Leaning forward, elbows resting on knees, he surveyed the dirt and pebbles between his booted feet. He didn’t want to lose Megan. Damn. The woman was his wife. They had taken vows. Well, there wasn’t any use going down that road. It only made his blood run hot and then anger joined in, leaving him less clear, less patient. He needed to speak to his wife with a calm, cool temper. If she still wanted to leave with Brian afterwards, he would have to let her go. But, Damn. Damn. Damn.
The sound of pounding hooves brought Mike off the rock and into the center of the road. He stood in the path of the rolling stage and waited.
“Whoa,” the driver yelled, and pulled on the reins of his team. “Whoa.” The coach pulled to a squeaking, shuddering stop. The two men sitting atop glared down at him. The guard held his rifle loosely in his hand, but his relaxed position did not fool Mike. The man was ready to aim and shoot if needed.
“Dan.” Mike called up to the driver. “It’s Mike Manning. I’m sorry to bother you, but my wife is in your coach.” He paused and pushed a rock away with his foot. “I’d be much obliged if you could wait while I have a word with her.”
“Oh, hell, Mike.” Dan let the reins hang loose in his big hands. “You know I got a schedule to keep.” He looked heavenward as if expecting an answer to his dilemma. “All right. I’ll pull the team forward into the shade. You talk to your wife.”
Mike opened the door to the coach. “Hello, Megan, Brian.” He gave the pair a nod. “Megan, I’d like to talk with you.” He extended his big hand.
“Michael, I left you a letter.” Her voice shook.
He patted his shirt pocket. “I have it right here.” He grimaced. “A letter is a mighty cold way to end a marriage. Some might say cowardly.”
Brian let his shoulders rise and fall. “I think he’s right, sister. I told you as much before we left his ranch.” He gave her a little push. “Go speak with the man.”
Mike lifted her from the stage and placed her on her feet. “Come sit with me.” He led her to the rock, sat down, and pulled her onto his lap. He encircled her with his arms and kissed her neck and shoulder. “Now, tell me why you’re leaving me. Tell me why you don’t want to be my wife.”
Megan gave a defiant huff. “Now, that’s not it at all.” Her chin tilted toward the sky.
“Megan, put that chin right back down.” His voice brooked no nonsense. “I have a letter in my pocket telling me where to send divorce papers. Divorce, Megan.” He swallowed his frustration.
“Mike, I think you deserve to choose your wife. You never sent for me. Lupe did. You were stuck with me. Trapped. I was alone and frightened, and you took pity and married me.” She sniffed.
“What nonsense. Do I look like the kind of man who can’t make his own decisions, darlin’? Do I seem like the kind of man who doesn’t know his own mind? When I saw you sitting between the preacher and the sheriff, I wanted you. I chose you then. I choose you now. I was not trapped. Do you understand me? I chose you.” He pulled her close. “If I hadn’t wanted to marry you, I wouldn’t have. Ethan and I would have found a safe place for you to stay. Put that nonsense out of your mind. I married you because I wanted to. You are my wife. You are the wife I want.”
“But the blarney…” Tears pooled and threatened.
“I know. That was a rough one. I was upset and unhappy that you hadn’t confided in me. I think it hurt my pride. I can’t keep you safe and happy if you withhold your thoughts and feelings from me, but it’s behind us.” He gave her a fierce hug. “No more secrets. Right?”
“Oh, Michael, I do love you. I just thought you…”
“You are to stop thinking for me. If you want to know what I think, ask.” He held her close before standing and placing her on the rock. He dropped to one knee and took Megan’s hand.
“Megan, will you do me the very great honor of being my wife? I ask you with a free heart. Will you be mine?” His thumb brushed across the Claddagh ring on her left hand.
“Yes, Michael, I will. I will be your wife.” She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his warm, welcoming chest.
