Maybe, With Conditions

by Mariella Starr

  Nicole was silent as she nodded her head in agreement. "You're right. I've been self-centered."

  "You've been behaving like a spoiled hellcat," Dalton scolded. He took her hand, again, and led her into the tack room where saddles were arranged along the walls and on several benches. "What happens when you behave like a brat?"

  "No!" She backed away from him.

  "Yes," he disagreed. He sat on a bench and pulled her over his lap. He tossed her long broomstick skirt over her back and admired her backside. It was about as close to naked as she could get in a pair of the thong panties she preferred. He would have liked to have a different goal in mind, but he didn't. He tightened his grip on her squirming body and applied his hand to her perfect bottom in stinging smacks.

  Nicole squirmed and cursed Dalton, but he was not swayed.

  "Stop it!" she screamed, twisting and trying to get away. "This is so wrong!" She screamed louder as his hand landed on her ass in an especially sharp sting.

  "Owww! Owww, you bastard," she screamed, again, and then wished she hadn't said it out loud as Dalton laid several more burning, stinging smacks on the same spot. She squirmed, and twisted, and beat him with her fists, but the spanking only became harder.

  Sobs escaped her throat while her bottom burned.

  Dalton hadn't intended to give Nicole a full out spanking. He intended only to give her a warning, an incentive to change her attitude. When she started swearing, he decided she deserved more since she had been behaving like a brat, lately. She needed a little behavior modification.

  When she gave up the fight, he aimed a few more stinging smacks before gently rubbing her reddened bottom. He pulled her into his arms and let her cry out her frustrations while he continued stroking her. He could feel the heat from her bottom radiating into his hand.

  Nicole cried. She knew only part of her tears were for her sore bottom. More than a few were because she had been holding a pity party for herself. The loss of her paintings, although devastating, wasn't anything she couldn't reproduce. Not having a showing was also a setback, but would be rectified with time. The loss of her new SUV wasn't significant, not compared to losing her life.

  She sniffed and buried her head into his chest. Dalton was right. She had been behaving like a self-centered child.

  "I hate it when you're right. I have been acting ungrateful. Has the money changed me so much already? Am I behaving like one of those spoiled heiresses we see in the news?"

  "No," Dalton said, stroking her. "I don't think it has anything to do with the money. I believe you have been on edge since the accident with a lot of things crashing in on you at the same time. As far as those spoiled heiresses go… they don't have me around when they behave badly. You do. Make no mistake about it, brat, your ass belongs to me."

  "I hate your misguided belief in spanking," Nicole mumbled.

  "Do you?" Dalton asked, sliding his hand under her and fingering her swollen clitoris. "If it's true, why do you get sexually excited when I spank you?"

  "I don't!"

  He stroked her and she shivered.

  "Yes, you do. You might dislike disciplinary spanking, but it makes you want me in other ways."

  Nicole moaned as another series of shivers tingled over her. When his mouth covered hers, she took in his tongue. "It's kinky," she murmured.

  "It's also part of who you are and what you want." He pulled away the tiny scrap blocking his access and entered her with his fingers. She moaned and squirmed on his lap making him go rock hard.

  Dalton stood, bringing her to her feet with him. He stepped over to the door and threw the latch into the locked position. With his arm around her waist, he carried her over to the long row of saddles, laid her across one and positioned her with her ass in the air uncovered. He unzipped his jeans and unleashed himself. He could see she was already quivering and damp with anticipation.

  With a long hard thrust, he was in her, buried to the hilt. Nicole moaned and he could feel the heat from her sex, as well as from her reddened bottom. It turned him on further and he pounded into her, his balls slapping against her buttocks when he could go no further.

  Nicole wasn't surprised the spanking had led to sex. Her body always reacted to him, not only his penis but also his hands and his strength. What he did with his hands and fingers was amazing. They were as gentle in caresses as they were hard in spankings. She spread herself further apart enabling him to go deeper, as she arched backward and used her arms to push her hips to meet his entry.

