread so she had one excuse not to talk for a minute. He watched her with narrowed eyes until she finished her bite and swallowed. “He fancies himself my boyfriend, though I broke up with him a full month ago.”

Shane’s eyes darkened, the brows drawing together. He nodded. “Anything else?”

“No,” she lied, not meeting his eyes.

“Daisy.” His voice held warning.

She could not tell him. She would not tell him. If there was anything she’d learned at her last foster home, it was that there was a time and a place to tell a lie, and now was one of them. Telling the truth would only get her in trouble.

“Are you sure there isn’t something else to tell me?”

She stared at her plate.

“Young lady, you look at me when I talk to you.”

Her head snapped up as she met his gaze.

“I said, is there anything else you need to tell me?”

She swallowed and merely shook her head, not trusting her voice.

His gaze did not leave hers for a minute. “It’s pretty easy for me to tell you’re lyin’ to me, Daisy. I can tell by the expression on your face, the way yours eyes flit from one thing to the next. But I can’t decide if you just have something that you need to keep private, and I need to respect that, or if you’re up to no good and a good session over my knee would get the truth out of you.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and her lady parts tingled at the stern gaze he leveled at her. She wiggled on her seat and couldn’t maintain eye contact. The thought of landing over his lap again embarrassed her, but at the same time she wanted to feel helpless, and something about his serious daddy face made her insides turn to mush. Here she was in the presence of a stern but loving man.

Someone strong. Someone dependable.

Someone who could handle the likes of her.

And deep down inside, she wanted that.

“Daisy.” There it was again. Deep, warning. She wanted to climb up on his lap and tell him everything, but if she did, would he punish her? Or, worse, want nothing to do with her?

“No. I have nothing else to tell you.”

He sighed, pushed away from the table, and patted his lap. “If that’s your answer, come here, then, Daisy.”

Oh, no. Not again.

She saw no other choice. With a sigh, she pushed up from the table and walked over to him.

Chapter Nine

 

 

She was lying to him. And though taking her across his lap and spanking her little bottom until she came clean appealed to him, deep down inside he did not want to. Would she hide from him if she trusted him? Likely not. It made sense, then, that he’d build that trust first.

Her head hung low, her eyes cast down like a little girl’s, as she shuffled her feet to him. Clearly, she was afraid of a spanking. But no, he would not punish her, not now. When she was within arm’s reach, he looped an arm around her waist and drew her onto his lap. Her little feet dangled over one side, as he pulled her up against his chest.

“That was delicious, darlin’,” he whispered in her ear. “A meal fit for a king. I had no idea you could cook like that. All this time you’ve lived here, and I didn’t know you could cook? Have you been hiding that from me, little girl?”

She giggled, and shifted on his lap. His cock hardened, pushing against her little bottom, and his stomach clenched with desire. She was so pretty, so sweet, and something in him said mine.

Placing a callused finger under her chin, he lifted her gaze to his, and when her eyes met his, he smiled. “You’ve been dishonest, not telling me that you could cook like that. Should I flip you over my lap and spank your naughty little bottom? Should Daddy punish his little girl?”

A faint pink flush crept along her chest and neck, and her cheeks flamed. She swallowed, then licked her lips, shaking her head, then nodding, then shaking it again. “I don’t want to be punished, Daddy,” she whispered shyly.

He reached a hand to the edge of her top and slowly drew his thumb across her collarbone. She shivered and drew closer as he leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Maybe Daddy should bend you over the couch, lift the skirt of your dress, and spank your little backside?” As he spoke he lifted the edge of her dress and smoothed his hand along her warm, soft legs, higher up her thighs, until she moaned. Without conscious thought, he leaned over and took her mouth with his, a gentle but chaste kiss, his embrace tightening as she yielded to his gentle claiming. He pulled his mouth off hers long enough to tuck a soft wisp of hair behind her ear.

“No, Daddy. I don’t want you to punish me,” she said, but the soft sighs and way her mouth parted belied her words.

“No?” he asked.

She shook her head, and tucked her chin under his, her soft blonde curls tickling his chin. “I want to please you,” she said in a soft whisper. “I want you to be happy with me.”

His heart warmed at that, her eagerness to please him drawing forth a yearning in him he’d never felt before.

“Baby, you do,” he said. “You cooked me dinner. When you got in trouble the other day, you leaned over my knee and took your spanking. You’ve listened to what I’ve said and followed my lead. That pleases me, Daisy.”

What he really wanted, really needed, was her honesty.

How could he be her daddy if she wasn’t transparent with him?

“We have ten more days, honey,” he said. “In that time, I want to get to know you better. I feel like a little gem has been hiding here right in front of me, and I just now discovered the precious treasure in my midst.” He paused. “And I want to make that treasure mine, darlin’.”

She nodded. “I want that, too,” she whispered. “So badly. I’ve never… known anyone like you, Shane. I’ve dated boys before in school, but they were silly and selfish and nothing like you. You take care of this ranch. You’re responsible and dependable, and I’ve been watching you ever since I came here. You never noticed me, though. I thought I must’ve looked like a little girl, and you’d never pay me any mind. But now that you are, I want to… earn your approval. Show you I’m a woman, not a girl.”

She’d bared more to him in the short two days since he’d taken her across his knee then snuggled her on his lap than she had in months of living under the same roof. Who was this little girl? What were her wants, and hopes, and dreams? Could he be the man she needed?

“I’ll do my best, darlin’. Would you be my girl?”

With a soft, wistful sigh, she snuggled her head up on his chest. “Yes, Daddy.”

Chapter Ten

 

 

“I can’t go tonight, Malcolm,” Daisy said, her tone final. For the past five days, she’d been working hard to clean house, cook for Shane, and keep herself the hell away from Malcolm. He’d lost the money she’d loaned him, and now it was her job to replace it. She’d do that without his help, thank you very much. But when her phone rang when her thoughts were on Shane, she’d not even looked at the caller ID before answering. Now Malcolm had the audacity to invite her to the football game?

No way.

She hung up the phone and her stomach flipped. The Lazy Kettle needed someone for evening entertainment for the weekend, and the week after that. If she were hired, she’d be able to earn enough money, combined with her part-time shifts at the grocery store, to make it all back and then some, even if it took her two months. They were going to call her for an audition.

The only problem was, Shane still didn’t know a thing about the stolen money and her scheme to replace it. What she didn’t need was Malcolm interfering.

The door clanged shut and Shane’s deep voice rang through the house. “Daisy?”

Her heart pounded at just the sound of his deep, commanding voice. She shoved her phone in her pocket guiltily. “Up here!”

She could hear him taking the steps two at a time, and when he reached the top of the stairs, she yanked the door open to meet him in the hallway.

“Hello, Shane,” she said brightly, maybe too brightly.

The past five days had been amazing. Every day, he’d worked the ranch, and every night, she’d cooked him dinner. Over dinner, they talked about everything and nothing, the foster homes she’d grown up in, the good and the bad. How she’d never been very interested in school, but loved her music classes, and how Abby had always encouraged her to sing.

