He suddenly smacked her hard on each cheek, and she yelped in surprise. He lightly traced a finger over the lines left by his punishing hands. She moaned as a chill ran through her body. His finger continued to move over her swollen behind, just barely in contact with her bruised skin.
The sensation on her tingling and burning flesh made her core relax and open. How could she be so turned on? This man had hit her until she could barely stand it, and now his finger was driving her mad. Her arousal grew as his hand moved slowly down, closer to the soft, silken valley between her legs. Her breathing quickened, and she started to writhe in pleasure and pain.
Then his hand moved to the back of her thighs, slipping between her legs teasingly before returning to her bottom. Part of her welcomed his soothing touch on her swollen skin. Her heart was racing, and she heard herself panting. She was dismayed that she was so aroused and wanted him so badly. This was all very confusing. She couldn't deal with it now. She'd have to think about this later when she wasn't crazed with discomfort—and pleasure.
He stopped his ministrations and pulled her underwear roughly up over her raw buttocks.
"Ow, ow, ow," she screeched.
He let go of her legs, and she stood up awkwardly with her hands still cuffed behind her back. Her heart continued to race as she squirmed with the unsatisfied ache between her legs. She didn't know which punishment was worse, the painful spanking or leaving her in this state of intense arousal without resolution.
Kenna felt the heat of his body on her back. She wanted him badly. But she also wanted to get as far away from him as possible. She'd never felt this way about a man.
"Are you going to give me any more trouble, little miss? Do I need to keep you handcuffed?" he asked.
"No, I'll behave. I just want to lie down and rest," she said, giving in to her situation.
At least he didn't seem mad anymore. His anger had dissipated once he had completed her "lesson.”
He removed the handcuffs from her battered wrists, which had already been rubbed raw by her captors' ropes.
"Okay." He pulled her around and looked her in the eye. "You realize this was for your own good, don't you? You didn't take my warning seriously, so I had to tan your hide. Maybe that'll help you listen the next time I speak to you."
Kenna nodded slowly as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Yes, I'll listen."
His face softened. "You could have been killed or worse. I'm just trying to keep you safe."
She nodded contritely.
"All right, then." He slowly released her arms.
She knelt down, still dizzy from her head injury but not wanting to sit on her bruised bottom. He went to his horse and untied the bedroll behind the saddle. When he came over to her, she flinched away from his touch.
He spread the bedding on the ground and pointed to it. "I ain't going to hurt you anymore. Get some sleep."
When she didn't react, he pointed to the blanket again. She moved over to it and onto her side, curling up in a ball to protect herself. She felt miserable. She didn't really think he'd hurt her beyond a spanking. But she couldn't be sure. Maybe she was wrong about him. She sobbed softly and cried herself to sleep again. How could he be this mean? She'd just had the biggest scare of her life, and she didn't need to be spanked too. She wanted him so badly but wasn't sure she wanted to be with a man who was so dangerous and had such a mean streak.
He had hurt her instead of showing her sympathy and compassion. She'd been hit on the head and scared to death, and all he could think of doing was to hurt her even more. She knew this was at least partly her fault and he was upset with her. He was also not happy that he'd had to kill those two men. But if they had listened to her and hadn't been so awful, both men would still be alive. Kenna couldn't help thinking that, by killing those two men, Jack had probably saved some other poor woman from the same fate that may have befallen her.
* * *
Jack sat by the fire feeling sorry for Kenna even though the rough treatment had been for her own good. He might be able to keep her safe if she had actually learned her lesson this time! He fought the urge to go over and hold her while she cried, knowing that if he got too close to her, he wouldn't be able to control himself, and then he'd be no better than the Slade boys.
He had been so scared that she was hurt when he had seen her tied up on the floor. Since he had first met Kenna, he couldn't imagine his life without her. When he thought about his future, she was part of it. But now wasn't the time to assert his ownership of her, although she did respond to him. She had been so wet when he'd felt between her legs after the spanking, just like both times before. He knew she wanted more, but she had to understand that he wouldn't move this relationship further unless she behaved. Jack didn't want a woman who had no sense and kept running off. He had known she'd end up in trouble sooner or later, and she was damned lucky that he'd found her when he did.
He had been looking for her all day yesterday, and it had been light enough with the nearly full moon to allow his search to continue all night. At dawn, he had finally seen her horse wandering around at the edge of the tree line. It was as if the little buckskin was watching for help to come. And, sure enough, when he had gotten closer, the mare had taken off into the trees and Jack had followed. He'd soon realized that Arwen was headed toward the edge of the Slade ranch. He had urged his horse forward and maneuvered quickly through the sparsely treed forest. He had known where he was going and passed by Arwen, who followed along behind.
Jack had dismounted when he got close to a cabin the ranch hands used when they were looking for stray cattle in the hills. He saw Chet Watkins, a man who was wanted for murder in two states. He'd wasted no time and shot the man twice where he stood. Jack didn't want him anywhere near his town. A ranch hand named Emery had come around the other side of the cabin. Jack had tackled him, and the man's gun went off harmlessly into the air. Jack had then pushed Emery into the cabin, and when he saw Kenna tied up on the floor, he snapped Emery's neck without remorse. Both men were trouble, and Jack was okay with dealing with them harshly.
