glanced away. "Well, yeah, but..."
"But you had to come out here, in the middle of a snowstorm, to check on her." Alan, too, walked closer, disgust in his tone, as well as concern. "Dang it, Shawna. You've been real sick."
When she looked up it was to see the other men frowning in annoyance as well. Because they care about you. She felt good and foolish at the same time. She'd hoped to be back in the house she'd escaped from before any of them came back. "I'm good now. You don't need to worry about me. None of you."
Scott and Alan snorted.
Cade stopped in front of her. Frustration made a vein pulse in his neck. Yet he just looked her over for a long second. At the same time, she drew in the scent of him, the scent of his aftershave. And, foolish woman that she was, she tingled all over.
He seemed to fight something for a few seconds, and then he heaved a put-upon sigh and reached toward her. His cold hand gently cupped her cheek. "You have no business being out here. I don't even know how you managed it, weak as you were."
"She's a powerfully stubborn woman," Alan offered from nearby.
"Damn truth there," Scott confirmed.
"I've learned that." Cade smoothed his hand over her face again. "You could have set your recovery back with this nonsense."
Shawna decided she really liked the feel of Cade's hand on her face. Too much. She batted his hand away and glared at him. "I'm fine. None of you need to worry about me." When he didn't move back, she tried shoving him away.
"That's our girl," Alan said on a chuckle.
She scowled at him, and then at the others. Looking relieved, they started moving away, even Scott. All except Cade.
The odious man smiled at her, but a spark of irritation had returned to his gaze. A look she'd seen on two other occasions. In response, her buttocks automatically clenched. He was thinking about warming her bottom, she was almost certain of that. Her bottom cheeks clenched and unclenched again. An odd eagerness spiraled through her.
"You're not fine, but you're better." His smile disappeared and he waited until the others were leaving the building. He lowered his voice. "I'm taking you back to the house and then..."
"Do not even think it!" She straightened and refused to even consider how much she wasn't all that opposed to him applying his big hand to her bottom. Was she nuts? Spankings hurt. They were humiliating. Yet when he... "No! Not happening."
As if he'd read her confused thoughts and sensed her ridiculous appreciation of him going all Alpha-in-charge, his eyes danced with amusement. "Me thinks the lady doesth protesteth too much. Me thinks you find getting spanked a bit exciting."
Her face heated and she couldn't meet his gaze. She sort of did, but she didn't want to admit it. "Me thinks you're full of it!" She scooted around him.
Before she could get away, he snagged her arm. In a flash, he turned her sideways and smacked her bottom hard several times. Hard enough that she felt a tiny sting through the thick denim.
"Are you going to drop your jeans so I can do this right? Or shall we finish this up in your bedroom?"
To her mortification, someone cleared his throat from the front of the building. They turned together and Scott called out from the door he was closing, "I'll just give you some privacy."
Now her face really was flaming. Worse, though, everything lower than her belly button quivered with awareness. She wanted this annoying man to spank her if he insisted, and then she wanted him to take her. Right here, right now. To heck with her still being at less than full strength.
As he turned her to look at him, she saw how Cade's eyes had darkened. "Privacy is good," he said in a husky tone that curled her toes.
She licked her lips, felt wetness low in her body. "I don't really deserve a spanking," she said quietly, unable to take a steady breath, unable to move away.
Cade wasn't sure why this woman affected him so much, but she did. More than any other woman ever had.
"But you had to come out here, in the middle of a snowstorm, to check on her." Alan, too, walked closer, disgust in his tone, as well as concern. "Dang it, Shawna. You've been real sick."
When she looked up it was to see the other men frowning in annoyance as well. Because they care about you. She felt good and foolish at the same time. She'd hoped to be back in the house she'd escaped from before any of them came back. "I'm good now. You don't need to worry about me. None of you."
Scott and Alan snorted.
Cade stopped in front of her. Frustration made a vein pulse in his neck. Yet he just looked her over for a long second. At the same time, she drew in the scent of him, the scent of his aftershave. And, foolish woman that she was, she tingled all over.
He seemed to fight something for a few seconds, and then he heaved a put-upon sigh and reached toward her. His cold hand gently cupped her cheek. "You have no business being out here. I don't even know how you managed it, weak as you were."
"She's a powerfully stubborn woman," Alan offered from nearby.
"Damn truth there," Scott confirmed.
"I've learned that." Cade smoothed his hand over her face again. "You could have set your recovery back with this nonsense."
Shawna decided she really liked the feel of Cade's hand on her face. Too much. She batted his hand away and glared at him. "I'm fine. None of you need to worry about me." When he didn't move back, she tried shoving him away.
"That's our girl," Alan said on a chuckle.
She scowled at him, and then at the others. Looking relieved, they started moving away, even Scott. All except Cade.
The odious man smiled at her, but a spark of irritation had returned to his gaze. A look she'd seen on two other occasions. In response, her buttocks automatically clenched. He was thinking about warming her bottom, she was almost certain of that. Her bottom cheeks clenched and unclenched again. An odd eagerness spiraled through her.
"You're not fine, but you're better." His smile disappeared and he waited until the others were leaving the building. He lowered his voice. "I'm taking you back to the house and then..."
"Do not even think it!" She straightened and refused to even consider how much she wasn't all that opposed to him applying his big hand to her bottom. Was she nuts? Spankings hurt. They were humiliating. Yet when he... "No! Not happening."
As if he'd read her confused thoughts and sensed her ridiculous appreciation of him going all Alpha-in-charge, his eyes danced with amusement. "Me thinks the lady doesth protesteth too much. Me thinks you find getting spanked a bit exciting."
Her face heated and she couldn't meet his gaze. She sort of did, but she didn't want to admit it. "Me thinks you're full of it!" She scooted around him.
Before she could get away, he snagged her arm. In a flash, he turned her sideways and smacked her bottom hard several times. Hard enough that she felt a tiny sting through the thick denim.
"Are you going to drop your jeans so I can do this right? Or shall we finish this up in your bedroom?"
To her mortification, someone cleared his throat from the front of the building. They turned together and Scott called out from the door he was closing, "I'll just give you some privacy."
Now her face really was flaming. Worse, though, everything lower than her belly button quivered with awareness. She wanted this annoying man to spank her if he insisted, and then she wanted him to take her. Right here, right now. To heck with her still being at less than full strength.
As he turned her to look at him, she saw how Cade's eyes had darkened. "Privacy is good," he said in a husky tone that curled her toes.
She licked her lips, felt wetness low in her body. "I don't really deserve a spanking," she said quietly, unable to take a steady breath, unable to move away.
Cade wasn't sure why this woman affected him so much, but she did. More than any other woman ever had.
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