Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Caleb had no idea why those words came out of his mouth, but in the depths of his being, he knew them to be true. Lara had seemed surprised, but then she had smiled at him and he knew that she felt the same way. His heart soared and he stood up from his chair with such force that the wooden seat fell to the floor with a thud. They both stared at the chair and then began to laugh.

It felt good to laugh. There had been very little to raise his spirits in the preceding week. For the first time in a long time, Caleb looked to the future with optimism.

He recalled the entire scene later while he was in his room looking for a shirt to loan to Lara. From his upstairs bedroom he looked out the window and saw the beautiful girl who had entered his life that morning. She was using the family’s outdoor shower. Caleb had never bothered to notice that his room afforded a direct view into the area, but now that the occupant of the shower was a comely young lass whom he intended to wed, he could not tear himself from the view.

Her skin was creamy and white, a stark contrast to the deep brown hair that fell to her waist. Wet, it nearly covered her entire torso like a silky curtain. When she gathered her tresses in one hand and pulled them to fall down her back, her breasts were revealed. Caleb gasped. He knew it was a sin to spy on her, and an even bigger sin to feel the lust coursing through his veins, yet he could not tear himself from standing in the window and watching. In a family of men without television or the internet, this was the first time he’d seen a naked woman and he liked what he saw. He liked it very much. He felt a stirring in his trousers, the epicenter of the longing building within him.

Lara worked the soap between her palms until they nearly disappeared in the lather. She set the bar in the dish and proceeded to wash herself.

Why did she have to start with her breasts? His mouth grew dry and one hand slipped beneath the waistband of his pants to touch the bulge that kept him rooted in place. While he stroked himself, Lara seemed to pay inordinate attention to cleansing her breasts. Even from two stories above, Caleb could see her hard pink nipples. As he watched, she sudsed herself repeatedly, then she tugged the peaks of her breasts between her fingers, pinching the tips and squeezing the heavy globes.

Caleb’s hand continued to work up and down his shaft. He was so hard. He wanted to stop, knew he should stop, but he didn’t. He imagined touching her soft skin, caressing the swell of her breasts, strumming his thumb over the tight peaks of her nipples. A groan erupted from deep in his throat. Startled by his own carnal noises, he pulled his hand from his pants, despite the protests of his turgid manhood.

Just when he thought he’d gotten his lust under control and convinced himself to turn away from the window, Lara rinsed the soap from her breasts. Caleb breathed a sigh of relief, certain she would exit the shower and he’d be spared the shame of succumbing to his lust.

He was wrong.

She lathered her hands again, then proceeded to cleanse the dark curls guarding her femininity. With both hands, she scrubbed her mound. As if of its own accord, his hand slipped inside his trousers once again. Caleb envisioned touching the silky curls and his cock tightened in his palm. Lara slipped her fingers into her core. With one hand she held the lips of her womanhood open and with the other she worked the mysterious folds between. Caleb stared at the beautiful, yet shameful, sight. He ought to go straight down the stairs and spank her naughty wet bottom for such behavior. She was to be his and he expected her to keep herself pure for him.

What if she wasn’t pure? The thought flitted through Caleb’s mind and he quickly dismissed it. Regardless of her background, he was confident she had been sent to be his bride. The mere thought of claiming her for himself made him hard and eager. Caleb’s strokes along his cock matched his intended’s sinful touches to her cunny and within moments he exploded into his palm at the same instant Lara threw her head back under the flow of the shower, sheer ecstasy etched across her face.

Caleb sat on the edge of his bed, his breath coming in gulping gasps. Eventually, he caught his breath and quickly cleaned himself as best he could, then found a shirt to go with an old pair of Benjamin’s pants to serve as a fresh outfit for Lara.

He hurried downstairs, hoping to leave the clothes on a bench outside the shower and be on his way back to doing chores before Lara emerged. He did not trust himself not to commit even more sins if given even a vague opportunity.

Just as he rounded the corner of the house toward the shower, Lara exited the wooden enclosure, securing a towel around herself. Water dripped from her hair, causing the towel to cling to her curves. Now that Caleb knew exactly what lay beneath the terry cloth rectangle, he had a difficult time concentrating, but he forced himself to look into Lara’s eyes when he spoke.

“I have some clothes I hope will fit you.” He suddenly felt shy. And guilty; not only had he abused his body for the sake of his base instincts, he had invaded her privacy by spying on her.

“Thank you, Caleb,” she said and his heart squeezed with joy at the sound of his name on her lips. “It feels so good to be clean. Thank you for the shower and fresh clothes. You are very kind and considerate.”

He stared at his shoes. “You’re welcome,” he mumbled. “I need to get back to my chores.”

Before she could reply, he hurried off to join his brothers in the field.

