Her Cowboy Knight (16 page)

Cooper turned to Moira and grinned sheepishly. “Well, ma’am, I couldn’t resist. It’s not every day a fella has a chance to be a knight, even if it’s a storybook one.”

Leo clapped him on the back. “Well, what say we go get out of these knightly trappings and celebrate?”

They signaled the announcer, who said, “Lords and ladies, lets congratulate the newly engaged couple and wish them the happiest of ever afters.”

The crowd applauded around them as they walked to the stable door surrounded by their family and friends. Once in the stable, the boys helped the two men get out of their armor as Moira grabbed Gabby’s hand. “Come on, Gabby, let’s let the men handle this today. We’ll go see about feeding them.”

Chapter Twelve

That night, the Rennies around the campfires outdid themselves in celebration of Gabby’s engagement. William retold Cooper’s first ride like it was a campaign of old, with Declan adding details and embellishments. The children of the camp sat around with wide eyes and adoring glances at the cowboy-turned-knight who became redder by the minute. They broke every so often for a dance or a song, but William was proud of his new son-to-be, and everyone could tell it.

Gabby sat on Cooper’s lap and laid her head on his shoulder. “Are you very sore?”

Cooper murmured, “Not very. It’s worth it, somehow, to see your father like this. Besides, it’s not that much worse than hits I’ve taken on a ranch.” He murmured in her ear, “And I’m not too sore to take care of you, later.”

In other circumstances and with another man, that might be seen as dirty talk, but Gabby knew he didn’t mean that as a come-on. He meant her to worry about the future of her bottom. She stiffened immediately, and he squeezed his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. “You know what’s going to happen, don’t you?”

Gabby felt the heat creep up her neck and over her face. She tried to swallow, but couldn’t quite. Cooper tightened his arms and whispered, “Answer me.”

Gabby nodded and Cooper said, “Stand up.”

Gabby stood with Cooper’s helping hand on her bottom and they slipped away from the crowd. Now that it had come to it, Gabby’s courage had left. She had been spanked many times in her life, but never for anything as major as this, and never when it had mattered so much or when she was so contrite. Cooper sensed the shift in her and took her hand, leading her down a path. When that path led to his truck, she looked at him quizzically; he handed her into the passenger side, again with a helping hand on her bottom.

They rode in silence to a small cabin about ten miles away. When Cooper opened her door and lifted her out of the truck, he smiled. “What? Did you think I meant us to stay in a tent for our first night together in six weeks?”

Gabby hugged him and he carried her into the house explaining. “This belongs to a buddy of mine. I borrowed it while I trained.”

She raised her head up. “You mean to tell me that you’ve been living in a house all this time, and I’ve been living in a tent with my brothers and no running water?”

He leveled a look at her as he set her down. “We could have both been living in Oklahoma in a perfectly good house, but somebody decided to run off without talking to the other one.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Well, somebody left the other one standing in front of thousands of people and walked off.”

He folded his arms. “Well, someone had just scared the life out the other one and gotten on a living, breathing monster without letting him know she was even going to do it, and he didn’t want to turn her bottom up right there in front of all those hundreds, not thousands, of people… and by the way, he was proud of her for winning second place.”

“I did?”

“You did.”

“Well, it doesn’t change the fact that somebody was hurt very badly when somebody left her standing there in front of God and everybody when all she was doing was trying to fit in… even though it might not have been the best way to go about it… and she realized it right about that minute.”

Cooper said, “I was an ass for walking away, and I’m sorry.”

“Does that mean I don’t get a spanking?”

Somehow Cooper’s smile seemed even more threatening than his scowl. “Oh, baby, you are definitely getting a spanking.”

Gabby’s whole body drooped, but his next words brought her to full attention. “Take off your clothes.”

Her eyes shot to his. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“But… Cooper?”

“Take off your clothes. All of them.”

