“I’m not a rich man, Lizzie. I don’t expect to ever be one.”
“I don’t care!” she shouted. “How many times do I have to tell you that? Now you get over here and spank me like a husband should because I’ve been bad. Really bad.”
A small smile touched his lips. “I guess I can believe that you’re used to ordering servants around.” He took hold of her upper arms. “But don’t think you can get away with yelling at me. I’m the man of this house. And you’re my woman.”
His mouth seared hers with a crushing kiss. She clung to him, pouring every ounce of love into him.
Afterward, he held her close to his heart and kissed the top of her head. “I love you, Lizzie. But, you’re right. You need a spanking.”
* * *
“Ouch!” Lizzie gripped the covers as another stinging swat landed on her backside. She was on all fours on the bed, naked. Matt had removed his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Glancing over her shoulder she watched as the muscles of his forearms flexed with each smack.
She turned back around and braced for several more impacts. If she focused on the pain, feeling it radiate across her rear end and down her thighs, it helped to alleviate the guilt welling inside her. With each stinging swat, she thanked her lucky stars that Matt had forgiven her. Still loved her.
A hard smack landed in the center of her cheeks and she yelped.
“Five more, Lizzie. Get ready.”
Taking a deep breath, she gripped the covers tighter and gave a nod to indicate she was ready. Matt wasted no time in applying five fast swats to her upper thighs.
She remained in place, tears flowing down her face. Matt sat on the mattress and used his handkerchief to wipe away her tears. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. All is forgiven.” He kissed her temple and brushed her hair away from her face.
He rose from the bed, and a moment later she felt something cool being applied to her stinging flesh. Matt took such good care of her. She sighed. “Thank you.”
His hands continued to massage but they moved from applying cream to her flaming skin to probing the wetness of her womanhood. With a few strokes, Lizzie forgot about the pain in her backside and began to move her hips, eager for him to touch her more, deeper.
“Oh, Lizzie. I’ve got to have you. Now.” Matt lowered his pants and pushed his cock into her in one swift motion.
“Oh, yes,” she cried out. “Yes, Matt.”
He held her by the waist and stroked in and out of her wet passage. Reaching around, he found her clitty and tapped it as he continued his rhythmic movements.
Her body clenched around his cock and she came in an explosion, all the tensions of the evening releasing as she climaxed.
Matt found his own release and she reveled in the feel of his hot seed pumping into her and sliding down her thighs.
He collapsed over her, bracing himself on the mattress. “Mine. You’re mine.”
* * *
They were woken the next morning by knocking on the door. Matt pulled on his pants and shirt and answered it while Lizzie roused herself and got dressed too.
When she got to the kitchen, she found Matt and Cal sitting at the table. She put on some coffee and said hello to the sheriff. “My apologies for the scene last night,” she said.
“Well, folks won’t soon forget that dance,” Cal said.
“My father always likes to make an entrance,” Lizzie said, shaking her head.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Doc Granger’s been to the jail to look your father over. Says he took a few good punches,” Cal nodded to Matt, “but no long-term damage. Now, I’m holding him and his two cronies on attempted kidnapping charges. Circuit judge won’t be here for two weeks.”
“Oh,” Lizzie said, sitting down at the table. Her father in jail. She hadn’t considered that. She blew out her breath.
“A conviction should be pretty easy. Half the town witnessed his threats to you.”
“Conviction? You mean, he could go to prison?”
“Well, yes. We don’t take too kindly to folks trying to steal our residents.”
“Is there another option?”
“There’s a train for St. Louis leaving in a couple hours,” Cal said. “If you thought you wanted to drop the charges, I could make sure all three of them leave town today. Don’t imagine they’d come back.”
Lizzie drew a deep breath and looked at Matt. “What do you think?”
“Well, I don’t like the idea of telling our children their grandfather is in prison,” he said. “I get the impression he’s not without a lot of flaws, but I’m not sure prison is the best place for him. I think we’d just like him to leave us alone. Maybe one day things will improve.”
Lizzie turned to Cal. “I agree with Matt. If you could make sure he gets on the train today, I’d appreciate it.”
* * *
Lizzie and Matt stood on the train platform where they’d met less than two weeks before. It seemed like a lifetime had happened since then.
