There was nothing he wanted to do more. He’d known she was not asleep the moment her hand moved to brush against his cock but had wanted to see what the little minx was intending. Having her guide his hand down her panties had not been a move he’d expected. God, she was nothing but heat and silk, the slickness he’d instantly encountered had his cock quickening but when she’d moved to force his finger inside her pussy, he’d gone as hard as steel. Though he was not a man accustomed to a woman being in control, his curiosity had been piqued as to how far she was willing to go.

He’d allowed her to lead, had enjoyed her riding his finger, and had even obeyed her soft plea to kiss her neck, nipping the flesh, smiling as goose bumps rose after he’d dragged his tongue against the column of her throat before blowing his breath across the glistening skin. Hearing her moans, her mewls as she began to climb towards her peak had him wishing to replace that single digit with his cock and yet… he was torn between his duty and his desire. He’d not climbed into her bed with any intention of fucking her, but here she was, opening her legs, her slim fingers sliding through her wetness, playing with herself, her body flushed with her orgasm and yet demanding more.

Demanding… yes, that was the crux of his problem at this moment. He was the one who demanded, who insisted on submission, on drawing a woman far beyond what she thought she could offer. He loved nothing more than to guide… to teach… to prove that when a woman trusted him enough to fully let go, they’d discover pleasure they’d never truly imagined. He’d put a woman across his knees to turn her ass crimson, he’d put a woman on her knees and order her to open her mouth so he could fuck her throat, he’d bind a woman to a St. Andrew’s cross or to a spanking bench and use any number of implements to paint stripes across her writhing body. She’d asked him not to make her beg, and yet that was what he intended when he played. He expected women of his past to do exactly that. They would beg to be allowed to come… beg to be taken, to learn how to serve, to please… but what he didn’t do was fuck on demand, and he had absolutely no intention of setting that precedent tonight.

Positioning himself above her, his knees outside her legs which were hampered by the panties still at her thighs, he braced himself on his palms, silent as he looked down at her, capturing her gaze before raking his eyes down her body. What should have been an expanse of smooth satin, wasn’t. Instead, two small points were pushing against the fabric, her nipples seeming to be protesting their confinement—since his cock was doing the same thing, he could understand—and yet she needed to understand exactly what sort of man she had just begged to fuck her. Eyes dropping further, he watched as the hand she’d slipped between her thighs moved, coming free, fingertips glistening with her arousal. As her hand moved to his belt buckle, he lifted himself another inch, his eyes returning to hers.

The smile on her lips almost had his cock twitching… the little girl actually thought she had won this battle. It was time to declare the rules of the game. Bending down until his mouth was but a fraction of an inch from hers, he spoke softly. “Adira…”

“Don’t talk,” she said, her tone both teasing and desperate sounding. Her fingers fumbled with his buckle again but he lowered himself until his belly pressed against hers, trapping that naughty hand between their bodies, causing her to give a small mewl of annoyance. “I can’t…”

“Exactly,” he said. “You are not in control. I am, and the quicker you learn that fact, the better it will be.”

“What?” When he didn’t answer but simply pushed himself up and off of her body, moving to stand, she followed his every move and then smiled. “It’s about time you get naked.” While she lifted her arms above her head, stretching like the sex kitten she was portraying, he reached for her. Before she could comprehend what had happened, he had both of her ankles captured in one of his hands and had lifted her until her hips were off the bed. A sharp crack had her eyes flying open and her body jerking as his palm connected with her ass.

She didn’t moan this time, or beg for more. Clearly the intensified sting of this swat had taken her by surprise.

Another crack echoed and then another one following every word he spoke. “I. Said. You. Are. Not. In. Control.” A flurry of smacks filled the slight pause before he continued. The last two smacks had her crying out as he increased the strength of his final swats to each of her previously untouched sit spots. “I. Am.”

Dropping her legs, he bent to retrieve his boots, not failing to notice that she instantly rolled onto her side once her ass hit the mattress. For someone who seemed to enjoy a spanking, she sure had a tender rear, as that spanking had been nothing but love taps as far as he was concerned.

“Where are you going?” she asked, a hand reaching back to rub her bottom.

“To get some sleep…”

Her eyes were huge as she moved to sit up, albeit she was kneeling, her bottom resting on her calves. “You’d rather sleep instead of… of fucking me? What are you… are you gay?”

All she had to do was look at his crotch to know that his cock was still straining behind his button fly, so he didn’t even bother to give her an answer. Instead, he went to the door.

“We’ll talk in the morning… make that in a few hours.”

“Get back here! Don’t you dare leave me like this!”

When she made a move to get off the bed, he shook his head. “You stay right there. Give some thought as to your behavior and then get some sleep.” Ignoring her glare, he added, “Good night, Adira.” With that, he slipped from the room, heading for his own, ignoring her shout of his name, as hard as it was. Once he’d climbed the stairs, he groaned, stripping off his clothes, his aching cock springing free, not having softened in the least. Perhaps he needed to reconsider his lesson plans… there was no reason for the teacher to be left aching, was there? Shunning the call of his bed, he climbed into the shower, letting the hot water pound against his back as his hand gripped and relaxed, running up and down his shaft. The memory of her lying there, her panties lowered, her top pushed up but not enough to reveal the mounds of her breasts, her nipples puckered into taut points and those cheeks, firm and yet jiggling with each smack of his palm, had his testicles tightening. But it was those lips, that tongue sweeping across them that had his breath quickening at the anticipated release… what the fuck?

