The Cabin

by Paige Tyler

Raine Montgomery didn’t know how her career – or her life, for that matter – had gotten so messed up.

At twenty-five, she had been at the pinnacle of her career and on top of every A-list. She had been sought after by every director in Hollywood, graced the cover of every major magazine, and been on every nighttime talk-show. Everyone wanted to be seen with her. She hadn’t even been able to go outside without the fans and paparazzi dogging her every step.

But then everything had changed. She wasn’t quite sure when, or even how it had happened, but somehow she had fallen off the radar. Since then, the photo-shoots and interviews had become practically non-existent, as had the calls from top directors. Lately, the only movie offers she’d been getting came from directors that no one had ever heard of, and probably never would. She had tried to be selective at first, thinking that she was just in a temporary slump, but the less work she took, the less offers she got. At that rate, she’d be out of work within a year. She’d be a has-been.

And then her manager, Reginald, had come up with a plan that he thought would put her back in the spotlight – her marriage to Cameron Kincade, a popular actor on everyone’s A-list. According to Reginald, her problem was simply one of image and public relations. Hollywood wasn’t interested in her acting credentials any more; they wanted someone that was buzz-worthy. In true Hollywood fashion, a well- publicized courtship and marriage would get her back in the spotlight. Which in turn, he said, would start the phone ringing again. Following Reginald’s plan, she and Cameron would be seen together at the requisite award shows, movie premiers, and parties, as well as rumored in all the magazines to be a couple. Soon after that, they would announce their engagement and have a big wedding, which would be followed by public spats, and then a tumultuous and protracted divorce.

At first, Raine had thought Reginald was kidding, but since the man didn’t often kid, she realized that he must, indeed, be serious about the whole thing. Which, on some level, horrified her a little. Marry a man she didn’t love, much less know, just to give her failing career a boost? She had, of course, protested. She was a young, beautiful, talented actress; there had to be a better way to rejuvenate her career.

But after much deliberation with Reginald and some of her other public relations people, no one could come up with a better option. That seemed to be the way all the big stars in Hollywood kept themselves in the public eye, they told her. But could she really do that, too?

Then she had thought, why not? It wasn’t as if she had a man in her life, anyway. Besides, if she didn’t do something soon, she wouldn’t have much of a career, either. And at the end of the day, her career was the most important thing to her. So she had agreed to Reginald’s crazy plan. A few days later, her manager had met with Cameron Kincade’s to work out the details, and the next week, she and Cameron attended an awards show together.

That had been several months ago. Since then, she and Cameron had been to every major Hollywood event together, and as Reginald had predicted, you couldn’t find a scandal sheet or magazine anywhere that didn’t have their pictures plastered all over the front covers.

Even Raine had to admit that she and Cameron looked good together. With his blond, All-American good looks, he was the perfect compliment for her. On the surface, anyway. Behind closed doors, she didn’t think there were two people less-suited for each other. They had absolutely nothing at all in common, other than a driving need to be famous.

Not that it mattered, Raine supposed. She was getting what she wanted from their relationship – tons of publicity and multiple movie offers. She even had a choice role in an upcoming movie, about which they were already talking Oscars.

She only wished she could feel as excited about her upcoming wedding. As a little girl, she had spent hours dreaming of what her wedding day would be like. And hers was going to be everything she had pictured – the beautiful white gown, the bouquet of white roses, the incredibly handsome man standing at the altar. She just hadn’t imagined it would all be such a sham.

Now, with the wedding only several weeks away, she had felt this incredible need to get away. Thinking that a spa would be the perfect retreat, she had decided to drive up to northern California and spend the weekend at a very exclusive one known for its privacy. A few days of relaxation would be just what she needed.

At least that had been the plan. But the drive was taking much longer than she had thought it would, and as she looked out at the falling snow and the slowly darkening sky, she began to think that perhaps she should have taken a flight instead.