Gabby stared at him, and he just stared back, waiting. Gabby slowly started unbuttoning the waist of her skirt. She let it slide down her legs to pool at her ankles, then she kicked it to the side, not wanting to bend down and present her bottom as a target for some reason, even if it wasn’t angled in his direction. She grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head. She folded the skirt, careful to avoid looking at Cooper, and let it drop on top of the skirt. She reached for her bra clasp and undid it. Her bra joined the pile of clothing, way too quickly. Standing in only her panties, she reached for the hem and slid them down her legs, trying to bend as little as possible, but it put her breasts in prominence, so that didn’t work out much. She slid a glance at Cooper, but it only got as high as his crotch, and her eyes opened wide… he was huge. It dawned on her then; he really did find her attractive, even in her gawkiest of moments, and especially at her most vulnerable.

She added her panties to the pile. Her eyes met Cooper’s fully.

Cooper looked her up and down slowly, then sat down on a straight-backed chair. “Come here.”

Gabby hesitated only slightly before she walked over and stood in front of him, maintaining eye contact the entire time. Cooper drew her in between his knees as soon as she was close enough and hugged her to him. Gabby melted into him. He held her like that for a minute, then pulled her back and looked into her eyes. “Why are you getting this spanking?”

Gabby swallowed and looked at him. Cooper waited, for once not prompting her.

Gabby finally said, “Because I went bull riding?”

Cooper said, “And?”

Gabby looked at the floor. “And I didn’t tell you anything about it?”

“And?”

“And I scared you.” This in a whisper.

Cooper nodded and choked out a reply. “Yes, you did, baby. I have never been so scared in my life.”

Gabby reached forward and hugged him again. “I’m so sorry, Cooper. I don’t think about that sometimes. I really don’t. I just think about doing something, and I manage the risks to myself as best I can. But seeing you at the jousting ring today, I really thought about how scared you must have been… but you have to think about my side of it, too. I like to do things that are scary looking sometimes. I’ll tell you about them beforehand, if you’ll promise me you’ll do the same thing, if you can. But I am sorry.”

Cooper hugged her tight. “I know, baby. It doesn’t mean I’m not going to spank you, but I know you’re sorry.”

He held her away again. “Now there is one other thing I’m going to spank you for today. I walked away from you at the arena, Gabby, and that wasn’t right. But you knew it was a temporary thing. You walked away from us. Just walked right out without a goodbye, a note, a discussion, a chance to explain… nothing.”

Gabby swallowed convulsively. “I… I was hurt, and angry, and humiliated… and I didn’t think you wanted me here anymore because I was so unsuitable.”

Cooper shook his head. “Oh, baby. We muddled this all up, didn’t we?”

Gabby nodded. A tear ran down her cheek. Cooper traced its path with his finger and said, “But I’m still going to spank you. It does mean that I’m not so angry anymore, though. Come on, we might as well get this over with.”

He led Gabby over to his left side and tipped her over his lap. Gabby fit securely on Cooper’s lap, but she knew how very vulnerable she was. He rubbed her bottom. “You know you have the most beautiful bottom, right?”

Gabby smiled to herself, until the first swat fell. “Ow!”

Cooper added, “But I’m still going to spank you.”

He got down to business fairly quickly after that, warming her up swiftly and firmly, building much more quickly to hard spanking than he normally did.

Gabby squirmed early in the spanking as it hurt from almost the very beginning. She yelped and kicked her feet, but Cooper just spanked away, never missing his target, which was becoming quite red.

Finally, he paused. Gabby caught her breath, then cringed because she could tell by his shifting that Cooper had grabbed something else to use on her bottom. She took a deep breath and heard him say, “Don’t clench. You know it just makes it worse.”

Gabby did her best to relax, but all too soon Cooper started assaulting her bottom with a thin wooden paddle and her bottom exploded with a stinging pain. Gabby did something she rarely did; she let her hand creep back.

Cooper grabbed her hand. “No, ma’am. You will not cover your bottom while I am disciplining you. You will lie there and take it like a good girl. Do you hear me?”

He never missed a beat with the paddle the whole time and he kept going until Gabby was sobbing and no longer moving at all.

When he finally stopped, he held her over his lap for a few more moments. “Don’t ever scare me like that again, Gabriella. I lost ten years of my life when they announced your name and I saw you climbing over those rails. I knew I couldn’t reach you, and there was nothing I could do but watch you on top of that huge bull, being tossed around and jerked back and forth. I was sure any second you were going to die, and it makes me want to paddle you all over again.”

