He sighed. He would have to put his hands on her sooner or later. He was only delaying the inevitable as it was.
“Listen, Caitlyn. If you’ll come down at once and submit to the punishment you earned, then afterward, I’ll hold you as you wish.”
She looked down at him, considering, the corners of her mouth drawn down in the most charming little frown.
“And I caution you, I’m not normally one to bargain, especially not in situations like this. However, your honesty and openness has moved me. You have thirty seconds to decide what to do. After that my offer to hold you is withdrawn.”
It was her turn to sigh. She looked down at him warily.
“How much will it hurt?”
“It’s a punishment, Cait. It’s not going to feel good.”
“How long will it last?”
“No more questions. Make your decision. Just remember, your punishment comes either way, so the best choice should be obvious. You have ten seconds left to decide.”
With another soft sigh, she threw down her apple core and began to ease herself from the crook of the branch.
“Be careful. Come slowly.” He instinctively positioned himself below her in case she should fall. When she was in arm’s reach of him, he took her waist in his hands and lifted her to the ground. Her arms came around his shoulders for balance and her face leaned close to his. He could smell the sweetness of apple on her lips, on her sticky hands.
Reluctantly she met his gaze. “I’m sorry,” she said, fighting back tears. “I’m not usually so bad.”
“Aren’t you, Cait?” he replied skeptically.
“Well,” she whispered, “I don’t want to be. I don’t want you to punish me.”
He watched her hands as they clasped and unclasped in front of her. She looked up at him mournfully.
“I just want you to...to like me. I don’t want you to be unhappy with me.” Two fat tears rolled down her cheeks and she stared at his hands while she sniffled under his gaze.
“It will make me happy if you obey me, Cait. And if you submit gracefully to punishment when you don’t. No more climbing up in trees to delay the inevitable.”
She stole another anxious glance into his eyes, to find them sympathetic and kind.
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to be better.”
“I’m sure you will. Afterward all will be forgiven.” He reached for her wrist and grasped it. “And hopefully a lesson will be learned.”
“I’ve already learned my lesson. Believe me, I have.”
He shook his head. “That won’t work. It won’t ever work with me.”
He pulled her resisting figure over to a nearby stump. He sat and drew her over his lap.
“And I don’t mean to frighten you, or hurt you capriciously. I only mean to teach you to obey.”
He began to draw up the skirt of her gown, his hands skimming over the hem to touch her pale, lovely skin. His eyes drank in her shapely legs as they were revealed to him. She was rigid across his lap, blushing red.
“Everyone will see if you punish me here. Can’t you do it somewhere more private?”
“No.” If he took her anywhere private right now things would end only one way. “There’s no one at work in the orchard this afternoon. If you are quiet enough, no one will know.”
“Please!” she pleaded as he bared her bottom to his gaze, trying to cover herself with her hands. “Please, I’m—”
“Ashamed? You should be for your behavior today.” He took her hands and held them fast at the small of her back. He couldn’t help noticing how tiny they were. She was so delicate. Now, holding her petite frame across his lap, he was more certain than ever that she’d never withstand childbirth. All the more reason to rule her with a heavy hand. “Now lie still across my lap.”
He spanked her once, watching the pink blush spread across her cheek. He spanked the other cheek and she moaned, a desperate pleading sound in her throat. He was only warming her up, just getting started. He intended to spank her soundly, but to his chagrin, he found himself distracted by her perfect, round globes. He spanked again, and again. She cried out and wiggled as a scarlet flush spread across her bottom. Spank marks soon rose to the surface. My God, the way she tensed waiting for the blows. The entire exercise was ridiculously arousing. Focus. The important thing was to teach her that disobedience was not acceptable. He increased the intensity, tightening his grip on her when she began to struggle.
“Please, that hurts! Please stop!”
“Hush.”
He continued to rain strict, stinging spanks on her bottom until her fervent pleas turned to helpless moans and breathless sobs.
“Okay,” he said finally, resting his hand on her trembling, bruised cheeks. “I believe I’ve made my point.”
She didn’t answer, only lay limp over his lap, her soft cries and whimpers a more erotic sound to him than any on earth.
