Her Lord's Desire (The Forbidden Saga #3) - Maggie Ryan Page 0,33

on the floor of the library, playing with their dolls. He leaned against the doorframe and simply enjoyed watching them. He knew that there would be many days of appointments given, many a time one or both bottoms would be bared to him for discipline. However, for this moment, he found he was a very contented man.

Chapter 7

Lucy climbed nearly to the top of the library’s ladder, a small puff of frustration blowing a strand of hair off her face as she stretched to reach the object of her desire ensconced upon the uppermost shelf. Just another few inches. Moving up another step, she tried again. Lifting onto her tiptoes, she almost managed to touch the book’s spine when her concentration was suddenly shattered by a man’s voice.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?”

Lucy’s heart almost stopped beating, releasing a piercing scream as she felt her feet going out from under her. Before she could take a breath, she found herself tucked under a strange man’s arm, suspended in the air. Unable to make sense of what was happening, she dragged oxygen into her lungs and gave another earsplitting screech, her arms flailing and her feet kicking. A hard hand began to rapidly swat her bottom.

“No!” she screamed as her struggles increased. Unlike the single smack she had received from Charles, whoever this man was, he was spanking her repeatedly, and her bottom was beginning to burn, despite its covering.

“Stop it! Put me down!” she demanded, too surprised to cry. One of her feet finally managed to connect to his leg and she heard him let out a breath.

“Settle down,” the man said, as she continued to struggle in his arms. Holding her out from his body as if she weighed nothing more than one of the books on the shelves beside them, she watched a grin spread across his face. “For such a tiny thing, you make a lot of noise, don’t you?”

Furious, her feet continued to kick as though somehow that would help her reach the floor. When they only churned up air, she slapped her hands against his chest. “I said, put me down!” she demanded, observing the smile that betrayed his amusement at her predicament. She suddenly became aware of his hands at her waist, the heat seeming to sear through the fabric of her dress. She struggled harder to escape and saw his smile widen.

“I didn’t realize that Edward had got himself a kitten,” he said chuckling. “And a feral one at that,” he added when she continued to kick out and attempt to scratch at him. “Settle down now, little one. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“You didn’t scare me!” she said, though his chuckle and his lifted brow told her he certainly didn’t believe that little fib. “Put Me Down!” Lucy hissed, and when she wasn’t immediately released, she reached out and slapped him. His smile dropped off his face as he discovered Edward’s little kitten had claws.

Not only shocked, but already regretting her action, she felt her face heat. “Oh, God… I’m sorry! I… I didn’t mean to—”

“Slap me?” he suggested.

She nodded, but realized he had still not released her. She dropped her hands to his forearms and began to push against him. She might as well have attempted to move a mountain. His jacket might have provided concealment, but the muscles of his forearms were rock solid. The only reaction to her effort were that his hands tightened their hold.

“I would have thought your husband would have taught you better manners by now,” he said. “I would think that instead of attempting to strip the flesh from my bones, you’d be thanking me, Lady Wintercrest. After all, I did just save you from a nasty fall.”

She shook her head and huffed, denying his ridiculous claim. “I was perfectly fine before you scared me to death. And you…” Remembering his address, she changed the direction of her thoughts to add, “I’m not Lady…” but was interrupted when he barked out a laugh.

“I’d say I must agree,” he said, ignoring the flash of anger she directed at him. “Ladies do not go about striking their guests. I should spank you properly for that alone.”

Lucy was furious and was about to tell the infuriating stranger as much when suddenly she feared he might decide to do just that.

“I said I was sorry. Now, would you so be so kind as to please put me down,” she asked, her jaw clamped tightly. She