Laying Down the Law Read Online Free Page B

forehead, clasping the back of her head with his other hand as she tried to move away from his touch. She felt cold, clammy, and concern raced through him.
    “You’re sick,” he accused her, allowing her to pull back.
    “I’m not sick.” She glared up at him angrily.
    Tanner raised a single eyebrow at her, his voice low and warning. “Oh no? You’re clutching at your stomach, you’re cold and clammy and so pale you’re almost a ghost.
    You’re going to bed.” He reached down to pick her up, but she slapped his hands away, pick her up, but she slapped his hands away, attempting to wriggle off the seat.
    “Damn it, Tanner, leave me alone. I’ve got too much work to do. I’ll go to bed when I want to go to bed not when you say I have to.”
    “What work?” He frowned down at the papers strewn across the desk, taking notice of them. “What the hell is all this?” He grabbed the papers, moving them out of her reach as she tried to snatch them back frantically. He shuffled through them. “These are all overdue notices. Callie, why haven’t you paid these?” Stupid man, Callie thought to herself as she futilely attempted to wrest the papers from his hand. “Don’t you think I would pay them if I could?” she replied grumpily, unconsciously rubbing at the gnawing pain in her stomach.
    His eyes stared down at her thoughtfully as he placed the overdue bills on the desk and rested his hands on her shoulders. Callie sighed; she was in for it now.

    sighed; she was in for it now.
    “Your surgery is full every day, Callie.
    Your business should be thriving. So unless you have a secret gambling addiction or you’re spending it all…?” She shook her head no.
    “Then why the hell do you have no money?” Callie glared up at him. “If I knew do you think I would be so worried? I don’t know where all the money’s gone and I don’t know what to do.” She ran her hands through her hair, sighing in frustration as tears welled in her eyes. “You know I’ve never been good at this sort of stuff. Ryan was right, I was mad to think I could run a business. It was doomed to fail from the start, just like everything else I do.”
    Tanner narrowed his eyes, not liking the defeat in her voice. “As I seem to recall Ryan had plenty of problems running the ranch when he first started out, and most of those problems he first started out, and most of those problems were due to his lack of experience with accounts. Instead of telling you that you’re going to fail he could offer his help.” Callie snorted. “Like that’s ever going to happen. I’ve taken enough from him. I’m not going to ask him to give me more.” Tanner frowned, but seemed willing to give up the argument when she clutched at her stomach once more.
    “Where do you keep all your accounts?” he asked her.
    “Why?” Callie asked suspiciously.
    “Because while you’re taking a bath I will see what I can do about your finances, okay? And if I can’t figure it out I know someone who can. Now get a move on.” Callie stood staring at him.
    “Go squirt, before I change my mind and

    “Go squirt, before I change my mind and just spank you instead.”
    Callie threw up her hands in
    supplication. “Fine. Knock yourself out.” With that she stomped off to have a bath.
    Bossy, arrogant, overbearing man.
    Tanner ignored her muttering as he set to work on sorting her accounts. Two hours later and he sat back with a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly before rising.
    He found her lying on the couch; all rumpled and sexy as she glanced up at him through heavy, sleep ridden eyes. “You should be in bed,” he scolded lightly as he sat beside her on the couch.
    “What? Sleep while you do all my paperwork, yeah, like I’m really going to do that.”
    “No, I guess you wouldn’t.”

    “No, I guess you wouldn’t.”
    “Did you figure anything out?”
    “Yep, your problem is that you’re letting too many people run up tabs, squirt. You have