“Fine.”

  “Have you worked there long?”

  “No, just six months.” Scarlett sat down and reached for the seatbelt, but then to her surprise Colton took it and put the strap across her shoulder before clicking it into place. “Um… thank you.”

  “Um, you’re welcome,” he replied with a wink before shutting the door.

  She couldn’t help but be nervous around him, it seemed. From the moment that he sat across from her, she felt like a bumbling idiot.

  “Where to?”

  “Oh, um, I live in the, you know, Corner Villa apartments. Off Bell Street?”

  “Hmm.” He frowned heavily as he started the engine and just the sight of it made her squirm.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, of course not. I’m just surprised that you live in that area, that’s all.”

  “What’s so surprising about it?”

  “It’s not the best place for a girl like you to live, is it?” Colton looked over his shoulder as he pulled out of the parking lot.

  “A girl like me?” she echoed, not liking the sound of it one bit.

  “Yeah. You know. You’re a tiny little thing, that’s all I’m sayin’. It makes me worry, is all.”

  She should have been touched, but instead, she just felt annoyed. “It’s not your job to worry about me.”

  “I know that, Scarlett. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t.”

  “Besides, it’s what I could afford,” she muttered, the admission making her slump in her seat. She could feel Colton glance at her, but she didn’t look up.

  “Well, I’d imagine that would be the case, livin’ on tips and all. Have you ever thought about doin’ somethin’ else?”

  “Of course I’ve thought about it. It just hasn’t happened yet.”

  “So, what would you like to do?” he queried.

  “I don’t know, sometimes I think I’d like to be a detective.”

  “For the police?”

  “Yes, for the police,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

  “That wasn’t very respectful, Scarlett,” he informed her, going from friendly to authoritative in two seconds flat. “I was just asking a question.”

  “Oh, so I have to be respectful now, do I?” she sneered, not even knowing why she was pushing him so hard.

  “You do if you want to ride in my car.”

  “You’re the one who offered to drive me in the first place,” Scarlett muttered, looking out the window.

  Without a word, Colton signaled and pulled the truck to the side of the road and shut off the engine.

  “What are you doing?” When she turned to him and saw the hard look in his eyes, her heart jumped into her throat.

  “We’re going to sit here until you’d like to change that tone of yours.”

  Scarlett didn’t know what to do with a man who stood his ground, who did what he said he would. She hadn’t ever known anyone like Colton before and as much as there was a part of her screaming at her to apologize, she just couldn’t. She was too stubborn, and truth be told, still a little hurt and angry even though she’d done her darndest to move past it.

  “Fine. I’ll walk.” Her hand was on the handle when he spoke in a tone that literally sent chills down her spine, it was so commanding.

  “Little girl, if you open that door, I promise you’ll wish you hadn’t.”

  “You can’t do this,” she whined, sounding much less convincing than she would have liked. “You can’t boss me around.”

  “Look, I’m real sorry that you’ve apparently had a bad day—”

  “My day was fine,” she grumbled.

  “Okay, then fill me in. Why are you in such a sour mood? Please, feel free to share, because I’m dyin’ to know.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “That’s fine, I can wait.” He made a show of laying his seat back and pushing his hat down over his eyes as though he was ready to take a nap.

  Scarlett watched him, debating on whether or not to come clean. She didn’t want to. God, how she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to risk being that open, that vulnerable again, especially in light of what had happened before. Then again, didn’t everyone deserve a second chance? If her pitter-pattering heart had anything to say about it, then Colton did.

  “I’m scared.” She spoke so softly, she wasn’t sure he’d heard her. She knew she must look like a wild, frightened animal, and she hated herself for it. Yet, when he tipped his hat back and looked her square in the eye, she saw nothing but kindness there.

  “I reckon I can understand that, and I’m mighty sorry to be the cause of it. But I sure would like to make it up to you.”

  “It’s… it’s not just you.”

  “But I didn’t help matters none,” he guessed, sitting up only when she gave a tiny nod. “Tell me what I can do, Scarlett. I know I don’t deserve it, but I’ma have to ask you to help me out here.”

  “I… it’s hard to think when you’re looking at me like that.” She ducked her head as soon as the words escaped her mouth. She couldn’t believe she’d actually said that out loud! Oh, what she wouldn’t give for the floor to open up and swallow her whole right now!

  “Like what, darlin’?”

  “Um…”

  “Scarlett? Come on, honey. Talk to me.”

  When he put his hand over hers for extra encouragement, she felt her sex clench and her panties dampen all at once. “Like… like you want to hug me and never let go and devour me in the same moment.”

  “That about sums it up.”

  Shyly, she lifted her eyes to see if he was making fun of her. To her utter astonishment, he looked quite serious. “But why? Why me?”

  “Why you?” he echoed. “Scarlett, don’t you know that you’re the cutest, most adorable, most ravishing little thing I’ve ever laid eyes on?”

  The compliment literally took her breath away. Her heart was no longer pounding like a drum in her chest because it had ceased to beat at all. For a moment, she didn’t know what to think, much less what to say. “Then why did you tell me to go home the other day?” she asked once the fog had somewhat lifted.

