Kayla & the Rancher Read online

consumed with them that she just barely heard Cord set the hairbrush on the desk, and didn’t even know what he was doing until she felt him gently help her to stand. As she did so, her petticoat and skirt started to slide down over her pantaloons, but before they could, she quickly put her hands back to

  cover her sore bottom. She could feel the heat of the spanking through the thin material, and though she didn’t know why, she longed to push down her pantaloons and press her hands to her bare skin.

  Though Cord had gotten to his feet, she didn’t look up at him. Her gaze was locked on the arousal showing clearly through his wet jeans. She imagined

  her face was now as red as her bottom, especially when she felt him gently lift her chin.

  “You promise me that you’ll stay out of the saloon, Abigail, and I expect you to keep your promise, or the next time, you won’t be able to sit comfortably for days,” he said softly. “I mean it.”

  His words brought a rush of color to her cheeks, and she nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The promise of another spanking was almost enough to

  make her want to rush into town and the saloon right then!

  He regarded her in silence for a moment, and she wondered what he was

  thinking. “I’ll see you downstairs,” was all he said.

  As soon as he was out of the room, she hurried over to the mirror. Slowly

  pushing down her pantaloons until they were just below her bottom, she half-turned to look over her shoulder, and her eyes widened. Her creamy white

  skin was rosy pink and hot to the touch, and as she gazed transfixed at her reflection, she felt a tingling between her thighs.

  Kayla caught her breath. Could it be that she actually enjoyed being

  spanked? she wondered. She didn’t understand how that could be possible,

  but it was there just the same. Fresh color rushed to her face, and she hastily looked away from the mirror. But as she stood there, contemplating the

  strange things she was feeling, her gaze kept drifting over her shoulder and back to the reflection of her reddened bottom.

  Chapter Three

  Kayla couldn’t stop thinking about the spanking Cord had given her the

  previous night. Or her reaction to it. Which made sitting across the table from him during dinner that evening very awkward. She couldn’t seem to look at

  him without blushing. It didn’t help that her bottom had still been hot and stinging, either, and she had quickly excused herself after dinner to hurry up to her room.

  Not surprisingly, Cord insisted that one of the ranch hands take her into town the next day. Rachel, who was with a customer when Kayla entered the

  general store, told her to go on up to the small living space above the store that she shared with Matthew, saying that she would be there in a little while.

  With a smile and a wave, Kayla hurried up the stairs. She immediately went to the sewing machine and began working on the wedding dress, hoping the

  task would distract her from thoughts of being over Cord’s knee. It did, at least for a little while, until Rachel came upstairs and reminded her about it.

  “The whole town is talking about you playing poker at the saloon yesterday,”

  the blond girl said the moment she came into the apartment. “If Cord doesn’t know already, he will soon, Abigail, so my advice would be to tell him yourself before he finds out from someone else.”

  Kayla didn’t look at the other girl, but continued to focus on the hemline she was sewing. “He already knows,” she said quietly. “One of the hands was in town and saw me.”

  “What did he say?” Rachel asked.

  Kayla thought not so much of what Cord had said, but of what he’d done, and she felt herself blush. “He told me that a saloon is no place for a lady, and that he doesn’t want me going in there again,” she said with a shrug.

  “That sounds like Cord,” Rachel said, sitting down on the chair beside the sewing machine table. “But whatever would possess you to go into the saloon in the first place? And to play poker, no less. Matthew would be absolutely furious if I ever did something like that”

  Finishing the hem, Kayla cut the thread and tied it off with a small knot. “I played a few times back home and enjoyed it,” she told Rachel. “I didn’t think anyone would make a big deal about it.”

  The other girl sighed. “Abigail, this is the west, not Boston,” she said quietly.

  “Out here, a woman’s place is very well defined, and men expect their wives to act accordingly. Cord’s pretty open-minded, but he’s not much different when it comes to that.” She paused. “Please don’t think that I’m berating you, Abigail, because I’m not. It’s just that you and Cord are so perfect together, and I don’t want you to start your marriage off on the wrong foot.”

  Kayla had been studying the hemline she’d just done, but at the other girl’s words, her fingers stilled. To her surprise, tears stung her eyes, and she hastily blinked them back. But not before Rachel saw them.

  “Abigail, what is it?” the blond girl asked, her voice full of concern.

  Kayla didn’t answer. What could she say? That she had been lying to Cord

  the entire time she’d been in Copper Creek? That she’d never had any

  intention of marrying him, but had only let him believe she was his mail-order bride because it could get her something?

  Rachel reached out and covered Kayla’s hand with hers. “Abigail, I didn’t

  mean to make you think that Cord wouldn’t marry you simply because you

  played one little game of poker at the saloon,” she said, and then smiled. “If you want to know the truth, I think that Cord was already half in love with you before you even came out here.”

  She looked at the other girl in surprise, and Rachel nodded. “Before you got here, he’d come into the store and we’d end up talking about you. There was something in his voice when he talked about you, Abigail.”