Twisting off the taps, he swore again as the blaring sound of a high-pitched alarm filled his head. It took another few seconds to pull on the clothes he’d just discarded and another to shove his feet back into his boots. Racing from his room, he sprinted down the hall and took the stairs two at a time. The shrill shriek of the security system filled every inch of the house.

He was halfway across the living room when he almost barreled into Jennie.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“I don’t know…”

“Anson’s headed to the ops center,” Stryder said as he joined them. “Pops is turning off the alarm.” He’d barely gotten the words out when the house went silent. “Hey, where are you going?”

“Adira,” Maddox said, running down the hall, bursting into her room to find it empty. She wasn’t in the attached bath, either. “Fuck!” he said, racing back to the others. “She’s gone!”

“Shit,” Drake said, going to the security system hanging on the wall and punching in a number. “Anything?” he asked.

“I’m not seeing any intruder,” Anson answered over the speaker system on the alarm. “The breach appears to have been on the front door.”

“Maddox says that Adira is missing…” Pausing, he turned towards his oldest son. “When was the last time you saw her?”

“No longer than ten minutes ago.”

“So someone chose that exact moment to break in and kidnap her?” Jennie asked, her eyes wide.

“What was she wearing?” Stryder asked.

“A green camisole and matching panties,” Maddox said, seeing his brother’s eyebrows lift. “It’s not what you think. She had a nightmare, and I just stayed to let her know she was safe.”

Drake relayed the information to Anson and then made a few more calls to alert his employees. “We’ll take the house,” he said once he’d set the search teams in motion.

Maddox’s lack of movement had his father pause. “What are you thinking, son?”

Shaking his head, he looked around the room. “I don’t think someone came in and took her. Jennie’s right. The chances of that happening are astronomical.”

“So what do you think happened?” Jennie asked.

“I think she got pissed off because I wouldn’t…” He caught himself before revealing too much and then continued. “Pops and I both know how mad she can get when she doesn’t get her way. I told her not to open any doors or windows, but I wouldn’t put it past her to do so. Fuck, the truck!”

He pushed past his father and yanked open the front door. When he’d brought Adira up to the house, she’d asked why he left the keys in the vehicle. He’d explained that they all did so that anyone who needed a vehicle wouldn’t have to go searching for the keys. With the extensive security on the ranch, they had never been overly concerned with thieves. Seeing the truck in the same place he’d parked it, he shook his head. Okay, if she hadn’t stolen the truck, where had she gone? Returning to the house, he asked, “Jennie, did you buy her any shoes?”

“Just a pair of boots like you requested, why?”

“Come with me,” he said, the two returning to Adira’s room. When he found the boots in her closet, as well as the black flats and sandals he’d purchased, he asked Jennie if anything she’d purchased was missing. It didn’t take long for Jennie to reassure him that she didn’t think so.

“Okay then, she’s barefoot and wearing nothing but lingerie,” Maddox said, nodding his head as the two left the room again. “She’s not going to get far. In fact, she might very well still be in the house.”

“Why would she run off?” Jennie asked, reaching out to put her hand on his arm when they rejoined the others. “What if she had another nightmare? What if she is sleepwalking?”

“I don’t think so,” Maddox said, giving her hand a pat.

Instead of reassuring her, she gave him a long look, and then her eyes widened. “Maddox, what did you do to that poor girl?”

Maddox lifted his hands. “Whoa, I didn’t do anything. If anything, it’s what I didn’t do,” he said cryptically. “Don’t worry. I don’t think she’s in any danger. I think she’s just mad and wants me to panic.” Both Drake and Stryder were staring at him. “Stryder, get the drone up. See if you can find her. The rest of us will search the house.”

Stryder took off towards the tunnel as Jennie, Drake and Maddox split up and searched every room of the house. Not finding her in any room or closet, Jennie went to the kitchen to start coffee while Drake checked in with Anson. “Nothing. He’s reviewed the tapes for the past hour and is positive there hasn’t been any infiltration of the ranch. I didn’t even consider the fact that she’d be so upset that she’d take off the first opportunity she had…”

“She didn’t,” Maddox said with a sigh. “Look, Pops, I know she’s grateful that she’s here, as she made sure to express her appreciation earlier. But I can also promise that she tends to jump without thinking.”

“So what do you suggest?”

“We keep looking just in case I’m off base, but if I’m not, just know that when I get my hands on her, she’s not going to be able to sit for a week.”

Though Jennie gave a small gasp, she nor Drake protested his statement. When his phone rang, Maddox answered it. “All right, thanks. No, don’t be. No one expects you to be on duty 24/7. Just let the others know to hang back. We’ll follow from the ops center and let you know if we need anything else.” Chuckling, he shook his head. “She’s an excellent rider but if she’s still wearing what I think, she’s going to be very uncomfortable very soon. Thanks, Kurt.”

