Sold Into Marriage (7 page)

The fireplace in his chamber was lit, and the room was even warmer than the downstairs of his home. Meadow stood in the center of the chamber, clutching her cloak and giving him a wary look.

“Is something wrong, lass?”

“Well, it’s just that…” Her voice trailed off and she looked down, but not before he noticed the deep blush staining her cheeks.

“What?”

“I am sorry for yelling at you outside the castle and losing my temper.” She glanced up and met his gaze with her tearful eyes. “I shouldn’t have…shouldn’t have yelled. I promised you, and myself, that I wouldn’t be like
him
.”

The mention of her stepfather hung between them. Varron stood in front of her, watching her, but not speaking. Her anguish pained him, and while he hadn’t thought she’d erred terribly this evening when she’d briefly lost her temper, she apparently felt deep guilt over her behavior.

“Meadow, my sweet, I did tease you a bit over your jealousy. I shouldn’t have done that. I am sorry.”

Confusion spread across her features. She blinked rapidly, as if trying to hold back her tears. “You’re sorry? But I called you a…”

“A pig-faced scoundrel? Ah well, I guess I deserved that for teasing you so. I am not angry with you, Meadow, though in the future even if you are upset with me for good reason, you must not behave that way in public. Do you understand, lass?”

“Aye, sir.” She clasped her fingers together and fidgeted in place. “Are you going to-to punish me?”

He moved to her and cupped her face in his hands. “Meadow, I wasn’t planning on giving you a punishment spanking, but mayhap you need it.”

Her eyes grew wide. “What do you mean?”

“You feel guilty, my sweet, and you have a need—a desire—to have your guilt expunged.” His cock hardened at the thought of turning her over his knee and baring her bottom, but he ignored his growing lust and stared into her eyes, waiting for her response. When she looked increasingly conflicted and didn’t answer, he continued, “Do you want a punishment spanking, lass? Would you feel better if I corrected your lapse in behavior?”

She sniffled and nodded. “Aye, sir.” Her lower lip quivered and she gulped. “Please, I-I feel awful. I shouldn’t wish for you to spank me, but I do.”

Her sweetness and timid innocence drew him in. His heart swelled with emotion, and he leaned down to place a lingering kiss on her forehead. “As you wish, Meadow. I will tend to that naughty bottom of yours after we eat. Mrs. Macomb will be up any minute now.” He stroked her hair and drew her closer, wrapping her in his embrace.

He thanked God for bringing her into his life. He hadn’t realized how lonely he’d been until he’d met her. He hadn’t been aware of the emptiness in his life until he’d taken her in hand that night she’d trespassed in his tent.

“Thank you, sir,” she finally said, sinking further into his arms.

Mrs. Macomb arrived a short time later carrying a tray laden with fresh bread, cheese, mead, and two steaming bowls of stew. Famished after a long day on the road, they both ate heartily while Varron told Meadow more about the new home they would soon travel to in Geshema Providence. Mrs. Macomb would remain in his city house, for she had grandchildren in Himma he knew she’d wish to remain near.

After they finished their meal, Varron sat back in his chair near the window and stared at Meadow from across the small table. “Stand up and remove your dress, lass.”

She pressed her lips together tightly and nodded. Rising slowly, she approached the bed and began to work the front fastenings of her dress, opening the ties and sliding the garment down over her curvy hips.

“Your stockings and shoes too.”

She took a deep breath and obeyed, pushing her stockings down and removing them along with her boots. She now wore nothing but a thin chemise that barely reached her thighs. Her nipples stood erect through the sheer fabric. The glow from the fire bathed her in soft yellow light, making him aware of the freckles on her shoulders he’d never noticed before. God, she was a lovely girl. And she was all his.

He moved from the table and sat on the edge of the bed. Holding out a hand to her, he said, “Come here, lass.”

After only a moment’s hesitation, she took the three small steps that brought her to his side. But rather than immediately turn her over his knee, he pulled her into his lap and cradled her against his chest. Smoothing his hands through her long, silken locks, he simply held her as the quiet of the house surrounded them, the only sound coming from the crackling of the fire and her rapid, nervous breaths.

“I take my vows seriously, Meadow. Though we married hastily, I intend to be a true husband to you. Part of honoring and cherishing you is remaining true to you and not taking another woman into my bed. I swear on my life that for as long as we both shall live, you will be my one and only. Do you understand?”

“Aye, sir,” she replied, her voice wobbling. “Th-thank you, Varron. I don’t think I deserve you, really.”

