Enemy Lovers by Shelley Munro

she’d bit down hard to stem her protests.
    He smacked her once more, then whispered, “Good girl.”
    The words of praise sent a shudder through her, as did the tender caress of his hand, the way he cupped her hot flesh. The hard muscles of his thighs shifted, and she stiffened, expecting another blow. It didn’t come. Instead he whisked up her sweatpants and shifted her in his arms until he cradled her protectively. She buried her face in his shoulder, breathed in his scent and tried to settle her zigzag thoughts. He’d spanked her like a naughty child—shades of her family—and she didn’t know what to think.
    No, that wasn’t quite right. She knew what she should think, yet she was having trouble working up the proper head of steam to blast him with temper. His hand stroked down her back in a soothing, comforting manner, and that confused her too. She’d never felt so emotionally close to another person, and turmoil tangled her mind.
    â€œDid that hurt your hand?”
    A rumble went through his chest, and she realized he was amused. “A little.”
    She nodded. That seemed fair. He should suffer in return.
    Dallas waited for her to tell him he was a brute. But the Drummond princess surprised him. Heck, the princess label didn’t apply in her case, because she hadn’t treated him like cow muck on the bottom of her shoes. Instead, she cuddled trustingly against him, accepting his caresses.
    A log popped on the fire, sending out a shower of sparks. The hour wasn’t late, but they might as well go to bed. Laura would need lotion on her bottom while his early morning start was catching him.
    â€œHold on,” he whispered against her hair.
    She let out a tiny yelp when he stood, clutching his shoulders in alarm. Her grip relaxed as he progressed down the passage to his bedroom.
    â€œDo you need to use the bathroom?”
    â€œYes, please.”
    He smiled at her prim manner. Laura was a bundle of contradictions, and he’d already tossed his assumptions. She was anything but predictable. He set her on her feet. “I think there’s a new toothbrush in the cabinet.”
    â€œThank you.”
    Smiling, he wandered back to the lounge to check the fire. He switched off the lights and strode back to his room. The pipes clanked, indicating Laura was still in the bathroom. He switched on one bedside lamp and hunted out some lotion. Earlier, he’d turned on the heating and the room was cozy.
    â€œAm I sleeping in here tonight?”
    â€œI’d like that very much.”
    In the doorway, she shifted her weight from foot to foot, hesitating, as if she fought an inner war. His breath caught, the urge to go to her strong. Instead, he forced himself to fold back the covers and strip. The decision needed to come from her. He couldn’t—wouldn’t make her get into his bed.
    Aye, it was a delicate tightrope he crossed at present. Sex with a Drummond. Spectacular sex to be sure, but was it worth the shit that would heap down on their heads at a later date? There was always a reckoning. Always.
    When he turned, she was standing by the bed. He caught the faint wince when she started to disrobe.
    â€œLet me,” he said and made short work of removing her clothes. “Lie face down on the mattress.”
    Her muscles went tight and her limbs locked.
    â€œI’m not going to spank you again. Not tonight. That would be brutal and not terribly responsible from your lover.”
    She shot him a quick glance, and what she saw must have reassured her because she crawled onto the bed and made herself comfortable.
    Dallas took a second to admire the curvy lines of her body. The nip of her waist and the flare of her hips. Her pinked buttocks. The gel he squeezed onto his palm was chilly and would counteract the heat. It was also good for taking care of bruises.
    The air sucked through her teeth at his first touch, her buttocks clenching. The cool