Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Sage gave a slight wince and shrugged one shoulder, scuffing her toe against the straw-covered floor. “Eight o’clock, Daddy.” She met his gaze, hitting him with the full force of her best puppy dog eyes. “Have I said I was sorry? Really, really sorry? I just didn’t want to bother you. You work so hard, and I know people your age need their rest. I thought you would be asleep already.”
“You mean like you’re supposed to be?” His voice dropped into that low, dangerous tone that made her tummy flip. “And don’t think you can fool me, naughty girl. You didn’t ask permission because you knew I’d say no.”
Sage’s cheeks burned hot. She twisted her fingers together in front of her. Daddies shouldn’t be able to know what was in their Little girl’s brain. It gave them an unfair advantage.
She scrambled for another explanation. “Well… I thought I’d show you how much better I rode in the morning and you’d be surprised,” she offered weakly. “You kind of spoiled it. But… surprise! I thought you’d be happy.”
Liar.
Buttercup chuffed in her stall. Great, even the horse wasn’t buying it.
“You thought wrong,” Grady said, pinning her with a look that had the skin on her bottom crawling for cover.
This wasn’t going well. All she’d wanted was to show him she could be a real cowgirl. Instead, she had worried him, broken his rules, and earned herself a punishment. Guess she was about to find out if that whole “Daddy” thing was real or just words. “I just wanted to make you proud of me,” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. “I just wanted to belong.”
Grady exhaled slowly through his nose, rubbing a hand down his face. For a moment, she saw the conflict in his eyes—the strict, protective side of him warring with something softer. He stepped closer, towering over her, and gently lifted her chin so she had no choice but to meet his gaze.
“We’ll get to whether you belong or not once we’re done here. Right now, you’ve earned yourself a damn good spanking,”
She nodded, eyes stinging with unshed tears. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Little girl,” he said, “you need to learn some self-restraint. You’re impulsive, and that’s going to keep you in a world of trouble. But worse than that, it can get you hurt.” He ran a hand through his hair, clearly fighting to keep his temper. “What if Buttercup had gotten really spooked and stepped on you? You could have been lying out here in the barn all night, hurt and alone.”
Sage swallowed hard, her cheeks burning hotter with every word. He was right, of course.
The crazy pounding of her heart grew faster, each thump growing louder in her ears. It was almost like having a panic attack, but the thumping was showing up in places it never had before. Like in her nipples and her princess parts. She pressed her thighs together and crossed her arms over her chest, but it didn’t help. What was wrong with her that she could be in so much trouble and be so turned on at the same time?
She turned her head away, hoping he wouldn’t notice. When she turned back, he was still looking at her.
“I’m waiting for an answer, young lady.” Grady’s eyes grew darker and more intense. She could lose herself in those eyes. Forever.
Wait, what had they been talking about? Oh, right, getting stepped on by a horse. “Well, how do you keep her from stepping on you?” she asked in a tiny voice, glowering over at Buttercup.
“I wouldn’t try to saddle her in the middle of the night, for a start,” he said. “Or try to saddle a horse who doesn’t know me.”
Her Daddy was a good lecturer. Not that she liked lectures. But there was just something about the deep, serious timbre of his voice. It was almost hypnotic. And sexy. Very, very sexy. The butterflies started fluttering again, but this time it wasn’t due to fear.
Now was not the time to be having lustful thoughts about her Daddy. He was upset with her. Which, for some reason, was affecting her in ways she hadn’t expected. Her Daddy was hot. Which was probably why her eyes decided to let her gaze wander all over his body.
What are you doing? We are in deep trouble here. Focus! Look at his eyes, look at his boots, just don’t look at his—
But the thoughts had come too late. Sage’s attention wandered to Grady’s strong thighs, straining against his jeans, demanding her attention because… holy hotness. Then her gaze followed his thighs higher, landing on the unmistakable bulge pressing against the front of his pants.
No, no, no! She panicked. Abort! Abort!
Sage’s gaze shot back up to his face. Had he noticed?
His frown was deeper than ever. Yep, he’d noticed.
“Are you listening to me, Wildfire? Because this is important. If I didn’t want a horse to step on me, I damn sure wouldn’t break curfew and sneak into the barn, alone at night, without permission. I’d never do that because it would break every rule I’d been given. And I’d value my ability to sit down more than that.” He paused before adding, “And after tonight, I’m bettin’ you will, too.”