Laying Down the Law (5 page)

Unfortunately, it was as she’d suspected and she let out an exasperated sigh as she saw Tanner through the peephole. She really, really didn’t need this tonight; she was so tired that just standing here without collapsing was taking all of her concentration and energy.

“I know you’re there, Callie. Open this door now. The longer you wait the harder it’s going to go on you.” She knew what he was really saying, that he would be harder on her bottom. Leaning her head against the doorframe Callie took a deep breath before she unlocked and opened the door, stepping back to let Tanner enter.

The two of them stood there for a moment just glaring at each other.

“You didn’t go to your doctor’s appointment.” It wasn’t a question.

“No.” She refused to explain herself to him, although that became increasingly hard not to do so as he frowned fiercely. Then he was moving toward her and Callie found herself stepping back. Fatigue made her clumsy and she would have tripped over her own feet had he not reached out a hand and caught her arm. His frown increased in intensity as he peered down at her intently.

“You’re exhausted.” The way he said it sounded like an accusation and she immediately bristled at his tone. “Why aren’t you in bed?”

“I was in bed. Asleep. Until someone rudely woke me up.”

“Don’t be giving me any sass, Callie. I am at the end of my rope with you. Get yourself upstairs and wait for me while I check around downstairs to make sure you’ve locked up properly.”

If she had the energy, she’d tell him where to go. But she was really, really tired.

Callie turned on her heel and slowly climbed the stairs. It galled her to do as he said without argument, but she knew that tone of voice.

Tanner was not going to listen to a word she said in this mood. He was stubborn as a mule.

Tanner locked the back door, taking his time to calm himself down. He’d been absolutely furious when he’d learned she hadn’t kept the appointment he’d made. But he’d made himself wait before coming her. He had wanted to calm his temper down a bit.

He’d gone for a long run, and when that still hadn’t released all his angry energy, he’d spent hadn’t released all his angry energy, he’d spent some time with his exercise equipment, lifting weights until his muscles complained.

Finally, he’d showered and driven over, not even thinking about the time until he’d arrived. He felt guilty at waking her up. She really did need her sleep. But he was here now.

Only the sight of her, pale and exhausted, had stirred his temper once more.

Tanner made his way slowly up the stairs, not liking the task he had ahead of him.

But it needed to be done. She was risking her health, and to Tanner that was completely unacceptable. Plus he had warned her of what would happen if she disobeyed him, and Tanner always followed through on his promises.

He frowned as he walked past the sofa, taking in the blanket and pillow sitting on it.

She was sleeping on the sofa again; something he knew she used to do before he’d forced her he knew she used to do before he’d forced her to the doctor the last time, to get the sleeping pills. He didn’t know why she preferred to sleep on the sofa rather than in her bed, but it wasn’t good for her, she desperately needed some good deep sleep and the lumpy, short sofa was not going to provide that.

Walking into the bedroom he saw her lying on the bed, so small and delicate that he felt true regret for what he was going to do.

It was that regret that caused him to offer her a reprieve, something that surprised them both.

“Would you rather wait until morning?” She looked up at him, eyes widening in surprise.

“I’d rather you didn’t do this at all.” He shook his head. “There was an easy way to avoid this, Callie. You should have way to avoid this, Callie. You should have gone to that appointment.”

It was for the best to get this done with now and they both knew it. Her eyes followed his movements as one might cautiously watch a hissing snake.

“Callie, you know I only do this because I care.”

“Well, you must care a lot,” she said huffily. “Because lately, I seem to have a sore butt most days.”

“I do care a lot. More, I think, than you realize.”

She gaped at him silently. He spoke quickly before she could question him.

“Off with your pants, you can kneel on the bed.” She moved slowly to obey him.

“Faster, Callie, unless you want to extend this out.”

She shook her head silently and he found himself a little concerned by her lack of animation. He stood behind her, frowning down at her panty-clad bottom raised up in front of him. He pushed her panties beneath her bottom, baring her.

“Why are you being punished, Callie?” he asked her.

“Because I didn’t keep the doctor’s appointment that you made for me.”

