Her Cowboy Daddy (3 page)

“An apartment,” he repeated. “How old are you?”

“Nineteen.”

He arched a dark brow in surprise. He hadn’t taken her to be any older than fifteen, if that. “You don’t say.”

“I’m small for my age,” she said, jutting her chin out defensively, as though it wasn’t the first time she’d made that statement.

“I, uh… I guess so. Well, let me give you a ride anyhow.”

“I have a car.”

“Oh. ‘Course you do. Well, let me walk you to your car, at least.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

He gestured that she should lead the way and after a moment, she did so and he followed behind. He couldn’t help but glance at her lithe figure, rounded out with a generous, shapely bottom. He’d made checking out women an art form and his eyes carried out the task with practiced ease, even though he felt guilty for doing it. His guilt was only slightly lessened by the fact that she was old enough to be lusted after, even if she was still too young for him. Hell, she seemed too young to have her own apartment, in his opinion.

“This is me,” she said, gesturing to a beat-up, baby-blue Oldsmobile.

“Nice car.”

She grinned at his wry tone. “She’s not much to look at, I’ll admit, but she’s full of memories.”

“Of breakdowns on the side of the road?”

“Wow, you don’t let up, do you?” she laughed. For a moment, she seemed less like a little waif in need of protection and more like a sassy young woman. “No, she’s never let me down, I promise.”

“Alright, well, while you’re handin’ out promises, make me one more. Promise me you’ll never do anything that stupid again.” Colton punctuated the words with a stern stare that had her squirming in seconds.

“I wasn’t thinking,” she admitted, staring down at her toes.

“No kiddin’,” he snorted. “And believe me when I say it could have been
much
worse. So I want to hear you promise me.”

“Yes, sir. I promise.” In a show of bravery, she lifted her face to meet his eyes and Colton felt his heart give a backflip when he looked into her baby blues.

He wasn’t sure if it was her choice of words, the soft, submissive way she spoke them, or simply a pretty pair of eyes, but either way, he was struck speechless for a moment.

“I don’t normally do things like that.”

“I should hope not,” he replied, swallowing over the lump that had grown in his throat. “If I was your daddy, I think I’d put you over my knee for pullin’ such a foolhardy stunt.”

“Well, it’s like I said,” she shrugged, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I never knew my daddy.”

“Does that mean you’ve never had your tail tanned, either?”

“I…” She ducked her head once more, not before he noticed the deepening hue of her cheeks.

When he caught sight of her nibbling her lip, he thought it was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. “Well?”

“No,” she whispered.

“I think it might help you think things through better in the future.” Colton stood there, looking at her and wondering what came next. He wanted nothing more than to pull her to him and bend her over his knee, just as he’d threatened. His palm tingled with the pure wanting-to of it, but at the same time, there was something about this girl that gave him pause. She seemed so delicate, so raw and real, unlike any woman he’d ever met. As much as his revved-up testosterone begged him to tip her over and swat her plump rear, something else told him that he needed to tread carefully where this one was concerned.

“What’s your name, honey?”

“Scarlett,” she replied, her voice still barely over a whisper.

“It suits you,” he decided, looking her up and down. She truly was pretty as a picture, with her soft, china doll-like features and her golden hair that flowed to her shoulders. “I’m Colton.”

“Nice to meet you, Colton.”

“The pleasure’s mine. Now, would you like me to spank you, Scarlett?”

Her head shot up and her mouth was in an
O
of surprise. “Oh, I… I don’t know…”

“Don’t know what?” he prompted. “Don’t know if you deserve it? Don’t know if you can?”

“I… I don’t think I could.”

“Sure you can, honey. You know how?”

Mutely, she shook her head.

“You just have to trust me. Do you?”

“I… I just met you.” Something in her tone suggested that she wasn’t finished yet, so he waited to hear her out. “You… you risked a lot to save me, even though you didn’t know me. So yes, I guess I trust you. And I guess I deserve a spanking too, for putting you in danger.”

“More important, you put yourself in danger,” he reminded her. “Do I have your permission then?”

