Free The Farmer's Reluctant Bride by Dina Chapel Page A

Hank
was feeling rather unsettled about the whole day. Where had she gone? Had she
been with someone or alone? He realized that, in his anger, he hadn’t given
Mandy a chance to explain herself at all.
    Still, there was no excuse good
enough, in Hank’s mind at least, for taking off on one of the horses without
telling him where she was going. No, no excuse at all. That was just foolishness,
plain and simple. And dangerous. He wanted some answers and was determined that
he would get them first thing tomorrow.
    No, Hank didn’t regret punishing Mandy
for acting so carelessly; she needed that punishment to prevent her from ever
doing anything so foolish again. He was certain she’d never forget that
strapping he gave her. He did regret not talking to her first or even after the
punishment (Hank usually held her afterward, talking to her and comforting her,
letting her cry it out on his shoulder). And he regretted acting in anger. He’d
learned his lesson over that and vowed to himself that it would never happen
again.
    Hank joined Mandy in the bed and
fell into a restless sleep.
    *  
*   *
    Mandy woke in the middle of the
night to pitch blackness in the cabin. She was cold; so cold that she had woken
up from shivering. When she rolled onto her back and her very sore behind hit
the bed, the events of the previous day came flooding back.
    She whimpered and rolled back to
her side. Mandy wasn’t ever allowed to rub so she didn’t even think to try—even
though Hank was asleep. And, at that thought, Hank awoke. He immediately rose
and fetched another quilt from the trunk at the foot of the bed. Mandy watched
in silence as Hank, dressed only in his long underwear, shook out the quilt and
covered her with it. Then he climbed back into the bed.
    Without a word, Hank pulled Mandy
to him and then turned her over, her punished backside touching the bed for
just a moment, as he gathered her close to him, front to front so as not to
cause her any more pain. He just held her close and let his body heat warm her
up. Hank wrapped his arms around her and Mandy let him. Even after the
strapping that he gave her, she still wanted to be close to him.
    Hank reached down and, pulling her
nightdress up to her waist, lightly caressed her bare behind. The welts from
the belt were raised and Hank brushed across them gently as Mandy’s breath hissed
inward from the contact.
    “It’s all right, sweetheart,” Hank
spoke softly to her as he stroked her hair and back. “It’s all right. Sshh.”
Mandy snuggled in close to Hank, enjoying the heat that seemed to always
radiate off his body and also enjoying the fact that he didn’t seem angry
anymore. She had been so worried that he was angry with her. He had been
very angry when he had punished her.
    Mandy slowly stopped shivering in
the warmth of Hank’s arms and wriggled against his chest as his hands began to
roam across her body. Mandy recognized this action as one that preceded Hank
wanting to be a husband to her. As she snuggled closer, she felt his stiff
manhood jutting out into her lower belly. It was pressing into her
uncomfortably, and Mandy usually readjusted herself whenever that happened.
    This time she reached down to try
and adjust Hank instead, but when she touched him, he let out a groan she had
never quite heard from him before.
    Mandy instinctively wrapped her
hand around his large hardness and just held it for a moment.
    “Good Lord,” Hank choked out
through clenched teeth.
    Mandy thought he sounded pained and
immediately released him. “Was I hurting you?”
    “No, no, sweetheart. Please put
that hand back where it was.” Hank fumbled under the covers searching for
Mandy’s hand. “Please, Mandy.”
    She quickly grabbed him again and
he groaned again. She squeezed lightly, feeling her way through this new
experience, gauging what she was doing by Hank’s reactions. He seemed to be
enjoying it.
    She felt Hank’s hand cover hers and
start to guide her, having