Her sobs were still racking her body.
“Try to sleep,” he encouraged.
Anna cuddled into a pillow, trying to rub the pain from her bottom. At some point, she fell asleep, lost in the memory of his lips on hers. He was a handsome man, she had to admit it. The comfort of the warmth from the blanket, and pillow was enough to lull her to dreamland. Part of her was uncomfortable that she had been overpowered, and spanked. Part of her was excited she had a man who was so good looking, and strong enough to hold her accountable.
Chapter 5
Downstairs, servants were bustling about trying to get things in order for the unexpected wedding. Kenrick and Angus spent most of the day and into the early evening, drinking some whiskey with the earl, while trying to stay out of the countess’ way.
She was blissfully happy, even humming as she brought in some decorations from other parts of the castle. Just to irritate her son-in-law, Eara walked over, grabbed his freshly poured drink and downed it. When she slapped the glass down, she winked at the astonished men and kept about her business.
“Blasted woman!” he hissed.
“Powerful woman, and not one to piss off. Do I have the same fate to incur if I cross Rosalyn?” Kenrick chuckled, eliciting a stern glare from Aleck.
“Rosa is nothing like her mother, I have no qualms about putting my wife in her place when she gets too comfortable.”
Angus and Kenrick smiled, downing their own drinks.
“I suppose that took a few years to master,” Kenrick chortled.
His father-in-law lowered his glass, raised his eyebrows and poured himself another round. “I wouldn’t be so smug, son. Mine is trained, you’re just beginning.”
Kenrick snickered. “Aye, I suppose it is a wee bit early to be arrogant, but I’m sure after today she will at least think twice.”
“Well, when she was seven, she tried to take off to Eara’s. Rhett caught her, and thwarted her plans, but flight or fight seems to be in her genes.” Aleck winked.
“Why Eara? She must know her grandmother can’t protect her if she is in this kind of trouble,” Angus asked, making conversation.
“Eara only has one granddaughter. She’s favored Anna since she was born.” Aleck cautioned, “She’s obviously a fan of the marriage or she would have had made our lives far more difficult trying to get to her.”
“But she hates you. Why did she allow you to marry her daughter?” Kenrick couldn’t help but ask.
“Her husband, Lester, was a crazy son of a bitch. Even she wouldn’t defy him. I know she wasn’t shedding too many tears at his grave, and honestly I don’t blame her. I don’t believe in really hurting women, but that man was different.” Aleck sighed, refilling his glass again. “Eara’s a cold-hearted bitch, but it’s a love-hate relationship. She knows I would never hurt Rosa, more than a few cracks on the arse. She likes you, or she would have moved heaven and hell to prevent this marriage.”
“I guess I should feel lucky.”
“Well, aye, but Eara is a smart lady. Do not think she will not use you for her advantage.” Aleck was honest. “She is a good ally, and a hateful enemy.”
Kenrick downed his drink then stood. “Well, I think I’ll take that advice into consideration and retire.”
Angus stood dutifully. “We will be out in the barns, if needed,” he stated.
Kenrick nodded to his man, and started for the stairs.
“See you in the morning, son,” Aleck called. “If you dishonour my daughter and take off in the night, I’ll gut you myself.” His voice was stern. He downed his next dram and called a servant for more. It was oddly hard for him to know that a man was headed to his daughter’s chamber, and would likely be deflowering her. Weirdly, more than other men, he trusted The Falcon to be a man of his word. It was the most notable part of his reputation, whether good or bad, he never went back on his word.
When Kenrick walked into the chamber he had occupied a few hours before, Anna was dressed in a long white silk robe. Unbeknownst to him, the countess had gone up to have a talk with her granddaughter and deliver her a pre-wedding gift.
Anna cried when she saw the nightdress. It was breathtaking. “Gran, I don’t know what to say!” she half sobbed.
“Did your mother talk to you, love?” Eara asked, “I mean about what truly happens on a woman’s wedding night?”