“Sing for me?” Shane had asked the night before, but she wanted to have a little more time to get comfortable before she sang just for him. Singing for an anonymous audience was one thing, but singing for… what was he? Her boyfriend? Crush?

The man she was falling in love with?

Singing alone, while only he watched, and the most important thing in the world was earning his approval? Well, that was something else altogether, and she couldn’t quite get up the courage yet.

He’d talked about his family, the traditional parents who’d raised six children, and how he was the eldest of the brood. It explained a lot, she thought, how protective and responsible he was. He told her about the first time he’d ridden a horse, and how his whole world had changed, how natural it felt sitting on the back of something so magnificent and powerful, and how training horses and caring for them fulfilled a need deep inside him.

“When I was little, I knew even then, that I was called to tame wild things,” he said, over a piece of cherry pie the night before. He’d winked at her then. “Are you my wild thing? I like taming you best of all.”

She’d laughed, then, but there was a ring of truth in what he’d said. Daisy always had been an impetuous, headstrong girl, and though she had a gentle nature and trusting disposition, she sometimes acted the part of a wild child. But now… now that Shane’s approval was of such great importance to her, she often thought before she acted. What would he think? What would he do? Was her decision the right one?

It was why even now, her guilt plagued her as he smiled at her on the landing.

“How’s my little Daisy tonight?” Shane said, smiling broadly. He was back from the ranch much earlier than he normally was, and she’d hardly begun dinner.

Her tummy dipped at the possessive tone of his voice.

His Daisy.

His.

“I’m good,” she said, as she led him away from his room, afraid somehow that if he went in there he’d know that she was scheming, that she was deceiving him even now. It killed her keeping this from him. But if she told him the truth… if she confessed to having allowed the theft, and now planning to go behind his back and get a second job to pay for what was gone… what would he do?

He’d spank her, for one. And though the memory of being spanked by Shane made her feel warm and a little shy, she hated the idea of earning a real punishment. She wanted nothing more than for him to like her… no, to love her.

“Problem is, I’ve only just begun dinner. Potatoes are scrubbed and the chicken is marinating, but I’m a good hour away from actually having it done. You’re early tonight!” She ended on an accusatory note. How was she supposed to cook dinner for him if he showed up early?

“Now, Daisy,” Shane said in his calming, deep voice. “You’ve been working awfully hard, darlin’. I think it’s time I took you out to dinner. What do you say?”

“You’re taking me out on a date?” she asked, her voice unnaturally high as her nerves churned.

He grinned, those blue eyes of his smiling at her with that grin she adored. “Honey, we’ve been ‘going on a date’ every night for a week, but in the privacy of our home here, haven’t we?”

Well, for goodness’ sake, he was right.

“And it’s a daddy’s prerogative if he wants to spoil his little girl every once in a while, isn’t it?”

Her heart pitter-pattered in her chest as she dipped her head shyly and nodded. “My girl’s been working her little fingers to the bone, cooking and cleaning, and now I think it’s time for a little break. Don’t you, honey?”

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “Why, yes, I do!”

He laughed then, and pulled her over to him so he could kiss the top of her head. “Go and get ready then, but don’t take more than a few minutes, or they’ll be giving away our seats to someone else. Okay?”

“Yes, Daddy. Where are we going?”

“That’s a surprise, honey. Now git.” He spun her around and gave her a playful smack on her bottom. She scooted back to her room, her cheeks flushed at the reminder that he was in charge. The sting went right through the seat of her jeans, and she clenched her legs. She wanted him to touch her, and more than a little smack on the backside.

Nothing looked right to wear. Nothing! It looked silly, or too tight, or too little girlish. How did a girl dress when spending a night out with the man she hoped would be hers forever? The only one whose head she ever really cared to turn? To top it all off, she didn’t have many clothes to choose from, having gotten out of foster care just the year before, and growing up impoverished, she’d mostly only allowed herself to wear the clothes Abby gave her as hand-me-downs, or a few small things she’d picked up on special. Nothing was sophisticated yet classy enough, and Shane needed sophisticated and classy.

“Daisy!” Shane yelled up the stairs. “You’ve been up there for fifteen minutes. I said to be quick about it. Now how much longer are you gonna be?”

She could tell from the tone of his voice he was growing impatient, and she didn’t blame the man. He was also a veritable bear when he didn’t eat, so she needed to make up her mind fast.

“Um, two more minutes, Shane!” she yelled through her door.

“Two! I’m counting!”

Damnit. He would, too.

Grumbling to herself, she tugged on a pair of tight-fitting, dark-colored jeans that accentuated her pretty curves but slimmed her full thighs, a look that she quite liked. But what to wear for the top? She pulled on a bright blue halter-top Abby had given her, but the back was bare and she knew without even asking that Shane wouldn’t like it. In fact, she’d hazard a guess that the reason Abby had given it to her in the first place was because Clay didn’t approve.

“I want no one’s eyes on you but mine,” Shane had said to her just the night before. It was sweet, but… damn, she needed something to wear.

She yanked the blue top off and grabbed a white button-down blouse, but when she buttoned it up, she noticed it was wrinkled in the back, and she did not have time to iron. Out went that one, and she tried on three more tops, when finally, she hear the clomping of irritated boots outside the door.

“Open up.”

Uh oh.

Well, for goodness’ sake, he couldn’t wait another minute?

Her phone buzzed with a message.

Audition open tonight in one hour, if you can come then.

Oh, no.

“Just a minute.”

“Now, young lady.”

Oh, no. He’d pulled out the young lady.

She trotted quickly over to the door and yanked it open, only to find a very irritable, scowling Shane staring back at her.

“What is going on in here?” he asked, hands on his hips. “You said you’d be a minute, and that was twenty minutes ago. I’m so hungry I could eat the legs off the table downstairs. We aren’t goin’ to the Ritz, Daisy. You just need to put on some clothes so we can get outta here!”

“You don’t understand,” she said, turning her back to him and grabbing a pink top from the top of the pile. Without thinking, she yanked off the white top and spun around, putting the pink one on. “I needed something that would look right and none of these do. They’re either too tight, or too long, or the wrong color, or all wrinkled! And I—ohh!” The breath whooshed out of her as he swept her into his arms.

“You’ll try a cowboy’s patience with making him wait for his dinner? Bad move, honey,” he said, as he pulled her onto his lap. “And now you’re gonna make me stand here and watch as you pull off that top and your breasts bounce all over the place while you put on another? Uh uh. That deserves punishment, little girl. I think someone needs spanking.”

But he wasn’t putting her over his knee. His mouth was at her bare collarbone, kissing so gently, warm arousal fluttered through her. “Ohhhh. Oh, Shane,” she whispered, as his mouth dipped lower and he kissed the swell of her breasts.

“You’re beautiful, Daisy,” he said, as his tongue caressed her naked skin, and heat pulsed between her legs. “So beautiful. And I’m gonna do everything I can to make you mine.”

