Taming His Brat

by Piper Stone

  Cooper’s lower lip quivered and she ran her fingers through his hair. There were no words to say, no need to break the enchanting moment.

  Easing one hand under her ass and lifting until she was on her toes, he pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was gentle, a delicate reminder of their newfound relationship, but the taste of her ignited the embers once again. Fire burned in his belly and groin, whisking throughout his body. Their tongues swirled together, moving in a sensuous dance as they explored the dark recesses of each other’s mouth. Her exotic perfume filled his nostrils, trickling into every cell. He couldn’t get enough of this woman, his lover.

  His brat.

  His submissive.

  She’d uncovered his dominating side, the very one he’d never shared with anyone else. They needed each other.

  Much to his chagrin, several of the customers clapped and whistled.

  Rex broke the kiss, keeping his lips close as he grinned. “I think they understand radiant heat. Huh?”

  “Ugh!” She pressed her face against his neck, laughing softly.

  “No need to be embarrassed, sunshine. Better than the alternative.”

  She smacked her hand against his chest. “You’re the meanest man alive.”

  He kept her close. “I just know you too well.” They danced another song in silence, merely enjoying the music. “Speaking of which, it seems like you’re wearing panties. You disobeyed me yet again.” He offered an evil grin, purposely fingering the top of her thong through her dress and tugging.

  “Ouch!” Blushing, she gave him a pouty look. “Not on purpose.”

  “Uh-huh. We’ll deal with that later. Big switch. Huge in fact.” Rex tugged again, chuckling at her expression.

  “Yes. Sir.”

  He patted her ass and smoothed down her dress, about ready to jump out of his skin with desire. The song ended, moving into another and still they were holding onto each other. “About time for that drink.”

  “Mmm... I guess. I could stay like this all night.” She slipped her hand into his pocket.

  Lifting her chin with a single finger, he half whispered, “Me too, lady. Me too. What do you have on that big brain of yours?”

  “Just thoughts.” She moved her fingers in further.

  “About?” Rex realized she’d found the card. He shifted and tugged on her arm.

  “Stuff and what are you hiding in that big pocket of yours?” Cooper cooed the question, trying to dig her fingers back in.

  “Brat, when your dom asks you to answer a question, you’re supposed to be truthful,” he teased. “And you’re not supposed to pry either.”

  “I am being truthful and I never pry. I just... I’m a curious girl. You know that. What do you have there, cowboy?”

  “Definitely soap is in order for that caustic mouth.” He tried his best to keep from bristling. She was more than a handful, determined to pick apart his life. Endearing but not what he needed at the moment. “And curiosity killed the cat. Remember that.”

  Cooper exhaled and jerked her arm away. “Fine, but I really think the ranch could be transformed. That’s all.”

  “We aren’t talking about that right now. Remember?”

  “But I want to talk about it. Imagine a dude ranch and it could be a specialized place for families, you know like with sick children coming to the cancer center. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

  Rex wasn’t in the mood to get into this. “Honestly, that’s a beautiful idea. Fabulous, but I don’t have the time or money. Let’s just enjoy our evening. Okay?”

  “But what if you had investors and...” Her words trailed off.

  He placed his finger over her lips, shaking his head. “I don’t want to talk about this. The ranch is my issue to deal with. Not yours. I appreciate your wonderful thoughts, but drop it, Cooper. Concentrate on getting a job and everything you need to get your life back in order. I don’t need help. Anybody’s help.”

  Her eyes reflecting hurt, she backed away, nodding her head. “Fine. You don’t need anyone’s help. You could lose the ranch and every memory you had, but you won’t listen to anyone. That’s exactly the way I remember you from before, stubborn as shit. That’s exactly why it didn’t work out between us.”

  “Coop, don’t make a big thing out of this. I’ve got time and I’ll figure something out. I always do.”

  “Big thing? This is a big thing to your father, but that’s right, you haven’t talked to him very much. Right?”

  Her defiance was just as maddening as before. “We can talk about this later. Not here. Not now. Do you understand?”

  She cocked her head, her eyes flashing. “Why, yes, sir. Whatever you say. Sir.” Turning on her heel, she walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

  Rex remained on the dance floor, gawking in her direction. A nagging feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Cooper was right. “Son of a bitch.” What in the hell was he going to do with her?

  Better yet, what in the hell was he going to do with himself?

  Chapter Nine

  Damn him. Damn him! The man was going to ruin everything because he was freaking pigheaded! Cooper had decided on her own, without the infuriating man telling her over and over again, to drop the issue. But inside, her stomach churned, or maybe she was chomping at the bit to get started. She realized more than ever that she was going to have to keep this operation top secret. If Rex knew, he’d fight her every step of the way.

  And damn it, she was going to help him whether he wanted it or not. What in the heck was he hiding in his back pocket? From what little she’d been able to determine, it felt like a business card. Why bother hiding something like that? Oh, she would get to the bottom of his secrets.

  “I had fun tonight,” Rex said as he led them to his truck.

  “Growl,” she muttered under her breath.

  He gave her a single look then shook his head. “I see someone needs an attitude adjustment.”

