“I hate snow!” I muttered as I took a shovel and went outside into the cold to clear the sidewalks in front of my bakery.  Business was brisk during this time of year, and I certainly didn’t want any of my customers falling on the icy cement and breaking bones.  I’d worked hard the last few months to make my bakery stand out in the small community, and I wasn’t about to let a little thing like snow make it impossible for people to come inside and buy my wonderful breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, and pies.  With all the Christmas parties scheduled this month, I would be working non-stop to keep up with the demand for holiday treats.  Nothing could please me more, I smiled to myself.  No one believed I could open a successful business with the terrible economy, and I was proving them wrong, not that I could call and gloat.  Nope, I was through with my family.  Just thinking of their narrow-minded ways brought out my temper, and I scooped up a large shovel full of the icy snow and gave it a toss with heartfelt attitude!

“Hey!” I heard a male voice exclaim in a mixture of surprise, outrage, disgust, and just plain ole temper.  I knew I should feel a bit of remorse, but for some perverse reason I can’t claim to understand, the whole situation struck me as funny and I giggled.  “This isn’t funny, young lady,” the man said, looking at me with the deepest blue eyes I’d ever seen.   I was mesmerized.  And the tone of his voice reached inside me and messed with my equilibrium.  His eyes narrowed suspiciously.  “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” he accused, and again his deep voice had that scolding quality that turned me on.  Very few men were able to sound that way, at least not to my ears, and believe me, I’d tested quite a few men, hoping to find that one tone.  One that wasn’t cruel, but carried just the right amount of firm, tempered with control.  And I’d just thrown snow and yucky slush all over the man.  Again, I laughed.  Very inappropriately laughed!  He was not amused.  “I have half a mind to turn you over my knee right here and now and spank you, young lady!”  I nearly swooned at his words.

“Come inside my store and I’ll get you some coffee and a donut.  That should fix your bad mood,” I bossed.  While hearing the man threaten to spank me might be music to my ears, I wasn’t so far gone that I would permit a perfect stranger to spank me outside in front of my bakery!  That would be bad for business, the logical part of me proclaimed, while the bratty part of me was wondering if he really would dare to do such a thing, or if he would turn out to be all talk.  I turned around and said, “Be sure to brush off all that snow and slush.  I don’t want it tracked inside.”

“Seriously, when was the last time someone gave you a damned good spanking?” he demanded of me, and I again smiled at his tone.  He shook his head, muttering under his breath as his gloved hands reached down to brush the white stuff off his pants and feet, and the bottom of his long coat.  I was curious about those hands and hoped he’d take the gloves off to eat his donut and drink his coffee. 

I waited until he was inside to answer his question with one word.  “Never.”  He looked at me in disbelief.  I giggled, and then pointed to a small table in front of the festively decorated window.  “Have a seat and I’ll get your coffee.  What kind of donut would you like?” I asked politely as I started taking off my gloves, two pair of them, my heavy coat, my hoodie, my scarf, and finally my warm hand-knitted cap.

“Do you think you had enough clothes on to be outside?” he asked with a chuckle.

“I hate being cold,” I admitted.  I wasn’t about to tell him that I lived in southern Florida all my life and this was my very first experience with winter.  No one in my workaholic family was interested in winter sports, or in traveling north to take advantage of skiing.  It would have meant leaving business behind and control in someone else’s hands, and my father certainly would never do that, which was one huge factor in my choosing to settle in this small town in Ohio.   I was as safe here from his interference as I would be anywhere.  Once I washed my hands, I put coffee into two china cups, and put a selection of pastries on a small matching dessert plate and carried them over to the table where he sat watching me.

“If you hate being cold, then why live here?” he asked me curiously, observing each of my movements intently.  “I would have thought you’d want to live in a warmer client?”

I felt myself blush, but gave him what I hoped was an innocent smile.  “Would you like cream or sugar?” I asked politely.

“No, this is fine,” he replied.  He raised his cup to his lips to sip his hot coffee and I took a moment to fantasize about those same lips kissing mine.  The man’s blue eyes were full of intelligence and I already knew the dark red hair boasted a temper because I’d heard it in his rich voice when he was threatening to spank me.  That thought drew my attention to the hand holding the delicate china cup.  Yes, it was a nice hand, a very nice hand, I decided.  Just the right size to deliver a sound spanking to a naughty bottom.  I felt myself blush again and was relieved when an elderly couple came inside, bickering lovingly over what treat to buy.

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Brown.  How are you today?” I greeted them with a smile.  They came in daily for a little snack while taking their walk.

“We’re fine, dear.  I would like one of your cranberry muffins and Levi, who is the most boring person in the world, would like his usual chocolate chip cookies.” 