At that, Gabby sobbed one more time, so Cooper patted her back. “No, of course I won’t. You were forgiven the moment I saw your face today. Actually, you were forgiven weeks ago, but… I just didn’t know how to call you and say it, and I didn’t know how to fix this, except what I did.”

Cooper tilted Gabby up and stood her back between his legs. She was still sniffling, so he handed her a tissue. After she blew her nose, he asked, “Can you forgive me for walking away from you that day, Gabby?”

Gabby nodded and he pulled her in for a hug, rubbing her back and bottom. They held each other for a moment until he said, “I’m so glad to hear you say that, honey, but there is that one last thing to take care of.”

He felt her stiffen in his arms. He looked in her eyes, and she truly looked panicked. He said, “Turn around and bend over the bed, Gabby.”

Gabby’s lower lip trembled, but Cooper held firm. “Gabby, do as I say.”

Gabby turned and slowly bent the top half of her body over the edge of the bed. She heard the unmistakable rattle of Cooper’s belt buckle and buried her face in the bed. She was crying again before she felt the first lick of the belt fall on her bottom. When it came, she jerked up in pain, and Cooper said, “Back down, Gabby.”

Gabby lay back down and covered her head with her arms. The next time the belt flew, Gabby hissed, but she stayed in place, swallowing a sob. She got through three more licks of the belt before she broke down completely, crying gulping sobs that held nothing back. Four more strokes fell before the belt stopped. Gabby continued crying as Cooper put his hand on her back.

Eventually, Gabby calmed herself and took deep breaths to calm her tears. She felt Cooper’s hand, solid on her back, rubbing in circles. Finally, he said, “Don’t ever leave me again, Gabby. Not without a word. Not without us talking about it.”

Gabby was silent, not yet able to talk. She just laid there and let him rub her back. Cooper lay down next to her and snuggled her into him. She burrowed her head into his neck and whispered, “I’m sorry, Cooper.”

He gathered her close. “I know, baby. I am, too.”

They laid there for a long time, not saying a word, but letting their bodies getting reacquainted. Soon, Gabby said, “You have on too many clothes again, cowboy.”

Cooper chuckled. “I do?”

Gabby nodded. “Yes, sir, you do. This is beginning to be a problem.”

Cooper brushed her hair back. “Well, I think I should do something about that then, don’t you?”

Gabby nodded and said, “Yes, please.”

Cooper started popping the buttons on his shirt, one by one. Gabby watched him, laying her head on one arm, her eyes following every move. He tossed the shirt on top of her pile of clothes, then reached for the fastener of his jeans. Gabby smiled and looked up into his eyes, then back to his hands. Cooper undid the fastener, then slowly slid the zipper down. Gabby licked her lips, never taking her eyes off his hands as they slid his jeans over his hips and down his legs. He hooked his boxers on the way, not wasting time with pulling them down separately. When he stood completely naked in front of her, his arousal was plain to see. As he eyed her, his demeanor changed from loving boyfriend to dominant lover. At his transformation, Gabby felt her body respond. Her own arousal sharpened and her breathing quickened. Cooper said, “Turn over.”

Gabby slowly turned her body over, sneaking a look back at him. He nodded his head, indicating that she should turn her head back around. She faced forward and laid her head on the pillow he provided. He placed two more pillows beneath her hips, elevating them to provide more access.

Then he set to business, and he took his business seriously. He took possession of her bottom first with his hands. His rough grab made her hiss and arch her back, pushing back into his hands. He said, “Somebody has been a naughty little girl, hmm? Had to get a spanking. This is a very, very hot little bottom. It’s red, too.”

He leaned up to speak directly into her ear. “You have a beautiful bottom, Gabriella.”

He backed away and rubbed his hand down her back to cup her bottom again. “It’s beautiful anytime, but it drives me absolutely wild when it’s like this… red and hot. Do you know what I’m going to do to you tonight?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, just nudged her legs apart and dipped his fingers between them. “Oh, baby, you are so wet already. Well, I’m not going to tell you what I’m going to do. I’m just going to show you, I think.”