“It isn’t my wedding night, Gran, and my mother isn’t here,” Anna choked, scared of what details her grandmother would disclose. She had seen horses mate, so she assumed it was similar.
“Well, you are spending the night in the bed of The Falcon, so I feel that I should warn you about what happens between a man and his wife.” Eara blushed for the first time that Anna could ever remember. “Well, men and women who are married sleep naked with one another. A man has parts different from a woman, and well, they…”
Anna was embarrassed. “Will it hurt?” she asked naively.
Eara was almost saddened by the loss of innocence she was about to inflict. “The first time, yes, it will probably.”
Anna stiffened, as her grandmother continued. “A good man won’t let that happen, sweetheart, and I know about good men – more about bad ones – but my instinct is, Kenrick is a good man.”
A tear came to Anna’s eye, knowing that her grandmother’s admission meant that she was at the end of her options for help in escaping.
“You should put this on, because he looked close to heading up when I walked by them.”
Eara’s words were like ice water in Anna’s veins. However, she kept a stiff upper lip, refusing to reveal her emotions.
Patting her leg, the older woman rose. “Just trust him to know what is best, I don’t think he’d deeply hurt you or I’d have put his head on a pike outside my gate.” She walked out quietly.
Anna toyed with the robe, and decided to put it on. She argued with herself that it was not to please him. She even had it in her head that she was donning it was because it smelled so nice. She sat at her vanity, thinking nervously, and brushing her hair. She knew that at any moment he might walk through the door, and it left her feeling a little breathless. Examining herself in the mirror, she admired the robe’s loose fit and bell-shaped sleeves. Then sadly, she glanced at her reflection and stated, “So this is the picture of a sacrificial lamb.”
From behind her, his voice startled her. “No, sweetheart!”
She spun, as his slowly approaching figure paced toward her.
“This is the picture of a beautiful woman who fears change. A woman who will give her life to a man who could love her, if she would only give him a chance.”
He wasn’t as drunk as she had hoped; actually, he seemed sober compared to the disasters that her brothers and father sometimes became. A darted glance to the door, out of habit, quickly redirected to his looming frame.
He didn’t comment on it, there was no point. If he gloated, then she would resent him more, and tonight was about making love, not war. War was the elephant in the room, should their morning wedding fail to ring out all over the Campbell and Mackenzie lands. Tonight, he wanted peace.
“I’d love for us to talk a bit, and get to know one another.” He grinned, watching her squirm as she contemplated the ways in which men and women got to know one another alone in a bedchamber.
“I had planned on taking you to bed tonight, to ensure your arrival at the altar in the morning; however, I could be persuaded otherwise.”
His offer was not made in ironic appeal, and Anna appreciated his less than forceful tactics of persuasion. “You have fought and won your prize, Falcon. Whatever it is you want with me, I’m apparently at your complete mercy.” Anna watched his face, which held very little emotion.
“Perfect!” he whispered, taking the brush from her hand and encouraging her to stand. “I want you to remove all barriers of your clothing and climb up into bed.”
The words, and the way they were spoken, left chills up her spine. In her head, her mind was
screaming to just get this over with, and hopefully it wouldn’t be as bad as she had imagined. Struggling, because she was shaking from nerves, she complied, as he sat on the side of the bed and watched her.
Had any man seen her naked before? she oddly wondered, as the last of the nightgown descended to the floor. Overwhelmingly, her initial thought was no. Yet, it may have happened once or twice as a child. A lingering lament for her childhood returned. How could she be getting married on the morrow, and to this brute who claimed he already owned her?
Kenrick stripped himself of his clothes, unashamed and uninhibited, then strode to the bed like he had a million times before. Looking down on her soft, terrified frame, he had to remind himself that she was just a maiden, and he would need to withhold his needs for those of her own. If he failed to, she might hate him for it, and he’d be saddled with a wife who didn’t care to give her trust away easily.
He slid into the cool bed, thankful the sheets were not yet warmed. Anna was holding the blanket tightly to her chest, almost making it impossible to see any hint of exposed flesh.