Her breath caught in her throat as he smoothed his thumb over her satin-covered breasts, making her nipples harden, need pulsing through her body. “It isn’t right how gorgeous you are. I think someone as beautiful as you ought to be punished for driving a man like me wild.” And before she knew what was happening, he’d flipped her straight over his knee. The coarse fabric of his jeans brushed up against her bare belly seconds before his large, heavy hand fell on the seat of her jeans.

“Naughty little girl,” he lectured, with another sharp pop on her backside. “Keeping her daddy waiting. Making him starve. Then teasing him with her naked breasts.” He tsk-tsked as he spanked her again, one hard spank following another. She gasped, the sting of the spanking stoking her desire. She wanted him. She needed him.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said, playing her part easily. “I think you’re right. I think I do need a good, hard spanking to teach me my lesson.” But she wanted to be bared even more to him. She wiggled her backside, earning her another sharp spank, wishing that instead of turning her on with a spanking he was stripping her on her bed. Another spank followed another until her bottom was on fire and she whimpered a bit.

He turned her back over on his lap and leaned down, his lips meeting hers. “If I keep going, I’m gonna strip you,” he said in her ear, his voice as warm and sensual as silk. “Then once you’re fully bared to me, there’s no telling what I’ll do. I don’t trust myself, Daisy. So why don’t you put some clothes on now, and let’s go get some dinner.”

“I don’t have anything to wear,” she whispered.

“Why not?” he whispered back.

“I never spent money on clothes. These are mostly from Abby. My favorite top got shrunk in the wash, and now nothing fits right.”

“Ahh,” he said, leaning down and torturing her once again by kissing her neck. “Does Daddy need to take you shopping then, honey? After we eat?”

That would be divine. But how could she accept money from him? Not when she’d been so bad, letting Malcolm take what belonged to Abby and Clay.

“Maybe someday,” she whispered, wiggling on his lap and pushing herself up so she straddled him. She couldn’t help herself. She leaned in and pressed her mouth against his, a heated kiss that made him harden beneath her, and something in her sang, rejoicing in the knowledge that she had that power over him, that he cared about her like that. “Let’s order takeout, Daddy.”

He slapped her ass, making her squeal and squirm with need.

“Naughty little girl, trying to tempt her daddy.” His deep, husky voice only stoked her desire.

“Why, yes, Daddy, I am,” she said, unrepentant. And it would be nice if he didn’t take her to the Lazy Kettle, a voice at the back of her head told her.

Her heart lurched. Oh, shit. How was she going to get away from him?

“You know, I don’t feel so good,” she said, though it killed her not to stay right here on his lap. She wanted him to kiss her, to lay her on the bed and make out with her while his large, warm body pressed up against her. And then they’d…

No. No, she couldn’t even go to dinner with him, damnit.

“I… my stomach. Shane, I don’t think I can go at all. Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, and at least that part was completely true. She was sorry. How had she gotten herself into this predicament?

He pulled her in front of him so that she sat staring at him, and held her at arm’s length.

“You don’t feel good?” he said, looking curious and a bit confused. “A minute ago, you were fretting about what to wear, and now you’re sick?”

She nodded sorrowfully, not able to meet his eyes.

Gently, he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “What hurts, baby?”

Daisy felt her heart twist, and she wanted to take it all back. She wanted to make it right.

“My stomach,” she said, holding onto her waist, and by now, she was so fraught with nerves over lying to him that she really did feel a little nauseous.

“Alright, then, honey. Let’s get you to bed. I’ll get you something to eat, but I want you resting if you’re sick. Okay?”

She nodded miserably, as he pushed her gently off his lap and led her over to the bed. He turned down the covers and she climbed in, but she was still dressed. “Take ‘em off, honey,” he said. “I won’t touch you. Promise.”

What kind of a promise was that?

“What if I want you to?” she tossed over her shoulder as she shimmied out of her jeans. His only response was a low growl and a sharp spank. She inhaled at the smack of his palm, and he traced his handprint around the edge of her panties.

“I like seeing my mark on you,” he murmured, thoughtfully but in a way that made her tummy flutter. “Wanna make you mine, Daisy.”

Oh, God. She wanted that. She needed that.

He reached down and helped her step out of her jeans, stabilizing her so she didn’t wobble, then he gently led her to bed and tucked the bedclothes over her. “I’ll get you something to eat, and you rest, okay?”

She nodded miserably. “Yes, Daddy.” But ten minutes later, when he came in to check on her with the soup she requested, she was pretending to be fast asleep. He had to believe she was tired, and that he had to leave her alone. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, then tucked the blankets in around her.

“Sleep well, honey,” he whispered. “I’ll leave you be now.”

She waited until his footsteps died before she leapt out of bed, locked the door, and dressed for her audition. She’d sneak out of the house and leave her door locked behind her. Hopefully, he wouldn’t check in on her again until she got back, but if he did, and he found the door locked, he’d assume that she needed some privacy.

Daisy wanted to shake herself. He was the sweetest, kindest man she’d ever known, and he made her feel so different when she was with him, as if a part of her came to life under his gentle ministrations.

This would all be behind her soon. And then she’d be his good girl. But for now, she had a job to do.

Chapter Eleven

 

 

It was awfully quiet upstairs. Poor little girl. He’d planned such a nice evening for her, too.

The past week had been the best time of his entire life, and he hadn’t done much to court the little girl he’d come to care about. She was funny and sweet, witty and kind, and so damn adorable he wanted to put her in his pocket and keep her there forever. He’d gotten her flowers which she hadn’t even seen yet, waiting downstairs in a vase on the dining room table. The plan was to take her to dinner, to wine and dine her and thank her for all the hard work she’d put in, cooking for him and serving him. The girl needed a night off.

And for her to get sick like that!

The memory of her shimmying out of her jeans and climbing under her covers had him shifting on his feet down in the kitchen, while he unloaded the dishwasher. Damn, what he wouldn’t give to be climbing under those sheets with her. After the dishes were put away, he swept the floors, one of the messiest jobs in a ranch house kitchen. The winds blew everything into the kitchen, and the floors needed to be swept all day long. But he wanted to help ease some of her chores. Next, he went to the laundry room that was adjacent to the kitchen, and turned the laundry over, putting the wet clothes into the dryer, and tidying up a bit. At least now she had a bit less to do when she felt better.

He stood at the foot of the stairs and listened. It’d been an hour since he checked on her, and it was so quiet he could only assume she was still sleeping. Poor thing! Maybe she needed something.

He walked as quietly up the stairs as he could until he reached her room, and he gently tapped on the door. No response. He tried again. Still no response. As quietly as he could, he tried to open the door, but to his shock, he found it locked.

Locked?

He frowned. That was a bit out of the ordinary. Why would someone who was sick get out of bed with the express purpose of locking the door? It made no sense.

“Daisy?” he called. Still no response. He had to make sure she was okay.

“Daisy?” Louder this time. Now, he began to grow worried. Had she passed out? What if she had a fever and he hadn’t realized it? His heartbeat raced as he knocked louder on the door, with still no response.