In many ways, it had.
“Maybe we shouldn’t be here,” she said, taking a step toward the exit.
Matt held her hand. “No, you said you wanted to come, and I think you’ll regret it if you leave now.”
Cal arrived driving a wagon carrying her father, Rudy Barr and the other man whose name she never learned and never wished to know. Her father’s face was swollen and he looked as though he’d aged twenty years since last night.
Cal and another man assisted them down from the wagon, then removed the manacles on their wrists. Lizzie’s heart fell to her toes to see her father in manacles.
A cry of despair tore from her and she rushed across the platform and rested her hand on her father’s arm. “Father?”
He looked at her with surprise. “Elizabeth?” A genuine smile formed on his lips. “I-I never thought I’d see you again.”
“Well, I’m a bit surprised myself, but you are the only father I have. And I just wanted to tell you good-bye.” She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.
The conductor called out, “All aboard!”
She stepped back and watched as her father boarded the train that was bound for St. Louis. Then she turned to Matt. “Let’s go home.”
Epilogue
The next day.
“Please, Josie. I want you to take it. All of it. The sight of it makes me sick.” Lizzie held the stocking full of money out to the other woman. She’d returned to Windy River Ranch where Josie and the other organizers were cleaning up after the party the night before.
Josie gaped. “Lizzie, I’ve never seen that much money before in my whole life. Not even after our busiest day at the general store.”
“It’s the least I can do after my father ruined your dance. This is my donation. But,” she said with a smile, “if there’s a cake left from the auction, I’d gladly take it in exchange.”
Josie laughed. “Well, that’s a new record for the cake auction. Thank you. We do have a couple of cakes left. The party did end a bit earlier than anticipated.”
Lizzie gave a sigh of relief when Josie accepted the money from her.
“Is it true?” Josie asked. “Are you really an heiress? With a trust fund?”
“Yes, it’s true. I told Matt I was a maid in the letters we exchanged. I didn’t want him to only want me because of my family name or money. I never imagined it would turn into such a big problem. I guess I didn’t realize how many new friends I’d make here and the lie just grew and grew. I hated it. I hope you’ll all still treat me the same.”
“Of course,” Josie smiled warmly. “Though I’d love to spend some time with you talking about the latest fashions in St. Louis.”
“Absolutely.”
Josie leaned toward her and whispered, “If you don’t think I’m being too nosy, what are you going to do with your trust fund money? What does Matt think about his wife being a wealthy heiress?”
Lizzie chuckled. “I think we are both a
djusting. The last day has been eventful, to say the least.” She sighed. “But, I do have a few ideas. You’ll have to wait and see.”
* * *
“I’m sorry we didn’t get here in time to warn you,” Minnie said over coffee that afternoon.
“We?” Lizzie said with a laugh. “I noticed an attractive man who came to your defense the other night.”
Minnie blushed. “That’s Roy. He bought my train ticket when the man at the ticket booth wouldn’t take the bracelet you gave me as payment. He’s the new deputy sheriff. What are the odds of us meeting like that and both of us heading for the same place?”
Lizzie smiled broadly. She’d missed Minnie. “Indeed. It must be fate.”
“Oh, I believe in fate. Absolutely.”
“Does Roy?” Lizzie teased.
“I don’t know,” Minnie said. “But he kissed me. That should count for something.”
“I would think so.” Lizzie refilled their coffee cups.
“It sure feels strange to have you pouring for me,” Minnie said, looking uncomfortable. “Are you sure it’s all right for you to do that?”
“Yes,” Lizzie said, reaching for Minnie’s hand. “Thank you for coming here to warn me, even if you were a tiny bit late. Just the fact that you’d do that means the world to me.”
Minnie smiled broadly. “Well, isn’t that what friends are for? Besides, if I hadn’t gone to the train station, I never would have met Roy. Or come to Juniper Junction. I like it here.”
“You like that Roy is here.” Lizzie grinned.
Minnie blushed. “I stayed at Mrs. Campbell’s boarding house last night. Do you know her? She said she’s looking for a hired girl. Do you think you could give me a reference?”
“I’d be happy to!”
“Thank you. You know, Tassie, the sheriff’s wife, worked for Mrs. Campbell and she married the sheriff so do you think that if I work for her…”
“Maybe you’d marry the deputy?” Lizzie said. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all.”