  “Because you make me nervous, little girl.”

  “Me?” she screeched in disbelief. “I make you nervous?”

  “Damn right you do.”

  “I… I don’t… I’m sorry, I just can’t even wrap my head around that right now,” she admitted, looking at him with round, awed eyes.

  “That’s okay, I’ll give you all the time you need. Now, I believe you owe me an apology.”

  She was so stunned by what he’d revealed that it took her a moment to realize what he was talking about. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

  “Good girl,” he praised, giving her hand a squeeze. “Now, you can say no, but I think a spanking is in order for that attitude you gave me earlier.”

  Scarlett had never felt so overwhelmed in her life. There was just too much, too many revelations and questions and they all swirled around in her brain until she could hardly think straight. But she couldn’t deny that at the word spanking, her pussy had opened like a floodgate, completely soaking her underwear. She squirmed in her seat, biting her bottom lip hard when she considered that if she agreed, he might see them! Then what would he think of her?

  But the truth was she wanted him to spank her. God help her, she might not know why, but she did. The one he’d given her before hadn’t been fun by any means—it had stung like hell for days afterwards—but somehow it had left her feeling relaxed in a way that she hadn’t felt in months. Maybe even years.

  “Okay,” she said at last, sneaking a quick glance to observe his reaction. She wasn’t disappointed—his face lit up in a way that warmed her heart. Was it possible that he did truly care about her?

  Colton quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and patted his knee.

  “Here?” Scarlett squeaked, her eyes widening. “You want to spank me here?”

  “Well, technically I’m going to spank your cute ass, but yes, here, in my truck.”

  “I…” She glanced apprehensively out the window. “I don’t know, Colton.”

  “What don’t you know, sweetheart?”

  Those words were gentle as any caress and when he reached over to cup her chin, his touch feather-light and full of strength all at once, her eyes suddenly filled with tears.

  “Hey, what’s this for?” he asked in obvious concern as a tear slid down her cheek.

  “I don’t know,” she sniffled.

  “Sure you do. Now, let me in on the secret so that I can make it better.”

  She gave him a watery smile—oh, how she wished he could. “It’s nothing. I guess… I’m just scared.”

  “Scared of me?”

  “Not of you, exactly… although I’d feel a bit better about going over your knee if your hand didn’t hurt so much.”

  “It wouldn’t hurt so much if you weren’t so incurably naughty.”

  Scarlett smiled at his light, easygoing tone. “I… have you ever wanted something so badly that when you were close to getting it, it scared you?”

  Colton tilted his head to the side and surveyed her. “I think I know what you mean, yeah. But you don’t have to worry—I already told you I’d spank you.”

  She rolled her eyes and giggled despite herself. Colton certainly had a gift for putting her at ease. “Not that.”

  “Then what? You don’t have to be afraid of anything when you’re with me, pretty girl.”

  But that was just it—it was the way he made her feel that was precisely what she was afraid of. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to admit it aloud. He’d laugh at her or change his mind altogether and she suspected that if it happened a second time, her heart truly would break. “It’s nothing. Just cold feet, I guess.”

  “Ah. Well, how ‘bout I warm them up right after I do the same for your bottom? Oh, there you go again,” he wagged his finger at her, “rolling your eyes at me. I think you’re long overdue for a tail warming, missy.” Without another word, his hand dropped down to her wrist and he gently tugged her toward him.

  She could have pulled away if she’d really wanted to. She could feel that he was giving her the chance to change her mind, but even though her heart was pitter-pattering so fast she thought it might escape her chest any moment, she didn’t want to stop him. Not for anything.

  “I want you to lie down over my lap, honey.”

  She looked down at her hands and squirmed. “Can’t you just do it?”

  “Come on. Show me you want to be my good girl.”

  The words were like an elixir of courage for her nerves and she somehow managed to do as he asked, though she felt like a fumbling moron as she lay over his knees. His thighs pressing into her stomach made her tummy flutter nervously, yet she thought it might be the best feeling she’d ever experienced.

  “Now I want you to ask for it.”

  Colton’s voice was as soft and smooth as velvet and sent a shiver of excitement shooting along her spine. It was a moment before his words even registered. “Ask for what?”

  “Your spanking.”

  “I… but… I don’t know how.”

  “Don’t worry, you’re about to learn.”

  Scarlett could hear the humor in his voice and when she rolled her eyes at him, she was immediately relieved to be over his lap where he couldn’t see. “What am I supposed to say?”

  “Why don’t you start with asking me to spank you?”

  “I…” Scarlett squirmed uncomfortably as she tried to think of how to do what he wanted. Suddenly, she felt tongue-tied and didn’t think herself capable of getting any words out, much less those. Her pulse picked up speed as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. It was one thing to be spanked, but asking for it? She just didn’t see how she could do it.

  As she lay over his lap fidgeting and trying to think of what to say, she thought he might scold her or get impatient, but Colton just waited for her, seeming content to give her the time she needed, no matter how long that might be.

  “Can’t you… can’t you just do it? Just this one time?” she whispered at last, after what felt like hours of torturous deliberation.

