Nash: A Rough Romance Read online

  As he brought his hand down again, I took several gasping breaths, trying to regain my strength. A big bully of a stranger was spanking me. Me! I didn’t deserve this kind of treatment, no matter what I’d done. He had no idea what kind of crap I’d been forced to endure.

  “Ouch! That hurts.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.

  “Last time I checked spankings are supposed to hurt.”

  I struggled and kicked out, cursing under my breath.

  “If you aren’t a good girl, I won’t mind hogtying you. And I’ll keep you that way for hours. Maybe days.”

  Hogtying? Now I knew the mysterious, sexy stranger was out of his mind. Was he serious? I took a deep breath, ceasing to fight him as he smacked me several additional times.

  Then I waited for the right time before pushing up from the couch, able to smash my elbow into his face. I heard the cracking sound, as if bones were breaking, but as I attempted to scamper out of his reach, he managed to snag me by one of my belt loops, yanking me back with ease. I felt like some freaking ragdoll.

  “Wow. That’s really going to cost you. As a matter of fact, I think we need to do this bare-assed. The lesson will be easier to learn.”

  “Bare-assed?” I repeated as he snaked his hand around my hip, tugging at the button on my jeans.

  “You bet. Like every naughty girl gets.”

  He had to be kidding me.

  Heat shot up from my neck to my jaw, finally creeping up like crawling fingers on both cheeks from the utter humiliation. I refused to stop fighting him, even as he jerked the dense, wet material down my hips. No. No. This wasn’t happening.

  I batted at his hands, like I was some bad little girl being punished for her disobedience.

  He simply yanked at my panties in response, dragging them over my rounded bottom and all the way to my knees. All I could think was thank God I’d worn clean underwear, although they were baby pink in color. Pink of all freaking colors. The thought was silly, a knee jerk reaction to the actions of a real asshole.

  “That’s more like it,” he said gruffly before tossing me over his massive lap, my belly pressing against his solid thighs.

  I wasn’t going to allow this to happen. Once again, I threw my arm back, only to have him pin it behind my back, also dragging one leg over mine. There was no way I was getting out of my predicament. “You’re a horrible man. Disgusting. I will hurt you for this.”

  “Hurt me?” His chuckle only further fueled my anger. “We’ve already been through this,” he stated in the kind of husky voice that would make most women drool.

  Only I wasn’t most women.

  I was a fighter, at least I’d been forced to turn into one. “I hate you.” Oh, yeah. The statement was ridiculous.

  “Do yourself a favor, little brat, and stop struggling. If you don’t, I’ll pull off my belt.”

  His belt? I almost panicked, my entire body trembling.

  “Stop. Please just stop.” Now I was begging. Great. I’d lowered myself to a brand new level of humiliation.

  I could tell he had no intention of stopping, his hand coming down in thunderous actions, the sound of his palm slapping against my naked skin jarring.

  The pain blinding.

  The embarrassment off the charts.

  I remained stunned for a full five seconds if not longer, stars floating in front of my eyes. The harshness of his solid cracks coming fast and furious forced butterflies into my stomach, a little singsong voice floating in my mind.

  Bad girl. Bad girl.

  I was the victim here, goddamn it!

  “Not until you apologize,” he said as he rested his hand on my bottom. The heat from his fingers matched the explosive ignition of flames dancing along my skin.

  When I didn’t answer quickly enough, he growled under his breath.

  I was sick to my stomach as the spanking continued, all the fight dissipating from my body. My arms and legs continued to shake as I rolled my hips, trying desperately to get away.

  Then I felt the lump between his legs. Jesus. His cock was rock hard. Throbbing. For a few seconds, the images cascading through my mind stole my breath.

  His naked body, solid carved stone perfection.

  His thick, long cock, the tip slickened with pre-cum.

  Oh, now I’d entered into the kind of filthy forbidden zone I hadn’t allowed myself to fall into for months. Hell, years.

