by Gray Gardner
She let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding and nodded. “Mrs. Zachary told us what we were supposed to do but, well, there’s explanation, and then there’s execution.”
Pryce let out a short laugh as the sun set on their left. “Agreed. So, let’s start with this whole you not really being a widow thing.”
“Oh.” Holly slumped her shoulders. “I don’t… I just, it’s just that… I don’t know what to do.”
“So, you’ve never been with a man?” She saw him adjust himself and squeeze the reins tightly.
“Are you mad? I know you wanted someone who knows… how. But honestly? Today was the first day I’ve ever been kissed.”
Pryce dropped the reins and scrambled to grab them back up, speaking calmly to the old brown quarter horse hitched up to them. He finally cleared his throat and peered down at her, an eyebrow raised. “How old are you?”
“Getting on to spinster age,” she admitted.
“So that makes you…”
“Twenty-two.”
“Not even close to spinster-hood. So how, may I ask, has someone who looks like you avoided men all this time?”
Her cheeks heated as she played with the silk ribbon that tied her capelet. “My life’s been hard, but I still had people who cared about me. First my dad, then my brother. The government seized our ranch so we could break in their horses for the cavalry and so that they could feed their men. Imminent domain. And after the war, well, they kept it.”
“They still must have paid you for it.”
“They paid my brother, and he’s married with five kids. They didn’t need me as a burden, but he’d kept me so close when all those soldiers were there and he wouldn’t let me go until he knew I was all right. So, I told him about the Zacharys’ academy. I told him it was just a school where I could work and attend classes. And I had to tell the Zacharys I’d lost my husband in the war so they’d let me in.”
“You’ve sure done a lot of lying.”
“Some lies aren’t so bad, though. Like my brother doesn’t have to worry about me anymore, and has more money for his family. And the Zacharys picked me out of everyone in that passenger car to be paired with you.”
“Hmm.” Pryce nodded in agreement, but frowned down at her anyway. “I don’t really like lying, the good or the bad kind. We’ll take a trip out to my woodshed when we get to the ranch and get that out of the way. The sooner the better.”
“Get what out of the way? A tour of your ranch?”
“No. We’re staying in one of my hunting cabins anyway. Not much to see yet. The house is getting fixed up. For you.”
She looked over and found him grinning at her. It had really been for Darla, she guessed, but it was sweet nonetheless. “All right.”
“The woodshed is where we keep the leather straps.”
“All right.” She wondered if the bed was in there or in the hunting cabin. Both sounded small, but she wasn’t complaining.
“The woodshed is where you get spanked with the leather strap for lying.”
“What?” She jumped to the side of the bench and stared over at him with her mouth open in the early twilight. Was he out of his mind?
“Have you ever been spanked before?” he asked, looking confused.
“Once or twice, I guess. Have you?” What an odd line of questioning for two adults.
“Yes, and they’ve all been memorable, which I can see yours haven’t. I intend to make this one memorable so I don’t have to do it again. Do you understand?” He adjusted himself again and kept looking back and forth between her and the road.
“No, actually, I don’t understand.” She folded her arms over her chest and looked off to the dark trees in the last drop of daylight. A woodshed? A leather strap? It sounded horrible.
She heard him sigh and felt him shift on the bench. “Fine, what part is confusing? I’ll try and explain a little better.”
She shivered as a cool wind passed down the road in the darkness. Her reply was simple and quiet. “You said you weren’t cruel.”
“I… Jesus, Holly, I’m not cruel. But I have expectations. This is wild country out here. Yes, we’re a territory, but it’s a long way from becoming a state. Telling me a lie could get you hurt. In so many ways. I don’t want that.”
“So, you’re going to hurt me to keep me from hurting myself? That logic follows.”
“I just need you to know what I expect.”
“And you just told me five seconds ago. And now you’re going to turn yourself into a wife beater and me to a beaten wife. Well done, Mr. Browning.”