Leaning forward in the driver’s seat of her sporty coupe, Raine’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as she tried to find a road sign. The exit must be around here somewhere, she thought, hoping she hadn’t missed it. The road had looked easy enough to find on the map, but in all honesty, she wasn’t really used to driving that much so she could be mistaken. She hadn’t counted on the snow, though, and driving in the almost blizzard-like conditions was making her very nervous, especially on these curvy mountain roads. She felt like she’d driven hundreds of miles already, but in reality she had no idea how much further she had to go.

The really scary thing was that there was absolutely no one else out on the road. She hoped that she didn’t have any problems because she was totally unprepared to get out in the snow. LA had been beautiful and sunny when she’d left, and she hadn’t even thought about the possibility of snow.

She was just thinking about turning around when her inattention cost her. She went around a curve going way too fast, and the car started to slide. Gripping the wheel, she instinctively tried to keep the vehicle on the road, but the snow was already getting deep, and she didn’t really have the experience to handle a car in those conditions. As if it were happening in slow motion, the small sports car careened in circles until it slid off the road and into a snow-filled ditch.

Her hands still tightly gripping the wheel, Raine sat trembling for a few minutes. It was okay, she told herself. She was alive; that was all that mattered. Gradually, she felt her breathing slow to normal, and as it did, she released her grip on the wheel to reach for her purse. Since she never carried much more than her wallet and some make-up, it was easy to find her cell phone in the expensive designer bag. Pulling it out, she flipped it open, all set to call for help, when she realized that the cell phone wasn’t getting any signal. Not that it would in these mountains, she thought.

“Great,” she muttered. “Just great.”

Shoving the phone back into her purse, she sat a moment and considered her options, of which there were alarmingly few. She could either sit in her car and wait for someone to come by, or she could try to dig herself out. And though the first option was the more appealing of the two, she hadn’t seen another living soul the entire time she’d been driving through the mountains, so there was no reason to think that someone would drive past now. Plus, the snow was so deep around the car that someone could drive right by and never even see her.

With a sigh, she pushed open her door, and shivered at the blast of cold air that rushed into the car. Wishing she had worn something more suitable than the short skirt and sandals she had on, she pulled her lightweight denim jacket closer around her, and stepped out into the snow.

Digging herself out had seemed like a good idea when she’d been inside the warm car, but with nothing to do it with and the pile of snow covering most of the vehicle, the task would be darn near impossible. Not to mention the fact that she’d probably freeze to death trying.

Standing there, shivering in the snow, the reality of Raine’s predicament slowly set in. She was stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Raine was just turning back to the car, figuring that she’d at least be warmer inside it, when she heard what sounded like an engine. Was that what she thought it was? she wondered. The sound got closer and more distinct, and as it did so, she realized that she had been right; it was an engine. From around the curve, she could see the glow of headlights. Her heart leapt; help was coming!

Afraid that the driver of the other car wouldn’t see her if she stayed where she was, Raine trudged through the mid-calf deep snow to the road, her feet freezing. Sandals sliding on the slippery snow, she hurried onto the road, almost falling down in her haste. But somehow she managed to stay on her feet, and by the time the vehicle came around the bend, she was standing in the middle of the road waving her arms.

Logan McBride hadn’t thought the storm would be so bad. He had checked the Weather Channel before he had left the Seattle area, but the snow had moved in a lot faster than their meteorologists had predicted. Then again, he had gotten held up traffic past Tacoma, as well as outside of Portland, which had probably slowed him down just enough. But with four-wheel drive, his Jeep handled well in the snow, and having spent some time up in Alaska a few years back, he had gained a lot of experience driving in the stuff. Plus, he never came through the mountains at this time of year without tire chains, and had already stopped to put them on an hour ago.

