Carter coughed to muffle a laugh. He took a stern tone. "Nalin, don't say those words again, at least not in English."
Her eyes became wide at his sternness. "Why not?"
"Because I said so. Isn't that reason enough for you, little girl?"
She considered that for a moment. "Not really."
He set the hammer down and ambled toward her. He took the little firecracker into his arms and smiled at her. "Do you need me to spank you then, honey?"
Nalin's eyes sparkled. "I would prefer if you kissed me, not spanked me."
"I'd be happy to do that too, darlin'," he replied, before he bent and captured her lips.
"Ohpitsa," she said softly when her mouth was free to speak.
Carter kissed her again, his lips just brushing hers before he moved his kiss to her neck. He said in her ear, "Do I want to know what that means, young lady?"
"I think so, probably. It means 'sweet man'."
"Oh? Say it again."
"Ohpitsa."
"Mm," he intoned. With a voice low and rumbling, he said, "I like that, sweet girl."
"I like you, ohpitsa," she replied.
Her words brought him great joy. He lifted his head and smiled broadly at her. "I like you too. In fact, I love you, Nalin."
Her eyes danced.
"I don't love your swearing, though. If you're going to be my wife, you'll have to mind me. I know you're not used to obeying since your daddy never cared enough to set you straight."
Nalin blinked. "Did you say wife? Are you proposing we get hitched?"
Carter kept her in his embrace. "Yes, I suppose I am. I'm sorry it wasn't a very good proposal, but I want nothing more than for you to marry me."
"You confused me," she said, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck. "I thought you were sweet on me, but I didn't understand why you were fixing this cabin if you wanted me to live with you in yours."
"Your ma will still live here, I'm assuming?"
Nalin nodded slowly. "It's kind of you to think of her, Carter. I wish my ma had found a man like you. She deserves it. I don't. I'm impertinent."
"You're also strong and smart and lovely. I'm not afraid of a little impertinence. So what do you say, sweet girl? Will you marry me?"
"You're the only man I've ever trusted, the only man who makes me feel loved. I want to obey you if you tell me not to do something, like swearing. So yes, ohpitsa, I will most definitely marry you."
And she had, making him feel like the luckiest man alive. She still craved his care and guidance, as flawed as it was sometimes. Six years later, holding the same sweet girl in his arms who trusted him so much, he knew he needed to apologize for a mistake.
"Nalin, I don't believe I should have forbidden you from going to that suffrage event. I should have realized how important it was to you, and I'm sorry I didn't."
Nalin lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Really? You mean it?"
Carter grunted. Like most men, he despised admitting a mistake, especially to his wife. "I should have escorted you, since I worried for your safety. I didn't even think of doing that."
"I didn't think of it either," she said. "You're so removed from this other life I have."
"Right. Maybe that needs to change. Like I said, we'll figure it out."
"Thank you, Carter," Nalin said. "You have no idea what that means to me."
He frowned at her. "I still forbid you from wearing those trousers to town."
She smiled and kissed him, making his frown disappear. "I won't wear them anymore, ohpitsa. Don't worry."
Chapter 3
Subjugation
"Corrupting our youth, Nalin?" Carter asked. He removed his hat and placed it on the rack. It was raining outside, and his slicker dripped water onto the hardware floor. He removed it and hung it next to his hat, then sat on the sofa and struggled out of his boots.
Nalin looked up from the book she'd been reading aloud. It contained a collection of essays relating to women's rights that she'd been studying for some time. Anna Brown, the neighboring farmer's daughter, listened with great attention to every word out of her mouth.
"I prefer to call it educating," Nalin responded. "Anna's free to think for herself and disagree. That's what liberation is all about."
Carter looked at the girl. She sat cross-legged on the floor and had not stopped gaping at Nalin with admiration. "You hear that, Anna? You're free to disagree with my wife, though I must warn you, I've found that to be hazardous to my health and safety."
