Epilogue
“Let me play with you.”
“No,” he said.
The reply frustrated her even as his touch brought her such pleasure she swore she saw stars.
His hands were heavy on her breasts, lips on her nipples. His mouth moved lower and lower. To where she wanted him to touch her.
But she wanted to give him the same.
Wanted to take him. Wanted him to fuck her.
Hard. Fast. With a fierceness their love-making no longer had.
Don’t get her wrong, she liked him sweet and slow. Gentle and tender.
But she also liked that other side to him. The man who was in charge. Who commanded her. Who bossed her and teased her. Who flirted and grinned. And yeah, she even missed Meanie Malone.
As he entered her, his dick driving deep inside her, she came. Her cry of pleasure filled their room in the bunkhouse of the Ranch.
Tanner held himself above her, not giving her his weight, afraid to crush her.
Because he thought she was delicate, fragile.
Ever since Stefan stole her away six weeks ago, Tanner had been broken. He was still here. Still did and said the right things. But he watched her all the time. Every touch was deliberately careful as though he was scared she would break.
She’d long since healed her bruises from the car crash. The mark on her cheek left over from where Stefan slapped her was gone.
The nightmares continued, but they were getting better. She’d only had one this last week. Still, they didn’t help Tanner’s state of mind. Every time she had one, he freaked out.
Thankfully, Alec and West hadn’t been badly injured. After no one could get hold of them, Maddox had gone looking and found them. West had a small concussion, while Alec had a lot of bruises and a gash on his head that had needed stitches.
About ten minutes after Maddox had found them, Tanner had gotten an anonymous message telling him where he could collect Lilac. He’d raced there with Butch and Raid, uncertain whether she was alive or dead.
Yeah, she understood why he was so upset.
Lilac wrapped her arms around him as he continued to drive himself inside her, coming with a muffled groan. Her clit pulsed with the aftereffects of her own orgasm, and he rolled them over until he was on his back with her on his chest.
She didn’t know how to get him to see that she was all right now. Yeah, Stefan was dead, and she’d seen it. Yes, everything had gone to crap. But she was okay.
In the end, she’d only told Tanner and Alec the truth of what happened on that plane. She didn’t want to talk about it and break Donatello’s trust. If that’s what it had been. They’d agreed that keeping that to themselves was best.
She’d moved into the bunkhouse with Tanner. They had plans to eventually build a house on the Ranch, but for the moment she didn’t mind the bunkhouse.
Ryleigh and Opal were living in the main house with Alec and Mia. Although Opal was making noises about moving into a house in town. It would be closer for her job, even though Alec had lent her a Ranch truck for transport.
She wouldn’t be surprised if Ryleigh went with her. If her brothers let her. They’d kicked Linc off the Ranch as soon as everyone had been discharged and gone home. But he now visited the Ranch all the time. Much to the Malone men’s dismay. She’d had to talk Tanner out of shooting out his tires.
They were all very protective.
Case in point, the man sliding out from under her to go take care of his condom. When he returned, he tucked her into his side under the covers, kissing her forehead.
“I’m not going to break, you know,” she whispered to him.
“I know.”
Lilac sighed. She’d tried to talk to him about this, but he wouldn’t listen. “You still owe me several spankings. We should get started on those.”
“I’m wiping the slate clean.”
Damn. She never thought she’d be disappointed about not getting a spanking.
“I love you, Tanner Malone.”
“Love you too, baby. Go to sleep. You need your rest.”
Right. Because she’d been doing little else these past six weeks. Maybe it was time to get her life back.
* * *
“You sure about this, babe?”Opal asked as she pulled up and got out of the truck, handing over the keys.
“Yep. Thanks for meeting me down here at the gate.” They were at the entrance to the Ranch. Opal had finished work early today so she could get home and hand off the truck she was using to Lilac.
“All right, but when Tanner and Alec find out I helped you, I’m offering your ass up for a spanking.”
She grinned. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”
Opal grinned back. “That’s my girl. Go catch hell.” She slapped Lilac’s ass as she climbed into the truck.
Lilac rolled her eyes. Then she drove into Haven and into the parking lot of Dirty Delights.
Time to get her job back.
* * *
“Please, Devon,”she begged.
