Page 10 of Shared on the Ranch

She winced. She just couldn’t seem to help putting her foot in her mouth. “Sorry,” she muttered quickly. “Just… it’s not. I’m sorry, but it’snotfair. If I were a man, would we be having this conversation?”

“Probably not.”

Though he’d surprised her by admitting it so quickly, Chyanne grabbed onto what seemed like her life raft. “Well, then—”

He held up a hand to stop her. “I just mean that most people—menorwomen—would have read the contract before signing it, and come in here knowing the rules. You seem to be an exception.”

She cringed at the truth in his words, but she was determined not to let him see her embarrassment. “Well, fine, you just have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

“Chyanne.” This time, her name sounded more insistent. “As long as you remain in this office, you’ll speak with respect. This is your final warning.”

She had no doubt he meant it. A shiver stole over her, but she nodded. “Sorry, I just… I mean… listen.” She put her hands in her lap so he wouldn’t see her wring them. “This is the situation.”

Nate looked back, mildly interested.

God, it infuriated her. She didn’t do vulnerable well. Hell, she didn’t do much well, except ride. And that was why she was here. Why couldn’t she just do her damn job without all these fucking conditions?

Because this is the last place on your list. You’ve burned every other bridge so it’s either suck it up, or starve.For most people, it wouldn’t be a hard decision, but for her… she had way too much pride. She didn’t have a single cent to her name. She’d used it on the bus ticket here, and if she could walk back home, she would have considered it.

“I… I have to… to take this job,” she began, her voice reluctant. “I’m gonna be honest.”

“That’s the way I prefer it,” he said, giving her a soft smile.

That smile gave her the courage to swallow her pride—damn, it tasted bitter—and continue. “I don’t have any money.” She cleared her throat. “I can’t even get home without the money from this job.” Her fingers were squeezing the armrests so tightly by the time her short speech was done they ached, but she couldn’t let go.

Nate considered her, then turned to the man who was apparently named Chandler. “You’d give her a ride, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course,” he answered without hesitation.

She blinked in surprise, momentarily speechless. “But… it’s pretty far. Three hours one way.”

Nate’s expression didn’t change. “You can have the day to take her home. If you have any other duties, I’ll delegate them elsewhere.”

“I actually didn’t have anything on the schedule today.”

And just like that, it was handled while she sat there, blinking at the two of them. She didn’t understand what had just happened. Why would he volunteer to take her home? Why would this Nate person pay him to do it?

“Miss Saunders? Is it settled then?” Nate inquired, clearly eager to get back to the mound of paperwork that awaited him.

“I…” She shifted again, wincing at the responding prickle. “Ah… well… what if I stayed?”

He regarded her with the same solemn, serious expression. “In that case, we would reprint the contract we give every person who enters Discipline Ranch. It’s a set of guidelines we expect everyone to abide by, and of course, there are consequences if that doesn’t happen.”

Consequences. She’d been hearing all about consequences her whole life, mostly in the phrase:These are just the consequences of your actions.

“And those are… ah… spanking.” She winced as the foul-tasting word—made even more so now that she’d experienced a taste, albeit a small one—left her mouth.

“Generally, yes.”

Her brow scrunched. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I tend to leave the specific consequences up to the person you’re assigned to.”

Chyanne processed this, clenching and unclenching her fingers. “And, ah, who wouldI…” She couldn’t even finish the sentence. It was too much, all of it. Her mind was whirling, trying to process all she was hearing and coming up frazzled.

“Chandler? You said you were free today, didn’t you?”

She snapped her head back to look at him, just in time to see his serious nod.Uh-oh. Not him. Anyone but him…and yet, as her belly was clenching with knots, there was a weird pulsing heat between her legs.

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