Page 33 of On His Ranch

His only answer was to look at her with ayou heard me, young ladystare.

Which was how Piper ended up standing in the corner when she had five clean switches lined up on his workbench.

“Keep your nose in there and don’t move,” he warned. He didn’t say another word and there was not another sound to be heard in the barn but thepingof the milk hitting the pail. Piper was tempted to look and see if she would find him looking back at her, but she wasn’t brave enough to dare.

She spent the next several minutes warring with herself—deciding to risk it, then changing her mind, until at last she heard him speak.

“Hmm. I think this one will do nicely,” Chase mused aloud.

The temptation to look was overwhelming. Only her tingling bottom made her keep her gaze on the dull brown wood. “I don’t see what’s so nice about it,” she muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“You did a nice job cleanin’ them off, for a first timer.”

“Um… thank you?”

“You’re very welcome.”

Only knowing he couldn’t see her face gave her the courage to roll her eyes.

“Alright, I reckon I’m ready for you.”

When she turned to see him with a pocket knife cutting off the spurs, her tummy did a dive for the floor.

“C’mon, what are you waitin’ for?”

Piper took a deep breath and obeyed. She stopped in front of him and the workbench, looking at the pile of switches he’d similarly doctored with his knife. “You’re… keeping them all?”

“Might as well. I’ll use as many as I see fit now, and save the rest for later.”

“Why later?” she asked, her pulse picking up pace.

The corners of his mouth tipped up. “You think you won’t give me a reason to use them?” Before she could answer he tapped the bench with the switch. “Bend over.”

She swallowed hard, trying to ignore her racing heart as she bent her body over the bench.

“I want you to hold the sides—nope, like this.” He moved her left arm and guided her fingers around the edge of the wood. “Don’t let go, no matter what, y’hear me?”

“Yes, sir,” she answered, hoping obedience would inspire last-minute leniency. She kept her eyes on the wall in front of her until she heard a whistling sound. When she turned to look and saw Chase whipping the switch in the air, what was left of her resolve vanished. “This isn’t fair!”

The face he turned to her was calm, but resolved. “You don’ think so?”

“No!” she burst out. “I know I shouldn’t have knocked over your milk, but you already spanked me! And it hurt a lot,” she added.

“I don’t know where you come from, but we work hard on this ranch, and we sure as hell don’t waste things because of a temper tantrum.”

Piper stood up, clenching her fists. “I didn’t throw a temper tantrum!”

“Back in position,” he snapped with so much authority that it didn’t even occur to her to disobey. He waited until she was bent back over, hands clasped around the wood. Then he brought the switch down, gently whispering across her bare skin. “Whatever you want to call it, you behaved badly. And yeah, I spanked you for that. Now you’re bein’ punished for breakin’ the rules you agreed to.”

She scowled. It didn’t help her mood any to be reminded that she’d entered into this barbaric arrangement. After all, what choice had she had, really?

“Isn’t that right, Piper?”

“I guess,” she muttered sulkily.

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