“Before we send your brother on his way, I want to be clear.” He settled her comfortably on his lap once more. “When we get home, I plan to spank that pretty bottom until it glows. I should have done it when you asked me to, but I was confused myself. But, hell, you lied. You put yourself in danger. Your uncle and that scoundrel could have hurt you or kidnapped you.” He paused. “Worst of all, you acted in a way that harms our marriage. I will not stand for it. I will not. Any disagreements or misunderstandings we have will be discussed, resolved, handled within our home.” He turned her until he could see into the pool of her blue eyes. “You will not run away from me ever again. We’re husband and wife. Married. Forever.” He waited until her head bobbed its agreement. “If I ever hear the word divorce from your lips, I will cut a switch. I swear to God, I will. We promised till death do us part, and I will settle for nothing less.” He patted her back and rubbed his hand down her back and over her bottom “Are we agreed?”
“We are.” She nodded with such vigor that corkscrew curls of red hair escaped their pins and grew like wild weeds around her face. He loved it.
“One more thing, darlin’. Lupe said to tell you I like your bosom.” His face held a question. “Did you think I didn’t?”
“I thought you might like a woman with more. Someone like Sally Ann.”
He coughed and choked at the same time. When he regained his ability to speak he looked into her quizzing eyes. “I want you. I love you and everything about you. Breasts, hair, legs. Tonight, I’m going to take the time to show you just how much.” He let his hand drift over her breasts, stopping to weigh them in his hands and pull on her hardening nipples. “Never doubt it.” He nuzzled her neck. “Never doubt it.”
He placed her firmly on her feet, and hand-in-hand they returned to the stage. Brian leaned against the wheel with one long leg crossed over the other.
“It appears I will travel on alone.” He stood. “Are you sure, Megan? Is this the life and the man you want?”
“’Tis, Brian. I have made mistakes in my life, but Michael is not one of them.” She hugged his arm. “I love him.”
Mike pulled her hand through his arm. “I’ll take good care of her, Brian. You can trust me in that. I love her. You and yours are welcome on the Circle M whenever you can come. We would surely love to meet Mac, and your Ann.”
“Come to Portland. Have you ever had lobster fresh from the sea?” He clapped his hands in delight. “There’s no finer eating on God’s green earth.”
“We’ll try.” Mike turned his attention to the two men on the seat of the coach. “Dan, if you’d be so kind as to throw my wife’s bag down, you can be on your way. I thank you for your patience.”
Megan and Brian embraced, kissed, and shed a few tears before the stagecoach disappeared in a swirl of dust and dirt. Her brother’s red hair visible as he waved good-bye until he became a speck in the distance.
He tied the brown valise to the back of his saddle. Megan looked through narrowed eyes at the monster of a horse. “How are we getting home, Michael?” Her voice trembled.
“Diablo is a good boy, Megan. Don’t hold his size against him. I needed my fastest mount to reach the stage in time, and he ran like the wind, but we’ll take it slow on the way home. You’re going to sit on my lap, and Diablo can carry us.” He paused. “I can lift you up first, or I can mount and pull you up after. What would you like?”
“I don’t want to be alone up there. Pull me up after.”
Michael swung into the saddle and looked down into his wife’s anxious eyes. “Put your arms up.”
He chuckled under his breath. His little bride was a sight standing with arms above her head waiting for him with trust in her eyes. Adorable—no other word came close. He leaned over, and lifted her to his lap. She was cocooned in his arms.
“Are you all right?” He whispered into her ear. “Fe
el safe?”
“I do. Thank you.” She squirmed deeper into his embrace.
He shifted beneath her wiggling bottom. He wanted her. He throbbed for her. He hoped they could make it home before he took her.
Mike secured her to his body with an arm around her waist and gave Diablo a gentle kick. The big horse lurched into motion, and Megan clutched at Mike’s arm. “I’ve got you. Lean back and relax.” Over the next few miles Megan melted into his body, and he gloried in her trust, her faith, her belief in him.
Manuel and Lupe were waiting in the swing when they arrived at the ranch. They came down the stairs and crossed the yard. Even Caesar left the shade under the porch to join in the welcoming committee. Mike dismounted and turned to his wife. “Just slide down, and I’ll catch you.” He let her slip down his length, pressing his hardness into her before her feet hit the ground.
Lupe dashed forward and grabbed Megan’s hands. “You came back, mi amiga. You came back. I was so afraid Mike had lost you. Ay, Dios Mio.” Tears slid from her golden eyes.
