The Woman Next Door Read Online Free PDF

cabinets were ugly, so I hired a contractor, and I picked all of the finishes myself.”
    “It’s beautiful. I don’t care for the stainless steel, either, and I love that you brightened the room with accessories and the backsplash. It is so pretty in here.”
    “Thank you, Lizzy.” Craig was grinning ear to ear as he led her into the formal dining room. It wasn’t finished yet, and she gave him several good ideas for finishing it. He wanted it to be ‘formal’ without being ‘stuffy’ and Elizabeth understood what he was saying.
    Elizabeth loved the living room, too, but Craig told her it had yet to be redone. He was using old furniture and buying a new sofa that complimented the space was on the list of things to do. He told her that saving some money was a priority at this point, and she nodded in understanding. That was the same way she made improvements to her home. She didn’t believe in charging things she could live without until she could pay cash for them.
    “I haven’t done much to the bedroom yet,” he told her. “My bed seems to fit, but the closet in there needs some help.”
    “Let me see,” she bossed. “Often, it’s not that expensive to buy some shelving and turn a closet into a large storage area.” Elizabeth followed him into the bedroom, and when she pulled open the closet door her eyes fell on one object… a wooden paddle!

Chapter Three
     
    Elizabeth saw the paddle and her green eyes turned to look at him accusingly. She was abruptly reminded that the man intended to spank her for slapping his face, but it hadn’t occurred to her that he might use a wooden paddle! She was positive that would hurt more than she could handle.
    Craig looked past the redhead and his eyes spotted the paddle. “That is from my college fraternity. My sister and I were arguing about putting it up. I told her ‘no’ but she was determined to have it her way. I caught her just before she was going to hammer a nail into the wall of the room I have set up as an office. I took the paddle and bent her over my arm and gave her a couple of whacks. She agreed with me that the paddle didn’t need to be hung on the wall.” Craig chuckled and noticed that Elizabeth was blushing. “Don’t worry, Lizzy. When it’s time for your spanking, I’ll give you fair warning, and I have no intention of using this paddle on you.” Her sigh of relief was audible and he chuckled again.
    Craig’s cell phone rang. “Johnson.” He listened for a moment, and then said, “What have you got?” He listened some more. “Okay, keep me informed.” He clicked his phone. “They found a partial on the stool in your kitchen. They’re going to run it and see who they come up with.”
    “Do you think it will work?” she asked him.
    “It’s hard to tell, Lizzy. I’m going to show you to your bedroom now, and I want you to lie down and rest.”
    “No! I don’t want to!” she argued.
    “It’s what your body needs right now and as a nurse you already know that.”
    “I do not take naps!” she forcefully stated. In the next second he picked her up in his strong arms and carried her down a hallway and into a bedroom that was as pretty as could be. “Put me down!” she hollered.
    “I will just as soon as I pull down these covers so I can tuck you in.”
    “You can put me in this bed; you can tuck me in; but you can’t make me stay in bed, however. I’ll just keep getting up!”
    “You sound like a bratty toddler trying to get out of her nap, and let me tell you, my cure for that is a warm bottom. If you get out of this bed before lunch is ready, I’ll put you back in bed with a stinging backside.”
    “I do not have to listen to anything you say!” she argued. Craig didn’t say anything else, but he put her in bed and pulled up the covers before leaving the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, Elizabeth jumped out of bed. The door opened in the next instant, and Craig put his hands on his hips and glared at