Punished by Passion by Cara Nottingham

Madison was in trouble.
She knew it, the entire town knew, and she had exactly one hour before U.S.
Marshal Nate Marcus knew it. That was the one person she had hoped to hide it
from, but now that the whole town knew what she had done, there was no hope.
    It wouldn’t matter that
she was only trying to keep her twin brother from getting himself killed. That
always seemed to be the justification for whatever scheme she fell into. Nate
had told her time and again to come to him the next. But Foster was her problem,
her responsibility. She didn’t know how to let anyone in to help when it had
been so long since she’d taken full responsibility for him.
    He started out with
small enough pranks, ones that she could always sweet talk people into
forgiving him for. Once she had set right whatever wrongdoing he had done. Now
here they were, almost 24 years old, Foster amassing a huge fortune in gambling
debt and Madison practically a spinster. She’d had proposals, but Lord knew
once she’d first laid eyes on the sexy marshal, she could never settle for a
good natured dependable rancher. Nate was danger personified, with an ice cold
demeanor that kept in level headed in the stickiest of situations. Hardened
criminals were known to flinch under his crystal stare.
    She should have just
left town, yes, that probably would have been the easiest course. But she knew,
deep down, that she could never run away from Nate. Even if she wanted to, his
tracking skills were known throughout the territory. It was said that he always
got his man. In her case, he’d catch her and she have hell to pay once he did.
    No, it was better to
face her fears and take whatever Nate dished out. Not that he’d ever really
hurt her, though Lord knew she’d pushed him to the brink enough times. But he
had a way of making her squirm while he calmly explained each and every detail
of her punishment. He was always in control. She was the one with the raging
emotions.
    “Here comes the
marshal,” her brother Foster announced from the doorway of the saloon. “He
looks mad enough to peel paint off the walls.”
    “You needn’t enjoy this
so much,” Madison responded. “This is as much your fault as mine. He’s probably
going to arrest you before he even begins to look in my direction.” Her stomach
was instantly filled with butterflies at the anticipation of being under Nate’s
scrutiny. Maybe that was why she always fell for Foster’s schemes. She figured
Nate’s cold fury was better than what she received from him any other time.
Indifference. That was one thing Madison could not withstand from the marshal.
    Foster laughed. “Oh
Maddie, you’re damn fool is you believe that. Nate Marcus has been in love with
you since the day we came to town. Why else would he spend every spare moment
trying to keep you out of trouble?”
    “Well, it is his job,”
Madison said. Her eyes grew large as the marshal burst through the swinging
saloon doors, causing both to crack loudly against the walls. His eyes sought
and found her in the dim light of the saloon. His jaw clenched and unclenched,
giving her a true indication of his rage. His typical nonchalant demeanor had
all but disappeared.
    “Foster, get outta
here.” He never took his eyes off Madison, fully expecting Foster to obey. When
Foster took a step toward him, Nate’s fist clenched tightly and he put his other
hand on the butt of his gun. “For the love of God Foster, run away from here
before I put a bullet in your fool head. And I will kill you if you ever drag
your sister into another hare-brained scheme again.”
    “See Foster, I told you
this was your fault,” Madison inched away from Nate, trying to position herself
so a table, or maybe two, stood between them.
    “Madison, I suggest you
shut your pretty little mouth and head up to your room. Now!” Nate roared the
last word and both Madison and Foster whirled and ran in unison, hightailing it
away from the one man who had any power to