  “‘Fraid not, darlin’. If you want somethin’, you’re gonna have to learn how to ask for it.”

  “Can… would you… spank me?”

  “What, no please?”

  There it was again: the teasing lilt to his voice that made Scarlett smile no matter what else she was feeling. “Can you spank me, please?”

  “There you go, got it all out in one breath that time. I knew you could do it.”

  Scarlett sighed in contentment, practically purring like a kitten at the praise. When he shifted her on his lap, her heart gave an excited flip.

  “Why am I going to spank you, Scarlett?”

  “Um… because I asked you to?”

  “Nice try. Why don’t you think about it and try again.”

  As Scarlett thought about it, the excited flips turned to anxious butterflies in the pit of her tummy. “Because… because I snapped at you earlier?”

  “Are you asking me, or are you telling me?”

  “Because I snapped at you earlier,” she replied, nibbling her bottom lip as she spoke. Suddenly, being over his lap didn’t seem near as thrilling as it had only moments ago.

  “Bingo.” He rewarded her with a pat on her ass. “You were being a naughty girl, weren’t you? And how are naughty girls spanked, Scarlett?”

  “Um…”

  “I need to hear you say it, baby.”

  “N-naughty girls… naughty girls are sp-spanked… on the bare.”

  “That’s right. Such a smart girl,” he praised, rubbing her back. “Raise your hips, honey.”

  No sooner had she complied than Colton’s hand snaked around her waist and unbuttoned her jean shorts. He had them slid down her legs in mere seconds before repositioning her over his lap.

  It wasn’t until she felt his fingers in the band of her panties that she freaked out. “Wait!” she screeched. “Please, don’t!” To her immense relief, he paused.

  “I won’t go through with this unless you want me to. But I want to be clear on something: if you want to spend more time together—and I’m hoping you will—then we’re going to have some rules.”

  “What kind of rules?” Scarlett asked, thinking that she’d feel much better if she wasn’t face-down over his lap at the moment.

  “Never being disrespectful, for starters. And that goes for both of us.”

  Well, she had to admit that she liked the sound of that.

  “Come here, sit up for a second.” He helped her to sit on his knee and there was something about having her shorts around her ankles and her pantied bottom on his knee that felt deliciously naughty. “Is that better?”

  Mutely, she nodded, wondering if he knew how just looking into his hazel eyes rendered her speechless. Especially when he looked at her with such caring concern as he was doing now.

  “Good. Now, like I was saying. I expect you to always be honest with me, and I promise to do the same for you. I also expect that when I set rules, that you’ll obey them. If you don’t, you’ll be punished however I see fit. Is that understood?”

  Oh, she understood everything he was saying—she read him loud and clear. The only thing she didn’t understand was why her breathing picked up with every word until it felt like she was panting. She should be getting up, yanking up her shorts, and climbing out of the truck as fast as humanly possible. She shouldn’t still be sitting here, clinging to his every word and waiting for what came next. She shouldn’t be excited—though admittedly she was equally as scared, both about the spanking to come and her feelings concerning it. There was something horribly, awfully wrong with her, that much was certain.

  “What are you thinkin’ right now, Scarlett?”

  “Uh…”

  “Remember,” he reminded with a little pat to her trembling cheeks, “complete honesty.”

  “I was thinking… I… there must be something wrong with me.”

  “What would make you say something like that?” he scolded gently.

  “I don’t know… just… girls don’t do things like this, do they?”

  “Things like what?”

  “Let men spank them? Ask men to spank them?”

  “Some do, I promise. Hell, some men ask women to spank them. There are kinks for all kinds, darlin’.”

  Her eyebrows nearly rose to her hairline in surprise. “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “Have you ever… been spanked?”

  “No,” Colton guffawed. “But it might be fun for you to try. It would give me great pleasure to turn the tables on you.”

  She couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of anyone trying to spank him. He was tall, at least 6′2 and all muscle, with long legs and solid, rock-hard thighs. He wouldn’t be overpowered easily, that was for sure.

  “Now, what do you think about what I said?”

  She licked her lips and swallowed past a throat that suddenly felt scratchy and dry. “About what? You mean… the rules thing?”

  “Yes.”

  “Um… I mean, I guess they sounded okay.”

  “I’m goin’ to need a little more than that, baby-girl. Are they rules you think you could follow?”

  “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I mean, how long are we talkin’?”

  “For however long you want to be in a relationship with me.”

  “However long I want?” she echoed in stunned disbelief.

  “Yep. The minute you say it’s over, it’s over. But, keep in mind that if you agree, then changing your mind when a punishment is about to happen isn’t goin’ to fly. You’d have to come to me and we’d have a discussion about it. That why I’d know you were serious and not just havin’ buyer’s remorse.”

  “Who would ever want something like that?”

  “Well, I’m thinkin’ you would,” he chuckled.

  “Are you laughing at me?” she demanded, irate.

  “Sorry, baby, but we don’t know each other very well and we’ve been discussin’ some pretty heavy subjects, so the way I figure it, you really want this spankin’.”