He just stared at her calmly. “Over my lap.”
“You are a real tease, you know that, right?” she grumbled. She couldn’t believe he’d gotten her so hot and bothered and now he wanted to spank her.
Damn man. She moved around to the side of his lap then laid over it. “Just for the record, I think it’s cruel to tease someone without release.”
“Just for the record, I think you have one fine ass.” He massaged her butt then pulled her panties down just below her cheeks. He placed his whole hand against her ass. He was so big in comparison to her, but she knew he’d never use his strength against her. “And I never said you weren’t going to get a release. Although keep up the attitude, and that is a definite possibility.”
Okay, that was her cue to shut up. He rubbed his hand up and down her butt. She hated when he did that, trying to build the anticipation. Anticipation sucked when it came to a spanking. Suddenly, he smacked his hand down on her ass. She jumped then groaned. He followed it up with a few heavier spanks. The sound filled the room, and she had to resist the urge to squirm, to try to get away knowing that would only result in more hard slaps of that firm hand against her vulnerable bottom.
He paused, gently rubbing the heat into her skin. “How does your butt feel?”
“Um, sore.” Was that it? Was he going to go easy on her? Did that mean they could get down to more interesting things?
“Good.” He started the spanking in earnest, and she realized those first few had just been the damn warm up. Soon, he had her bawling, deep, heart-wrenching sobs that shook her whole body.
“Well, that didn’t take long.” He gave her two more smacks before drawing her up, so she was sitting on his lap rather than lying across it. He made certain her ass was hanging over the side of his legs, so she wasn’t resting her weight on it as he drew her in against his chest.
She hiccupped, tears dripping down her cheeks. The pain was pretty intense, but she was crying way more than she thought her roasted butt cheeks warranted.
“That’s it, darlin’. Let it all out.” He rocked her slowly, murmuring things to her that didn’t make much sense. But she didn’t care. The sound of his voice was all she needed. That low rumble that came from deep in his chest. Gradually, her tears lessened.
“Coming back to me now?” He tipped her chin up then reached over for the box of tissues on the dining table. They’d taken to leaving boxes of tissues all over the place after realizing how much she cried during and after a spanking. There were boxes in places she never thought she’d receive a spanking. The mudroom, the storage room, the damn hall closet.
Then there were the boxes outside the house. In the car, the barn, and hidden in a small rock enclosure down by the pond.
Now she lay against Logan, feeling completely wiped out, but in a good way. As though all her fears and worries had been lifted from her. They’d been set free on a wave of tears and snot.
Kind of gross. But true.
Logan wiped the tears from her cheeks then grabbed a new tissue, holding it to her nose. “Blow.”
“Logan . . . I can blow my own nose.”
He just gave her “the look” and she sighed.
“Blow.”
She blew her nose, her face growing at least as hot as her butt cheeks. He threw the tissue down then grasped her chin, studying her.
“What is it?” she asked, reaching up with her hand. Was there something on her face? No doubt she looked a complete wreck.
“You are so beautiful.”
“And you need glasses.”
“Savannah,” he said in a low, growly voice that sent a delicious shiver of arousal up her body.
“Come on, Logan. I’m dressed in one of Max’s old shirts. I’ve just been crying my eyes out, so they’re probably swollen and red. My cheeks will be blotchy because that’s what always happens when I cry, and I’m not wearing a bit of makeup. I haven’t even run a comb through my hair today.”
Jesus, when she laid it all out, she realized she hadn’t been making much of an effort lately.
He kissed her lips lightly. “Why didn’t you ask Max to stay?”
She sighed. “Because he needed to go. Because I could tell he felt like he’d failed us. Failed the ranch. If I’d asked him to stay, and then we lost everything, it would be my fault. He was hiding this from us because he didn’t think I could handle it.”
“Maybe. But that was only part of it. The other part is Max’s fucked-up mind.”
“Logan.”