"Hobble your lip, Carter," Nalin said, slamming the book shut. "The only thing hazardous to your health and safety is the mud and water you just tracked in. Any of us could slip on that you know."
Carter grinned. Their relationship had improved since he'd spanked her for doubting his love and apologized for forbidding her attendance at the convention. They were back to bantering without spite. She verbally outmatched him most of the time, which he found thoroughly enjoyable. It gave him a thrill and left him imagining how he would retaliate by dominating her in the bedroom.
Anna smiled at their ribbing. She and her two younger sisters had been staying with the Barnes for a few days while their parents attended to business out of town. Anna was old enough to mind her little sisters and cook their meals, but her parents felt better about the kids staying with the two adults like they had for years when business called them away. Cater could see that Anna was a great help to Nalin during this particular stay, not just with the domestic duties, but also because she lifted his wife's spirits. It gave Nalin a sense of fulfillment to take the girl under her wing and educate her.
Anna's younger siblings, Rachel and Louise, bounded out of the bedroom and headed straight for Carter's lap. A young child's trust and generous affection never failed to amaze and soften him. He gave each girl a kiss on the forehead and felt an emotional ache. He would love to be a father with his own young children skipping about the house and jumping in his lap when he got home from his work. Minding the Brown girls reminded him of this.
He looked over at Nalin to find her watching him with sadness in her eyes. Carter lifted Louise and Rachel off his lap one at a time. He set them on the ground and gave each of their braids a tug. Striding the two steps to his wife, he pulled her to her feet so he could fold her into his arms. He didn't know what else to do after seeing that look on her face.
Nalin softened into the hug but then shook away from his hold after a few moments and scowled up at him. "Stop distracting us from our reading. We were just getting to 'The Subjugation of Women' by Mr. John Mill before you so rudely interrupted. Weren't we, Anna?"
"Yes. She's right, Mr. Barnes," the girl confirmed, asserting her loyalty to his wife.
Still frowning, Nalin continued to boss him. "Anna made a pie. It's on the counter. Why don't you busy yourself with eating it and leave us to our book learning." She straightened her back and sat back down.
"Yes, ma'am!" He sauntered to the kitchen, then turned when he arrived at the counter. "Honey, what does 'subjugation' mean?"
Nalin let out an annoyed sigh. "It means to overpower and subdue. You should read occasionally. It's a common word," she informed him in a clipped, condescending tone.
Carter smirked. "I see. Thanks for explaining that to your ignorant husband, and in such a patient manner too." He walked back to her.
In less time than it would have taken for her to read the essay's opening sentence, Carter wrestled Nalin into a belly-down position on the couch. He clasped her wrists together behind her back in one of his hands and held a fistful of her hair in his other.
"Just so as I understand, does it mean something like this?" Carter asked her, his voice as sweet as honey.
The girls shrieked with laughter, while Nalin squirmed and protested furiously using her sharp tongue.
"Why you breachy, beef-headed scalawag! I'll give you a lacing that'll make you buzzard bait before you can sing 'skip to my Lou'. Let me loose this instan
t."
Carter chuckled. "Tsk, tsk, little firecracker. That's awfully gritty language for a lady in your current position. You might at least attempt to be biddable now."
"Go boil your shirt," Nalin snapped, then laughed for some time without being able to stop. She finally cleared her throat and said as sternly as she could, "Carter, let me up. I mean it."
"You must admit something first."
"What?" she demanded.
"Admit you like subjugation at the hands of your husband."
"You're not serious! I cannot believe your audacity. You're doing this in front of impressionable girls who might get the wrong idea."
"Wrong idea about what, darlin'?"
"The nature of our relationship."
Carter gripped her hair tighter and pulled her head up, just a little. "And of what nature would that be?"
"One of equality and respect, I should hope!" she spat at him.
Carter laughed. He looked over at the three girls who were grinning and watching the show with rapt attention. "Girls, I respect my wife very much, and her worth is of equal value to mine. Greater, I might argue."
