by Sasha Gold
“I should apologize for disobeying you, Will, but I’m not sorry.”
Lifting his head, he turned his gaze towards her and waited for her to say more. He knew she was nervous about sharing a bed with him, but he was certain there was more to her apprehension. Surely, she knew he wouldn’t push her for something she wasn’t ready for.
“I heard cowboys visit a brothel here in Fort Worth.”
Her words surprised him. Hearing the word come from her lips sounded strange and wrong somehow, as if she was too innocent to know of such things.
“I reckon some of them do. I don’t ask them about their business.”
“No, of course. I don’t want to pry into anyone’s privacy, but still. I wondered…”
Her voice faltered, and her words trailed off. It dawned on him what she was too afraid to ask.
“You thought that I would join them?”
His tone sounded hard and he hadn’t meant to show his anger. She shrank from him, sitting back on her heels. He softened his voice.
“I’ve never been a man to pay a woman for that. And I’m not going to be with any woman except the aggravating woman here in the bathroom with me, pretending to wash my back. You understand me?”
His voice still sounded colder than he intended and when she didn’t respond, he looped a finger around her collar and tugged her nearer. He brushed his lips over hers and felt her sharp breath. “I asked you a question. Do you know that you’re the only woman I’ll ever want?”
“I do now,” she whispered.
“Then kiss me.”
“My hands are soapy.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” He cupped her jaw and scattered kisses across her cheek. “Impossible woman.”
“You’re naked,” she added.
“I am.”
She drew back. “Last night I woke, and you held me in your arms. I felt you, pressing against my back.”
He smiled. His little wife was heading into dangerous territory, talking about hard parts of his body.
“Were you dreaming?” she asked.
“Mm… I don’t know.”
“So, you might have been thinking of someone else?”
“No, Charlotte. I was thinking of you all night long.”
She leaned forward and rinsed the soap from her hands.
He knew her mind was probably spinning with all these new thoughts. He was wicked, but he wanted to add to her turmoil just a little. His lips quirked. “I’m always hard when I’m around you.”
She gave a short, choked reply.
“Even now?” she whispered.
“Even now.” He leaned back in the tub and put his hands behind his head. “I can prove it if you want.”
“Will, I have to confess something. The thought of the marriage bed terrifies me. I’ve heard that it hurts, and that a woman bleeds and that it never gets better. One of the ladies in the dress shop said it’s like getting poked by a broom, and that when her husband wanted to have relations with her, she would drink spirits to calm her nerves.”
“Charlotte, sweetheart, it’s not that way. The first time might hurt a little but it’s a man’s responsibility to take care of his wife. I don’t want to hurt you. Not ever.”
She didn’t reply. He decided to lighten the mood.
“Unless I’m giving you a spanking, which I intend to give you for disobedience.”
“It didn’t hurt,” she sassed back. “And next time I’ll put a book in my drawers.”
“Then I’ll be forced to give you a bare-bottomed spanking.”
She sputtered with laughter. “I don’t believe even you would do something so wicked.”
Leaning closer, she trailed her fingers down his shoulders. Instantly his body was ablaze with need. She sighed softly and brushed a shy kiss against his temple.
He took her hand and kissed the palm. Tugging it down, he rubbed her hand over his chest and lower to his stomach. His muscles tensed beneath her touch.
“You want to feel what you do to me, Charlotte. I’ll show you.”
She didn’t reply, but she didn’t yank her hand away either. He brought her hand to his cock and wrapped her fingers around him. She didn’t move, she simply held him. His breath hissed between his teeth.
“Do you like it when I touch you, Will?”
“Don’t you dare stop,” he ground out.
“Tell me what to do.”
He wrapped his hand around hers and showed her how to stroke him with long, slow and even strokes. Pleasure grew and burned until he could take no more and he came with a snarl. Charlotte scrambled back, jerking her hand away.
“I hurt you?” she yelped. “I’m so sorry, Will. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
He groaned and fell back, making the water slosh in the tub. “You were perfect.”
She said nothing and got up, hurrying from the bathroom. Will muttered a few curses and finished bathing. After he dried off, he dressed in a pair of pajama pants. He found her standing on the balcony. She’d changed into a nightgown.
Stepping behind her, he wrapped her in his arms. “Did that frighten you?”
“No. You startled me when you made that noise. But I’m not afraid.”
The moon rose high and cast the courtyard below in silvery light. The cool breeze lifted a lock of her hair and tickled his chest. She said she wasn’t afraid, but she trembled in his arms.
“You’re shaking.”
She turned in his arms. He tightened his hold and stroked her back.
“I never knew my mother, but the nuns told me she worked in a brothel.”
His hand froze on her back as he took in the words. When he resumed caressing her, she melted against him. Something inside him unraveled as she pressed closer, seeking more of him.
“They told me I came from sin. That I should join the convent and repent. That’s what I thought I’d do for a long time. But then a nun came to live at St. Mathews. She was young and kind and told me I shouldn’t pay for the sins of my mother. If I wanted to become a wife and mother then there was a man out there for me. I should simply tell my suitor about my past. But I never told you what I was. I didn’t tell you anything.”
