Elsie folded her hands in her lap and stared down at them. “There’s something I’m going to tell you, Wyatt, and I pray you do not think less of me. I trust you, and I want you to know everything that’s going on at the ranch. There’s a reason besides you being injured that I haven’t had you out here.”
“Go on.” Wyatt’s voice conveyed no emotion, though he felt plenty.
She avoided looking at him and reached down to pick up the branding iron next to her. “I told you about what Mark Xavier did to me and my pa.”
“Yes.”
She cleared her throat. After another moment of hesitation, she relayed to him her branding operation and showed him the infinity symbol that she was using over the Xaviers’ X. She confessed that she’d stolen more than 200 cattle using this method, which surprised Wyatt. He wouldn’t have guessed she’d stolen so many.
“That’s quite a confession,” Wyatt said when she’d stopped talking.
She gazed pleadingly into his eyes. “Tell me you don’t hate me; tell me you don’t think less of me.”
He shook his head. “I could never hate you or think less of you. But this is an illegal activity, not to mention a highly dangerous one.”
“I know, but I don’t care. Mark Xavier deserves it,” she said, her hatred of him evident in the way she spoke his name as a slur.
Wyatt scrubbed a hand around his face and gave her a hard stare. “If I asked you to stop rebranding, would you?”
She blinked and looked away. “Randall has asked me to stop. Trouble is he has no authority to stop me, and I have this urge… I can’t explain it. My hatred is so deep it’s almost as if I can’t stop myself unless someone stops it for me.”
He didn’t acknowledge her blustering reply. Instead, he remained focused on her, waiting for her to answer his question.
She wrung her hands and let out a nervous laugh. “I would probably stop if you made me.”
He tapped the heel of his boot on the ground. “I’m glad to hear that.”
Confusion filled every feature on her face. “I don’t know what to think. You don’t seem surprised at all, though it seems I’ve made you nervous.”
He smiled slightly and stopped tapping his foot. Elsie’s perceptive and kind nature never failed to amaze him. More importantly, those traits had saved her. If she hadn’t perceived his injury, she wouldn’t have had a reason to treat Wyatt so kindly. The kindness she’d shown him had immediately endeared her to him and caused his loyalty toward her to blossom and grow.
“I don’t look surprised because I’m not. And now that you’ve made your confession, I must confess something to you as well. I want you to go to my horse, open the left saddlebag, and bring me what’s inside it.”
With a perplexed, curious expression plastered on her face, she walked to his horse.
Wyatt drew a deep breath. After she saw the deputy’s badge, there would be no more secrets between them. It would change everything, and he could only hope it would change everything for the better.
Elsie fumbled with the leather straps until they were untied. She reached inside and pulled out his badge. When she realized what it was, she shrieked, dropped it on the ground, and took a step back as though she’d just touched a rattlesnake.
Her eyes snapped to Wyatt’s face, and they quickly filled with tears. She looked every bit as betrayed as Wyatt had worried she would feel. Dropping to her knees, she said, “Have mercy on me, Wyatt. Please, I beg of you, do not turn me in to the marshal.”
Wyatt forced his voice to sound hard. “I told you to bring me the badge, and that’s what I’m expecting you to do.” He needed her to prove to him that she would obey him, even when it was difficult. He would only be able to help her if she followed his instructions from this point forward.
She picked up the badge with her fingertips and carried it to him. She placed it into the palm he held out and peered into his eyes after taking a shuddering breath.
He tossed the badge next to him on ground. “Sit down.” He nodded at the stump.
She sank onto it and continued to stare at him, looking confused and betrayed.
“Now,” he said gently. “I’m not fixin’ to arrest you, darlin’. How could I? You’re the kindest, most admirable woman I know. You took away all my pain, inside and out, and for that I am forever in your debt.”
Her gaze softened, and grateful tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Wyatt,” she said, her voice catching at a sob.
