Handling Susannah Read online

  The sound of Caleb’s wails increased such that one would have thought the world was ending. Susannah followed them into the room, worried about what would happen next.

  Adam plopped the boy on the bed and held a finger in front of his tear-streaked face. “When you’re bad, there are consequences. You can cry all you like, but it’s not gonna change anything.” He placed his hands on his hips and glared down at the boy without sympathy or attempt to comfort him, waiting for his crying to stop.

  Eventually, Caleb’s cries turned into hiccups, and he rubbed his eyes. He looked at Adam with a wounded expression on his face, likely surprised at having been scolded by his new pa, who had up until that point been nothing but mild toward him. His lower lip quivered and he sniffled, looking like he would burst into tears again at any moment. Adam fished out a handkerchief from his pocket and held it over his nose. “Blow,” he instructed.

  After Caleb blew a few times, he asked in a small, wobbling voice, “Are you still mad at me, Pa?”

  Adam shook his head. “I’m not mad at all. But I want you to behave yourself better in the future. You must mind your ma and me, ya hear? Next time you disobey or throw a tantrum I’ll punish you.”

  Caleb stared at him, still looking hurt and now a little surprised. “You will?”

  “If you misbehave again, yes,” Adam confirmed.

  “I’ll be good,” he said, sounding subdued. He swiped the back of his hand under his eyes to wipe away the last of his tears.

  “Lie down and go to sleep, son,” Adam said in a gentler voice.

  Caleb nodded and climbed up to rest his head on his pillow. Adam pulled up the quilt and tucked it around him.

  “Can I have a sweet tomorrow?”

  “Of course not,” Adam exclaimed. “What did I just tell you?”

  “You said I couldn’t have any for the rest of the week, but I thought you might change your mind, seein’ as how you’re not mad at me.”

  Adam snorted a laugh. “Nice try. You’ll find I don’t often change my mind, Caleb. Go to sleep.” He tousled his hair and then left the room.

  When Susannah joined him a moment later, he scowled at her. “If I find out you’ve given him candy while I’m at the range, I’ll turn you both over my knee.”

  Surprised, she said, “I won’t do that, Adam. I wouldn’t go behind your back like that.”

  He raised a brow. “Sure about that? You’re way too soft on the boy.”

  Her temper flared at his criticism. “Are you saying I’m a bad mother?”

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake,” he said, sounding exasperated. “No, I just think you need to be a little firmer and not spoil him. You notice he doesn’t try to get away with that tomfoolery with me. That’s because he can tell it won’t work.”

  Susannah scowled, offended by the implication that she was doing something wrong. Adam had no idea how stubborn Caleb was and how loath she was to correct him. It was true that she spoiled him, but she hadn’t been able to give him a complete family. Until Adam came along, she felt like she had to make up for that in some way, and spoiling him a little seemed to be the best way in which to do it.

  “You have no right! He’s my son, not yours. You’ve only been around for a short time and you don’t know—”

  Adam held a finger to her lips. “Hush. You’re saying something you’ll regret just like last time I dared to act like I have some say in how things work around here.”

  His warm finger pressed against her mouth, plus the truth of his words, caused the fight to leave her. She stared into his narrowed eyes and felt her own eyes soften with submission. He noticed it too because he moved his finger away and cupped her cheek, brushing over it with the pad of his thumb. “Good girl.”

  His tender, dominant approval gave her a surge of hope. The Adam she’d first met seemed to be back, standing in front of her. He curled his hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her head closer before he pressed his lips to hers. Her hands fell off her hips and suddenly her whole body was wrapped up in his embrace. Her palms found his shoulder blades, and his chest pressed against her breasts. Her tummy fluttered at his strong touch, which she’d been missing since she’d insulted him so terribly.

  When he released her lips, he smiled at her. “My little kitten has sharp claws.”

  She smiled sheepishly. “I have a hot temper. It’s always been a weakness.”

  “Your hot temper will lead to a hot bottom next time, darlin’.”