Though he did most of his painting in his studio out on Bainbridge Island, when things got too hectic there, he went off to the small cabin he had in the mountains of northern California. And things were definitely hectic right now since he’d been experimenting with a new direction in his art. He was well known in the Seattle area for his wildlife prints and oil paintings. He enjoyed it, and the works brought him good money, but he had been feeling a little trapped lately, and so had decided to branch out into watercolors. He still used wildlife and the mountainous area around the northwest as his subject matter, but he had wanted to use the lighter medium for a change. He thought they had looked pretty good, but the opening at the gallery had been a disaster. The local critics had hated the new paintings, and it looked as if nothing was going to sell. And though she hadn’t ever said that she didn’t like them, the owner of the gallery had suggested that he take some time away to regain his focus and come up with some new oil paintings.

Hence, the late day drive to his cabin. Though the cabin was definitely more rustic than his home in Seattle, he found that he sometimes did his best work there. It had always been a calming place for him, mostly because there were no distractions. He didn’t know what he was going to do about the watercolors, but he knew that a few days of quiet time at the cabin would help him figure it out.

He was just thinking about whether he wanted to try one more watercolor when suddenly, from out of nowhere, a figure appeared in the road. His eyes widened.

“What the...?” he muttered, having just enough time to swerve around the person to avoid hitting him.

As it was, the SUV still went into a slide, and he went into a complete three-sixty before he came to a stop almost twenty feet from where the person had been standing. He glanced in the rearview mirror to see if the person was all right, but all he could see was falling snow. Swearing under his breath, he released his seat belt and pushed open the door. Stepping out onto the snow-covered roadway, he was just headed back towards where he had seen the person when a woman dressed in a skimpy skirt and a light jacket came hurrying toward him.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she snapped as she skidded to a stop in front of him. “Didn’t you see me standing there? The way you were driving, you could’ve hit me, you lunatic!”

In the dim light of coming evening, Logan stared at her in astonishment. The stupid woman was actually wearing sandals! Dressed like she was, she looked more like she belonged on a tropical island somewhere than in the middle of a snowstorm. She was probably freezing, or at least she would be if she weren’t yelling so damn much, he thought. He was glad that he hadn’t hit her, but he was in no mood to put up with her shouting at him.

“Me?” he shot back. “You were the one standing in the middle of the road like an idiot! You’re lucky I didn’t hit you, and if I had, it would have been your fault. What the hell are you doing out here, anyway?”

She seemed taken aback for a moment, and then lifted her chin. “It’s not like I planned it! My car slid off the road,” she explained, holding her jacket closed with one hand while gesturing with the other. “I need you to help me get it out.”

Logan looked over her shoulder in the direction she had pointed and lifted a brow when he saw the small car half-hidden beneath the rapidly falling snow. “You had that little sports car up here in the middle of a snowstorm?” he said in disbelief. “Lady, that car’s not going anywhere.”

Her brow furrowed at his tone. “What do you mean? Why not?” she asked. “You’re a man, aren’t you? Can’t you just dig it out or something?”

He clenched his jaw. Despite the fact that she was hunched over and huddled-up in her coat, he could tell that she was attractive. Her long legs were tan and shapely, too, he noticed. But with an attitude like she was putting out, it was doubtful that anyone would want to help her. He, for one, certainly wasn’t in the mood to do it. In fact, he was tempted to let her get out of this on her own. But dressed like she was, she would be dead within the hour. If she didn’t get run over first, he thought.

“Look, lady,” he said. “That car is buried up to the hood. It would take a tow-truck and two or three men to get it out, and with this snow coming down, if I don’t leave soon, my Jeep’s going to be stuck here, too. You can either stay here - who knows, maybe a tow-truck might come along – or you can catch a ride with me.”

Not waiting to see which one she chose, he turned on his heel and started around to the driver’s side.

It took a moment for his words to sink in, and when they did, Raine stared at his retreating figure in disbelief. “Wait!” she called desperately, hurrying after him. “You can’t just leave me out here!” When he didn’t answer, but merely continued walking toward his truck, she shouted, “Okay, okay. I’ll come with you.” She really didn’t want to go with him, but what else could she do? Her toes were already starting to get numb, and she doubted that anyone else would be coming by any time soon.

