Daisy Read online

  My breathing was ragged. I’d never been in such a tight pussy and I was barely holding on to my control. I licked at her skin, slick with sweat and salty against my tongue.

  “All right, darlin’?”

  She nodded, her knuckles white on the iron rails.

  I began to move, to fuck her in earnest. I didn’t go gently, not only because I didn’t feel she needed it, but because I couldn’t hold back.

  “Spank me,” she whispered.

  I stilled at her words. I heard her gasp, most likely realizing what she’d said and afraid I’d dislike her boldness. I didn’t dislike it in the least. Hell, at her words I swelled deep inside her. My orgasm built at the base of my spine and my balls drew up tight against my body.

  “You need it, darlin’?”

  She nodded her head with abandon.

  Releasing her breast, I gave her a hard swat and I watched as my handprint appeared, fiery red on her ass.

  She cried out as I pulled back then thrust deep, spanked her again. I took up a steady pace, fucking her and spanking her as she pushed back against me, her ass slapping against my hips.

  Our fucking was loud. The wet sound of my cock plunging in and out was muted by my deep breaths and her cries. Each spank resounded harshly in the bedroom. Everything about this coupling was frantic and edgy and carnal and dark and so unbelievably hot that I couldn’t hold back. I took her as my body dictated, mindless to my release. Instead of gripping her hip, I reached around and felt her clit, a hard protrusion that was swollen and poking out from its protective hood.

  She cried out my name as I felt her ripple around my cock, her climax upon her. It was this extra bit of stimulation that made me come, my cock jerking and pulsing and shooting my seed deep into her. I didn’t doubt that this seed would take root in her belly, and knowing the fact that I had most likely bred her had my orgasm lingering.

  I’d never come like that before. I couldn’t catch my breath, I could barely see. But it wasn’t my comfort I had to think of, but Daisy’s, for I’d used her most savagely. I pulled from her and I watched as my cum dripped from her with the plug in her ass.

  I took just a moment to savor the sight, then carefully removed the plug. Pulling her into my side, I tucked us beneath the covers. Wiping her hair from her brow, I realized Daisy was sound asleep.

  I’d expected her to need some kind of transition into the more unusual demands I’d make on her when it came to her body, to fucking, but she’d found it was not only arousing, but something she needed. I never expected her to voice her deepest carnal desires, but she had. She’d wanted her ass spanked. In her most abandoned moment, she’d told me exactly what she needed, and I gave it to her. It was my job, my privilege, to be the one to do so.

  As she slept, I considered other aspects of my new bride. Daisy had a straightforward approach when dealing with other people. Perhaps that was the reason why I found us to be so compatible. I sighed as I watched her sleep. Compatible. Did other husbands use that word to describe their wife? I doubted Garrison Lee thought Dahlia was compatible. Maybe in bed, but I doubted anywhere else.

  It was not Daisy’s fault I considered her in this less than romantic vein. I’d been jaded toward any kind of entanglements since I was quite young and nothing I’d seen or done had warranted a change. Until now. Daisy wasn’t a patient to treat with detachment. She was not going anywhere. For once, I wanted her to stay. I wanted her with me, not just because I was insatiable around her, not because she’d all but begged me to spank her ass. Not because soon it would be my cock deep in her ass instead of a plug. I wanted her keen and quick mind, her friendly spirit and her fierce possessiveness. I just wanted her.

  She also pulled at every one of my protective instincts. Her safety was my utmost concern; I didn’t fear Union soldiers would murder her for being a rebel, but I knew how fragile life was. My brother and father were casualties of war. My sister and mother were casualties of evil. Many patients were casualties of their own bodies; disease and cancer stronger than they were. There had been nothing I could do in any of those cases, with my family, but with Daisy, I would ensure she stay happy and healthy and whole if I had to spank her to do it—and she would no doubt enjoy it.