  She stared into his eyes, sobering. “I would prefer to be spanked every day than to bear one more day of you being cold toward me.”

  “I’ll remember that.” He gave her another quick kiss. “My ma was like you are with Caleb—very soft and tolerant. I would cause all kinds of ruckus and she would only smile at me or beg me to settle down.”

  “You caused a ruckus?” Susannah asked, her face softening into a smile. “I can’t even picture you being rowdy. You’re always so calm and in control.”

  Adam chuckled. “I suppose I turned out that way because of my pa. He was not so tolerant of misbehavior, and he was also slow to praise. I spent my whole life tryin’ to make my father proud of me. With my ma, I always knew I had her approval.”

  “I’m sure both of them were proud of you.”

  Adam smiled. “They were good parents. I wish you could have met them.”

  “And I wish you could have met my pa. I always felt like he was proud of me, until the end. I really disappointed him.” Susannah felt the sharp pangs of regret over how her father had died still ashamed of her.

  “Hey,” Adam said softly, smoothing a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Your pa wanted what was best for you. He would’ve come around if he’d lived longer.”

  She shook her head slightly. “I doubt it. He had a few years to come around after I had Caleb, but he never did. I saw the disappointment in his eyes until his very last day.”

  Adam frowned and rubbed his chin. “I don’t rightly understand your pa. You were young and full of normal desire, and your only sin was trusting a scoundrel. It’s not your fault, sweetheart. You didn’t deserve to be shamed by everyone in such a way.”

  She gazed into his eyes, feeling so touched by his words she could hardly choke hers out. “You don’t think less of me. You don’t think I’m a whore like all the townsfolk do.”

  “Of course not!” he exclaimed.

  “I’m so glad. I want you to think well of me.”

  “I do, honey.” A familiar twinkle crept into his eyes, a look she had desperately missed seeing as of late. “Unless you want me to think of you as a whore. I like you being my little wanton harlot in the bedroom.”

  She blushed, loving his possessive words and the memories of their bedroom activities. “I like being your whore too.”

  Adam laughed briefly, but then sobered again. “Back to the subject of a father’s disappointment, I don’t know much about being a father, but I do remember how much it hurt when I disappointed my own. I know I wouldn’t want Caleb to feel my disapproval for long. It’s better to be disciplined and then forgiven.”

  “I agree, and I’m glad you’re here. He needs a father,” she whispered.

  “And you need a husband,” he said with a sigh. “One who doesn’t disapprove of you. I’m sorry for how I’ve acted toward you these last few days. It wasn’t right of me.”

  She shook her head and looked down at the floor. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have said what I did.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have,” Adam agreed, taking her into his arms once again. “But it was my duty to set you straight instead of giving you the cold shoulder. I didn’t realize it would be such a sore subject, but what you said reminded me that I hadn’t earned this ranch, and it reminded me of the ranch I lost. The ranch in Amarillo was my father’s legacy, and then I lost it.”

  She blinked, chasing away the tears that were forming, and shook her head emphatically. “Maybe you didn’t earn this ranch in the traditional way,
Adam, but we couldn’t live without you now. Just you being here, you’ve already made so many good changes I didn’t even realize needed changing. You mentioned only a few of them. You’re a good man. This ranch needs you, and me and Caleb do too.”

  His lips spread into a sly grin. “It’s nice to hear you say that, darlin’. I’m not all good though. I want to do some very wicked things to you right now.” He took her hand in his and led her to their bedroom. Once inside, he closed the door, latched it, and then kissed her. Their passion grew, and he reached around to unbutton the first of many buttons on her dress, starting with the one at the nape of her neck.

  “So, you want to replace this dress with a new one, hmm?” he muttered, remembering the argument that had led to such a rift between them.

  “No, I don’t need to, Adam,” she said, her voice nearly breathless. “I don’t need new dresses.”