  She was excited and rocked by lust. Dalton needed her badly. At the same time, Dalton didn't want to be quick. If he could hold out and use his body to bring about one of her extended orgasms, he would be the victor. Her breath came in short gasps and moans as he stroked and rippled his fingers across her clitoris as if playing a fine instrument.

  Nicole's entire body pulsed in waves. She was on the very edge, and his every stroke and thrust brought her closer. Suddenly Dalton withdrew, turned her around, and lifted and reentered her. Her legs locked automatically around his hips pulling him closer. He lowered his head and pulled her loose blouse away to capture one of her breasts in his mouth while he rubbed his thumb pad on the other nipple. All she could feel was her aching need before she exploded.

  There it was! Dalton felt her body contracting and reeling him in. He thrust into her harder, stiffer, as she milked him dry. She arched her back to take more of him, as wave after wave of her climax fought against ending. Her groan of release was throaty and almost painful, as she couldn't control her reactions. He wanted to give her more. He ground against her to harden himself, again. He stayed with her, pumping, grinding, and using everything in his arsenal to deliver what she needed.

  When the amazing spasms of orgasm finally released her, Nicole was crying. She buried her face into his shirt and clutched his arms to her.

  "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" he demanded.

  "No," she cried. When he tried to move away, she clung to him. "Don't leave me, yet," she whispered.

  Dalton shifted to sit her on the saddle and rocked her gently back and forth. He was spent. He removed himself and stroked her with his hand. She was dripping wet from her release and his. He shifted again and with her legs still wrapped around him, he carried her to the small basic bathroom attached to the tack room and small office space in the barn. He set her on the edge of the old porcelain sink and held her to him until the last of the shivering subsided, and their breathing returned to normal.

  Nicole felt as if she was returning after an out of body experience. She could feel everything, though. There was a delicious awareness of being a woman, the remaining tingling between her legs, and… Oh! A bottom that was decidedly tender and sore, and sitting on a hard surface!

  She untangled her legs from around Daltons body, but he wasn't ready to release her. He lowered his head and kissed her. When they both surfaced from the soul-searching kiss, he stepped away and examined her with his eyes.

  "Are we okay?"

  She nodded. "We need to get back," Nicole whispered as she rearranged her clothes. She noticed their surroundings. "There's a bathroom in a barn," she questioned.

  Dalton chuckled. "Yes. It's not the cleanest, but it works for the cowmen."

  "Give me a few minutes."

  He nodded and kissed her, again, before walking out straightening his clothing.

  Nicole yanked some paper towels from a roll. The bathroom wasn't the cleanest, but it would do until she could get to the main house. She straightened her clothing. Her blouse and bra were bunched around her waist. Her skirt had been pushed out of the way. At some point, Dalton must have removed her underwear altogether.

  When she came out of the bathroom, he was leaning against the doorframe to the barn twirling her thong around his finger.

  "Give me that," Nicole demanded.

  Dalton threw his head back and laughed. "You're blushing! You can knock my socks off with an earth-shattering orgasm, and then blush because
you can't find your underwear?"

  "Don't make fun of me!"

  "I'm not, Nic. Nothing makes me happier than seeing you aroused and then satisfied. You make me feel ten feet tall."

  "It's great for your ego, but look at me. I'm all wrinkled and crumpled. It will be obvious what we were doing our here!"

  "Relax," he murmured into her ear. "The lights are out and everyone has gone to bed. Even if they weren't, I could tell you how I snuck in and out of the house when I was a teenager."

  "Did you get caught?" Nicole asked as they walked out of the barn. She was relieved to see no lights on in the downstairs wing where the rest of the family lived.

  "Nope, I was better at sneaking around than you were. Mrs. O'Cleary told me about catching you sneaking in the house and paddling your behind."

  "I paid for it, but it was worth it," Nicole said smiling. "I put broken pop bottles under Claire's tires. All four of them were flattened the next morning."

  "You deserved a spanking. Did Claire ever find out it was you?"

  "She couldn't prove it, and she deserved it," Nicole said with feeling. "She deserved a lot more, but when you're a kid, revenge is limited."