His hand on the door handle, he jerked around to face her. “Fine,” he said. “Then hurry up and get in.”

She frowned in irritation. This guy was rude. “Wait a minute. I have to get my bag.”

Logan watched as she carefully started back across the road in the direction of her car, his mouth tightening when she almost slipped and fell. It would almost be amusing watching this stuck-up snob flounder through the deep snow if he weren’t already so pissed off. Swearing under his breath, he followed after her.

“I’ll get your stuff,” he told her curtly. “Get in the truck.”

Raine was about to tell him that she could get it herself, but then thought better of it as she watched him trudge through the snow that surrounded her small car. Carefully making her way around to the passenger’s side, she opened the door and climbed into the seat. The inside of the Jeep was invitingly warm, and she held her ice-cold hands out in front of the heater. Almost immediately, her fingers began to tingle, and she let out a sigh of pleasure.

Abruptly, the driver’s side door opened, letting in a blast of cold air, and she turned her head to see that her reluctant rescuer had returned. Tossing her bag into the back seat, he gave her a sidelong glance as he pulled the door closed.

“There was only one bag in the car,” he said. “Is that it?”

She nodded. “Yes, that’s it. I’m heading to the spa at Mountain Ridge. I would appreciate it if you could drop me off there.”

Beside her, Logan lifted a brow. The woman sounded like she was talking to a cab driver. “You’re joking, right?” he asked, but she shook her head. “That place is about four hours from here.”

In the growing darkness, he saw her try to hide what appeared to be a look of surprise by tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear. “If it’s out of your way, I can reimburse you for your trouble.”

He let out a short, mirthless laugh. “Hell, yeah, it’s out of my way,” he told her. “But even if it weren’t, there’s no way that we’d get there in this storm.”

She chewed on her lower lip for a moment before answering. “Then take me to the nearest town,” she finally said. “Preferably one with a quality hotel.”

He stared at her, wishing he could see her face in the dim light. Not that he needed to, he supposed. The haughtiness of her tone told him everything he needed to know. “Look, the nearest town is about an hour from here on a clear day, and I’m not going to chance it in the snow,” he said, putting the Jeep in gear. “My cabin is only about another ten minutes up the road. You can spend the night there.” He wished there was some other way; he had come up here to be alone, not to entertain some spoiled brat.

Raine stared at him in disbelief. Spend the night with him in some cabin? Was he serious? “No way!” she said. “For all I know, you could be some psycho.”

She could almost hear his teeth grind. “You’re right, I could be,” he agreed. “But if you’d rather take your chances and wait in your car until someone else comes along, that’s up to you. Just hurry up and decide what you want to do, because if we sit here much longer, I’m going to be stuck here, too.”

Damn him, she thought. The idea of going back to her freezing cold car was even more distasteful than the thought of spending the night with him, and he knew it. “Fine!” she snapped.

In the snow, the ten-minute drive to the cabin ended up being more like thirty, and by the time they got there, it was completely dark outside. As much as she hated the idea of getting out of the warm truck, the thought of the warm, cozy cabin that awaited her was inviting enough to make the trudge through the snow worth it.

The cabin, however, wasn’t the least bit cozy. Or warm, either, much to her chagrin. And the moment its owner stepped foot inside behind her, she whirled around to face him.

“Doesn’t this place have any heat?” she demanded before he could even turn the lights on.

Even in the darkness, she could sense the tightening of his jaw. “It will once I get a fire going.”

He turned on the lights as he spoke, and she looked around the small cabin contemptuously. This was nothing like the cabins at the spa she was going to. It was little more than one room, with a fireplace on the wall opposite the door, a couch in front of that, and a tiny eat-in kitchen that had a table barely big enough for two people. There were two doors off to one side; she hoped that one of them led to a bedroom of some kind.

She folded her arms around herself. “Next, you’ll be telling me that this place doesn’t have running water, either,” she said snidely.