“I love Mike, I just thought he…”
“Megan’s gonna stop thinking for me.” He gave a little snort. “We could use a little privacy tonight.” His statement was a request.
“Of course, jefe. I have stew on the stove. Manuel and I will fill our bowls and go to our house.” She gave Megan another hug. “I am so glad you are back. Mike loves you. We all love you.”
“Come on, Manuel. Let’s get supper and leave these two alone.” She took her husband’s hand and guided him across the yard.
“I need to get Diablo settled, darlin’. Wait for me on the porch.” He called for Caesar and they made a little parade—man, dog, and horse—marching to the barn. He returned only with the big dog who wiggled back to his favorite spot under the porch.
“Smart boy. That’s the coolest place on the ranch.” He joined his wife in the swing.
“You look thoughtful. What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I am so happy to be back. I love your ranch.”
“Our ranch.” He threw his arm around her small shoulders, and she turned a tearful smile up to his waiting face.
“I was wondering why Manuel and Lupe don’t have children. She would be a wonderful mother.”
“Well, I expect it’s been a source of disappointment and considerable heartbreak, but they don’t talk about it. I guess they’ve accepted by now that it’s not part of God’s plan,” Mike replied.
“That’s sad.” Megan’s mouth drooped in her worry for her friend. “I hope it’s part of his plan for us. I would love a baby.”
“Me, too. I aim to work on that baby this very night, darlin’. I surely do. I have mighty big ideas, but first I want to get that spanking out of the way.” He nuzzled her ear and gently bit the lobe.
“I don’t think you need to spank me. I understand. I will ask you what you think. No blarney. No risking my health or safety. No hurting our marriage.” She paused. “I will follow your rules because they are meant to keep me safe.”
“You’re mighty cute trying to talk your way out of a punishment, but it won’t ever work. If you earn a spanking, you will get it. Now, in addition to all those very good points you just made, and I am happy you remember the rules, there is another thing spanking helps. Tell me. Do you feel guilty about not telling me about your uncle and O’Reilly?”
“I do. It was a mistake. I’m so sorry.”
“I know you are. Do you feel guilty about leaving me?” His stomach clenched at the memory. “Leaving me without a word? Without a good-bye? Without warning?” His hand was a fist on his thigh. “Did I deserve that?”
Megan swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. “No,” she wailed. “You didn’t deserve that. Not at all, at all.”
Mike pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her face. Positioning it over her nose. “Blow,” he demanded. “A spanking will not only remind you of the rules, but it will help wipe away the guilt.” He patted her thigh with his free hand. “We’ll start fresh. Once the spanking is behind us, we won’t ever talk about any of this again.”
“I want that, but I hate to be spanked.” She sobbed into his shirt.
“Well, no one likes a spanking, but it is only that, a spanking. I won’t harm you.” He saw thoughts flitting one after the other across her transparent eyes.
“But it hurts.”
“I know.” He sighed. “Use the outhouse, go up to our bedroom and put on your nightgown. I’ll be up in a minute.” He helped her stand and watched with sober eyes as she rounded the corner of the house and went to relieve herself.
She paused on her way back and peered sadly at her husband.
“Go on. I’ll be right up.” He gestured toward the door.
Mike pushed the swing with his long leg and rested his head. Exhausted. He was exhausted, depleted, bone-dead-tired. Megan had left him. He winced as his heart squeezed in painful acknowledgment. She was back. She was back and waiting for him. She was back and waiting for him to spank her little bottom. Lord have mercy. He leaned forward, propped his elbows on his knees and ran his hands over his face.
Time to be a man. Time to take control of his marriage. Time to let her atone and set her free of guilt. Time to start anew.
He stood, placed his hands on his back and stretched. Pulling his shoulders back, he entered the house with purpose and headed for the stairs. This spanking would count. She would know she’d been punished and paid the price. And then… Then, he would claim what was his.
Megan sat on the side of the bed, small, silent, scared. He sat beside her and picked up her small hand and brought it to his lips. “Thank you for coming back. You’re my world, darlin’. You and any children we are lucky enough to have. For the rest of my life, you are my reason, my rest, and my life.”
