to make sure Jennie heard her. Then she added, "Tone down that temper of yours, Daniel. She loves you, although I don't know why."
He growled something, but Jennie rushed into her room and shut the door before she could hear exactly what he said. What she had heard was the comment about his temper. So, obviously, he wore one of his familiar fierce frowns. She put a hand to her suddenly nervous stomach. Her buttocks clenched in anticipation of something unpleasant. But surely he wouldn't...
She had just stepped away from the door when he gave a sharp knock and then pushed the door open. Her eyes widened at the sight of the man she loved looking grimly at her. She didn't know what to expect next. Clearly he was upset with her, although she was just as upset with him. But there was something more going on with him, something she couldn't determine from his expression.
"I don't have much time." Daniel shut the door behind him and walked in front of her. His eyes darkened as he looked down at her; his nostrils flared.
She inched backward until her legs touched the bed. Warmth had spread through her, desire for her husband. Yet she was all too aware of where they were: in a saloon, one with rooms upstairs that in the past had been well used by the ladies of the night but now were only rarely used in that way. Still, she had no desire to make love with Daniel here.
She shook her head, cleared her throat and said stubbornly, "No, Daniel. I won't let you--"
A frown furrowed his brow and he shook his head as well, stopping her protest. "I won't take you here. Not ever." He almost shuddered at the idea. "But I am going to spank you here."
"Sp...spank me? Here?" She had suspected something like that, wasn't happy with the idea. She tried to move backward again, but there was nowhere to go. She ended up sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Why?"
He took off his hat and put it on the dresser. He started to unbuckle his gunbelt, but evidently thought better of it and frowned in annoyance. "No time for that."
"No time?" Jennie studied the tension in his stiff body and realized there was more going on here than his desire to spank her. Her stomach knotted and she whispered, "What's happened, Daniel?"
He drew in a breath, held it a second as his broad chest rose and stretched the fabric of his shirt to its limit. Then he released the breath heavily. "Got another wire. The Walton Gang has been spotted heading this way. We're going after them."
No! she wanted to say, feeling sick at the thought of him leaving on posse again. Would she ever get used to this? Then she thought about what else he'd said and her irritation with him resurfaced. "You are leaving on posse again, which you came to tell me about. And you came here to spank me? You want my last memories of you before you ride out to be of you taking me over your knee?"
Now he scowled. "No. I want you to think about how much I love you. Enough that..." He hesitated and looked intently at her. "Just know that I care for you."
"Then don't do this."
But his mind was made up, this inflexible husband of hers. He moved toward her and nodded at the bed. "Like I said, I don't have much time. The men will be waiting for me. Turn around and put your hands on the bed."
Jennie gaped at him. "You expect me to just..."
"Yes."
They locked stubborn gazes for a minute. She didn't move. "I have done nothing wrong."
Daniel raised an eyebrow, which told her he disagreed. He moved a hand to his belt buckle. "Do you really want to make this worse than I had intended?"
She stared at his hand on the buckle and a shudder swept through her. "No," she answered quietly.
With a sigh of resignation, Jennie faced the bed and bent over, bracing her arms on the mattress. Her bottom thrust up high. Her face flamed. "I'm not happy about this." And she knew in a few minutes that she would be seriously unhappy about what he intended to do.
"I'm not particularly happy about doing this, but I'm going to
He growled something, but Jennie rushed into her room and shut the door before she could hear exactly what he said. What she had heard was the comment about his temper. So, obviously, he wore one of his familiar fierce frowns. She put a hand to her suddenly nervous stomach. Her buttocks clenched in anticipation of something unpleasant. But surely he wouldn't...
She had just stepped away from the door when he gave a sharp knock and then pushed the door open. Her eyes widened at the sight of the man she loved looking grimly at her. She didn't know what to expect next. Clearly he was upset with her, although she was just as upset with him. But there was something more going on with him, something she couldn't determine from his expression.
"I don't have much time." Daniel shut the door behind him and walked in front of her. His eyes darkened as he looked down at her; his nostrils flared.
She inched backward until her legs touched the bed. Warmth had spread through her, desire for her husband. Yet she was all too aware of where they were: in a saloon, one with rooms upstairs that in the past had been well used by the ladies of the night but now were only rarely used in that way. Still, she had no desire to make love with Daniel here.
She shook her head, cleared her throat and said stubbornly, "No, Daniel. I won't let you--"
A frown furrowed his brow and he shook his head as well, stopping her protest. "I won't take you here. Not ever." He almost shuddered at the idea. "But I am going to spank you here."
"Sp...spank me? Here?" She had suspected something like that, wasn't happy with the idea. She tried to move backward again, but there was nowhere to go. She ended up sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Why?"
He took off his hat and put it on the dresser. He started to unbuckle his gunbelt, but evidently thought better of it and frowned in annoyance. "No time for that."
"No time?" Jennie studied the tension in his stiff body and realized there was more going on here than his desire to spank her. Her stomach knotted and she whispered, "What's happened, Daniel?"
He drew in a breath, held it a second as his broad chest rose and stretched the fabric of his shirt to its limit. Then he released the breath heavily. "Got another wire. The Walton Gang has been spotted heading this way. We're going after them."
No! she wanted to say, feeling sick at the thought of him leaving on posse again. Would she ever get used to this? Then she thought about what else he'd said and her irritation with him resurfaced. "You are leaving on posse again, which you came to tell me about. And you came here to spank me? You want my last memories of you before you ride out to be of you taking me over your knee?"
Now he scowled. "No. I want you to think about how much I love you. Enough that..." He hesitated and looked intently at her. "Just know that I care for you."
"Then don't do this."
But his mind was made up, this inflexible husband of hers. He moved toward her and nodded at the bed. "Like I said, I don't have much time. The men will be waiting for me. Turn around and put your hands on the bed."
Jennie gaped at him. "You expect me to just..."
"Yes."
They locked stubborn gazes for a minute. She didn't move. "I have done nothing wrong."
Daniel raised an eyebrow, which told her he disagreed. He moved a hand to his belt buckle. "Do you really want to make this worse than I had intended?"
She stared at his hand on the buckle and a shudder swept through her. "No," she answered quietly.
With a sigh of resignation, Jennie faced the bed and bent over, bracing her arms on the mattress. Her bottom thrust up high. Her face flamed. "I'm not happy about this." And she knew in a few minutes that she would be seriously unhappy about what he intended to do.
"I'm not particularly happy about doing this, but I'm going to
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