She nibbled on her bottom lip for another moment before giving him a nod.

“I’m sorry, I need to hear you say it, Scarlett.”

“Yes. You can spank me.”

Colton noted that she didn’t stutter that time, which was good enough for him. Without waiting another moment, he reached for her.

* * *

Scarlett reached up and touched his shoulder, pulling back when she saw him flinch. “Oh, no, you
are
hurt. I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about that right now. The only thing you need to worry about is how red your bottom is about to get.”

“We should get you to a hospital—”

“Nice try, missy. Don’t think you’re gettin’ off that easy. You were promised a spankin’ and I don’t make a habit of breakin’ my promises.”

Scarlett looked at him, her features creased with concern. She thought about protesting, but the determination in his eyes changed her mind. “Okay. How do I…”

“It’s simple, darlin’.” Colton propped his foot on the trunk of the truck and offered her a hand.

Her eyes moved back and forth between his foot and his hand before she hesitantly put her hand in his. Without any further warning, he yanked her over his knee in one fluid motion. Scarlett let out a muted yelp of protest and looked back over her shoulder at him, anxiously nibbling her lower lip.

“Don’t you worry none,” he said, gently patting the back of her jeans. “It’ll be over before you know it and you won’t be any worse for the wear.”

“I don’t know about this. Maybe—”

“I tell you what you have to decide right now, Miss Scarlett: are you the kind of woman who honors her word, or not?”

“I don’t think that has very much to do with it.”

“Sure it does, sweetie. It has everything to do with it. You told me that you knew you deserved a spanking and you told me that I could see to it that you got it. You can change your mind, if you want, but you better decide now. Because once I start, I’m not goin’ to stop until I’m good and ready. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir,” she murmured, evading his gaze once more.

“Alright then, what’s it gonna be?”

Without a word, Scarlett turned around and lay flat over his knee, her head pointed toward the ground. Her heart was beating so fast she thought for sure that it would come bursting out of her chest any minute. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how she’d gotten herself here—over the knee of a stranger, about to get her very first spanking! It was all too much to contemplate. If she’d known this was where she’d end up, she would have done herself a favor and stayed home!

And yet… there was something undeniably alluring about this Colton fellow. He’d hurt himself to come to her rescue, which was without a doubt the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. And he didn’t even
know
her! It also didn’t hurt that he was hot with a capital
H
. In fact, Scarlett couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen a man who had made her go weak in the knees with just a look. Those hazel brown eyes of his were downright swoon-worthy, coupled with his tall, well-built frame and dark blond hair. He had an all-American face, as warm and familiar as apple pie. Yet, he could make his expression stern and commanding in a way that made her insides tremble in a strange mixture of excitement and fear. The fact that she felt so strongly about someone she’d known less than an hour told her that she should run, and
fast
.

Yet, here she was, balanced as precariously over his knee as her heart seemed to be in her throat. If that wasn’t the exact opposite of what she should be doing, she didn’t know what was.

“Now, normally I don’t rush these things.”

“You mean you’ve done this before?” she laughed nervously.

“You could say that. And as a general rule, I tend to think that the buildup to a spankin’ is as important as the punishment itself, but since we’re in an open area and people will be comin’ out soon, I ‘spect we best get on with it.”

“Oh, no!” Scarlett gasped. She’d been so wrapped up in making amends that she’d completely forgotten that people would be going out to their cars any moment. “Please, you can’t let anyone see!”

“Like I said, once I start, I’m not gonna stop until I’m satisfied that you’ll keep your word. Now,” he gently patted her behind, “let’s get this over with.”

Scarlett squirmed, partly dreading what she knew to be coming—would it hurt as much as she’d always imagined?—and partly wishing he’d hurry up before anyone could see her getting punished.

“Are you scared?”

She started in surprise at the consideration he was showing. “I… yes. I think so.”

“You don’t need to be afraid of me, okay? I’d much rather you learn to be afraid of a stallion that’s ornery as hell and twice your size. Are you ready?”

“No,” she exhaled shakily.

