More Than She Bargained For (The Widow Wagon Book 2)

by Megan Michaels

  Mary’s eyes became huge, and she shook her head silently at Noah. He nodded at her with an evil grin. “Oh yes, young lady. I think your husband will be glad I told him to bring it.”

  Daisy stared from Noah to Mary. She knew what the ‘brown box’ meant in her house.

  Those damnable rectal dilators.

  It couldn’t possibly mean the same thing for Mary’s house. Could it? Did Mark do that too?

  “Okay, boss. I’ll be back soon.” Willie mounted his horse and galloped off toward Mark’s ranch.

  “Both of you, inside.” Noah pointed toward the open barn door.

  Reluctantly, they made their way into the darkened building, stopping just inside to let their eyes adjust to the gloom and waiting for further instructions from Noah.

  Chapter 18

  Noah pointed to a bale of hay outside a stall, turning to Mary. “You. Over here. Sit quietly until your husband comes.” He pulled another bale of hay to the middle of the dusty floor, then beckoned to Daisy. “You. Over here. I want you to take everything off except your bloomers and chemise.”

  Daisy looked at Mary. “ B-but I—”

  “No. Take them off. Now.” He ambled over to an area that had a pump, a mirror and a small table. To the right, hanging from a rusty nail embedded in the wall, was a well-worn razor strop. He grabbed the strop, squeezing the width of the leather in his fisted hand. It was supple; he kept it oiled for shaving every day. He never really gave any thought to the possibility that someday he’d be using it on his wife’s soft little ass.

  He slapped the length against his leg. “You’re still my girl. But to become my good girl again, it’ll take being disciplined.” He pulled her in for a soft hug. Her body trembled and her back hitched when she took a breath. She broke down then, sobbing into his chest while he kissed the top of her head. He took the time to assure her that he still cherished her, murmuring to her, soothing her spirit.

  “I’m sorry, Noah. I just... it doesn’t matter. I was wrong.” Daisy pulled away, wiping at her eyes and nose. She displayed actual remorse — unable to make eye contact, real tears, lip quivering, body trembling. She’d be even more remorseful soon. He wouldn’t relent — it wouldn’t serve her well to back down now. Daisy needed a strong man, someone who she couldn’t manipulate with a few tears, someone who only forgave when sobbing and a sore red bottom had been doled out. He felt a little guilty though; he knew he should’ve paddled her when it first crossed his mind. He knew this about her, knew that it centered her, gave her a balance that she seemed unable to find on her own.

  “I know,” he said softly. “You just find it difficult to behave every single day. I should’ve paddled you before I left to fix the fences, but you seemed so confident that you’d behave. Thankfully, I trusted my instincts and stayed behind to be sure.” He took a small piece of string and tied her hair up off her shoulders. “Okay, get these clothes off. Missy Mary is going to watch — that’ll be part of her punishment too.”

  Mary sat wringing her hands in her lap. If anything, she looked even more worried than Daisy. But then again, Mary had more of a compliant personality. Daisy had never had the words compliant used to describe her — she usually went at things as a fighter, someone who fought to win.

  When Daisy stood in just her chemise and bloomers, as requested, Noah motioned for her to lay over the bale of hay. Finding a coil of rope hanging from another wall hook, he returned and bound her wrists together. “This’ll keep your hands out of the way. I don’t want your hands hurt.”

  He then tied her feet together straight behind her. Normally, he liked keeping her little pussy visible, because — well, he liked looking at it. Liked fondling and licking it during a punishment. But with a razor strop, he wanted her legs tightly closed to protect her sensitive sex from the harsh lash of the strop. Once he’d tested the tightness of the rope and felt confident that being bound as she was she’d be safe from injury, he came around, squatting in front of her to talk.

  “You could’ve been hurt today,” he said, meeting her frightened gaze.

  Her dark eyes were swimming in tears, but he continued anyway.

  “Yes, Candy is doing so much better and can handle not only a saddle but a rider too. But if you had tapped her with your heels, she would’ve thrown you. You literally could’ve broken your neck today. Putting yourself at risk is a serious offense, as serious as lying in my book.”