  Kayla chewed on her lower lip. She had had lots of girlfriends back home in New York that she could talk to, and it wasn’t until now that she realized how much she missed having them to confide in. Pretending to be Abigail Murray was suddenly too much for her, and she desperately needed to talk to

  someone. It felt like she would explode if she didn’t tell someone soon.

  “Rachel, I haven’t been completely honest with Cord,” she said quietly. “Or with you. Or with anyone else in this town.”

  Her friend’s brow furrowed in confusion. “About what?”

  Kayla fingered the finely embroidered material of the dress, and let the words come out in a rush. “I’m not Cord’s mail-order bride. My name isn’t Abigail Murray, and I’m not from Boston.” She paused to glance at Rachel, and saw

  that the other girl was looking at her in opened-mouth surprise. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly before continuing. “My name is Kayla Mathison, and I’m from New York. I was on the stage heading toward San Francisco,

  running away from an arranged marriage myself, when I met Abigail. She

  couldn’t go through with being a mail-order bride, and she asked me if I would tell Cord that she had changed her mind about marrying him.”

  “So you decided to take her place, instead?” Rachel asked. She didn’t sound accusing, merely curious.

  Kayla shook her head. “Not in the beginning,” she said quickly. “I fully

  intended to tell Cord the truth, but he seemed so happy to see Abigail that day I arrived in Copper Creek that I simply couldn’t. I thought it would be easier when we got back to the ranch, but then one thing led to another, and one day turned into two, and then three, and I still hadn’t told him.” She conveniently left out the part about her plan to steal from Cord. “At first, I was simply going to get some money together, enough to get me on my way. I’d

  write Cord a letter saying that I changed my mind, and then leave Copper

  Creek with him none the wiser. Now...”

  �
��Now?” Rachel prompted, a knowing smile on her face.

  Realization dawned on Kayla then. “Now, I don’t think I want to leave,” she said softly. “I want to stay in Copper Creek and see where this leads.”

  Rachel regarded her in silence. “You have to tell Cord the truth, Kayla,” she said after a moment.

  Kayla shook her head. “I...I can’t,” she stammered. “If I do, he’ll never want anything to do with me.”

  The other girl smiled gently. “He’ll probably be furious that you lied to him, but I don’t think he’d send you on your way or anything. Especially after you tell him that you’ve fallen in love with him.”

  Kayla blinked.

  “Well, you are in love with him, aren’t you?” Rachel asked.

  Kayla said nothing at first. There was no question about loving the spankings Cord gave her, but did she love him? “I don’t know if I’m in love with him. Yet,”

  she answered honestly. “But I could see myself falling in love with him. Which is why I can’t tell him. Not yet, at least.”

  The other girl looked like she wanted to protest, but before she could speak, Kayla continued. “Rachel, please promise me that you won’t say anything to Cord,” she entreated softly.

  Rachel hesitated for a moment, and then she nodded. “I won’t tell him, but you should, and soon,” she said. “Trust me on this, Kayla.”

  Relieved that the other girl would keep her confidence, Kayla nodded. “I will, when the time is right.”

  She really did think about it, while she worked on the wedding dress the rest of that afternoon, and then later on the ride back to the ranch. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that telling Cord the truth now wouldn’t be such a good idea. Later, she told herself, after she figured out if she was in love with him or not. It was even possible that by that time Cord would have feelings for her as well. If that were the case, surely he would forgive her then.

  Cord had indeed been very surprised that Abigail hadn’t even tried to argue with him when he’d told her that he was sending one of his men into town with her that morning. Though she had promised that she wouldn’t go into the

  saloon again, he didn’t want to take any chances. He couldn’t believe that she would be so naïve as to think that she could simply waltz into a saloon and play cards. He had to admit that he admired her spunk, though, and the way she’d stood up to him when he’d called her on it. From her letters, he would have thought that Abigail would have been more biddable, though he had to

  admit that he was glad she wasn’t.

  Cord’s mouth quirked as he rubbed more oil into the leather tack he was

  cleaning. He hoped that she wouldn’t become too docile in the future, though, because he certainly wouldn’t mind spanking her again. Just the thought of having his beautiful mail-order bride over his knee while he reddened her

  delicious bottom was enough to make him go hard. He sure hoped she

  finished that wedding dress of hers soon.

  Deciding that the tack had been cleaned enough, he replaced it on its hook and, grabbing his hat, headed for the house. In the setting sun, he could see the glow of a light coming from Abigail’s room, and he felt compelled by the urge to see her. Perhaps he’d ask her to go riding with him tomorrow, he

  thought as he made his way through the kitchen and up the stairs.

  The door to her room was ajar, and without thinking, Cord pushed it open and walked right in only to find Abigail soaking in the tub. She had her head back and her eyes closed, and at his entrance, she sat up in surprise. The

  movement caused the bubbles to shift, displaying smooth shoulders and

  creamy breasts, and for a moment, Cord simply stood and stared, transfixed by the sight of his naked fiancé’s glistening wet skin. It wasn’t until a startled Abigail crossed her arms over herself that Cord abruptly remembered he was supposed to be a gentleman.