Levi did what he did every morning and gave his wife’s ample bottom a hearty swat, winking at me over her head to reassure me he was being playful.  “Show a little respect, woman,” he growled, and Mrs. Brown giggled, pretending to be embarrassed.

“Please sit down and I’ll bring your order right out,” I told them with a smile, wishing that I had someone to love as much as they loved each other. 

The Browns sat at the table next to the one the stranger was using and it didn’t take long for the questions to start.  “Are you new in town, young man?  I don’t believe we’ve seen you before…?  I’m Levi Brown and this is my wife, Glory.”

“I’m called Thorn, and I’m just passing through.  You have a nice little town here.”

“We think so,” Glory replied with a smile.  “What do you do, Thorn?”

“I write mysteries, and at the moment, I am between books,” he answered, his blue eyes full of good humor in spite of their nosy questions.  “I thought I would take a vacation and go wherever the spirit moved me.”

“That is pretty much how our Rebecca came to us,” Glory revealed, and I tried not to roll my eyes.  “She was driving from place to place, looking for a nice town to open her bakery, and she chose us, and Levi and I are so happy she did.  Aren’t we, dear?” she looked directly at Levi and urged him to speak up.  They were working in tandem to set me up with the stranger, and I didn’t know whether to be flattered or embarrassed!

“Well of course.  No one can bake like Becky,” he winked at me as I sat their coffees and pastries on the table..  “I can’t believe someone hasn’t snapped her up yet, as pretty as she is.  If I was fifty years younger…”

“If you were fifty years younger you would still only have eyes for me, you old goat!” Glory smacked his arm playfully.

“I’m going to have to take you home and get out the big paddle, young lady!” Levi threatened, but his dark eyes were twinkling.

“Oh, you’ll do no such thing, and you know it,” Glory said, blushing from the gray roots of her dyed blonde hair.  “Rebecca, you sit right back down and enjoy your coffee while it’s still hot,” she bossed.

“You know, Levi, I just might have to ask to borrow that paddle,” Thorn commented, looking at me meaningfully.  “I know a young lady who thinks it’s funny to throw snow and slush all over a man and then laugh about it instead of apologizing.”

“Now why would you do something like that, Becky?” Levi looked at me in surprise, and I could see that he and Glory were trying to figure out how to salvage their plans of romance for me.

I was saved from answering when the telephone rang.  “Excuse me,” I said happily, and hurried to answer, and was pleased when I did.  Another large cookie order from one of the local businesses.  I decided I was going to have to hire some temporary help to work the front of the business while I tended to my kitchen in the back.  I was pleased.  Another customer came in, and I quickly waited on him.  My father would never believe I was doing so well.  He probably thought I was living on canned soup and crackers by now.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown waved goodbye as they bundled up to go back outside into the cold and snow to finish their walk.  I was disappointed when Thorn got to his feet as well.  But, the man said he was passing through, so I shouldn’t have been surprised.  It was just that he was the first man in a very long time who interested me, and I really did hate to see him leave.  When he went straight to the door and didn’t say a word, I felt my temper flare.  The least he could do was say ‘goodbye’.  But, to my surprise, he didn’t open the door.  Instead, he turned the lock on the deadbolt and set the closed sign to read, ‘Back in fifteen minutes.’ 

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice sounding squeaky and nervous to my own ears.

Thorn didn’t answer.  He just crossed the distance between us in determined strides and before I could guess his intentions, he grabbed my arm and led me to the back, where my kitchen was located.  “What are you doing, Thorn?”  My imagination couldn’t come up with one good reason as to why he would be dragging me to the back of the bakery unless he intended to harm me in some way.  Good Lord, was he a rapist? I asked myself, panicking.  “You’d just better let me go.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown saw you, and they can identify you to the police!” I threatened, trying to pull free of the hold he had on me.

“I have no intention of doing anything to get the police called, young lady,” he informed me, not that I was all that reassured.

“Then let me go.”

“No.  You earned a spanking, Miss Rebecca, and you’re going to get a spanking.”

“What?”  I was dumbfounded.  “You aren’t serious!”

“Yes, I am.  You’ve had plenty of time to say ‘sorry’, and you didn’t, so a spanking is in order.”

“I do not believe you!  Of all the ridiculous…!”  He sat down on a stool and before I could guess his intentions, I was dangling over his left thigh.  Neither my hands nor my feet could reach the floor.  I was helpless to prevent whatever he intended, and when his hand landed on the seat of my pants, I cried out in shock and pure temper.  “Don’t you DARE do this to me, you big bully!” 

