Page 30 of Ranch Rules

“It was me!”

All heads turned to Lora, who was staring back with large eyes as she bit down on her lip.

“You?” her fiancé repeated, his tone dubious.

“Yes. It was me, I got on your computer. I... I just forgot.”

“You forgot?” he echoed, his tone sounding more bewildered by the second. “After we had a ten-minute conversation about this, you suddenly remember that you used my computer?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, Nate. I’m sorry that I didn’t remember. I’m sorry to bother you guys,” she added to Thomas. She studiously avoided looking at Natalie.

“The only trouble is, love, I’m not sure I believe you.”

“Me either,” Thomas agreed, his own voice growing stern.

Make that three of us. Isn’t she supposed to lie for a living?

“Well, that’s too bad.” Natalie winced as the other girl’s voice began to shake. “Because it’s t-true.”

“Hmm. Wanna know what I think happened? I think you left for a minute to come find me and Natalie here took advantage of an opportunity right in front of her. Does that sound about right, Natalie?”

Suddenly, there were three pairs of eyes on her, two accusing and one sad and pitiful. She shifted uncomfortably. They already knew the truth. Heck, Nate had probably already had a pretty good idea of what happened before he even asked Lora. And to be fair, it was probably easier to lie to strangers than someone you loved—not that Natalie herself had too much experience in that department.

“Yes.” The word was spoken so quietly that she almost didn’t hear it herself. But either Nate’s ears were better than hers, or he could read lips, because she knew by the tightening of his mouth that he’d heard her just fine.

She could feel Thomas’s eyes boring into her, but she didn’t dare look at him. This morning seemed like a lifetime away—if she had it all to do over again, knowing what it would lead to... but she couldn’t turn back the clock and now she had to pay the piper.

“Well. What do you think we should do about this?”

Natalie winced as Nate spoke over her, as though she wasn’t even in the room.

“You know I take lyin’ very seriously.”

“As do I. Lora, come here.” Nate summoned his fiancée from the corner with a foreboding crook of his finger.

“Wait!” Though she hadn’t intended to speak up or attempt to defend herself in any way, Natalie couldn’t help but protest. She blushed hotly as both men looked at her. “I shouldn’t have gotten onto the computer. It was my fault. Please, Lora shouldn’t get in trouble on my account.”

Nate spared her a glance before aiming his stern gaze back at Lora. “I agree with you, Miss Winthrop. But in this case, Lora got in trouble all on her own. You know better than to lie to me, don’t you?”

She nodded, her blonde ponytail bouncing, before biting down on her lower lip and looking at the floor.

“I will give you one chance to explain—the truth this time. You will still be punished, but I will take anything you have to tell me into consideration.”

Natalie’s heart was pounding hard in her chest and she couldn’t help but squirm guiltily. This was all her fault, she knew it.

“I just... I was hoping...”

“Yes?” he prompted.

Lora glanced up at Natalie before redirecting her gaze to the carpet once more. “I get lonely here sometimes. I mean, I love you, you know I do,” she told Nate. “But it was nice having another girl to talk to. So, I thought maybe if I could keep her from getting in trouble before Thomas gets all paddle happy...”

Wait. Had she said paddle? Natalie’s head jerked toward Thomas, who was watching the scene with an impassive expression on his chiseled features and gave no sign of what he was thinking.

“I’m sorry you get lonely,” Nate answered, his voice softening considerably. “But that doesn’t change the fact that Natalie earned the spanking for herself. She broke the rules, she logged on to my computer without permission.” His eyes were narrowed and disapproving when he turned his attention to her. “Perhaps I’m to blame in part for having such an easy password.”

She felt her cheeks heat once more.

Nate turned his attention back to his fiancée. “Just like you earned a spanking for lying to me. It’s wrong to lie in any case, but in this one, it hurts the trust in our relationship.”

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