by Reece Butler
His grimace turned hard. She backed up a half step. She’d forgotten about Western men and their whole macho thing, both truck and virility.
“You’ll be punished for that comment later,” he said calmly, “as well as your earlier demands.” He dropped the keys in her hand. She clutched them to her chest as he sauntered past.
He was silent as Nikki drove the short distance to the room over the garage she’d called home for the last few months. Eric didn’t pout, but he certainly glowered when anyone waved. The place was old and cramped, but there was no reason for it to be condemned. Unless, that is, Max and Brenda were using it as an excuse to get her together with Eric.
That was fine with her. She’d get a hot man for a short-term affair, then keep the huge bathroom and bed, as well as the rest of the house and garden, when he left. She’d be in heaven. No, not heaven. That would be too good. She’d been good all her life. It was time to be wicked.
Eric might not remember what he said before he flipped her on her back and hauled her thong to her ankles the day before, but she did. Just like in her fantasies, he’d demanded she obey him. She was to trust that he would give her what she needed, even if she was afraid of it.
Then he’d taken her, hard. And she’d loved it.
Yes, it was way past time for her to be bad. Bad enough to push Eric’s buttons and see if he’d follow through on that spanking. She knew he wouldn’t harm her. But she wouldn’t mind a bit of an edge. Something like Aggie got from Keith.
When Aggie was well along in her pregnancy, Nikki had visited her at home a few times. Nikki got a great meal and sense of family, and it saved Aggie from having to come into town for an examination. There was a framed cross-stitch on the wall that heated Nikki’s blood every time she thought of it. It seemed innocuous, just a plain wooden ruler. But written in curled, hard-to-read letters was the phrase, “Life is too short to behave.”
The last time Nikki stopped by, Aggie was lying in bed. A huge bed, one that made Nikki envious. Not just of the size and comfort, but of the fact that Aggie didn’t sleep in it alone. It was a sturdy four-poster with thick dowels in the head and footboards. A shelf above held an open case. Because she was so tall, Nikki could see into it.
One of the things contained in the case was a ruler just like the one in the cross-stitched picture. She also saw a half-empty tube of numbing cream, at least two types of lube, and a handful of condoms. Aggie had seen where her eyes went. She’d laughed, and told Keith that Nikki was curious. He’d given her an intense look, then the corners of his lips turned up. Like everything else about him, the movement was planned and controlled.
He’d gone to a cabinet on the far side of the bed. It was locked, and he took the key out of his pocket. She was too far away to see details, but it looked like Keith had quite a collection of paddles, floggers, and restraints. She’d grabbed the ball of the bedpost, barely holding back a gasp. It wasn’t in horror. After another piercing look Keith had shut the door, locked it, and pocketed the key. He’d never said a word about it. Now and then, however, she saw him assessing her.
Would he tell Eric?
Climax was a small town. The men might be cousins, but many of them were as close as brothers. Brothers who shared their wife might not hold back on suggesting how to keep those wives in line. She shivered with both dread and anticipation.
* * * *
Eric had shucked his jeans and showered in jail, but he’d had to put the same clothes back on again. In his opinion he still stank, but he could smell Nikki’s citrus scent over his own. It made his dick hard. No surprise there. Everything about her made him hard. He couldn’t wait to haul her panties down and show her what happened to naughty girls who disobeyed.
That made him wonder what color panties she wore today. If she wore any. He bit back another groan. No doubt about it, he was going to have blue balls until they got back from the ranch. And then they’d both enjoy his pent-up needs. From the way she was squirming on his seat, she had a few as well.
She stopped in front of the apartment. He hauled his ass out of the passenger seat before she turned off the key. He stomped up the rickety stairs to the tiny apartment where he’d spent so many hours as a teenager.
“Oh, shoot! I forgot my keys.” She stood at the bottom of the stairs, frowning. She had her hands on her waist, making her elbows stand out. She bit her lip and stared up at him. “I’ll have to go back and get them.”
“I’ll take care of it.” He turned to face the door.
“How will you get in without a key?”
Eric exhaled. The woman was arguing with him. He’d better give her a rundown on the rules on the way to the MacDougal ranch. Otherwise she’d owe him a couple dozen spanks before he even bared her naked ass. He turned and gave her a look. She backed up a step. He used a commanding tone of voice so she’d know he was serious.
“I said I’d take care of it. Do you trust me, or not?”
She had to think about it before reluctantly nodding.
“Each time you disagree with me or raise your voice will cost you five spanks.” He turned his back when she gasped. He’d give her a moment to think about what he meant. He raised his foot and slammed his boot into the door beside the knob. As he expected, the puny lock was useless. The door crashed open.
“You broke it!” Nikki scrambled up the stairs. “Miss Perkins will be furious!”
He stepped inside and took a quick look around the room. Nikki had added a few nice things. Old things, saved from destruction. He liked her taste. She rushed in behind him.
“That was a stupid thing to do!”
“Hush.”
He caught her by the biceps. She fought, but he just held on and stared. Finally she ran down. He loved it when she panted like that. Her breasts damn near popped out of her bra. It was red, just like her sweater. Just like the thong burning a hole in his pocket.
