by Elly Knight
“I’m calling your behavior horrible,” Ben told her as his hand landed another dozen times. Charli kicked her legs in protest and he landed several swats to the backs of her thighs. “Keep your legs still!” he scolded her.
The extra intensity of the sting on the backs of her thighs was enough to bring on the tears. Charli was mortified when they began to freely run down her face.
Ben paused the spanking to undo her drawers, allowing them to fall down to the floor. Charli responded by fighting against him, kicking her legs and reaching back in an attempt to return her drawers to their rightful place. “What are you doing?” she wailed. “This is improper!”
“I’m your husband Charli Rae, there’s nothing improper about me seeing you naked,” he informed her sternly as he ran his hand across her naked bottom flesh, appreciating the slight blushing color from the ministrations of his hand so far. “What is improper is you refusing to apologize when I asked you to,” he added, his tone of voice so stern it sent a shudder of foreboding along Charli’s spine. “I will give you a lot of free reign Charlotte but when I give you an instruction, I expect to be obeyed.”
“That’s why I didn’t want a husband in the first place,” Charli wailed. “I don’t want someone thinking they can tell me what to do!”
“Well, you have one now and he expects to be obeyed,” Ben informed her firmly. “If you refuse, you can expect this and more.” His hand rose and fell with a resounding
Charli barely had a chance to breathe, let alone protest or fight as her husband spanked her very thoroughly. The sting was intense and beneath it rose a steady burn that made the muscles deep in her bottom flesh throb. Her tears flowed thicker and faster until she was sobbing hard and lying limp over her husband’s lap.
Ben decided it was important to send his wife a very clear message about his position on obedience and so he spanked until her bottom and upper thighs were glowing red and very hot to touch. Riding home in the wagon was not going to be at all pleasant for her. When he was satisfied she’d had enough to learn her lesson, he stopped and rubbed his throbbing hand across her throbbing bottom cheeks, impressed with the level of heat coming off them. He then gathered her up in his arms and settled her on his lap, half expecting her to fly off his lap in anger.
Instead, Charli curled up and snuggled into his chest as she sobbed the remainder of her tears. Ben stroked her hair and rubbed her back, giving her as much time as she needed to process all that had happened.
“Are we clear on my expectations?” Ben asked her when her sobbing had subsided.
“Be nice to Matilda and do as you say,” Charli sniffled, still hiding her face in his chest. Her bottom was on fire but she felt a kind of peace in her heart that confused her. She felt like she should be angry with him but she couldn’t find it within herself to be.
“Good girl,” Ben praised her, sending an unexpected wave of pleasure through her.
“I’m a terrible person,” Charli said with a sob.
“No, you’re not,” Ben admonished her gently. “You’re had it tough and you’re a fighter. But there’s no reason to fight any longer. You have me to lean on and protect you now. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you and that includes you.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ben helped his wife back into her undergarments and used his handkerchief to wipe her face. Charli was glad Sheriff Johnson didn’t make a reappearance before they left the jail house. She really didn’t want to see him right at that moment. Ben showed her the premises he was thinking of leasing for his law practice and Charli had to agree it was perfect. There was a small waiting room at the front which led through to a rather spacious office. Being on the main street, there’d be a lot of visibility, which would be a great way for word to spread and hopefully bring in business.
“Are you planning on coming in every day?” Charli asked him. She’d kind of gotten used to his help around the farm and the thought of him not being around unsettled her a little.
“I thought a couple of afternoons a week to begin with,” Ben said to her. “I’d like to be around to help you with the morning chores on the farm and afternoons are a common time for people to come to town. I can post my business hours on the door and if anything urgent comes up, we’re not that far out of town that people can’t come knocking at home if they need me.”
Charli’s shoulders relaxed as he spoke and she let out a soft exhale of relief. Ben smiled at her. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” he told her. “I expect this will only be a part time job for a long time, maybe even forever. Mountain Ridge is not a large town.”
“Are you going to regret settling here when you could have a thriving business elsewhere?” Charli asked him as she nibbled her lower lip in worry.
Ben reached out and tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear. “It’s been my lifelong dream to come back here,” he admitted. “While you may be the main reason behind that dream, I love this town and I’m happy to make it my home.” He didn’t elaborate on the fact that he had no financial need to work and only did so as an interest and to help people with issues like wills and land deeds, along with the occasional court appearance. “Now, we’d better hightail it over to the store, Henry and Martha are expecting us and I hate keeping people waiting.”
Martha was so excited to see Charli, she almost burst into tears. “Did you tell her about the gift money?” she asked Ben when she’d finished embracing her.
“I thought it would be more fun to surprise her together,” Ben responded with a grin. Charli’s brow furrowed as she attempted to follow the conversation between her husband and her friends.
“Money?” she asked.