  He was actually getting turned on by this. Another wave of shock and anger flushed through me until I realized I was just as aroused, my nipples aching.

  That wasn’t possible.

  There was no way I could be turned on by this barbaric activity. None.

  Yet as the spanking continued, I closed my eyes, remembering that if he hadn’t killed me yet, then he might not be one of them.

  Dangerous.

  Vicious.

  A monster.

  Really?

  He was whipping my bare ass.

  Tell him what he wants to hear. Just do it!

  “I’m sorry. Okay? Really, truly sorry.” The words tumbling from my mouth sounded more like a whining and very weak girl instead of a strong woman. Maybe the exhaustion and hunger were finally getting to me. I’d been such a fool, but I’d had no other choice and no chance to find any supplies. I hadn’t been able to risk it.

  I’d fled the city, borrowing a friend’s truck in order to get away quickly. At least I knew my bestie would have my back, but was there a chance the monster and his goons would find out about Jessica? Would they come after her? The horror remained furrowing in the back of my mind.

  Crack!

  The hard smacks from one side to the other brought me back to reality, the ugliness I’d been forced to face because of my trust in the system. Now this. He delivered four more smacks in rapid succession then rested his hand on my bruised bottom. The heat was building on my ass as well as my face. I’d never been so humiliated.

  I shifted back and forth, the friction creating another sickening wave of desire. He was so hard, so thick. All I could think about was having his cock in my mouth, taking every inch of him.

  No. No.

  I was a good girl. I couldn’t think this way.

  As he caressed me, trying to soothe my reddened skin, I couldn’t stop a moan from escaping my lips. The sound was far too sensuous.

  Inviting.

  As if I wanted him to… touch me.

  A few seconds later, the wafting scent of my hunger became more evident. I was mortified at how wet I was, but I was unable to stop grinding against him. The sound of his ragged breathing matched my own, pushing me into another round of fantasyland. I hadn’t realized I’d parted my legs until a cold draft tickled the insides of my thighs. I was one very sick girl.

  “I think you’ve learned your lesson for now,” he stated with an air of utter dominance in his voice.

  I wasn’t certain what troubled me more, the fact I had difficulty breathing from the tingling between my legs or the fact his cock continued to throb. Either way, I was eager to get the hell away from him. His breathing was heavy and ragged, his fingers shifting dangerously close to my pussy lips.

  “However, as I said, there are rules to follow as long as you’re in my house.” He eased me onto my feet, even taking the time to slide hair out of my eyes. The next few seconds were tense, but only because of the savage look in his eyes, brutal desire that told me in no uncertain terms what he wanted to do to me.

  Devour every inch, fucking every hole.

  For a few seconds, I wouldn’t have cared. Then another dose of reality settled in.

  I was mortified that some stranger was touching me in such a gentle manner. Jerking back, I almost tumbled over the coffee table in my effort to get away from him. I turned away in continued embarrassment as I struggled to yank my panties and jeans back into place. Tears of anger and frustration, fear and the horror of what I’d experienced over the past two days came rushing into my mind.

>   Threats.

  Warnings.

  Terror.

  Within seconds, I was sobbing as quietly as possible. I hadn’t broken down even once until now. I’d tried so hard to remain strong in order to find a way out of the mess I’d put myself in, but it seemed like the weight of the world was on my shoulders.

  Or maybe I just needed a hero.

  Not that this savage man was going to fit the bill.

  I heard his heavy exhale from a few feet away and continued fighting, but my fingers were entirely too numb from the cold as well as paralyzing fear. When I heard his boots thumping behind me, another wave of embarrassment rushed into my system. I was standing half naked in front of a mysterious mountain man of a stranger, bawling my eyes out. This wasn’t my finest moment.

  I wasn’t certain what to expect, but when he gently and very slowly pulled my panties into place then my jeans, I realized I was holding my breath.

  “You can relax now,” he said in such a reserved manner, totally unlike the brute who’d just had me over his lap.