“You will not talk about yourself like that, young lady.” He firmed his tone. “You certainly don’t deserve heartbreak. You don’t deserve to be cheated or abused either. I don’t want to hear you talking about yourself that way again.” He pulled back from her slightly and put a finger beneath her chin, forcing her gaze to his. “Understand?”

“Aye, sir. I’m sorry. It’s just that I still feel very badly about how I behaved. I yelled at you in front of many people. I shudder to know what they must think of us.”

Varron was long past the point of caring what others thought of him, especially now that he was leaving Himma for good. He would never return to the capital city unless forced to, though since he’d just retired from serving the crown he couldn’t imagine what circumstances would require his return, and a satisfying peace filled him at the thought. “Do not concern yourself with the thoughts of others, Meadow. You must only worry about what I think. As your husband I will have you realizing your worth. You’re precious to me, lass. So very, very precious to me.”

She blushed and as she blinked, most of the moisture that had gathered in her eyes dispersed. “You’re not like most soldiers. Most of those who have come to the villages to collect taxes were most…rough and vulgar. When my mother was still alive, she would always forbid me from leaving our house when soldiers from Himma were about.”

“Does that mean you’re starting to like me, lass?”

Her face lit up. “Aye, sir. It means I like you fine.”

“Meadow, I’m going to spank you now, not because I think you were particularly naughty, given the circumstances, but because you
need
it. You feel guilty about your behavior, but I guarantee you’ll feel much better after a trip over my knee.”

He urged her to stand for a moment before guiding her into position, this time face down with her bare bottom high in the air. Knowing she was so upset over her lapse in behavior in front of the castle, he decided to scold her a bit, if only to help bring her the release of guilt she so desperately needed.

Keeping his voice firm, he said, “You will refrain from calling me names, young lady, and in the future discuss any problems we have in a civil tone. I will never call you names or accuse you of an indiscretion without knowing all of the facts, and I expect the same from you. I’m going to punish you now, lass, and after I’ve finished reddening your naughty bottom, we will put this matter behind us.”

She mumbled her assent and squirmed slightly over his lap. He forced her over one knee and trapped her legs beneath his free one. Moisture glistened atop the folds of her quim, and he took a few deep breaths in an attempt to settle his raging hardness.

Christ, how he wanted her now. But he had to chastise her first. She needed it, and as her husband he vowed to always give her what she needed, whether it be a hug and a gentle kiss, or a scolding and a firm spanking.

“Stop clenching those cheeks, lass. Relax your bottom or I’ll make you relax it.”

She peered over her shoulder at him. “How could you
make me
?”

His visage darkened and his cock hardened noticeably beneath her. To her shock, he boldly spread her arse cheeks and touched her most secret hole, nudging against her backside entrance, though not with enough force to push inside. “I will fetch a fig of ginger from the kitchen and insert it into your tight little bottom hole, Meadow. Trust me, to avoid the discomfort of it stinging inside you, you would cease your clenching.”

Though she wasn’t entirely sure how ginger in her backside hole could encourage her to stop clenching, she forced her bottom to relax as she awaited the commencement of her punishment. She turned around and buried her face in the soft blankets atop the bed. Despite her deep shame at being so exposed to her new husband, a jolt of arousal coursed through her at the thought of him actually placing something inside her anus. The embarrassing intimacy of it brought a flush to her face.

“Good girl.” He caressed her behind for several long moments, before lifting his hand and bringing it down hard upon her left cheek. The sting seared her flesh and she squirmed a bit, but he held her securely in place over his knee. Again, he struck her bottom, this time centering the slap on her right cheek. He alternated sides and gradually increased the speed and vigor of the smacks.

Tears stung in her eyes and soon spilled down her face. She whimpered as the pain grew and grew, and then when the urge to thrash about and attempt escape arose, she reminded herself that she’d asked for this spanking. She’d craved a punishment from Varron, and while she hadn’t comprehended her needs at first, he’d understood her reasons for desiring this chastisement. It healed the rift that had opened between them and brought her closure, brought an end to her guilt and the hurt feelings that had occurred between them.

She cried into the covers, remorseful for the way she’d treated Varron but already feeling lighter. The longer he spanked her, the lighter she felt, even though the pain became unbearable and she was soon hiccupping through her sobs. She’d never in her life considered asking for a punishment or even desired one, but when she’d once again let her anger get the better of her, yelling and calling Varron names, the need for him to take her over his knee and spank her had become overwhelming.

He gave her several rapid blows to the tops of her thighs, then ceased spanking her and rested his hand upon her flaming cheeks. “Have you learned your lesson, lass?”