  Flushing beneath his tan, he turned his back to her. “I’m sorry. The door was open, and I...I didn’t realize you were taking a bath.” His color deepened as he realized he was stammering like a schoolboy.

  Behind him, he heard the water swish against the side of the tub as she sank deeper into it. “What was it that you wanted?” she asked softly.

  He stared at the wall, trying to concentrate on something other than the fact that there was a very beautiful naked woman in a bathtub full of bubbles right behind him. He cleared his throat. “I thought that perhaps you’d like to go riding with me tomorrow,” he said. “If you’re not going into town, that is.”

  She didn’t answer immediately, and though Cord wanted to turn and look at

  her, he determinedly held his position while he waited for her reply.

  “I’d like that,” she said after a moment, and Cord felt himself relax.

  “Good,” he said. “I suppose I should let you get back to your bath, then.”

  With a nod, he left the room, careful to keep his back to her. In the hallway, he stood outside the door for a moment, listening to the sounds of the water as she washed, and as he imagined her running a soapy sponge down her

  neck and over her sweetly rounded breasts, he almost groaned aloud. As far as he was concerned, that wedding dress she was making couldn’t get done

  fast enough.

  Though she couldn’t imagine what she’d done, Kayla was sure that Cord had

  come into her room to spank her again. However, after he’d just come in to ask her to go riding with him, she realized that it had just been wishful thinking on her part.

  But what if it had been more than that, she thought? What if Cord really had come into her room to spank her? Exhilarated by the idea, she picked up the sponge and gently ran it down her outstretched arm, letting the scene play out in her mind.

  Of course, Cord would question her about her misdeeds first, asking her why she’d deliberately disobeyed him and gone back to the saloon to play poker when he’d specifically told her not to. She’d give him some flippant answer that would be sure to annoy him, and go back to her bath. His jaw would

  clench and he’d remind her of the consequences for her actions. Then, before she even knew what he was doing, Cord would grab her arm, haul her out of

  the tub and drag her - naked and dripping wet - over to the straight-back

  chair. Knowing she was about to get a spanking, she’d protest, of course, but just a little. After al , wasn’t this what she wanted?

  But Cord would ignore her objections, and a quick yank would send her

  tumbling over his strong thighs. With his arm firmly around her small waist, she would be helpless to do more than lay there and wait in breathless

  anticipation for that very first spank.

  Naturally, Cord would scold her, but gently, of course, and all the while he would caress her bare bottom. Then, finally, when she thought she couldn’t wait any longer, Cord would lift his hand and bring it down sharply on her right cheek. Just as quickly, he’d smack the other, alternating from side to side until he had a nice rhythm going.

  Leaning back in the tub, Kayla could almost imagine the imprint his hand

  would leave on her creamy skin, and because she colored easily, her bottom would have a rosy glow to it after a dozen or so spanks. And she imagined

  that because her skin was wet, it would sting even more.

  But Cord wouldn’t stop there, no matter how much she squirmed and kicked.

  Instead, he would tighten his hold and tell her that he had simply warmed her up for a real spanking! No sooner would she be able to ask what he meant by that than she’d feel the sharp slap of her wooden hairbrush on her bare

  cheeks.

  Kayla shifted in the water, her bottom suddenly stinging simply at the thought of getting spanked with the hairbrush again. That wasn’t the only part of her responding to such a vivid fantasy, either. On the contrary, there was a warm tingle between her thighs that didn’t want to be ignored, and she had to fi
ght the urge to reach down and touch herself there.

  Blushing, she sank lower in the tub and imagined what it would feel like for Cord to touch her there. Before she’d met Cord, she’d never had such

  thoughts about a man. Now, it was all she seemed to think about. She

  wondered if it was Cord, or if there was something in the air out here that made her think such naughty thoughts. She decided that she had no idea, but she liked it nonetheless.

  On their ride the next day, Cord surprised her by bringing a picnic lunch. He had asked the wife of one of the hands to make it up for them, and after riding out to a grassy meadow, they stopped to enjoy the simple meal of roast

  chicken, corn bread, and juicy strawberries atop a soft plaid blanket that he had set out for them. Sitting this close to Cord made it difficult to concentrate on anything but the handsome man beside her, and she looked out at the

  colorful countryside surrounding them.

  “I still can’t believe how beautiful it is out here,” she said, her voice a little breathless.

  Cord reached for a slice of corn bread. “I’m glad you like it,” he said with a grin. “I was hoping that you wouldn’t miss Boston too much.”

  She lowered her gaze to stare down at her hands, wondering if she shouldn’t simply confess everything to Cord right then. He’d be angry, of course, but surely if she appealed to him, told him that she hadn’t meant to mislead him...