“You’re in enough trouble as it is,” he scolded while he spanked. “Best lie still and take your spanking like a good girl.”

  But she wasn’t a good girl. Wasn’t that what he’d been criticizing her for in the first place? She might as well act every inch the hell cat he clearly thought her to be. She kicked her legs for all she was worth, trying to get some leverage to get to a standing position again. At the same time, she clawed at his leg and when that didn’t seem to be enough to get her point across, she sank her teeth into his leg and bit down as hard as she could manage.

  She found herself yanked up for her efforts, but the combined effect of Thomas’s glaring, angry face and the iron grip he maintained on her arm kept her in place. Maybe biting him hadn’t been the most sensible thing to do, after all.

  “All right, I tell you what,” he said through gritted teeth. “You go on and pick me a switch. And for every single mark I have on my leg, you’ll get one of your own.”

  His words made her shudder. Yet, she was much subdued in the face of his wrath and when he let her go she went meekly to the tree he’d indicated to look for a switch. It was a harder task than she’d ever imagined, because she had no idea what she was looking for, exactly.

  “That won’t do,” he pronounced when she brought one back for his inspection. “That’d like to have the skin clean off your bottom. While I’m still mighty vexed with you right now, no one deserves that. Try again.”

  She did her best, but her next selection was pronounced too thin.

  “Didn’t your pa ever send you out for a switch?” he queried.

  Only because she was feeling chagrined and awful did she answer without rancor. “I didn’t have a pa. I mean, my mama said I did, of course, but I never met him. And as far as she knew, he was still alive, so I didn’t meet him because…”

  “Never mind. I’ll show you.” Thomas walked over to the tree and after giving the dangling branches a scrutinizing look he made his selection. “Now, come on over here. I’m goin’ to give you a quick lesson in switch-pickin’. Your future husband will thank me.”

  She didn’t know why she reacted so strongly, but somehow hearing him speak of marriage, something she was certain both of them knew would be impossible for a girl like her, made her blanch.

  He saw. “You don’t plan on ever marrying, Miss Rose?”

  “Stop calling me that,” she muttered, rather than answer his question.

  “What?”

  “‘Miss Rose’ like I’m some proper lady.”

  “It doesn’t have anything to do with whether you consider yourself a proper lady or not. It has to do with manners. And that is what I plan to teach you.” He brandished the switch.

  “Fine.” She tried to hide the way her lip quivered and splayed her hands over her belly, as though he could see the way it flipped. “Where should I—”

  “These aren’t goin’ over your drawers, so I reckon I better take you back to the Petticoat, unless you’d care for an audience.” He gestured to the passers-by. The crowd was sparse, but she had a feeling if she was being whipped, her crying and carrying on would attract what eyes there were.

  “All right,” she agreed, the shaking in her voice evident this time. She held her head high to belie it, looking him right in the eye.

  “All right then. After you.”

  Chapter Six

  Thomas half expected her to refuse him entry, to cry foul the moment they entered the saloon and have one of the men there show him the door. But she didn’t. She led him right up to her room without so much as a word. He couldn’t help but notice how tense and unhappy she looked as she closed the door behind them. She deserved the switchin’ she was about to get, but that didn’t stop him from feeling sorry for her. Those scared blue eyes gave him pause, especially taking in consideration what she’d told him; she’d grown up without a father.

  No wonder she’d ended up here. He looked around the sparely, though well-furnished room. She’d been lucky to make her way to Madame Jewel’s establishment, where girls were treated much better than at other, less-savory places. And yet, if she’d been doing this for as long as she claimed, she’d been in such places. That had to account for some of the mistrust he saw in her eyes, the way she fought like it was for her life. There had probably been a time or two where she’d believed it to be the case.

  It made his heart hurt for her. This time, he was the one to move the chair away from the wall. He took a seat. “Come here.” He set the switch down, waiting for her. She took slow steps toward him, the way she was wringing her hands telling him that the earlier bravado had faded.

  Rose stopped a few feet in front of him, giving him an agonized, sideways stare.

  He opened up his arms to her, but if anything, it only seemed to make her more apprehensive.

  “You’re not mad at me anymore?” she asked, in a voice that was surprisingly little-girlish.

  Thomas cocked his head to the side and looked at her—really looked at her. She wasn’t wearing any paint on her face today and if he looked past those beautiful, womanly curves, he could almost picture the child she must have been. Hell—if he looked just so, she looked an awful lot like his own daughter. The thought that, in different circumstances, his daughter might have very well been working in a saloon made his heart wrench with compassion.

  “Come here, honey.”

  She moved toward him in slow, shuffling steps and when she was within arm’s reach he pulled her between his knees.

  “Tell me why I’m going to give you a switchin’.”

  “Because… because I bit you?”

  “That’s right.” Stretching out his leg so that his heel rested on the bed across from him, he began to roll his trousers up until he came to the offended area. It was still faintly pink where she’d sunk her teeth in. “Now, how many stripes do you think you should get?”

  “Two?” she ventured timidly.

  Though he fought back a smile, his lips still twitched. She had no idea how even two with a good switch could sting. “Have you ever been spanked before, Rose? I mean, by someone else?”