“It used to, but I thought that an outhouse would add a certain kind of charm to the place instead.”

She quickly jerked her head around to look at him and Logan almost laughed at the expression of horror on her face. “I’m just kidding,” he told her. “The bathroom’s through there,” she said, gesturing to one of the doors she’d seen earlier. “But there won’t be any hot water for awhile. Until then, why don’t you help me get some wood off the back porch and we’ll get this place heated up.”

He turned to head for the cabin’s back door leaving Raine to stare at his retreating back in astonishment. “Excuse me?”

Her words, so disdainfully spoken, halted Logan in his tracks, and he turned back around to face her. He really wasn’t in the mood for this. “Look, the faster we get the wood in here, the faster I can get a fire started.”

She lifted her chin to look down her nose at him. Which was actually quite amazing, he admitted, considering that he was half a head taller than she was. “Don’t you know who I am?” she asked tartly.

Logan lifted a brow. “Should I?”

Her eyes, which he just noticed were the most incredible shade of blue, widened in surprise. “I’m Raine Montgomery,” she said.

“And that should mean something to me?” he asked dryly.

Those blue eyes were glowering at him now. “I’m Raine Montgomery, the actress.”

Logan regarded her for a moment. The name wasn’t familiar, not that it would be considering he didn’t watch much television. But he had to admit that she certainly was beautiful enough to be an actress. Besides her incredible blue eyes, she had flawless skin and high cheekbones, along with full, kissable-looking lips. And her long hair, now that it was starting to dry, was neither quite brown nor red, but somewhere in between. “Sorry,” he said. “Never heard of you.”

She stared at him, speechless. “Are you serious?” she finally asked. “Everyone’s heard of me. Unless they’ve been living under a rock somewhere.”

He clenched his jaw. She might be beautiful, but she was also damn irritating. “I don’t watch a lot of TV,” he said. “Apparently you don’t either, at least not the Weather Channel anyway, judging from your clothing.”

She seemed taken aback by the abrupt change of subject for a moment. “The weather was beautiful in LA when I left this morning,” she said indignantly.

His mouth quirked. “Yeah, well, this isn’t LA,” he remarked. “Now, I’m going to get some wood. Are you going to help, or not?”

Without waiting for an answer, he walked over to the back door and pulled it open. Raine stared after him, still amazed that he hadn’t recognized her. At first, she thought he’d been joking, but at the blank look on his face, she quickly realized that he’d been telling the truth. He really didn’t know who she was. Unbelievable.

Her gaze still on the back door, she hugged her jacket closer and sat down on the couch. It was his cabin, she thought sullenly. Let him get his own damn wood. Reaching for her purse, she pulled out her cell phone just as her reluctant rescuer came back in with an armful of wood.

“You won’t get a signal,” he said, glancing at her as he stacked the wood on the hearth. “Not with this storm.”

Ignoring him, she flipped open the phone to see for herself, only to find that he was right. With a sigh, she put her cell back in her purse. “How long do you think this will keep up?”

He shrugged. “In these mountains, it’s hard to say. It could be a day or two. Maybe three.”

That gave Raine pause. She could be stranded in this cabin with him for three days? Chewing on her lower lip, she watched as he went about building a fire. This was the first time she’d really looked at him, she realized, and with his dark hair, brown eyes, and strong angular jaw, she had to admit that he was hot looking. Or he would be, she thought bitterly, if he weren’t such an ass. Beneath his ministrations, the fire crackled to life, and when he got to his feet, he shrugged off his heavy coat, revealing broad shoulders and a trim waist, and despite herself, Raine felt her eyes drawn to his well-muscled build. This guy should be in Hollywood himself, she thought. Not only did he have the looks, but the nasty attitude to help him go far.

Suddenly angry with herself, Raine grabbed her bag and abruptly got to her feet. “I’m going to see if there’s any hot water yet,” she announced.