  “Yep. You’re right about that.” And she certainly didn’t mean herself. For the rest of the night he’d acted like the conversation had never happened, pretending to be happy-go-lucky. Meanwhile, his entire world was crumbling.

  Fiddling with his keys, he leaned against the tailgate, kicking the heel of his boot against the pavement. “I’m not playing.”

  “I’m not either.”

  “You are... You’re the most frustrating woman in the entire world. You do know that, right?”

  “Back at you, bubba.” She stood in front of him, glaring into his eyes. While she wasn’t trying to confront him, at least not entirely, she wanted to have a rational, civil conversation yet he refused.

  “Bubba?” Rex let out a long and raspy sigh.

  “You heard me.”

  Without saying another word, he dug into the front pocket of his jeans. Even in the dim lighting of the parking lot, she was able to tell what he had in his hand—a pocket knife. “What are you doing?”

  “Getting prepared. Come with me.” His entire demeanor had changed. It was much more authoritative than before.

  “For?”

  “We’ve been over this. When I ask you to do something, you’re supposed to follow the rules.”

  “And who made up these rules?” she asked, biting back an even nastier retort. She wasn’t entirely certain she could play by any man’s rules, at least not for long.

  He held out his hand, remaining silent.

  Cooper knew if she was going to spend any time with this cowboy that he was serious about being the head of household. She could decide right now to end their relationship before it had a chance to really get going or accept his guidance and discipline. Who was she kidding? She had a feeling tonight would be about a lengthy and very stern punishment. Every part of her quivering, she grasped his fingers, shuddering from the jolt of electricity shooting through her veins. “Fine.”

  “Fine?” he asked, lifting a single eyebrow, an amused look on his face.

  “Yes, sir.”

>   He chuckled as he walked to a patch of bushes near the truck, conveniently located directly under an actual streetlamp. The entire one hundred yard radius was lit up like a Christmas tree. There happened to be a solid three dozen vehicles located all around the location as well, the realization creating goosebumps all over Cooper’s body. Why was she constantly putting herself in a position to be humiliated? Why?

  Because you’re a very bad girl.

  She rolled her eyes and huffed, even pulling back from his strong hold a teensy bit. He dragged her along as he scanned the various bushes and trees, finally having an ‘a-ha’ moment.

  “Perfect!” he said with glee in his voice.

  Perfect for what? As if she needed to ask. The single word bounced around in her mind, ripping at her nerves. She was the bad little girl anticipating the spanking of a lifetime. Stunned at her body’s reaction, she stood with her feet together, her head lowered as he tried to explain the basics of locating and selecting a switch.

  “Do you see how pliable this one is?” Rex kept his eyes on her as he used the tip of his knife to peel away some of the bark, holding the stalk-like thing directly in the center of the light. “Look.” He ran the edge of the blade down the unsheathed piece. “Slightly green inside. That will make for a perfect implement.”

  Whoosh!

  Rex snapped his wrist, allowing the switch to slice through the air. “Excellent.”

  Her mouth dry, she hadn’t realized she’d jumped, a slight whimper slipping past her lips until her boots almost slipped out from under her.

  “Whoa, girl, be careful. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” He gripped her arm, keeping her steady.

  “Oh, my. Looks like she’s going to have a rough night.” The woman’s voice was far too close in Cooper’s opinion. She almost snarled in the bystander’s direction but thought better of it. She was already heavily on the naughty list for the night.

  “Come on, Martha. Let the young ‘uns be.” The male had a chuckle in his voice.

  Maybe your wife needs a hard whipping. The words were on the tip of her tongue. “Are we done yet?”

  Even more amusement crossed Rex’s face as he folded the knife, shoving it back into his pocket. “We’re finished here anyway. Let’s go back to the ranch.”

  “You’re really going to use that?”

  “When I make a promise, I keep it. We’ll start with the switch, then corner time. Then that soap I was telling you about and just before I put you to bed, I’ll select one of the paddles. That should help you learn your lesson.”

  Cooper stood just outside the unopened passenger door for a solid ten, maybe twenty seconds before she could even move, let alone think clearly. “No way.”

  “Yes way.”

  “So, if we were together, I mean really together, I’d get a lot of these?”

  Grinning, he opened her door, helping her inside, leaning over and placing the switch on her lap. “Absolutely.” He kissed her lips softly, dragging his tongue across the seam of her mouth.

  Every time he touched or kissed her, she was like a kid in a candy store, ready to gobble up all the treats in front of her. This time was no exception, even though the anticipation was killing her. Having a relationship with Rex was her ultimate fantasy coming true. Why was she shaking? She fingered the switch as he walked around the truck, running her finger up and down, shivering as kinky images flowed into her mind.

  Grasping the switch, she held onto it like a lifeline, trying to calm her nerves as the mixture of anxiety as well as delicious anticipation made her pussy clench.

  Holy moly, she was in need of his cock filling her to the hilt, fucking her like a wild animal. She wanted to run her fingers across his rippled muscles, savoring the feel of his heated skin.

  “I can see you’re intrigued,” he said as he started the engine.

