Page 24 of Chasing Trouble
She tossed her head.“And maybe that’s just plain old lust talking,” she jeered.
His eyebrow shot up.“Are you saying you’d let me make love to you even if you didn’t love me?”Surely, she didn’t mean that.
She shrugged.“I don’t know...maybe.”
That did it.With those words, she’d relegated him to a one-night stand, the little brat.Here he’d been protecting her honor, and she was flippantly saying it didn’t matter.In one quick step Mac had her by the forearms.“Little girl, you’re asking for a spanking like you’ve never had before.”He dragged her to the hay bale, where he sat, pulled her across his lap, and began swatting the seat of her jeans.
“Let me go, Mac,” she demanded, trying to scramble away from his punishing hand.
He just pulled her back in place.“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I’m tired of your nonsense.Either you want to get married or you don’t.”He paddled her with the full force of his arm across the seat of her pants, making her buttocks bounce and spring back.
“Stop it right now,” she screeched, her arms and legs flailing uselessly.
But Mac was done with her attitude.He continued the painful punishment and laid down the law at the same time.“This is how it’s going to be, brat.If you decide to marry me, then you’ll be at the church tomorrow.If you aren’t there, I’ll figure you changed your mind, and I won’t bother you again.And if we do get married, there’ll be no waiting for three damned months before I make love to my wife!”
“I won’t be there,” Whitney sobbed furiously.“You can’t make me.”
“I don’t intend tomakeyou do anything,” he replied, finishing up with several hard swats that made his palm hot.He was pretty sure her butt was hotter, though.He allowed her to roll off his lap, and he stood up, watching her glare up at him from the floor.
“I hate you,” she yelled, the tears trickling down her cheeks.
He picked up his hat and slapped it against his leg.“That’s too bad, because I still love you, but I won’t put up with any more nonsense.I know you’ve been through a rough ordeal today, and had to process your dad coming home and all that means, but so have I.How do you think I felt when I saw those men closing in on you?And you left the house without taking your rifle.You deserved to be spanked for that if nothing else,” he punctuated each sentence.
“You’re an independent little cuss, Whitney, but in my house, I’m the one in charge.I suggest you think on that long and hard because when you don’t mind me, you’ll be getting your little butt whooped.You can count on it.If you can’t live with that, then by all means, don’t show up tomorrow.But I’m hoping you are woman enough to realize that we have something good here, and to take advantage of it.”
He turned and started backing down the ladder, his eyes never leaving her face until he couldn’t see her anymore.He moved slowly, giving her time to think it over.She didn’t call after him or try to stop him, and his heart was heavy with disappointment.Maybe she didn’t love him enough after all.If that was the case, then it was better to know now than later.He hesitated at the bottom of the stairs to give her another chance, but she didn’t appear at the ladder.Finally, he turned and strode away.
***
ONCE MAC’S FOOTSTEPSdisappeared, Whitney sat up on the hard wooden floor, wincing from the pain in her bottom.He’d spanked her hard, and she knew she’d feel this one for a few days.Watching his face disappear from her view had felt like a part of her heart was dying.She couldn’t get the words out that would keep him with her, though.Her mind was in too much of a jumble, and she needed time to sort it all out.Maybe it was better this way; they’d been glued at the hip practically for the last three days.
With a sigh, she flopped backwards to relieve the pressure on her buttocks and turned to her side.The tears just kept coming, and she felt like a leaky faucet that needed a new washer.As she thought about it all, she realized she had been acting pretty ridiculous.Whoever heard of waiting three months to make love after you marry?It would never work out, not when two people were so attracted to one another.What had she been thinking?Besides, Mac wasn’t the kind of man to take orders, and in reality, she would never want a weak man she could push around.
Mac was strong, protective, and patient.
Until he wasn’t.
She reached back and rubbed her aching buttocks.He sure packed a wallop.She wasn’t sure how long she lay on the hay floor, but the light was fading and she was getting cold.A small part of her had been hoping he would come back, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen.With a deep sigh, she sat up and rubbed her face with the sleeve of her jacket.Might as well stop feeling sorry for herself and head into the house.
Backing carefully down the ladder, she jumped off the last two steps.Buck was in his stall, so her dad must be back.She hadn’t even heard him come in she’d been so absorbed in her own misery.Disconsolate, she trudged across the yard. If not for Mac, things would be a lot different right now; she might be a prisoner of those two horrible men.That did go on the plus side of marrying the man.
Opening the door of the log home, she stepped into the warmth and took off her jacket and hat, then turned to her family in the kitchen.Her dad was dishing up the turkey and noodles she’d prepared earlier today, which had been left sitting on the back of the stove.
“Are you hungry?”Daniel asked quietly, studying her as she walked to the table.
“Kind of,” she replied.She tried not to wince when she sat down in the hard chair next to Amelia as her dad put a bowl of the hot food in front of her.“Thank you.”
“Biscuit?”Luke asked, passing her the bread basket politely.
She nodded gratefully and took one of the biscuits while Amelia slid the butter crock towards her.
“Butter for Witty,” the little girl crooned with an angelic smile.
Whitney couldn’t help but smile.“Thank you, Amelia.You know I love butter.”
Amelia reached up, and her baby-soft little hand with a dimple in it patted her face.“Witty loves Mac too...even when he ‘panks.”
“That’s enough, Amelia, finish your soup now,” Daniel urged his younger daughter with a firm expression.
