“I don’t know what you’re laughing about. This isn’t funny.” Tiffany Jackson frowned at her cousin and best friend, Sydney, who sat across from her, tears of laughter streaming down her face.

“Oh, you’re kidding me, right? This is hilarious.”

Tiffany shook her head. “I’m glad you think so, but it’s not funny. I have a huge problem here. I can’t write about something I’ve never experienced.”

“Bull.” Sydney wiped at her tears. “You’ve probably never done half the things in those erotic novels you turn out. Just because your editor wants you to add in some spankings, you think you have to try it out. Why?”

“Well first off, my novels are not erotic, they’re sweet romance novels. That’s part of the problem, according to my agent. Erotic novels are selling better, and the sales of my sweet ones, while still good, are suffering a little. She wants me to spice it up, and she wants me to do a spanking scene or two.”

Sydney burst into a new bout of laughter, wiping tears from her cheeks. “This is too much. I just love it.”

“Don’t do this to me, please. I mean really, don’t make fun of me right now. I’m having a hard time with this.”

“Why? You’re a writer. Just make her a little brat, and then have the hero take her over his knee. A few whacks on the butt and she’s behaving like she should again.”

Tiffany took a sip of her tea and looked out over the yard. The Fourth of July party was bursting with friends and relatives, several grills going, the smells of cooking hot dogs and hamburgers filling the air. But all she could think about was that her agent had given her a month to come up with something spicy for her to sell to her publisher, something that involved erotic spankings.

She’d never been spanked, ever. And her novels were not erotic. She wasn’t sure exactly how she would make the switch. The first thing she needed to do, she supposed, was go to the bookstore first thing in the morning and buy the latest erotic releases, look them over to see what was what with them.

Then, after that, she’d sit down and come up with a plot to fit what her agent wanted to sell. They needed to talk about that, though. What would her fans think, the ones that were used to her sweet, soft love scenes? When they saw her name on a book cover they expected to see soft euphemisms for body parts, not the word cock screaming out at them.

They needed to have a talk about that, too. Tiffany understood the changes in the market, and how things were different now. She had no problem with that. But still, she needed to think about this before she dove in headfirst.

But, what if her agent was serious about her doing something different. If Tiffany refused to follow the erotic trend would she dump her as a client? Wasn’t she making enough money off of Tiffany’s sales to make it worth her while to keep the author on board?

The thought made Tiffany’s stomach roll just a little, and she took another sip of her tea.

“Are you listening to me?”

“What? I’m sorry, Sydney, I’m just a little off guard today. What did you say?”

“If you’re so worried about writing about something you’ve never experienced, then you need to find someone to spank you.”

Tiffany’s mouth about hit the floor. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Since you’re not dating anyone right now hire someone, a male escort maybe. Tell him you don’t want to have sex, you just want him to spank you so you know what it feels like.”

“I think you have lost your mind.” She sat her glass down with a thud, glad that it was plastic and not glass. “Are you serious?”

“Sure, totally serious. Think about it. Your agent asks for spankings, but you don’t know what to write, so you do what any good author does, you do research. And lots of it. What better way to learn about spankings than to be spanked, and by a very hunky man.”

“Right, what am I supposed to tell this agency? ‘Hi, I’m a thirty-one-year-old romance writer who’s been ordered to kick it up a notch and I need a research assistant.’ That’s going to play out well.”

“Why not? You get books from the library, and take trips when you’re researching a city you’ve never been to. I don’t see why this has to be any different.”

Tiffany waved at her sister, Megan, who waved back. Megan had just arrived with her two children. Tiffany’s brother, Chase, was already here with his pregnant wife, Mia, and their two point three children. Tagging along with Chase, as usual, was his best friend, Aaron, who had been divorced for about a year now. His family lived far away, and Tiffany’s mother had sort of adopted him after the divorce, inviting him to family outings and parties. That was fine with Tiffany. Aaron was gorgeous, the epitome of tall, dark and handsome, a Boulder fireman well over six foot tall, with burly muscles and close cropped dark hair. Tiffany had used his body many times while envisioning her heroes.

But since her books were historical, Aaron’s hair was always long, and his chest was always bare. She looked around wondering where he was in the teaming crowd of sisters, brothers, cousins, in-laws and various other relatives who filled her mother’s backyard. Seeing him would inspire an erotic thought or two, but not of spanking. She’d never thought about being spanked. Ever.

“Do you think this is a normal fantasy?” She turned to Sydney, who blushed. “I guess that answers my question.”

“Yes, I think it does.”