“That’s right. I warned you what would happen if you disobeyed me, do you have anything to say about this?”

“No, it’s not like it would do me any good, anyway.” He hated the resigned, almost defeated tone to her voice, but could only think of one cure for it. With a heavy swing of his arm, he spanked her.

Callie made little noise, just letting out Callie made little noise, just letting out an occasional sigh or whimper. When her bottom was pink and warm to the touch, he started to talk.

“It kills me that you’re so down right now, Callie. I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to you. And I want you to know that if I ever make you a promise I will always follow through.”

“I know,” she said in a small voice.

Callie sucked in her breath as his hand landed on her bottom with shocking intensity.

“Why didn’t you keep the appointment, Callie?”
Oh Lord, he wanted to talk? Now?

She grabbed the bed cover in her hands, trying to hold back her cries of pain.

“Callie?” His voice warned her to answer.

“Because
I
don’t need to go to the doctor,

“Because
I
don’t need to go to the doctor,
I
decide when I need to go and
I
will make the appointment.” Her answer was unguarded, raw, the pain causing her to speak rashly.

His hand landed in quick succession on the top of her thighs. Sitting was going to be a real bitch tomorrow. This time she couldn’t hold back her sobs of pain as tears began to run unheeded down her face.

“Your decisions are unwise yet again, Callie. You are neglecting your health, forcing me to step in, and then when I do, you foolishly disobey me.”

“Please Tanner, I can’t stand it. No more,” she sobbed, wiggling her bottom, barely able to keep still as the pain intensified the burn so incredible she knew she couldn’t take any more.

“Why are you sleeping on the sofa?”

“What?” she sobbed out, her mind now

“What?” she sobbed out, her mind now entirely on the pain in her bottom.

“Why do you sleep on the sofa, Callie?”

“Please let me up, Tanner,” she pleaded with him, trying to climb off the bed. But he merely placed his hand on her lower back, holding her in place.

“We’re not finished yet.” She cried out at that announcement. “Answer me.”

“I can’t sleep in the bed.”

“Why not?” He was relentless. She knew he wasn’t going to let it go.

“Because it’s too big, too empty and lonely.” She hated how pitiful she sounded.

“Ten more will do it.”

Callie cried harder, her body shuddering.

He didn’t keep her waiting. When he had counted out the last one, Callie collapsed on counted out the last one, Callie collapsed on the bed, crying, as her bottom throbbed and burned. It had been a hard punishment, one she wouldn’t soon forget.

Callie could only lie there sobbing as Tanner shifted her over to the side of the bed.

Then he was laying beside her, dressed in his boxers only, his arm surrounding her waist as he kissed the back of her neck. Had she been a little less upset, she’d have taken more notice of his nakedness. But she couldn’t concentrate on anything but her sore bottom.

“Look at me, Callie.”

Callie turned her head on the pillow so that she could look into his face through her swollen tear laden eyes.

He leaned down and kissed the tears from her flushed cheeks and she let out a loud sob at his show of tenderness.

“I don’t want you sleeping on the sofa

“I don’t want you sleeping on the sofa anymore, understood? You won’t get a good sleep that way.”

“I can’t sleep here, either,” she complained.

“You will,” he promised. “I’ll make sure of it. Tomorrow, you will ring the doctor’s surgery and make another appointment. I have the day off so I want you to ring me and let me know what time it is. I will take you this time, Callie. Do you understand me?”

Callie merely nodded, too well punished to argue. A loud yawn caught her by surprise and he kissed her lightly on the lips.

“Sleep now, young lady. I’m not going anywhere.”

Surprisingly, she did.

Tanner walked through the back entrance of Callie’s place the next morning, frowning as the sound of raised voices hit him. Moving swiftly into the reception, he grew incensed at the sight in front of him. There in the front reception room stood two large, angry men.

One was Clive Samson, a local cowboy who worked on Ryan’s ranch. Facing off against him was an extremely angry and volatile Fred Pickles. Fred was a man that every town had and disliked. A complainer, he was a constant pain in the behind, a nuisance who annoyed pretty much everyone he came into contact with.