Down in the kitchen was a set of keys. He raced down the stairs and grabbed the keyring that hung on the wall, then took the stairs two at a time on his way back to her room. The keys jangled in his hand as he fumbled at the lock, his breath coming in gasps from the exertion. He knew he was likely overreacting, but in the short time they’d been together, he’d grown to care for her, and he fancied himself her protector. What if she’d been truly ill, and he’d somehow missed the signs? And Abby’d trusted him to look out for her, too. Finally, he found the right key, turned the lock, and pushed the door open.

Her bed had a lump on it. Poor little thing. She’d fallen asleep, and he’d just practically broken the door down. He tiptoed over to the bed, just needing to check on her to satisfy his own fears, but when he drew close to the bed, his worried eyes hardened and his jaw set in a firm line. Nothing but blankets and pillows were stuffed under her quilt.

Daisy had left. She’d pulled the wool over his eyes, lied to him, and left.

When he got his hands on that little girl, she wouldn’t sit for a goddamned week.

But where had she gone? Her window was still shut tight, and thank God for that. The thought of her exiting out her window scared the hell out of him. So she’d snuck downstairs, somehow gotten past him, and left? How had she gone anywhere? He peered out the window and saw his truck still sat where he’d parked it, but Abby and Clay’s little sedan was gone.

He swore under his breath. What had gotten into her? He thought they’d made progress, the two of them.

No, more than that. He’d thought they were falling in love. Every single day, his heart soared at the thought of coming home to her, and nothing pleased him more than seeing her pretty little face waiting for him at the door. Deep inside, he knew they were suited for each other. She needed his strong, protective love, and he needed her sweet, trusting affection. They thrived with one another. And he knew it wasn’t just idealistic hopes and dreams, but a real connection the two of them had. How could she betray him like this? What dark secret did she harbor that made her need to deceive him? He’d find out, even if that meant a good, sobering session over his knee to draw the truth from her. But first, he had to find her.

Pocketing the keys, he went downstairs. He’d take his truck, and ask around town. Maybe someone would have an idea, and he’d be able to go from there.

He drove into town, scanning everywhere he could for the sweet blonde curls, but he saw none. Just outside of the Pizza Palace, however, he saw a familiar face. With a frown, he pulled up outside the pizza place teeming with teens.

“Malcolm!” Shane shouted the name through the window of his truck, and the boy, who looked suitably chagrined and subdued in Shane’s presence, came to the side of the truck. “You seen Daisy?” Shane asked.

“No, sir,” Malcolm said. “But I think one of my friends talked to her earlier.” He walked over to his group of friends and they talked for a minute before he came back over. “Mary says Daisy applied at the Lazy Kettle, and she has a singing engagement tonight.”

That was all Shane needed to know. “Thank you,” he said, tipping his hat to the boy.

The Lazy Kettle! His thoughts turned to where she’d supposedly gone. He had old college friends who played poker and pool at the Lazy Kettle, and though it was a tad more upscale than the other similar establishments in the area, he could still picture the live entertainment up front, and the thought of his girl putting herself out there like that…

He arrived at the Lazy Kettle and parked his car, and when he shut the door, he could hear the clear, sweetly melodic voice he’d recognize anywhere. His heart warmed then, though his blood boiled. She was okay. She was safe. And she’d lied to him.

He made his way through the entrance, chose a table at the back, and ordered a drink. He stayed in the shadows, wanting to confirm that she was where she was supposed to be before she saw him. If she saw him, she’d know she was in big trouble, and he didn’t want to ruin her performance.

God, she had the voice of an angel.

He sat drinking his beer, running his finger along the condensation on the outside of his chilled bottle, watching her. When she sang, she came alive. Her head fell back and her chest rose, her hands lifting in tune to the music as she belted out the most hauntingly beautiful song he’d ever heard. If after all this she’d still be his girl, he’d have her sing that to him, just the two of them alone. When she finished, the crowd erupted in cheers, some standing on their feet and others clapping and hollering. Shane’s chest swelled with pride. She was a naughty little girl sometimes but that was his girl up there on stage.

His girl.

When the song finished, a woman with dark black hair, wearing an evening gown, came to the front with the microphone. “And now, ladies and gentleman, our final song for the evening. Please give a rousing round of applause for our lovely Daisy!”

Their Daisy? She was his Daisy.

He sat and listened to her sing one more time, but then he realized that if this were the last song she was singing, that meant that she’d be coming out soon. He pushed himself to his feet, polished off his drink, and plunked it down on the table. He’d be damned if he let her slip out of his fingers again.

Pushing himself to the front of the crowd, he stood in the shadows one last time while she finished. He waited until the last sound lingered, and then he followed her to the back room. It was crowded, and he had a hard time navigating his way past the older tables that were stacked up against the wall, boxes of supplies, and a crowd of dedicated fans.

He could see the very top of Daisy’s head bobbing through the crowds, toward an open doorway. He hung back a bit and observed. In front of him sat what appeared to be the owner, waiting for her. He had a stack of bills in front of him, a dirty cigar hanging from his mouth, and he wore soiled clothes.

“You said you were going to pay me up front,” Daisy said, her arms crossed on her chest. Thankfully they didn’t shut the door, as there was such noise outside they could barely be heard anyway.

“That was last week,” the man muttered, not making eye contact. “This week, I’ll have to pay you what we agreed on for today only. I can’t afford to pay you all in advance with the rising costs of running this place.”

Daisy stood with her hands on her hips. “Then why did you make the offer to begin with?” she asked.

The man put down his paperwork just long enough to stare at her. “I wanted good entertainment tonight. Our place was up for a new contract, and I was trying to wow my management. They were blown away, which is good news for me. But, they won’t be back now until next week, which is bad news for you.”

Shane’s hands clenched in fists. The son of a bitch was pulling a fast one on her.

But why did she need the money? What scrape had she gotten herself into?

He’d find out what the trouble was. He’d warm her ass for her. But then he’d make it better.

“Bad news for me?” Daisy’s voice rose, and she took a step closer to the man.

Uh oh.

“Let me tell you something, mister,” Daisy said, her eyes flashing at the man who sat in front of her. “I have bills to pay, and you promised me my pay up front. You have no right taking that back now. I demand that you give me what we agreed on.”

“And I demand you leave my establishment,” the man said.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. If you won’t take what I’m offering you, I’ll have you escorted out.”

Daisy crossed the room and Shane had no idea what she’d do. He raced into the room just as the man pushed himself to his full height, towering over Daisy.

“Don’t you dare threaten me,” he hissed at her, and his eyes widened with he saw Shane come in. “And who are you?”

Daisy gasped. “Shane!”

“She’s mine.”

“Good. Get her out of here,” the man said.

“You owe her money?” Shane asked. The man looked from Daisy to Shane and peeled a few bills off the stack in his hand, tossing them on the table to her.

“Here,” he said. “Take it. But don’t you set foot back in here again, you hear me?”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that,” Shane said with a frown. Daisy’s wide eyes looked up at him sorrowfully. “She’s coming home with me, and she will not be back.”

“But I have to!” Daisy protested. Shane merely gave her a long, hard stare, and she closed her mouth and looked at the floor.