Lara stared after Caleb as he strode across the lawn. The broad expanse of his shoulders caught her attention and she watched the muscles ripple beneath his shirt. She was puzzled by his sudden departure, but also relieved. After pleasuring herself in the shower, she felt the need for some privacy to collect her thoughts. So much had happened in the last few hours and on top of that, she’d been masturbating like a Jezebel.

She hurried back to the privacy of the shower and dressed, grateful for the full covering of the pants and shirt, even if they both hung from her body loosely.

She spent part of the day assisting Benjamin in the kitchen. She took the opportunity to steal a peek into the Miller family larder and noted it was well stocked. The girls and Mrs. Potter must be worried about her and also starving. Hating the idea that they might be expending precious energy searching for her, she made a plan to retrace her steps of the night before and take provisions to her friends, as well as assurances that she was fine. She could do all of that and be back in the morning before anyone noticed.

At dinner she was seated to the right of Mr. Miller, a place of honor. She knew a small amount about the Amish culture and Mr. Miller’s insistence that she usurp eldest son Daniel’s position at the table surprised her. Women were usually not considered equal to men and certainly would never displace an eldest son. Perhaps the Miller family was not as conservative as she’d assumed.

Daniel had moved to a lower seat without objection, but the look he shot at Caleb chilled Lara’s heart. Apparently, the two eldest Miller sons were not always in harmony with each other. When the meal concluded, everyone stood and Lara began to clear the dishes. “Leave those, Lara,” Caleb commanded. “I thought we’d go for a walk.”

Before Lara could respond, older brother Daniel entered the conversation. “I had intended to invite our guest to go for a walk with me.”

The two brothers faced off across the wooden dining room table like a couple of stags. Mr. Miller quickly defused the situation. “There’s no reason the three of you cannot walk together, is there?” He looked from son to son. Daniel relaxed his posture first, though to Lara it was clear he did not like the idea at all. “No, Father, there’s no reason why we cannot all walk together.”

“Father,” Caleb said. “I did not wish to mention this so soon, but I have claimed Lara as my wife. No others may court her.”

A gasp went up around the table from the Miller men. Lara blushed.

“Is that true, child?” Mr. Miller asked.

“Yes,” Lara said.

“This is very sudden.” Mr. Miller studied the two young people before continuing. He chose his words carefully. “It is not for me, or any of us,” he shot a pointed glance at Daniel, “to question the works of the Lord. However, that does not mean any of us ought to rush into a marriage.”

His tone was soft, but clearly brooked no opposition. Caleb did not heed his father’s tone.

“Father, we have agreed. I understand that it is very sudden, but does not the Lord often work in mysterious ways?”

“How do we know if this is the Lord’s will or simply your will and you are using the Lord to justify your actions?” Daniel joined the discussion. “Lara is a young lady, not a shiny rock you found in the field. She ought to have a choice.”

The other brothers had stopped in their tracks, gaping at the scene playing out. It was apparent from their expressions that despite being men themselves, the Miller sons rarely questioned or contradicted the words of their father. Tensions in the room were mounting and Lara turned to Mr. Miller, hoping he had a solution to keep peace in the family.

Solomon Miller studied his two eldest sons and then glanced at Lara. “I believe,” he said, “that if Lara and Caleb both believe they ought to be married, then they should spend this time exploring whether that is, in fact, God’s will or simply a reaction to an extreme situation. In order to be sure, I believe we ought to allow them to get to know each other as best they can, within propriety, before making a final decision.”

Lara smiled with relief, but stole a glance at Daniel to gauge his reaction. His face remained calm, but his hands were fisted at his sides.

“So, Lara and I will walk together, alone,” Caleb said.

Daniel’s fists clenched tighter, his knuckles turning white, but he said not a word. When Caleb escorted her out into the cool evening air, Lara sighed and the stress of the confrontation with Daniel ebbed away.

“Your brother did not seem happy with our plans,” she ventured, testing the waters to see if Caleb wished to discuss the situation or might be able to share information with her that would be helpful to her. She needed to learn as much as she could before reporting back to the others. She could hardly believe that Caleb had been so quick to claim her and take her into his confidence.

“Aye,” Caleb said. “There are six Miller sons, but only one young woman emerged from the forest and hid in our barn.” He smiled at her. “And I found her first.”

His teasing tone surprised and delighted her. Still, she felt bad for Daniel and the other brothers. “Are there no other survivors of your community?”

“No.” Caleb shook his head sadly. “We visited each home after the earthquake and found no one alive anywhere. It was the strangest thing that we all survived while everyone else perished.”

They walked in silence for a few moments.

Lara thought about the other girls, five more, just like the remaining number of Miller brothers, and Mrs. Potter. Ought she to reveal their whereabouts to Caleb?

No, she dared not endanger the others. She was here on a mission of survival, not to make friends, though she’d managed to get a fiancé. There could be worse things, and besides, she believed in long engagements.

But she couldn’t leave the others out in the woods forever, either.

“What are you thinking about so seriously, Lara?”