  He paused, leaning forward to kiss the top of her head, stroking her face gently. “I can’t — won’t — have you risking yourself like that, especially when I’ve told you over and over. And then, you lied to my worker. Willie is a good man. He didn’t deserve being put on the line like that.” Noah turned to look over at Mary. “By either of you. I’ll be telling Mark about this, girl. Neither of you will do something like this again. I assure you.”

  He turned his attention back to Daisy. “Tell me if I’m wrong, my pet, but I’m thinking you’ve never received the razor strop. It’s not something used on girls because, as you’re about to see, it’s too harsh. But it’s perfect for getting the point across quickly and with a long after-effect — and grown woman like yourself can handle it just fine.”

  Noah stood, walking slowly around her, letting the strop glide over her goose-bumped flesh. As he walked, stroking the strop over her body, he spoke to Mary, but not taking his eyes off his wife. “Have you ever been stropped, Mary?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Noah stopped what he was doing, shocked. He raised his eyebrows, fixing her with a hard stare. “Really? When? And by whom?”

  Mary dropped her eyes to her hands. She started to pick at her nails. “A couple years ago. Mark found me in the loft of the barn trying to push a bale of hay to the floor below.”

  “Yep. That would be a stropping in my book too. Your husband and I think a lot alike. You had to know it wasn’t safe, right?” Her watched her slowly raise her gaze — he assumed to make eye contact with him — but instead her eyes fixed upon the strop dangling from his hand. He took the opportunity to slap it hard against his leg, watching her back stiffen, knowing her anxiety ramped up as well.

  “Yes, Sir. But the horses needed hay and Mark couldn’t do it — with his injury and all.”

  “Oh, don’t even use that excuse. You had hired help, and you know where I lived. You deserved every lash of the strop that day. I hope you were left with a sore bottom for days.” He shook the strop while speaking to her.

  Her brown doe eyes wide, she nodded. “It was for a long time, Sir.”

  “Good man. I like your husband.” He turned his attention back to his errant wife. “It won’t take many strokes, but the ones you receive will get the lesson across to you.” Leaning over, Noah undid the string at the back of her drawers and pulled them down to her feet.

  Daisy squealed with embarrassment as he pulled her pantaloons down.

  “Stop your hollering,” he said. “I’m not going to strop you unless I can see what I’m doing, and Mary’s bottom is going to be showing soon too. So, stop this silliness. Women.”

  He took a deep breath, looking at the beautiful buttocks he’d be disciplining. He loved that ass and loved spanking it. But sessions like this he didn’t enjoy. He reminded himself the danger she’d put herself in today. It wasn’t uncommon to hear of people breaking their necks or backs after being thrown from a horse, leaving them either dead or maimed for life. If she was going live on his ranch, she needed to understand the seriousness of injuries caused by horses. When he said to stay off a horse, he knew what he was talking about.

  “You’ll only be receiving a dozen of these, Daisy. More than enough, believe me.” His voice didn’t sound stern enough to his own ears, but he just hated knowing she’d be crying soon due to his actions, even though they were for her own good and safety.

  “Noah?”

  “Yes, min kær.”

  She looked over her shoulder at him. “I-I’m sorry.”

  And he wanted to be
lieve her, but he also knew his wife. She’d been caught, and for that she was very sorry. But if he’d been up mending the fences as she’d hoped, she’d be off riding Candy at that moment.

  “I know you hate that you were caught. But you know as well as I do where you’d be right now, if I hadn’t stayed behind.” She groaned. She knew. “That’s okay, my dear, we’ll take care of this. You’ll learn. Consistency works.”

  “You could have been seriously hurt today. I know what I’m doing with horses.” The strop landed on the fullest part of her backside with two loud cracks.

  Daisy clenched her bottom tightly, the crevice turning into a straight thin line, her knees bending, trying to ease the pain.

  Two very red outlines of the strop bloomed on her alabaster skin. When he moved behind her, she squealed, her body stiffening in expectation of the lash. He waited until she relaxed and gave her two more swats harder than the first two and overlapping the first two. The width of the strop made it so two swaths covered her upper bottom and then without hesitating he added another four, quickly. By the time he ended, she had begun to screech and her backside had turned an angry red, light bruising already visible.

