Daniel (3 page)

He saw the gleam of determination in her blue eyes and scooted further onto the bed, waiting, curious.

She crawled onto the feather mattress, her legs on each side of his, her gaze now focused on her goal. She rose up over the cock he held and slid down on him with a groan of delight. But when her sore bottom brushed against him, she sucked in a breath and frowned at him.

He could barely think straight, barely keep from driving upward. But her frown amused him and he said, "I'm not apologizing. You got your butt spanked and that's that."

She used her inner muscles to squeeze him until he moaned. Then she smiled in satisfaction. "I don't like getting spanked, Daniel. Not at all." She squeezed him again and trembled. "But I sure like this."

After that she rode him like she'd being doing it all her life. Neither of them lasted long and they cried out in release at nearly the same moment. Daniel wasn't sure he could ever move again and he sure didn't want her moving away from him. He encouraged her to stretch over him and then he held her tightly, fingering the long mass of hair that had fallen free during her wild ride.

He cupped the buttocks he'd spanked and she winced but didn't protest. She'd taken his punishment, accepted his desperate need for her, but he still worried about their future. "I love you, my Jennie."

"I love you, too," she whispered against him, her breathing becoming heavy. She didn't even seem aware that he was still inside her, that his shaft was growing again.

He tried to settle down, think about something besides waking her and taking her once more. She was tired from her trip. Probably even more tired from all that sobbing she'd done when he'd spanked her. He'd let her rest for now. It wasn't a hardship holding her to him. But it would be a hardship letting her go should she not accept his determination to stay here in Dryfork. He couldn't go back to Boston to live, even if it meant losing his wife. Which he sure as hell hoped he wouldn't.

Chapter Two

"I'll be home for supper around 5 or so," Daniel stated as he grabbed his hat from a peg by the door. He'd stayed here with Jennie for two days, getting her settled in, showing her around the small ranch. His brothers Ben and Adam had covered for him, but now he needed to get back to his job.

"I'm supposed to cook something, I assume," Jennie said, sounding less than thrilled. "On my own."

He glanced at her sitting at the table, looking warily at the big cookstove. His pretty wife could hold her own in society and hostess any fancy function, having been trained by her mother and having attended a young woman's school--which as far as he could figure out, had taught her nothing useful. She had no idea what to do in a kitchen. He'd learned that the hard way when she'd burst into tears and admitted as much her first night here. He'd tried to teach her what little he knew since then, which hadn't been much. He'd usually eaten his meals in town at the hotel's dining room or at Thompson's Cafe. Most of his brothers did the same.

As if she read his thoughts, she raised her chin and snapped, "I can learn to do this! I'm sick and tired of you sighing in disgust and saying 'This isn't going to work out' every time I fail at something. I am not hopeless, Daniel Braddock."

All right, he had probably said such words at least a half dozen times in the last couple of days. Maybe more. But she'd not known how to do even the most basic chores. She couldn't light a fire in the cookstove, or keep it going. She couldn't make biscuits without spilling more flour than she got in the mixing bowl. Breaking eggs without dripping the goo everywhere...nope, couldn't do that either. He didn't want to think about more than that.

He tried his best not to give another discouraging sigh. "But do you want to learn, Jennie? Really want to learn? You weren't raised for this kind of life."

That stubborn chin thrust out further. "Neither were you."

He stiffened but realized he couldn't deny what she'd said. His father was probably the most powerful, most respected lawyer in Boston. His family had old money and they were at the top of society. He and his brothers had all been groomed to follow in their father's footsteps: to go to law school and join his firm. None of them had ever wanted that, not even Adam who was the only one who had gone to law school. And now he lived here in Dryfork sometimes practicing law, mostly being a barber. Daniel didn't want to think about any of his brothers, especially Adam right now.

"Back to my question, do you want to learn how to be a wife?" He still had trouble seeing them staying together for very long. They might have once been from the same type of life, but their preferences were far different now.