“Anna, I need you to trust me, love,” he said gently, as he slipped one arm beneath the blankets to feel the smooth flesh of her ribs. “I promise, tonight won’t be so bad, and I will give you a great deal of pleasure if you allow me.”
Anna couldn’t think straight, as this virtual stranger touched her intimately.
Cupping a breast, he slowly began to kiss her neck and collarbone. Lowering them both to rest their heads on pillows, he made the kiss deeper, reaching down to cup her mound after a few teasing moments of foreplay.
Kenrick was no fool, nor could he hide his massive erection that was beginning to throb from the close touch of her flesh.
Anna wasn’t fighting him, as he adjusted his reach, and slipped one thick finger between her legs to excite her. It felt like velvet gliding over her, and she almost cried as a surprised moan escaped her.
“That is the wonder I can give you, only more,” he cooed, slipping down another finger and inserting them into her nether lips. As he stroked, he suckled a pert nipple between his teeth. God, but if she wasn’t perfect, he thought and drove his fingers deep inside her tensed body.
Anna’s eyes flew open, and she wanted to cry out to protest.
“Hush!” he softly ordered. “This will help with the pain I cause when I put myself inside of you the first time.”
Anna felt her legs clamping together in a panic. She didn’t want to be hurt.
“Shh…” he reiterated calmingly, trying to ease some of the anxiety coursing through her. Slowly with more time, she did relax, and his fingers got more playful and hard with intent.
As her stifled scream of pleasure rang out, Kenrick milked every ounce he could from her. They were a mix of emotions, positions and blind need as he placed her beneath him and drove up inside.
For Anna, there wasn’t a moment of panic, because as his spike slid into place, he tore right through the virginal hymen and then stilled, slightly rocking them. “Oh!” her mewed cry gasped, as she struggled to adjust to the unaccustomed pain, and extra body between her legs. Her breathing was accelerated, and eyes wide with a mix of fear and shock.
“That was it, sweetheart, I swear!” he assured, as her tightness excited him beyond all reason. “It may need to be quick this first time, but I will make it up to you a thousand times over.”
As he pushed further and more rapidly inside her, she clung to his chest and ass with her arms and legs, and he made her his.
“Oh my God in Heaven!” he cried as his seed spilled forth.
Anna watched his face, his body language, and overall attitude hours later. If she wasn’t mistaken, he even grinned as he rolled over on one elbow and told her to sleep, but sleep was the furthest thing from her mind.
He snuggled her to him, making an unbearable heat for him and perfect temperature for her. Trying not to think too much about it, he tried to count sheep. He felt his once flaccid erection begin to harden again. Anna seemed oblivious, so he tried to think about things other then the naked angel beside him. He tried to think about business, land taxes, and the ride back to Inverarary Castle, until slumber blissfully kissed them on the cheek for good luck in the morning.
Chapter 6
The morning came quickly, as it always did when you are comfortable and trying to rest. Maids entered the room to wake them around eight, to give Anna time to dress. Eara walked in pleasant as a fresh fed baby, enjoying the nakedness of the couple.
“Eara!” Kenrick barked, in astonishment, trying to cover himself with the sheet. “This is unacceptable!”
Eara chuckled. “Why? Do you have something we all should know about before you marry my granddaughter?”
Kenrick gave her a fierce scowl. “None at all, madam, but I am unaccustomed to people in my bedchamber when I am not dressed!”
Eara caught a glimpse of what she had been looking for, the blood that tinged the sheets. “Ah, well, I am unaccustomed to strange men sleeping in my house with my granddaughter, so this morning is a first for us all.” Her tone changed. “Now then!” her commanding voice rang out, as she personally drew open the window curtains and turned back to them. “I want you, Kenrick, to go across the hall to bathe and dress, while I assist Anna.”
Anna was sure she was pink from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes.
“Today is a special day, the joining of clans, and those gathered will not take kindly to waiting,” Eara reminded them.