  He loved how she was responding to him, and it caused a surge of dominance to course through his veins. “That’s not what you told me. ‘Threadbare’ was the word you used, I believe. Were you fibbing, kitten?” He asked the question with a warning note in his voice that he knew would make her feel naughty. He unbuttoned the next button slowly, causing her to moan with impatience and reach around to assist with undressing.

  “Hands at your side,” he said in a clipped voice.

  She obeyed with a little squeak that made him bite back a smile. She acted like she wanted control, but her actions in that moment made her true desires clear to him.

  He suddenly spun her around so that her back faced him. He grasped the fabric of the dress and with both hands ripped it apart, revealing her pale, naked back. She gasped, but he continued to undress her forcefully, tearing off the rest of the material, popping off the frock’s buttons. He was ready to take what was his.

  “Adam…,” she gasped.

  “You wanted a new dress, darlin’,” he snarled against her neck, then bit her a little harder than what was comfortable. She let out a quiet whine of protest. He pressed his hand against her back at her shoulder blades and pushed her to her stomach on the bed.

  Adam stood to her side and curled his hand around the nape of her neck. Pinning her in place, he ran his other hand down the length of her back lightly. He landed a hard smack on her bottom and watched as his handprint bloomed over her cheek. He smacked her again on her other cheek and continued, finding a steady rhythm. Susannah remained in place, accepting the swats with small gasps and whimpers.

  He continued spanking her, hard but slowly, pausing a moment after each spank to allow the full pain of it sink in. “You know you’ve earned this, don’t you? I can tell because you’re being a good girl and accepting it.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said, her voice soft and submissive. “Thank you.”

  He felt his cock lengthening in his trousers. This sight of her naked and pinned, accepting discipline with nary a word of complaint, and in fact thanking him, fed his desire to claim and dominate her. “You’ll accept my leadership in the future. I’ve shown you I’m capable of taking care of this family and the ranch, and that’s what you need, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, Adam. I need it so much,” she choked out.

  He spanked her again. “And the next time I make a decision you don’t like, what will you do?”

  “I’ll obey you,” she moaned.

  “You certainly will. And what about that temper of yours?”

  “I’ll keep it in check.”

  He smacked her hard twice. “You’d better, young lady, if you like sitting occasionally.”

  He circled behind her. After setting his cock free, he grasped her hips and dragged her ass to his stomach. Her knees boosted her on the bed, but her head still touched the quilt. He reached around and slid his fingers along her slit, groaning when he found her womanhood slick with desire. “You’re so wet for me, kitten,” he said, his voice husky. “Do you think I should let you come?”

  “Oh, please, Adam,” she gasped.

  He wasn’t gentle. He shoved his cock inside her to the hilt, filling her and claiming her body as his. She let out whimpers as he fucked her hard, smacking her ass and grabbing her fleshy warm cheeks. This was not a lovemaking session. There would be plenty of time for those in the future. This was a statement, a reinforcement of their relationship, and he could tell she needed it as much as he did.

  A particularly hard thrust caused her to cry out loudly, so Adam reached around and clamped his hand firmly over her mouth. “Hush, woman. The whole world doesn’t need to know you’re getting your naughty little cunt fucked.”

  She moaned and tried to speak behind his hand, but he kept it in place while he continued to thrust his cock in and out of her wet pussy. Suddenly she bit one of his fingers, not enough to draw blood, but enough to cause his reflexes to jerk his hand away from her mouth. He slowed his movements.

  “You bit me,” he said, both amused and a little surprised.

  “Maybe,” came the cheeky response.

  He laughed and pulled out of her.

  She snarled in protest. “What are you doing?”

  In answer to her question, he pressed her hips down to the bed again and spanked her hard and fast, over and over. When she screamed after the fifth stroke of his punishing hand, he shoved her face into the quilt. “I told you to muffle that racket,” he growled. “If you don’t, I’ll put you straight to bed after this spanking. No release.”

  She wailed, sounding dismayed at the threat.

  “You’re going to learn restraint and self-discipline, woman, or you’re going to be restrained and disciplined by me. You got that?”

