The Marshal's Rebellious Bride by Starla Kaye Read Free Book Online

with it. Do you understand me?”
    She slapped at his leg, attempted to reach around for
his gun.
    He shook her and held her even tighter. His hand went
back to delivering a painful message that he hoped she’d remember. “I should
take off my belt and thrash you good for even thinking about that.”
    “Why…why are you…doing this?” She hissed at a
particularly hard swat. “ Ohhhhh …stop. Please stop.”
    He eased up, but didn’t stop. “You need a strong man
with a strong hand. You need someone who won’t put up with your mischief.” He
sent another swat to the underside of her bottom. “Taos was right about that.”
    After he’d landed another dozen swats, he finally
decided she’d had enough of a spanking. She would have trouble sitting while
going back to the ranch. Besides, his hand hurt like the devil. He released her
and she immediately spun away from him.
    Her eyes glistened with tears but she hissed and spit
like a wildcat in spite of the fact that he’d just walloped her good. “I don’t
need a strong man. I don’t need any man. Certainly not you .” Then she
studied him harder. “What does Taos have to do with this anyway?”
    Morgan flexed his hand. Spanking a woman was damn hard
work. “Your brothers want me to marry you. Actually I’ve already promised Taos
that I would.”
    She rubbed her bottom, something he wouldn’t allow in
the future but would for now. “Marry you ?! Isn’t it enough that you and I will already share
ownership of the ranch? Aren’t I suffering enough with that?”
    She stopped rubbing. “I would not marry you if you
were the only , the absolute only man
left in the world.”
    He took offense at her clear disgust about marrying
him. “You’re no real prize either.”
    Now she took offense. “At least I don’t go around
killing people. Or…or manhandling innocent women.”
    “I only kill people if’n I
have to.” He gave a weak smile, being so out of the habit. “I didn’t manhandle you. I spanked your butt.
Because you needed it, because I needed to do it.”
    He stepped toward her. “I’m thinking maybe I need to
do it again.”
    She moved back. “Don’t you dare! ”
    Taos popped his head through the window and she
glanced in his direction. “Don’t think just because your fiancé there warmed
your bottom that I won’t be doing the same thing when we get home.” He motioned
to her. “Now quit your sulking and get in here. It’s time to go back to the
ranch.”
    She dropped her hands away from her stinging bottom,
her cheeks pink in embarrassment. “I’ve got a few things to say to you, too.
And you’re not giving me another
spanking. No, no, no.”
    “Oh yes I am. Keno may even want to deliver one as
well.”
    She glowered back at Morgan as if all of this was his
fault. And then she marched primly toward the window. He continued staring
after her as she gave him an excellent view of a mighty fine backside when she
scrambled through the broken-out window. He had a notion that spending the rest
of his sorry life chasing down criminals and occasionally getting shot would be
a hell of a lot easier than living with the little spitfire.
    He glanced back at the balloon and promised himself
that he’d see to it that it was burned to dust as soon as possible.
    * * *
    Whiskey stood in the middle of the boardwalk in front
of the Opera House holding her beloved skunk and ignoring all the curious
people around her. Taos towered over her and looked madder than she’d seen him
in a long time. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind he would follow through with
that threat of a spanking. Probably Keno would, too. Darn it all. She’d already been spanked by the irritating man now walking out
the door .
    Marry him?
Absolutely not! What were her brothers thinking?
    “I want your promise that you won’t destroy my
balloon.” She’d already said that and Taos had growled. She had to insist on
his word. “It isn’t even really mine. It’s Aunt Mae’s.