She gave him a saucy smile and swept her gaze up and down his body from the tips of his dusty boots to his worn Stetson. He felt it like a caress and damn if his cock didn't start swelling. "Stop that! I'm talking about more than in bed."

"Take me into town with you today," she abruptly changed the subject. She stood and walked determinedly toward him, unconcerned that there were dirty dishes left on the table.

Daniel frowned. "We don't have a maid." Of course, he probably should have carried his own dish and coffee cup to the sink.

Stopping in front of him, she followed his gaze back to the table. Her cheeks grew pink. "Oh, right." She went back to carry the dishes to the cast iron sink next to the pump. With a bit of effort and only a small grunt, she managed to work the handle and get enough water to cover the food-crusted plates. "There. That should do for now. I'll clean them later when we get back."

He should have left while she was distracted, but he'd been distracted, too. Her entire body captured his attention as she used the pump. Especially the bounce of those plump breasts. He was almost sweating from the strain of not going to her and bending her over to take her right there at the sink.

As she turned in his direction, she smirked at the obvious sight of his arousal. "And now who is thinking about what happens in bed?"

"Other places, too," he muttered, fighting his thoughts about staying here another day and making love to his wife...in bed, on the table...

She blinked at him, looking intrigued. But she walked past him with some definite additional sway to her backside and then went out the door. "Let's go. I need to get some things in town at the mercantile. And I'd like to look around Dryfork today since I didn't have much chance when I arrived here."

Neither mentioned just why he'd hurried her out of town and to his ranch that day. Her first day here she'd gone through both good times and bad times, with the bad times coming first--when he'd given her the first spanking of her life. The first of what he was sure would be many. His Jennie was going to be a trial, but he'd sensed that from the moment they'd met. Still, he wanted her with him.

* * *

As Daniel lifted her down from the buckboard in front of Henderson's Mercantile, Jennie's blue eyes danced with excitement. Halfway to town, he'd reluctantly told her to purchase whatever she needed or wanted for their home. She'd immediately begun relating a staggering list of items that she believed they couldn't live without, things he hadn't missed at all. Now he felt as if he needed to calm her down a bit. He could afford whatever she desired, but that wasn't the point. Her life here with him would be different than how she'd lived in the past. She needed to understand that.

"We have a small place, Jennie. We don't really have room for a lot of what you talked about." He hated the way disappointment flashed across her expression before she attempted to hide it.

She looked away, out over Main Street's dirt road. "I was just talking about some day. We don't need all of that right now." Then she met his gaze with such hope that he would have promised her anything and knew he'd be adding onto the house before long.

"The wardrobe? Can I order it?" At his nod, she appeared relieved and dared to add, "A copper bathing tub, too? Please."

The vision he had of her sitting naked in it made his rod swell and press at the front of his trousers. His breathing was ragged as he again nodded. "The matching dishes and more utensils, too. And I guess curtains, new bed sheets, and a quilt." Now he was seeing her spread naked over that quilt, looking up at him with sweet invitation.

He drew in a heavy breath and turned back to the buckboard. "I'll take this down to the livery stable. When you're ready to head home, come find me at the sheriff's office."

* * *

Jennie watched her husband hurry away, smiling secretly because she'd seen the way his pants had tented out. He'd been having naughty thoughts about the two of them. He'd had them before they left the ranch, too. It would have been nice to indulge in them. She hadn't realized what a sexual person she was, and it was very nice to know that Daniel was as well.

"He is a handsome man, your husband."

Jennie turned abruptly toward the young woman who had spoken with such admiration. She found a breath-taking redhead standing only a few feet away. Jealousy spiraled through her and her tone was less than friendly as she said, "Yes, my husband is."

The beauty smiled, her green eyes sparkling in amusement. "You've no need to feel threatened by me. Daniel isn't the Braddock I've set my sight on winning." She gave Jennie a conspiratorial look. "It's Adam who I want."

Adam? Then she remembered her husband talking about the mayor's annoying daughter who had been chasing after his brother for over a year. Jennie had found Daniel's disgust amusing and she grinned now in pleasure. "You must be Faith Paddington. Daniel mentioned you."