  “No,” she admitted, dropping her eyes.

  “Ah.” He surveyed her thoughtfully before answering, “Two then. On each side.”

  She nibbled her bottom lip and nodded.

  “Lean over the bed.”

  Shooting him a frightened look, she obeyed, gingerly laying her hands on the comforter.

  With deft, decisive movements, Thomas stood and moving behind her, draped her skirts over her back and took a moment to survey her drawers. He hesitated for a moment, then untied the string that caused the fabric to fall to the floor, ignoring her scandalized gasp. He lay his hand on her shoulder for a moment, giving her a quick, comforting squeeze before he stepped back and surveyed the target her creamy summits made. Bringing his arm back, he aimed and let the switch whistle through the air. It landed with a loud thwack that had her trembling.

  “Ooh,” she moaned, though she impressively stayed in position.

  “One more on this side,” he reminded her, mere moments before delivering the promised blow.

  This time, her moan was half-shriek. Thomas gave her a moment to make sure she wouldn’t jump up and also to watch as the stripe he’d laid across her backside turned from a stark white line to an angry red.

  “Two more,” he said as he switched sides and aligned the switch against her cheeks.

  Rose turned to look at him, her eyes wide and tear-filled. “Pl-please. Don’t.”

  His heart went out to her, and as much as he wanted to comfort her, he forced himself to shake his head. “Have to, darlin’. We had an agreement.”

  “B-but…”

  His only answer was to bring his arm back and swat the switch at her trembling cheeks.

  This time, she hopped as she yelped out in pain. Then she whirled around to face him, hiding her sore buttocks from his sight. Or, more importantly, keeping them out of arm’s reach.

  “Rose—”

  “No,” she choked on a sob. “No, I can’t.”

  “You’d better, girl.”

  Her eyes widened once more at the authoritativeness in his voice. But, even though she trembled, she still shook her head.

  Nothing would be easier than to take her by the arm and force her back over the bed. He considered it, but only for a moment. Better she surrender herself. It didn’t mean anything, otherwise.

  “We had an agreement,” he reminded her.

  “B-but that was be-before.”

  “Before what?”

  “Before I kn-knew how m-much it would hurt!”

  He squelched a smile. Though he should be cross with her, perhaps, he only felt amused. It was only during these situations—when she was getting her behind tanned—that her jaded façade faded away revealing a girl who was much younger at heart, despite what she strived to seem.

  “Even so, you agreed. And you’re being punished, so it’s meant to hurt, sweetheart. Remind me why you’re being punished.”

  “Because I bit you. But it didn’t hurt this much!”

  “Oh, so you’ve bitten your own leg before then?” He held up a hand to stay her answer. “Never mind, even if you have, that’s not the point. This isn’t only punishment for what you did, but a way to guarantee that it won’t happen again.”

  “I promise it won’t.” Her lip quivered as she pleaded with him.

  “Well, I don’t reckon I can take your word.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you made me a promise just now, and you’re not keeping it. So how am I to believe you’ll keep this one?”

  Her brow furrowed for a moment then her lips turned downward in a pout.

  “You know it’s true. Now, are you going to be a woman of your word?” When she didn’t answer, he pressed, “or am I going to have to hold you down and start all over?”

  “You… you wouldn’t do that.”

  He arched a brow, watching as she dropped her eyes to the floor and began to wring her hands. She was clearly at war with herself.

  “I’m goin’ to give you to the count of three to decide. Then—”

  “Some choice,” she snapped at him, giving him an angry look before spinning on her heel, bending over the bed and throwing up her own skirts to reveal her reddening, striped bottom.

  Before he’d even had to count to one. Despite her snarky manner, he was impressed. It wasn’t easy to take a switchin’—he knew that all too well.

  “You’ve earned an additional stroke for jumping up and I’m goin’ to have to give you that last one over as well,” he told her as he lined the switch up with its target. “Don’t move again and we’ll be done soon.”

  Though her cheeks clenched, she didn’t balk.

  Thomas didn’t put quite as much strength behind the next stroke as he had with all the others. Although, with the way her feet danced on the carpet, it didn’t seem that Rose could tell. He gave it a minute to be well and truly felt before aiming the switch down lower and striking the spot where her bottom and thigh met.

  As he’d expected, she shrieked at the top of her lungs. He watched as she grasped at the comforter, as her feet stamped, but she didn’t move out of position.

  “Last one.”

  “Last one,” she echoed, as though she was preparing herself.

  He aimed for the center of her bottom, knowing that this stripe would crisscross others he’d given her. Then he drew his arm back and let it fly.

  “Ooh!” she yelped. “It’s… it’s awful!” she wailed.

  “I know, honey. You can turn around now.”

  She did so, moving to face him, even though she kept her head ducked. He could see the tears streaming down her cheeks nonetheless. Stepping forward, he tilted her chin up so that she looked him in the eye.

  “Have you learned your lesson, sweet Rose?”

  The endearment seemed to take her off guard, and to tell the truth, it did him, too. He hadn’t known he’d been about to say it until the words crossed his lips.

  “Yes, sir,” she replied in a tone far more subdued than her normal cynical, biting manner.