The bathroom, with its pedestal sink and old-fashioned free-standing tub, was smaller than she was used to, but the water was warm enough for her to take a quick shower at least. Toweling off, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt before brushing out her long, straight hair. Then, more out of habit than anything else, she applied a touch of gloss to her lips. Gazing at her reflection in the mirror above the sink, she took a deep breath before leaving the room.

In the main part of the cabin, Logan was at the stove warming up some soup, and he turned to find Raine Montgomery coming out of the bathroom. She had changed out of her wet clothes, and though the skimpy skirt she’d been wearing had given him a good view of her long, shapely legs, the jeans and T-shirt hugged her feminine curves in all the right places. Ignoring the tightening he felt in his groin, he turned back to the stove.

“There’s soup, if you want some,” he said.

She didn’t answer, but walked over to stand beside him. Peering at the beef stew, she wrinkled her nose. “Don’t you have anything without a dead animal in it?”

Logan clenched his jaw. Somehow, he’d just known that she would be a vegetarian. “There’s a can of green beans in the cabinet.”

She wrinkled her nose again. “Something not out of a can.”

He could tell right now that she was going to be one, long, continuous pain in the ass. “If you want something fresh, go to the grocery store in town,” he said dryly.

Ignoring her, he ladled some of the stew into one of the bowls he had set out on the counter, and then walked over to the table. Pulling out a chair, he watched her from the corner of his eye as he sat down. She stood a moment, frowning at the remainder of stew before reluctantly picking up the ladle and filling the other bowl. Taking the spoon from the counter, she came over to sit down opposite him.

They ate in silence for a time, which suited Logan just fine, but his guest, it seemed, couldn’t take the quiet.

“So, what’s your name?” she asked abruptly.

He lifted his gaze to look at her. “Logan,” he said, and then added, “McBride.”

She nodded thoughtfully, as if considering the name, and he wondered for a moment if she had heard of him, but then quickly dismissed the idea. He had the feeling that Raine Montgomery didn’t know anyone who didn’t live in her Hollywood world.

“How can you stand it out here?” she said. “I mean, this is as in the middle of nowhere as you can get.”

He shrugged. “I like the solitude.”

“But still,” she prompted, not taking the hint. “How can you like living here? There’s absolutely nothing to do.”

He swallowed before answering. “I don’t live here; I live up in Seattle. I only come out here to paint.”

She nodded, as if that explained everything. “You mean, like houses?”

He had never met anyone so condescending in his entire life. “No,” he said. “I’m an artist. I paint landscapes.”

She looked surprised. “An artist? I wouldn’t have thought that.”

The insult was pretty clear, and Logan had to fight the urge to throw her out the door, snow or not.

“Well, you can’t paint all the time,” she insisted. “And I don’t see a TV or a radio. What do you do to keep from being bored out of you mind?

Finished with both his dinner and the conversation, Logan pushed back his chair and got to his feet. “Sleep,” he said curtly, and walked over to the sink to wash out his bowl.

Raine stared at his retreating back. You’d think she’d insulted him or something, she thought. Finished with her soup as well, she got to her feet and started toward the sink just as Logan was finishing up.

“I’ve already put out a pillow and some blankets so you can make up the couch,” he said, walking into the living room.

Raine frowned as she realized that he expected her to sleep on the couch. “A gentleman would let me use the bed,” she said tartly.

He turned to scowl at her. “I did; that is the bed,” he said. “I’m sleeping on the floor.”

She looked at him incredulously. “You’re telling me that you don’t have a bed? Then what’s in there?” she asked accusingly, folding her arms and jerking her chin toward the door beside the one that led to the bathroom.

“It used to be a bedroom, but I converted it into my studio.”

That had to be one of the most stupid things she’d ever heard, but before she could tell him so, Logan had picked up his bag and gone into the bathroom. A minute later, she heard the shower running. God, but that man was infuriating!