Without a word, he took Daisy’s upper arm and marched her out of the office, past the crowd of people, back into the main area of the restaurant, and she trotted to keep up with his long, firm strides. How he longed to take her over his knee right here and now. But no, he’d calm himself down first.

When they arrived outside, she tried to yank her arm away. “Let go of me!” she shouted.

“No.”

He marched her until he got to his truck, opened the door, and slid her in. With a huff, she fastened her seatbelt. He locked and shut the door, then went to the driver’s side and opened his door. She sat with her arms across her chest, staring straight ahead. He shut the door and sighed.

“Daisy, look at you,” he said. “You look just like you did that night I took you to Abby and Clay’s wedding. Have we not changed at all? Has nothing changed? Are you still that same girl I took to the wedding?”

She closed her eyes and uncrossed her arms. “No,” she whispered. “No, I’m not. We’re not.”

He sighed and turned to face her. “And why not?” he asked.

She swallowed. “Well… I trust you now. I know you better, and I hope you know me better, too. I… I’m not that selfish little girl from that night. I think I’ve grown a bit. I really do.”

He nodded. “I thought so,” he said. “But your behavior tonight has me baffled. Now are you gonna tell me what’s going on?”

Her lips tightened.

Gently, he placed a hand on her knee. “Daisy. Something is terribly wrong, but I have a feeling it isn’t anything I can’t help fix. Now tell me, darlin’. What is it?”

She turned to face him, tears brimming in her large hazel eyes. “I made a horrible mistake, Shane.”

He nodded. “I’ve made some horrible mistakes too, Daisy. But there ain’t nothin’ we can’t fix. You get me?”

She blinked, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. “Yes, Daddy. I do. I get you.” And she told him then. She told him everything. How Malcolm had hoodwinked her when she was too drunk to know what she’d agreed to. How he’d taken several thousand dollars and not replaced it. How she’d taken the second job to earn the extra money to replace the stolen money, but how she couldn’t get it back now.

“Ah. So that’s it? A little stolen money is all?” he asked.

She blinked. “A little stolen money?”

He shook his head. “None of that was worth lying to me over, Daisy. I could have helped you. In fact, I will help you. But as your daddy, you know I’m none too pleased about you lying to me. I worried that something was terribly wrong, and I’m beside myself at your deception here.”

Her face fell, and she sniffled. “I know. I’m so sorry.”

He gave her a long, hard stare. “Good. So this is what we’ll do. You’ll come back with me to the ranch. You’ll take the spanking you know you have coming. But when we’re done, this will be behind us. We’ll make it right again. And then I’ll help you come up with a plan to replace this money, and all will be better. Sound good?”

She shifted on her seat. “Getting spanked doesn’t sound very good, no.”

He merely shook his head. “Maybe that’s something you should’ve thought about before you came here tonight. Yeah?”

Her face fell and she nodded. “Yes, Daddy. I’m so sorry, Shane.”

He patted her knee. “Good girl. Then let’s go make this better. I’m taking you home, now, Daisy. I’m taking you back to where you belong.”

Chapter Twelve

 

 

Daisy’s hands shook so badly as they approached the ranch that she splayed them across her thighs to steady them.

He was going to spank her.

She needed him to.

But the guilt that riddled her from having deceived him ate her up inside. She needed it all washed away, and deep inside she knew she craved his tender, loving, but firm guidance.

He cut the engine in the driveway and pointed a stern finger toward the upstairs. “Head up to your room, young lady. This is what you’ll do. You go on up to your bed and sit there and wait for me. And while you do, you think about what you’ve done. And you’ll tell me when I come up why I’m going to spank you. You get me?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

He gave a curt nod, his jaw set. “Go, then.”

She scooted quickly, not wanting to lose her resolve before he came up to her. She knew that even as badly as she felt now, she’d feel worse if he didn’t spank her. What she had done was awful, and she felt deep down inside she deserved whatever he doled out.

She made her way to her bedroom, sat down, and waited.

Would he forgive her for what she’d done?

Had she dreamed up the notion that she was special to him?

Would things be the same now?

Chapter Thirteen

 

 

What Daisy had done had been wrong. She hadn’t owned up to it but had lied, and had gone behind his back and snuck around.

Lying and disobedience were major offenses in the mind of Shane Weston, and one might even say they were deal breakers.

But why had she done this? If she’d had the confidence in herself a pretty, winsome girl like her ought to have, she’d never have hooked up with Malcolm, and if she’d had the protection of a man who loved her, she’d never have been tipsy on moonshine to begin with. He knew in his heart she never would have gone off behind his back to make right what she’d done if he’d earned her trust.

She had been wrong, but she’d tried so hard to make up for what she’d done. Daisy was a good girl, a girl who needed the love, protection, and attention of a man who loved her.

His instincts were strong. She was not a liar or a cheat, and deception did not come naturally. Deep down inside, she was a sweet girl who needed her daddy to make things right again.

His jaw set in grim determination, he made his way up the stairs to where she waited for him.

Chapter Fourteen

 

 

“Daisy?” His low drawl made her shiver as she waited on her bed.

“Yes, Daddy? I’m in here.” Her voice shook a little, betraying her fear. She trusted Shane with all that she had, but she did not want him to punish her.

He’s going to spank me. My daddy is going to punish me for the wrong that I’ve done.

And somehow, as she sat in the growing darkness of her bedroom, the light shining from the bedside table, the idea of her big, strong, handsome man coming to correct her for what she’d done filled her with a certain warmth mixed with fear. The idea of a spanking embarrassed her, but this was the side of Shane that went hand in hand with his sweet, nurturing side. Her daddy was a stern, gentle man, who doted on her when she was good and punished her when she’d done wrong. His dedication to morality moved her in ways the bad boys of her youth never had, for with Shane she was safe. With that knowledge, she swallowed hard and waited with her head held high, the room swimming in front of her as her eyes filled with unshed tears.

“Good girl waiting for Daddy,” he said, as he came into the room, filling the doorway and blocking the light from the hallway. “I’m proud of you for waiting for me like I asked you to. Do you have anything to say before I punish you?”

She swallowed once, then twice, but even as she spoke her voice wavered. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said in a whisper.

His serious blue eyes looked on her with kindness. “I’ll bet you are, darlin’. Because deep down inside, you’re a good girl, aren’t you, Daisy? If you knew that you were a good girl, who was loved and cared for, you never would have gone for that moonshine. And if you hadn’t gotten that moonshine, you never would’ve compromised your standards like that. And even after that happened, if you fully trusted me, I don’t think you’d have made the decision you did. Would you, baby?”

She closed her eyes, fighting the lump that rose in her throat, swallowing the tears that threatened to spill. With her eyes still closed, she nodded and inside her mind she whispered, Yes. Yes, Daddy. I’ll be good. I’ll be good for you.

“Daisy.” His voice had deepened, garnering her attention. Her eyes flew open and tears dampened her cheeks.

“Come here and let’s get this over with, so that we can put this behind us and make it right. You deserve a spanking, young lady.”

