by Alix West
He kissed the top of her head. “It’s none of my business. It’s none of anyone’s business. If you had told me, I might not have even read it until now.”
Her shoulders softened and she drew a deep shuddering sigh. He felt her heartbeat slow and her breathing grow even.
She laughed softly. “And then it would be too late. You’d be stuck with me.”
“I am stuck with you. Impossible woman.”
She squeezed him. “I liked touching you.”
“And you think that makes you wicked, doesn’t it?”
“A little.”
“And you are wicked, but not because of that, but because you sass me and disobey me. And you thought I was going to spend time in another woman’s bed. Hell, I’m going to start a list of all the naughty things you do.” He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. “And I’m going to spank you plenty. Because I like it and I think you like it too.”
She scoffed. “Now I think you’re the wicked one.”
He turned down the lantern and the room was dark. “You’re going to find out just how wicked when your thirty days are up.”
Chapter Seven
Charlotte
Will sent Silas and Mary and the cowboys back to the ranch. He kept Charlotte in Fort Worth for several days. During the day, he took her to various shops. First, they went to a saddle shop where he ordered a lady’s saddle. Next, they went to a fabric shop, so she could stock up on material for dresses for her and shirts for him. Finally, they went to a jeweler to buy her a wedding ring, a gold band with a single diamond.
At night, they’d go out for dinner or eat in the room. She slept beside him, wrapped in his arms at night. He made no suggestion regarding marital relations. Every so often she’d find him gazing at her with a dark and hungered look, but he treated her gently. Almost reverently.
Will bought a new horse and buggy for the ride home. They got an early start and were soon beyond the town’s busy streets. Will offered the reins to Charlotte and she eagerly took them.
“I’ve never done anything like this,” she marveled. “I quite like it, Mr. Travis.”
“You’re doing very well. Wait till your saddle is delivered and I’ll take you out on horseback.”
The time they’d spent in Fort Worth had been like a dream to her. As she guided the little bay mare along the country roads, she wondered how things would go once they returned to the ranch. Her feelings seemed to be in constant turmoil. She wanted to be near him and even yearned to know what it would be like to live as his wife, and yet, she relished this time where he doted on her, expecting very little in return.
The trip home took only a single day. Without the cattle they could take a shorter route. As they turned down the road that lead to the Travis Ranch, her heart stuttered against her ribs.
She glanced at Will and he knit his brow.
“What’s the matter, Charlotte?”
“We have eighteen more days.”
“I’m aware.” His voice was a seductive rumble that made her shiver.
“I should sleep in my own room.”
“I thought you liked sleeping next to me. You make these sweet sounds in the night. They almost sound like you want more than for me to just hold you.”
“I do?”
He nodded.
“I don’t feel that way,” she said primly. “Of course I don’t want you do more than simply hold me.”
He held her in his gaze and his expression was inscrutable. For a moment she wondered if she’d angered him but then his lips twitched.
“Who said anything about me wanting you in my bed?”
“P-pardon?” She dropped hold of the reins.
Calmly he bent over to pick it up and hand it back to her. “I didn’t invite you to sleep with me. We spent the night together in Fort Worth because I only had one hotel room.”
He drawled his words carelessly, toying with her. She’d forgotten what a beast he was. He’d charmed her in Fort Worth, but he was still a beast, after all.
“You’re not allowed in my bed. If I find you there, I’ll punish you.”
He chuckled, pleased with himself, and Charlotte found she had no response to such an outrageous comment. She pushed her shoulders back, lifted her chin and concentrated on driving the buggy. Without looking at Will, she knew he was enjoying her indignation.
“Another thing, I’ve decided you can wear your trousers. You’ll need them when we ride.”
She wondered if he was toying with her and turned to look at him, but he merely shrugged a shoulder. “I mean it. I want to take you out, spend time with you and I can’t take you riding if you’re in one of your pretty dresses.”
She nodded and said nothing. When they arrived at the ranch, Will was called away almost immediately. Two bulls had fought that morning and Silas asked him to take a look at one of the bulls who’d been injured. Charlotte was left alone in the quiet house.
She unpacked her valise and put her things away. The afternoon gave way to evening. Will didn’t return, and Charlotte dined without him. After dinner, she went to his study and wandered around, looking at the books in his bookshelves and the pictures on the walls.
A decanter of amber liquid sat on a small end table and she poured herself a small glass. The spirits smelled and tasted like kerosene, but she finished it anyway. Another hour passed. With a sigh, she went upstairs to her room and changed into her nightgown.
A short time later, the front door opened and closed, and his footsteps ascended the stairs. He came into her room and to her bedside.
“Good evening, Mr. Travis.”
Her tone was teasing. She wanted to give him a little taste of his own medicine.
“Have you been drinking, Mrs. Travis?”
“Just one small glass.”
“I see.”
In the darkness, she smiled. His tone sounded disappointed.
“Were you hoping I was intoxicated?”
“How can I be sure that you’re not?”
“I only had one glass.”
“I think you should sleep with me in case you feel unwell in the night.”
