Like the other room in the house, Cord’s bedroom was simply
furnished. Besides the big four-poster bed and nightstands, there
was a washstand with a mirror, a low dresser, and a wardrobe, but
it was the chest at the foot of the bed that caught her attention.
Placing the lantern on one of the nightstands, she knelt down
beside the chest and lifted the lid. Thinking that there had to be
something of value inside, she was surprised to find only some
blankets, an oily jacket, and two pistols with boxes and boxes of
bullets.
Her brow furrowing, she sat back on her heels and looked around
the room. That was when she saw it. A metal box underneath the
bed. Now, there had to be something valuable in there, she thought.
Lifting the edge of the quilt, she reached underneath the bed to
furnished. Besides the big four-poster bed and nightstands, there
was a washstand with a mirror, a low dresser, and a wardrobe, but
it was the chest at the foot of the bed that caught her attention.
Placing the lantern on one of the nightstands, she knelt down
beside the chest and lifted the lid. Thinking that there had to be
something of value inside, she was surprised to find only some
blankets, an oily jacket, and two pistols with boxes and boxes of
bullets.
Her brow furrowing, she sat back on her heels and looked around
the room. That was when she saw it. A metal box underneath the
bed. Now, there had to be something valuable in there, she thought.
Lifting the edge of the quilt, she reached underneath the bed to
| Excerpt |
© Paige Tyler and ABCD Webmasters, 2007
Kayla and the Rancher
pull it out. It was heavier than it looked, though, and she needed two hands to do so. With her bottom in
the air, she scooted her head and shoulders as far as she could under the bed.
Which was exactly how Cord found her when he walked into his bedroom.
Unaware that she had an audience, Kayla grabbed hold of the latches on either side of the heavy box
and yanked. It scraped along the floor, but didn’t budge much, and she tightened her grip, ready to pull
on it again.
“Just what do you thing you’re doing?”
At the sound of Cord’s voice, Kayla jumped, thumping her head on the underside of the bed. Muttering
something unladylike, she reflexively touched her fingers to the back of her head. Darn, but she’d thought
Cord would be busy with his foreman at least long enough for her to get a look around. Knowing she
couldn’t very well stay in this position while he was still standing there, she wiggled out from under the bed.
Smoothing a stray piece of silky auburn hair back from her face, she met Cord’s accusing gaze with one
of complete innocence. “Cord!”
“Abigail,” was all he said.
She glanced at the bed, and then back at him, nervously smoothing her hair back again. “I...I was just
looking for one of my hair pins.”
“Really?” He folded his arms across his chest. “It looked more like you were snooping to me.”
She flushed. “Snooping! I most certainly wasn’t snooping. I can’t believe you would even imply such a
thing.” She tried to sound as indignant as she could.
He lifted a brow, but said nothing.
She bit her lip, and looked away. “Well...maybe I was snooping a little,” she admitted softly. He’d caught
her red-handed, so she would have to try and wiggle out of this using her charm, a tactic that had worked
many times before on the men in New York, especially her father. She turned big green eyes on him. “But
I was just trying to find out more about you.”
He scowled. “By crawling around under my bed.”
Kayla managed to look suitably embarrassed. “I certainly realize that it looked bad, but I hope you
understand that I’m just trying to ensure that you are the wonderful man that you described to me in your
letters. After all, you know it’s quite a shock for me. Being out here all alone without my family back in
Boston and all.” She put on a sad face as she spoke. She’d used this same expression often on her
father with great results.
Cord regarded her in silence for a moment, but he didn’t appear to be swayed. “Well, I don’t know how
they do things in Boston, Abigail, but out in the west, we respect other people’s private property. It’s a
guiding principal out here that you’ll have to come to learn.”
She flushed again, and lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry, Cord,” she said quietly, hoping she sounded suitably
chastised. “I won’t do it again.”
His mouth quirked. “Oh, I intend to make sure of that.”
As he spoke, he reached out to take her arm and led her over to the bed.
Kayla hung back. “What...what are you doing?”
But Cord ignored her question. Instead, he sat down on the bed, and in one swift motion, pulled her over
his knee. Kayla simply lay there for a moment, too surprised to do more than that. He wouldn’t, she
thought in disbelief, then let out a startled “Oh!” as his hand slapped her upturned bottom. Outraged, she
struggled, trying to push herself upright, but a strong hand on her back held her in place while he
spanked her again. Another followed, and then another, each slap harder than the previous one.