  Fortunately, she didn’t seem to mind. Perhaps compatible was the right word, for we were most definitely of like minds when it came to fucking. For some, surely it was just the act of copulation beneath the covers with the lights out. For Daisy and me, it wasn’t even just fucking. It was the control aspect, or in her case, the submission. We were aroused by our roles in our marriage and I would not want it any other way, with anyone else.

  Now I was the one obsessed. Instead of sleeping, I lay in bed and watched her. Pulling back the covers, I saw she still bore the signs of our fucking: a red mark I’d made with my mouth on her shoulder, her hair a wild tangle instead of in a neat bun. Beneath the covers, her nipples were supple, plump tips again and lower down, I would undoubtedly feel my seed if I touched her pussy. My cock ached to take her again, but I let her rest.

  I was, at the very least… smitten.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  DAISY

  Just after first light, Ethan had ridden out to the Baker ranch to tend to the three boys who most likely had mumps. I’d remained behind with a sore bottom and slightly embarrassed spirit. Had I really asked Ethan to spank my bottom while he fucked me? I’d been out of my mind, so completely lost in my pleasure that I’d asked him for exactly what I wanted. The hint of pain that his palm created was enough to push me over the edge and I came harder than I ever had before.

  Just after I uttered the words I’d panicked, worried that he’d laugh at me or scoff at my immodesty. Instead, I’d actually felt his cock swell deep inside of me and he’d done it. Hard and often until I came. I’d fallen asleep directly after he’d tucked me into him and only woke with the sun. By then, Ethan was already gone.

  I was just washing the dishes from my noontime meal when there was a knock on the office door. Wiping my hand on a dish towel, I answered it.

  A soldier in a navy uniform removed his hat. “Ma’am. I am here for Doctor James.”

  “He is out on a call, but would you like to come in out of the cold?”

  The man nodded and came into the room. He appeared to be a decade older than me, with sandy blond hair and a trimmed beard. I was not familiar with the ranks of the army, but he had a number of gold stripes on his epaulets indicating a man with experience.

  “Do you know when he might return?”

  “I’m sorry, Officer—”

  “Captain, ma’am. Captain Archer.”

  “Captain, he’s gone to a ranch a few miles south of here. I would assume he will be gone most of the day.”

  He frowned and looked about as if in deep consideration. His bearing was tense. While he was quite calm, he was quite on edge.

  “Perhaps I can be of help?” I asked.

  He shook his head, clearly disappointed. “A group of us are on our way to Fort Dixon and were set upon. One man’s dead, three others are wounded. We need the doctor to help.”

  I put my hand over my heart as I imagined the burden he carried of not returning with any medical assistance. The distance to the fort was some twenty miles, too far to get help from there. Was there even a doctor within the barrack walls? Was Ethan the only doctor nearby?

  “Is there still danger?” When he wiped the back of his hand over his mouth, I added, “You must be thirsty.” I went into the kitchen and returned with a glass of water.

  “Much obliged.” He took a deep swig and looked about for a place to put it. I held out my hands and he returned it to me.

  “The danger has passed. We are led to believe it was a group of men who wish to stir up trouble with the Indians, for they dressed as the Indians, but were white.”

  I frowned at the implication of such an act. Starting a war with the Indians—the group I knew were peaceful—could lead to vast bloodshed.

  �
�I know Red Bear.” When the captain’s brows went up, I continued. “He trades at the mercantile. He and his community would not instigate trouble. I am sure they are wary as it is.”

  He fiddled with his hat. “I can’t tarry. Please leave word for Doctor James that we are three miles east of town. Hopefully, he will return soon and can be of assistance.”

  He put his hat back on and opened the door. The snow outside was bright and he became silhouetted in the entry.

  “Captain Archer,” I called.

  He turned to look at me over his shoulder. “While I am clearly not Doctor James, I can collect some supplies and offer my assistance. I am well versed in helping. Garrison Lee, my brother-in-law, well, his ranch is in the same direction. If we make a brief stop there, perhaps he can also be of help. I know he’s adept at handling emergencies.”

  Eyeing me carefully, he was quiet for a moment. “We are short on hands and desperate.” He nodded. “Very well. Please collect whatever medical supplies you can and I will wait outside. Please hurry.”