She heard an aggravated groan as the reins flicked and the horse picked up a little speed. She placed a hand down to the wooden bench to steady herself, but otherwise kept her back turned to him, continuing to stare off to the side. A tear rolled down her cheek. “You told me you weren’t cruel. That makes you a liar too.”
Pryce drew a frustrated hand down his face. During the hour-long ride he’d teetered in and out of arousal, making things very uncomfortable. He couldn’t help himself around her, though. She was adorable, sweet, smart, challenging and a virgin. And she didn’t even know what a little turn on she was being.
He felt conflicted about spanking her, though. The leather strap in the woodshed did seem a little excessive. How would she learn? He glanced over at her erect frame facing away from him and grew erect himself. Christ, he had to get control.
“All right.” When he finally spoke, it had been such a quiet ride that he saw her jump a little. He cleared his throat and tried to continue in a calm manner. “You’re right, Holly. I don’t want to be a liar. I don’t want to be cruel. I do want you to understand the significance of our situation, though. Out here, away from civilization and any help, we have to be so careful. Understand? So, from now on I’m going to need the truth from you.”
She rolled her shoulder and turned her body slightly towards him.
He grinned and continued. “My parents always said that marriage was mostly about compromise. Give a little, get a little. I’d like our marriage to be like that. How about you?”
He saw her turn her head towards him in the starlight and give a small nod. “Before my mom died, my parents said something similar.”
“Good.” He exhaled as they rounded a familiar bend. His ranch hand, Flip, had obviously started a fire in the cabin. Maybe in the hopes of a happy honeymoon. The glow from the fireplace clearly caught Holly’s eye, too.
“Is that your cabin?”
“Ours, yes.” He grinned as she looked pleased. Then he cleared his throat, as he tried to hurry along his big speech. “When we get there, we can unpack your things and I’ll bring some water for the wash basin so you can freshen up if you’d like.”
“Thank you.”
“And then we’re going to talk more about what we both expect. And consequences.”
Her head turned and he felt her eyes burning a hole through him. “No, I don’t think we will.”
“Holly.”
“Mr. Browning.”
He pressed his lips together and exhaled loudly as they pulled up to his one room cabin. Flip greeted them quickly, with a hat tip for Holly and food and water on the table, then took the horse and wagon for them. Pryce set her two small suitcases down by the door as she stepped in and smiled.
“It’s charming.” She looked around at the table and chairs on the right, complete with a candle, some bread, cheese, fruit and whiskey. The fireplace glowed from the center of the back wall, and the bed was in the far corner, looking awfully small.
“Flip and I are almost done with a larger bed frame.” He walked up to her and reached up to the silk ribbon of her capelet, gently tugging and taking it from her shoulders. He inhaled deeply when she tugged off her gloves, then untied and pulled off the lavender bonnet, revealing blonde hair braided up in a crown around her head, little wisps of hair falling all around.
“Thank you.” She watched as he hung everything on a coat tre
e and walked back over. Her form-fitting lavender dress showed off little round curves that he knew were her own. Zachary wasn’t about false advertising. No wigs, no padding, just the woman. And she was quite a woman.
He rested his hands on his hips and grinned down at her. “All right, Holly. Here’s our compromise. I won’t take you out to the woodshed, or spank you with a leather strap. Ever. That’s cruel, and I remember respecting my father, but also fearing him. I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”
Her quiet scowl told him she was both thinking about what he’d said and waiting for the catch. Smart girl.
“My mother used to take me over her knee, spank me, and then hug me. I respected her, loved her, and wanted nothing more than to please her. So that’s how I’m going to handle things with you.”
“But…”
“You lied to me and the Zacharys, Holly, and I’m going to spank you, so you remember not to do it again. You can’t tell me that’s cruel.” The thought of pulling her sweet little body across his lap and smacking her backside pink made his groin stir, again, but her reaction was what had him fully adjusting his pants.
