Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“I was, Tanner! I pushed you away when I really didn’t want you to go. I regretted it so much, and I was worried that you wouldn’t want anything to do with me anymore. My brain wouldn’t shut up. I . . . I couldn’t sleep, so I thought it was a good idea to go running at three in the morning to clear my head. What if I’d died? What then?”
“Do not say things like that,” he told her darkly. “You are not going to die.”
“I was such an idiot.”
“One more time,” he said in a low stern voice.
“What?” She gave him a startled look. What was he talking about?
“You call yourself an idiot or stupid one more time and we’re gonna have problems.”
She reared back. “You’ll leave me?”
Tanner’s eyes widened. “No, baby. Christ, no. I’m not leaving you.”
“You should,” she said bitterly. “I bring nothing but problems wherever I go.”
“That was your third strike.”
Um. What? “I didn’t say stupid or idiot.”
“No, but you basically called yourself a problem and that’s the same thing.”
“Is not.”
“You really want to argue over this?” he asked.
“Well, that depends on what strike three gets me.”
“Nothing at the moment. But eventually, it’s going to get you a hot ass. We’ll add it to the punishment you’ve got coming for endangering yourself.”
29
“I don’t need a spanking!”
“Uh, yeah, you do.”
She huffed out a breath. He was terrible.
“But, like I said, it will wait until you’re feeling better.”
“There’s nothing really wrong with me. And I don’t want you to feel like . . . like you’re obliged to look after me.”
His eyes looked sad as he stared at her. “Baby, you fainted. You aren’t eating or getting enough sleep or rest. I want to take care of you. The last thing I feel is obligation or like you’re a burden. Taking care of you . . . it feels like something I was born to do.”
She sucked in a breath. Had anyone ever said something that nice to her? If they had, then she couldn’t remember.
“I’ve heard a lot of women in Haven get spanked if they break the rules. It seems to go against the whole ethos of protecting them.”
To her shock, he laughed. “It does, doesn’t it? But all the women agree to the rules they’re given. As well as the consequences.”
“They do? Why?”
“Hmm, well, I have my suspicions some of them like the punishments.”
They did? Huh. Actually, she could see Opal loving a spanking. Ryleigh, on the other hand, probably wouldn’t.
And you?
Well, she liked the idea of a fun spanking. But a punishment spanking? Hmm.
Her nanny had spanked her a few times when she was a kid and she’d hated it. After she’d told her dad, he’d put a stop to that. Of course, she’d just come up with other forms of punishments.
“And the others . . . well, I guess they know that those rules are there for them. And that the men in this town would lay down their lives to keep them safe. Have you seen anyone who looked unhappy? Downtrodden?”
“No, everyone is sickeningly happy and nice.”
“Thank you!” He clapped, startling her. “It is a bit sickening, isn’t it? That’s why we have to shake things up every now and then. If it wasn’t for a few bar brawls and some pranks, no one around here would have anything to moan about.”
Lord.
“You’re trouble.”
“I try my hardest. But, seriously, baby. You know I won’t spank you if you tell me no. Although as your guardian, I’ll have to come up with some other punishments.”
“So you’ve just declared yourself my guardian? Without my consent?”
“Would you rather have someone else be your guardian? Linc is going to act as guardian for Ryleigh and Opal.”
She wrinkled her nose at that idea. Linc might have apologized but she didn’t think that meant he liked her.
“Jake would do it.”
Still not ideal. She didn’t know him, and he was the sheriff. Lilac wasn’t sure she could entirely trust him.
“No. Not them.”
“I’m sure Alec would.”
She licked her lips. “Alec?”
“Yep.”
“He’s a very nice, scary man,” she said carefully.
Tanner grinned. “He is. I’m not sure he’d appreciate the nice part, he has mellowed over the years. Especially since meeting Mia. Although, threaten his family and there is nothing he wouldn’t do to protect them.”
Would he consider her a threat to them? When he found out who she was?
“I don’t think I want Alec as my guardian.”
“Sure? The women in this family sure have him wrapped around their little fingers. Even though he thinks he’s in charge, he’s really not.”
That was . . . sweet. It was hard to believe that such a big, dominant man might be wrapped around the finger of a woman. But she knew that not every man was like Stefan.
Not every man hurt the people he was supposed to care for and protect.