  “Good girl. Now, a quick session over my lap and we’ll be done.”

  For a moment, she looked like she might protest, but then she stepped aside as though to let him by. He took a seat on the chair again and patted his thigh. Rose came to him and he pulled her over his lap.

  “Do you know why I’m spanking you now?”

  “Ah… no, Sir.”

  He flipped her skirts over, admiring her red, stripped bottom. “Did you, or did you not run out of that diner when you know you’ve been forbidden to leave without an escort?”

  “Um… I did, but I thought… I mean, I wasn’t thinking.”

  “No, I can’t say you were. But that’s not goin’ to get you out of a good paddling.” Without another word, Thomas let his hand fly against her bottom and do his talking for him. He switched from cheek to cheek, spanking hard and fast. She started whimpering almost immediately, but it wasn’t long before her low, plaintive whimpers became long, plaintive wails as his hand continued to paddle her lacerated rear.

  “Please,” she pleaded between cries, though she had to know well that begging was of little use.

  “I’m sorry, but you brought this on yourself,” he reminded her without so much as pausing in her punishment. “You knew the rule before you broke it. Not only did you deliberately disobey, but you put yourself in danger, and I won’t stand for either one.” Thomas dispensed with the lecture and concentrated on her rapidly reddening cheeks. They’d been a light cherry before but he aimed to have her crimson and unable to sit comfortably before he was through.

  “Please!” she screeched at the top of her lungs. Then, “Stop!” when it didn’t work. He heeded neither. “Thomas!” she said at last, wailing his name in a warbling protest.

  He didn’t trouble to reply. He’d meant what he’d said; he’d spank until he thought she’d learned her lesson, or his hand fell off, whichever came first. With this sassy, spirited blonde, he wasn’t sure which it would be.

  Rose began to fight, kicking her legs. He paused for a mere heartbeat, throwing one long leg over hers and trapping them. Then she balled her little hands into fists and beat at the calf of his leg she was bent over, but that didn’t trouble him none. He just kept right on with his rhythm.

  Before long, her bottom was indeed veering toward a dark, angry red. The marks from the switchin’ he’d given her stood out bright and fierce. He turned his attention down lower, to her awaiting thighs. He gave each of them good, hearty smacks, noting how while she shook and sobbed she’d stopped fighting him. He gave each thigh two more well-positioned smacks before he stopped.

  Damn, his hand was sore. Nowhere near as sore as her ass, he’d reckon, and the thought made him smile.

  Rose lay still as she wept over his knee. He patted her back, as much of a consolation as he could offer and waited for her tears to abate. It took several moments, but only when she’d calmed down did he allow her to move to a sitting position, noting how she winced and gritted her teeth when her bottom hit his hard thigh.

  “You feel better, darlin’?”

  “Better than what? I suppose I feel better than a man who’s had a fight with an alligator. ‘Course, I’d have to meet one to be sure.”

  Thomas guffawed at the sass. “What exactly am I going to have to spank you with to curb that tongue of yours, woman?” As soon as he asked the question, he realized he didn’t want to. He liked a woman with a little bit of a mouth on her—so long as it was only a little and she submitted to correction when he deemed it necessary.

  Impulsively, he wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her close. If he was surprised by his own actions, even more surprising was when Rose settled into his embrace and let him hold her.

  * * *

  “I’m sorry,” she heard herself whispering.

  If Thomas was surprised by her admission, he didn’t show it. “Now, that’s the first time you’ve said those words where I actually believe you.”

  Her cheeks flushed with shame and she buried her head in his soft flannel shirt to hide the evidence.

  “What are you sorry for, sweetheart?”

  Her heart gave a little leap at the endearment. “I… I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I worry about you, Rose. You’ve got to start puttin’ more thought to things before you act.”

  “Yes, sir,” she murmured before she even considered that she might be giving too much of herself to a man she didn’t know. It was an ironic thought, considering her line of work. There was no doubt that Thomas had somehow worked his way under her skin—at least his hand had put waves of scorching pain there—in a short time. There was no denying the way he made her cheeks flush and her heart beat faster.

  In his embrace right now, she felt nearly dizzy. She knew one thing for certain, she didn’t like it. She didn’t, not one bit. It wasn’t right, the effect he had on her. She liked being in control—prided herself on it. In fact, her business depended on it. She couldn’t let herself go falling for any man, especially this one. One who seemed intent on wresting control away from her until she was nothing but a meek, mousy puddle at his feet. The thought disgusted her, but even as her nose wrinkled, a part of her blood hummed that she would surrender, and gladly, if he asked it in this moment.

  And that terrified her. She couldn’t afford to be the servant of any man. Fortunately, she knew the cure. The thought made a smile curve her pretty, full lips.

  “What’s so funny?” Thomas queried as he patted her back.

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?” he echoed, his voice coming out strangled at the end when she shifted her weight and brushed her hand over his member. It had been a bit stiff from the spanking, she’d noticed—what an ass, getting his jollies off on punishing her! Well, she’d show him who had the upper hand in the end. She’d show him so subtly that it could be weeks, even months before he realized how she’d bested him. By then, it wouldn’t matter.