Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“I believe I must punish you, Jane, if we’re to move past this unfortunate beginning. I must know you won’t behave so rashly again.”
She wiped away a tear. “Oh, no. Of course I won’t. I feel very badly.”
“Come here to me, now.”
She quailed at his stern manner. How awful, to be punished the second day of their marriage.
“Please, my lord, I’m so sorry.”
He took her hand and drew her resisting form closer. “I’m sure you are. A sound spanking will provide the needed correction for your actions, and allow me to work through some of this…”
She stared at him. “This what?”
“Agitation,” he said, his gaze holding hers. “Perhaps it’s a good thing for you to learn early on what will happen when your behavior falls short of my expectations.”
Before she could fully process his intention, he drew her toward one of the blue velvet chairs. Oh no. He meant to spank her over his knee, and though she wasn’t experienced in corporal chastisement, she was sure his giant hands would hurt like anything.
“Please, my lord,” she said, dragging her feet. “I will try to do better. I’ll be more honest. I’ll be more careful around your horses, and not do anything else to endanger my life.”
“I will teach you to do better. I’d be shirking my husbandly duties if I did not.”
She glanced wildly about, trying to think of a way to avoid what was to come.
“I don’t want you to spank me,” she said, tears flowing anew. “I am embarrassed. Ashamed.”
He appeared sympathetic, but unmoved. “As this is your first punishment within our marriage, I will not be heavy handed. You’ll be spanked hard enough to pay penance for your misbehavior, no more.” His eyes held hers, deeply amber, and so sincere. “That’s the point of marital discipline, obviously. A spanking for any infraction will, over time, change your behavior.”
“Marital discipline?” she echoed, her voice cracking. “But I can try to change it now! I will try. I will be more thoughtful. Less reckless.”
“I believe you will once you have experienced the resultant penalty.”
His tone was so immovable, so firm. His gaze was patient, but his stance brooked no resistance. Of course, husbands had the right to discipline their wives as needed, but to do so on the second day of their marriage? Here she was, dressed in his lovely gift of a gown…
“Come, you must lie over my lap now.” He sat and patted his thigh.
Her voice had left her. She could not move. Well, she might have moved if he didn’t have a hold of her hand. She might have run away, but then, surely, he would have chased her.
“I don’t want a spanking. Please, my lord. I’m so sorry to have angered you.”
He disregarded her apologies, pulling her resisting figure down across his legs. She had never been in such close contact with any man, had never felt the hardness of a man’s thighs and the strength of his grip. She reached to brace her hands on the floor as he arranged her position to his liking. She cried harder, in fear and dread.
“There now, I’m not going to kill you,” he said. “Fussing won’t work with me when it comes to discipline. You’ll see, in time, that these checks upon your behavior will make our marriage better.”
“I’m not so badly behaved,” she sobbed. “Not to deserve this.”
He made a dismissive sound, and she too knew her words for a lie. She had hidden the nature of her “pets” from him on purpose and caused a ruckus in his stables because of it. She’d embarrassed her new husband in front of his servants and made a very poor first impression. They’d surely gossip about her belowstairs.
Yes, she had behaved badly, so she would accept this spanking, but she was still unhappy about it. She couldn’t stop trembling as he pushed up her robe and nightgown to expose her backside.
“Oh, please,” she whispered, reaching back. “Please let me stay covered.”
“No, Jane.” He caught her hand. “You must be spanked upon your bare bottom. It may be embarrassing, but it’s the most effective way.” He pushed her gown all the way up as she cringed in humiliation. “Were you spanked as a child?”
“Never.” Her face burned as he exposed her bottom completely. “My parents did not believe in corporal punishment.”
His “hmm” sounded like criticism. She could not dwell on that as he rubbed his hand across her exposed cheeks. His fingers felt huge and threatening as he seemed to take her measure.
“You must resign yourself to occasional spankings,” he told her as she cried quietly. “Remember, I’m doing this to teach you a lesson, not to be needlessly cruel.”
Her only answer was renewed tears. Cool air blew across her bottom, reminding her how naked and exposed she was. He placed a hand upon the small of her back to still her fidgeting.