He turned his focus back to the trapped woman. "Satisfied, Nalin?"
"Not really."
"I'm sorry to hear that. But don't you fret, missus, I'll satisfy you later."
She burst out laughing again. Still laughing, she tried to move again and said in between giggles, "Carter, seriously, let me go."
"You know how to make that happen. And don't fling any more of your snipsnap at me."
Nalin groaned and surrendered. "Fine. I like being subjugated by my husband."
"Good girl," Carter said. "Was that so hard?" He released her and gave her bottom a smack. She scrambled to her feet and glared into his twinkling eyes before dissolving into giggles again and accepting his kiss.
Chapter 4
Slap and a Promise
Nalin dropped the newspaper into her lap. She could hardly believe what she'd just read. Susan B. Anthony, the most prominent leader and proponent of women's suffrage, was coming to Texas. She would arrive in Dallas in three months to speak at one of the largest conventions to take place in the west. The journey from Porter to Dallas would take Nalin two days by buggy, although many people would travel much greater distances to attend.
She couldn't think of anything she wanted more than to go, save for having a baby. She must make Carter understand. In front of the mirror, Nalin practiced the speech she would deliver to him, listing point by point in a logical, articulate matter why he should permit her to embark on this journey.
Nalin prepared a hearty meal and set the table with silver and their fancy dishes. She baked honey bread, roasted red potatoes, and used the best cuts of steak for the main entrée. She tossed a salad with fresh tomatoes from her garden. For dessert, she baked his favorite: apple pie. She used ripe fruit from their tree out back. To add to the pleasure of the evening, she poured him a glass of whiskey and packed his pipe for him. She placed both next to his spot at the table. She poured a large shot of the bottled courage for herself and downed it in one gulp.
Next she slicked up. She donned her violet calico dress with crushed black velvet around the bodice and lace trim at the neck. She brushed her hair more than a hundred strokes, leaving it shining and smooth down her back and around her shoulders. She applied just a smidgen of rouge to each of her high cheekbones, which was scandalous, but Carter wouldn't notice anything but her radiating face. Right before he showed up, she bit into a strawberry and smeared the red juice around her full lips, making sure to keep within the borders of her mouth. Observing herself in the mirror, she smiled. She thought she looked quite comely, and she thought her husband would probably think so, too.
Carter walked in and stopped dead in his tracks when he looked up. He studied Nalin, then moved his eyes to the kitchen. During that time, she studied him too. She found her husband incredibly handsome, and her stomach fluttered whenever he walked into a room. He was almost as dark as she was because of the tan he acquired in the sun. His eyes usually twinkled, and when he smiled, he looked positively devilish with a boyish dimple that softened his sculpted face into a mischievous expression. He was a strong man due to the nature of his work, which was physically demanding, and his muscles rippled under his plain clothes.
Carter approached and took her into his arms. He gave her a long kiss. His tongue danced with hers, and she breathed in his scent, which smelled faintly of leather and apple. He drove her wild in that kiss. His palm pressed into the crushed velvet on her back, and his other hand grasped her right ass cheek, shoving her pelvis against his. She let out a small noise of pleasure. He released her lips and looked at her with his gorgeous smile. Both of his hands moved to palm her lower back, continuing to envelop her in his embrace. She almost panted.
He licked his lips. "You taste like strawberry whiskey. I didn't know there was such a thing." He chuckled. "So what is it that you want, missus?"
The kiss made her forget for a moment. Her immediate desire was to continue receiving her husband's advances in order to satisfy the churning he'd just initiated in her nether regions. She looked up at Carter sheepishly through her lashes. The way his eyes twinkled told her he knew just how his kiss had affected her.
Attempting to regain composure, she answered him. "Can't I just want to treat my handsome husband to a nice supper?"
He laughed. "Sure you can. I'm not going to complain about that."
