Claimed by the Mountain Man (12 page)

“I had some money saved,” she said, and he could tell by the way she avoided his eyes that she was lying.

“Take it off.”

Her lower lip quivered. “You might at least say I look pretty in it, Trapper Jack, like any normal man would think to do.”

He raised his voice. “I am not a normal man, young lady, as you well know. Do as I say.”

She complied, unbuttoning the bodice slowly. As she pulled the dress over her head and shoulders, she said, “I was embarrassed to be seen in trousers. Can’t you understand?”

“Take off your petticoat.”

She let out a whimper and obeyed. Next he instructed her to remove her shoes and drawers. Soon she stood naked in the center of the room, hugging her arms in front of her chest and staring at him mournfully. He rose to his feet and walked toward her, watching her eyes widen as he did. He took both of her wrists and placed her hands against the back of her head.

“Fold your hands together and keep them there.”

She took in a shuddering breath and did as instructed, lacing her fingers together against the red hair that spilled around them. He walked behind her, and her gaze followed him. “Eyes straight ahead,” he growled.

She obeyed. He stayed behind her for a moment, taking in the beauty of her naked form. Her skin was creamy white. The small of her back delicately dipped in, accentuating her round bottom. She jumped and let out a squeak when he touched the nape of her neck lightly.

“Easy,” he said. His fingers trailed down her back. “You
are
pretty, darlin’,” he murmured. “Beautiful, in fact.” His hand cupped her bottom for a moment before he drew it back and landed a sharp swat. She squeaked again but remained in place.

“And it’s not the dress that makes you so,” he said, his voice returning to its commanding tone. “Now tell me how you got it.”

She hesitated, then replied, “I already said.”

He landed another firm smack. “You lied.”

She didn’t say anything else. He circled and stared hard into her shimmering eyes. “I’m actually less concerned about how you got that dress and more concerned about why you thought it fitting to leave without my permission.”

He saw rebellion flash in her eyes briefly, but it seemed she thought better than to sass him because she pursed her lips together and didn’t say a word, only stared back into his eyes with a slight tilt of her chin upward.

He shook his head and walked back to the bed, where he sat and patted his thigh. “If you don’t feel like talking, you can come take your punishment then, Nettie.”

Finally she spoke in a pleading way. “Why am I being punished?”

“For leaving without permission.”

She dropped her arms to her sides. “But Trapper Jack, I didn’t think I needed your permission. We’re in town, not the woods anymore.”

He scowled at her. “I expect you to follow my lead whether we’re in town or not. At the very least, it was impolite.”

She scoffed. “Like you should talk about being polite! You ordered me out of the inn like I was a dog. Worse! You kept your dog with you,” she said, waving her hand in the direction of Cager, who thumped his tail.

Jack glowered at her. “I ordered you out of the inn because I didn’t like how the innkeeper was looking at you,” he bellowed, “like you were a common whore. I needed to have a discussion with him, man to man. Now get over my lap, woman. Make me say it again and so help me, I’ll strap you every day for a month.”

She walked to him then. As she positioned herself over his lap, she said, “You defended me against the innkeeper?” She sounded surprised.

“Of course,” he said, landing a hard swat on her bottom. He watched his handprint appear on her creamy skin. He gave her one more swat on the other cheek before he rubbed her bottom in circles, soothing away the sting he’d just caused. The way she acted surprised over a small gesture that he cared about her troubled him. Hadn’t he cared for her all along? Could she really not know how he felt about her? He continued to caress her and marveled at the way she relaxed over his lap and let out soft moans of pleasure.

“You like having your bottom rubbed, don’t you, naughty Nettie?”

“Mm hmm, it feels so nice.”

“You deserve to be spanked, not pleasured, but it’s been a long day for both of us. I’ll skip the punishment.”

“Thank you,” she said in a whisper.

Jack continued to caress her from her shoulders to her thighs. He tried to form the right words in his head to let her know how much he cared about her, since it clearly had come as a shock to her that he cared enough to defend her.

What he said wasn’t exactly right, but it was all he could think of in the moment. He wanted to protect her from the townsfolk, so he said, “You’re not to go anywhere without me, and I want you in this room most of the time we’re here. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” she said softly.