“You’re kidding me, right? Jeremy spanks you?”

“Yup. And I’m not going to tell you what it’s like. You have to experience it for yourself, cousin.”

“Tell me! I mean, does he do it while y’all are having sex? And what would he tell the kids if they walked in to find you across his knee?”

“We wait until the kids are in bed. Sometimes it’s a fun spanking, and sometimes not. Depends on the situation. And that’s as far as I’m going, because I don’t want my sex life included in one of your books. That would not make Jeremy a very happy camper.”

Tiffany let out a breath of frustrated air mixed with a bite of disgust. “Thanks for the help. I thought you were my friend.”

“I am, but I want to keep my husband happy, too. So can it, cousin. And I’m serious about calling the agency. Tell them you don’t expect to have sex, just get spanked. Maybe they’ll give you a discount.”

“You are so full it.” Tiffany’s sigh of frustration increased. “Can’t you give me just a little hint of what it’s like?”

“You know, if you didn’t run off every boyfriend you’ve ever had, you might have some idea what it’s like. What about the last guy, what was his name, Joey?”

“He turned out to be a real dud. He thought I made tons of money with my writing, and when he found out that my income just made me middle class, he dumped me.”

“What a loser.”

“Yeah, but it was better to find it out now rather than later, when I would have possibly been more attached to him. Best to get the crappy stuff out of the way now.”

“True. Still, we need to find you a man.”

“I agree, but since it’s not happening, my sweet cousin needs to explain to me why she likes to be spanked.”

Sydney got up and turned toward her cousin, who sat looking at the table. There was a moment’s silence before she spoke again. “No. But I will go and find you a phone book. And if you don’t take my idea, then you’re just a bad girl, aren’t you?”

Tiffany watched her, shaking her head in disgust. Bad girl indeed. She wondered what else she didn’t know about her cousin, who was only a few months older than she was. She’d never given any indication that she and Jeremy were into kinky things like spankings. Of course was it even consider kinky? Maybe Tiffany was just behind the times, and this was normal stuff that lots of couples did, and that’s why the stories sold so well, and why her editor was pushing for one.

Her career wasn’t doing bad, sales had been pretty good on her historical novels She wasn’t making a ton of money, but enough to make ends meet, with a little leeway. The sex was hot, but not erotic, as seemed to be the trend. She needed to do more reading. Maybe some of the erotic novels she’d find tomorrow would include spanking.

She made a mental note to visit a few of her favorite bookstores tomorrow, then sit home on the holiday weekend and devour a few novels to try and crank up her engines a little bit. It looked like it would be a long weekend.

*****

Aaron Fitzgerald put his beer bottle up to his mouth and took a swig. When Sydney had stood and turned toward her cousin, she’d seen him leaning against the house, listening to their conversation. She’d winked at him quickly, and then lifted her brows before muttering something about a phonebook before leaving.

So, Tiffany wanted to know what it was like to be spanked? Well, he was just the fireman to show it to her. He’d long desired his best friend’s sister, but couldn’t figure out a way to approach her. This situation was heaven-sent.

He watched her as she sat at the table, sipping from a glass of tea. She was a few years younger than his thirty-four. Her brown eyes always seemed to take in everything around her, and her brown hair always shone in the sunlight. She was pleasantly plump, and his loins stirred as he thought about her across his lap, her behind bared for a spanking.

Of course afterwards he’d have to have her, there was no doubt about it. Maybe he should ask her out on a date, then tell her after they were in the restaurant that he’d overheard her conversation, and was ready to offer his services as a research assistant, free of charge.

He nixed that idea almost immediately. Too wimpy. What he needed to do was get her alone tonight, pull down her panties and slap her bottom a few times, give her just a little taste of what she wanted to know about, and then tell her that if she really wanted a research assistant he would be happy to help, but it would be under his rules, not hers.

Aaron shifted positions to allow his swollen penis more room inside his tight jeans. Just the idea of spanking her was making him harder than he’d been in a long time. He smiled to himself as he thought about what she did for a living. He’d read all of her books after Chase had told him.

They were arousing, yes, but he could see how they could be spruced up just a bit; a touch of heat to her writing that he would be more than happy to provide. If she needed a research assistant he would be glad to help.

His mind whirled with ways to approach her about the situation, and then the perfect idea came to mind. He just needed a little help from his best friend, who had long been pushing Aaron to ask his little sister out on a date. Of course he wasn’t sure exactly how Chase would feel if Aaron let him know he planned on spanking her. Best to keep that part to himself.