“Nope. No way. I am not dealing with an angry, possessive Tanner Malone when he comes in here.”
And he’d likely be here soon. Would he have seen her note yet? She hadn’t wanted to scare him, so she’d left a note telling him where to find her.
She’d just wanted to give him a bit of a nudge.
“I need this job.”
Devon pointed at her. “No.”
“Just for an hour?” she asked.
“No.”
With a sigh, she sat at the bar. “Fine, can I have a beer?”
“You driving?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“Then no.”
Her mouth dropped open in outrage. “I can have one beer and still drive!”
“Not if you’re getting a beer from here, you can’t. You’re too small to not be a lightweight.”
That jerk!
And she’d actually put on a little weight. A tiny bit, but she was getting there. Of course, she had lost some weight after Stefan’s death so, basically, she was back where she’d been before he’d taken her.
She was considering talking to someone about everything, though, because it was still a struggle to eat. And sometimes everything would just come over her, making it hard for her to breathe.
All right. Perhaps she was a bit fragile.
But she could handle anything Tanner threw at her.
“What you can have is this.” Devon plopped a bowl of fries in front of her.
She sighed. She’d only eaten a couple of fries when she felt him enter. Even though her back was to the door, she knew it was him because everyone went silent.
Turning, she could see why.
Oh, crap.
Perhaps she hadn’t thought this through. Getting to her feet, she looked around wondering if she could run.
But then he was in front of her. And suddenly she was flying through the air before she landed over his shoulder.
“Tanner! Put me down!”
Slap!
Holy. Heck.
This is what she wanted.
But not in front of everyone.
Yeah, you really didn’t think this through.
“Put me down.” She wriggled as he made his way outside.
Slap!
“Tanner, please. I’m sorry.”
“Not yet, but you will be.”
Well. Hell. That wasn’t ominous or anything.
The entire ride home was silent. He’d left the Ranch truck she’d driven into town, using his truck to take them back to the Ranch.
When they reached the bunkhouse, she undid her belt.
“Stay there.”
Gulp.
She watched as he ran to her side of the truck and opened the door.
Then she was over his shoulder again.
“Tanner!” she cried. “Someone will see!”
“Should have thought of that.”
She should have. She really, really should have.
He slid her down his body once they were in his bedroom, holding her steady until she had her balance. She stared up at him in trepidation.
He was in alpha male mode right now.
His face was tight. Stern. Dominant.
And her insides lit on fire. She didn’t know why, but she liked him like this. Not all the time. Just sometimes.
She also kind of wanted to run and pee herself. All at the same time.
“Strip.”
“Maybe we can talk about this,” she prevaricated as she inched away from him.
But he stood between her and the door. The only place to go was the bathroom and the window in there wasn’t large enough to climb out of.
Do you really want to escape?
That would be nope.
“That’s not your safeword. Strip.”
Holy. Heck.
Deciding she’d have to reap what she’d sowed, she stripped out of her clothes, standing in front of him naked.
A sense of shyness came over her as he took off his own top. He stared at her, studied her. When she tried to cover her breasts, he pushed her hand away. Then he sat on the bed and patted his lap.
“Over you come.”
She stepped away. “What are you doing?”
“Giving you a spanking.”
“Why?”
He gave her an incredulous look. “You know why. Because you left the Ranch without me.”
“Stefan isn’t a risk anymore. And I’m safe.”
He scowled. “You’re not supposed to go into town on your own. I would have taken you in if you’d asked.”
“And if I want to get a job? What then?”
He glanced away, his jaw tight.
Lilac walked closer, stepping between his thighs. She cupped his chin, tilting his head up. “It’s time to loosen security up a bit. I know you’re scared of something happening to me and I’m sorry I left like I did. But I’ve tried to talk to you about this many times, but you don’t want to listen. I’m all right now. I’m safe. You made me safe.”
“I didn’t, though. You could have died! Right now, you could be with him.”
She straddled his legs, and he grasped hold of her hips. “But I’m not. I’m here with you. And I need you to remember that I’m not fragile.”
Tanner gave her a look.
“Okay, I’m a little fragile, but I won’t break and even if I leave the Ranch, I’m always going to come home to you. Because you are my home.”
Leaning in, she kissed him. It wasn’t long before he took over, turning the kiss into something hard and wild.