Her voice shook. Part of him hated that the women who raised her had burdened her with a heavy load of guilt. But another part, the selfish part, was happy that her path had brought her to him.
“What your mother did before you were born isn’t your past, angel. Anyone who faults you for that is wrong and cruel.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
He kissed the top of her head. “It’s none of my business. It’s none of anyone’s business. If you had told me, I might not have even read it until now.”
Her shoulders softened and she drew a deep shuddering sigh. He felt her heartbeat slow and her breathing grow even.
She laughed softly. “And then it would be too late. You’d be stuck with me.”
“I am stuck with you. Impossible woman.”
She squeezed him. “I liked touching you.”
“And you think that makes you wicked, doesn’t it?”
“A little.”
“And you are wicked, but not because of that, but because you sass me and disobey me. And you thought I was going to spend time in another woman’s bed. Hell, I’m going to start a list of all the naughty things you do.” He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. “And I’m going to spank you plenty. Because I like it and I think you like it too.”
She scoffed. “Now I think you’re the wicked one.”
He turned down the lantern and the room was dark. “You’re going to find out just how wicked when your thirty days are up.”
Chapter Seven
Charlotte
Will sent Silas and Mary and the cowboys back to the ranch. He kept Charlotte in Fort Worth for several days. During the day, he took her to various shops. First, they went to a saddle shop where he ordered a lady’s saddle. Next, they went to a fabric shop,
so she could stock up on material for dresses for her and shirts for him. Finally, they went to a jeweler to buy her a wedding ring, a gold band with a single diamond.
At night, they’d go out for dinner or eat in the room. She slept beside him, wrapped in his arms at night. He made no suggestion regarding marital relations. Every so often she’d find him gazing at her with a dark and hungered look, but he treated her gently. Almost reverently.
Will bought a new horse and buggy for the ride home. They got an early start and were soon beyond the town’s busy streets. Will offered the reins to Charlotte and she eagerly took them.
“I’ve never done anything like this,” she marveled. “I quite like it, Mr. Travis.”
“You’re doing very well. Wait till your saddle is delivered and I’ll take you out on horseback.”
The time they’d spent in Fort Worth had been like a dream to her. As she guided the little bay mare along the country roads, she wondered how things would go once they returned to the ranch. Her feelings seemed to be in constant turmoil. She wanted to be near him and even yearned to know what it would be like to live as his wife, and yet, she relished this time where he doted on her, expecting very little in return.
The trip home took only a single day. Without the cattle they could take a shorter route. As they turned down the road that lead to the Travis Ranch, her heart stuttered against her ribs.
She glanced at Will and he knit his brow.
“What’s the matter, Charlotte?”
“We have eighteen more days.”
“I’m aware.” His voice was a seductive rumble that made her shiver.
“I should sleep in my own room.”
“I thought you liked sleeping next to me. You make these sweet sounds in the night. They almost sound like you want more than for me to just hold you.”
“I do?”
He nodded.
“I don’t feel that way,” she said primly. “Of course I don’t want you do more than simply hold me.”
He held her in his gaze and his expression was inscrutable. For a moment she wondered if she’d angered him but then his lips twitched.
“Who said anything about me wanting you in my bed?”
“P-pardon?” She dropped hold of the reins.
Calmly he bent over to pick it up and hand it back to her. “I didn’t invite you to sleep with me. We spent the night together in Fort Worth because I only had one hotel room.”
He drawled his words carelessly, toying with her. She’d forgotten what a beast he was. He’d charmed her in Fort Worth, but he was still a beast, after all.
“You’re not allowed in my bed. If I find you there, I’ll punish you.”
He chuckled, pleased with himself, and Charlotte found she had no response to such an outrageous comment. She pushed her shoulders back, lifted her chin and concentrated on driving the buggy. Without looking at Will, she knew he was enjoying her indignation.
“Another thing, I’ve decided you can wear your trousers. You’ll need them when we ride.”
She wondered if he was toying with her and turned to look at him, but he merely shrugged a shoulder. “I mean it. I want to take you out, spend time with you and I can’t take you riding if you’re in one of your pretty dresses.”
She nodded and said nothing. When they arrived at the ranch, Will was called away almost immediately. Two bulls had fought that morning and Silas asked him to take a look at one of the bulls who’d been injured. Charlotte was left alone in the quiet house.
She unpacked her valise and put her things away. The afternoon gave way to evening. Will didn’t return, and Charlotte dined without him. After dinner, she went to his study and wandered around, looking at the books in his bookshelves and the pictures on the walls.
A decanter of amber liquid sat on a small end table and she poured herself a small glass. The spirits smelled and tasted like kerosene, but she finished it anyway. Another hour passed. With a sigh, she went upstairs to her room and changed into her nightgown.
A short time later, the front door opened and closed, and his footsteps ascended the stairs. He came into her room and to her bedside.
“Good evening, Mr. Travis.”
Her tone was teasing. She wanted to give him a little taste of his own medicine.