“That being said, you must understand that the marshal is on to your trick. He hired me as a deputy to suss it out, and you’ve got to stop this tomfoolery now if you value your freedom and your life. You understand me?”
She swallowed and nodded. “All this time, you… you were here as a deputy?”
“I was here as a deputy for about two days, I reckon. After that, I was here as your loyal hand, trying to figure out how best to help you. Didn’t take long for you to win me over.”
She gave him a watery smile.
“The way I see you gettin’ out of this mess... You must come up with a new brand, one that in no way looks like an X.”
“Yes, Wyatt, I can do that. I already know what it will be. It’ll be a W after the man who showed me such mercy.”
He smiled. “You were the first to show mercy, Elsie. When you fixed my arm and then saw to my room and board with no expectation of labor in return while I healed, I knew I had to help you. You’re a good woman. You’ve done a bad thing, but you don’t deserve prison, ‘specially considering the motive.”
“What are you going to tell the marshal?”
Wyatt rested his elbows on his legs and leaned forward to explain. “I’m going to tell him that I observed your branding irons and the operation and that it was all on the up and up. I’m also going to tell him that I asked you to change your brand as a gesture of goodwill and you agreed to do it. That should show him you have nothing to hide.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. She blinked away some tears and stared into the distance. “It’s better this way. I’ve been feeling terrible guilt.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded as regret clouded her eyes. “My pa never would have approved of me doing this.”
“Mmm hmm, that brings me to my next point,” he said, straightening. “You feel guilty because you’ve done wrong. I intend to help you get through that, as I’ll be giving you a darn good thrashing.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re going to spank me?”
“Indeed I am. But first, we’re going to get rid of all the evidence of rebranding. Those cattle over there,” he said, nodding in their direction. They still got the X on them?”
She bit her lip and nodded. “Yes, Randall and the hands stole them yesterday. We were going to brand over the X’s tomorrow with the infinity symbol.”
Wyatt stood to his feet. “We’ll rebrand them now. Then there won’t be proof of anything.”
Together they worked to complete the task. By Wyatt participating, he showed Elsie that he was on her side and that he didn’t think less of her for what she’d done. He did, however, scold her thoroughly. As he seared the brand on the last cow, he said, “Your branding is next. I’m going to give you a branding that will make this look like nothing, young lady.”
Her sharp intake of breath told him she was worried about the upcoming punishment, as she should be.
They released the cattle onto the range. Then they kicked dust over the fire to complete the task. “It’s over,” she said softly. “Thanks to you, it’s over.”
“Almost, darlin’.” He held out his hand to her. When she hesitated to take it, he said, “You’ll feel better after being punished, Elsie. It’s going to help you realize you’re no longer in control. It’s going to help you feel like the vulnerable woman I know you are, one who needs a strong and loyal man—as you described it to me.”
Her plump lips formed into a pout, but he could see her eyes soften into submission. She placed her small hand in his, an
d he walked with her to the stump, where he sat down.
“This time your spanking is going to be quite a bit worse,” he warned, as he maneuvered her to his right side. “This time I’ll be using my stronger arm.”
Her voice turned plaintive. “But the punishment you gave for pulling a gun on Xavier hurt plenty.”
He helped her lower herself over his knees. Securing a hand around her waist, he ran his other hand over her trouser-clad bottom. “That was a very short chastisement. Don’t try to lessen what you have coming now. You’re going to be punished for breaking the law and putting yourself in harm’s way, and I’m not gonna go easy on you.” He landed a hard smack on her right cheek to emphasize that point.
She squealed. “Wyatt, that was hard, way harder than before.”
“Good. It was supposed to be.” He hooked a finger around the waist of her trousers and tugged them down to her knees. She wasn’t wearing drawers, so he had an immediate view of her bare bottom and shapely thighs. Her unmarked skin seemed especially pale in the bright light of the sun, and it was such a beautiful sight that he brought his hand down right away, twice, once on each cheek.
She wriggled over his lap. “Ow! Please not so hard!”
He chuckled. “Oh, honey, you’d better save your begging for when it really hurts. Settle down now. You’re not over my lap for a good time, but I do think you’ll feel better after this.”
He felt her body relax and noticed that her bottom cheeks unclenched. After giving each beautiful globe an affectionate rub, the spanking commenced. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy painting her bottom red. Every squirm and yelp spurred him into continuing without respite. He’d been waiting a long time to give her what she needed.
“You’re not going to feel guilty after today, Elsie. I’m going to make sure of that.”
“Yes, Wyatt,” she gasped. “Is that why you’re punishing me, to help me not feel guilty?”
“Partly, but I’m also punishing you for doing something so risky it could have landed you in prison for the rest of your life.” That thought made Wyatt spank her harder and faster. She was his woman, and he was going to make damn sure she never put herself in danger again.
She squealed and squirmed as his hand rained down without mercy. “I don’t think this is how lawmen usually handle criminals!”
He stopped spanking and rubbed her bottom, now a deep pink color that radiated heat. He chuckled. “I told you, I’m no lawman. I’m your cowboy, plain and simple.” He gave her bottom another crisp swat.
“My cowboy?” she repeated.
“Yeah, yours. Forever, if you’ll have me.”
She whimpered. “You can work here as long as you want, Wyatt.”
He ran his hand up her slender back and smiled to himself. “Thank you, sweetheart, but I’m hoping to do more than work here. I’m hoping to marry you.”
She gasped and turned to look at him over her shoulder. “You are? You want to marry me?”
“I do indeed. Didn’t I make my feelings clear to you yesterday?”
“Yes, I suppose you did… It’s just all happening so fast. Even though you told me on that first night that you were attracted to me, I found it hard to believe. For so long, you didn’t act on it.”
Wyatt moved his hand to between her legs, where he cupped her swollen wet sex. She gasped again and let out a moan. Gently, he twirled a finger around her nub. “Darlin’, if I were more attracted to you, I’d be walkin’ funny the rest of my life.”
“I’m attracted to you too, Wyatt.”
He tried to hold back his laughter at her obvious statement, but he failed miserably. She looked back at him questioningly. Still laughing, he said, “I’m well aware of that, Miss Elsie. You’re gushing the proof onto my hand. All this wetness is your body preparing itself for me.”
She blushed and looked back down. Though he’d intended to spank her longer, the way she became embarrassed made him want to comfort her, so he pulled her upright and set her on his lap. “So, do you want to marry me or not?”
Her lips spread into a smile. “Of course. I want nothing more.”
Wyatt didn’t think he’d ever felt as happy as he did in that moment. He pulled her close and kissed her tenderly, showing her all the affection he’d been holding back for weeks. She accepted the kiss shyly at first, and Wyatt marveled at how such an innocent young woman had overseen a ranch and major rebranding operation. He felt her body coming to life in his arms, trembling against him. Their tongues intermingled as Wyatt moved his hand to the first button at her collar. Unbuttoning one by one, he broke the kiss to whisper, “Darlin’, I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
He felt her shiver with arousal as he peeled the sleeves away from her arms. “We’re outside and it’s daylight,” she told him, without any protest in her tone.
He slid a hand over her breast and grazed her peaked nipple with his thumb. “Do you want me to stop?”
“No,” she whined, arching into his touch.
He smiled. “That’s my girl.” He pressed his lips to hers as he continued to undress her. Her trousers were already around her knees, so he removed her shoes and stockings and then slipped the rest of her clothes off with ease. Soon she was naked on his lap. Wyatt scraped his calloused hand down her waist to the side of her bottom cheek, which was warm to the touch from the spanking, then caressed her thigh and knee, enjoying the gasps and sighs she emitted at every tender touch.
Her legs were clenched together, so he only saw the tuft of hair above her pussy. “Open for me, sweetheart,” he said, and slid his hand between her legs.
