Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(97)

He shook his head.


“Stop that.”


He shook his head. “Know why I came to town?”


Ainsley tapped her finger on the table. “Hmm. Does it involve handing me a paddle

since I’m up shit creek? Or are you just going to paddle me?”


“You’re not getting off that easy this time.” He kept that smoldering Dom stare on

her. “I’m still ticked off at you for the way you compared yourself to my saddle.”


“If the stirrup fits…”


He growled. “You tryin’ to piss me off?”


“No. But this is your pissed-off face? Because it looks the same as when you’re happy

—or when you’re turned on—to me.”


Wrong taunt, Ainsley.


“Do you really feel I use you?”


“Yeah. Sometimes I do.”


An emotion she’d never seen flitted through those beautiful dark eyes. “Get your

stuff and plan on spending the night at my house.”


“If I say I don’t want to?”


“Then say your safe word. You won’t see me again.”


She stared at him. He stared back. No surprise she dropped their mind-f*ck connection

first. “I don’t want to say my safe word.”


“Then you’d better do as you’re told, hadn’t you?”


Ainsley looked up but he was already walking away.


She wasn’t prepared for this side of Bennett.


He had no time for pleasantries or conversation when she showed up at his house. He

simply asked her to repeat her safe word. Twice.


When he told her to strip, kneel at his bedroom door and wait for him, she had her

first real feeling of trepidation since she’d agreed to be his submissive. Sometime in

the last week, she’d even wondered if Bennett was acting. Playing the part of being a

dominant man. That when she really got to know him, he’d drop that aggressive role and

just be a demanding lover.


But this man wasn’t acting. This man was pure, full on dominant male about to mete out

punishment to his sub. Why was she kneeling, waiting for his return? He knew she hated

the subservience aspect of Dom/sub relationships. Another thought made her stomach

roil. What would she do if he slipped a collar on her? Bennett had only allowed her one

hard line. He’d told her anything else he wanted to do to her was fair game. The idea

of being collared like one of his dogs had her head screaming her safe word and urging

her to run.


No. Stay put, stay calm. You can do this. There’s a lesson in here in here for you.

Bennett isn’t a cruel Dom, you know that.


Did she?


Immediately upon his return to his bedroom, after making her wait for twenty minutes,

he’d secured her, naked, and stretched her out, face down, spread-eagle on his

mattress. He used a riding crop on her butt, letting it glance across her thighs. Twice

he’d stopped to see if she needed to use her safe word. Asking in that firm, gentle

voice that somehow offered her reassurance, even as it kept her clinging to the edge.



Ainsley shook her head and bore his punishment, wondering why his attention wasn’t

having the usual effect of turning her on. Wondering why she felt so disjointed.