Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 40942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
“First of all, that was terrible. Second, while it’s cute you think my skills are magic, it’s not the same thing. Say that again about yourself and you’re going to find yourself back over my knee.”
She pouted. “Do you spank all the women you date?”
He tensed.
Then she tensed as well.
“Only the really naughty ones,” he said after too long a pause. Which made it sound very awkward.
Shit.
“I didn’t mean anything by that.” She sat up hastily and searched around for her clothes. She pulled her top on.
Should he tell her that it was inside out?
Not important.
“Blakely,” he said, sitting up as well as he watched her try to shove her foot into her jeans. “Blakely, stop.”
“I have to go. Sorry.” She hopped around, one foot stuck in her jeans, before she started to fall.
Leaping to his feet, he grabbed her, pulling her upright.
“Blakely, stop before you hurt yourself,” he told her sternly. He sat her down on the end of the bed and crouched to help her get her foot into her jeans.
“I’ve got it,” she said. “Please, just stop.”
Stop?
Stop touching her?
Shit. Fuck. He stood, drawing back and holding his hands up. “Blakely—”
“Please don’t try to placate me,” she said hastily. “I feel like enough of an idiot right now. I just . . . I didn’t mean that we had to date. I don’t know why that came out like that. I didn’t come in here to . . . to trap you into a relationship.”
Fuck.
“Blakely, I know you didn’t,” he said hastily. “I’m not upset or mad at you.”
She eyed him skeptically.
“Baby, I’m not.”
“I don’t know why I said that. I know you don’t want a relationship. You’re too busy with the ranch.”
“I am busy with the ranch,” he said slowly. But was that a reason to put the rest of his life on hold?
He’d thought it was.
Now, he wasn’t so sure. Did he really want his life to be all about work?
Shit.
Was he really thinking about starting a relationship? With Blakely?
But the ranch wasn’t the only obstacle in their path.
“I’m not a Daddy,” he said quietly.
She was now standing and had her jeans on. Shit. He hadn’t even noticed her move.
You need to get yourself together.
“What?” she said.
He needed to handle this very carefully. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that there’s something between us.”
“You mean sex,” she said bluntly.
“I mean desire, attraction, mutual respect.”
She frowned as she studied him. “But?”
“There’s not a but, exactly. However—”
“However is the same as but,” she interrupted him.
“Do you need to go back over my lap?” he asked her.
Fuck. He hadn’t meant to say that.
“Blakely, you’re a Little.”
“Um, yes?” she asked.
“And you deserve a Daddy. I’m not a Daddy. I’m not a Dom. And you’re right, I shouldn’t get into a relationship at the moment. I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry,” she told him. “I knew that. I just . . . I shouldn’t have let this happen. No more spankings or threats of spankings. Or any of this. It’s . . . it’s too confusing for me. I think . . . I can’t do casual or whatever this was. I’m sorry.”
Turning, she fled from the room.
Well.
That went well.
13
“Saw my girl the other night. Coming out of your room.”
Stafford turned from where he was eating his dinner. It was late, but Blakely had left him a plate of pot roast in the oven.
Would have tasted better earlier if you’d had the guts to come inside and eat with her.
But no, here he was eating on his own. However, he often ate alone. He was used to it. What he really did not like was that she’d stopped leaving him little notes with his lunch.
He missed those fucking notes.
Got no one to blame but yourself.
“Your girl?” Stafford muttered, turning back to his food.
“Yeah, my girl. And if you upset her, you’re going to answer to me.”
It took a moment for those words to sink in as Grandpa Jack shuffled around the table and sat opposite him.
“Answer to you?”
“To me, boy. Not so big I can’t take my belt to you.”
“You’ve never taken your belt to me.” Probably not the thing to focus on, but his brain was still trying to catch up with what was happening right now.
“Well, maybe I should have. That’s not the way you treat a girl like Blakely.”
“What are you talking about?” Stafford asked.
“I’m talking about you sticking your dick where it doesn’t belong. Not unless you’re serious about that girl and gonna put a ring on her finger.”
What. The. Hell.
Was Grandpa Jack really lecturing him about who he slept with? That he should marry Blakely?
No. He’s telling you that unless you’re serious about her, you shouldn’t be messing around with her.
Which is exactly what he’d been telling himself.
So I should really fucking listen, shouldn’t I?
“I didn’t mean to hurt her. I don’t want to hurt her.”