“Okay,” he murmured. “It’s over now.” He allowed himself one final caress, brushing his open palm slowly across her burning skin. He pulled her skirts back down over her lovely bottom, her silken thighs. He took a deep breath, trying to erase the memory before it drove him mad. He pulled her up into his lap. He held her as he’d promised to, cradling her close. She sobbed into his chest, squirming as her sore bottom contacted the hardness of his thighs.
“Cait.” He stroked her hair lightly. “It’s over now. Do you feel you’ve learned your lesson?”
“Yes! I don’t like it when you’re angry with me. I don’t ever want you to do that again. It hurt!”
“I hope it will hurt for a while, lass. I meant for it to. A lingering reminder.” He rested his chin on top of her curls.
“But it...it feels good to be held,” she whispered.
Lord, but the lass told the truth. It felt too good. His rod had begun to rise the moment he drew her skirt up. Now he was aching and heavy with need. He shifted, trying not to reveal the extent of his desire. He’d put her through enough for one afternoon.
“How long will you hold me?” she asked, nestling her head into his neck so that he felt the wetness of her tears.
Forever. As long as I possibly can. Which means I shouldn’t be holding you at all.
“It’s getting late, Caitlyn,” he said. “We should return to the keep.”
* * * * *
Cait slumped against his chest, enjoying the final moments of closeness with him. The rocking motion of the horse made her sore bottom smart anew with each step. Well, she had wanted his attention and she’d gotten it. Who knew when next she’d get it again? She was still considering if it had been worth it now that she’d had a taste of punishment over his lap. Devil indeed. It was an apt name for him, because her bottom hurt like the devil and his hand had given her pain like Beelzebub himself.
It had hurt more than anything she’d ever experienced. Perhaps she’d led a protected life in her cottage in the woods but she’d never, ever been struck in anger, with the intention to inflict pain. Even now her bottom throbbed, felt twice its usual size. But afterward, to be cradled in his arms...that had made it all worthwhile.
She could have snuggled against him for an eternity. Never mind that he had just spanked her so that she’d broken down in tears. It was all forgotten the moment he gathered her up in his arms and held her close. She had felt so lonely, so unwanted and bereft since Erma had died and circumstances had thrust her into the cold, wide world alone. It felt so amazing just to be held, just to be touched. Even if he’d only done it to get her down out of the tree, it was still the most wonderful moment she’d had in weeks.
Even now, leaning back against him while
they returned to the courtyard, she still basked in his comforting warmth. How on earth had she not realized how cold she’d become? She shifted to press back even closer to him. Her thighs rested on top of his, and her head nestled perfectly under his chin so that each time he moved she could feel it. Closer, closer still…
“Enough.” His voice rumbled against her ear. His hands clamped down on her hips, holding them away from him. “Sit still.”
“It hurts.”
“I know. It’s supposed to. Now cease your squirming before everyone in town knows exactly what happened to you.”
She blushed. Would they know? The townspeople threw many smiling glances their way. The earl and his new bride, how charming. Hopefully none of them realized what he’d just done to her. That would be too humiliating. She looked down at his rough, suntanned hands on the reins in front of her. How striking they were. She’d known almost no men in her sheltered existence, and been this close to no other man at all, not ever in her life. She’d never even imagined a man might touch her where he’d touched her, on her bare skin, on her bottom, that he might hit her there so mercilessly with stinging, burning slaps. She supposed this type of thing must go on between man and wife or he wouldn’t have done it so matter-of-factly to her.
But for her, there was nothing matter-of-fact about it. It had been a traumatic day, and she was awfully upset over what he’d forced her to submit to. Although to be honest, she had asked to be punished. She had intentionally disobeyed him and been quite disrespectful at the same time. He had told her exactly what would happen. She’d disobeyed him anyway and reaped the consequences. So why did she feel more needful of him than ever? Why was she dismayed that they were almost to the keep?
He dismounted in the courtyard and lifted her down. His expression remained darkened by a frown.
“Are you still angry with me?” she asked.
“No. But I’ve wasted the better part of the afternoon dealing with your disobedience. I have work to do. I want you to go to your room and stay there until dinner and think over your behavior today.”