“And tomorrow you’re going to tell me where you got that dress. Is that also understood?”

She sighed. “Fine.”

His hand stopped its ministrations. “Fine? Is that what you just said?” He spanked her then, five times quite smartly, causing her to yelp.

“I meant ‘yes, sir’!”

“Right.” He gave her a final swat. “Slip of the tongue, I’m sure. Now get to bed.”

He helped her off his lap. Lifting the quilt, he motioned for her to get in. After she laid down on her back, he kissed her. A sigh escaped her lips when he pulled away. She looked at him sadly, and he wished he knew the words to say to make her happy.

Chapter Eleven: Trapped

The next morning, Nettie sat in discomfort in what she suspected was normally a comfortable chair with its plush cushion that covered the seat. She wore the green dress she’d borrowed from the madam at the saloon the previous day. Jack had given her a short but hard spanking for refusing to reveal where she’d obtained it and then left with strict instructions to stay in the room until he returned. He gave no indication of when that would be.

She would have been bored if her mind hadn’t been so occupied by sad thoughts. Today was her last day with Trapper Jack, and then he would be gone from her life. She thought about how he’d defended her against the innkeeper, who unfortunately was one of her johns. Nettie hadn’t noticed how the innkeeper looked at her because she’d kept her head down in the vain hope that she wouldn’t be recognized. Jack defending her certainly didn’t make leaving him any easier.

“Your master is a confusing man,” Nettie informed Cager, who was licking his paws. He trotted up to her. Nettie scratched behind his ears for a bit, then stood and walked to the window.

She had a good view of the passersby in the street, some riding horses, some walking, and some traveling via buggy. Across the street was the bank, saloon, and blacksmith’s shop. She knew the people of this town, and the people knew her. It was better that Jack didn’t take her along with him to do his business, since doing so would no doubt lead to her identity being discovered. Only a couple more days during which to keep the secret from him, and then he could leave without knowing the kind of woman he’d been bedding.

Nettie walked to the table, ate the last few bites of the bread and cheese Jack had left her, and wrapped her shawl around her head. Her red hair was a dead giveaway, and she wanted to make it to the saloon without being recognized. The fewer people who knew she was in town the next couple of days, the better. She walked down the stairs and rushed outside while the innkeeper’s back was turned, then hurried to the saloon. The street was dusty and covered in horse dung, so she hoisted her skirts to keep them as clean as possible during her quick journey.

The saloon wasn’t yet open for business, but when she rapped on the door insistently for several minutes, the madam finally opened it and ushered her in.

“You were supposed to be here last night,” she admonished. “I didn’t give you that dress for nothing.”

Nettie nodded apologetically. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Harris, but I promise I’ll earn my keep. I’m ever so grateful for the dress and for you and Mr. Smith hiring me back on.”

The madam shrugged. “You were a good employee. Our customers asked for you long after you were gone. I’m glad you’re back, and I’ll do what I can to make things…” she hesitated, “…fairer for you. I’ve convinced Mr. Smith to forget your previous debts.”

“Thank you,” Nettie said, surprised by that bit of good fortune. Perhaps she would have a better go of life in town this time. “I came to town with a man—”

“Yes, I heard,” she cut in. “Trapper Jack Abrams.”

Nettie groaned. “News sure does travel fast around here.”

“You two make quite the pair. Why aren’t you sticking with him? I’ve heard he’s a mean man, but he seems to have cared for you well enough.”

Nettie shook her head sadly. “He’s been kind to me, but he doesn’t love me.”

Mrs. Harris frowned. “Has he told you he doesn’t want you?”

“Not exactly, but he’s made no effort to make an honest woman of me. I can’t be with a man permanent-like, if he thinks of me as a whore.”

The madam snorted. “Hate to be the one to tell you this, sugar, but that’s what you are. If he feeds you and offers you shelter, it ought to be enough for you.”

It wasn’t as though Nettie hadn’t considered that very thing a thousand times already, but hearing the words out loud from another person gave her pause. Then she felt the pain of her heartbreak and sighed. “That would be well and good if I didn’t feel love toward him. I don’t want to love a man who doesn’t love me.”

