Nick

Rayne was going to get her ass spanked.

When I woke up alone, I couldn’t believe she’d snuck out on me. If she thought this was over, she was unbelievably mistaken.

I knew she was working the late shift tonight, and I considered going straight to her apartment and giving her the spanking she deserved before fucking her until she agreed to stay. But, I was pretty sure that would only drive her away. I decided to bide my time and snatch her at the end of her shift. We’d have this conversation at home.

It was a beautiful day, perfect for working on the house. And a decent way to blow off some steam. I changed into worn jeans and a paint-splattered T-shirt. I called Trevor Mayson to see if he had some free time and apparently, his wife and sisters-in-law were having “girl time”. He was all too happy to get the hell out of his house for a while.

I’d bought a shed to put out back and at the moment, we were using it to restore the kitchen cabinets and some of the other woodwork that needed to be done. I headed out there and started sanding while I waited for Trevor so we could tackle some of the more complicated tasks.

“Yo!” Trevor called out a little while later.

“Shed,” I yelled back.

He moseyed inside wearing a similar outfit and carrying a tool box. Trevor was tall, with brown hair cut short, brown eyes that women seemed to drool over incessantly, and a square jaw that made him look like a damn model. All the Mayson boys were favorites of the ladies in town. Not only were they good-looking, but they had a magnetism about them that I could never quite capture. I used to be intimidated by them, especially after I attempted to get November to go out with me when she first got to town. Asher quickly made it very clear that he was claiming her and, not in the market to get my ass handed to me, I backed off.

However, while working on my house, I’d earned some grudging respect. It went a long way in making me realize that I was their equal, not the second choice a woman settles for.

I lifted my chin in greeting and walked over to a fridge we’d installed. Grabbing a couple of beers, I tossed one to Trevor. I popped the cap off using a work table next to me and took a long swallow.

“I’m about done with the sanding on the cabinets, what’s next?” I asked.

Trevor looked them over and nodded. “Nice job.” Then he gave me new instructions and we got to work. I threw myself into it and after an hour of silence, Trevor spoke. “You’re unusually quiet, man. Everything okay?”

I almost brushed off his question, but then I remembered he’d told me some of the story about what it had taken just to get his wife to date him after they met. Maybe he was just the right person to run everything by.

“I met a woman,” I started. “I’ve never experienced the emotions I felt from the moment I saw her. It’s like I become someone else when she’s near. I have a hard time admitting it because I never believed it was possible but…I just knew she was mine.”

Trevor laughed, interrupting me. “Ahhh yeah, Nico mentioned his theory that our curse might be contagious. Apparently, he saw your reaction to the new bartender and he said your face had boom written all over it. He was hysterically laughing the whole time.”

“I’m glad I amused him,” I groused.

Trevor took a swig of his drink and relaxed back against the work table. “So, what’s the problem?”

I told him about the conversation Rayne and I had on our date. Her belief that she needed to be free and her attitude about settling down etc, etc. I also told him about the possessive, jealous, demanding guy I seemed to become around her. Lastly, I conveyed to him how our night ended (minus the sex details), with her sneaking out.

“Now, I just want to spank her ass for it and lock her in my room.” When I was done unloading myself, I shrugged and held my hands out. “This is uncharted territory for me, man. I’m a little lost.”

Trevor listened without comment, but the corners of his mouth had tipped up occasionally. He finished off his beer and tossed the bottle into a nearby trash can. Then he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at me seriously.

“I’m going to give you the same advice Asher gave me when I was pursuing Liz. Stick with it, don’t give up, and don’t be afraid to push her a little. Seems like she is convincing herself that she doesn’t want to stay. I can even quote him, ‘Don’t give her a choice; play all your cards, even the ones that push her into a corner.’”

I frowned and used one hand to rub the back of my neck. “I don’t know if I can do that. I’ve never been that kind of guy.”

Trevor pushed away from the table and took a wide-legged stance, staring me down. “Sounds like that guy is in there and she brings him out in you. So, don’t be a fucking pussy and go get your woman.”

* * *

I arrived at Stumble In by eleven and waited until a stool opened up at the bar. Once I was seated, I kept my eyes on Rayne; other than staring down every asshole who tried to flirt with her.

She kept throwing glances my way, trying to be covert about it. I smiled and winked at her every time. My reaction seemed to confuse her, which made me chuckle.

After last call, when everything was cleaned, and they were ready to lock up, I stood at the door, waiting. Rayne walked in from the back and headed to where I was standing.

“Hey,” she said, then rolled her eyes. “Well, that was lame.”

I laughed and drew her into my arms. “Hey,” I whispered before kissing her deeply.

When I pulled back, she was a little dazed and breathing heavy. “What…um, what are you doing here? Besides being a crazy stalker and staring at me all night?”

“To be fair, I’m less stalkery because I stared at your face, not your ass or tits.” She raised an eyebrow. “Okay, I stared at your face most of the time.”

“And the attitude you were tossing at all the men I served?” Her tone had become indignant, but there wasn’t real heat behind it.

“Just letting them know who you belong to,” I explained with nonchalance.

She planted her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at me. “Does that mean I should be scaring off every woman who looks at you?”

“Fine by me,” I replied, clearly surprising her. I winked. “If you want, you can even tattoo your name on me and make it official.”

She shook her head, exasperated. Apparently, she didn’t catch the underlying seriousness in my tone. If I were ever to have something inked on my skin, it would only be Rayne.

“I guess you’re here to make sure I get home safely?”

“Yup.”

“Suit yourself, Loafers.”

I entwined our fingers and led her outside, over to my car.

“You’re going to drive me the three blocks to my apartment?” she asked, her brows drawn low.

“Home, baby,” I said firmly. “Not where you’ve been staying.”