She nodded and nibbled on her lower lip.
He pulled her over his lap and lifted her nightgown until her bottom was bare. “I think you know why you are being spanked.” He waited until her red curls bobbed her response.
Mike rubbed his big hand over her bottom and down her legs, back up and over her bottom again in small circles. He pulled his hand back and let it fall. Megan jerked. He didn’t want her to throw herself off his lap. She might get hurt. He threw his leg over both of hers and pulled her tighter to his body. Now she could wiggle and squirm all she wanted to.
He set to serious work. Fast, furious swats left the vivid pink outline of his hand on her pale flesh. Megan twisted and struggled, but he pulled her close and secured her next to his body. He returned to his brisk tempo while his wife’s bottom moved from pink to deep rose.
Her head rose and fell to the rhythm of his hand. Her voice wailed her pain. Michael paused in his efforts and closed his eyes. Nothing existed in that moment except his woman, his marriage, his intent to reinforce, to teach, to reaffirm his love. He spanked another pattern of sharp, fast, stinging spanks. Her bottom was a palette of crimson and scarlet.
“Stop, Michael. It hurts.” Her voice reached up to him, trembling.
Too soon. They hadn’t reached the place where calm forgiveness waited. He lifted his right leg, and her head dropped and her bottom rose. He moved to the flesh where buttocks met thigh. Keeping his pace, he punished those spots with hard spanks. She wouldn’t sit comfortably for days. He was aiming for at least three.
His wife moved toward frantic. “Stop. Stop. I’m sorry. I’ll be good.”
Tears fell, and she tried to scramble off his lap, but she was trapped, secure in his grip and in his heart. Maintaining strength and speed, he covered her from thigh to her sweet bottom three more times before he paused. He rubbed her scarlet flesh in the sudden quiet.
“Now you put yourself in that corner and lift your gown. I want to see that red bottom while you think about why we are here, spanking and being spanked.” He lifted her to her feet and helped her into the corner. Her legs wobbled and shook.
“After you have a little time to th
ink, we’ll finish this spanking.” He bunched her gown and waited while she took the cloth in trembling hands.
“Finish? Oh, Michael. Please!”
“We’re finished when I say so, Megan. You know that.”
She shook her head and leaned into the wall, letting it absorb her misery.
He waited, watching while she recovered her breath and her bearings. “Come here, sweetheart.”
She turned and joined him as obedient and sweet as a child. “I hope never to punish you this severely ever again. I hate to see you hurting. If you mind, I won’t ever spank you again.” He picked up the hairbrush.
“No, no. Please, no,” she wailed.
“Ten with the brush and we’re done.” He stood and pressed on her back until her upper body rested on their bed. He adjusted her gown until her bottom was framed by white fabric. He laid his hand in the small of her back. With a flick of his wrist the brush landed and left an oval of white that quickly deepened to red. The brush was wicked. No need for power in his arm. He would be merciful and quick. Nine more fast swats and he threw the brush to the ground and gathered his wife into his arms.
“Shh. Shh. It’s over.” He widened his legs so her little bottom hung between his thighs, and he patted her back, stroked her hair, kissed her tears away.
Megan leaned into him and took the fabric of his shirt into her fist. “I do feel better. It feels like a fresh start.”
He took her chin in his hand and turned her face towards him. He sealed his mouth over hers, swiping his tongue along the seam of her lips. She opened her mouth to him with a groan. He let his hand drift over her back, her bottom, between her legs. He cupped her in his hand and pressed. She answered with a push of her own.
His clever fingers found her dark cave. He growled. “My God, darlin’. You’re wet for me.” He entered her in one long stroke and waited there, feeling the pulse at her core. He removed that single digit and replaced it with two moving in and out until his wife wiggled with need.
Standing, he turned to the bed and laid her gently on her stomach. “Stay right there,” he murmured into her ear. He unbuttoned his shirt enough to pull it over his head. Boots and pants were added to the little pile of clothes on the floor.
Troubled Water: Lone Star Love Book One Page 13