Her mouth was hanging wide open, her blonde flyaways framing her pink cheeks. She was absolutely adorable staring up at him with nothing to say. His arousal was a lost cause, and he figured she’d have to familiarize herself with it eventually, so he just sighed heavily and took her hand, leading her to the bed.
“Pryce, please.”
He sat back and pulled her quickly over, hoping that she’d be more honest if she didn’t have to look him in the eye. Having her over his lap was intoxicating, though. She wiggled and whined and it was adorable. And he loved how his name sounded coming out of her mouth, a southern trace that was very appealing.
“Please, Pryce, I’m sorry. I know you don’t want me to lie and I won’t from now on. I promise! Please don’t hurt me.”
“It’s all right, sweet girl.” He held her in place with a hand on her back and one on her leg. He liked the braid in her hair. It showed off all the different blonde colors, as well as the pink on her cheeks. He cleared his throat and continued. “I’m not going to hurt you. I never will. I promise you that. This isn’t about hurting you anyway. It’ll smart for a quick minute, and it might be a little embarrassing, but you’ll remember how you feel right now the next time you try and tell me a lie. Is that all clear?”
She was still and quiet, making him grin, since it was the closest thing to compliance she would ever offer. He didn’t want her too obedient anyway. He was enjoying himself way too much to have this be her first and last spanking.
“You know what’s coming next.” He reached over and pulled the pleated lavender skirt up and over her back, biting his lip as her white stockings and shiny black ankle boots began to reactively swing around.
“Pryce!” Her voice was much louder, much more assertive as he pulled the skirt of her dress and her white petticoat over her back. Her innocence would do him in. He was about to lose himself just at the sight of those pristine white ruffled bloomers, and the knowledge that he was the first man to ever see them and what was underneath was almost too much.
Almost. He tugged the white ruffles split apart, revealing a tight, round, wiggling little behind. He felt his pants tighten and decided that now wasn’t the time to savor the sight of her creamy virgin skin. He raised his hand and smacked it down, the sound echoing around the room along with her short squeal. A pink splotch appeared, forcing him to rethink how hard he really wanted to spank her. It would be memorable enough without being too painful, he knew that much. Every time she looked back at him to protest, her cheeks were flaming.
“No more lying, no more stretching the truth, even if you think it’s because you’re doing a good thing. There will be genuine honesty and candor between us from now until death we do part. Do. You. Understand?” He’d been smacking her with every word, bringing a bright blush that he really just wanted to sink his teeth into.
Her feet swung back and forth and she smashed her fists into the bed covers as she replied, “Yes! Yes, I understand!”
He rubbed small circles over the warmth of her skin as he waited for her breathing to return to normal, then he carefully tugged her bloomers back together and pulled the ruffled petticoat and skirt back down. She tried to push off of him and stand up, but he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, leaning back against a pillow and making himself comfortable.
He needed her to be all right.
So much for revealing nothing.
His arms were wrapped tightly around her in a hug that was both constricting and comforting. The fire crackled, giving the room a warm welcoming glow, but she didn’t feel welcome at all. She’d been with him a few short hours and he already hated her.
She swallowed. “Should I… should I leave?”
She felt his breathing hitch as his hands shifted her around on his lap. His concerned face came into view.
“Holly, no! I’m… I’m not mad. I’m sorry if I didn’t convey that very well. You’re… like I said before, I’ve never really been married; the previous companions were so wrong for me, they were never my wife in body or heart. I put them in the hotel until the train returned, then I sent them back with the Zacharys. I’ve never really even had a girlfriend. And I’ve never spanked anyone before. I’m not angry and I certainly don’t want you to leave. Please?”
She thought about laying face down over his lap with her skirts pulled up, listening to his lecture and wincing at every smack of his large hand. He hadn’t said anything about hating her, and she had to admit, her backside was very warm, but not really hurting anymore.