THE END
* * *
Want to read Minnie and Roy’s story? Click here for Cowboy’s Demands
Want to read Tassie and Cal’s story? Click here for Cowboy’s Law
Want to read Posie and Jake’s story? Click here for Cowboy’s Orders
* * *
How about some holiday cheer, Juniper Junction style? Get Newlywed Christmas
When the new brides of Juniper Junction set about to make Christmas memorable, events don’t go as planned. Will they get sweets in their stockings? Or switches?
* * *
Thank you for reading Cowboy’s Rules. I hope you enjoyed your trip back to the old west. Let’s keep in touch! Click here to sign up for my newsletter. Join my Facebook group too.
Want more of my books? Here’s my Amazon author page
Other books in the Brides of Juniper Junction series
Cowboy’s Law (Brides of Juniper Junction, Book 1)
The stern lawman has captured her heart, but what will happen if he learns the secrets from her dark past?
All Tassie wanted was a fresh start and a chance to earn an honest dollar with her own sweat and toil.
When Cal Watson, the town’s ruggedly handsome sheriff, whose kisses leave her breathless and weak in the knees, fell in love with her and proposed, Tassie threw caution—and thoughts of her old life—to the wind and leapt into her future wholeheartedly.
Surely her past would never catch up with her in an out of the way place like Juniper Junction.
After years of fighting outlaws across the west, Cal is eager to settle down in the sleepy, low crime village of Juniper Junction. And when he falls in love with Tassie, he looks forward to a peaceful future as a married man.
However, a string of thefts, strange events and some unusual behavior from his new wife make Cal wonder if there’s more to his sweet little bride than meets the eye.
Love, romance, secrets and discipline in the old west.
Welcome to Juniper Junction, USA Today Bestselling Author Celeste Jones’ series of sexy, feel good romances with a bit of naughtiness for good measure. Stern cowboys, mischievous brides. Someone’s in for a rough ride.
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* * *
Cowboy’s Orders (Brides of Juniper Junction, Book Two)
Forced to marry due to scandal. Will another scandal tear them apart?
They don't call her Nosey Posey for nothing and when her snooping causes a scandal that forces a marriage, Posey can't help but wonder if Jake truly loves her or is only fulfilling his duty.
His kisses leave her breathless and his discipline makes her quiver, but are his professions of love genuine?
Despite his many reassurances, Posey finds it hard to believe a handsome, dominant, caring man like Jake could love someone like her.
Just when Posey starts to feel confident in her husband's love, letters sent to Jake from a mysterious woman bring up all her old insecurities.
Love, secrets and intrigue come together for another sweet and sexy romance in Juniper Junction.
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* * *
Newlywed Christmas (Brides of Juniper Junction, Book Four)
Juniper Junction's new brides Tassie, Posey and Lizzie want nothing more than to make their first Christmas as brides special for their sexy cowboy husbands. But, things rarely go as planned.
Also includes a bonus novella, Home for Christmas.
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* * *
Cowboy’s Demands (Brides of Juniper Junction, Book 5)
When a mischievous-maker meets a firm handed deputy sheriff...things got HOT in the old west.
Despite her diminutive name, there's nothing small about Minnie. From her big warm smile to her wide-eyed wonder, she's got a heart as enormous as the Wyoming sky.
And the man who has the largest place in her heart is Deputy Sheriff Roy Gantry.
When Roy heads to Juniper Junction to start his new job, he figures a short time as a deputy in the small town and then he'll be on to bigger and better things.
But, once he meets Minnie, he realizes that the biggest and best thing for him is the former maid who creates more messes than he ever thought possible.
Just when they settle into their new married life in Juniper Junction, troubles from the past come to town. Will this unlikely love match survive?
BUY NOW
About Celeste Jones
USA Today bestselling author Celeste Jones is known for writing highly entertaining erotic romance featuring headstrong heroines and stern yet loving heroes who aren’t afraid to take a naughty woman over their knees. When she’s not writing, she enjoys travel, reading and dancing like no one is watching.
Website:
http://writercelestejones.blogspot.com
Amazon Author Page
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Cowboy’s Rules: Brides of Juniper Junction, Book Three Page 11