He finished the rest of his beer, then went in search of Chase. He found his friend playing with his young daughter, swinging her around as she squealed in delight.

“Chaser, I need your help with something.”

“What? Had too much to drink and need a ride home?”

“No, I want some time alone with your baby sister.”

“What for?”

“You’re the one who always told me we’d be perfect together. I want to give your idea a shot, that’s all.”

“Well hot damn, it’s about time. Count me in. What do you want me to do?”

*****

“I just don’t understand why you can’t do this yourself. It’s not like I’m your maid, you know.” Tiffany glared at Chase, who held his daughter tighter.

“Do I have room in my arms to bring down the boom box? I’ve got a child here, see?” He bounced her niece on his hips as if to prove his point. Chasity laughed, then grabbed at her father’s shirt.

“Yeah, that’s good. Use your daughter as an excuse for your laziness. It doesn’t bother me.” Tiffany turned and stormed toward the house. The fireworks were set to start in less than half an hour, and Chase had just now decided it would be good to have some music to accompany the light show.

She thought about complaining to her mother about his bossiness, but then decided it would make her sound too much like a child, so she stomped toward the house, and the bedroom she’d used while she lived here.

From her mother’s backyard, they would be able to see much of the display from the UC field and avoid the crowds and traffic. That’s why they’d scheduled the picnic here, so people could just stay here and enjoy themselves with the cookout and the fireworks.

Tiffany made her way through the people sitting with their children, getting ready for the show. Once inside she took the backstairs to the second floor, then crossed to her bedroom. She flipped on the light, finding the boom box sitting on a shelf that used to house her writing awards from high school and college at the University of Colorado. She’d made it partway across the room when the door behind her closed. She turned to find Aaron standing there, leaning against the door, his arms crossed over his massive chest.

Her heart rate went into overdrive and she cleared her throat. “Hi.” Well this was a surprise. A gorgeous man in her bedroom, well her former bedroom. Still, being in such close proximity to Aaron, and a bed, was disconcerting.

“Hi yourself. I hear you’re looking for a research assistant.”

“What?” Her already rapid heartbeat went into triple time. She laughed nervously, trying to keep the situation light, although it didn’t feel light. It felt very, very heavy as a matter of fact. “What are you talking about?”

“You. I hear that Sydney gave you an idea today to hire a research assistant to help spice up your books.”

Oh crap. How did he know about that? Sydney! Damn her, what had she said to other people? She thought that conversation was a private one. “Um, I have no idea what you’re talking about, Aaron. I’m here to pick up a boom box for Chase. That’s it.”

“Chase already has a boom box in the yard. You’re here so we can talk, specifically about spankings.”

Adding a curse against her brother to the one she repeated about her cousin, she clasped her hands together in front of her waist. This was obviously some sort of conspiracy they were all in on. Her mouth had gone dry. She swallowed hard, then whispered, “Really, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The words came out very softly, and there was no conviction behind them.

“You don’t sound very sure of that. You know, Tiff, I’d be happy to help you in that department. You wouldn’t want to hire someone to spank you. You want to be spanked by someone you know, someone you trust. Like me.”

Her heart felt as if it would leap out of her chest. She needed to stay calm, or else all would be lost, since her body was practically screaming at her to take him up on his offer. She needed to stay calm. Stay cool. Stay in control.

Tiffany put her hands on her hips and cocked her head at him. “Tell me, Aaron, how do you know about the conversation I had with Sydney? Did she tell you, or did you eavesdrop?”

When he just grinned, she silently took back the curse she’d muttered against her cousin, but not the one against her brother, who obviously knew Aaron would be up here waiting for her. Knowing Chase knew Aaron was here made her wonder what Aaron had told him. Did her brother know about her order from her editor to spice up her books? Did he know Aaron was going to come up here and offer his services as a “research assistant?”

The idea was way too embarrassing to contemplate. She didn’t want her brother knowing things like that. They were none of his business.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, and then Tiffany ran her fingers through her hair. “Since we don’t need the music, I’m going downstairs to find a good spot to watch the fireworks from. If you’ll excuse me.” She moved toward the doorway, stopping in front of him. He didn’t move, instead just stood, staring at her.

“We’re not done here.” His voice was deep, and it sent shivers up her spine. It had done that before, but they’d always been in a group of people when that happened, and she was able to ignore it, to push it to the back of her mind and rationalize that it was “just Aaron, her brother’s friend.” Not this time, though. That voice sent electrical currents through her whole body.

“I want to apply for the job. I think the least you can do is give me an interview.”