  He waited patiently until her cries died down. “I’ve trained that horse its whole life. I know what she’s ready for. And I know you too. You are not ready for an untrained horse. Will you question me again?”

  “N-no, Sir. I w-won’t.” Her breath hitched in between words. She would be sitting gingerly for the next couple days. He never wanted to hurt her, but her stubbornness made it impossible to keep the lesson light. She needed and required discipline — it made her sweeter and softer. Her defenses and brass exterior melted away with the pain of a spanking. She’d cuddle him sweetly for hours, and their intimacy would have an unparalleled fire and passion.

  “Can you take a guess what’ll happen if I have to do this again?”

  “It’ll be d-double?” Her voice broke on the last word and he swore his heart skipped a beat for a second. His Daisy was a fighter and to hear her voice breaking let him know the lesson had been truly learned.

  He tapped the strop lightly on her thighs. “I think this area will be good for spanks for lying. Yes?”

  “Oh no! Noah, no, please!” She twisted until she was up on her hip apparently not caring that her little pussy showed to her friend.

  “No? I think, yes. Yes, spanks on the legs will be good. They will make you think before lying again, yes?” He raised his eyebrows, clucking his tongue at her, showing disapproval for her trying to hide her bottom from the strop.

  “No!”

  When he narrowed his eyes at her, she swallowed hard, perhaps deciding further defiance was a bad idea.

  “All right, dårlig lille pige. Let’s—”

  “I’m not a ‘bad little girl’ and I hate when you say that.” She threw him an adorable pout, but he wouldn’t let her know it — especially when it was laced with so much attitude.

  “Bad girl! Put that bad bottom back up for the rest of your spanking.” She looked like she might fight him this time. God, the woman had a resilient spirit. He dropped his voice, making it deeper, the sound almost a whisper. “On your belly now!”

  She quickly rolled over.

  “You do not lie to an employee. My ranch hands rely on us to be truthful.” He swung the strop four times against her upper thighs and sit spots. And when she unclenched her bottom, he surprised her with two more swats. “Those were for getting out of position.”

  He walked over to his shaving area, and put the strop back onto the nail. He returned to Daisy, bending over her small body and whistling at what he saw. “That is one red badel. You will mind me I think, no?”

  “Yes, Sir. I’ll mind. It h-hurts.”

  She didn’t even try to look over her shoulder. She quietly cried — truly remorseful.

  “I think you will too, my pet.” He pulled her pantaloons up over her bottom, then proceeded to untie the rope at her ankles and wrists. He assisted her in standing, pulling her into his arms. She sobbed against his chest, heartbreaking sobs that made her breath hitch as they shook her.

  “It feels like a sunb-burn, but it keeps hurting over and o-over. C-can I touch it?” She pulled away, and that was when he realized that he needed to wipe her poor face.

  “Here, sweetie.” He cleaned her face with his handkerchief. “Yes, you can touch it. But I know it won’t feel better — it may feel worse after you touch it.”

  Booted footsteps on dusty floorboards sounded in the shadowed barn. Mark’s form filled the open door of the barn. His large, burly chest matched his tall frame. Mark made most people feel delicate, but judging by Mary and Daisy’s reactions, if you were under five foot three… he was downright frightening.

  Marked crossed his arms over that barrel chest, sinews flexing. “So, I hear there’s a bad girl needing a paddlin’ today.”

  Chapter 19

  Noah reached out to shake Mark’s hand. “Hey, Mark. Yes, you have a dårlig lille pige too. Two women can get into a heap of trouble, no?”

  “Oh you have no idea, Noah.” He slowly walked toward Mary, a brown box in one hand and a paddle in the other. “I have four sisters. I can tell you all about girls getting into trouble.” He grabbed Mary’s hand, pulling her to her feet.

  The woman trembled, worrying her lip between her teeth. “Mark, I’m sorry. I mean it.”

  “I know, darlin’. Let’s talk about this. Tell me what you did and then we’ll talk, okay?” He kissed her forehead gently, pulling her in just enough to make a trail of kisses up the length of her neck. He sat down on the bale of hay pulling her down with him so that she sat on his lap.

