Magical Mayhem (15 page)

As soon as they were alone, Montague took Megan's hand in his and said, "I think you know what is going to happen now, don't you, young lady?"

"But, Montague! We are just engaged! I don't think that a spanking is a good way to start an engagement."

"It's a family tradition of sorts," he told her, shocking her.

"Oh, it is not!" Megan argued with Montague. "You are just making that up so you can spank me without feeling guilty as sin for doing so!"

Montague led her to the elevators and to the top floor of the hotel. Their suite was down the hall to the right, in a corner room. To her surprise he sat her down on the sofa in the living room and said, "You stay right here. I'll be back."

Megan was worried that he was going to get a hair brush, or something equally awful to spank her with, and when he finally returned, carrying a book in his large hands, she relaxed. He handed it to her and said, "I've bookmarked the entry. Please read it aloud."

Megan wasn't thrilled at the idea, but if it meant postponing a spanking, she was only too willing to do as she was told. Perhaps the written words would give her an 'out' of some sort! She started reading:

May 10, 1862

I am honored to report that Miss Gillian McMasters agreed to the proposal of marriage I submitted to her father. It was Brother William's prediction that the young miss would have ne'er to do with me, so it was a welcome surprise when she said aye out in the garden of her father's London estate. I have been a guest here for some three weeks now, hoping for a change of heart in the lass. I was sure that I ruined my chances of ever winning her favor by bending Gillian over my knee when last we met at the Foster's fox hunt. We were partnered by Mrs. Cornelia Foster, and Gillian took a jump that was far too dangerous and unseated herself. I warned her not to attempt such a foolish maneuver, but Gillian is full of spirit, and she raced ahead to do as she wished, foolhardy though it be. I am afraid I reacted with temper instead of tenderness, and I brought my riding crop down on her posterior enough times to cause tears of genuine remorse before I escorted her back to the Foster house so that her maid could attend her. Miss McMasters snubbed me the rest of our visit, and it wasn't until I was invited by her father to their estate in London on a matter of business that I hoped of a second chance with the girl. I promised myself that if I were given a second chance with Gillian I would be more careful. I forgot my promise when, after agreeing to marry me, I caught Gillian sneaking out of the house after midnight to go to a nefarious gambling den! She was most scandalously dressed as a man, and even worse, she lost two hundred pounds before I managed to drag her away from the table! In the coach I rented to bring us home I turned her straight across my knee and spanked the seat of her britches with my hand! I daresay it hurt her more than it did me, and I now have Miss Gillian's promise not to do such a thing ever again. She has my promise that I shall bare her if there is a next time. It is not the way I would normally begin an engagement, but I believe it is important to start as one means to continue.

Megan looked at Montague. "Who wrote this?"

"Preston Hadley Montague the First," he promptly answered.

"You just happen to carry around his journal?" she said, giving him a look of disbelief.

"My father owns the journals from all the ancestors, and he allows us to sign them out for short periods of time, and believe me, he expects them to be returned in prime condition. I like to read them, especially One's."

"Well, I think it is mean to drag out an old journal just to prove you have a right to spank me; especially when we just got engaged and should be celebrating!"

"I think you know perfectly well why you are going to get a spanking, Megan, and I think you know that you earned a good spanking."

"Maybe so, but I also think that it would be a great idea for you to forget the spanking this one time, and take me out someplace nice. To me, that seems a much better way to start our engagement, Montague!" Megan knew she had a pout on her face, but she couldn't seem to get rid of the expression.

"Megan, you know that isn't going to happen. You've earned a spanking for disobeying me and placing your life in danger. I think that is pretty darn serious, and it warrants a serious punishment. Go to your bedroom and change into your night gown. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Megan wanted to argue, but she knew it wouldn't do a bit of good. Once Montague made up his mind, she could fuss at him forever, but he wouldn't change his mind. She knew that he was fair-minded, and he didn't spank her for every little thing, as she feared he would when they first met. And, she reminded herself, she had disobeyed him... with what could have been disastrous results. This was one of those times she simply needed to say she was sorry and mean it. The sooner that Montague was convinced she regretted her actions, the sooner this spanking would be over.