  “Yes!” came her muffled response. She buried her screams as he painted her every inch of her bottom a crimson shade of red, spanking so hard that her mound crushed against the quilt with every swat.

  He could hear sheer pleasure in her dim cries and knew he was giving her exactly what she needed. Biting him was a test, a physical representation of her temper, and she needed to know he would respond in this way, not in the terrible way he had before.

  He saw her stiffen and shudder, and realized with no small amount of awe that she was about to orgasm just from the spanking. “Bad little kitten!” He stopped spanking, grabbed her hips, and sank into her. A few thrusts later her back arched and she stiffened again, her tight cunt clenching over and over around his cock, driving him so crazy that he came right as she was settling down.

  He collapsed on top of her, his entire large body pinning her much smaller body in place while he caught his breath. She squirmed. “You’re squashing me, Adam.”

  Adam rolled over onto his back, freeing her. She remained on her stomach and stared at him. Her lips curled into a mischievous smile. “You speak very crudely when you make love to me.”

  He propped himself up by an elbow and ran his fingers through her mussed hair, a loving touch that differed sharply from the punishing sex. “That wasn’t making love, kitten. That was fucking my little whore.”

  She burst out laughing, and he joined her. It was one of those perfect moments in life. They were again at peace with each other, Caleb was safe in his bed, and the business was thriving. Adam sighed with contentment and closed his eyes. As he drifted to sleep, he reflected on how different his Susannah was from the type of woman he used to dream about. He let out a prayer of thanks, grateful he’d been given exactly what he didn’t know he wanted.

  Chapter Nine

  The summer months were fruitful. Susannah watched with amazement as the stock of cattle multiplied, the chickens laid tasty eggs every day, the vegetable garden flourished, and two new colts were birthed. During this time, Adam showed Caleb how to perform a variety of outside chores like gathering eggs and weeding the garden.

  Susannah could see that her son was eager to please his new pa because he didn’t fuss and instead took on every new chore cheerfully. Soon school would be filling his days, but until then, Adam kept him occupied in a way she never had. It had never occurred
to her that she should teach him practical skills, as her father had never required her to do chores as a child.

  Adam also began giving Caleb riding lessons on the old mare Liza. The horse was patient and didn’t spook easily, and Caleb learned quickly. Occasionally Adam would offer him a word or two of praise, and Susannah noticed that her son was so eager to make Adam proud that his tantrums had all but disappeared.

  Sometimes it was hard for her to watch Adam pushing her son to try harder and do better, often sternly and without compromise. Caleb was not used to being pushed so hard, and Adam seemed too demanding. In the back of her mind, however, a voice told her that this was what a father did to make a boy a man. She knew that his influence would serve Caleb well, so she stayed silent.

  Susannah was not spared from Adam’s high expectations and insistence on proper behavior. His criticism irritated her, especially when he didn’t seem to notice everything she was doing right, and instead only pointed out her shortcomings. She made the mistake of napping one too many times in his presence, which he considered unacceptable unless taken ill.

  On a hot afternoon, she woke up to the sound of her name being spoken sharply, which immediately put her in a bad mood. She rubbed her eyes and found Adam standing by the bed with his hands on his hips, scowling down at her. “What in tarnation are you doing sleeping? I’ve been working all day, I’m half-starved, and you haven’t cooked anything.”

  She groaned and rolled out of bed. “I lost track of the time. I’ll cook something now.”

  “Are you not feeling well?” he asked. “This is the third time I’ve found you sleeping in the middle of the day.” His voice had softened a bit, and she knew that he would stop being cross with her if she said she didn’t feel well, but she didn’t want to lie to him. She felt overwhelmed at times, but she didn’t feel ill.

  “I’m fine,” she grunted.

  Perhaps if she had apologized, he would have let it go at that, but her response only seemed to make him grumpier. “I don’t tolerate laziness from my hands, so I’m certainly not going to tolerate it from my wife,” he said, following her into the kitchen. He stood near her with his arms folded in front of his chest as she lit the oven.