  “Fascinated.” Her snarkiness had returned. She’d pay for that remark as well. Smiling, she shifted her thoughts to more important details.

  She remained virtually silent as he drove. Rex, on the other hand, chatted up a storm, talking about anything and everything except the ranch. She was only half paying attention, already formulating all the work she was going to have to do. Time was very limited, and she knew a plan had to be in place within a few days. Maybe talking to the man at the bank was the first task. Shit. What if he told Rex what was going on? Shit. Shit. Shit! And yes, she could curse while she was mentally talking to herself. That was okay. Well, she certainly wasn’t going to ask him details about the ranch now.

  At least Angie was on board with helping. That would make things easier. In the morning, she’d get to work. She was almost startled when he pulled the truck down the long driveway, her stomach churning away. There was no preparing for what was going to happen, the intense round of spanking. She just had to be a big girl about this.

  And she craved the stern discipline almost as much as she hungered for the man.

  She’d often wondered what was wrong with her, having read every spanking book she could find, searching over spanking blogs and websites. That had been before... Why was her past threatening to crowd in again? Why was her mind attempting to sabotage everything? And why did she have to keep asking herself the same damn questions?

  Rex stopped the truck, yanking out the keys and reaching over the back of the seat. The lights from the front porch sent a glow into the cab of the truck, highlighting her face. He stopped short and leaned his head closer. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Are you okay?”

  “I’m... fine.” Secrets and lies. Secrets and cloaked plans.

  “Are you sure, baby? Is there something you need to tell me?”

  “Why would you ask that?” Cooper heard the raspy sound of her own voice and fumbled to get to the door handle before he could see tears in her eyes. “We should get to this. Now. Yes, now.”

  “Whoa. Hold on. If you’re angry about before, I just wanted to let it go tonight. That’s all. We can talk more later. I promise. Tonight is special. Plus, you’re out of sorts and very much in need of stern discipline.”

  “It’s not that. Well, yes, to a point, but that’s not what’s bothering me. It’s fine. Okay? This time, I’ll ask you to leave it alone.” Discipline. She took a series of deep breaths as she pressed her fingers into the cheap vinyl of the door handle.

  He hesitated before reaching behind the seat once again. “I don’t like this. You need to be able to confide in me.”

  “Like you do with me.” She watched in appreciation as he pulled not one but two nasty-looking paddles from behind the seat. Just seeing the thick pieces of wood up close and personal gave her heart a series of skitters.

  “These will be an excellent addition to my collection. Don’t you think?”

  She nodded and tried to smile, fingering the slender twig and imagining the sharp sting as the first stroke was slapped against her naked ass. Perspiration beaded along her upper lip. Whew, she was in so much trouble.

  “Come on. Let’s go inside. I think you need this now more than ever.” He eased the switch from her lap, tapping it against her arm.

  While he was utterly dominating, he was so gentle about how he handled her, as if she might fracture into a million little pieces. Maybe she had some kind of a vibe or aura around her. The same as Rex did.

  Two damaged souls.

  “Okay.” One. Two. Three. Four... The moment passed, leaving her heart racing but no longer afraid that her past was going to eat her alive. Maybe she was getting better after all. Wouldn’t the shrink she’d been encouraged to see be happy at her progress? She chuckled as silently as possible, thoughts of the wretched woman giving her courage a boost. Having a mission was helping her rebuild her strength.

  Rex whistled as he turned on several lights, every few seconds tipping his head in her direction. He was methodical about laying the switch directly in the middle of the kitchen table, the paddles on either side. He was turned toward her as he tugged his knife out of his po
cket, taking his time slicing off portions of bark, leaving just enough on the bottom as if needing the perfect grip.

  She couldn’t take her eyes off the action and even as she stood awaiting her punishment, her cunt clenched, coming close to orgasming.

  “Go ahead and remove your clothes.”

  She sucked in her bottom lip, shifting back and forth from foot to foot. He closed the front blinds, alleviating the possibility that anyone would see in. She could only imagine the way his father would react if he witnessed his son in action. Then again, didn’t the statement ‘the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree’ apply in this circumstance? A solid grin popped across her face. “Yes, sir.” Taking her time undressing, she placed everything on one of the chairs and had never felt so naked in front of a man. Why did this seem far too intimate, as if being spanked completely unclothed left her completely open and raw?

  He walked closer, taking both her hands into his. “Why do you enjoy picking fights, spewing off caustic and sometimes hurtful things?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I think you do. You pushed me tonight on purpose. Didn’t you, just like you did before?”

  “I just... You’re right. Everything I’ve done in my life, whether a personal or business relationship has been about bending the rules or acting out to see if anyone cared about me.” She opened her eyes wide, surprised she’d even admitted this. “I’ve never even thought those words before.”

  “Yes, you have.” Rex exhaled. “The job you were fired from recently. Your fault?”

  She snorted and started to shake her head when she flashed back to her days of employment. “Perhaps. I didn’t fit in and I tried to make changes.”

  “Uh-huh. And why?”

  Because I was terrified of everyone and everything around me. Oh, no. She wasn’t going to open up Pandora’s Box tonight. “Trying to prove myself and it got out of hand.”