It had been several weeks since he'd spanked her for any reason, and Megan easily recognized the butterflies in her stomach as she closed her bedroom door and unzipped the dress she wore on stage. She was suddenly very afraid when she thought of the welts his belt left, and she wondered if he would use it again this time. She certainly hoped not! Megan took the time to scrub her face free of makeup and she ran a brush through her hair, the feeling in her tummy intensifying to the point that she jumped nervously when Montague tapped on her door.

"Are you decent?" he asked through the door.

Megan was suddenly giggling. "Do you know how old-fashioned you sound, Montague?" she asked as she opened the door. "We are now engaged. Surely you can bend the rules just a bit?"

Montague saw the love shining in her pretty green eyes and felt his anger over her actions melt. He wanted to kiss Megan; hell, he wanted to make love to her.

"I need to call you something other than 'Montague'," she told him, a serious expression her face. "A wife can't call her husband by his last name. What do you wish for me to call you?" she wanted to know, reaching up to touch his cheek with tenderness.

"You may call me whatever you wish, honey," he replied, completely smitten.

"I'll have to think on it. Preston is so formal. Hadley isn't special enough. Six doesn't suit you. I will think on it some more." She looked at him and then asked in a small voice, "Do you believe that I am truly sorry for disobeying you, Montague?"

"Yes, but do you believe that I can't, in good conscience, let it pass without consequences?" he asked of her.

"Yes, but could you at least promise me you won't use your belt? Your hand is hard enough, Montague. I truly should have known better, but I was so happy to see some of my family... I was very foolish. I promise I won't ever risk Wally life so stupidly."

"And your life...?" he reminded her.

"And my life," she dutifully repeated. Her green eyes filled with tears. "I will try to accept my spanking, but I really don't want you to use your belt. Please...?" she begged of him.

"Megan, you know that I'll punish you in whatever way I think you need to be punished, and I expect you to accept whatever I decide. I don't want you asking me to stop. I don't care if you cry or tell me it hurts, but you will accept what I give you or I'll give you extras. Now, let's get this spanking started." Montague took her pillows and piled them on the bottom of the bed. When he was done, he patted them. Put your bottom right here, Meggie, and pull up your gown."

Megan took a deep breath, reminding herself that she had truly earned the spanking. She could have cost her brother his life, and what if Montague had been stabbed by Perez? She chewed on her lower lip as she moved toward the bed. The pillows were too high for her to simply bend over them. She looked up at Montague. "I'm too short to lie over them!" she explained, and without ceremony, he picked her up and dropped her over the pillows, her bottom right where he told her to put it.

Montague reminded himself that Megan deserved a good spanking and he raised his hand and brought it down with a sharp crack on her upturned bottom. "Pull up your nightgown, young lady," he ordered in a firm tone.

Megan felt that one handprint burning her flesh and that was given over her gown. If she pulled up the long tee, his hand would be free to burn her even more! Still, she slowly did as she was told, hoping he would leave her panties in place. The very second her gown reached her waist, Montague gave her another spank, then another. "Owwwww! Owwwwww!" she cried out, and before she could stop herself, her hands flew back to protect her stinging, smarting flesh. "Owww! Montague, you spank too hard!" she complained.

"I am the one who determines how hard you are spanked, Megan Jeannine Marley, soon to be Montague, not you, and you now have a choice to make; ten extra with my belt for putting your hands back or losing your panties and taking this spanking on the bare. You have one minute to decide, and then I will make the choice for you."

Megan felt her cheeks turn red at the thought of lying over the pillows with her butt bare to his hand. But, the thought of taking ten with his belt... all on her sit spots... was more than she could bear.

"Well?" he asked.

"Bare," she whispered. "I don't want any with your belt, Montague. Please...?"

