Page 26 of Tied to Trouble

Looking at his watch again, he decided to head back to his truck and get the sheriff first thing in the morning. There wasn’t much he could do now. Whoever had been here was long gone.

He was taking the shortcut across the dam catwalk when he heard the sound of an engine coming up Possum Lake Road. He stopped and watched, his heartbeat quickening. Who would be coming up here at this time of night? Especially if the dumpers were using the logging road?

When Mandy’s red pick-up crawled out of the woods, his breath came out in a whoosh. A fierce surge of anger and disbelief pulsated through his body. What in the name of Hades did she think she was doing? Especially after the scare she and Beverly had today?

His booted feet clanked on the metal catwalk as his long strides took him across the dam. By the time he reached the other side and opened the gate, Mandy had parked beside his pickup and was walking down to the beach with Mags.

He could hardly believe his eyes.

After what he had told her earlier, she had the nerve to walk on the beach? Alone? And at 12:30 in the morning?

Furious, he slammed the metal gate shut behind him and stalked towards her. He realized he’d scared her when he saw her hand fly to her throat. Good. She’d better be scared, because when he got through with her, she wouldn’t be sitting for a week.

***

MANDY’S HEART LEAPEDin her breast at the sight of Az coming towards her in the moonlight. Pissed was a milk toast kind of phrase to describe the look on his face, and she recoiled in dread.

It was almost a pagan dance in the moonlight on the deserted beach as he stalked her like a hunter. In accompaniment to his dance step, she retreated, an unconscious plea in her eyes for the beast not to devour her. She wished she were back in her bed, even though she hadn’t been able to sleep.

Her troubled conscious had sent her to the Golden G, wanting to make the wrong she had done him right somehow, but he hadn’t been there. Recalling that he often went to the lake when they were kids to think, she had driven up here, not intending to stay if she didn’t see him. Surely, nothing could happen to her in the safety of her truck and with Mags along to protect her. But when she’d seen his truck parked and empty, she’d decided to look for him.

But holy crap!

Who was going to protect her from the pagan advancing on her? His features appeared carved from burnished mahogany in the moonlight, and the look on those features would have convinced a sacrificial victim that all hope was gone.

Backing up, Mandy didn’t see the piece of driftwood that lay in her path. She stumbled awkwardly over it and went sprawling on her backside. In a flash, Az was standing over her, his fists on his hips. She instinctively put her hand up to protect herself, to stave off the inevitable.

“Az—no.”

“No, what, Mandy?”

The voice was low and deadly, and Mandy began to shiver. “D-don’t,” she quavered. “P-please, Az.”

She had somehow awakened a fierce warrior bent on punishment, and she knew exactly what he was going to do. Without a doubt she was about to get her butt spanked like she’d never been spanked before.

Mags whined and licked her face, then set off toward the water to investigate. Her dog was going to be no help at all.

Traitor!

***

AZ STARED STERNLY DOWNat his woman. For she was his woman, there was no denying it any longer, and his woman was in sore need of chastisement. With a growl that would have made his ancestors' hearts swell with pride, he reached down and pulled her to her feet. From there, it was an easy step to tuck her beneath his long arm, her body bent, and place her cringing buttocks at a convenient angle.

With a ruthless swipe of his right hand, her cotton shorts went down her thighs, dragging her dusty rose panties with them. He didn’t even hesitate to appreciate the sight of the pale globes glimmering in the moonlight, he just began to paddle the errant backside laid open to his view.

The sound of the spanking echoed, ricocheting across the lake and back again as the slaps on bare skin resounded over and over. He took no pity on the shrieking girl as his hard palm worked up and down both thighs and across the rounded bottom like a master painter at work.

Disobeying him once when he’d warned her off was bad enough, but twice? Especially with the full knowledge of the danger the second time around? Putting herself in danger on purpose was completely unacceptable. His fear for her made him implacable, and he was determined to see that she thought twice before disobeying him again when it came to her safety.

***

“I’M SORRY, AZ! I’Msorry—I’m sorry,” Mandy yelped, helpless as his long arm held her firmly in place and bent over. She danced and yelled louder as the pain and burning built to an unbearable level, and she was afraid he was never going to stop. Mags barked and ran around them both until she finally lay on the ground near the bench and placed her paws over her eyes.

“Az—please stop!” Her pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, and she finally burst into tears, unable to take any more without crying.

Az stopped, but only for a moment. He scolded her as he marched her over to the wooden bench by the trash bin. “Iamyour keeper, little girl. I always have been—I always will be. You might as well get that through your stubborn little head. You belong to me.” Sitting down, he pulled her across his left thigh and hooked his long right leg over hers.

Mags whined and moved out of the way as Az invaded her bench, but she didn’t growl at him.

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