“Oh yeah? The doctor in me thinks you’re a complete dumbass.” She held up a hand to ward him off. “Stop there.”
“No.” Amusement glittered along with a dark determination in his emerald eyes. “Unlike your relatives, I don’t find your defiance cute. Not for one second will I allow the brattiness to continue—especially since it nearly got you pumped full of cyanide earlier.”
Allow? Did he say allow? The last thing she needed to think about was the poison that had almost killed her. So much heat roared through Janie, she feared she’d detonate right then and there in a riotous flame of female outrage. “Who the hell do you think you are?” She jumped as her rear pressed against the cool window.
One of his dark eyebrows lifted. “Don’t ask stupid questions, Belle. You know exactly who I am.”
But did she? The force cornering her in her own living room held far more power and male determination than she’d ever encountered. And she’d mated him! The man was correct. Charm would not get her out of this one, and her own body was betraying her. Her nipples couldn’t possibly get any harder than they were right now.
She dropped into a fighting stance.
Two hands slipped under her armpits and yanked her upright. Zane leaned in close, his eyes sparking. “Don’t you ever try to fight me.”
“Why? Afraid you’ll lose?” She turned to aim a good kick to make her point. For years she’d trained, and she could defend herself.
He propelled her forward, plastering her against the glass. “Last chance, Janie. Lose the brat or you’ll regret it.”
How dare he. She struggled against him, her fury increasing at her failure to get free. “Fuck you, asshole.”
Then things happened too quickly to follow. Wind rustled, he lifted her through the air, and oxygen whooshed from her lungs as her chest met his thighs.
She had one second to figure out he’d sat and thrown her over his lap before the first slap hit.
Hard.
Pain ricocheted through her ass, and she gasped. She bucked and struggled, but he held her easily in place, one hand flattened across her upper back, while the other one smacked her butt.Smack. Smack. Smack.
He didn’t go easy on her, and he sure as hell didn’t hold anything back. Her thin yoga pants weren’t any match for his hard hand.
A dangerous warmth spread through her extremities. She fought against him as long as she could, finally going limp. Then, and only then, did he cease.
She remained in place, panting, tears filling her eyes.
He caressed one hand over her rear, spreading a warmth that made her moan. Then he lifted her up onto his lap and rubbed his nose over hers. A tear slid down her face, and she batted it back.
“No.” He pulled her close and tucked her head under his chin, his broad hand sweeping down her back. “Let the tears out, Belle.”
At the soft command, her body ignored every blazing warning from her brain and started to cry. Hard. Sobs racked her, so out of proportion to the silly spanking he’d given her.
Through the storm, Zane held her, rubbing her back.
She wound down with a small hiccup, exhausted and maybe a little embarrassed.
“Were you scared by the cyanide or when Garrett got shot?” Zane’s warm breath brushed her hair.
She snuggled closer into his rock-hard chest. Over-the-top vulnerability swamped her, and she needed to draw some protection around her. “Yes.”
“Hmmm. If I hadn’t been here, what would you have done after the attack?”
Janie wiped her eyes. “I don’t know what you mean. I guess I would’ve gone back to work.”
“So you would’ve hidden your fear from everybody?” Zane’s voice remained low and soothing as he caressed her back.
She shrugged. Why talk about all of this?
“Janie?”
She sighed. “I guess.”