She could only nod and watch dumbfounded as he rolled up first one sleeve, then the other, revealing muscled, tanned forearms that were strong and sturdy. Her belly clenched as his eyes met hers and he quickly unfastened the sturdy buckle at his waist. With a firm tug, the belt flew through the loops on his jeans, and he doubled it in his fist.

“Lay over the bed, please.”

Suddenly the bed felt lonely without his lap beneath her belly, as if he had rejected her for what she’d done. She shook a little. “The bed?” she whispered.

His eyes narrowed. “Little girls who do wrong don’t deserve the comfort of Daddy’s lap. After you take your spanking, you’ll get all the attention and cuddles you need.” His lips thinned, and he pointed with the folded-up leather. “Go, now.”

Sniffling softly to herself, she walked to the bed and leaned over the edge.

She heard his heavy footsteps before she felt his hand on the edge of her skirt. Swiftly, he lifted her skirt and she gasped as he pulled down her panties and they pooled around her feet. Her pussy clenched and she shut her eyes, both afraid of what he’d do and humbled by being bared to him.

His words were a harsh release, seconds before the first strike landed. “You’ll do better, Daisy. I don’t want to have to do this again.”

She gasped at the first thwap of leather on her naked skin, but it didn’t hurt as badly as she thought it would. It stung, then faded to a dull burn, but the second bite of the belt was harder than the first. The third and fourth smack fell, and by the sixth she was whimpering in pain. After the sixth, she lost count, bite after bite falling without a pause.

“Daddy,” she whispered. “I won’t do it again,” she said, as he continued to deliver firm, measured smacks with his folded leather. Her tears fell from beneath closed eyelids, and after two more firm licks, he put his belt down.

“You’re already sorry for what you did, aren’t you?” he asked, his large, rough hand soothing her stinging backside. With firm but gentle strokes, he rubbed out the sting, then pulled her panties back up. “Your punishment is over, Daisy. Come sit with Daddy now, baby.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and drew her onto his lap, and she cried against his chest, feeling lighter and freer than she had in days, weeks, years even. She never had the protection of a man like him, and she didn’t know until Shane just how deep her desires ran, just how much she needed his firm but loving guidance. His sweet kiss of affirmation heated, then, and his tongue slipped into her mouth, gently touching hers as she moved even closer to him, needing to be held even tighter. His breath came in shallow pants as he kissed her with everything he had, and his hand traveled to the top of her dress. He smoothed a rough thumb over her chest, making her body rise to meet his as she breathed deeply.

“Is that good, honey?” he whispered. “Daddy spanked you for being a naughty girl. Now Daddy wants to make it better.” Though she kept her head ducked against his chest, she welcomed his hand beneath the hem of her dress, drawing him even closer until his finger grazed the edge of her soft satin panties. “Does that feel nice, honey?”

“Yessss,” she breathed, needing more. She pushed herself against his hand, and his response was immediate and instinctive. The tempo of his strokes increased, bringing her closer and closer to the edge of orgasm. She was going to climax, right on Shane’s lap, somehow more turned on after a spanking than she ever felt before.

“Daddy,” she whispered. “Shane!”

“That’s my very good girl,” Shane said, holding her close. “Will you climax for me, darlin’?”

She could only pant and nod, opening her legs even wider as he moved the satin to the side and stroked her swollen clit. She clung to him, her breath coming in gasps as he brought her right to the edge. “Come for me, baby. Let it go, now. Climax for me, Daisy.”

She shattered as the waves of pleasure overtook her, her whole body riding the orgasm, and then he held her as she trembled. “Ohhh,” she moaned. “I’ve never felt anything like that in my life.”

He grinned. “Why, thank you.”

She giggled, but he sobered, placing a finger under her chin. “This is all over now, Daisy, and we won’t speak of this again. We’ll find a way to replace what was lost, together. Will you sing for me if I do? An audience of one?”

“I will,” she said, sniffling still but smiling through her tears. “I’ll sing anything you want me to, Daddy. You’ve made me free, and I don’t even know how or why, but my heart sings for you and for what you’ve done for me. I want to be your good girl, and I want to please you. I’ll sing day and night if it’ll bring a smile to your face.”

“I’d like that, darlin’,” he said, pulling her close and kissing her cheek. “You’re my sweet Daisy, the pretty little girl that I love. Will you be mine?”

“I will,” she whispered. “Please.”

 

* * *

 

Shane looked around the room, at the candles flickering by the window, and listened. He could hear the faintest sound of Daisy singing in the kitchen, and the clattering of dishes as she finished putting everything away. It had been a busy day preparing for the return of Clay and Abby. Daisy had wanted to make sure they had a hot meal on the table, and the house was in tip-top shape. Shane had made sure the ranch was in perfect order. Now, Abby and Clay had gone out for one last honeymoon excursion, to Abby’s favorite ice cream shop, leaving Shane and Daisy alone.

Shane wanted Daisy to himself, grateful for a little more time together with her. The two weeks had gone by far too quickly.

Her voice grew louder as she came up the stairs to their room, and something in him loosened, something he didn’t even know he was holding onto. He closed his eyes briefly and smiled. In such a short time, he knew his life would never been the same. When he opened his eyes, there she stood.

“Hey, Daddy,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t know you’d be up here! What are you—ohhh!” Her voice softened as she took in the candles by the window, the dimmed lighting, and Shane, sitting at her chair waiting for her. “What’s going on?” she asked.

He opened his arms for her. “We have one more night alone together,” he said. “So I thought we’d make the best of it.”

A soft smile played at her lips and she cast her eyes down demurely. “Oh?” she whispered.

“Oh,” he repeated, chuckling. He marveled at how being taken in hand had transformed Daisy from the brazen, brash girl of a few weeks ago to the nearly bashful little girl before him now… his girl. “Come here.”

She made her way to him quickly, and when she was close enough to reach him, he pulled her in his tight embrace. “Daisy, I want to make you mine.” He kissed her temple, then her forehead and her jaw, making his way to her lips that parted for him. Inhaling, he cupped her jaw in his strong hand and kissed her softly, but firmly enough to make her lose her footing and fall into his lap. Having her here like this, knowing that time was of the essence, he kissed her while sliding his hand up her side, over the curve of her hips to where her waist narrowed before grazing his hand over the fullness of her breasts.

He pulled his mouth off hers just long enough to stand with her in his arms and walk her to the bed, where he laid her down and continued to pick up where he left off, trailing kisses all over her beautiful, graceful neck, and sucking in the sweet skin at her collarbone, making her moan while he grew hard.

“God, you’re beautiful, Daisy,” he said.

“Thank you, Daddy,” she breathed. “You know, you and I have only been a couple for two weeks, though I’ve known you for a lot longer… and I have to say something that’s on my mind.”

He pulled away from her and looked at her curiously. “Oh?” What was on her mind?

She bit her lip before finally taking a deep breath and speaking. “Well. You know… it’s just that this is… something special. Nothing I’d have ever expected, I don’t think… but still…” She paused, as if afraid to go on.

“Say it, honey. Don’t be afraid of telling Daddy what’s on your mind. I’m here to listen.”