  * * *

  "I'm going into Hawthorne today," Nicole announced at the breakfast table the next morning. "Don't give me that look," she said to Dalton. "I need some things and I am going. I've been practicing in the Jeep and can drive well enough to get me there and back. Kay doesn't have a class today, but she has plans with Mark. I have a final exam to take and errands to run."

  "I don't like it," Dalton growled.

  "It's been weeks! I'm not spending the rest of my life restricted to the ranch," Nicole declared. "The Sheriff's Department doesn't know any more now than they did right after the accident. The insurance company may be stalling, but I have an appointment with a lawyer, Brian Taylor, today. Maybe a call from a lawyer will help speed up the process."

  "I still don't like it. Promise you will be careful," Dalton warned her.

  "Worry wart," Nicole teased.

  With some driving practice now under her belt with the Jeep and its stick-shift transmission, Nicole drove the thirty miles to Hawthorne without a hitch.

  Matty had thrown a crying fit when she left him behind, but it couldn't be avoided. She was only pretending to be brave. If she ran into a particular, black car with a crazy driver, she would probably wet her pants. If it happened, Matty wasn't going to be there. She checked her rearview and side mirrors repeatedly, but the ominous black car did not make an appearance.

  The exam for one of her online classes required she take the three-hour test on campus. She was sure she'd aced it. She had regretted not finishing her degree, but life had interfered and she wasn't unhappy with how things had turned out. Matty was worth any sacrifice on her part. Now, it looked as if her life was taking another turn.

  Nicole did miss Mrs. O'Cleary and her son, Phillip. Dee Dee's not-so-secret wish had been for Phillip to take a romantic interest in Nicole. However, Nicole and Phillip were more comfortable in a brother-sister relationship. The unspoken secret was that Phillip was gay. Nicole had known for a long time. She thought Dee Dee might suspect, but she wasn't sure. The older woman was forever hopeful of her son presenting her with a daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Dee Dee loved her son, though. She doted on him and his sexuality would not matter to her. More than likely, she would switch her strategy to finding Phillip the man of his dreams. They could marry and adopt children making her a grandmother one way or the other. It was Phillip who did not parade his life choices publicly. He was a very private man.

  Nicole went from the high school after her exam to her appointment with the lawyer. From there, she ran her errands at the drugstore and the only department store in town. She went to the liquor store to buy another bottle of wine for her and Dalton's private use. Clark Barker was as friendly on this visit as he had been on her previous visit to his store. He asked if she would take a delivery to the Double C as Roy Mac had ordered a case of his favorite imported German beer.

  He carried out the wine and beer and stowed it in the Jeep with a friendly smile.

  Nicole waited inside the store not wanting to leave it empty while the owner was doing her a favor. She bade him a friendly goodbye and was about to open the driver's door when Barbara Ruiz stepped in front of her to block her way. Nicole wished she had paid more attention, so she could have avoided the woman altogether.

  "Enjoying your new found fortune?"

  "It hasn't made a whole lot of difference," Nicole replied, not wanting to give the woman any details.

  "I want you to send a message to Dalton for me."

  "Tell him yourself."

  "My attorney thinks I have a very good case against him," Barbara said, watching Nicole carefully for a reaction, but not getting one. "Poor Dalton hasn't had any luck lately, has he? He gets stuck with a kid he didn't want and you in the bargain. Then, his place gets robbed. He's going to lose again, very soon. If I didn't despise him so much, I could almost feel sorry for him."

  "Are you threatening Dalton? I wouldn't waste my time if I were you," Nicole said. "The only way you got Dalton was through lies, and they backfired on you. Whatever happened between the two of you is your business, not mine."

  "It will be your business when I start slinging the mud around," Barbara threatened.

  "There's only one problem with your plan, Barbara. There's a lot more mud on you than Dalton. You tried and failed. Why don't you get on with your life?"

  "I haven't failed, yet," Barbara exclaimed, digging her long nails into Nicole's skin as she grasped her arm.