It wasn’t the two angry men shouting and gesturing wildly at each other that incensed him, however, but the fact that wedged firmly between them stood a much smaller and delicate looking Callie.

delicate looking Callie.

“Just calm down, the pair of you,” she inserted over their yelling, her arms outstretched, touching each of their chests, as if that would stop them from trampling her in their eagerness to take a swing at each other.

Tanner looked over at the other occupants of the waiting room who were gaping at the unfolding drama in unapologetic interest.

“Calm down! This ignorant hick ran over my dog!” Fred was practically foaming at the mouth as he yelled.

“I wouldn’t have run over the damn mutt if you kept him on a lead, you dimwit,” the cowboy yelled back. Tanner strode over, his temper held in by a thin thread. Fred loved that mangy mutt of his, and for reasons no one else could understand, the dog seemed to love him too. However, he didn’t believe in putting it on too. However, he didn’t believe in putting it on a lead, letting it run free and generally wreck havoc in other people’s yards. He got into rubbish, leaving it strewn about the place.

There was no love in this town for that dog or Fred.

“Andy is fine, Fred. He just has some bruising, you can even take him home right now,” Callie tried to interject some reason, but Fred was well beyond it. Just as Tanner was about to order her out of the way, Fred drew his arm back to take a swing at Clive.

However, Callie turned right at that moment and Fred’s fist caught her on the side of the head, causing her to fall back into some thankfully empty chairs.

Tanner let out a roar of pure fury that had everyone freezing, like prey caught in headlights, as they stared at him, waiting.

Moving swiftly he caught Fred and turned him, face forward, into the wall. Forcing his hands face forward, into the wall. Forcing his hands behind his back he cuffed him easily, ignoring the man’s screaming protests.

“Shut up,” he ordered firmly, his voice coldly furious. Surprisingly, the cantankerous fool obeyed his order, his sputtering dying as he caught sight of Tanner’s face.

Tanner knew he must look intimidating, the shocked gazes of those around him confirming it as he moved over to where Clive was helping Callie rise.

“Let go of her,” he ordered, his voice still deathly cold and the younger man immediately obeyed. Tanner gathered Callie up into his arms, ignoring her quiet words of protest.

“Be quiet, sweetheart,” his voice softened as he looked down at her before turning his gaze to look out the window, glad to see one of his deputies pulling up outside the surgery.

He quickly ordered the deputy to take the two men down to the station and sort out this mess.

Tanner strode into back room and set Callie on the examination table. He moved to the refrigerator to grab an ice pack, setting it on her rapidly swelling eye.

“Wow,” she hissed as the ice pack made contact with her face. She tried to jump back, but he was prepared for her reaction and held the back of her head firmly.

“Hold still,” he ordered sternly, still feeling the effects of what had just happened.

He was on an emotional roller-coaster, beginning with fury, ending with fear and concern. He could feel the fury begin to work its way back to the forefront. He had to make certain she was all right. She’d just taken a hit intended for a much larger, stronger body.

Tanner ran his hands over her arms then her back, his touch gentling as she squealed with pain. Breathing deeply, he attempted to with pain. Breathing deeply, he attempted to calm himself only to have his temper reignite as he lifted her t-shirt and spotted the beginnings of some serious bruising on her upper back where she’d fell against the chairs.

“I’m okay, Tanner,” she attempted to reassure him, probably clued in to his temper by the way he continued to growl under his breath. He lowered her t-shirt before picking her up once again in his arms.

“Where are we going?” Callie asked, as he walked past the stairs leading to her apartment upstairs. She felt so slight in his arms. Fear and fury still coursed through his body, yet the feel of her soothed him somewhat.

She was where she belonged. In his arms.

Under his protection. He looked down at her as he carried her out the back door to where he’d parked his truck.

“To your doctor’s appointment, of course.” Opening the passenger door he handed her carefully inside, making sure she was comfortable before pulling the seatbelt across her.

Callie sighed tiredly, resting her sore head back against the head rest, wincing as she adjusted the ice pack, grateful for the small relief it was now bringing to her throbbing cheek and eye.