“I dare, Becky.  Believe me, I dare.”  He suited actions to words, and continued to spank my bottom through the thin cotton of my chef pants.  I quickly learned I was right about Thorn’s hands; they were perfect to dish out a spanking to a naughty bottom… only in that moment I fervently wished that naughty bottom wasn’t my own!  Fantasies were one thing; reality another!  It HURT! 

“Stop!  You are hurting me, Thorn!”

“Am I getting your attention?” he asked.

“Yes!  I’m going to run you through with the biggest knife I own!” I threatened, not a smart thing to do considering the position I was in.  His large hand immediately moved lower, and my sit spots became his next target.  “Owwwww!  Please stop!” I begged, changing my sassy tone to one more acceptable, and then I suddenly had a brilliant idea!  “I’m sorry I threw snow on you!”

“Really?” he asked, chuckling.  He didn’t stop spanking, either.

“Yes, truly!  I’m sorry!”  He didn’t stop spanking.  I was quickly growing desperate.  My poor butt felt as though I’d backed into one of my ovens.  “Please, Thorne.  Stop! I can’t stand this!”  I continued to plead with him.

“You need to do a bit of standing, young lady,” he stated with confidence.  “Another man might have lost his temper and punched you, or taken your shovel and hit you with it.  It is dangerous to start something of that sort, Rebecca.  Am I making myself clear?” he demanded.

His voice was very firm, and I knew I was being scolded.  I couldn’t keep myself from responding, “Yes, sir.  I’m sorry.”  Then I was crying, much to my mortification.  It wasn’t the spanking, either.  It was the scolding that brought me to tears.  It was the scolding in that particular tone of voice.  Thorn sounded as though he really cared about me as a person.  Not at all what I was used to.  He stopped the spanking then with one final hard spank, and then lifted me to my feet, and to my surprise, he opened his arms and gave me a choice of seeking or refusing comfort from him.

I did the only thing I could do, and willingly stepped into his embrace.  I needed to know I was forgiven, and my safety was in his arms.  I don’t know how I knew, I just did.  He held me while I sniffled and finally pulled myself together, and I was thankful then that I’d neglected to put on any make-up that morning.  It would have smeared all over my face, and the nice shirt he was wearing.  Finally, I found the courage to say, “I didn’t throw snow at you deliberately, Thorn.  And, I’m sorry my sense of humor got in the way of my apologizing at once.  The silliest things make me laugh, and you sounded so disgusted… I just couldn’t help giggling.”

“I’ll live,” he assured me.  “What time do you close today?” he asked.

“Six sharp.”  I figured that gave anyone who got off work time to pick up orders, or a dessert for dinner, and it gave me an evening to do what I needed to do to get ready for the next day’s business.  Sometimes I worked well into the night, and at other times, I went on home and slept a few hours before coming in to start the day’s baking.  I didn’t have much free time.

“Would you have dinner with me?” Thorn asked, looking down at me.

“I thought you were passing through?”  I was confused, and stalling for time to make a decision.  I was already in pain at the thought of him leaving, and spending even more time with him would make the parting hurt even more.

“I’ve decided to stay for a while, that is if you’ll have dinner with me?”

“Dinner, yes.  But if you’re looking for anything else the answer will be no.  I’m not into one night stands.”  I decided it was best to play my cards up front.  It wasn’t Thorn’s business, but I was waiting for the right man, and while I was drawn to him, I didn’t want my first to be a one night wonder.  I wasn’t into taking risks of that sort.

“I’m not into one night stands, either, Becky,” he told me, and I believed him.  “Dinner…?” he asked hopefully, and I nodded.

“Great.  Are there any good places to stay around here?” he asked.  I gave him a few suggestions, and he promised to return for me at six… sharp.

He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead, and then walked out of my kitchen, put on his coat, and then turned the sign to ‘open’, unlocked the door, gave me another big smile, and then left.  As soon as I was sure Thorn couldn’t see me, I reached back and rubbed my still stinging backside.  I was hurting, and for the first time ever, I wished for a long mirror in the bakery so I could take a peek at my posterior and see if it was as red as it felt. 

A few people came in and kept me fairly busy throughout the day, but I also had time to do some baking and decorating, and too much time to think about Thorn and the spanking he gave me.  The spanking was my first ever, and it was so much different than I thought it would be.  It actually hurt a lot more than I’d counted on, and I felt bad that I gave Thorn such a bad first impression of me.  I also wondered if he would do it again if the circumstances were right.  I finally decided I was obsessed, and then quickly reassured myself that it was my tender butt that was causing me to imagine other scenarios where I ended up over Thorn’s knee.