  Nicole snatched her arm away and shoved the woman aside. "You lost, only you're too stupid to realize it. You need to get into one of those Anonymous programs for alcoholics, gamblers, liars, etcetera… whatever your particular problem happens to be. Stay away from me and mine."

  As she started the ignition and drove out of the parking lot, Nicole thought she had handled the confrontation well. Barbara had been universally disliked as a senior in college. As a second-year student, Nicole heard the complaints from older girls and knew of one written complaint filed against Barbara for supposedly stealing a piece of jewelry. She also stole boyfriends and destroyed romances. She had been on academic probation several times. Her interests centered on men rather than education. Apparently, she was still playing her games.

  Nicole drove to the main street and braked at the four-way stop. Suddenly, the door on the passenger side of the Jeep opened and she screamed. The Jeep lurched forward and the engine stalled.

  "You scared me to death! What are you doing here?"

  "Looking for you," Dalton said. "Pull into the parking lot ahead."

  Nicole restarted the Jeep and drove to the parking lot. When she stopped, Dalton got out and walked around to the driver's side telling her to move over.

  "Why the hell haven't you answered your cell? Where's Matty?" Dalton demanded.

  "What do you mean?" she stammered. "I left him with Helen and Roy Mac." She fumbled in her purse and pulled out her phone. "I forgot to turn the ringer back on after the exam. Where is Matty?

  "We thought you decided to take him with you," Dalton exclaimed. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "Roy Mac, Matty isn't with Nicole. Send out every man on the place to look for him. Now!"

  "Oh God," Nicole moaned.

  Dalton swiped through his phone contacts and dialed. "Sheriff Shifflett, this is Dalton Calloway." He waited for a few seconds. "Dave, my son is missing. No, we thought he was with his mother, but I am with her now and she left him at the ranch this morning. He's only five years old. I don't know. Perhaps he wandered off or maybe he was taken. Strange things have been happening to us, lately. Yeah, I've already ordered every man on the place to search."

  "He's sending several deputies," Dalton said starting the engine.

  "What do you mean someone could have taken him?" Nicole demanded.

  "I don't know any more
than you do, Nic. Hold it together, sweetheart. We'll find him. First, I have to stop at the police station and inform Police Chief Nathan Briggs. No one's answering the damn phone there, either."

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dalton was driving twenty miles above the speed limit racing toward the ranch and neither of them cared. At one point, a sheriff's department vehicle passed them with flashing lights and sirens blaring. His reaction was to floor the accelerator.

  When they arrived at the ranch, dozens of vehicles were parked alongside the lane. The ranch hands were milling around everywhere.

  "What happened?" Nicole demanded. "When did Matty go missing? Why wasn't someone watching him?"

  "We thought you changed your mind," Roy Mac said. "Matty came into the kitchen and said he was going with you."

  "Why would I take a five-year-old to an exam with me?"

  "I'm sorry," Helen said. I know you said you had an exam to take, but we didn't realize it was today. We didn't suspect anything was wrong until Neeley mentioned she had passed you in the lane this morning coming to work. She said you weren't having any problems driving the Jeep. I told her how I was concerned that you hadn't taken the time to install Matty's safety seat and she said she didn't see him with you."

  "That was when we panicked," Dalton said. "We couldn't get you on your cell, so I had Jimmy drive me into town looking for you."

  "I have to go look for him," Nicole exclaimed. A man wearing a sheriff's badge stopped her at the door blocking her path as he was coming in. He nodded to the Calloways before addressing Nicole. "Ma'am, are you the mother?"

  "Yes, excuse me,"

  "Now, hold on, Ma'am. I'm Sheriff Shifflett and I've already organized the boys into search parties." He turned his attention to Dalton and Roy Mac. "When did you discover the boy was missing?"

  "Around eleven this morning," Dalton said. "Nicole left for Hawthorne early this morning. Matty was supposed to stay here with Gran and Roy Mac. He went outside with Nicole and then came back inside telling Gran he was going with his momma. He didn't, but we didn't know it until Neeley, my assistant, said she didn't see him in the car with his mother when she came to work. I explained this to you on the phone."