  Daisy suddenly felt uncomfortable, pulling at Noah, hoping he’d decide to leave the barn. But he squeezed her hand roughly and leveled a dark look at her. She stood stock still then, her gaze sliding away from his.

  “Well…” Mary turned, looking at Daisy, a silent apology in the woman’s eyes. “Daisy wanted to ride the horses today and Noah had told Willie that she could ride Gypsy. But Daisy wanted to ride Candy.”

  Mark interrupted. “Even I know that Candy isn’t ready for riding.” He turned to look at Daisy, shaking his head, his eyebrows furrowed.

  “But she told Willie that Noah had said she could ride her. I tried to get her to stop. Honest, I did.”

  Mark rubbed her back. “I know you did, darlin’. You’re always a good girl. You try your best.”

  Mary wiped a couple tears away as they tracked down her cheeks. “But she wanted to ride Candy bad and wanted to race with Honey. And I said that racin’ with Candy would probably be fun. And then Noah came into the barn… he overheard us.” She threw her arms around Mark’s neck and cried.

  Noah put his hands on his hips. “Before you get too far here, let me add something else I heard Miss Mary say right before I came into the barn. She said, ‘What the men don’t know, won’t hurt them.’”

  Mark pulled away, raising his eyebrows as he tipped Mary’s chin up. “Is that so?”

  He sounded incredulous, as if that couldn’t possibly be so. Mary nodded, but remained silent.

  “Oh no, little girl, you have to answer out loud in a punishment — and this has just become punishment level.” He held her chin firmly between his fingers. “Is that really what you said?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “That, right there — that’s lying, sweetheart. Omission. Not tellin’ and keepin’ it a secret — or hiding it — is a lie. Tell Noah and Daisy what the punishment is for lying.”

  She choked out a sob. “I get spanked with the paddle, and I have to wear a plug.”

  “I knew I liked you, Mark.” Noah clapped Mark on the shoulder, and turned to his own wife. “Daisy, did you hear? Mary wears a plug just like you do for lying.” He glanced at Mark. “Sometimes we add figging with a finger of ginger too. We’ll talk more about that later though.”

  Daisy saw the men exchange smiles and they both nodded.

&n
bsp; Great. They’ll talk and probably exchange ideas. More things to be shoved up my ass. Like he doesn’t play with my ass enough already.

  “Do you have something to say, my dear?” Noah tipped her head up, and she couldn’t avoid staring into his deep blue eyes.

  “N-no, Sir. Not at all.”

  “Mmmm. Must be the thought of your special plug that had you daydreaming.” He winked at her, then smiled at Mark.

  What the hell was that look? Do they both like pony play?

  Noah laughed out loud, throwing his arm around her shoulder and leading her out of the barn. “Hey Mark, I’ll leave you two alone to do what’s necessary. I’ll be upstairs doing what’s necessary also. When you’re done, feel free to come upstairs. We’ll put the women down for a nap and have some drinks and talk in the den.”

  “Thanks, Noah.” Mark stretched his arm out. “Here, can you take this box upstairs with you? I left our bag just inside the back door with our stuff to spend the night. I’ll bring it up to the guest room when I come back in with Mary.”

  Chapter 20

  Willie had been bamboozled by that little woman. He just couldn’t believe that he’d fallen for her lie. He kicked at a stone in the dirt in front of him. Lighting up a smoke, he walked around the pasture berating himself for once again being gullible. His brothers had always made fun of him for being too kind-hearted and believing the sob story of a girl.

  Of course, Daisy had paid for lying with her backside. It’d been a while since he’d seen or heard anyone receive a stropping like that. Christ, Noah had even trussed her up to keep her from moving. Not that she didn’t deserve it, lying and putting her life at risk like that. Those were things that no man tolerated from his woman.

  But when she started screaming, he couldn’t stand there and listen. He had gone to the barn door to see if she needed help — and he’d watched long enough to know that Noah wasn’t losing control or being harsh. A strop left a stingy yet thuddy pain that most men couldn’t tolerate, let alone a woman. But it still was kinder than a broken neck from a fall off a horse. She’d been reckless and impulsive — she needed to learn. He would’ve done the same if she’d been his.