"Good. Now why don't you sit down and let me fix you a plate?"
Carter moved to his seat at the table. He laughed again. "Since when have you ever packed my pipe? I didn't know you knew how the steamer worked."
"I've watched you do it every day for years. It was easy enough to mimic."
Nalin piled a generous helping of food on a plate and set it down in front of him. She tried to walk away, but he pulled her back, set her on his left thigh, and circled his arms around her.
"Tell me what this is all about, Mrs. Barnes."
"I'm not ready to yet," she said. "First you have to taste the food."
With one arm still encircled about her waist, he took a small bite and swallowed. "Delicious," he stated, and fixed his eyes on her. "Now speak."
"But Carter," she protested, avoiding his eyes. "You didn't eat very much. Plus, there's apple pie."
"Out with it," he insisted. "I'm sure as a gun not waiting until dessert."
Nalin sighed and tried to get up, but his arms remained fixed around her.
"Carter, if you wish to know now, you must let me up. I have to be standing to give you my speech. That's how I practiced it."
He laughed and released her. She stood a short distance away while he held an arm over his ribs, bent over, and continued laughing.
Nalin observed him, feeling a little hurt. "I'm glad I amuse you so, husband."
Carter caught his breath, stood, and took her in his arms once again. "I'm sorry, honey. I don't mean to laugh at you." He punctuated his next sentence with soft kisses around her face. "You are the most adorable, beautiful, enchanting, and infuriating woman. I couldn't love you more than I do, you know."
"Thank you. I love you too, and you look very dashing this evening. You actually shaved properly for a change today, didn't you?"
Carter raised an eyebrow. "If you wish to flatter me, you might try doing so without adding the cheek."
Nalin grinned and rephrased. "You look dashing this evening. I see you shaved properly like you do every day without fail."
Carter snickered and waved her away from him. "Okay, okay. Get on with it then."
She walked around the table and stood behind her stool, folding her hands in front of her. She fidgeted and looked down at them. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She took a deep breath and looked at her hands again.
Carter took pity on her. "Honey, unless you ask me to kill someone, sell the ranch, or start going to church, the answer is yes."
&n
bsp; Nalin's head popped up and her jaw dropped. "Don't tease me, Carter."
"I'm not. I can see how much this means to you, whatever it is, so why don't you forget about the speech and tell me straight out what you want."
Her words tumbled out quickly. "I want to go to the women's suffrage convention in Dallas. It's in three months." She held her breath.
Carter smiled broadly. "Well, how about that? I'm grateful for the opportunity to make up for the convention in Porter I caused you to miss. You may go, of course."
"Oh, Carter!" She flew to him. She stood on her toes and put her arms around his neck. He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Thank you so much. I'm ever so happy."
"You make it hard for a man to say no. One thing, though, and I hope this doesn't disappoint. I'm going with you."
Nalin smiled. "It'll be just like our honeymoon when we took a trip together."
"I like the sound of that."
"Let's eat now. We can discuss the details over supper," Nalin said, sliding off him and returning to her stool.
Carter chuckled as he sat. "I was about to tell you something, but I changed my mind about what I had to say."
"What? Tell me anyway."
Carter ran a hand over the stubble on his face that had grown in since morning. "I was going to say that next time you want something from me, you don't need to go to all this trouble. But the truth is, I want you to. I'm going to enjoy this meal. And criminy, honey, it gives me a jolt seeing you titivating in that piece of calico, wearing a little slap on your face. After supper, you're getting a good roll in the hay, I promise you that."
Nalin cocked her head with surprise. "You can tell I painted on rouge?"
Carter looked at her with a similar expression. "Of course. Your cheeks are the color of..." He stopped before he finished his sentence.
She finished for him, a tease in her voice. "The color of something very red, ohpitsa?"
He winked at her. "That's right. Something very red."
Chapter 5
Sins of the Father
The Submissive Suffragette (Lone Star Love Book 1) Page 3