She smiled broadly, then. “I know,” she said, her voice wobbling a little. “I love that about you. In fact… that’s what I want to tell you. I love you, Shane.” Her face lit up and his heart swelled with pride, love, and tenderness.

“And I love you, Daisy.”

He leaned down then, needing to take her mouth in his, needing to seal their profession of love. She groaned as he lifted her top and tugged her breast free before flicking his thumb over her hardened nipple. He kissed her and fondled her breast, her soft sighs and moans making his cock lengthen in his trousers. God, he needed her.

“I want to make love to you, Daisy,” he whispered in her ear, as he traced the curve of her breast with his fingertip. “And this will be a night we won’t ever forget.”

“Please,” was all she said, and it seemed as though they both realized at the same time that their time was limited, that Clay and Abby might be home any minute, and one more minute apart was too much. Her hands fumbled at her jeans and his at his shirt as he nimbly unfastened his buttons at the same time she shimmied her jeans down her legs. Her eyes wandered greedily over his bare chest as he pulled out his wallet and removed a condom. She watched him, and grinned.

He unbuckled his jeans and pushed them down, then fully undressed as he made his way over back to the bed.

“Don’t have a lot of time,” he murmured. “If I did, I’d do all sorts of things to you, honey.”

“Like what?” she whispered, and he nearly lost his mind when her hand traveled between her legs, lifting the edge of her panties and fingering her soft pussy. “Tell me, Daddy.”

“I’d lick that sweet pussy of yours until you screamed my name,” he said, drawing closer to her. “I’d tie you up and have my way with you. Mark you with my mouth, my tongue, and my belt.”

She moaned and her mouth parted open. “I want you so bad. Please?”

How long did people need to know when something was so right? As he drew closer, she pulled her panties down. He reached for the edge of her top and pulled it clean off.

“C’mere, baby,” he whispered, leaning down to pull her close. “But after this, there’s no turning back. You know that? If I make you mine, I mean it.”

She looped her arms around his neck and nodded. “Yes. Yes, I know it, and that’s what makes being yours so special.”

This woman undid him. Holding her close, he nudged his cock at her entrance, happy to find her warm and ready. Slowly, feeling the importance of this moment and the significance deep down inside him, he entered her. Her hips rose to meet him as he thrust into her.

“Yesss,” she hissed in his ear. “Oh, God, yes.”

He built a tempo of slow, steady thrusts, not wanting to hurt her but needing to claim her, needing to satisfy his own burning needs. In moments he was nearing release, and he could feel her tensing beneath him. There was no need to talk, no need to repeat what had already been said, nothing now but the silent communing of two lovers in the most intimate of ways.

Her hips jerked and she gasped at the same time he reached his own pinnacle of pleasure. He groaned in her ear as he came, and she held him tightly as she climaxed her own release.

“You’re mine, now, Daisy,” he said, his chest rising in time with hers as he held her close. “And I won’t ever let you go.”

 

* * *

 

Several months later, there was a second wedding at Turning Point Ranch.

This time, Shane Weston winked at his pretty little wife, as he tucked the gifts under his own arm. These gifts would not leave his side, and neither would his Daisy.

His forever.

 

 

The End

Stormy Night Publications would like to thank you for your interest in our books.

 

If you liked this book (or even if you didn’t), we would really appreciate you leaving a review on the site where you purchased it. Reviews provide useful feedback for us and our authors, and this feedback (both positive comments and constructive criticism) allows us to work even harder to make sure we provide the content our customers want to read.

 

If you would like to check out more books from Stormy Night Publications, if you want to learn more about our company, or if you would like to join our mailing list, please visit our website at:

 

More Stormy Night Books by Amelia Smarts

 

 

Fetching Charlotte Rose

As soon as she steps off the train into the hot western sun, Charlotte Rose wonders if she has made a mistake. Leaving Boston to take a job as the schoolmarm of the small town of Weston, Arizona had seemed like a good idea, but the man sent to fetch her from the station almost changes her mind. The handsome but uncivilized brute who introduces himself as Max Harrison not only calls Charlotte by her first name, he even demands that she change her outfit.

Her humiliation is complete when, after ignoring his advice to put on something more suitable for the summer weather, she faints from the heat. To her utter shame, Charlotte is forced to endure being undressed down to her underthings to cool down, and worse still, Max warns her in no uncertain terms that any further foolishness will earn her a sound spanking on her bare bottom. Yet somehow, despite his threat to chastise her in such a barbaric fashion, Charlotte cannot deny that being in Max’s presence sets her heart fluttering like nothing ever has before.

Though she may be the feistiest woman he has ever laid eyes on, Max finds himself longing to see more of Charlotte—much more, in fact—and when he discovers that she feels the same way, he sets about courting her. But Weston is a very different place from Boston, and Max makes it clear to Charlotte that he will do whatever needs doing to keep his girl safe, even if that means taking her over his knee for a good, hard spanking as often as her behavior warrants it.

Charlotte’s love for Max grows deeper with each passing day, but she cannot help wondering if he sees her as nothing more than a silly girl in need of his constant protection, and matters come to a head when a violent, hateful man with a grudge against Max seeks to disrupt their lives. Will Charlotte’s pride be her undoing, or will she finally get the chance to prove herself to Max?

 

His Little Red Lily

Lily has dreamed of performing on stage since she was a small child, and at the age of eighteen she approaches Jesse, the owner of the local saloon, to ask for a job singing and dancing for his customers. Lily has been secretly in love with Jesse ever since the day he took it upon himself to comfort her when she was in tears one day in town, and that only makes it more painful when he refuses to hire her, telling her that a saloon is no place for a sweet, innocent girl like her.

Determined to convince him to change his mind, Lily returns the next day. Within moments of stepping through the doors of Jesse’s establishment, however, she finds herself pulled over his knee for a good, hard spanking followed by an embarrassing scolding and a stern warning never to set foot in the saloon again.

Though Jesse tells her to forget about both him and the saloon and find herself a proper, respectable husband, he cannot keep Lily off his mind, even after she takes his advice to heart and begins courting the town’s self-righteous preacher. The situation comes to a head when Jesse catches the preacher in the midst of a vicious crime against one of the saloon girls.

Terrified for Lily’s safety, Jesse takes matters into his own hands and informs her of his feelings for her. He makes it clear that he considers it his duty to provide her with both the love and attention she craves as well as the firm discipline she has needed for so long. But with her former suitor bent on revenge and trying to run Jesse out of town, can he keep his little Lily safe and keep the saloon in business at the same time?

 

Claimed by the Mountain Man

Times are hard in Montana in the mid-1800s, and when Nettie finds herself impoverished, desperate, and alone after the death of her husband, she flees the town of Helena to escape the clutches of the local saloon owner. But living off the land quickly proves much more difficult than she’d hoped, and after days without food she resorts to stealing from Jack Abrams, a gruff mountain man and trapper who lives a secluded, uncomplicated life in the woods.

Jack doesn’t take kindly to being stolen from and when he catches her red-handed, Nettie ends up lying naked over his knee for a long, hard spanking. To her surprise, however, after her punishment Jack offers her food and shelter in return for cooking, cleaning, and doing as she is told. But Nettie is determined to never rely on a man again, and with a belly full of food and renewed determination, she abandons him to take another shot at living in the woods on her own.