He hung up and after accepting a mug of coffee, shared what he knew. “She’s out riding…” When Stryder’s voice came over the hidden speakers, he paused.

“The drone got a visual. She’s heading towards the upper pastures,” Stryder said. “She keeps looking over her shoulder, but I don’t see anyone chasing her.”

“I just bet she is,” Maddox said. “Keep an eye on her, I’m coming to join you.”

“Don’t you think you should go get her?” Jennie asked.

“Nope,” Maddox said. “She’ll be heading back soon enough. And, Jennie, when she gets here, no coddling. She can be pissed off and even act like a spoiled brat but when she puts herself in danger and causes everyone to worry needlessly, well, that just isn’t acceptable.”

Jennie opened her mouth but then closed it, nodding. Hearing her mumble something about “poor little thing” did nothing to cause Maddox to change his mind. Drake followed him through the house, and they were all soon gathered around the monitors in the operation room, watching as Adira rode her beloved stallion. “She turned back toward the stables not long ago,” Stryder said with a chuckle. “I can’t imagine riding bareback is very comfortable in that outfit.”

They continued to watch as Adira reached the stalls and saw Kurt. Flipping a few switches on the console, they were able to hear the hand berating her for her actions.

“You had an awful lot of people worried, missy,” Kurt said as she slid from the horse’s back. “You can’t just come in here and take a horse out—”

“Zephyr’s my horse. I can ride him whenever I want,” Adira interrupted. “Move out of my way so I can brush him out. Oh, and get me some oats.”

Kurt shook his head. “You’re not stepping a foot… especially a bare foot into the stables. You’re already in a mess of trouble, little girl. I’ll take care of him. You get yourself back to the house.” Ignoring her look of indignation, he slipped a halter over the horse’s head before leading him into the stables. Maddox chuckled, watching Adira spin away with a huff then wince as her bare foot came down on a stone with her first step. He saw Kurt grinning, as if pleased to be proven correct that proper attire was required in the stables. After Adira was no longer in hearing distance, the head groom lifted his eyes towards the camera in the corner. “Give her a few smacks for me, boss.”

Maddox pressed a button on a console. “Will do.”

“Whoa, she’s a bit bossy, isn’t she?” Stryder said. “Still pissed off about being stuck in that trunk?”

“She’s walking a bit bow-legged,” Anson said, tapping the screen as if the others couldn’t see how Adira was walking slowly back towards the house, stopping every few steps to lift a foot to give it a rub and then grimacing a little. It became clear that her feet weren’t the only thing bothering her when, with a quick look around, she then squatted a bit, her hands furiously rubbing her inner thighs.

Maddox chuckled again, drawing their attention to him. “I think it’s safe to stand down. You can put the drone to bed, Stryder. I’ll take it from here.”

With that, he strode from the room without a glance back, grinning when he heard his father say, “Well, she is his save. I’m going to go back to bed. Good job, boys.”

Drake passed his eldest son on their way back down the tunnel. “You will remember that she is our responsibility?”

“Absolutely,” Maddox assured him, “but, Pops, she’s gotta learn that doesn’t mean she can pull stunts like this when she doesn’t get her way.”

Drake gave him a hard look and then nodded. “Good enough. Good night, son.”

By the time Adira made it to the house, the men had gone back to bed… everyone except for the man she found standing just inside the front door. She shrieked when she was suddenly lifted and thrown over his shoulder.

“Put me down!”

“No,” Maddox said, locking the front door and resetting the alarm.

“You can’t—”

“Oh, honey, I assure you I can,” Maddox said, moving across the living room.

“Look, you ass… Ow!”

“The only ass you need worry about is your own. And, Adira, you should be very, very worried.” His words had her stiffening for a moment before she began to struggle. Her fists beat on his back and her feet drummed against his abdomen, and yet he knew she was going nowhere except where he decided she’d go.

“Jennie!” Adira shouted, her hands braced against his back as she reared back. “Help me!” Maddox watched as the older woman shook her head.

“Sorry, honey, but what you reap you sow. Good night.”

“Wait! What does that mean?”

“It means that Jennie believes in karma and that you, young lady, need to pay for what you’ve done.”

“Pay? How?” His hand patting her ass had her hands beginning to claw at his shirt again, her body squirming like an eel.

“Settle down,” Maddox said, moving towards the office where the bookcase was already standing open. “Keep it up and the spanking you’ve got coming will only increase. As it is, you won’t be sitting or riding for days… want to go for weeks?”

“I hate you!”

“I’ve told you before, I can live with that,” he reminded her as he strode down the tunnel.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, still twisting and squirming.

“You said you wanted to know what’s behind the door… well, you’re going to get your wish.” Keying the code into the pad, he heard the lock disengage. Before opening the door, he paused, an arm locked across her thighs, a hand patting her butt. “You’re also going to learn that I meant what I said. I am in control.” That said, he opened the door and stepped into the room.