“That’s five,” he said calmly.
“Five what?” she demanded, still fuming.
“What did I just tell you?”
“That it’ll cost me,” she grumbled. She tried again to jerk out of his arms. “Well, it’s going to cost me sixty dollars or more to replace the door, and—”
“Ten. Bare-assed.” She jerked, sending those baby blues right at him. “Another word and it’ll be fifteen.” He released her arms and loomed over her. He used the expression that had most people running to obey him. “Do you understand?”
She whirled away, putting her back to him as she stomped into the tiny bedroom. He’d allow her little touch of insolence, for now. He wanted her things in his house before she could back out.
She slammed around the room muttering under her breath. He rubbed his upper lip, fighting the grin. She was a hellion all right. Not a brat, pushing him just to be punished. No, Doctor Nikki would forget her place and erupt, no matter how well trained. She’d buck against his orders, testing him. And she’d buck under him as he plowed into her.
He followed her into the bedroom. She was on her hands and knees, head in the narrow closet. Unfortunately her skirt covered too much of that well-padded ass of hers. He couldn’t wait to see her fully naked. The woman had some serious curves. He turned away before doing start something he’d rather finish in comfort. He pulled the top dresser drawer out, figuring to stack them in his pickup.
The shock of bright colored silk and lace things made his cock jerk. She might be all tough on the outside, but Doctor Nikki liked fine lingerie. He was going to have a very good time helping her bring that femininity to the surface.
“Don’t look at my underwear!”
She’d pivoted to face him, on her knees with her hands on her hips. He swallowed hard. She had no idea what that position did to him. Her mouth was at the level of his raging hard-on. A quick zip and those puffy lips would open wide and take him deep.
“Fifteen. You do not give me orders. You obey.”
The fury on her face did not match her hard nipples. She stood
up, hands still on her hips, and glared.
“If I accept anything beyond a guest bedroom from you, and that is a big if, we will discuss your rules. But right now we’re packing so I can visit my sister. I suggest we get the job done. And as for those orders of yours, I refuse to be held accountable when I have not given my informed consent. Do you understand, Mr. Frost?”
She was correct, but he wouldn’t back down. They’d negotiate down from fifteen to five. She’d get a taste of a sting while his other hand worked her pussy. Pleasure and pain, mixed together, would be an excellent introduction.
“We’ll talk later,” he said.
She thought for a moment and then gave a brisk nod. He piled the next two drawers on top of the one with her lingerie. By then she’d bent down again, filling a suitcase with jeans. He maneuvered around her and out the door.
“Glad to see you’re used to working on your knees,” he said. “You’ll be spending a fair bit of time on them.”
Something, likely the boot that had been beside her, hit the wall. He allowed himself a grin as he descended the stairs. He liked that she made sure the boot hit the wall, rather than his head. He would accept a touch of insolence in her bid to be punished. If she’d aimed at him he would have grabbed her immediately. A few minutes later she’d be promising never to attack him again. He’d bring her near orgasm a few times, but never let her release. She’d be so damn sore and frustrated that she’d remember the lesson for a long, long time.
He couldn’t wait.
Chapter Eighteen
Nikki wrapped the damp towel around her body, luxuriating in both its size and softness. Between the size of the bed, the shower, and the tub, there was no way Eric Frost was going to budge her out of this wonderful home. She listened, but heard nothing in the bedroom. She’d been so flustered at what Eric promised that she’d forgotten to bring clean clothes into the bathroom.
Yesterday she’d thrown herself at a total stranger and discovered orgasms, the only reason women needed men. Yet Eric did not remember a thing. To make sure that remained true she’d have to sneak into the laundry and pull her thong out of his pocket. If he found it, he’d wonder how it got there.
With no memory, he wouldn’t remind her about the missing condom, or her lie about being on the Pill. She had her stash of condoms. As soon as she got her period and proved she was not pregnant, she was going to get a prescription for the Pill. The next time Eric came home, she’d be ready for him. Waiting with arms and legs spread wide.
The other reason to hide their time yesterday was that she wanted him to see her as a confident woman who knew what she wanted and went out and got it. If he knew she’d been a virgin, he might go all macho and demand she marry him.
Or, in this case, marry his brother.
She wouldn’t mind a few nights with Matt, but she was not going to give up her career for a man. She, her mother, and her sister had sacrificed so much for her to become a doctor. When the Climax town council has asked if she’d on as doctor for at least two years, she’d asked them for a three-year renewal to follow. She had no plans to leave the job until she was old and gray. She would not marry a rancher and settle down to make babies and strawberry jam.
Once Eric had left, she’d have a dose of reality to spice up her fantasies. That, and a couple of sex tools, would do her fine. Sex, no matter how explosive, was not worth giving up the life she’d spent almost thirty years achieving.
Slowly, listening intently, she opened the bathroom door. No huge, arousing male was in sight. She crept into the bedroom. Something wasn’t right. She walked across the thick carpet to the bed. That was it—her bra! She’d tossed if off in her hurry to get into the shower as quickly as possible. But now it was laid out with the ends tucked under the cups. Under them was a strip of red.