Jack knows the headstrong girl won’t survive without his help, especially when she chooses a grizzly’s winter cave as her shelter, and he can’t stand by and idly watch her demise. When his irritation with her foolish pride boils over, he decides it is time to show her how thoroughly a man can dominate a woman silly enough to venture into the woods alone. Jack’s stern chastisement and bold mastery of her body leave Nettie begging for more, but is she truly ready to give up her freedom to be claimed by the mountain man?

 

Corralling Callie

For eighteen-year-old orphan Callie Broderick, going west as a mail-order bride seems to be the only hope she has for a decent husband. But when she sets out for the gold-mining town of Sacramento with nothing more than the clothes on her back and a stagecoach ticket, she quickly discovers that the trip will be quite a bit different than she expected.

As a former soldier and an experienced coachman, Jude Johnson is used to difficulties and dangers of all kinds during the arduous journey west, but he has never had to deal with trouble like Callie before. Not being the kind of man to kick a penniless orphan off his coach, he puts up with the sassy, disobedient girl for as long as he can, but when Callie’s antics put the lives of his passengers at risk Jude is forced to take matters into his own hands and spank her soundly.

The stern punishment leaves her thoroughly chastened and promising to behave, and Jude soon realizes that when she puts aside her foul-mouthed, defiant façade, the real Callie is as sweet and kind as she is beautiful. As the days pass, he takes it upon himself to guide her, care for her, and give her the loving discipline she so desperately needs, as often as she needs it. But when they reach their destination, will he be able to give her up?

 

Emma’s Surrender

When twenty-year-old Emma Brookstone arrives in the town of Bannack, Montana, she seeks out the local marshal, intending to enlist his help in uncovering the truth regarding her father’s murder two years earlier. Upon meeting the marshal, however, she is shocked and dismayed to discover that he is none other than the man who gunned her father down that fateful night.

Though Clive Brookstone was an evil man who needed killing, the knowledge that he left a young woman orphaned tore at Nathan Haskin’s conscience from the moment he pulled the trigger, and he has secretly provided for Emma’s needs since that day. Certain that hearing about her father’s legacy of lawless violence would break her heart, he concealed it from her, but now that she has returned to Bannack her persistence eventually prompts him to tell her the full story.

To make matters more complicated, Nathan finds his desire to protect Emma quickly growing into a powerful need to tame and possess her, and when her foolish behavior puts her safety at risk he doesn’t hesitate to take her in hand and spank her soundly. His stern chastisement leaves her furious yet helplessly aroused, and it isn’t long before he claims her hard and thoroughly.

In her heart, Emma knows what Nathan tells her is true—that her father’s death was just—but writhing in ecstasy as she is utterly dominated by the man who killed him fills her with shame nonetheless, and she does her best to deny her lust for the handsome marshal. Will the day ever come when she can put aside the past and surrender herself fully to the man she once hated?

Amelia Smarts Links

 

You can keep up with Amelia Smarts via her blog, her Twitter account, her Facebook page, and her Goodreads profile, using the following links:

 

More Stormy Night Books by Jane Henry

 

 

Claimed on the Frontier

Pearl has fended for herself since she was orphaned at a young age, but on the night she meets Aaron Stanley her life is thrown into chaos. The handsome pioneer and his brothers are headed west to stake their claim on the frontier, and when an unfortunate turn of events leaves Pearl without a roof over her head it is Aaron who comes to her rescue, offering to bring her along provided that she agrees to mind him.

As they begin their journey, Pearl soon discovers that Aaron is a force to be reckoned with. Though he quickly proves more than willing to take her over his knee for a sound spanking when her behavior warrants it, she is drawn to his stern, uncompromising dominance, and when circumstances force them into a hasty marriage she is happy to promise him her obedience.

Despite her headstrong nature, Pearl finds herself submitting willingly to her new husband’s mastery of her body. But even as their passion blossoms into love, Aaron is determined to be as firm as necessary to keep his bride safe in a hard, dangerous land. Can their bond survive the harsh realities of life on the frontier?

 

Surrendered on the Frontier

After the untimely death of her harsh, overbearing husband left her a widow at the age of twenty-three, Ruth Watson vowed that she would never depend on a man again, let alone submit to one. The hard world of the frontier is no easy place for a woman to make her own way, however, and when the tough, handsome Samuel Stanley takes it upon himself to look out for her, Ruth is ashamed to find that a part of her longs to surrender to his firm but loving dominance.

Though Samuel itches to tame the headstrong Ruth, he is able to hold himself back until she loses her temper and hurts her best friend. Seeing her riddled with guilt, he at last puts the beautiful little spitfire over his knee and spanks her hard and thoroughly. The stern punishment leaves Ruth not only properly chastened, but burning with passion as well, and when Samuel takes her in his arms she yields completely to his mastery of her body.

Samuel makes it clear that from now on Ruth’s impetuous behavior will have consequences, but in her heart she wonders if he will grow tired of protecting her from both herself and the dangers of the frontier. Can she bring herself to trust him to be the man she has always needed, or will her fears bring an end to their blossoming romance?

 

Her Outlaw Daddy

As the daughter of a well-to-do politician, Aida Perkins is accustomed to living in relative luxury, but everything changes the night she is carried off by Cole Clemens and his gang. The gruff, handsome outlaw makes it clear that she will be held for ransom until her father repays the debt he owes, and until then absolute obedience and total submission will be demanded of Aida.

When she puts him to the test, Aida quickly finds herself over Cole’s lap with her bottom bare for a thorough, humiliating spanking, and to make matters worse he informs her that from now on she will be expected to call him Daddy. Though the painful, embarrassing punishment infuriates Aida, her body betrays her and Cole’s stern chastisement arouses her deeply.

Determined to master Aida completely, Cole sets out to teach her what it means to surrender fully to a dominant man, and when he takes her long and hard she is left begging for more. Aida cannot help her growing passion for her firm-handed captor, but it is only when she learns the real reason for her kidnapping that she truly understands the danger she and her new daddy face. Will Cole be able to keep his little girl safe from both her enemies and his own?

 

Aldric: A Sci-Fi Warrior Romance

Carina

He is a barbarian. A savage. I came to his world as a spy… and I was caught. Alone and defenseless, my fate is in his hands. He captured me, punished me, and claimed me as his mate.

I promised myself that I would never yield, that I would resist and escape, but as he trains me to serve him I begin to wonder if one day I will gladly call him my master.

 

Aldric

When I saw the little one in our midst, I was drawn to her beauty. She broke our laws and must pay the price, but I will let no harm come to her. She will belong to me, mine to enjoy as I please, and soon she will know the pleasure of surrendering to a warrior’s mastery of her body.

She is headstrong and defiant, but it will be my privilege and honor to tame her.

Jane Henry Links

 

You can keep up with Jane Henry via her blog, her Twitter account, her Facebook page, and her Goodreads profile, using the following links: