How Miss West Was Won

by Lexie Clark

  “I thought you were a writer,” Eli said with a laugh. “Writers can describe anything, can’t they?”

  “I am Mr. Tuttle’s assistant. William was the writer. I do poetry, nothing more.”

  Eli shook his head, and the smile on his face made her feel warm. “Are you not going to write a story about your time here?”

  “Yes, but…”

  “But what?”

  Cordelia looked at the window. It was dark outside, so there was not much to see. It made her feel as if she were looking into an abyss, a darkness from which there was no return. “Mr. Tuttle has hired me to write my tale, yes, but I still have a few months to complete that assignment.”

  Eli shrugged. “If Constance gets here soon, you won’t have to wait too much longer to do your writing. Your past with William is not something you need to put in your article, but it is something I need to know about. So take a deep breath, and tell me about your relationship with him.”

  “I loved him,” she blurted out. “That is why I allowed myself to be intimate with him.”

  A silence built between them until Cordelia spoke again. “We had known each other for years before we… before I touched him.”

  Eli’s expression was now serious. “We don’t have that luxury. I am not sure exactly what sort of contract my father made with Constance’s father, but it is important that she completely buys the story of our marriage. We need to know each other. Here is my story. My parents died a few years ago, in an accident. My brother Joshua died with them. Two of my brothers never made it past the age of fourteen.”

  “I am so sorry,” she said, softly.

  For a moment, she thought he might show some emotion about it. Instead, he turned his face to the window for a moment before he continued to speak. “We need to be close. We need to be able to kiss, and hug and not blush when someone brings up whether or not we are going to have a baby soon.”

  He looked at her now, and he started to laugh. “You’re blushing.”

  Cordelia put her hand up to her cheek. It felt warm to the touch. He was right, she was blushing and if she did that in front of people, they would wonder why.

  This time she was the one who laughed. “I do not think I ever thought of it that way. I thought you were just trying to…”

  “Get your clothes off?” he finished for her.

  “Yes.” She fixed a hard look on him. “I thought you wanted to take my virginity before I went back to New York. I thought that was why you were pushing me for information.”

  He did not deny what she said. Instead, he put his hands on the table that sat between them. “I told you my story the other evening. Tonight, I gave you an insight into my family. Now it is your turn to give me some information. Tell me about your family, and about your relationship with William.”

  “I have no family,” she said, working to keep her voice steady. “William was the only man who ever meant anything to me. When he died, my world crumbled. The only thing that kept me going was my work.”

  “I’m sorry.” She could tell by the tone of his voice that he meant it. “What happened to your parents?”

  Cordelia looked away. “Who knows? I am one of the poor unfortunates who had no home. I met William in the orphanage.”

  A frown crossed his features. “You’d known him that long, and you had not married when he died?”

  It was a sore spot with Cordelia, too, and she did not really want to discuss it. “We were trying to build up funds so we could have a good start in life. I had no desire to come out west, and he knew he could make his fortune here, or so he thought.”

  Once again, she looked out into the darkness. It seemed so fitting, because it represented the times she had spent alone when William was not in New York. She would sit in her room, with her book and her poetry, wondering when he would return.

  Sometimes, she felt as if she would never see him again. That was why on those times when he returned, she allowed herself to do things that she had never thought she would do until she had a ring on her finger.

  She had not meant to say these things out loud, but she did. Eli stayed silent as she spoke, as she talked about the fear she had felt from time to time, of being alone and not knowing what the future held.

  “The first time we were—intimate—I second guessed my decision for days afterward. I still had my maidenhead, true, but I had allowed myself to touch him, to feel his length in my hands.”

  Cordelia closed her eyes as the memories flooded back. It had been enjoyable, true, but she had always wondered why she had done it, especially afterward, when William had told her they would marry the next time he was in town.

  “Finally, there had been no next time.” She hoped her voice did not sound as bitter as she felt. At least if she and William had married, she would be a widow now, instead of being a spinster, as many people thought of her.

  “So you loved him?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “He meant the world to me. I had never trusted myself with anyone else. I thought he would be with me for the rest of my life.” Tears threatened to leak from her eyes, something that had not happened for a while.

  “I don’t want to make you relive painful experiences,” Eli said. “I think I went about this so wrong. I should have… I don’t know what I should have done, but sometimes I think I made the wrong decision bringing you out here. I should have come up with a way out of the situation without involving you.”

  Cordelia laughed. “It is a little late for that.”

  “Yes, it is.” He smiled at her, and Cordelia felt her nerves tighten. Not just her nerves, but her nipples, too. That was not good. She needed to keep those reactions under control.

  “Do you have birthmarks?”

  His question came from out of the blue, and she was not sure if she should tell him the truth. To buy time, she asked him the same question.

  Instead of answering, he stood and started to unbutton his shirt.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Showing you my birthmark,” he said. “If someone questions our marriage, for instance someone who knows that we don’t share the same bed, you can tell them that I have a purple birthmark right under my right nipple.”

  He opened the shirt to display the mark, which was almost as large as her hand. But Cordelia could not keep her eyes on the purple tint of his skin. Instead, her gaze moved to the nipple above it. The hard button had no hair around it. Eli’s skin was smooth, something she was not used to, since William’s chest had been very hairy.

  She wanted to reach out and touch him, see if it was as soft as it looked. How would the hard nub feel under her fingers? William had not been too happy to be touched on his chest. He had been more interested in other parts of his body.

  Cordelia glanced at Eli’s hands. She knew they were not as smooth as William’s had been, but they were not as rough as she had thought they would be.

  “Cordelia?”

  The simple utterance of her name brought her attention back to Eli’s face. His look told her he knew exactly what she had been thinking.

  “Yes, Eli?” She prayed her voice was even.

  “I showed you mine now you can show me yours, or at least tell me about it.”

  That broke the spell that had kept her staring at him. “I do not think so.”

  Eli buttoned his shirt, at least the lower buttons. He left the upper ones undone, so that she could still see an expanse of his chest.

  “I think so,” he said with a laugh. “Yes, I know my husband has a birthmark, and where it is, but he doesn’t know the same about me.”

  There had to be a way she could change the course of this conversation. “I have a birthmark, but it is very small, and it is dark.”

  “How small?” He was sitting in his chair now, his legs stretched out in front of him.

  “The size of my thumbnail,” she responded.

  “Where is it?”

  Cordelia knew that question had been coming. She wished she
had thought of a snappy answer. Instead, she just said, “Somewhere where it is not seen by anyone.”

  He did not say anything, so she spoke again, simply to fill the silence between them. “If you take your shirt off when you work, the men who are at your side will have seen your birthmark. No one will see mine, so there is no need for you to know about it.”

  “I will see it when we are making love,” he said.

  Cordelia’s hands started to shake. “Excuse me?”

  “When we are in bed together, naked and in each other’s arms,” Eli said. “I will see your birthmark.”

  Cordelia laughed. “Something tells me my birthmark would not be a topic of conversation with you and your men. At least I hope it is not.”

  Damn him for laughing, because it made her laugh, too.

  “No, it wouldn’t be,” he said. “But now, it’s just something I want to know.” He had a smile on his face, a grin that made her toes curl. “Tell me where it is.”

  “No.” She walked to the window. Somehow, the darkness did not seem as frightening as it had earlier.

  “Cordelia,” he said, drawing her name out. “Tell me where it is.”

  She turned to him and cocked her head, letting a smile of her own spread across her face. “I said no.”

  “Hmm, I guess I’ll just have to find out for myself.” He stood so fast she was taken aback. Before she could say a word, he gathered her in his arms and held her close. “Tell me were it is,” he whispered in her ear.

  “No.” She struggled to get out of his arms, but not very hard. It felt wonderful to be held in his strong arms, to feel his chest pressed against her. The sensations running through her body were messing with her mind. Tonight was only supposed to be a discussion. She was not supposed to be in his embrace right now.

  “Let me go,” she whispered.

  “Tell me where it is,” he countered.

  “Never.”

  “Then I guess you will stay right where you are.”

  He ran his hand up her right side, which made Cordelia shiver. “Is it in this area?”

  Cordelia pushed against his arms. “Stop that. This is not part of our agreement.”

  “No?” He changed hands so quickly she wondered at his speed. “How about this side?” Once again his touch was gentle as he stroked his hand up her left side.

  “Eli, stop that.”

  He let her go very quickly, so fast that she almost lost her footing. Before she could fall, he wrapped his arms around her again. “It’s such a simple question, Cordelia. And, if you don’t answer me, I’m afraid I’m going to have to…” he paused, and she knew what was coming next, “I’m going to have to spank you. Remember when you said if you didn’t answer questions that I should do that?”

  His hand moved to her back, and Cordelia jumped just a little, which pressed her into his body. His hard body made her gasp. This time when she pushed against his body, she did so with more effort.

  But he held her close, and his hand moved down to her bottom. Before Cordelia could voice her objection, he lifted his hand and smacked it down on her bottom. The skirts she wore absorbed much of the strike.

  “Eli!” Cordelia wiggled in his embrace, but he didn’t let her go. Instead, he smacked her bottom again.

  “Tell me,” he demanded.

  “No.” Once again she tried to get away from him. This time she was surprised when she stumbled backward. She didn’t fall. Instead, Eli swept her up in his arms and headed toward the stairs.

  “Where are you going?” Cordelia asked, even though it was obvious. “Eli, please, do not do this.”

  He ignored her and continued to head for the stairs. He took them quickly, and she didn’t fight him too hard, because she was afraid she would cause them to tumble down the stairs.

  When they were at the top he turned toward his door. Cordelia started to struggle once more, pushing against his chest with her hands. It did her no good, and seconds later they were in his room.

  Cordelia’s heart beat faster and faster as he crossed the room, moving toward his bed. She was not sure exactly what he was doing, but she had a vague sense of what was about to happen. “Eli, let us discuss this before you take a step we both will regret.”

  He put her down, setting her feet on the floor gently. Before she could move away, he wrapped his arm around her waist. “I don’t think either of us will regret what is about to happen,” he said, his voice low and seductive. “If I remember correctly, you said that if you refused to answer questions tonight, then I should spank you. I am just following your advice, Cordelia.”

  Realization dawned on her like the morning greets the sun. She felt as if the room had exploded in light.

  Eli nuzzled her neck, which didn’t help the situation since it made her tingle all over.

  “I am not going to show you my birthmark,” she said as his lips continued to caress her neck.

  “Where is it?”

  Oh, heavens above, the man was persistent. How could he keep asking her that?

  “It is on my body.” She pushed against the arms that held her. His lips were on her shoulder now, kissing it through the material of her dress. “I hate to be the one to tell you this, Eli, but if you are intent on spanking me, you are doing it wrong.”

  His arms tightened and his chest heaved as he exploded into laughter. “Am I? Tell me, Cordelia, how should I be spanking you, then?” Eli moved one of his hands down to the small of her back. He caressed her gently. “Explain it to me.”

  “Well,” she cleared her throat to gain a little time. “I do believe a spanking is when one person applies brute force against another by slapping their hand down on the other party’s bottom.”

  His caress grew bolder. “I believe,” she continued, “it is done as a form of punishment. Perhaps if you allow me to go downstairs to the library, I can look the word up in Mr. Webster’s book of definitions. I noticed there was a copy in there the other day.”

  “Mother liked to read,” he said. But he did not break his hold on her. “However, I don’t need the book to tell me what a spanking is. Your definition was correct, and I do believe it is time I applied my hand to your bottom, to punish you for not answering my question.”

  “I wonder if the word is in there,” Cordelia said, ignoring his last statement. Being this close to him was making her feel giddy, something that had not happened since the last time she was with William. She was not sure she liked the sensation. “It is a large book, true, but I do not believe it has every word in the English language in there. Shall we go and see?”

  Eli placed his lips right against her ear. His hot breath made her gasp. “Tell me where it is, or come across my knee for a spanking. It is that simple.”

  “Very well,” she said. “I can not come across your knee when you are not sitting, Eli, therefore your second suggestion is not attainable.”

  He released her and sat down on the side of the bed. “There, problem solved. Now, answer the question.”

  Cordelia thought about it for a moment. She should just tell him. It was a simple matter, really, since her birthmark was on her left hip, a small, diamond shaped mark that was no bigger than her thumbnail, nothing as large as the one Eli had shown her.

  He had not asked her to show it to him. Instead, he’d said, ‘Tell me where it is.’ She could end this right now by saying where it was. Then she would go to her room and sleep. Hopefully she would sleep, although her body was in such a state of arousal right now that she was certain sleep would elude her.

  After a few more moments, in which neither of them spoke, Cordelia went to his side. She narrowed her eyes at him, determined not to show him what she felt at the moment.

  When she started to lower herself over his lap, he stopped her by gently touching her arm. “Lift your skirts.”

  “Out of the question,” she said.

  There was that seductive grin of his again, making the private place between her legs tingle with need. “I told you
that when I spanked you it would be with your under clothing still on, but your skirts will be lifted. Too much padding, otherwise, and you will not feel the spanking.”

  She thought about resisting his notion, about forgetting the whole thing and storming into her room. He would follow her, she was certain. But surely she could find a way to block the door.

  Do not show him what you are feeling, she said to herself. With that in mind, she lifted her skirts and lowered herself over his lap. His legs were hard and muscular under her, and only served to increase the desire that was now flowing through her veins like a river.

  When Eli rubbed his hand across her bottom, she gasped. “One last chance,” he said. “Where is it?”

  “Oh do get on with it!” she exploded. “You are worse than a romantic novelist who draws out the scene in an effort to build the tension. Spank me already!”

  His hand came down on her bottom and Cordelia gasped out as the sharp pain spread through her. She had barely been able to adjust to it when another slap landed, and then another.

  “That is enough.” She tried to stand, but Eli kept her in place by tightening his grip on her with his free arm.

  “Not nearly enough, wife.” Another swat, and another.

  Cordelia gasped, and then wiggled again in an effort to free herself. Eli smacked her bottom one more time. She kicked her leg up, praying she would connect with his arm. Instead, the action did nothing more than make him laugh.

  He continued to spank her, the throbbing in her bottom building as his hand came down repeatedly.

  “How dare you!” Cordelia cried out as she tried once more, again unsuccessfully, to get away from him. If she fell to the floor and had to crawl away from him then so be it.

  “Easy, Cordelia,” he answered as he continued to slap her cheeks. “You were the one who came across my lap, of your own free will I might add.”

  He gave her three more hard slaps. Her bottom felt as if it were on fire. “Are you going to tell me?”

  “No!” She balled her hand into a fist and beat it against his calf.