He would ride back with his deputies tomorrow and pick up the bodies as they each had a sizeable bounty on their heads. But for now, he'd take care of Kenna and try to find a way to make her stay in town.
14
Ride Home
The sheriff stayed awake all night, guarding Kenna as she slept and watching the slow rise and fall of her small body. She was a sweet little thing. Except for the problematic attitude. An attitude like hers could get her into trouble again, and he may not be around to save her next time. He'd have to keep an eye on her and make sure she had learned her lesson. If she hadn't, then he'd be forced to spank her again. Kenna seemed smart enough, so he should be able to knock some sense into her eventually. A little short-term pain was worth keeping her alive. He needed her to be safe. She was more trouble than he had the patience for, but if she could be brought under control, she'd make a fine wife.
* * *
Jack kicked dirt into the fire as dawn broke across the sky.
Kenna heard his movement and woke up slowly. She rolled onto her backside, for a moment, then yelped in pain as she quickly remembered what had happened the night before. Embarrassed and humiliated, she couldn't face Jack.
"So," he said, "you think you finally learned your lesson?"
Kenna looked at him cautiously. His head was tilted sideways as if he was sizing her up. "Sure," she said sleepily and got up, careful to sit on her hip and not on her excruciatingly sore bottom. She wished he would speak to her like an adult instead of a child. Honestly, he was a reasonably smart man; you'd think he could say something other than 'Have you learned your lesson?' If she heard him say that one more time, she thought she would scream! She was insanely attracted to him, but he could be so obtuse. And that's what she'd have to deal with from now on.
That's what I get for falling in lust and love with a cowboy from the Old West, she thought resignedly.
"
Good. I'll be watching you. If I see that you haven't quite got it right, I'll surely tan your hide again. This ain't necessarily the last time you and I have a little discussion over my knee." He looked at her pointedly. He was dead serious.
Kenna's eyes widened in fear as she nodded her acceptance of the situation. She sullenly watched Jack pull some bread and dried meat out of his saddlebag. He handed her a chunk of each, which she accepted gratefully.
She stared into the ashes of the fire that had kept them warm the night before. If Jack knew what she had been up to in the mountains, he would realize that she wasn't some silly young woman riding around aimlessly. She'd had a purpose and had been taking a calculated risk. It would be so much easier if she could be completely honest with him. But she couldn't.
Funny, she thought, it's a comfort to know where the base is, even though I probably can't go back. It was her escape hatch, in case her life with Jack went very wrong. The base gave her a sense of having some control over her life, which she needed in a culture where she was always being reminded that she had no power. If she agreed to be Jack's wife, he would control her. He would actually own her, kind of like a horse, which was frightening but also gave her a sense of protection and safety that she hadn't felt since before her parents died. There was no man with whom she would feel safer with than Jack. Not in this time period, or any other, for that matter. She knew she had to give this life a chance and see if she could live with trading her independence for safety and passion.
As they sat eating their breakfast, Jack watched her intently. "I was thinking that I can't keep an eye on you properly unless I know where you are all the time. At the boarding house, it's easy to lose track of you."
Kenna looked at him through swollen eyes as she shifted onto her other hip. She was listening to him but was thinking about how agonizing the ride home would be. Advil. There should be some left in my saddlebag. Three or four should take the edge off the ride home, she thought with some relief. Chocolate. She deeply regretted not packing the rest of the chocolate bars with the painkillers! A good chocolate binge would definitely ease her discomfort. But that was not to be. She let out an audible sigh of dismay at her lack of planning.
"Are you listening to me?" Jack asked, scowling at her.
"Yes, I'm listening. I was just thinking about how much the ride home is going to hurt."
"Well, it serves you right. It'll give you some time to reflect on your actions these past few days. It'll be a hell of a lot less painful than what could've happened to you if I hadn't found you last night. You just chew on that for a while."
Kenna sighed audibly again. "I know how lucky I am that you found me so quickly. I realize I was overconfident, thinking no one would bother me if I dressed like a man and minded my own business. I was wrong. Horribly wrong."
"Yep, damn right you were wrong. I tried to make you understand, but you wouldn't listen." He shook his head.
"I know. You were right. I should've listened to you. I should've thought up a way to write interesting stories without putting myself in danger. I've never been so scared in all my life, and I can promise you I'll never ride out of town alone like that again."
Unless, of course, I want to go back to the base and leave this life behind, she thought. She had fulfilled her contract, and she would be justified in taking the company to court if they refused to pay her.
"Well, all right, then. I believe we have reached an understanding," Jack said. "I'm happy about that. Now, you know I have strong feelings for you, and I think we should get married. Like I said, I can't keep track of you at the boarding house, so I think it's time for me to build a house for us. I own the land beside Bobby's house, and if you're living there, the neighbors can keep an eye out for you until I'm darn sure that you won't go running off out of town again."
"Married? Are you really asking me to marry you, Jack?" Kenna said, unable to restrain a smirk.
