Page 36 of Ranch Rules

Chapter Six

It took Natalie a fewminutes to realize that Thomas had stopped spanking and was rubbing gentle circles on her back to help her calm down. Part of her would have liked to shoot upright and get dressed, just in case his intention was to continue. But the bigger part was resigned to the fact that he would have all the say on when this nightmare was over, so she decided to enjoy the break for as long as it lasted.

“Do you think you can sit up?”

Natalie noticed right away his voice was absent the stern edge it’d held the entire time he was punishing her and she relaxed further. “Yes, sir.”

“Good girl.”

She obediently sat up, wincing as she moved, a little cry of pain emitting from her lips as her bare, swollen cheeks hit his leg.

“You took that very well, all things considered.”

Ducking her head, she mumbled, “I didn’t. I should have stayed where you wanted me.”

“Well, those things come in time, darlin’.”

“I don’t plan on getting spanked again, so I guess I’ll never know.”

Thomas threw his head back and laughed. “Spoken like every naughty girl I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowin’.”

Natalie peeked up at him. “Do you really think I’m... you know.”

“Naughty?”

Unable to say it, she just nodded.

“Hmm, well, if you want to know the truth I reckon you’re a pretty good girl who just needs a reminder to be good every once in a while.” He chucked her under the chin.

Even though he was saying that she deserved spanking, for some reason she didn’t quite understand, she blushed.

“Now, you get dressed and we’ll go find Nate so you can apologize.”

She blanched. She had forgotten that though the spanking was over, her punishment was not.

“Hop to it now.”

Stifling a sigh, Natalie slid off his lap and found her clothes in a puddle on the floor. She put them on as quickly as she could manage, though some wincing accompanied the normally easy task. When she had finished, he took her by the elbow and, ever the gentleman, led her from the office. Natalie hoped fiercely that she never saw the inside of it again.

Fortunately, they did not have far to go and found Nate and his fiancée—a red-eyed, subdued Lora—sitting on the ledge of the fireplace in the lobby. To her surprise, Thomas dropped his hand and stopped. She turned to face him, her eyes questioning.

“You don’t need me for this part.”

The thought of having to walk over there alone made an already unpleasant task downright daunting. “But—”

He put a finger to her lips to silence her. “No, no buts. I trust you to do a beautiful job, all on your own.”

Knowing that it would be pointless to argue, Natalie squared her shoulders and began to walk toward the pair. I can do this. I’ve faced worse than this, plenty of times.

Never a man who could have you spanked.

Her sore, aching butt clenched involuntarily at the thought, making her halt in her tracks. She gazed sorrowfully over her shoulder at Thomas, but he made a shooing motion with his hands, making it clear once more that he would not come to her rescue even as moral support.

You’re a successful lawyer. You don’t have anything to fear. And if you’re afraid... fake it.

It was the motto she lived by. Natalie threw her shoulders back once more, lifted her chin, and minced toward them in steps that belied her lack of confidence.

“Natalie.”

---