Her missing thong. She automatically reached out her hand.
“You got something to tell me, pet?”
She snatched the thong up and whirled around. Eric, arms crossed over his chest, leaned a shoulder against the wall by the door. All he wore was a damp white towel around his hips.
She took a step back. When she’d bent over she must have loosened her towel. It began to unravel. She grabbed, missed, and had to bend over to snatch it up. Skin heating in mortification and desire, she scrambled to cover herself. She glanced toward the bathroom door, judging how quickly she could get it locked behind her.
“Do. Not. Move.”
She jerked at his command. Her eyes flashed over his face and body, trying to read his expression and body language. But he was far too controlled for her to tell what he was thinking, other than he was angry.
“Breathe,” he ordered.
She inhaled. Burning lungs made her realize she’d been holding her breath.
“Good girl,” he murmured.
She stared as he took slow, measured steps toward her.
“Tell me, Nikki, how did your thong get in my pocket?”
She clutched the scrap of stretch lace in one fist, the edges of the towel in the other. She held both fists at her breastbone. Eric advanced until the toes of his long feet were only a few inches from hers.
“Eyes on me.”
She responded to his order automatically. Dark eyes bored into hers.
“Answer me. Now.”
He was not going to frighten her. She was a grown woman, a physician, for heaven’s sake! She relaxed her death grip on her towel and firmed her back and chin.
“You put it there,” she said defiantly.
His teeth ground against each other, but he said nothing, waiting for her to cave. She could make him think he forced the story out of her, or she could take control. The decision was easy.
“After Max knocked you out I was concerned about a concussion. You accompanied me to the clinic. You suggested we make good use of the emergency bed. We did. You shoved my thong in your pocket. Then you fell asleep and I couldn’t get it out.” She hardened her chin. “If I had, you’d have had no idea what we did.”
His hand snatched the lace from her fist. She automatically reached for it. When her fingers stretched, her towel dropped. This time she let it fall, fisting her hands at her hips. She could be naked in front of him. It proved she was the one in control.
His eyes almost bulged out of their sockets as he stared at her. His towel tented impressively. Her nipples hardened into tight points. From cold, she told herself. But it was a lie. She was hotter now than she’s been in the shower. But now it was from the inside out.
“You are one hot woman,” he said.
“You saw all this yesterday,” she informed him, though it wasn’t true. He’d only seen her front, and not all of that, either. “If you hadn’t been drinking and fighting you wouldn’t have forgotten about me.”
“If I’d stuck with my usual beer there wouldn’t have been anything to remember.” He lifted her thong to his nose and inhaled. “Now that, I remember.” His eyes swept over her again. “Very nice.”
A flick of his hand and his towel dropped. For the first time she saw the length of him, from head to cock to toes. She was a physician. She’d seen countless naked men, some of them very attractive. She’d never felt anything. Yet one look at Eric and her pussy spasmed. She curled her toes into the thick carpet to keep them from inching toward him.
“What are you doing?” she managed to demand. Her voice squeaked.
“Can’t you tell?”
Eric brushed his knuckles over her breast, catching her nipple between them. He squeezed. Her knees buckled. She reached out blindly, grabbing his forearm to stay upright. He wrapped his other hand around her, stepping forward to pull her close. His hot cock pressed against her belly. If she rose on her toes and spread her legs as he lifted her, he would slide right in. A first, for her.
“Your skin is so soft,” he murmured. He brushed his lips over her temple. “Did I give you what you needed yesterday, baby girl?”
He crooned the words as he drew his fingers over
her back. He used just the right touch, neither so hard he pulled her toward him, nor so soft it tickled. He rested his chin on her head. Another first. She nodded, unwilling to speak and break the spell.
His fingers stopped caressing her. “I’m waiting to hear you say, Yes, Sir.”
She pulled back, but his grip was too strong. She pressed her lips together. Fantasy was one thing. After escaping the old hospitals with their networks of ancient doctors who thought women should be under the thumb of a male doctor, she resisted saying such words.
But if she wanted three weeks of orgasms, which she did with every fiber of her being, she had to play his games. What was a few words said to keep him thinking he could tell her what to do, in return for ecstasy?
“Yes, Sir.”
“You want more of the same tonight?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good girl.”
He released her. She stepped back and turned away, not wanting him to see her roll her eyes at his condescending words. The sound of a slap hit her ears right before a sharp sting erupted on her bottom cheek.
“Hey!” She covered the hot spot with her hand and glared up at him. The brute merely raised an eyebrow, as if it was all her fault.
“That’s one,” he said calmly. “Lose the attitude or I’ll give you the other four before we leave.”
The sting had faded, leaving something…different. Something that connected with her firm breasts, erect nipples, and damp thighs. One corner of his lip curled up knowingly.
“If I ran my finger between your legs it would come out wet.” He spoke quietly, daring her to answer in the negative. “Because you want me to command you. Accept it, and we’ll get along well.”
A brisk nod, and he turned away. She waited, unwilling to move until he was gone. He silently gathered jeans, undershorts, socks, and a shirt, and left the room. Not once did he pay any attention to her. Only after he closed the door behind him did she exhale.