chuckle rumbled from his chest. "I do so adore you, little one. Open it."
Her fingers worked at the knot, not at all sure she wanted to know what was hidden beneath the paper. Once she'd folded it back, she looked up at him, her mouth open.
"Go on, look at it."
Anna blushed but hunched over the paddle she'd uncovered; as if to hide it from view.
She stared at her name, Annabelle Rose Andrews—her full name, not just 'Anna'—that had been had painstakingly carved into the back of the paddle. She looked up at her new husband, shock written clearly on her face.
He grinned down at her. "I'm guessing you only heard your full name when you knew you were fixin' to be spanked, is that correct?" She could barely breathe, much less speak, and simply nodded her head until Richard said, "Answer me, Annabelle."
She tore her eyes away from the awful implement. "Yes, sir."
"That's how I always knew I was getting a hiding, as well."
Anna looked up at him in surprise. "Your Pa spanked you?" She couldn't imagine this huge man baring his bottom for a spanking.
"Sure did, every time I misbehaved and believe me, with four brothers, our butts got paddled and whipped quite often."
Anna smiled back, imagining five little boys begging for their Pa to let them off. She finally reached out and traced her name in the wood. "It is pretty," she admitted. The wood was smooth and the shape was a perfect oval.
"Turn it over."
Giving him a glance, she did so, and another gasp escaped her lips. The back side had a single large rose carved in the center of the wooden surface. It looked almost identical to the brand Charity has described that she'd seen on the oxen. "Oh, my."
"You are my special little rose, and now, whenever I've had to blister your bottom, hopefully every time you sit down you'll remember that your flower is branded across your arse. I believe it will help remind you to be my good girl," he said.
She shuddered again as she traced a few of the rose's petals. She knew the paddle would sting like crazy and felt her bottom clench, visualizing her backend with its garden of red roses blooming across her skin. Richard pulled her onto his lap and held her as he, too, traced the flower.
Anna lifted her face and he bent to kiss her. She laid her hand on his cheek, still clutching the paddle. When he broke away, she shuddered, the desire in her body rising.
"I know you recognize your punishment journals," he said.
She blushed but mumbled, "Um, yes, sir." Looking down at the pile of books, she shook her head. "I don't recognize that one."
Richard grinned. "You will continue to make your punishment entries for my review. This one is new."
"You expect me to keep a journal?"
His eyes met hers and he nodded. "I don't see any reason to stop a good practice. Having to keep track of the number of times you are squirming over my lap while your bottom gets blistered is a good incentive for you to lessen the frequency of such trips." He lifted it off the ground and opened it up to display blank pages. "I'm hoping that this one journal will last for a very long time; but then again, considering you've already filled eight, you actually might need another before too long."
Anna blushed but giggled. "Don't count on it. I guess I was pretty naughty when I was a child, but that was long ago. I'm a grown woman now."
He laughed loudly and hugged her tightly. "I seem to recall hearing you give that argument when I witnessed your Pa strapping you. Let's hope you have learned some hard lessons and you won't have need of the journal, but do know that it's here for you." At her nod, he grinned. "I suppose we'd better get ready for the meeting. Put your journal and implements in the wagon and I'll clean up."
Anna rose off the blanket, barely catching the strap before it fell to the ground. Her first impulse was to toss it and the paddle away, but she dutifully walked to the wagon instead. Climbing into the back, she looked around and didn't know where
Her fingers worked at the knot, not at all sure she wanted to know what was hidden beneath the paper. Once she'd folded it back, she looked up at him, her mouth open.
"Go on, look at it."
Anna blushed but hunched over the paddle she'd uncovered; as if to hide it from view.
She stared at her name, Annabelle Rose Andrews—her full name, not just 'Anna'—that had been had painstakingly carved into the back of the paddle. She looked up at her new husband, shock written clearly on her face.
He grinned down at her. "I'm guessing you only heard your full name when you knew you were fixin' to be spanked, is that correct?" She could barely breathe, much less speak, and simply nodded her head until Richard said, "Answer me, Annabelle."
She tore her eyes away from the awful implement. "Yes, sir."
"That's how I always knew I was getting a hiding, as well."
Anna looked up at him in surprise. "Your Pa spanked you?" She couldn't imagine this huge man baring his bottom for a spanking.
"Sure did, every time I misbehaved and believe me, with four brothers, our butts got paddled and whipped quite often."
Anna smiled back, imagining five little boys begging for their Pa to let them off. She finally reached out and traced her name in the wood. "It is pretty," she admitted. The wood was smooth and the shape was a perfect oval.
"Turn it over."
Giving him a glance, she did so, and another gasp escaped her lips. The back side had a single large rose carved in the center of the wooden surface. It looked almost identical to the brand Charity has described that she'd seen on the oxen. "Oh, my."
"You are my special little rose, and now, whenever I've had to blister your bottom, hopefully every time you sit down you'll remember that your flower is branded across your arse. I believe it will help remind you to be my good girl," he said.
She shuddered again as she traced a few of the rose's petals. She knew the paddle would sting like crazy and felt her bottom clench, visualizing her backend with its garden of red roses blooming across her skin. Richard pulled her onto his lap and held her as he, too, traced the flower.
Anna lifted her face and he bent to kiss her. She laid her hand on his cheek, still clutching the paddle. When he broke away, she shuddered, the desire in her body rising.
"I know you recognize your punishment journals," he said.
She blushed but mumbled, "Um, yes, sir." Looking down at the pile of books, she shook her head. "I don't recognize that one."
Richard grinned. "You will continue to make your punishment entries for my review. This one is new."
"You expect me to keep a journal?"
His eyes met hers and he nodded. "I don't see any reason to stop a good practice. Having to keep track of the number of times you are squirming over my lap while your bottom gets blistered is a good incentive for you to lessen the frequency of such trips." He lifted it off the ground and opened it up to display blank pages. "I'm hoping that this one journal will last for a very long time; but then again, considering you've already filled eight, you actually might need another before too long."
Anna blushed but giggled. "Don't count on it. I guess I was pretty naughty when I was a child, but that was long ago. I'm a grown woman now."
He laughed loudly and hugged her tightly. "I seem to recall hearing you give that argument when I witnessed your Pa strapping you. Let's hope you have learned some hard lessons and you won't have need of the journal, but do know that it's here for you." At her nod, he grinned. "I suppose we'd better get ready for the meeting. Put your journal and implements in the wagon and I'll clean up."
Anna rose off the blanket, barely catching the strap before it fell to the ground. Her first impulse was to toss it and the paddle away, but she dutifully walked to the wagon instead. Climbing into the back, she looked around and didn't know where
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