Laying Down the Law (3 page)

“You will remember to lock your doors.

If I have to check them each night to ensure this, I will do so, and don’t think I will hesitate to take my hand to your bottom if I find even one little window unlocked. Do you hear me?”

“Y-yes,” she cried, her tears soaking the floor. Half a dozen more spanks to emphasise his point and he stopped, letting her up. She clambered away from him, rubbing at her sore bottom as she continued to cry. This was the part of her punishment he hated the most, when she refused to let him comfort her.

Of course, he didn’t allow that foolishness for long, walking over to her so he could pull her into his arms, rocking her gently as she continued to sob.

She fought him briefly, but he knew she was too tired to continue on for long. Once she was too tired to continue on for long. Once she stopped fighting and accepted his comfort, he gathered her into his arms and carried her up the stairs to her small apartment. Moving through her kitchen and living room, her dogs didn’t even look up from their beds as he walked past. He shook his head. They had to be the most useless guard dogs ever. He walked into her small bedroom and set her down beside the bed.

“Tanner!” she screeched, slapping at his hands as he attempted to pull her shirt off.

“Relax, squirt,” he replied calmly. “I’m just getting you ready for bed.”

“I can get myself ready, thank you, Mom.” She glared at him out of blurry eyes that were swollen. He hated being the cause of her tears, he really did. All he wanted was for her to be happy and healthy, but if that meant that sometimes had to cause her a little pain, well, in his mind it was worth it. Callie needed the release and they both knew it, even if she refused to admit it to either of them.

“All right, I’m giving you five minutes while I make sure your place is secure. Then I’ll be back, whether you’re ready for me or not.”

With that ominous statement he turned and left. Callie let out a sigh, rubbing her stinging bottom cheeks. The man had a palm like a wooden paddle. She moved as quickly as she could through her evening ritual.

Exhaustion plagued her like a dark cloud; she was always tired after a spanking and tonight was no exception. Her eyelids were already drooping as she climbed beneath the sheets, careful not to lie on her back. From experience she knew she wouldn’t be sleeping comfortably on her back for the next few nights.

But at least she would sleep. She hated spankings, hated the pain, the humiliation, the fact that she was so vulnerable in front of such a self-assured man. But there was something in her that needed the release they gave her.

Afterwards she felt freer, looser, like she could cope with whatever life sent her way.

Of course, all the bad stuff would build up inside her again, it invariably did, and she’d be unable to sleep once again, or eat, because the worry would swirl in her stomach until it felt like she had swallowed acid.

Callie figured that there was something inside of her that made her different from everyone else. After all, she was a grown woman who was spanked, and she seemed to need it. Maybe it was due to having to basically raise herself.

Lord knew, Ryan had never been

interested in her. Not that she blamed him for interested in her. Not that she blamed him for that. He had a ranch to run by himself after all.

Still, she wished he hadn’t resented having to look after her quite so much, or at least hadn’t told her so quite so often.

“Here you are.”

Man, she must be tired, that was the second time he’d managed to sneak up on her tonight. Callie stared up at the pill and glass of water he held out to her.

Callie shook her head tiredly. “No thanks.”

“It wasn’t a request, Callie. Take the sleeping pill.”

“I can sleep without it.” She looked up at his implacable face. “Please, Tanner, I don’t like how they make me feel. It’s not a proper sleep and I’ll be all sluggish tomorrow. I can’t afford to be sluggish. I’ve got too much to do.”

do.”

“You don’t like having your control taken away, you mean,” he interpreted intuitively. “You won’t be able to do anything tomorrow unless you get some sleep. Take the pill, Callie.”

Reluctantly, she swallowed the

prescribed sleeping pill. Tanner had dragged her along to the doctor two weeks ago when he’d found out how little she’d been sleeping.

It was a low dose pill which meant she wasn’t supposed to feel so sluggish the next morning, but Callie still hated taking it.

“Good girl,” Tanner praised her as he sat next to her on the bed and massaged her head, soothing the dull headache she’d been suffering from for days.

