“Has anyone ever told you, you should zip it?”
“Aye.”
“You should listen. I’m also goin’ to add a few swats for you lettin’ Kelly Rourke kiss you, and after I specifically told you to be good while I was away.”
“You said you were goin’ to let all those things go,” she cried indignantly as she twisted her neck and looked at him with a pout.
“I lied,” he said with a grin, throwing her words back at her. “Has your da ever spanked you?” he asked.
“Once or twice when I was little,” she replied. “I’m a grown woman now, so he wouldn’t dream of doin’ somethin’ like that. No gentleman would.”
“Aren’t you the unlucky lass,” he said forlornly. “I’m no gentleman. I’m just a man who intends to take good care of his woman and one of those ways is makin’ sure she’s safe.”
“I don’t feel very safe at the moment,” she informed him.
“You’re in the safest place in the world, over your man’s knees where he’s about to show you how much you mean to him.”
“That’s an oxymoron, O’Malley. You’re tellin’ me I’m in the safest place in the world and you’re going to strike me. That’s okay, because you are a moron, no oxy.”
“I see the sassy mouth comment went over your head. ’Tis fine, because I’m about to impress it on your bottom. And one more thing, there will be no name callin’ in our marriage. It’s degradin’ and I won’t tolerate it.”
Maeve laughed.
“So, you see me callin’ you a pig-headed, overbearin’, Irish reprobate as more degradin’ than say, me lyin’ over your lap about to get my arse spanked? Interestin’.”
“Aye, I think that about covers it for now, and to tell you the truth, darlin’, my hand’s itchin’ to get started. I was going to impart a bit of useful information, but seein’ as how you already know everythin’, there’s no need.”
“What information? What? What?”
“Oh, nothin’ too important, just that the more you fight, swear and scream, the longer I’ll feel the need to continue. I won’t stop until I feel you’re contrite.”
“Oh, contrite is it? I’ll tell you, O’Malley, right now I’m feelin’ pretty contrite that I even stopped over here. I should have gone on home, grabbed my savings and hopped a bus for parts unknown.”
“That might have been the dumbest thing you’ve ever said to me given the position you’re in,” he growled. “In fact, it was a huge miscalculation on your part, love.”
“And makin’ me listen to you drone on and on about how awful I am, is a huge one on your part,” she spat back. “Why do you want to marry me anyway?”
He ignored her question.
“Remember what I said about carryin’ on.”
Maeve theatrically drew her fingers across her lips and tossed an imaginary key away. Sean just shook his head and raised his hand.
Chapter Six
He’d planned to go easy on her, but the remark about hopping a bus sealed her fate. When his big hand connected with her sweet little bottom, she stiffened with shock. He had to hand it to her. He’d expected an explosion, but she did exactly what he’d told her to do. She didn’t swear, scream or fight him for at least ten serious swats and he felt a little guilty. Obviously, she’d taken him at his word and thought if she behaved it would be over quickly. He had no such intentions, and even if he had, they’d gone out the window with her admission that she thought about running away. God help her if he ever had to chase her down.
His hand fell over and over again; creating what he hoped was the worst sting with the least damage. While he couldn’t call it fighting him, she did try to crawl away, and he pulled her back into place and tightened his arm around her waist. Whimpers escaped and he stopped for a moment to reach down and remove her shoes. No sense risking getting clocked in the head.
At the eleventh smack, she turned and glared at him accusingly, but still kept her lips tightly pressed together. She was very fair skinned and colored quickly. He could see hot pink above and below her panties and wanted very badly to lift hercheeks and smack her good there as well. How dare she think she could up and leave him like that? The devil was on his shoulder the entire time.
Pull her panties down.
You’d better check for damage.
She’s going to be your wife, there’s no sin in looking at what will soon be yours anyway. Go on, son, give it to her good. Drinking, drugs, kissing other boys, she deserves it.
Better take her in hand now, son, before you put that ring on her finger or she’ll make your life a merry hell.