“Aye, sir.” She sniffled and tried to stop crying, but the floodgate of emotion had been opened and now she couldn’t seem to cease sobbing. He held her in place and rubbed her back and her tender bottom, uttering words of forgiveness and praise. He kept calling her a good girl and insisting over and over again that he harbored no ill feelings for her, that she was completely forgiven.

When at last her tears stopped flowing and her breathing returned to normal, he parted her sore cheeks wide. She tensed slightly but didn’t attempt to move away from his touch.

“Do you trust me, lass?”

“Aye, sir.” Of course she did. In the brief time she’d known him, he’d shown her more kindness than any other man in her life.

“This hole is part of your bottom, Meadow, and sometimes when you’ve been naughty, I will enter you here with my fingers, and mayhap, in time, with my cock. You might find this strange, but it will help remind you that you belong to me, and that you answer to me. When I’ve entered your bottom hole as part of your punishment, you will feel my authority over you deep, deep down in your soul.”

Oh Lord
. He was going to push a finger—possibly more than one—into a part of her that had never been touched. She tried to keep her backside relaxed and accept this part of her chastisement. The cool air hit her most private hole as he spread her wider, impossibly wide. She whimpered into the covers, certain her face was as red as her smacked bottom.

“I’m going to use the moisture from your quim to ease my way inside your arsehole, Meadow. This first time, I will only put one finger inside you. It will take some training to help you accept more than one finger, and eventually my cock, inside you.”

She started as he grazed over her sensitive nubbin, before he pushed into the entrance of her wet quim. A moan escaped her throat, and a second later, her hips lifted on their own accord. Her shame grew as she was unable to control her urges. The moisture between her thighs flowed against his probing finger. He pushed in and out of her several times, then withdrew and pushed that lubricated digit to her virgin bottom hole.

“Who do you belong to, lass?” He nudged partially inside her and the pressure drew another moan from her.

“Oh! You, sir. I belong to you.”

“Who punishes you when you’ve been naughty?” He pushed into her even farther. The fullness of his one finger stunned her. She couldn’t imagine him adding a second finger, or God forbid, shoving his huge cock into her arsehole as punishment. “
Who
, Meadow?”

“You, sir.”

“This hole belongs to me, lass. I will spread your cheeks and look upon it whenever I wish, and I will touch it and push inside it when I feel you could benefit from this sort of treatment. You’d best relax yourself more and let me all the way inside your tightness, young lady.”

His words and his stern tone only made her wetter. She kept lifting her hips to press against him, even though the intrusion burned as he pushed deeper and deeper inside her. The area between her legs ached, and she felt more moisture slipping from her quim to her inner thighs. She’d never imagined surrendering so intimately to a man could feel so wondrous.

“I still think you have the cutest little pucker, lass,” he said, reminding her of the first time he’d glimpsed her forbidden hole and touched it, ever so briefly in his tent.

More pressure. More spreading. She couldn’t help the way her hips kept lifting, and when she found a rhythm of movement that allowed her sensitive nubbin to brush against his leg, she moved her hips up and down even faster.

Smack
! With his free hand, he slapped the exposed lips of her quim. The sting drew a gasp from her.

“Naughty, naughty girl. I’m not finished with this tight hole of yours yet. If you are good and hold still while I fuck your arse with my finger, Meadow, I might allow you to reach your pleasure.”

She closed her eyes and concentrated on not moving.

Her clit throbbed harder with each push of his digit inside her. Once he was fully submerged in her tightness, he withdrew a bit and then pushed forward again. In and out, and in and out, he fucked her bottom with his finger as if he were fucking her quim with his cock. She’d never imagined married couples could indulge in such naughtiness, and she still felt shocked and embarrassed that he’d forced her cheeks apart so he could put his finger inside her most private of places.

Whimper after whimper left her, interspersed with moans and indecipherable begging. She found herself speaking to him every few moments, but aside from
please
and
Varron
, she was so lost in her need that she knew not what she said. Her eyes burned as she struggled to remain still.

“How do you feel right now, lass?”

“I-I feel very full, sir. Oh, please. Please let me…allow me my pleasure.”

Not withdrawing from her tightness, he reached underneath her with his other hand and sought out the part of her that throbbed so torturously, so insistently. “If you want your pleasure, Meadow, you must take it while I’m still inside your arse.”

“Aye, sir. I will.”

