Saving Grace by Unknown (romance book recommendations txt) 📗

a woman needs to feel the tender discipline of a man's hand to understand she's done wrong and to understand her place."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! My husband was saying that he believed in disciplining a woman, spanking her with his hand. He was going to spank me the same way Travis had spanked Rebecca in front of me? Ha! We would see about that! I felt a warm rage begin to settle into my bones at the thought of any man laying a hand on me in that way. At the same time, there was a certain dull ache that came with my indignation. There was a certain tender emptiness in my middle, one that swelled at the thought of Austin laying me over his knee and giving me a firm spanking.

The clouds of concern had lifted from Doc's face and been replaced with the beaming rays of his satisfied smile. Clearly he approved of what Austin had said.

"Well my good boy, I'm certainly very happy to hear you say so. You look like a good and honest man it's just, you never know anymore how people were raised or what their opinions are. Particularly when they come from away."

"Indeed, sir," Austin replied, bowing his head slightly. "You can put your fears to bed, I have every intention of making a lady out of Grace."

I stared at my husband, trying to bore a hole through the side of his head with my outrage, but he didn't even turn and look. Simply kept smiling at Doc until the silence in the room got awkward for us all.

"Well I'm sure there are many things you two would rather be doing than talking to me, Austin, would you be so kind as to give us a minute?"

"I would indeed Doc, however there is the small matter of my wife's..." Austin trailed off as he glanced at me, but quickly looked back at Doc to finish what he'd been saying. "That is, sir, her examination."

A shocked silence descended upon the room. I, for one, couldn't believe what I'd just heard. My mouth dropped open as I stared at Austin, unsure of what exactly he meant by what he'd said. But the bigger shock was to glance at the Doc and see him nodding in agreement!

"Where is it you are from exactly?" the Doc asked Austin quietly.

"Ironwood, sir."

The Doc waited a good few moments before speaking to Austin again. When he did, I again couldn't believe my ears at what I was hearing.

"Well then you and I shall get along just fine, son, because that's the first thing we do after taking a wife here in Dalton too."

My head had started to spin. If I was hearing and understanding everyone right, my husband and my father's best friend were talking about giving me some kind of medical examination. When I thought about it, I realized I must have been hearing wrong because there was no way I was going to do anything like that. Besides there was just no need for it!

"Gracey," the Doc said, levelling his gaze at me. "Why don't you get up on that there table and we'll take a good look at you."

My head started shaking, almost on its own.

"I will not!" I shot back, glaring at the Doc then turning my head to do the same to Austin. This was becoming more and more preposterous by the minute! The Doc didn't move. He did turn his head and look at Austin, who looked straight at me.

"Now Gracey," Austin began. His using my name like that caught me off guard. "I know we agreed to do this to help each other. We both have something the other needs. But I want you to know that I didn't just agree to be your husband so you could keep your land. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on and I intend to keep you as my wife until the day I die."

His words flooded me with an emotion I'd not experienced before in my life. A warm shiver shook through me at the fact that someone in this world cared enough about me to say something like that. But the warmth quickly turned into a blazing blush of shame at the thought of what the Doc was about to do to me. With my jaw set tight, I crossed my arms and glared at the two men. What were they going to do now? Spank me?

Austin stepped forward, his expression cool, but with the faint hint of a smile on his lips. He touched a hand to my arm and I felt myself blush again. This man that just yesterday had been a stranger was now my husband. And stranger than that, was the man waiting at my house to be the same thing.

"Grace," Austin began, his voice soft but firm. "This is what we do when a woman is wed. I'm just happy that you know the Doc so well, so's we don't have to go ridin' all the way to the next town just to find one. Now why don't you strip down to your knickers and he can get on with it."

My face was burning now, hotter than hell itself.

"I'm not doing any such thing! I don't care what you think! I'll do as I please!"

I didn't even realize I was over his knee until I was staring down at the floorboards. It happened so fast I didn't even have time to react. I almost felt the first smack before I felt the warm air of the room on my bottom. The sound of my own yelp brought me back into the room.

"Ow!" I cried as the shape of Austin's massive palm landed on my round rear again. He'd pulled down my drawers right after he pulled up my skirt and I could feel them dangling now around my ankles. As my mind settled into the realization that I was being spanked in front