  He walked away, as if giving me a moment of privacy was the only thing that would help my raw emotions. In truth, I was grateful, managing to button and zip after two failed attempts. By that point, I sensed his return, shivering as I heard those same boots slapping down on the hardwood floor. Then I heard a slight thud and my throat almost closed. If he was going to kill me, I didn’t want to know.

  However, I’d seen a truck outside before barricading myself in his woodshed. If I could get ahold of the keys, snowstorm or not, I might be able to find a way out of here. My truck certainly wasn’t in any shape to go anywhere. At least I reserved the thought in the back of my mind. I certainly couldn’t trust him, and I definitely wasn’t going to stay here.

  He reached around me, a glass in his hand, forcing me to jump. “Take this. I think you need it.”

  “What is it?” I managed to ask.

  “It’s bourbon, not some poison. The liquor will help warm you up. Come by the fire. You’re freezing.” Exhaling, he forced my arm to lift and placed the glass in my hand, making certain my fingers were able to hold the dense weight.

  His voice was just as commanding as before but there was an air of concern in the tone as well, lulling me into a hint of trust. I was crazy to think such a thing, but right now I had no other choice. I did as he suggested, moving closer to the fire as he tossed in two more large chunks of wood on top, sparks flying almost immediately.

  After he pushed and prodded the wood for a few seconds, he moved toward the couch. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed his concerned gaze continuing as he sat down. After a few seconds, he tugged his weapon from his coat, obviously placing the gun where I could see it. I took his actions as nothing more than a threat. A look of amusement crossing his face, he pulled a glass of his own into his hand. “If I’d wanted to hurt you, sweetheart, I could have done so with my bare hands.”

  I opened my mouth to utter a harsh retort then thought otherwise, closing my eyes for a few seconds.

  He continued to chuckle, as if my predicament was the funniest thing in the entire world. I hated him. Then again, I hated the world right now.

  Stop acting like a child. You need to get out of here.

  My inner voice was correct.

  A sharp exhale rushed up from my chest as fear and adrenaline mixed together. Was it possible he’d poisoned the drink? I swirled the liquid, taking a deep whiff before finally bringing the rim to my lips and darting my tongue inside. The taste of the liquor was refreshing, and I relished in the almost immediate burn as the bourbon slid down the back of my throat.

  He remained quiet, although I knew he was watching everything I did. At least within a couple of minutes, the warmth of the fire began to thaw out my hands. I rubbed one against my jeans, shuddering as I remembered the events of the past few days.

  The horrible men had almost managed to catch me, their scarred faces something I would never forget. Then the single shot had echoed in my ears, the bullet barely missing the cab of the truck. How I’d gotten away from them was nothing short of a miracle, but I knew they would never stop looking for me. I closed my eyes, biting back a cry. How had my entire world been turned upside down in such a short period of time?

  Because you were stupid.

  Yeah, there was that realization.

  The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire, the flames licking around the wood in a dazzling display of orange tinged with a slight hue of blue. I was mesmerized for a few seconds, pretending I had my life back, one where I’d made entirely different decisions. I was such a fool, a stupid girl who’d fallen into one trap after another. As exhaustion mixed with absolute terror, I rubbed my eyes, my body swaying.

  “You should sit down,” he said with utter authority.

  “I’m fine. The fire feels good.” I knew my words were little more than whispers. I didn’t have the strength to talk at this point.

  “I said. Sit. Down.”

  I shot him a hateful look before moving toward the single chair, easing onto the edge and darting a glance toward the door. I kept my eyes on him as he rolled his, taking several gulps of his drink.

  “Do you hear the howling wind?” he asked after a few seconds.

  “Yes.”

  “That means you don’t have a chance in hell of surviving the storm. That is, if you’re thinking about attempting to escape.” The mystery man said the words so casually, as if he could read my mind.

  The awkward silence settling between us created a lump in my throat as well as goosebumps cresting on my arms.

  “Why did you feel you had to spank me?” I blurted out.