“I appreciate your honesty, darlin’. That bein’ said, I think we better get down to business.”

Scarlett’s only answer was a feeble nod. No sooner had she moved her head, she felt his hand—sounding like an angry clap of thunder—come down on her upturned bottom. For a second, she thought that it sounded worse than it felt—but only for a second. The pain quickly followed, a line of stinging that made her catch her breath. Then when she was just beginning to get used to it, another loud spank landed in the very same place, intensifying the pain in a way that was definitely not pleasant.

Agreeing to be spanked had been a very hasty, foolish thing to do, she thought as the third swat rained down upon her vulnerable rear. The sting in her bottom mounted with each and every slap until she couldn’t help but writhe over his knee.

“Be still,” he scolded, punctuating the order with another well-placed smack.

“I
can’t!
” Scarlett wailed.

“Best try, girl. And if I were you, I’d keep your voice down while you’re at it.”

Her head shot up as she looked around the parking lot. To her growing horror, Scarlett made out a few shadowy figures in the distance making their way to their cars. “Please, stop!” She twisted and turned trying to break free. “I can’t be seen like this!”

Colton had no trouble holding her still no matter how hard she struggled. “The sooner you lie still, the sooner we can get this over with. But make no mistake, I’ll stop when I’m sure you’ve learned your lesson, and not before then. I don’t care who sees.”

“Of course you wouldn’t!” she cried, stamping her foot. “It’s not
your
butt on display!”

“Better watch that tone, or yours will become more on display than you’d like.”

The threat caused her to still instantly, even as she fretted anxiously about whether or not he would carry through with it. Surely, he wasn’t really serious! The idea of anyone seeing her bare behind was nothing short of mortifying and while she didn’t know Colton very well, she had a feeling that he didn’t say anything that he didn’t mean. She sure wasn’t in a position to test him, so despite the fact that the ache in her cheeks was growing in intensity, she did her best to stay still and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out.

“It’s a cryin’ shame that you’ve never been taken over someone’s knee before now,” Colton said as he delivered a sharp smack to her thigh. “Maybe if you had been, you would have thought twice before putting your pretty little neck in danger tonight.” His hand fell again and again in short, angry spanks. “But hopefully next time you’ll remember how your ass feels right now and think twice.”

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, doing her best to blink back the hot tears that blurred her vision.

“Oh, I’m sure. You’re plenty sorry to find yourself gettin’ a spanking, but I intend to make each swat count, understand?”

“Yes, sir,” she replied, choking on a sob.

“Why are you getting this spanking, Scarlett?”

“B-because I… I was stupid.”

“I didn’t say that,” he corrected her sharply. “I didn’t call you stupid, and I don’t want to hear you do it either, understand?”

“Okay,” she sniffled.

Smack!
His hand cracked down across her bottom. “Excuse me? What happened to ‘yes, sir’?”

“Yes, sir!” she cried out, the pain in her ass overriding her fear of people seeing her in such an embarrassing position.

“That’s better. Now, try again: why are you being spanked?”

“Because I could have gotten hurt!”

“That’s right. What you did was reckless. And what have you learned?”

“To think before I act!”

“Good girl. I’m glad to hear it.”

Scarlett sagged against him, limp, but relieved that it was over. Or so she thought.

* * *

Instead, Colton’s paddle-like hand visited her ass again and again, bringing the burn stoked in her cheeks to a full-on raging fire. It had been a long time since he’d spanked a woman, but he found that he remembered what to do perfectly. As he punished her, he couldn’t help but think on how nicely she fit over his knee and how good it felt to have a woman there again, even if it wasn’t for the kind of punishment he enjoyed. He loved the spanking of a beautiful bottom, but preferred to use such for pleasure. Punishment usually involved blindfolds, a pair of snug handcuffs, and his leather whip.

There was no pleasure for him in hearing Scarlett’s pitiful sobs, yet he spanked on until he was satisfied that she had learned a lesson. If not, she would at least be suitably sore to tread carefully for the next few days, if nothing else. When he helped her off his knee, he was surprised when she launched into his arms, clinging to him as she cried.