“You can’t let things get this bad, Callie,” he scolded her lightly as she drifted sleepily. Bliss suffused her with his touch, sleepily. Bliss suffused her with his touch, even as tingles of awareness ran through her lower body. She shouldn’t be so attracted to him, not after he’d just blistered her butt. But if anything, she was more interested in him after a spanking. Even now, she was slick with need for him.

But he’d barely touched her in the months they’d been dating. It was killing her.

There was slow and then there was slooowww.

She snorted. “So what do you expect me to do, ring you up and say, hey Tanner I need a spanking, can I schedule you in between say, 2

and 3?”

“You need to take better care of yourself.”

“Enough scolding, please Tanner,” she begged tiredly. “I’m so tired.”

“I know, baby. You just go to sleep now, let me worry about everything else. I’ll take care of you; I’ll take care of everything.” care of you; I’ll take care of everything.” To Callie that sounded like pure heaven.

***

“Hey, Sheriff, didn’t see you there. Have you come for Montana?”

Tanner looked down into the flushed, friendly face of Callie’s young vet nurse as she smiled up at him. Tanner knew that she was about the same age as Callie, but somehow she seemed younger, silly and flighty. Her hair was currently spiked up, black at the roots, bleach blonde at the tips. He nearly shuddered when he saw her nose ring.

“Montana?” he asked, frowning.

“Montana?” he asked, frowning.

“Yep, the dog you brought in last night.

We called him Montana, he’s a real sweetie.

You gona keep him? Cause I think you’ll have a real fight on your hands, Callie seems real taken with him.”

“He’s going to the pound.” His answer was more abrupt than he would have liked and even flighty Emma picked up on his attitude as she let out a low whistle.

“Oookay, well, good luck with that. See you later.” She waved at him as she turned to walk down the steps.

“Wait, you’re leaving already?” He frowned as he glanced at his watch. It was barely 5pm; he knew that Emma usually worked for a while after the clinic closed its doors, helping Callie to clean up.

“Yep, hot date, gotta get ready.” Tanner continued to frown after her as he heard Callie walk up behind him.

“You going to stare at Emma’s ass all night or are you coming in?”

He turned to frown down at Callie. “I wasn’t looking at her ass, thank you very much. I was thinking.”

“Yeah, what about?”

“About how I’ve never seen you act like that.”

“Like what?” Callie asked as she stepped into her surgery and started to wipe down the large table. She still looked exhausted. Her shoulders were slightly slumped and that worried him. She wasn’t improving, her spirits were still low.

“I don’t know, carefree, silly, like you’re having fun. Like you’re enjoying life.” Callie glared up at him, throwing down the cloth. “Well, maybe some of us don’t have time for silliness. I’m sorry if that offends you.”

He glared back at her.

“I didn’t say it offended me, stop being foolish Callie. I just meant that you never relax. You never take time to relax. Smell the roses for goodness sake.”

Callie’s hands went to her hips as she puffed out a frustrated breath.

“Why the hell would I want to smell roses? And you’re a fine one to talk, Mr.

Work-a-holic.” Turning, she walked into the small office.

“The difference between you and me, Callie, is I know when to stop. I can also take a lot more than you can.”

“Is there a reason you came around or was it just for the joy of insulting me?” she snapped.

“Damn it, Callie. Stop acting like a brat and just listen to me.”

“Look, I don’t have to stand here and take this from you. Just get out and leave me the hell alone.”

“Callie,” he began in a growl.

“No!” she yelled. “I’m tired, I’m grumpy and I don’t feel like being scolded or spanked.

So unless you’re here to fuck me, get out.” Tanner knew she wasn’t going to see sense, not at the moment anyway.

“Language,” was all he said in reply.

Callie just rolled her eyes as she sat behind her desk which had paperwork strewn messily across it. Tanner moved across the messily across it. Tanner moved across the room and noticed she was clutching at her stomach.

He stilled and took a closer look at her.

She was extremely pale, her skin translucent.

Reaching out he placed his palm on her forehead, clasping the back of her head with his other hand as she tried to move away from his touch. She felt cold, clammy, and concern raced through him.

