Lying beside him, Kat stretched and let out a dreamy sigh. She
couldn’t believe how easy it had been to lure him in. As far as
she was concerned, that only meant he truly did love her. She
just had to create the situation so that he could show her. She
was so brilliant, she thought.
“That was certainly easier that I thought it would be,” she said
softly.
She hadn’t even realized she’d spoken the words aloud until
Reese turned his head to look at her questioningly. “What do
you mean, easier than you thought?” he asked.
Realizing that she’d slipped up, Kat quickly tried to correct her
mistake. Rolling onto her side, she trailed her fingers over his
couldn’t believe how easy it had been to lure him in. As far as
she was concerned, that only meant he truly did love her. She
just had to create the situation so that he could show her. She
was so brilliant, she thought.
“That was certainly easier that I thought it would be,” she said
softly.
She hadn’t even realized she’d spoken the words aloud until
Reese turned his head to look at her questioningly. “What do
you mean, easier than you thought?” he asked.
Realizing that she’d slipped up, Kat quickly tried to correct her
mistake. Rolling onto her side, she trailed her fingers over his
| Excerpt |
© Paige Tyler and ABCD Webmasters, 2007
Crying Wolf
bare chest. “N-nothing,” she said lightly. “I just meant that I knew you would come if you
thought I needed you.” Uh-oh, she thought. That hadn’t come out any better than the first part.
Reese gazed at her in silence for a moment, and then he swore under his breath. “I can’t
believe I fell for this!” he growled.
Stunned at the change in him, Kat watched in dismay as he threw back the blanket and got to
his feet. “Fell for what?” she asked, her voice trembling a little as she pushed herself into a
sitting position.
He glared at her as he pulled on his jeans. “This!” he snapped, gesturing to the bed. “No one
followed you home! You made the whole thing up, and I was stupid enough to believe you!”
Speechless, Kat stared at him, watching as he snatched his holster from the floor and shoved it
onto his belt. Only when Reese stormed out of the bedroom, did she finally manage to force
herself to move. Grabbing the silk robe she’d been wearing earlier, she hastily threw it on as
she hurried after him.
“Reese, wait!” she pleaded, tying the belt on her robe as she followed him into the living room.
“I didn’t make anything up. Why would I do something like that?”
He spun around to face her. “Oh, I don’t know,” he said snidely. “Maybe to trick me into
coming over here so that you could get me into bed!”
Kat blinked, her face going red with embarrassment. “Trick you! I wasn’t trying to trick you!”
she said hotly. “I was simply scared and needed someone to hold onto. What happened after
that was as much your doing as it was mine.”
He snorted. “Sure, I was involved,” he agreed. “But only after you threw yourself at me.”
She stood there stunned. “You jackass!” she cried. “I can’t believe you just said that. I was
scared half to death, and you have the nerve to stand there and insinuate that I made
everything up just to get you into bed. I didn’t make anything up, but I’m not going to try to
defend myself to you, you...you...pig!”
His jaw tightened. “Well, it’s good that you aren’t going to try, because it’s so obvious, it’s
ridiculous. You made it up alright,” he growled. “And I know just how to make sure that you
don’t do it again!”
Before Kat could even ask what he meant by that, Reese grabbed her arm and marched her
over to the couch. But instead of plunking her down on one of the cushions and lecturing her
like she thought he would, he sat down and gave her arm a tug that sent her tumbling over his
knee.
Kat was so shocked that she just lay there for a moment, her head hanging down, her long hair
covering her face. Quickly regaining her senses, she began to push herself upright, but a firm
hand pushed her back down.
“Reese, what...” she began, only to gasp in surprise as she felt his hand come down hard on her
upturned bottom.
Her eyes went wide. What in the world did he think he was doing, spanking her?! She’d never
been spanked in her life!
He brought his hand down on her other cheek, harder this time, and she yelped.
“Owwwww!...let me up right now!” she demanded, struggling to push herself upright again.
But Reese only held her down more firmly. “Not until you’ve learned your lesson,” he told her,
delivering another hard smack to her derriere.
thought I needed you.” Uh-oh, she thought. That hadn’t come out any better than the first part.
Reese gazed at her in silence for a moment, and then he swore under his breath. “I can’t
believe I fell for this!” he growled.
Stunned at the change in him, Kat watched in dismay as he threw back the blanket and got to
his feet. “Fell for what?” she asked, her voice trembling a little as she pushed herself into a
sitting position.
He glared at her as he pulled on his jeans. “This!” he snapped, gesturing to the bed. “No one
followed you home! You made the whole thing up, and I was stupid enough to believe you!”
Speechless, Kat stared at him, watching as he snatched his holster from the floor and shoved it
onto his belt. Only when Reese stormed out of the bedroom, did she finally manage to force
herself to move. Grabbing the silk robe she’d been wearing earlier, she hastily threw it on as
she hurried after him.
“Reese, wait!” she pleaded, tying the belt on her robe as she followed him into the living room.
“I didn’t make anything up. Why would I do something like that?”
He spun around to face her. “Oh, I don’t know,” he said snidely. “Maybe to trick me into
coming over here so that you could get me into bed!”
Kat blinked, her face going red with embarrassment. “Trick you! I wasn’t trying to trick you!”
she said hotly. “I was simply scared and needed someone to hold onto. What happened after
that was as much your doing as it was mine.”
He snorted. “Sure, I was involved,” he agreed. “But only after you threw yourself at me.”
She stood there stunned. “You jackass!” she cried. “I can’t believe you just said that. I was
scared half to death, and you have the nerve to stand there and insinuate that I made
everything up just to get you into bed. I didn’t make anything up, but I’m not going to try to
defend myself to you, you...you...pig!”
His jaw tightened. “Well, it’s good that you aren’t going to try, because it’s so obvious, it’s
ridiculous. You made it up alright,” he growled. “And I know just how to make sure that you
don’t do it again!”
Before Kat could even ask what he meant by that, Reese grabbed her arm and marched her
over to the couch. But instead of plunking her down on one of the cushions and lecturing her
like she thought he would, he sat down and gave her arm a tug that sent her tumbling over his
knee.
Kat was so shocked that she just lay there for a moment, her head hanging down, her long hair
covering her face. Quickly regaining her senses, she began to push herself upright, but a firm
hand pushed her back down.
“Reese, what...” she began, only to gasp in surprise as she felt his hand come down hard on her
upturned bottom.
Her eyes went wide. What in the world did he think he was doing, spanking her?! She’d never
been spanked in her life!
He brought his hand down on her other cheek, harder this time, and she yelped.
“Owwwww!...let me up right now!” she demanded, struggling to push herself upright again.
But Reese only held her down more firmly. “Not until you’ve learned your lesson,” he told her,
delivering another hard smack to her derriere.