“Aaron, I…” He’d moved away from the door now, and was standing right in front of her. The heat from his body seemed to wrap itself around her, making her hotter than she already was.

“I’m not hiring at the moment.” She tried to laugh it off, but he just continued to stare at her, and her body continued to boil under his gaze.

“Sure you are. You know you want to do this. I’m safe, and you can trust me. Have you been a bad girl, Tiffany? Do you need a spanking?”

She thought fire would come out of her ears. “Aaron…”

“This is my interview, I’m showing off my skills. Answer me.”

“If I’m the one doing the hiring, then I should be asking the questions and you should be answering, not the other way around.”

“Not this time. This interview is to show my potential employer that I can help her experience things she’s curious about, things she can write about.” He stopped and cleared his throat. This time when he spoke his voice was deep and commanding, sending shivers down her spine.

“You will answer me. Have you been bad? Bad girls get spanked, so answer the question carefully.”

She swallowed hard. This was the most fascinating thing she’d ever had happen to her. This was something she would write about, not something she would experience.

But that’s the point, isn’t it Tiffany? You need to experience this. You need to know what it feels like. If for no other reason then to just satisfy your curiosity.

She whispered the word “yes,” watching as a satisfied gleam came into his eyes.

Saying those words let her know exactly what her editor meant about spicing things up. She knew she was pretty spiced right now, and he hadn’t even touched her.

“Yes what?”

“Yes, I need a spanking.” She couldn’t believe those words just came out of her mouth. She turned her gaze to the wall, and then groaned when he took another step toward her, so that their bodies were almost touching.

“Listen to me very carefully, bad girl. I want you to cross to the window, then put your hands on either side of it, then bend over just a little bit so your behind is in the proper position for a spanking.”

Excitement raced through Tiffany’s body. He sounded so demanding, so in control, that it thrilled her, a reaction that both excited and puzzled her. She’d never gone for the macho sorts before. Sure she’d lusted after Aaron. What red-blooded woman wouldn’t? The man was gorgeous. But he’d never been this bold before.

But hearing him tell her to get into position for a spanking was something she hadn’t expected to hear tonight, or any night for that matter. Of course hadn’t she just said that afternoon that she wanted to know what it was like to be spanked? And he’d listened to the conversation, obviously.

Real life research, done at the hands of the most gorgeous man she knew was fascinating. She just needed to work up the courage to go through with it.

“I’m waiting, and I’m not very patient,” he said softly. “Do as I told you, bad girl, or get a harder spanking than I already planned.”

She jerked her gaze up at him, her eyes wide. “Aaron.” This time there was a little bit of fear in her voice. He cupped her cheek and stroked his thumb over her soft flesh, making goose bumps travel up her body.

“Don’t cut my interview short, Tiffany. You know I’m not going to hurt you. You wanted to know what it was like to be spanked, and I’m going to show you. If you like what I have to offer, then we can talk about a full time position.”

Full time position? Was he offering what she thought he was offering?

“You’re a bad boy yourself, eavesdropping on me. Does that mean I get to spank you?”

“No. Bad boys attract bad little girls, but they don’t get spanked. They do the spanking, and you know it. I make a bet most of your heroes are bad little boys. Now, do as I told you.”

“My heroes aren’t bad boys. They save the heroine from whatever danger she’s in. They are the good guys.”

“They might be the good buys, but there’s a little bit of bad boy in them, admit it. Women like the bad boys. They like the men who will spank them, and tell them they’re naughty girls, don’t they?”

“Yes.” She whispered the word as she watched him. The way he held his body let her know he was very excited about what was about to happen, probably as excited as she was. And he was right. Women liked the bad boys, and that’s exactly what he was being right now.

“I’m not going to tell you again. Do as I asked. Now.” His eyes narrowed at her, increasing the tension she felt. He looked wickedly dangerous, just like the men she wrote about.

Quickly, before she could change her mind and tell him no, Tiffany crossed to the window, putting herself in the position as Aaron had instructed. He’d turned off the light when she’d started to walk, so the only illumination was the moon outside. The lights on the deck had been turned off in anticipation of the fireworks show which was probably about to begin. When he came up behind her and slowly began to inch her skirt up over her behind she thought she would die of excitement.

When her hips were uncovered he lightly ran his hand over her panty-clad behind and she thanked whatever starts had possessed her to wear satin instead of cotton granny panties that evening. It would be just too horribly embarrassing to be standing here wearing huge cotton underwear while Aaron spanked her.

“What a bad, bad girl you are.” His voice was near her ear, husky and full of authority. And then he swatted her behind.