seeing us as your family now that you’ve got no one left.”
Jenny felt a catch in her throat as his words hit her. He was right; she was alone save for the two men who had taken her in, rescued from the prospect of a loveless marriage. For the second time that day, she began to cry.
“There, there, Jenny,” Cody said, and pulled her into his arms. He felt different than the Englishman. He smelled different—like dust and musk and sunshine. But it wasn’t unpleasant, and neither was the feel of his corded arms as they held her close. This man, too, had spanked her, and would spank her again if it took that to keep her safe. Between her legs, the familiar throbbing began anew.
Jenny turned her tear-brimmed eyes toward his. The gaze that returned hers was bold and intense and caring. But why wouldn’t it be, she thought? He cared for her as any man would care for the sister of a dear friend. But still, the way he held her. He seemed to sense something, too, because after a moment he gently stepped back.
“Did you check my claim today?” she asked, eager to change the subject and redirect her thoughts.
“I did,” he said. “One of the neighboring miners—not Forbes—let me use his sluice box.” He smiled and reached into his pocket. “I found this.” He dropped a rock into Jenny’s hand. When she examined it closely, she could see a faint vein of gold threaded through it. She looked up at him. “Does this mean…?”
“I don’t know what it means,” he said. “It could be a fluke. Or it could be that there’s more. But to find out we need to dig. Both of us. And we need to know that you’re going to mind us, Jenny.” His voice took on a serious tone. “If you’re serious about what you say—that you appreciate that we took you in—then I need you to stay here with the cabin locked while me and Nigel go down to dig a little deeper on your claim and build our own sluice box there. Right now not many folk know you’re here, and I want to keep it that way. Can you stay here and keep quiet while we work? One of us will stay with you for a few more days, but after that I’m going to trust you to be a good girl here on your own while we work the claims together. That means staying put, understand?”
She nodded.
“I mean it, Jenny,” he said. “If I catch you out there, I’ll haul you back here and tan your bare bottom until it’s the color of the sunset, you got it?”
She flushed and shifted from foot to foot, aware suddenly of renewed wetness between her legs.
“Yes, sir,” she said.
“Now that’s more like it,” Cody said. “I like hearing you say that, Jenny. Sir. You’re a very good girl.”
She liked that he liked it, but felt a sudden stab of shame at experiencing the same shameful reaction with Cody as she’d had with Nigel.
Was this normal? She’d never lived with a man she’d been unrelated to. Perhaps it was. But she could not ask. Perhaps, she thought, this was just a normal reaction to being cared for after so long without caring.
She would put it out of her mind, she told herself. She would be a good girl, and that meant her thoughts would have to be pure as well. But as her secret place between her legs throbbed with nascent need, she wondered if that were possible.
Chapter Seven: Double the Conflict
Cody didn’t sleep much the nights leading up to Jenny’s first day alone at the cabin. It had been nearly a week since she’d arrived, and he and Nigel had switched off looking after her and teaching her how to take care of herself at the cabin while the other mined the three claims.
Cody found himself looking forward to his days with Jenny. When he was apart from her, he found his thoughts drifting farther and farther from the blond Matilda, and closer to the little blonde who now shared his cabin.
Now when he told himself that he was practically a promised man, the conviction felt hollow. And when he sat down in the evenings to write another
Jenny felt a catch in her throat as his words hit her. He was right; she was alone save for the two men who had taken her in, rescued from the prospect of a loveless marriage. For the second time that day, she began to cry.
“There, there, Jenny,” Cody said, and pulled her into his arms. He felt different than the Englishman. He smelled different—like dust and musk and sunshine. But it wasn’t unpleasant, and neither was the feel of his corded arms as they held her close. This man, too, had spanked her, and would spank her again if it took that to keep her safe. Between her legs, the familiar throbbing began anew.
Jenny turned her tear-brimmed eyes toward his. The gaze that returned hers was bold and intense and caring. But why wouldn’t it be, she thought? He cared for her as any man would care for the sister of a dear friend. But still, the way he held her. He seemed to sense something, too, because after a moment he gently stepped back.
“Did you check my claim today?” she asked, eager to change the subject and redirect her thoughts.
“I did,” he said. “One of the neighboring miners—not Forbes—let me use his sluice box.” He smiled and reached into his pocket. “I found this.” He dropped a rock into Jenny’s hand. When she examined it closely, she could see a faint vein of gold threaded through it. She looked up at him. “Does this mean…?”
“I don’t know what it means,” he said. “It could be a fluke. Or it could be that there’s more. But to find out we need to dig. Both of us. And we need to know that you’re going to mind us, Jenny.” His voice took on a serious tone. “If you’re serious about what you say—that you appreciate that we took you in—then I need you to stay here with the cabin locked while me and Nigel go down to dig a little deeper on your claim and build our own sluice box there. Right now not many folk know you’re here, and I want to keep it that way. Can you stay here and keep quiet while we work? One of us will stay with you for a few more days, but after that I’m going to trust you to be a good girl here on your own while we work the claims together. That means staying put, understand?”
She nodded.
“I mean it, Jenny,” he said. “If I catch you out there, I’ll haul you back here and tan your bare bottom until it’s the color of the sunset, you got it?”
She flushed and shifted from foot to foot, aware suddenly of renewed wetness between her legs.
“Yes, sir,” she said.
“Now that’s more like it,” Cody said. “I like hearing you say that, Jenny. Sir. You’re a very good girl.”
She liked that he liked it, but felt a sudden stab of shame at experiencing the same shameful reaction with Cody as she’d had with Nigel.
Was this normal? She’d never lived with a man she’d been unrelated to. Perhaps it was. But she could not ask. Perhaps, she thought, this was just a normal reaction to being cared for after so long without caring.
She would put it out of her mind, she told herself. She would be a good girl, and that meant her thoughts would have to be pure as well. But as her secret place between her legs throbbed with nascent need, she wondered if that were possible.
Chapter Seven: Double the Conflict
Cody didn’t sleep much the nights leading up to Jenny’s first day alone at the cabin. It had been nearly a week since she’d arrived, and he and Nigel had switched off looking after her and teaching her how to take care of herself at the cabin while the other mined the three claims.
Cody found himself looking forward to his days with Jenny. When he was apart from her, he found his thoughts drifting farther and farther from the blond Matilda, and closer to the little blonde who now shared his cabin.
Now when he told himself that he was practically a promised man, the conviction felt hollow. And when he sat down in the evenings to write another
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