She sat bolt upright in bed. “I don’t believe that’s a good idea at all, Mr. Travis. You alluded to punishing me if you found me in your bed. This seems very much like a trick.”
“I think your punishment is long overdue. I didn’t want to spank you in the hotel because you might have screamed and alarmed the hotel staff.”
“I certainly would not have screamed. That’s-”
But her words were cut off. He snatched her off the bed, threw her over his shoulder and carried her out of the room. She stifled a scream but just barely. Instead she thrashed and flailed, twisting in his arms. A sharp sting on her bottom made her gasp.
Inside his room he set her down but didn’t release her. It was utterly dark. She was disoriented. In the next instant he’d tossed her over his lap. “Hands on the floor, sweet Charlotte.”
She gave a small, feminine growl and he laughed.
“You like it as much as I do, sweetheart. The last time I spanked this ass, you wriggled and squirmed, and not because I was hurting you.”
Before she could respond, he lifted her gown and pushed past her waist. She stilled, frozen with a new alarm. When he tugged her panties down, a small whimper fell from her lips.
He leaned over to whisper. “Sure wish I had the light on. I’d like to see you like this. Next time.”
He cupped her bottom with a warm hand, making a shudder roll down her body. Warmth and slick arousal heated her sex. If he knew he’d never let her forget it.
The spanking felt entirely different from the first time. His hand coming down on her bare skin was a hundred times more arousing and she could only lay helpless as waves of need washed over her. Like the last time, he gave her ten. Her skin stung. Her breasts ached, and her desire practically dripped down her thighs.
He pulled her panties up and lifted her. “You want the sam
e filthy things I want, Charlotte.” His voice was rough with desire. “You can deny me for the entire thirty days, but I want you in my bed every night.”
As he rose from the chair, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. He tucked her under the covers and a few moments later got in bed and pulled her into his arms.
“This, Charlotte.” He tightened his hold and nuzzled her neck. Speaking softly, he went on brushing his mouth over the tender skin of her neck. “This is how we’ll always sleep. Together. I won’t be parted from you.”
Chapter Eight
Will
She thought he was domineering.
He’d carried her back to his bed, like some sort of brute, and in the days that followed she liked to drop words like domineering and overbearing and impossible. That evening she ventured out to the barn to share a few more words after he’d left a note at lunch instructing her to make herself a few nightgowns not inspired by Catholic nuns.
“I’m very comfortable in those gowns, I’ll have you know. I sleep like a baby in my flannel gowns.”
She followed him around the barn, fussing like a wet hen. He smiled and nodded but gave her no indication he would change his mind. He rolled his barrow down the aisle, stopping at each stall to deposit grain in the troughs.
“You have a husband to keep you warm, sweetheart. I don’t think you’ll be needing a gown at all in a few days.”
She paled. “No gown at all?”
“None, Charlotte. And if you’re chilled in the night you just need to tap me on the shoulder.”
He moved from stall to stall, checking the mares as he went. The broodmares pinned their ears and kicked the walls as he drew near. They were ravenous and uncomfortable with heavy, fat bellies, and they seemed to think that the other mares would steal their grain. The instant he filled the trough, they quieted. At the end of the aisle, he paused, his scoop of grain poised over the trough. The mare stood on the far side of the stall, a sheen of sweat glistening across her flanks.
“What’s the matter?” Charlotte asked.
Will set the grain back in the barrow. “Mandy’s getting ready to foal.”
Charlotte came to his side and peered over the wall.
“I might not be home for dinner,” Will said quietly. “This is her first and I want to stay with her.”
“I’ll stay with you.”
He glanced at her and noted her dress. “It might be a while, sweetheart. You’re not exactly dressed for helping deliver a foal.”
“I don’t mind. If you’re staying to help her, I’d like to stay and help you.”
“It’s usually a pretty long and dull ordeal. Ninety-nine percent boredom and one percent panic. That’s what my daddy used to say about birthing foals.”
She gazed at the mare. Her features were taut, her attention riveted, and her shoulders hitched a bit higher than usual. “I don’t mind boredom. Besides, if I’m with you, I won’t be bored.”
He took her hand and drew her inside the stall. Mandy’s ears flicked back as she noted their presence, but she remained still, laboring with her first foal. He sat quietly in the corner with Charlotte beside him, seated in the straw. Every so often she smiled at him, her eyes brimming with girlish excitement.
The mare grew restless and pawed the ground. When she lay down in the straw, Will brought a rolled bandage and wrapped her tail. He spoke soothingly and stroked the mare’s flank. Slowly he moved to the side of the stall and lowered to the straw. He tugged Charlotte into his arms. Sitting against the wall, he coaxed her back against him and together they watched Mandy labor with her foal.
Her body tightened with contractions. After some time, with little to show for her efforts, a small hoof finally appeared. When the other hoof and the foal’s head appeared, Charlotte gripped Will’s arm. They sat quietly as the foal eased into the world. The mare lifted her head and looked behind her to where her foal lay in the straw.