He chuckled and pushed his finger deeper inside her, impossibly deep. The burn strengthened and made her breath catch in her throat. But then he touched her clit, pressing down and swirling her slick arousal overtop the nubbin. She bucked on his lap, the wave of pleasure crashing upon her almost immediately. Crying out, she came while draped over his lap, her backside still stinging from her recent spanking, as he resumed thrusting in and out of her tightness, claiming her secret hole while he rubbed her clit and the tremors of her orgasm drained her of all energy.

When the last pulsing remnant of her release faded, he turned her over and held her securely against him, stroking her hair and kissing the soft spot behind her ear. She’d never felt so safe as when she was in his arms. She felt loved, and she sincerely believed he wanted her, despite how abruptly their marriage had come about.

Fatigue soon claimed her and the last thing she remembered before succumbing to sleep was Varron tucking her underneath the covers and placing a gentle kiss upon her lips.

“Sweet dreams, my beautiful wife.”

*****

In the following days, Varron showed Meadow around the city while they prepared for their journey to Geshema Providence. He took her shopping in the various markets spread throughout Himma, even ordering her an all new wardrobe. She helped pack their trunks and anticipated the new life that awaited her and Varron. She’d never glimpsed a tropical island with her own eyes and could only imagine how different and exotic her new home would be.

The day before they set sail, Varron surprised her with a tour of the castle, even showing her a room filled with nothing but dragon skulls and bones. And later that night, he finally gave her the fun spanking he’d won in their bet. She enjoyed his playful attentions and joked that she would endeavor to lose more bets against him in the future. But what she enjoyed most of all was the company of her husband. She’d once told him she liked him fine
,
but in her heart she now realized her feelings for him ran so much deeper.

She couldn’t wait to reach her new home, with Varron by her side.

*****

The salty air invigorated Varron, for it meant he would soon be home. But he cast a glance at a green-faced Meadow, who clung to the side of the ship, peering out at the waves with a look of absolute misery.

“Lass, mayhap you better rest for a while below deck.”

She shook her head. “I feel better when I’m outside. The fresh air helps.”

Thankfully, the
Georgiana
would reach Geshema Providence by the next morning. For the last five days, Meadow hadn’t been able to keep much food down, and he worried for her health. He was glad the journey to his homeland wasn’t a long one.

“I always thought sea travel would be a grand adventure.” Her knuckles whitened as she clutched the side of the ship harder while the waves rocked the vessel. Storm clouds hovered to the west and the wind had picked up considerably during the last hour. Typhoon season was weeks away, but Varron still worried a freak storm might overtake the ship. He eyed the darkening horizon and determined to stay vigilant, lest the weather take a turn for the worst. Meadow’s safety was his only concern.

“If it starts to rain, you will go below deck, young lady, and that’s an order.” He put his arm around her and inhaled her sweet aroma. She always smelled like the rose scented soap she used to cleanse her hair. “I will not have you catch a fever on top of your seasickness.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” she said with a wink, though a second later the mischief faded from her visage and she once again appeared a sickly green. Tomorrow morning couldn’t come soon enough.

The moment the rain began, he ushered her down to their quarters and tucked her into bed, hoping she managed a few hours of sleep. He would instruct the ship’s cook to prepare her another light broth for dinner—the only food she’d been able to keep down since the day the
Georgiana
had set sail.

When her eyes closed and he finally heard the soft sounds of her deep breathing, he returned to the deck in order to keep an eye on the storm. The crew of the
Georgiana
was the best. Varron trusted Captain Berwick and had traveled on this ship several times, but he still felt compelled to ensure Meadow’s safety himself.

But what he saw upon reaching the deck put a sudden, cold fear into his bones. Another ship, slightly smaller than the
Georgiana
, was approaching them at full speed.

Black sails flapped about in the wind.

“Pirates!” a shipman standing near Varron bellowed. “Pirates coming up the port bow!”

Varron sprung into action, helping the crew as they attempted to outrun the pirate ship. Captain Berwick barked orders to his men, but his shouts became lost in the howling wind. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed overhead. The ship rocked harder. Waves splashed up on the deck, causing many of the men to slip.

“Pirates on deck!” someone screamed.

Varron spun around just in time to notice the board that had been placed between the two ships. How in the bloody hell had the pirate ship overtaken them so quickly? The waves rocked the ships into one another, and the crash knocked Varron to the deck. The wind flew from his chest and he gasped for air. He rolled over and reached for his sword.

Meadow. He had to protect her. He had to make sure the pirates didn’t find her. The scoundrels probably thought the
Georgiana
was transporting valuables from Himma. He cared not what they took, as long as they left his wife alone. If anyone touched her, he’d pierce through their heart with his sword.