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locking it after he’d stepped into the outside hallway.
    He gave her a reassuring smile. “I don’t kiss and tell. And I don’t spank and tell.” Spankings were private matters, given for acts of misbehavior or attitudes that needed adjusting. “Once it’s delivered and the lesson understood, the matter is forgotten in my opinion. Unless I have to deal with the matter another time.”
    She rubbed her bottom again and he felt the stirrings of arousal. He usually preferred giving a spanking on a bare bottom. He hadn’t thought he’d survive doing that this time because he wanted her so damn bad. “Reckon you’ll be a mite uncomfortable during the ride into town.” With the tightness in his jeans now, he suspected he would, too.
    To his amusement, she raised her chin. “I’m a ‘mite uncomfortable’ right now. I believe that was your intention.”
    He nodded. “Not the sole intention of the spanking. I burned your butt to lesson you on misbehavior.” He pinned her with a questioning look. “I’m assuming the lesson was understood.”
    Her small hands touched her bottom once more and she said sassily, “There is such a thing as talking to discuss a matter.”
    He moved next to her, covering her hands on her bottom with his. She sucked in a breath and he felt a strong reaction as well. “But my kind of ‘discussion’ gets the matter dealt with in a way not soon forgotten.”
    “Right. Not forgotten.” She slipped away from him. “How about you don’t do this again?”
    He chuckled and tugged her into his embrace, unable to resist what he’d wanted to do ever since she’d launched herself into his arms the night before. Hold her. Smell her light flowery scent; feel the softness that was all her. And to his pleasure she didn’t resist. “How about you behave yourself?” he countered quietly, stroking her silky hair.
    She moved against the hard ridge of his aroused cock. “How about you behaving yourself?” Then she eased from his embrace to walk down the short outside hallway, giving him an exaggerated and mesmerizing sway of hips.
    Spanked and still sassy. He drew in a steadying breath. He could love a woman like that.
    Shocked by the thought, he shook his head. Dr. Valentine Hart might take a spanking with grudging acceptance, might be the sexiest woman he’d run across, but they were worlds apart otherwise. It was the whole Venus vs. Mars thing. Besides, he had more than enough unsettling things to deal with in his life. He didn’t need to take on another woman, another relationship—an impossible relationship.
     
    * * *
     
    Valentine stood next to the port railing of the whale-watching catamaran and was nearly blinded by the sunlight bouncing off the brilliant blue water. Her stomach fluttered with the slight sway of the boat, but she managed to half listen to Dale vent his frustration about Sam and the ranch. Her attention was more focused on the big cowboy standing at the opposite railing and talking to his sister. Poor Shelby looked as upset as Dale. Evidently Sam had decided to resume attempting to get her to change her mind, to get her to see things his way. He didn’t look all that happy either.
    “Why can’t he accept our decision?” Dale questioned, scowling across the boat at his future brother-in-law. “He’s always run Shelby’s life. He needs to let go.”
    She didn’t like Sam’s persistent digging away at Shelby’s resistance. She feared he would end up winning the battle and end up coming between his sister and Dale. She couldn’t and wouldn’t allow that to happen, even if she had to go nose-to-nose—okay, nose-to-shoulder—with him about the matter. He’d no doubt tell her it wasn’t any of her business, which was partly right.
    Remembering what he’d done earlier when she’d shown a flash of temper, she felt certain he would even spank her again for trying to interfere. But she genuinely liked Shelby and Dale. They deserved to build their own life in the