Faith laughed, softly and full of delight. "I bet he has. He, Caleb and Ben have banded together to keep me from hurting Adam. As if I would ever do that. I love the dear, stubborn man. Impossible as he can be at times."

Jennie had only met Adam once, when he'd stopped by the ranch the day after she'd arrived. He had given her a fairly cold welcome, apparently not believing she could make his brother happy. He hadn't said as much, but she'd sensed it. She hadn't met Caleb and Ben, the twins, yet, but it was obvious that they weren't overjoyed about her being here either. Even though she was pretty disgusted with the Braddock brothers, she was envious of the tight bond between them. They truly cared about one another. She'd never had that experience in her life. Her parents had always cared more about each other and their place in society than about her. She had been a pretty daughter to show off and hopefully one day she would gain them more attention when she made a "good" marriage. She had and she hadn't, as far as that went. But she didn't want to think about that problem now.

"I don't know what you see in Adam, but--"

Faith went on the defensive. "He's been hurt badly. Surely Daniel told you about what happened."

Jennie blinked in surprise at the other woman's reaction. "Actually Daniel hasn't said much about any of his brothers." Thinking about that, she felt a little hurt about the fact that he didn't share information about his family with her. In truth, they hadn't talked about anything personal other than what needed to be shared when they made love. All he'd talked about these last couple of days was attempting to teach her about cooking or about how to saddle a horse. Both things he didn't think she could master.

"I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have said anything," Faith apologized. "My father is always telling me to mind my own business."

"You've done nothing wrong. But if you're uncomfortable with telling me about whatever happened to Adam, I'll ask Daniel." Maybe she could talk to him on the ride home.

The very person they were talking about stepped out of the building labeled "Dryfork Barber Shop" next to the mercantile. Adam glanced in their direction and immediately frowned. He hesitated, and then walked toward them. He was tall like Daniel, but leaner. His hair was a shade or two darker brown with a curl that fell forward over his pinched brow. His brown-eyed gaze shifted down to several sheets of paper in Faith's hand that Jennie hadn't noticed before.

"Are you still putting out flyers about that picnic you ladies planned for this weekend? The one your father, as mayor, refused to allow?" his tone echoed with disapproval, his expression tight. He tried to take them from her hand.

Faith pulled them out of his reach and took a step back. "He's being a stodgy old fool about this. There is no harm in the town having a picnic." She nodded at Jennie and smiled in challenge. "And now it is even more important that we have it, to welcome Daniel's wife to town."

He glowered at Jennie as if this were all her fault. "I suppose you expected some kind of fancy party to celebrate your arrival here. This isn't the East. People will welcome you as they meet you."

His gruffly spoken words threaded with anger caught her off-guard. Jennie gaped at him, feeling her cheeks heat in embarrassment. Even more so when she noticed several women stopping on the boardwalk across the street at his loudly stated comment.

Ignoring her, he shook his head in irritation and continued his tirade now leveled again at poor Faith. "Everyone knows there's been talk of the Walton Gang causing trouble just south of here. Getting drunk, harassing people in the towns, shooting the places up. We don't want word spreading about a celebration here. We don't want them coming here to cause trouble. No picnic!"

Jennie's heart pounded in hurt and anger, but she'd recovered enough to protest, "I do not expect a 'fancy party.' I just want to be accepted, nothing more. But clearly you have a problem with that, which should be kept private...between you, me and Daniel. Not aired out in public." She nodded toward the women across the road, clearly listening now.

He had the grace to look flustered. Good. But she stormed on, confused. "Why hasn't someone stopped this gang? Why aren't they in jail?"

His broad chest puffed up again beneath his white shirt, something deep inside him still defensive and unwilling to back down. "Do you think we're all stupid just because we live on the frontier?" he growled. "They've been locked up, more than once. But some slick judge is in their pocket. They get off with barely a slap on the wrist."