Kenrick wrapped a sheet around himself to cover his nakedness. “May I at least fasten my kilt in private?”
Eara shook her head, determined to be difficult. “Absolutely not!” Rendering him nearly speechless. “You may fasten it now, I shall turn my head. I will not look!” she lied, as he bent to pick up his clothes. Before he could secure his protective garment, Eara spun, and admired his ass. A low whistle escaped her mouth on purpose, as he jumped and scowled further. She wanted him uncomfortable, and by the way he jolted, she was sure she’d accomplished it.
Grunting and groaning, he walked to the door. Before he exited, he gave a cautionary warning to his runaway bride. “Be at the altar, on time, and in good spirits!”
Eara shooed him away, as if she didn’t care what he said. “Yes! Yes! She will be there!”
With one more departing scowl, he walked into the hall in search of the room he was supposed to prepare in. Women! he thought miserably.
At exactly 9:30 AM, both Kenrick and Annalise were at the altar, reciting their vows for one another. The hall was lavishly decorated, with festive colors and smells throughout. Anna might have other reasons for not liking the way the day turned out, but the place looked absolutely breathtaking.
Her father, Aleck, gave her away, with a gentle warning to behave. It was all their fears at the moment that Anna would try to bolt or cause a scene.
Only a handful of people were in attendance, since the larger clan gathering for them would be held in two days, on the evening of New Year’s Eve, at Inverarary Castle.
“I, Annalise, take you, Kenrick Colin Mackenzie to be my husband. I lawfully swear before those present and God, I shall love, honour, and obey you all the rest of my days.” Just hearing the words out loud, caused her grief, as the reverend made all the gesturing signs and speeches.
Walking from the small chapel, Anna looked up at her oversized bridegroom and wondered about the future their lives would take. She didn’t bother him with such nonsense, but she was curious.
True to their word, they remained for the night, and didn’t set out until the following morning, accompanied by the earl and his men. As a show of gratitude, Aleck even extended the invitation to Eara, who happily accepted.
“Mother may die of shock, when she realizes I have married.” Anna laughed, tucked inside the cloak of her new husband, on the way back to her childhood home. Her bottom was still sore from the spanking a few nights previous, but she was managing better than expected.
“Rosalyn will understand,” Kenrick reassured her. “I’m sure she was just happy for the party anyway.”
Anna leaned into him as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“I meant to mention, I have a gift for ye when we arrive.” Kenrick felt her body tense, and he knew that she would tease him endlessly to find out what it was.
“I feel bad,” she pouted; honestly upset that she had been so stubborn and not prepared something for him.
“It’s nothing,” he responded, knowing the curiosity was killing her. It didn’t truly matter if he told her, and he wanted to see her joy as well. He hoped that the more time they spent in each other’s company, the more love would blossom between them. “It is just some of the oils from Marisol that ye wanted. Maybe they can be New Year’s presents instead of Christmas?”
Anna was touched that he had remembered, but her face was saying she was upset in some way.
“Was I wrong to buy them? I thought ye wanted them?” A part of him felt badly; she had seemed so eager the day they first met to acquire them, but now was so unhappy that she would be.
“Oh, goodness no!” Anna murmured. “I did want them, very much, but now I realize how selfish I was not making something special for you!’
He relaxed a bit, kissing the top of her head. “That’s all right, sweetheart,” pausing briefly to her groan of worried displeasure, he told her, “I’ve received the greatest present of my life already – you!”
New Year’s Eve was a spectacular celebration at Inverarary Castle. Eara was overjoyed to spend time with her daughter and newest clan member Kenrick. Anna actually had the night of her life, dancing and celebrating until Kenrick noticed her yawning in the corner.
He carried her to bed at nearly one in the morning, grateful for the memories they’d made. 1632 went out as being one of the best nights of their lives, and 1633 entered filled with hope. Nuzzling his face into her neck, he pulled back the covers and tucked her in, naked.
A Spanking Good New Year: Short Story Collection Page 19