“Well, store credit actually,” Henry piped in. He pulled a small notepad from his pocket. “A few of the townsfolk and local farmers wanted to celebrate your marriage so we set up a little fund for you,” he explained as he opened the notebook and handed it to her, open to a particular page. “We thought perhaps you’d like to choose a little housewarming gift out of our catalogue,” he suggested to her.
“I don’t understand,” Charli said as she stared at the figure on the page in front of her. It was more than the farm made in a year. Ben wrapped his arms around her from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder.
“It would seem you’re a very well-loved individual, despite your penchant for getting people off-side,” he said to her. What he didn’t let on was that he himself had also contributed to the total, figuring it was a way to give Charli funds without her being suspicious.
“It’s enough to order a new stove or some furniture,” Martha said with a grin. “Sit down and have a look through this,” she said as she pulled a catalogue closer to where Charli was standing. Charli would have much preferred to stand but Martha had already pulled the chair out for her and was ushering her into it. She did her best not to grimace as she sat on what was still a very tender bottom. Martha opened the catalogue in front of her. “Henry can order any of these items for you,” she explained to her as she pointed out several things on the page. I’ll just finish getting lunch ready while you browse,” she said to her.
Charli began to stand. “I can help you with lunch and look at this later,” she offered.
“Nonsense!” Martha said as she put a firm hand on Charli’s shoulder and pushed her back down into the seat, the force reigniting the fire in her bottom yet again. “It won’t take me long and I’m eager to see what you decide,” she told her with a grin.
The moment Martha’s back was turned, Charli gave Ben a panicked look. She’d never had so much store credit before and was reluctant to waste it. He gave her a reassuring smile and crouched down next to her. “It would be nice for the townsfolk to know what you did with their
gift,” he said softly to her. “As tempting as it is to keep the money for supplies, I think the point of them pooling their resources was so that you could have something nice. You deserve it Charli Rae, so just enjoy it.”
“But I don’t know what to get,” she whispered. “What do we really need?”
Ben lifted the catalogue from the table and flicked through several pages. “What about this?” he suggested, pointing to a wooden dresser. “It looks like it would match in well with the furniture in the bedroom.”
“What would I do with a dresser?” Charli challenged him.
“I don’t know, put your clothing in it?” Ben said, getting more than a little exasperated with her.
“I am who I am Ben, why do you insist on trying to make me more feminine?” Charli hissed at him.
Ben could see she was going to lose her temper if they continued the conversation. It hadn’t been his intention when he suggested the dresser. “Fine, get a new settee or table and chairs then,” he told her. “I really don’t mind; I was only trying to help.” He stood up from where he was crouched behind her and strode through the doorway that led out to the store, figuring he could help Henry until their midday meal was ready. Charli was so startled by his abrupt departure that she stared after him for several minutes, her eyes brimming with tears. It was clear that she’d upset him. What she wasn’t sure about was why that bothered her as much as it did.
<<<<>>>>
“Before we go, you need to order some dresses. If you’re not going to get them made, we’ll order some from the catalogue,” Ben said firmly to Charli when their midday meal was concluding and Henry had returned to the store.
“I can make her some dresses,” Martha offered. She’d like nothing more than to see Charlotte dressing more like the lady she was and would be more than happy to sew on her behalf.
“Are you sure you have time?” Ben asked with a furrowed brow. He didn’t want to overload her when she was already busy running the store.
“Of course I have time! I’m not as proficient as Wilhemina Jackson but I’m sure we can put together something practical that looks lovely on Charlotte,” she told him.
“I was thinking four new dresses would be a good number,” he said to Martha. “Not that she’d need them all at once. I’m happy to pay you to make them or purchase ready-mades. Can I leave it up to you to work it out?”
Martha clapped her hands excitedly. “This is going to be so much fun!” she said with glee. “You certainly don’t need to pay me to make them Mr Montgomery. It would be my pleasure to do this for Charlotte. I even have some fabric put aside that I thought would be perfect for you, hoping you’d come around to the idea of a dress or two once you finished grieving your Papa’s death.”
“I really don’t think I need four dresses Ben,” Charli tried to argue. “I have this one for coming to town and my pants are much more practical around the farm.”
“My mind is made up Charli Rae,” Ben told her sternly, raising his eyebrow to emphasize his point. “I don’t want a wife who only owns one dress.”
Charli had to work hard to keep from rolling her eyes at him, helped along by the slight twinge she could still feel in her bottom from his earlier spanking. “Well, apparently you’re the boss,” she said sarcastically.
“Yes, I do believe I am,” Ben told her smugly. “Put any costs on my account please Martha and let me know if she gives you an ounce of trouble. I have my ways of making her mind,” he said seriously before disappearing out the door that led into the store.
Charli’s hands fisted and she let out a closed mouth scream that had Martha chuckling.
