His fingers curved beneath her bottom and he lifted her, hauling her across the center console into his lap. When he had her straddling his thighs, he reached down and adjusted his seat.

“Kyle… You’re not seriously going to… uh, spank me…” for some reason she whispered the last few words as if someone were around to overhear, “are you?”

“I intend to prove to you I mean business.”

“Not necessary,” she replied quickly while shaking her head. “I believe you.”

“Hm, that’s not how it sounded a minute ago.”

His thumbs located the waistband of her fleece-lined snow pants and his hands dipped inside her panties. She liked having his hands on her, they were big and warm and confident, but for what he had in mind she wasn’t quite sure those were desirable qualities, especially when anyone passing by could see them.

“We’re on a busy street, in broad daylight.”

His head popped up and he looked around; she did too, craning her neck to the side and behind her. Not a soul was stirring. He leaned back, arching a brow. “They’re abandoned except for us, no one will see.”

“But, Kyle…”

“This is happening, Dixie,” he replied, undeterred as he squeezed her bottom. He didn’t hesitate to begin peeling down her pants, either.

She squirmed, frowning. “Wait…”

“No.” he replied, one arm clamping around her waist to hold her still as he continued to inch her panties to the tops of her thighs. He began to rub his palm all over her bare ass. She whimpered softly and saw his lips curved slightly upward. He knew he had her, darn him.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this.”

“We’ll just have a sample.”

“If someone sees—”

“There isn’t anyone around; besides, my windows are tinted.”

Her eyes shifted to the dark smoky glass she hadn’t noticed and she relaxed the tiniest bit. “You could have said so,” she grumbled with a little pout.

He arched a brow, his big hand unceasing in its caresses. “A dozen swats, one for each year you gave me the silent treatment. Sounds fair, don’t you think?”

“Mm, I s’ppose,” she murmured, starting to enjoy how the heater blowing full force warmed her skin, and how his gently massaging hand warmed other parts that she hoped he would pay attention to afterwards. Despite how many times he’d brought her to climax in the past twenty-four hours, she pressed her hips into him invitingly, her demeanor changing from resistant to pleasingly compliant. How bad could a dozen swats be?

“Have you ever been spanked before, Dixie?”

“No.” Aroused, she was now squirming a bit beneath his fingers.

“Not as a kid?”

“Nope,” she repeated, sort of, while pressing her upper body against his firm chest. Her hands slid up and gripped his shoulders, hanging on as she savored the feel of his touch, fingers stroking, squeezing, and lightly abrading tender places, although she couldn’t help wondering why he was playing twenty questions when they could be getting down to business.

“How about a playful swat from a lover?”

She raised her head and met his gaze. “I haven’t had that many lovers.”

“That makes me happy, but I don’t want the details, okay?”

Pausing, she bit her lip. “I don’t think I want to know, either.”

“I can promise whatever you’re thinking, I’m not nearly the dog you or the press made me out to be, although I wasn’t exactly a saint.”

She nodded hesitantly, going quiet as she looked away.

The arm at her waist moved, and his fingers tilted her chin up, forcing her to see him.