Mrs. Harris shrugged. “Suit yourself. It works out better for my business that you have these foolish notions of love. I expect for you to say goodbye to Mr. Abrams and report to work by nine o’clock tonight.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Nettie said.

Nettie made it back to the room at the inn before Jack returned. He brought lunch for her and again asked if she felt like sharing where she got the dress. She shook her head and resigned herself to getting another spanking, but Jack only sighed wearily. “Stubborn woman. You’re more trouble than you’re worth sometimes, you know that?”

It was an unkind thing for him to say, and it cut Nettie deeply. She scowled. “Don’t worry, you’ll be rid of me soon enough.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, staring at her with furrowed brows.

She didn’t answer him and instead looked away. She couldn’t bear to tell him she would be staying in town, and she couldn’t bear to say goodbye to his face. That was why when he left again after delivering another lecture about staying in the room, she penned a note to him that told him of her plans.

Trapper Jack,

I have decided to stay in town. I’m grateful for what you’ve done for me, and you’ve convinced me that it’s unreasonable for me to survive on my own in the woods. I can’t take advantage of your kindness any longer, so I will make my own way once again in town. Please don’t seek me out. I’m not good with goodbyes, but I wish you the very best.

Nettie

She reread the note several times. It was cold and not at all reflective of her true feelings. She wanted to say more. She wanted to say how much she loved him, how she’d come to depend on him too much, and how she would never forget him. But knowing that his feelings for her didn’t run as deep as hers did for him, she couldn’t bring herself to do so.

She left the note on the pillow of the bed and made her way to the saloon through a fog of tears. The madam didn’t comment on her distressed appearance. She led her to what was to be her new room, where she would entertain men who wanted to find themselves in the arms of a woman for a night. As she prepared herself for the evening, she tried not to think of the way Jack made love to her. When he took her, she could only respond to him. She was his to command. With her johns she often had to take the lead, since they wanted a performance from her more often than not.

By the time the sun fell, Nettie felt nauseated and anguished over her situation. She didn’t want to sleep with any man but Trapper Jack. Wanting to be free from her life of prostitution was the whole reason she’d gone to the woods, and now she’d ended up right back where she started. From her room, Nettie could hear the sounds of the saloon patrons getting rowdy and drunk. She suspected it wouldn’t be long now before the madam would send up her first john. She drank some water and sat on the bed, then concentrated on her breathing in order to calm herself.

Someone knocked on the door, and her heart skipped a beat. This was it. She forced herself to speak in her most seductive voice. “Come in.”

The door opened, and in walked the innkeeper. He grinned. “Hello, Slick Kitty.” He closed the door behind him.

Nettie swallowed and squelched her disgust. “Hello, Mr. Baldwin. Please make yourself comfortable.” She walked to the table and added more oil to the lamp. Nettie’s mind flashed to the times when she and Jack made love, their shadows dancing along the walls from the flickering fire.

Mr. Baldwin walked to her and touched her head, then stroked her hair with his bony fingers. She managed to keep herself from recoiling. She’d serviced the innkeeper many times, and he wasn’t her worst. He always seemed grateful and finished quickly, which was a blessing.

Nettie kept her back to him and began to unbutton her dress in haste. The men liked when she gave a show of doing it for them slowly, but she couldn’t bring herself to act the part of a temptress. Maybe when the feel of Trapper Jack’s kiss on her forehead retreated into the recesses of her memory, she would be able to better please her customers, but at that moment, all she could think about was getting it over with as quickly as possible.

Nettie stopped before she got to the last button and turned to find Mr. Baldwin staring at her. She wondered with a shudder if the sparkle she saw near his mouth was drool. “Give me just a moment, Mr. Baldwin,” she said, retreating to the other side of the bed. Her heartbeat was quickening, and she felt short of breath.

She glanced at the mirror over the dresser and stared at her reflection, which in the low light appeared mostly as a dark outline. It was good that she had the shadow of darkness to prevent the johns from seeing her anguished expression. A memory flashed through her mind of when she waited for darkness to steal Trapper Jack’s chicken. It was fitting. She was a woman of the night, and just like she’d found herself in a pit then, she was in another pit now, only this was a pit of despair. Trapper Jack wouldn’t rescue her. Not this time.