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

near the corral, she stepped away from the window. Automatically,
she reached back to rub her still very tender bottom beneath the long dressing
gown. She’d slept naked on top of the sheets, only donning the gown when she’d
gotten out of bed a few minutes ago. The mere touch of even the soft fabric
against her much abused bottom had been too much to bear last night.
    She scowled through the thin curtain at him. First
that rotten scoundrel with a badge—a man she barely knew—had
spanked her on the Opera House’s rooftop. Then Taos had burned her ears all the
way back to the ranch as they rode side-by-side in the rented wagon. A
miserable ride that had been, too, on a recently spanked backside. It had been
like getting spanked all over again. As soon as they’d taken care of her
animals, he’d taken care of her—his words, not hers. Her thoroughly upset
oldest brother had burned her bottom with that blasted razor strop— that he rarely used, thank God—kept in the pantry. “She’d been reckless with her life…She’d
nearly scared him too death…She’d deliberately misled her brothers about her
mode of transportation.” Those were just a few of the endless stream of
reasons he’d given for punishing her.
    With one final rub and a wince, she glanced toward her
britches hanging over the back of the chair near the window. No,
not today.
    She sighed in annoyance. The only choice of clothing
for today was one of the dresses in her wardrobe. Tighter britches wouldn’t be
comfortable for a few days. Not after Morgan’s sound spanking, followed by
Taos’ firm stropping, and finally followed by Keno’s blistering paddling on top
of that. Men! Every darn man in her life seemed to think they needed to take
her over their knee and wallop the blazes out of her poor bottom to make her
see their viewpoint, to make her see
the “error of her ways,” or for whatever other dumb reason. Thank goodness she
only had two pigheaded brothers!
    Opening her wardrobe, she pulled out a black skirt and
a white blouse. She tossed them on the bed, tugged off the nightdress, and put
on a white cotton chemise and gingerly slipped on an underskirt. Wincing at its
brush against her tender backside, she knew her decision about not putting on
pantaloons was right. Maybe not proper, but something she could live with for
now.
    Ten minutes later she headed down the stairs,
intending to go to the barn and feed her animals. Each step down made her
flinch. Each flinch made her more disgusted with those rotten men. She started
to mumble some less than kind words under her breath when she froze, aware she
wasn’t alone.
    “Sleeping in kind of late, aren’t you?” Morgan taunted
as he walked from the kitchen and spotted her. His expression held one of
disapproval. “Don’t you have chores to do?”
    “I’ll get them done. Not that it’s any of your concern.” She stopped on the last
step. She really hadn’t wanted to see him today…actually ever again.
    He nodded at her attire. “Glad to see you dressing
properly today. Like a lady.”
    “Only good choice I could make for today. Thanks to…”
She wished she’d held her tongue.
    “Suppose that’s true enough.” A tiny spark of
amusement flitted through his eyes before it quickly disappeared. “Reckon you
had a rough night sleeping. Heard both of your brothers wore your bottom out.
You deserved it.” He turned back toward the kitchen.
    Her face flamed at his knowing about her additional
punishments.
    Annoyed, she marched after him. “I most certainly did not deserve any of what was done to me. I had my reasons for…”
    He stopped to face her and she nearly plowed right
into him. “I don’t really think you want to be sassy today. Considering some of
us are still pretty damn unhappy with you.”
    She sucked in a breath at the fury that flashed now in
his eyes instead of amusement. But she was “unhappy,” too.
    “What about my feelings? What about my being unhappy
with