Cougar Needs [Cougarlicious 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Cooper McKenzie

until she pulled her phone from her pocket and threatened to call the police.
    This time, it looked like she would not be getting away so easily.
    He pulled his hand back and slapped her again, chuckling when she screamed a second time.
    “What the hell are you doing, Wayne?” she asked through gritted teeth as she fought to keep from crying.
    “My bad girl needs to be punished before I can forgive her for fucking another man,” he said. With only that for explanation, he pulled his other hand back and slapped the right side of her face, causing her to cry out once again.
    “Owww, what are you talking about?”
    “I saw that young buck leave out of here awhile ago. What the hell do you think you’re doing fucking someone else. You’re my woman until I say differently. Just because I haven’t been around lately is no reason for you to go slutting around behind my back.”
    Slap. Slap. Slap.
    The slaps were getting harder, but instead of giving into the panic that was bubbling up in her chest, Stacy pushed it down and away. Digging deep, she grabbed for a calmness she only hoped would get her through whatever was about to happen.
    “What would your wife say if she saw you like this, Wayne?” she asked when he stopped and looked around.
    “She’s learned her place and knows better than to question anything I say or do. And when I’m through with you, my naughty bitch, you’ll know your place as well. Come on. I need another beer.”
    Climbing off of her, he grabbed her hair at the back of her head and dragged her across the bed, causing Stacy to cry out and scramble to keep up with him. She had barely stood up when he headed for the door, with her stumbling along behind him. She tried to get him to release her hair even as she worked to keep him from pulling it all out.
    When they reached the kitchen, he slammed her head into the refrigerator, momentarily stunning her, then shoved her out of the way. She tripped and ended up on the floor, fighting to maintain a tenuous hold on her emotions when what she really wanted to do was curl up and cry.
    But you are not that woman any more. You are stronger than he is. You will not give up. You belong to KJ now.
    The voice in her head sounded a lot like KJ, but the words were her own. Except for the last sentence, she had told herself these same things every time she felt down, overwhelmed, or trapped in the past. Sometimes a man was involved, sometimes it was work, and other times it was just the loneliness of being single getting her down.
    Though she questioned whether she really belonged to KJ or not, Stacy knew she had to fight like she did. Later, after she had dealt with Wayne, she would track her shifter down and let him know in no uncertain terms that she would not be played any more. If he was her mate that was fine, but if not, that was okay, too. She would get along without him if she had to. She had done it in the past, and she could do it again.
    Trying to remember where she left her cell phone, she vaguely remembered laying it on the counter by the door that led to the garage and her office. While Wayne stood between her and that door, his attention was on finding a bottle opener, which was hanging on the side of the refrigerator door just a foot from his nose.
    Moving slowly, Stacy got her legs under her and slowly crawled toward the counter. She moved to the far side of the kitchen so the island was between her and the drunken man who was now raging about her lousy housekeeping skills and not being able to find the bottle opener.
    Reaching the far side of the room, she straightened slowly and patted the counter until she found her phone and the keys beside it. She then continued crawling toward the door that led to the driveway. If she could get outside, she could either run or hide long enough to call the cops.
    She continued out into the utility room before standing. As her hand wrapped around the door handle, Wayne bellowed behind her. With a twist and a