And just what she needed.
Then he drew back, and she whimpered. “More.”
“No.”
“Tanner!” she cried. “I’m fine!”
“What you are, is naughty. And you need to be punished.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Then suddenly, she found herself being moved so she was lying over his lap.
“Tanner?”
“What’s your safeword?”
“Scotch.”
“You’ll say it if you need to. Otherwise, you’re going to take your punishment. This is for saying yes to putting yourself at risk with your brother. And it’s for leaving the Ranch without telling me.”
“I’m never going to sit again, am I?”
“Probably not.”
The spanks landed hard and fast. Soon her ass felt like it was on her fire, and she kicked her legs, wanting some respite.
“Tanner, no!”
“A bit longer, baby. You earned this and you know it.”
She did know it. At least today she had. She’d felt guilty the entire time about what she was doing, even if she thought it was for his own good.
Tears dripped down her face and she sobbed as her poor bottom throbbed.
When he finally finished, he moved her so she sat on his lap, facing him. Pulling her against his chest, he rocked her back and forth.
“Good girl. You did so well. My brave, beautiful girl.”
Leaning back, she wiped her face. Reaching over, he grabbed a tissue and did it for her.
“I have something for you,” he told her.
He did? What was it?
Reaching over, he opened the nightstand drawer and drew out a velvet bag.
“Hold out your hand and close your eyes,” he commanded.
She eyed him.
“Go on,” he coaxed.
She felt something slip onto her hand.
“Open.”
Tears filled her eyes as she opened them. She sobbed.
“Hey! That was meant to make you happy.”
“Mama’s rings,” she said. “I can’t believe you found them.” She shakily put them on her fingers. “You got them back for me. Thank you!”
“I’d do anything for you, baby.” And then his mouth descended, and he kissed her.
This kiss was filled with hunger. With possession.
Her body heated. “I need you,” she told him as he drew his lips away. “Please.”
He lifted her off him, and for a moment she thought he would reject her. Then he stripped off his jeans and boxers and sat back, lifting her onto him and impaling her on his dick.
And it was fucking glorious.
Hard and hot.
Fast.
“Fuck. I don’t have any protection on,” he said through gritted teeth.
“It’s okay. Don’t stop. Please.” Her heart was racing, sweat coating her skin.
More. More.
“You’re okay with babies?” he asked.
“Yes,” she groaned.
“Christ, that makes me so damn hot, thinking about you pregnant.” He moved her onto her back on the bed without slipping out of her. Then he fucked her in earnest.
His finger reached down to play with her clit.
“I’m going to come soon, baby,” he warned. “And you’re to come with me or I’m going to spank you all over again.”
She whimpered. But when she heard him groan, felt his release, it sent her over the edge. She came with a scream, her eyes closing as she was rocked by her orgasm.
When he slid from her pussy, she lay there, unable to move, completely satisfied.
“What’s that grin about?” he asked as he lay on his side next to her. He cupped her mound with his hand, and she moaned.
“I just . . . that was so good.”
He nipped her bottom lip. Hard.
Her eyes opened and she glared at him. “What was that for?”
“For being a brat.” Regret swam in his eyes as he slid his fingers through her pussy, then pushed two deep inside her.
She gasped. Could he feel his release inside her? Why was that so fucking hot?
“I’m sorry I wasn’t giving you what you needed.”
“Listen to me, Tanner Malone,” she said sternly as she cupped his face between her hands. “You always give me what I need. I just . . . what happened wasn’t your fault.”
She knew that was how he felt.
“I should have been with you.”
“And then you might have been hurt. You have to let it go, please. And if you can’t, maybe you’d want to talk to someone as well.”
“As well?” he asked as he slid his fingers in and out of her pussy.
Her breath hitched. “I think I need to talk to someone about everything that has happened.”
“My brave girl. I suppose if you can do that, so can I. Although whoever we talk to might get more than they bargained for.”
She grinned up at him as he moved his thumb to her clit, rubbing it. “Now, we’re going to talk about your punishment for stealing a truck.”
Her eyes widened. “I just borrowed it, though.”
“Hmm, nice try. But I think you need to be punished so you remember not to do that again. And I think some time being edged will be just the reminder you need.”
Such a meanie.
Her Meanie Malone.