  Elation shot through me at the chance to help others. I may have exaggerated my skills, for I was not “well versed,” but I was better than having no medical assistance at all. Rummaging through the cabinet in the examination room, I collected a variety of items—bandages, slings, needle and thread, ether, long boards for possible broken bones—and after retrieving my clothing bag from beneath the bed, tucked the items inside. Donning my coat and other outerwear, I met up with the captain and he took the bag from me. He offered me his cupped palms for a boost up onto the extra horse he must have brought for Ethan.

  Once settled, he turned to me. “I hope you can ride.”

  I nodded once and spurred my horse into motion. “Indeed.”

  ETHAN

  I had never considered my profession to become an impediment to my way of life until now. In less than a week, Daisy had taken over every part of my day and I found my work to be obtrusive to my time with her. My life had been turned upside down… and I liked it. Not only was my bed warm and my cock sated on a daily—if not hourly basis—but she’d made me… whole. I longed to get back to the house and see her, talk with her, learn more about her. I just wanted to be with her. Because of this, I spurred my horse to move a touch faster.

  When I’d settled the animal at the livery and placed my satchel in its usual spot by the door, I knew she was not at home. It was too quiet. Even if she were quietly reading in the parlor, her presence would be obvious. The house was as empty as it had always been. It hadn’t seemed so until recently and I was disappointed. The sun was setting and I wondered of her whereabouts. Instead of stripping off my outerwear, I put my hat back on and ventured out again in search of my wife.

  “She went off with a military man,” Mr. Anderson told me a few minutes later. He lived in the house next door. He was in his late sixties with a full head of shockingly white hair. He’d run a ranch west of town until his son took over for him. Moving into town had been what his wife wanted, so they’d bought the small house next door. I’d had many a Sunday meal with them and I was quite fond of the pair.

  Mr. Anderson had come out onto his porch to sweep away some blowing snow and I asked him after Daisy. He didn’t venture out much when it was bitterly cold due to rheumatism, but I knew he kept a keen eye on the town’s comings and goings.

  His words had me slowly turning to face him, to walk up to his porch and join him. “A military man?” I repeated. Dread filled my gut.

  Mr. Anderson’s hair fell over his forehead as he nodded. “A captain, I believe, if my memory serves me right.”

  “Did she seem… bothered by her departure?” I kept my tone even, but inside my gut was churning. What the hell was Daisy doing with someone in service?

  “Bothered?” He scratched his head. “He had a horse for her to ride and was right gentlemanly. Helped her up, took her bag for her.”

  “Took her bag?” I parroted. I ran my hand over the back of my neck. I had to tread carefully, for it wasn’t Mr. Anderson’s fault if Daisy was involved in something… bad. I didn’t want him to feel poorly for not stopping her when he’d had the chance. What the hell was she doing with a bag? If the man meant her harm, surely he wouldn’t allow her a bag. But she wouldn’t go off willingly with a stranger either. Did she know the man? I had the briefest thought of her leaving me for another, but I disregarded that notion immediately. After the night before, there was no way in hell there was another man in her life. “I’m sorry, Mr. Anderson, but I’d like to find her. While we haven’t been married long, I tend to worry. Which way did they go?”

  He pointed out of town. “East and at a fast clip, too.”

  I thanked the man and all but ran to the livery to retrieve my horse. I thought back to when the military men had come calling at my house when I was thirteen. Georgia had been in ruins. The men had all gone off to war and the only protection my mother and sister had was me and I’d been too small, too weak to save them. I’d been beaten and could do nothing to stop the men. While the man Mr. Anderson spoke of had seemed honorable, the men in Georgia had held no honor. Far from it. In fact, I could still hear my mother’s and sister’s screams as the band of men had viciously assaulted, then killed them. I’d been left to bury them with the help of a few other neighbors, my arm broken and in a sling.