Surprised to discover that she was a little tired, Raine dropped the dishtowel on the counter and went over to where her bag sat on the floor. Listening to make sure that the shower was still running, she quickly undressed and changed into her pajamas. They were little more than a snug little tank top and skimpy pair of matching blue shorts, but as she huddled beneath the blanket as she was sure to be, Logan McBride wouldn’t be able to tell what she was wearing.

She was just making up the bed when she heard the shower turn off, and she just had enough time to jump beneath the covers before Logan came out. It was silly, she supposed, considering she’d been in movies wearing less clothing than she had on now.

Logan had changed, too, she noticed. He had traded in his jeans and long-sleeved T-shirt for a pair of dark blue pajama bottoms and another long-sleeved shirt. Huddled beneath the blanket, she watched in silence as he stoked the fire, and then made up his own bed on the floor.

Raine thought she’d be tired enough to fall asleep right away, but the couch wasn’t nearly as nice as a bed would have been, and no matter which way she laid, she couldn’t seem to get comfortable. She was unaware that all her tossing and turning had been keeping Logan awake, too, until he spoke.

“Go to sleep, already.”

Frustrated, Raine threw back the covers and sat up. “I can’t. This couch isn’t comfortable,” she complained. Throwing her legs over the side, she got to her feet and tried to straighten the blankets. “You know, if you’d just taken me into a hotel instead, then we’d both be sleeping right now. But no, you didn’t want to drive a few more miles.” She was probably making more of a mess out of the blankets, she thought, but she didn’t care.

“You can leave any time you want, you know.”

Logan’s voice was curt in the darkness, and she whirled around to face him. He was lying on his back, an arm beneath his head. Hands on her hips, she regarded him disdainfully. “You have got to be the rudest man I’ve ever met!” she told him scathingly. “First, you almost run me down. And do you apologize for it? No! You don’t even try to dig my car out. Nor do you take me where I want to go. Instead, you drag me off to this cabin where there’s no heat, barely any hot water, and no bed! I...”

“That’s it!” Logan snapped, getting to his feet.

He came toward her, and Raine took a nervous step back. “What are you...?”

But the words turned into a startled little gasp as Logan grabbed her arm, sat down on the couch, and yanked her face-down over his knee. Stunned, she lay there a moment in confusion. “What do you think you’re...oh!” she cried as she felt a sharp smack on her upturned bottom. The bastard was actually spanking her! “Let me up right now!”

“I’ve had it with you!” Logan told her, holding her down with a firm hand when she tried to push herself upright. “You’ve done nothing but complain since I picked you up, and I’m sick of it!” He smacked her again, harder this time, and she yelped. “I saved your life, dammit! The least you could do is show me some gratitude!”

As he spoke, Logan delivered a series of swats that had Raine crying out and struggling to free herself. “How dare you...owwwww!...do this to me! Owwwwww! Let me go, damn you!”

But Logan ignored her protests. Instead, he tightened his hold around her waist and spanked her even harder! It didn’t help that her skimpy shorts had ridden up to bare her bottom, either. Every spank stung!

She tried to struggle off his knees, but he was incredibly strong. So, she tried to put one hand behind her to ward off the spanks instead, but he simply pinned it against her lower back and kept spanking her. She was forced to put her free hand on the floor just to keep her balance.

Then, after about a dozen more spanks, she was lifted up and put back on her feet, Logan towering over her. Up close like this, he was taller than she’d thought. Reaching back with both hands, she cupped her stinging bottom and glared up at him. “You...you spanked me!”

He clenched his jaw. “And I’ll do it again if you don’t stop acting like a spoiled little brat,” he ground out. “Now, go to bed!”

With that, he strode over to his make-shift bed, leaving her standing there rubbing her hot cheeks. She had no doubt that they must be positively glowing. And her face, she thought, must be just as red from blushing. She couldn’t believe it; she had never been spanked in her life. Damn him! she thought fiercely. Tomorrow, she was leaving; she didn’t care if it was snowing or not! And she was going to stop at the first town she came to, and report Logan McBride for assault. He wouldn’t think it was so funny after he got arrested!

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