The spanks stung, even through the thick material of her dress, but more than that, it was the
embarrassment of being held down across this handsome man’s strong thighs with her bottom in the air
that made her struggle to free herself.
“Let me go!” she ordered indignantly, trying to push against him again.
“Not until you learn some manners,” he replied, lifting his hand to spank her again.
“What would a hick cowboy like you know about manners, anyway?” she demanded, craning her neck to
look at him over her shoulder.
The insult earned her an even harder spank and she cried out in protest. “Obviously more than a spoiled
city girl like you,” he retorted, bringing his hand down again and again on her poor bottom.
the air, she scooted her head and shoulders as far as she could under the bed.
Which was exactly how Cord found her when he walked into his bedroom.
Unaware that she had an audience, Kayla grabbed hold of the latches on either side of the heavy box
and yanked. It scraped along the floor, but didn’t budge much, and she tightened her grip, ready to pull
on it again.
“Just what do you thing you’re doing?”
At the sound of Cord’s voice, Kayla jumped, thumping her head on the underside of the bed. Muttering
something unladylike, she reflexively touched her fingers to the back of her head. Darn, but she’d thought
Cord would be busy with his foreman at least long enough for her to get a look around. Knowing she
couldn’t very well stay in this position while he was still standing there, she wiggled out from under the bed.
Smoothing a stray piece of silky auburn hair back from her face, she met Cord’s accusing gaze with one
of complete innocence. “Cord!”
“Abigail,” was all he said.
She glanced at the bed, and then back at him, nervously smoothing her hair back again. “I...I was just
looking for one of my hair pins.”
“Really?” He folded his arms across his chest. “It looked more like you were snooping to me.”
She flushed. “Snooping! I most certainly wasn’t snooping. I can’t believe you would even imply such a
thing.” She tried to sound as indignant as she could.
He lifted a brow, but said nothing.
She bit her lip, and looked away. “Well...maybe I was snooping a little,” she admitted softly. He’d caught
her red-handed, so she would have to try and wiggle out of this using her charm, a tactic that had worked
many times before on the men in New York, especially her father. She turned big green eyes on him. “But
I was just trying to find out more about you.”
He scowled. “By crawling around under my bed.”
Kayla managed to look suitably embarrassed. “I certainly realize that it looked bad, but I hope you
understand that I’m just trying to ensure that you are the wonderful man that you described to me in your
letters. After all, you know it’s quite a shock for me. Being out here all alone without my family back in
Boston and all.” She put on a sad face as she spoke. She’d used this same expression often on her
father with great results.
Cord regarded her in silence for a moment, but he didn’t appear to be swayed. “Well, I don’t know how
they do things in Boston, Abigail, but out in the west, we respect other people’s private property. It’s a
guiding principal out here that you’ll have to come to learn.”
She flushed again, and lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry, Cord,” she said quietly, hoping she sounded suitably
chastised. “I won’t do it again.”
His mouth quirked. “Oh, I intend to make sure of that.”
As he spoke, he reached out to take her arm and led her over to the bed.
Kayla hung back. “What...what are you doing?”
But Cord ignored her question. Instead, he sat down on the bed, and in one swift motion, pulled her over
his knee. Kayla simply lay there for a moment, too surprised to do more than that. He wouldn’t, she
thought in disbelief, then let out a startled “Oh!” as his hand slapped her upturned bottom. Outraged, she
struggled, trying to push herself upright, but a strong hand on her back held her in place while he
spanked her again. Another followed, and then another, each slap harder than the previous one.
The spanks stung, even through the thick material of her dress, but more than that, it was the
embarrassment of being held down across this handsome man’s strong thighs with her bottom in the air
that made her struggle to free herself.
“Let me go!” she ordered indignantly, trying to push against him again.
“Not until you learn some manners,” he replied, lifting his hand to spank her again.
“What would a hick cowboy like you know about manners, anyway?” she demanded, craning her neck to
look at him over her shoulder.
The insult earned her an even harder spank and she cried out in protest. “Obviously more than a spoiled
city girl like you,” he retorted, bringing his hand down again and again on her poor bottom.
