Page 32 of Ranch Rules

“Of course you can,” Thomas replied, the voice of reason.

“I mean...” She drew her breath in sharply as, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nate slowly pulling down Lora’s pants. “I know you think I deserve a spanking, but—”

“I think? Don’t you think you deserve a spanking?”

She shifted from foot to foot, unable to think of an answer that would make him see her point of view.

“You signed the contract,” he said as though she needed reminding.

“I know, but—”

“You weren’t under coercion or duress, were you?”

Natalie frowned at him. “Well, no, I guess not, but—”

“There’s no guesswork in this, sweetheart,” he drawled. “That’s the point of the contract. It takes all the speculation out of the equation. Did you knowingly access someone else’s private computer so that you could use the Wi-Fi, even after being told that it was against the rules?” His arched brows dared her to give any answer other than the one he expected.

Where was all this lawyer speak coming from all of a sudden? Had he been watching Law and Order reruns or something? “Well, yes, but—”

“And you know that it’s wrong to get on someone else’s computer?”

Natalie swallowed hard. “Of course, but—”

“Did you illegally access someone else’s computer, Natalie? Yes or no?”

Damn. When he put it like that, he knew he had her. “Yes, sir.”

“Okay. Now, in other places, take work for example, maybe you’d be written up or suspended for breaking the rules. Here, you get punished on your bare bottom as I see fit. You know this, and you broke the rules. So tell me what is supposed to happen next.”

She dropped her eyes, unable to look at him. “I...”

“I want to hear you say it, Natalie.”

Her emotions warred with one another. On the one hand, the way he put it sounded totally logical, and that was how the world worked, wasn’t it? You commit a crime, there are certain consequences. She had known what the fine would be in this case, and she had done it anyway. On the other hand, she didn’t agree that being forced to lie helplessly and take a spanking was ever fair.

Was it? She had known the rules. She had broken them. But she didn’t want to be spanked!

“I’m a patient man, Natalie, but I have my limits, darlin’. I’m reachin’ it.”

She knew what he wanted—no, demanded she say. But how could she when she didn’t agree? Finally reaching the only conclusion she could, she took a deep, quavering breath. “You think I deserve a spanking, sir.”

He gave her an encouraging nod.

“I don’t agree, but... I know that was the agreement so... I will accept it.”

“All right. Then get over my lap before you make this any worse for yourself.”

Still, she hesitated. “Yes, sir. Only... can’t we do this somewhere more... private?”

The already thin line of his mouth tightened. “I mean to spank you right here, in this office, and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. Now, hurry up before you get extras for stalling.”

“I... I don’t think I can,” she said, her voice a whisper.

“Let me help you.” Thomas took her by the hand and yanked, forcing her to land face-down over his lap.

Right across from Lora. Who was clearly as humiliated as Natalie herself felt and it was only in part to what they knew was coming. She tried to avert her eyes as she felt Thomas’s thumbs in her pants before they began the slow descent down. Her panties followed, the cool air making goosebumps raise on her bare skin.

She knew she needed to keep her eyes on the floor, but the temptation to see how Lora was faring was too great to ignore. Her guilt was almost overwhelming—Lora wouldn’t be in trouble at all if it weren’t for her. At the same time, she was baffled. Why would she try to cover for her? She barely knew her, and she had to know that she would be caught.

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