Will waited to see if the animal would free itself from the afterbirth. If it didn’t he would help. With a jerk, it kicked and flailed. The bag tore. Mandy nickered and rose from the hay. The foal’s bag ripped more as the mare stood. She turned to nose her baby, sniffing its head. After several improbable attempts the foal staggered to its feet.
Charlotte’s eyes glistened and she wiped tears from her cheek. Will kissed her head and got to his feet. He patted the mare’s nose. “Good girl. You’ve got a beauty there. A pretty bay, just like you, but with the daddy’s markings.”
He crouched. “A filly.”
Charlotte said nothing, only nodding, her face filled with wonder.
The foal staggered to her mother’s side and a moment later, nursed vigorously.
Will got a bucket of water and a few rags and gently cleaned the mare. He tidied the stall and gave the mare fresh bedding. When he’d given her an extra ration of grain and hay, he took Charlotte’s hand and they returned to the house.
They ate dinner but not in the usual quiet. Instead, they debated names for the filly.
“I don’t see what’s wrong with Cinnamon,” Charlotte insisted.
“I always name the foal with the same letter as the mother’s name.”
Charlotte’s eyes lit with delight. “Maple?”
“That doesn’t sound very feminine.”
The debate continued into the evening. Charlotte emerged from her dressing room, clad in one of the gowns he disliked. He gave her a frown, mocking his chagrin, but said nothing.
“You were so sweet with Mandy, tending to her.” She tugged the blankets up and smiled at him with a look of admiration and pleasure. She’d never given him that before, and while he didn’t think he’d done anything special, her response made him absurdly happy. He grinned and shook his head as he unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside.
“One day, I’ll carry our little one, Will.” She set her hand over her stomach and gazed at him with a warmth burning in her eyes. “God willing. And then imagine the arguments we’ll have about names.”
He felt the blood drain from his face. Of course, he’d thought about children. He’d imagined them with the first letter he wrote Charlotte, but the possibility took on a different light somehow. She was slender. Delicate. She had lovely curves, but she was narrow, too. How could she possibly manage to bring a little one into the world?
“Most husbands don’t stay with their wives when they give birth.” She spoke softly.
He stepped closer, stopping at the foot of the bed and grasped the top of the footboard. “I’ll do whatever you want, Charlotte.”
“I think I would want you near. Holding my hand, perhaps.”
He nodded. His throat felt tight and dry. “Of course.”
She sat up and frowned. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he replied gruffly. He turned away and finished undressing. When he returned to the bed, he reached for the lantern and caught Charlotte smiling at him.
“You’re very pale, Will. You can’t attend the birth if you’re going to faint.”
“I won’t faint,” he snapped. He rubbed his brow, wiping the sheen of sweat away, and turned down the wick. The room plunged into darkness and he moved to her side. He gave her gown a quick tug. “Enjoy your gowns while you can. I’m going to confiscate them when the thirty days are up.”
Charlotte laughed softly. She turned in his arms and rested her head on his chest. Her breathing grew deep. She sank against him and sighed as she drifted off to sleep. Will lay awake in the dark, listening to her measured breaths and feeling her heartbeat against his side. Her hand rested over his heart, laying claim to the one thing he never intended to offer.
Chapter Nine
Charlotte
For a man who’d claimed he wanted nothing to do with romance or love, Will certainly indulged her a great deal. In Fort Worth, he bought her the prettiest lady’s saddle. The saddle maker put her name on a brass plate and affixed it to the back. Seeing her name in the swirly letters gave her a li
ttle thrill each time she saw it.
Will had her ride the mare several times in the corral. He told her she was a natural and after only three times in the saddle agreed to take her out on the trail with him. He’d led the mare on a lead line for the first few rides. For the last two outings she’d ridden on her own.
That morning they rode to a far pasture to check on a herd of cattle.
“Only two more days, Mrs. Travis.”
He rode beside her, mounted on his roan gelding. It had been a few days since he’d shaved and his smile contrasted with his short beard. He looked like an outlaw, the glint in his eye not helping his wicked appearance.
“I know that, Mr. Travis. You’ve reminded me every day.”
They rode up a steep embankment, and the mare broke into a canter, following the gelding. Charlotte grabbed the horse’s mane and leaned forward like Will had instructed. At the top of the hill, they continued riding side by side, slowing the horses back to a walk.
“Is that enough time, Charlotte?” he asked, his tone softer. “Have I wooed you sufficiently? Is there something I can do to ease your fears?”
His smile was back.
She returned the smile. “I’m not afraid, Mr. Travis.”
He nodded. “No, I don’t believe you are. This morning I woke up at dawn with someone’s hand on my private parts. And it wasn’t mine.”
Heat burned her face. “I don’t believe you, Will. Honestly, I think you’re making it up.”
“I absolutely did not make it up. You had your sweet, delicate, ladylike hand over my manhood in a very unladylike position. I was quite shocked, really.”
“I’ll bet you were.”
“I was so surprised, I couldn’t get my wits together enough to remove your hand.”
“You left it there?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
“How thoughtful.”
“I am a thoughtful husband.”
They rode the length of the ridge, and as they rode into a dry creek bed, she glanced over at him. He wore a smirk and studied the ragged bank with a distracted look.