  “Because you deserved it. And that’s the cowboy way.”

  I studied his face as he took a gulp of his drink, noticing the scar on the side of his face for the first time. The mark gave him the aura of a fighter or maybe…

  A killer.

  “The cowboy way? You’re a cowboy?”

  He chuckled and leaned forward, studying the fire. “I was once a long time ago.”

  “Now you’re just some murderous mountain man?” I could tell my words startled him. He bristled, his nostrils flaring. I had no idea why I’d said something so harsh, especially when he could pull out his gun and shoot me.

  “This is my cabin. A place of refuge and you are the intruder.”

  He was right, although I wasn’t ready to admit it yet. I remained quiet, nursing the drink. I had nothing to say to him.

  “What’s your name?” he asked a few seconds later.

  “What’s yours?”

  “Are you always this combative, sweetheart?”

  “I’m not your sweetheart. I’m not anybody’s sweetheart. Okay?” I heard the exasperation in my voice and shook my head. What the hell did it matter if he knew my name? If he was one of Dante’s soldiers, he already knew everything about me anyway. “My name is Mitch. Okay?”

  “Mitch. That’s a guy’s name.”

  “Yeah, well, it would appear my father really wanted to have a boy instead of being stuck with a lowly girl, so Mitch is what he called me since I was little. It stuck. Now, what’s yours?” I could tell he was a man of few words, what little I’d seen of his cabin indicating he was out here all alone.

  He swallowed another gulp of his drink before shifting his gaze in my direction. Even in the shadowed light, I could see such animosity in his dark brown eyes, the kind of anger that hadn’t accumulated from a single incident but from years of being pushed. “Reaper.”

  I could have sworn the single word echoed. After a few seconds, I swallowed hard then managed to gulp down half the glass, coughing until several drops spewed from both sides of my mouth. “You are kidding me?”

  “Not kidding you. Nope. Not something I’d kid about.”

  “But you have a real name. Please tell me your parents wouldn’t do that to you.”

  “Doesn’t everyone, sweetheart? I mean Mitch?”

  “Fine. R
eaper. It suits you.”

  “So ya want to tell me why I found you in my woodshed or are we going to have to go through that same shit all over again?”

  I calculated my answer, chewing on my bottom lip before managing to say the words. “I was trying to get to a friend’s cabin, and I guess I missed the turn.”

  “Nice try, but there are very few cabins this far up the mountain. The majority are still shut down for the winter.”

  “Well, I’m not lying to you. I don’t know the area. Okay? Satisfied, Reaper?”

  He chuckled then got off the couch, sauntering into another room. When he returned, he carried the bottle of liquor with him, walking closer until he was able to fill my glass then refresh his. “All right. We’ll go with that for now. I assume you weren’t walking.” When I remained quiet, he gave me another authoritative look.

  “No, okay? I had a truck. I ran off the road. I think I bent an axle.” Why was I telling him any of this? I should have made up some crazy story. Yeah, as if he’d believe me.

  “A woman who knows cars?”

  “You’d be surprised what I know,” I huffed, trying to be just as arrogant as he was being, even though he certainly didn’t deserve my nasty side.

  Yet.

  “Fair enough. Nothing I can do about that at this point,” he said quietly, turning his attention toward the fire.

  “Is there really a storm coming in?” I could hear the howling wind as well as something hitting the side of the house. Evening was rolling in, the light waning outside the frosted window.

  “Yep. There is. You’re hunkered in with me for the time being. And I assure you, Mitch, I don’t like visitors. As a matter of fact, I don’t like people. So, you are going to follow my rules. It’s my house and I rule with absolute authority.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “That means, sweetheart, that if you cross the line, I have no problem spanking that pretty little ass of yours again. And I have plenty of rope to help me keep you in line. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll resort to other measures. You got it?”

  Other measures. My blood boiled from his audacity. I would find his keys and get the fuck out of here, storm or no storm. I smiled sweetly. “Why, yes. Sir.”