He reached for the waistband of her pretty pink panties and pulled them down to her knees, admiring the sight of her pretty bottom. "I expect you to stay in place and keep your hands and feet out of the way. If you try to protect yourself in any way, I will give you extras; do you think you can remember that now?" he asked, his tone soft but firm.

"I'll try really hard," she promised, and then tried to put her hands under her head in the hope of keeping them out of the way. Montague started spanking again, but at least the spanks weren't nearly as hard as before. However, it didn't take long before her bottom cheeks were a flaming red, along with her sit spots and upper thighs. "I am sorry, Montague!" she cried out, and then she started crying in earnest. Suddenly, the spanks stopped and she thought he was finished and she was relieved. Her butt her so bad! But, when she tried to get up, he pushed her back down.

"I thought I told you to stay in place, young lady!"

"I thought you were finished, Montague! You stopped!" she tearfully proclaimed.

"Only to pick up this," he said, following his words with a hard swat of the paddle.

She hadn't seen him bring it into her room, and the sudden sting caught her by surprise. The paddle was long enough it was able to smack across both cheeks at once, as well as her sit spots! Montague was deliberate as he paddled her, and her cries of pain reached a level of genuine distress.

"You scared ten years off my life tonight, little girl. I couldn't believe it when I turned around and you were gone. I went after you just in time to see that jerk pull out that switchblade. Megan, he was going to kill you!" The paddle cracked against her sit spots once again. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!" One more time he brought the paddle down on her scalding red sit spots. He heard Megan scream in pain into the bedding, and he dropped the paddle in order to offer her comfort. Or perhaps it was that he needed the comfort of her arms. He doubted he would ever forget the sight of Perez starting toward the little redhead with murder in his eyes. He doubted that Wally would forget it either.

Megan was thankful it was all over and when Montague pulled her close and held her tight against him, she relaxed in his arms and cried until she was cried out. "I'm so sorry I frightened you so badly, Montague."

"Please don't do it again, honey," he begged. "I love you too much to face losing you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

"I can't believe you are getting married, Meggie! Why, it was just yesterday I brought you home from the hospital!" Joyce Marley said tearfully. "And here you are, trying on wedding dresses. You look so very beautiful, darling!"

"Thanks, Mom," Megan smiled. It was so nice to be in her parents' good graces for a change. The fact that they genuinely liked her fiance was truly a blessing. Her Dad thought Montague a man's man because he'd taken down a hardened criminal who was wielding a knife at the time, and the fact that he'd put his own life on the line to save Megan impressed George Marley more than anything Montague could have said to him. Wally even offered Montague a beer when they walked into her childhood home together to find both him and Dave there, too. All of Megan's fears were laid to rest when Montague charmed her mother, and made friends with her brothers. He gave her father respect that wasn't feigned, and Megan was full of love for him for doing his best to fit in with her family. When her Mom whispered in embarrassment to her that her Dad was insisting on separate bedrooms, Montague overheard her and made it clear to all of them that they were not sleeping together. Megan's face was beet red, but it was Dave who told her that he thought it was special. George nodded, and then told his eldest son that he could still read a man better than he could. Wally grinned. They all teased Megan a bit, but her Mom managed to find a private moment to come to her and ask her if there was anything she wanted to know about making love. They had a very long talk, and Megan felt closer to her Mom than she ever had in her entire life. That closeness persisted as they planned the wedding that Megan wanted.

"Do you really like this one, Mom? Or should I try on something else? Is this the one?" she asked.

"I really liked the first one, Meggie. This one is pretty, too, but it's just not as nice as the first one. What other style do you see yourself wearing? Something strapless?" she asked, but her eyes were wide.

"Oh no, Mom! Montague is pretty darn conservative. I want something sweet and sexy, but not overtly sexy... Do you understand what I mean?"

"Yes." Joyce looked at the saleslady who was assisting them, and told her what she would like to see next. When she brought it out to show Megan, she nodded.

"This is it, Mom. I know it is." They helped her slip it on, and the saleslady fastened the back.