The Rancher's Rules by Dina Chapel Read Free Book Online Page B

surprised by that, but he was. Sometimes it seemed she just wanted to defy him, no matter the cost.
    Annie stood close to the growing fire, holding her hands out to it and enjoying the warmth. She felt frozen from head to toe. Rafe fetched a blanket and bath sheet from the bedroom. When he reached around Annie from behind to wrap her in the bath sheet, she flinched and jerked away from him. She was wary of him, figuring he meant to tan her hide at the first opportunity for running away.
    “C’mon now, Annie, I need to dry you off a bit. The heat from the fire will do the rest.” Rafe motioned with his hands for her to step closer to him. She did so, against her better judgment, and Rafe immediately wrapped the large sheet around her and began rubbing up and down her arms. When he was satisfied that her upper body was a bit drier, he dropped the sheet to her lower body and dried that too. When he was done, he took the blanket and wrapped that around her, enclosing her in his arms and holding her close. Annie figured it was probably just to warm her up more, but she liked how it felt just the same.   
    “You’re going to punish me, aren’t you?” She glanced over her shoulder at Rafe, already knowing the answer, but figuring there was always a chance he might think almost dying in that storm was punishment enough.
    “I aim to get you warm and dry first and check you over for frostbite.” Rafe turned Annie around and guided her to sit on the stone hearth, right next to the fire. “When I’m satisfied that you’re all right, then yes, you’re going to get a tanning with my belt that you won’t forget anytime soon.” Rafe had been taking off Annie’s boots to check her feet and wasn’t looking at her as he spoke. At that moment, he looked up and his hard and serious expression locked onto her eyes. “I intend to make certain that you never do anything like this ever again, little girl.”
    * * * * *
    Rafe stood Annie up and held her by the shoulders for a minute until he was certain that she was able to stand on her own all right. She seemed a bit unstable; Rafe supposed it was the harsh punishment. He had strapped her bare backside with his belt until every inch of skin from the top of her behind to halfway down the backs of her thighs was dark red and swollen. He was sorry he had to do it, but he would do it again. She needed to learn to mind him. It was too dangerous out here to not understand that. Rafe had a feeling this wouldn’t be her last time over his knee. She really seemed to have trouble with doing as she was told – at least the first time, and that first time could be the only chance she got to survive.
    Annie had her face in her hands and was sobbing uncontrollably. That had been the worst whipping she had ever gotten; the skin on her backside and thighs burned as if it was on fire. She couldn’t seem to stop crying.
    Rafe stood, put the chair back to its place at the table and then put his belt back on, all the while watching Annie and waiting for her to calm a bit. It wasn’t happening. Rafe stepped closer to her and stroked her hair in an attempt to settle her down a bit.
    As soon as Annie felt Rafe near her and his hand on her head, without thinking she moved forward and pressed her face into his shirt, grabbing some of his shirt with one hand and sobbing against his chest. She didn’t care that she was seeking comfort from the very person who had caused her to need comforting in the first place. She needed him to hold her. “I’m sorry,” Annie cried into Rafe’s shirt. “I’m sorry I ran off and caused trouble for you.”
    How did she do it? Rafe thought. Annie seemed to chip away at the ice that Rafe had firmly in place around his heart. Never before had a woman’s tears done anything but annoy him. He knew a lot of women to use tears as a way to manipulate a man and get their way. But Annie was different. She obviously hadn’t gotten her way. Rafe had already punished her,