By the time they left, Martha had planned out the fabrics and styles for Charli’s dresses. Charli tried to feign interest but it wasn’t easy when her interest level was zero. Ben’s mind seemed made up though and Charli had more important things to do with her energy levels. Like figuring out what was happening with her chickens. When she’d collected the eggs that morning, Charli was certain there were one or two missing. She’d lost a few to foxes over time but this time there’d been no sign of a fox.
They decided to take a bit more time to decide on an item of furniture to order, with Ben promising to let them know as soon as they’d decided. He had one last stop to make before they headed for home.
“We’re not going home?” Charli asked him when she realized he’d pointed the wagon in the wrong direction.
“We are,” Ben said with a lazy smile. “I just have one quick stop to make first,” he added. “I wanted to buy you a wedding present but I was waiting for the right thing to come along,” he told her.
Charli gasped when they pulled up in front of the Thompson house. “Ben, what are you doing?” she whispered.
“I heard my wife would like a puppy so I’m going to buy her one as a gift,” he said in reply as he pulled the wagon to a stop and pulled on the brake.
“Can we afford it?” Charli asked, her voice a little louder than a whisper but not much. She was torn between the practicality of having a dog on the farm and the thought that it was a lot more money than she could afford.
“I told you I have some money put aside Charli. We can afford it,” he said with a smile. “Besides, I happen to agree with you that a dog would be a good investment when it comes to keeping the chickens protected.”
“I think we may have lost another one, maybe two,” Charli told him as her face dissolved into a concerned frown. “I couldn’t see any sign of a fox but I could have sworn I counted nineteen last time I checked.”
Ben did his best to hide his own concern. He had a niggling feeling someone was trying to sabotage his wife’s farming efforts. Proving it was going to be difficult. Ben wasn’t even sure he could do anything to stop it, unless he could somehow figure out who it was. What worried him even more was whether this person was a risk to Charli. Ben would do whatever it took to protect his wife.
Arriving at the Thompson’s put an end to further conversation. It didn’t take long for Charli to select the puppy she wanted from the available litter. One of the pups was a rich chocolate brown with one ear and eye that was covered in white fur. It had the cutest little face that made Charli want to kiss it. She rode home cuddling him close, thinking she could well be the luckiest woman on the earth.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“What do you mean he can sleep outside?” Charli asked Ben in outrage when he told her he’d made a little house for Max to sleep on the back porch. Charli had no idea when he’d had time to knock something together so quickly but there it was. “He’s too little to sleep outside,” she argued. “He can sleep with me.”
“In three days you’re moving into the bedroom with me and I am NOT sharing my bed with an animal, no matter how cute he may be,” Ben said decisively.
Charli wanted to argue that there was no way she was moving into his bed in three days’ time but for now chose to focus on the argument at hand. “He can sleep with me until I move in with you,” she suggested, being careful not to agree to the time frame specified. “Then he can sleep on the day bed by himself.”
Ben shook his head. “We’re not having an inside pet,” he told her firmly.
“He’s so little Ben,” Charli said, her eyes glistening with tears. “What if that fox comes back, or something worse? I won’t be able to sleep a wink worrying about him.”
Ben let out a long sigh. “All right,” he capitulated as he walked across the room and emptied a crate that was full of books. “He can sleep in the corner of the room in this crate,” he told her firmly. “But if I get up and find him in your bed, he’s going straight outside,” he added, his mouth grim. “Don’t test me on this Charli Rae because I won’t be swayed. Now pass him here and I’ll take him out before we put him to bed.”
Charli cuddled Max even closer, reluctant to relinquish him to her bully of a husband. “You promise you won’t leave him outside?” she challenged him when Ben put his hands out to take the dog.
; “I’m a man of my word Charli,” Ben said with an exasperated sigh. “If I say you’re getting a spanking, you’ll get one. If I say I’ll let the dog sleep inside, I will.”
Her face blushed at his mention of a spanking, but Charli released her tight hold on the puppy, allowing Ben to take him from her and carry him outside. She busied herself finding some old rags to make the bed more comfortable.
“When he’s bigger, he needs to move outside,” Ben said as he helped her settle Max in the crate. “He won’t make much of a watch dog if he’s always inside.” Charli had to concede that he did have a point there. No fox was going to be scared away by an inside dog.
When Max was settled, Ben took Charli in his arms, smiling to himself when he felt her relax against him. “Thank you, Ben,” she said softly as her head rested on his strong chest. “It was a very thoughtful gift!”
“You’re welcome,” Ben responded with a satisfied smile. Charli could feel the deep rumble in his chest when he spoke, and it brought her a sense of comfort and security. Ben gently tilted her head up, so she was looking in his eyes then slowly bent down and covered her lips with his own, careful not unleash all the passion he felt inside, lest he scare her away. He was pleased when Charlotte’s eyes drifted closed and she melted into him. She didn’t really return the embrace, but she wasn’t fighting it either. “Come to bed with me Charli,” he whispered to her. “Let me hold you as we drift off to sleep.”