  This wasn’t the War and Daisy wasn’t a southerner. I was neither young nor weak any longer. But that fact did nothing to ease my concerns and I was sick with fear. What if this military man intended to harm Daisy? What if evil took something from me again? I hadn’t been in town to protect her, tending to the Baker children and their mumps. My job had kept me from taking care of the one person who needed me. She was my responsibility and I’d let her down. I felt helpless and completely out of control and wanted to punch a wall, kick something, tear at my clothes in frustration. As I spurred my horse toward the east, I wondered—and feared—if I would lose another person I loved.

  CHAPTER NINE

  DAISY

  By the time Garrison and I arrived at the site of the ambush with Captain Archer, another man had died. The others who were injured had been field dressed, but the supplies I had packed were helpful in stabilizing wounds. One man needed some of the ether so a bone could be reset. Another needed it to pull a bullet out of his shoulder. Since my hands were the smallest, I was given that task. Garrison had helped in building sleds from blankets and wood that could be dragged behind a horse as I cleaned wounds and stitched up torn flesh.

  I had no idea how Ethan did this. Day in and day out he dealt with the harsher side of life. Serious injuries, illness, disfiguring burns, even wounds he couldn’t even treat and would have to watch the person die. All of it was heart-wrenching and stressful and grueling. How he maintained such a facade of normalcy was beyond me. I’d wanted to cry over the two bodies of men who’d been alive and whole only a few hours before. I wanted to soothe and take away the pain of those who were injured. I wanted to rail against the men who were heartless enough to inflict such senseless harm.

  It was decided that the group would ride to town instead of continuing on to Fort Dixon. The distance was much closer and food and shelter were needed more than returning to their troop. With the last hints of daylight outlining the distant mountains, we slowly worked our way toward town. A horse and rider halted us in our tracks and rifles came out and were cocked and ready. While they’d been ambushed before, the men were ready this time. Garrison and Captain Archer were on my flanks, the remainder of the troops in front of me.

  “Identify yourself!” a man in the lead yelled.

  “Doctor Ethan James.” His voice carried in the still night. The deep timbre of his voice had a chill going down my spine.

  “Doctor, this is Garrison Lee,” he called. “Your wife is with me, safe.”

  “Stand down,” Captain Archer shouted and the rifles—besides those on guard—were put away.

  I looked to Garrison, whose shoulders relaxed. He
spoke to me in a low voice. “I believe your husband is here for you. Did you leave him a note as to your whereabouts? By the look on your face, I’m guessing that’s a no.” He shook his head and closed his eyes briefly. “I know exactly what he’s feeling right now and it doesn’t bode well for you.”

  The troops separated to allow Ethan to ride through the ranks and stop before me. Captain Archer introduced himself.

  Ethan looked to Garrison, then Captain Archer, then to me. He did not turn his head as he spoke. “I heard from my neighbor that a military man took my wife away. I admit, Captain, that I have a genuine and deep-seated dislike for the military, but I am assured that my wife is safe and that is all that matters.”

  His accent was thick. This time, it wasn’t from being aroused.

  “You sound as if you’re a long way from home. I assume you served your country.” If Captain Archer was bothered by Ethan’s feelings, he did not make it known.

  “If you’re referring to the Confederacy, then you’re correct. Georgia 18th Infantry Battalion. But I didn’t fight for a cause. I fought because it gave me clothes and food.”

  I never knew about Ethan’s past, that he served during the Civil War. “You must have been too young to fight,” I said, once I did some quick math.

  “Thirteen.”

  I gasped. “You were just a child!”

  He cocked his head and continued to stare at me. “Your family died in a fire, darlin’. My family died in the War.”

  I ached for the boy he was, losing his family at such an impressionable age. I was three and I had no true memories of mine. “Your mother, too?”

  Ethan clenched his jaw. “My mother and sister were murdered. Soldiers intent on taking more from the South than required.”

  His accent was thicker than ever.

  Tears welled in my eyes. Now I knew why Ethan needed control. It had been ripped from him when he was young and ever since had tried to get back. His profession, trying to save lives, also made sense. It gave him the power, the ability to help people, to never feel weak or helpless again.