“I know I’m not what you wanted,” she said, looking down at her hands in her lap.
He pushed her chin up with a finger so she would look into his light eyes. “And I’m so glad I didn’t get what I wanted, because honestly, I didn’t even know. I didn’t even know that you are what I want.”
“You wouldn’t have had to spank Darla tonight. Or ever, probably.”
“And how boring.” He grinned and leaned in, kissing her forehead in an affectionate way. “You make me so happy, Holly. Already, I’m so much happier. I want to take care of you and make you happy. And taking care of you might include a spanking now and then. It absolutely does not mean you make me mad. We’ll learn how to do this together.”
“Well, don’t worry.” She shifted around on his lap. If that was what he was like when he wasn’t mad, she didn’t ever want to see true anger from him. “That was it. You’ll never have to do that again.”
Chapter 3
Silver Creek Ranch Lodge, The Attic
Well, the accounts of her ancestors were certainly… descriptive. Her great great however many great grandparents had definitely led a different life. For sure. The way they documented or retold every thought, sentiment, even sexual feeling, well, it was a little bizarre.
Eve closed the black leather-bound book and bit her lip. It was a different time. No televisions or phones for entertainment. All you could do, really, was write down your thoughts and recount them later. But why would they both write such detailed accounts about something so upsetting? Hitting your wife? They’d both addressed the situation with an almost appreciative spin.
And the thought of it making them aroused, just… ew.
“Did you eat any- God, it’s freezing up here!”
“Hello, Bradley. Yes, my day’s been great. How about you?” She grinned up at him sarcastically as she lay on a yoga mat she’d brought up in the morning.
“It must be fifty degrees in here,” he frowned, reaching down and grabbing her arms. He pulled her quickly to her feet despite her protests about being manhandled and pointed a finger in her face. “And I know you haven’t eaten because the kitchen is just the way I left it last night when I went back to my cabin.”
She slapped his finger out of her face and pushed her glasses back up her nose. “At your suggestion, foreman, I’ve been up here u
ncovering the very personal accounts of my ancestors.” She jerked backwards as he grabbed her hand in his, feeling confused as he scowled down at her.
“Your hands are like ice. Didn’t you notice the temperature? Why didn’t you take the journals downstairs to read? In the central heat? By the fireplace? With a bear skin rug and flannel blanket?”
“Well as you know, these things read like a romance novel. I lost track of time, obviously.” She pulled her hand back, but he held on tightly.
Those dark eyes narrowed down at her. “No, I don’t know. What I do know is that you can’t seem to grasp what’s good for you.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? You’re the one who- Oh!” She tripped over her pink tennis shoes as he tugged her back to a sofa covered with a dingy yellow sheet.
And then she found herself right there in the pages of the journals she was just reading. Forced face first over hard legs, positioned perfectly to be disciplined by a sizable, irritated cowboy.
“This oughta warm you up a little. As well as help you remember to eat and stay in the warmer parts of the damned house,” Bradley sternly said, swiping at the dust particles floating around from his outraged attempt at teaching the little adorable history nerd about taking care of herself.
Eve coughed, tried to suck in a breath, and then coughed again. Her whole body heaved as she wrestled around across his lap.
“Eve? Sweetheart?” He pulled her up and gripped her shoulders, staring at pink cheeks and watering eyes as her glasses slid down her nose. Something was wrong.
She suddenly shoved her hand against his face, pushing him back and flipping around to the hard wooden planks of the floor. She reached out for her black satchel and quickly retrieved a little silver inhaler. She shook it, pumped once and breathed in. Twice, and suddenly found him kneeling at her side, his arm around her and holding the inhaler steady at her mouth.
“One more time,” he instructed, wrapping his fingers around hers and pumping once. She breathed in as instructed, sweat beading on her forehead, then leaned back against his hard body in unintentional relief. A shallow breath escaped as she closed her eyes briefly.