“Have you been drinking, Mrs. Travis?”
“Just one small glass.”
“I see.”
In the darkness, she smiled. His tone sounded disappointed.
“Were you hoping I was intoxicated?”
“How can I be sure that you’re not?”
“I only had one glass.”
“I think you should sleep with me in case you feel unwell in the night.”
She sat bolt upright in bed. “I don’t believe that’s a good idea at all, Mr. Travis. You alluded to punishing me if you found me in your bed. This seems very much like a trick.”
“I think your punishment is long overdue. I didn’t want to spank you in the hotel because you might have screamed and alarmed the hotel staff.”
“I certainly would not have screamed. That’s-”
But her words were cut off. He snatched her off the bed, threw her over his shoulder and carried her out of the room. She stifled a scream but just barely. Instead she thrashed and flailed, twisting in his arms. A sharp sting on her bottom made her gasp.
Inside his room he set her down but didn’t release her. It was utterly dark. She was disoriented. In the next instant he’d tossed her over his lap. “Hands on the floor, sweet Charlotte.”
She gave a small, feminine growl and he laughed.
“You like it as much as I do, sweetheart. The last time I spanked this ass, you wriggled and squirmed, and not because I was hurting you.”
Before she could respond, he lifted her gown and pushed past her waist. She stilled, frozen with a new alarm. When he tugged her panties down, a small whimper fell from her lips.
He leaned over to whisper. “Sure wish I had the light on. I’d like to see you like this. Next time.”
He cupped her bottom with a warm hand, making a shudder roll down her body. Warmth and slick arousal heated her sex. If he knew he’d never let her forget it.
The spanking felt entirely different from the first time. His hand coming down on her bare skin was a hundred times more arousing and she could only lay helpless as waves of need washed over her. Like the last time, he gave her ten. Her skin stung. Her breasts ached, and her desire practically dripped down her thighs.
He pulled her panties up and lifted her. “You want the same filthy things I want, Charlotte.” His voice was rough with desire. “You can deny me for the entire thirty days, but I want you in my bed every night.”
As he rose from the chair, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. He tucked her under the covers and a few moments later got in bed and pulled her into his arms.
“This, Charlotte.” He tightened his hold and nuzzled her neck. Speaking softly, he went on brushing his mouth over the tender skin of her neck. “This is how we’ll always sleep. Together. I won’t be parted from you.”
Chapter Eight
Will
She thought he was domineering.
He’d carried her back to his bed, like some sort of brute, and in the days that followed she liked to drop words like domineering and overbearing and impossible. That evening she ventured out to the barn to share a few more words after he’d left a note at lunch instructing her to make herself a few nightgowns not inspired by Catholic nuns.
“I’m very comfortable in those gowns, I’ll have you know. I sleep like a baby in my flannel gowns.”
She followed him around the barn, fussing like a wet hen. He smiled and nodded but gave her no indication he would change his mind. He rolled his barrow down the aisle, stopping at each stall to deposit grain in the troughs.
“You have a husband to keep you warm, sweetheart. I don’t think you’ll be needing a gown at all in a few days.”
She paled
. “No gown at all?”
“None, Charlotte. And if you’re chilled in the night you just need to tap me on the shoulder.”
He moved from stall to stall, checking the mares as he went. The broodmares pinned their ears and kicked the walls as he drew near. They were ravenous and uncomfortable with heavy, fat bellies, and they seemed to think that the other mares would steal their grain. The instant he filled the trough, they quieted. At the end of the aisle, he paused, his scoop of grain poised over the trough. The mare stood on the far side of the stall, a sheen of sweat glistening across her flanks.
“What’s the matter?” Charlotte asked.
Will set the grain back in the barrow. “Mandy’s getting ready to foal.”
Charlotte came to his side and peered over the wall.
“I might not be home for dinner,” Will said quietly. “This is her first and I want to stay with her.”
“I’ll stay with you.”
He glanced at her and noted her dress. “It might be a while, sweetheart. You’re not exactly dressed for helping deliver a foal.”
“I don’t mind. If you’re staying to help her, I’d like to stay and help you.”
“It’s usually a pretty long and dull ordeal. Ninety-nine percent boredom and one percent panic. That’s what my daddy used to say about birthing foals.”
She gazed at the mare. Her features were taut, her attention riveted, and her shoulders hitched a bit higher than usual. “I don’t mind boredom. Besides, if I’m with you, I won’t be bored.”
He took her hand and drew her inside the stall. Mandy’s ears flicked back as she noted their presence, but she remained still, laboring with her first foal. He sat quietly in the corner with Charlotte beside him, seated in the straw. Every so often she smiled at him, her eyes brimming with girlish excitement.
The mare grew restless and pawed the ground. When she lay down in the straw, Will brought a rolled bandage and wrapped her tail. He spoke soothingly and stroked the mare’s flank. Slowly he moved to the side of the stall and lowered to the straw. He tugged Charlotte into his arms. Sitting against the wall, he coaxed her back against him and together they watched Mandy labor with her foal.
