Page 8 of Ranch Rules

She looked back and forth between the men’s grinning faces and felt something heavy in the pit of her stomach. Was this whole thing a joke to them? “There’s been a mistake.” She lurched to her feet, feeling unsteady in her haste. “I don’t belong here. I don’t need—”

Thomas put out a hand to steady her, but she wrenched away from him. “Now, just a minute. Hear us out completely before you decide to leave.”

“I don’t need to hear anything else. That speaks volumes, thanks.” She nodded toward Nate’s Wall of Horrors.

Thomas was giving her a reproving look—though whether it was because she’d pulled away earlier or because her voice was nearing hysterical, she wasn’t sure.

“Hear us out, then you can go and no one will stop you.” Nate’s voice transformed from stern to cajoling at whim, apparently.

She hated that it made her hesitate, but it did.

“Your firm sent you here for a reason,” Thomas added.

She folded her arms across her chest, angry that they knew that detail, made madder at the implication. She gave each of them an equal dose of her withering stare. “They couldn’t have known—”

“Maybe not,” Nate conceded. “Do you believe in fate, Natalie?”

She scowled at him and didn’t answer.

“I do. What I mean is that I believe that we all end up where we need to be, one way or another. Listen to what we have to say, and maybe you’ll find that you agree with me.”

“Fine. I’ll listen.” But her tone left no doubt that she wasn’t happy about it.

Nate nodded, apparently passing the baton to Thomas, who began to speak.

“Discipline Ranch is a unique place where people from all walks come to experience a different side of life. We teach discipline, in all senses of the word. From hard work to the occasional bottom warming, when warranted.”

She stiffened at this information. She could feel rage welling up inside of her at the idea that anyone would consent to such a thing, much less desire it! “Then you lie to them. You mislead people bringing them here only to live out some sort of sick—”

Thomas held up a hand. “You promised to listen, remember?”

Natalie was a damn good litigator. She had faced some of the most important men in the business world and never lost so much as an hour’s sleep beforehand. But none of them had looked at her the way Thomas was doing now. His gaze was magnetic, commanding. And much to her ire, she found that once he’d trapped her in it, her indignation died on her lips.

“Good girl.” His lips softened with a smile.

Good what? She hadn’t heard such a thing since she was maybe four years old. It was condescending. It was sexist! And yet... something inside her gave way to a warm feeling in her tummy. The shock of her body betraying her in this way made her fidget, and she wrapped her arms more tightly around her chest as though she could protect herself from the effect this stranger was having on her.

“Nate?”

The other man launched into what was obviously a well-rehearsed speech detailing all the dubious virtues of Discipline Ranch. It would seem that each guest was given a contract that detailed rules they would follow—or else.

“The bottom warmings you mentioned, I presume?” She smiled to leave no doubt as to how ridiculous all of this was.

Both men maintained their somber expressions. “Yes,” Nate answered simply, as though it required no further explanation.

“This is ridiculous,” she scoffed. “I’ve never...” She knew she should turn on her heel and march right out of that room without so much as a backwards glance. Everything in her screamed at her to do just that. But as was often a bad habit of hers, her curiosity kept her firmly rooted in place, for the time being. “I just can’t understand why anyone would knowingly agree to such a thing.”

“Everyone needs to learn discipline, in one way or another,” Nate asserted.

“So you said. Well, thanks for answering my questions, I guess. I’ll just go up to collect my bag and I’ll be on my way.” She turned to leave but found Thomas blocking her path.

“If that’s what you’re set on doin’, I guess you will, but we have some business to handle first.”

She raised her eyebrows in silent inquiry.

“The way I see it, you disobeyed me and for that you should be taught a lesson.”

Natalie barked a humorless laugh. Honestly, the audacity! Between these two, they had balls big enough to rival any prize bull. “Is that right?”

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