Tangled (Steele Ranch 3)

Her eyes widened and she took a step away, but I hooked my hand about her waist and pulled her into me, then moved her so she was bent over my thighs, her belly on the couch. Her head was by Archer and he took a hold of the chain that linked the cuffs.

“What are you doing?” she asked, trying to shift off of my lap, wiggling and squirming like a fish on a line. I hooked a foot over her ankles, pinning her in place.

Lee flicked his eyes to mine, then he reached for the button on the front of her jeans, worked it and the zipper down, then tugged the denim over her hips along with her underwear. He settled it mid-thigh, pinning her legs together.

“What’s your safe word, baby?”

5

SUTTON

* * *

She stilled then, realizing we weren’t taking advantage of her. I would never force her to be spanked, to strip her down, even only partway.

Instead, we were dominating her, just like we had last summer. With the safe word question, she was in control here. She had all the power. We’d let her up, fix her jeans and get her some fucking hot chocolate if that was what she really wanted. She’d tell us, sometime, but this way was faster. This was what she wanted. She’d backed herself into a corner and needed us to make her tell us. It was confusing and subtle, but it was what she needed.

“Red,” she mumbled.

I stroked a hand over the creamy flesh of her ass. It was warm, silky soft and just as gorgeous as I remembered.

“Good girl,” I murmured. Yeah, this was what she wanted. Last summer, we hadn’t come up with any elaborate safe words, but stuck with the basics. “You wanted Archer to take control and he hasn’t given it up yet. You say ‘red’ and we’ll let you up.”

She looked back at me over her shoulder. I saw the skittishness, the surprise, the need, too.

Her cheeks were flushed, her hair a wild tangle about her face.

“Do you want to say red?” I asked, waiting, giving her one last chance.

The way she stared at me, I could tell she was thinking, and hard. Archer and Lee were quiet, patiently waiting. My heart thudded in my chest as I wondered if we would have the same connection after a year apart.

“No.”

Inwardly, I sighed. Thank fuck.

“The question is, what has you running scared? Answer when you’re ready.”

I began the spanking, not all that hard, just a warmup, one cheek then the other. Her flesh jiggled beneath my palm, the skin instantly turning pink. The sound of the spanking filled the room. Her head was turned toward the back of the couch and I was able to watch her expressions. Her eyes were pinched closed, her face scrunched. Her cheeks were flushed as she tried to hold her breath, but as I continued, she began to pant.

“Who’s in charge, baby?” I asked.

When she didn’t respond, I spanked her again, a little bit harder. She jolted, hissed, then cried out, “You!”

I soothed the sting over her red skin with my palm, felt the warmth of it.

“That’s right. I am, along with Archer and Lee until you say your safe word. That means you don’t have any problems. Any worries. You give them to us.”

She shook her head. Stubborn, stubborn woman! I spanked her again.

A sob escaped, her hands clenched into fists.

My palm came down once more. She slumped over my lap and cried.

Finally. Fuck, I hated spankings like this. I was all for a playful bout, especially as I fucked, but this? She had to give over. There was nothing she could say that her men couldn’t handle. A lawman, a Marine and a guy insane enough to jump on the back of a bull were here to protect her, even if it meant from herself.

Archer released his hold on the cuffs and Lee tugged her clothes back up, scooped her into his arms and carefully placed her on his lap. His hand went to her hair, brushed it back from her face and he leaned down and whispered to her. I couldn’t hear his words, but her crying eased, but didn’t stop.

Fuck, I hated to see her cry. I gritted my teeth just watching her so upset.