"Well, yes, ma'am, I guess I am," Jack said with a grin.
Kenna beamed. "I'd love to marry you."
Jack took her up in his arms and kissed her soundly. She noticed he was careful to support her so she wouldn't roll onto her sore bottom.
"I can't imagine my life without you, Kenna. You're a pain in the arse, but you're well worth the trouble. I love you."
She looked up at him and… Were his eyes really welling up with tears? Just ever so slightly? She had almost laughed at him when he had said she was a "pain in the arse," but she was glad she hadn't and had let him finish. She couldn't help thinking every minute about her sore "arse"!
"I love you, too, Jack. I can't imagine my life without you, either."
"Well, damn! I think I'm the happiest man alive right now. I know our marriage won't be easy because you're so headstrong, and I'm used to getting my own way too. We have more than enough lightning between us to keep us together, though," he said with a wicked grin.
Kenna finally allowed herself to laugh. "Yes, we do have that, Jack! We'll have to be patient with each other. I know that doesn't come easy to either of us."
"No, it does not," Jack said sincerely as he shook his head.
She smiled at him and hugged him hard. Life with Jack wouldn't be comfortable all of the time, but she was willing to do her best. Having their own house and starting a life together was everything she'd dreamed about. It was finally going to happen.
He pulled away from her gently. "We should get back to town. This ain't the end of my dealings with the Slade boys. They're going to find their men, and they'll be looking for who killed 'em. I don't want to run into them out here."
Kenna felt the chill of fear and nodded. "I don't, either." She slowly made her way to Arwen as Jack went to break camp and saddle his horse.
She found her Advil in her saddlebag and swallowed them dry. Steadying herself against her horse, she put on the bridle. Jack came over and saddled Arwen, then he helped her mount her horse.
"Are you going to be able to ride on your own?"
"Yes, I think so," she said as she eased into the saddle.
He looked up at her with his dark-blue eyes. "We'll just ride slow for a while and see how things go."
"That sounds good," she said, smiling down at him.
He mounted his horse and led the way back to town.
This is how her life would be from now on, she thought. Jack leading, with her following.
She was fine with that.
15
Home
Kenna watched the bacon and eggs cooking in the frying pan on her very own brand-new wood stove. It was big and black with a large oven. She'd gotten used to not burning things on top of the stove, but she was still having a few minor disasters in the oven. The bread didn't always turn out as planned, so she always started it right after lunch in case she had to mix up another batch of dough. Cooking was actually enjoyable, she discovered, now that she had the time. She had always thought of it as a chore, just one more thing to do before she could sit and relax after her long commute home from work in rush hour. She didn't miss the job or the stress of driving in heavy traffic.
She looked over her shoulder at the two men sitting at her kitchen table, looking through a stack of papers. Kenna sighed. Her two favorite men in her very own house. Life had turned out better than she had expected.
She took the frying pan off the stove and dished the eggs and bacon onto three plates. Jack was munching on a slice of bread thickly covered in butter. It was a good thing he got plenty of exercise because he ate a lot and all the time. When she'd started cooking for him, she hadn't realized how much a man could eat.
She had bought potatoes yesterday and thought she would attempt making potato chips later today. She'd successfully managed to make French fries, and Jack had fallen in love with those instantly. Kenna had considered that maybe getting him hooked on fried food wasn't such a good idea, but you only live once. And she missed her junk food.
As she handed the men their breakfast and sat down to eat hers,
they both thanked her but barely looked up from their papers.
"Oh, Kenna," Bobby said, "Mary asked me if you'd go over to our house and help her do the books this week. She doesn't have much time with the new baby." He grinned proudly.
"Sure, no problem. I'll go over in an hour or so," she chirped. She was happy with her life, but after being married for four months, she'd fallen into a routine and was ready for a new challenge. The business was doing very well, and now she'd been asked to help with the books. It was a start!
Since first considering the possibility of staying with Jack, Kenna had been apprehensive about how she would fit in with the slower pace of this lifestyle after being used to the noise and commotion of a large city. But the town of Forest Hills was growing in anticipation of the railroad line being built, so there was something new happening every week. New people were arriving, and new businesses were starting up. It was quite enough commotion for her. She was surprised by how quickly she had adjusted to her new reality.
She also didn't miss binge-watching her favorite television series or going to the movies. The regular activities of her past life were quickly being replaced. If she had already tidied the house and was bored, she would curl up and read a book or have coffee on the porch of the boarding house while watching the action around town. Now that she had been introduced around as the sheriff's wife, there was always someone to visit with.
When she wanted to be useful, she would work at the large general store on Main Street. It was growing and the owners were always happy to have her help unpacking shipments and restocking shelves. She would be paid with whatever caught her fancy and was the first to see what came in every couple of weeks. Kenna picked out some nice things to decorate the house and was always updating her wardrobe. Jack had built her a very large closet in their house at her request. And, of course, if chocolate came in with an order, she'd bring a bar or two home. Life in the Old West was just fine.
Sheriff's Desire: Time-Travel (Escape To The Wild West Book 1) Page 10