Page 12 of Ranch Rules

Natalie was doing her best to blink back the tears, but she had a feeling her luck was going to run out soon. All her earlier ideas of being brave and resisting the urge to show how much this hurt were fleeing as the pain intensified.

Another volley of spanks landed, this time to her upper thighs. Unable to bear this new assault, she spun around, her fiery rear hidden by the desk.

Thomas shook his head reprovingly. “You know better than that, young lady. Back in position. I won’t warn you again.”

“I can’t take anymore,” she protested, horrified at the way her lip began to quiver.

“You should have thought about that before you threw such a fit.”

“But I didn’t know—”

“You’re right, you didn’t. And now you do. Which is why I suggest you turn around right now and get your butt back in the air.”

Natalie’s breathing was coming hard and fast as she continued to fight to keep the tears from falling. She considered her options. On the one hand, there was nothing in her that wanted the scorching assault on her hot bottom to continue. And yet, she knew he was perfectly capable of making her comply. Would he dare?

“You have three seconds to turn around and get back in position before I go pick a hairbrush.”

This new threat made her heart thud in her chest. If his hand had hurt that fiercely, how much more would a hairbrush sting? She wouldn’t be able to keep her tears back, that was for sure.

“I’m losin’ patience, Natalie. One...”

Throwing one last pleading look at the closed door, she turned on her heel and draped her body over the surface of the desk once more, gripping the sides until they bit into the tender skin of her palms.

“Good. Now, eyes on the wall. You’re a quick learner, I’ll give ya that.”

She was, but more than that she knew she would have to be an idiot to make a bad thing worse. When I get out of here, I’m calling the Better Business Bureau and having this place shut down. Hell, I’m going to sue! Cruel and unusual punishment! Pain and suffering! I’ll get so much in damages their grandchildren will be paying legal fees!

Of course, such cases had to have proof, which meant she would have to get someone to photograph her rosy tail once this was over. The thought made her feel more than a little nauseous, but she pushed it aside. She could think about that later. She had to get through it first.

Natalie had expected the punishment to resume with the vigor he’d left off with, but Thomas made her wait. With her body stretched over as far as it could go, the wood of the desk biting into her hands, her nerves were already on edge and not knowing when the next smack would come didn’t help. She liked to be in control, and as every control freak knows, being in limbo while someone else wielded the power was the worst-case scenario.

Worse yet, she could feel his eyes on her, and somehow she knew without him having to voice it that he was very well aware of exactly what he was doing to her. If there was anything more horrible than someone else having the power, it was knowing that they enjoyed holding it over you.

Just get on with it already, she begged silently. She could feel him behind her, watching, and she fought the urge to look over her shoulder with nothing more than sheer willpower.

When his hand finally made contact with her bare ass, it was a feather-light touch. Then he rubbed his hand in circles over her butt.

That did it. Unable to resist any longer, Natalie turned to look at him, a scowl on her pretty lips. “What game are you playing at?” she snapped.

While she watched, Thomas pulled his arm back and delivered a hard, loud pop to her bare seat. The shock of the sting made her gasp. “What did I tell you? Eyes on the wall.”

“You... you were teasing me,” she protested.

“Who gets to decide how you’re spanked, Natalie?”

She had to bite down on the inside of her cheek to keep from yelling at him. This was insult to injury, and he knew it, damn him!

“Natalie? I asked you a question.”

She swallowed her anger the best she could and answered, her voice a whisper. “You do, sir.”

“You are a quick learner. That’s right. Which means that this punishment will take place when I decide it will, for as long as I think it should. Now, eyes on the wall.”

She did as he instructed, seething. “This isn’t fair,” she ground out between clenched teeth.

“I didn’t say it would be fair, but I think it is. You’ll think twice before causing an uproar like that again, won’t you? Honestly, an educated woman like yourself, grown, as you like to keep reminding me, runnin’ around and yellin’ her head off. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

When he put it like that, she couldn’t help but be. Because as angry as she was for being put in this humiliating position, she had to admit he did have a point. What had gotten into her? She supposed it was the shock of everything that had happened from today. First, learning that she had lost an account, and then hearing that her bosses wanted to her take a mandatory break. That would be unnerving to anyone. But not having Wi-Fi to keep up with all her cases had been the final straw.

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