“You’re sick,” he accused her, allowing her to pull back.

“I’m not sick.” She glared up at him angrily.

Tanner raised a single eyebrow at her, his voice low and warning. “Oh no? You’re clutching at your stomach, you’re cold and clammy and so pale you’re almost a ghost.

You’re going to bed.” He reached down to pick her up, but she slapped his hands away, pick her up, but she slapped his hands away, attempting to wriggle off the seat.

“Damn it, Tanner, leave me alone. I’ve got too much work to do. I’ll go to bed when I want to go to bed not when you say I have to.”

“What work?” He frowned down at the papers strewn across the desk, taking notice of them. “What the hell is all this?” He grabbed the papers, moving them out of her reach as she tried to snatch them back frantically. He shuffled through them. “These are all overdue notices. Callie, why haven’t you paid these?”
Stupid man,
Callie thought to herself as she futilely attempted to wrest the papers from his hand. “Don’t you think I would pay them if I could?” she replied grumpily, unconsciously rubbing at the gnawing pain in her stomach.

His eyes stared down at her thoughtfully as he placed the overdue bills on the desk and rested his hands on her shoulders. Callie sighed; she was in for it now.

sighed; she was in for it now.

“Your surgery is full every day, Callie.

Your business should be thriving. So unless you have a secret gambling addiction or you’re spending it all…?” She shook her head no.

“Then why the hell do you have no money?” Callie glared up at him. “If I knew do you think I would be so worried? I don’t know where all the money’s gone and I don’t know what to do.” She ran her hands through her hair, sighing in frustration as tears welled in her eyes. “You know I’ve never been good at this sort of stuff. Ryan was right, I was mad to think I could run a business. It was doomed to fail from the start, just like everything else I do.”

Tanner narrowed his eyes, not liking the defeat in her voice. “As I seem to recall Ryan had plenty of problems running the ranch when he first started out, and most of those problems he first started out, and most of those problems were due to his lack of experience with accounts. Instead of telling you that you’re going to fail he could offer his help.” Callie snorted. “Like that’s ever going to happen. I’ve taken enough from him. I’m not going to ask him to give me more.” Tanner frowned, but seemed willing to give up the argument when she clutched at her stomach once more.

“Where do you keep all your accounts?” he asked her.

“Why?” Callie asked suspiciously.

“Because while you’re taking a bath I will see what I can do about your finances, okay? And if I can’t figure it out I know someone who can. Now get a move on.” Callie stood staring at him.

“Go squirt, before I change my mind and

“Go squirt, before I change my mind and just spank you instead.”

Callie threw up her hands in

supplication. “Fine. Knock yourself out.” With that she stomped off to have a bath.

Bossy, arrogant, overbearing man.

Tanner ignored her muttering as he set to work on sorting her accounts. Two hours later and he sat back with a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly before rising.

He found her lying on the couch; all rumpled and sexy as she glanced up at him through heavy, sleep ridden eyes. “You should be in bed,” he scolded lightly as he sat beside her on the couch.

“What? Sleep while you do all my paperwork, yeah, like I’m really going to do that.”

“No, I guess you wouldn’t.”

“No, I guess you wouldn’t.”

“Did you figure anything out?”

“Yep, your problem is that you’re letting too many people run up tabs, squirt. You have virtually no money coming in because no one is paying their bills,” he made certain his voice was firm, stern.

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh. So from now on, clients pay their bills upon leaving and tomorrow you will begin sending out bills to everyone who owes you money.”

“And where am I going to find the time to do that? I’m already working 14 hour days. I just-I just…” Tanner clasped her close against his chest, nestling her face against him as she began to cry.

“Shh, shh, honey, I know, you’re tired, I know.” He let her pull back and stare up into his face. “That’s why you’re going to hire an his face. “That’s why you’re going to hire an office manager.”

Callie snorted, sniffling softly. “Great idea, why didn’t I think of that? Umm, maybe because there is no money to hire anyone else.

There is
no money
, Tanner.”

“Watch the sarcasm.” He patted her butt softly. “Now, I have a solution. An interest-free loan. I have some money and…”