She let out small squeak of embarrassment, but she didn’t resist when he spread her thighs with strong fingers and moved his hand to the apex of her legs, where he cupped her soft mound. “This pretty little pussy is all mine now. You’re not allowed to hide it.” He punctuated his possessive declaration with a light spank over her swollen lips, causing her to moan. Her pussy felt hot and wet. “Naughty girl,” he chided. “Your pussy is aching, isn’t it? So impatient and in need of attention.” He gave her nether lips a harder spank and then worked his middle finger inside her tight channel.
Elsie gasped. “Oh, God.”
“Mm, you feel like warm velvet, darlin’. He crooked his finger forward, exploring the hidden depths of her womanhood, and felt the thin barrier of her hymen at the tip of his finger. Gently, he inserted a second finger, working her pussy in short, slow strokes. His cock strained against his trousers, demanding to find its rightful home between her legs, but he knew he had to take it easy the first time. He loved exploring his sweet Elsie, so innocent and yet so full of lust for him. The walls of her vagina contracted around his fingers, gushing more liquid, and her head tilted upward with a look of sheer pleasure written across her face.
He kissed her neck softly, landing butterfly kisses in the grooves and then up to behind her ear. “This might hurt a little, sweetheart,” he said, pressing against her maidenhead with the tips of his fingers.
“I’m ready,” she moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck, causing his chest to be cushioned by her generous bosoms.
He held her tight against him with one arm and broke through her hymen in a few sharp thrusts. She stiffened for a moment from the pain, but as Wyatt caressed her sex soothingly, she relaxed. Her sighs became moans, and when he flicked her clit with his thumb, she came, her helplessly aroused sex clamping around his fingers again and again. He held onto her so she wouldn’t arch off his lap with writhing pleasure.
As soon as her orgasm finished, he stood with her in his arms and placed her on the lush grass, where she lay while he removed his shirt and dropped his trousers to the ground, freeing his fully erect manhood. Her mouth formed into a small O as she took in the sight of him without clothes, her lust and nervousness flashing in her gaze.
He settled a knee on either side of her hips and kissed along her neck down to her breasts, while her fingers entwined in his hair. He pecked
each nipple and then swirled his tongue around one of the hard nubs.
“Wyatt,” she whimpered. “I feel so much.”
He rubbed his cock along the slit of her womanhood and then entered slowly. To his surprise and delight she tilted her hips forward, inviting him in further. Inch by slow inch, he stretched her. “You feel so good,” he grunted. It was sheer ecstasy, feeling her taking him into her body, accepting his possession of her.
“You do too,” she gasped.
He pulled out slowly and then thrust forward again, the friction of their sex causing sparks of pleasure to ignite in him. He needed more. He increased the power and speed of his strokes, watching her face carefully for signs of pain, but he could see only love and lust in her gaze.
She gripped his muscled arms and held onto him as he pounded into her. Eventually the pleasure overwhelmed her. She stiffened and cried out, arching her back and moving her hands to the grass to clutch the green carpet as the waves of her second release washed through her. The sounds of her orgasm gave Wyatt a thrill, and he soon followed with his own release.
As they lay on the ground together after lovemaking, watching as billowing white clouds slowly passed above them, he thought with some amusement that he was likely the worst undercover deputy in the history of undercover deputies. It didn’t matter much to him, though. He knew he’d be a fine rancher and a good husband to Elsie, and he couldn’t think of anything more important than that.
Chapter Ten
The buggy ride from the Infinity Ranch to town was spent discussing the less-pleasant aspects of Elsie’s and Wyatt’s commitment to each other. Elsie was tasked with telling Mr. Latham that she’d found another man to marry after asking him to journey west to meet her.
“I hope he won’t be terribly heartbroken,” Elsie lamented.
Wyatt’s lips quirked up, but he didn’t speak.
Justice for Elsie Page 7