“Um, I was just thinking about what it will be like when we are married,” she lied.

“That’s what I was thinking about, too,” Caleb said and she could tell he was sincere. “I promise I will be a good husband to you, and a good provider. See?”

Their timing was perfect. At the same moment Caleb promised to be a good provider, a small house came into view. Lara looked up at her groom-to-be quizzically.

“This is my house,” Caleb said. “Our house. I had been working on it for months but after the earthquake, I stopped. There would be no need for a house if I would never have a wife.”

They stepped up onto the porch and Lara felt a sudden thrill, like she was finally home. “It’s lovely,” she said.

Caleb opened the front door and stood back to allow her to enter first. The house was simple, as she assumed all Amish houses were, and even though it was unoccupied, to Lara, it felt warm and cozy. There were simple furnishings in the front room. “Did you make these?” she said to Caleb, running her fingers across the smooth finish of one of the chairs.

“Yes,” he said. “While I worked on them, I thought about the wife and children I would have one day to share this home with me.”

His voice shook a bit with emotion and Lara stepped close to him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and tipped her face up to his. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Caleb bent down and touched his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. When their mouths separated, he said, “I had many hopes about my future wife, but I never imagined it would be a girl quite like you.”

Lara blushed and stepped away. She caught her reflection in one of the windows and paused, horrified. She was wearing a pair of pants that were much too big with ridiculous cuffs at the bottom to keep them from dragging on the ground. On top, she wore Caleb’s shirt billowing around her torso. She looked like someone playing pirate dress-up.

Caleb, noticing Lara’s reaction to her appearance, moved to stand next to her. “I think you are the most beautiful girl I have ever beheld. Seeing you wearing my shirt makes me feel like you are mine already.”

Lara pulled the shirt closer around her body and inhaled his scent. “Me, too.”

After touring the rest of the first floor they ascended the stairs. There were four spacious, if sparse, bedrooms. Apparently Caleb wished for a large family. The final bedroom they visited was the biggest with picture windows overlooking the lawn. “This will be ours,” Caleb said, his eyes boring into hers with heated meaning.

Lara blushed and tried not to look at the large bed centered along the back wall. A pulse beat quickly in her nether region.

She remembered what she had done in the shower that morning and thought about what sex with Caleb might be like.

On the wall above the headboard she noticed a thin stick that had all the leaves stripped from it. “What is that?” She assumed it was some sort of Amish tradition for good health or fertility.

“It is for wifely discipline,” Caleb said, the corners of his mouth turning up in a smile.

Lara gasped and took a step back, her hands instinctively covering her backside. “Wh-why would a wife need discipline?”

Caleb reached above the bed and retrieved the switch, waving it through the air with a swish. He sat on the edge of the bed and patted the space next to him, indicating she ought to join him. She did, keeping a wary eye on the implement in Caleb’s hand.

“A wife might need discipline for a variety of reasons,” Caleb said. “Lack of humility, gossip, deceit, willfulness, or a defiant attitude.”

“Do you plan to discipline me?” Lara licked her lips. Suddenly her nipples had turned to pebbles inside Caleb’s borrowed shirt and a thrum pulsed between her thighs.

“I expect it will be necessary from time to time,” he said, gliding his hand over the piece of wood. “Maybe more often than that, depending on your behavior.”

“I’m always a good girl,” she said.

Caleb cocked his head to the side. “Really? You have not committed any sins today?”

“No, of course not.” What was he getting at? Did he know something? Or was he just trying to make her squirm? Did he know about the others in the woods and her lie that she had been alone?

“Pleasuring oneself sexually is a sin.”

Lara gasped.

“Wh-what are you talking about, Caleb?” How had their pleasant evening stroll become so extremely uncomfortable?

“Did you enjoy your shower today?”

Lara felt the color drain from her face while the pulsing in her womanly parts multiplied. “Y-yes.” Her gaze focused on her hands clasped in her lap. “Why do you ask?”

“You did more than simply wash yourself, didn’t you?”

Lara stared at her feet and kept her head down, unable to meet Caleb’s eyes. “Y-yes,” she whispered. “How did you know?”

“I watched.”

She shrieked and looked up into his face. “How could you?”

“I did not wish to, and I feel badly about invading your privacy,” he said. “But, you were so beautiful. I had never seen anything so enchanting. It was like you were a vision from my imagination, but you were real.”

Lara stood. “You spied on me. And now you’re going to spank me because you spied on me in the shower? That’s not fair.”

“I shall have to deal with the consequences of my own sins, Lara. But now, it is time for me, as your future husband, to help you to make amends for your misdeeds.” He patted his lap.

Lara let his words sink in. “Sins? How many sins did you commit?”

“Well, first there was spying on you, which I will admit was improper.”

“It sure was.”

“And then,” he said before pausing for a long moment, “I committed the sin of self-abuse while watching you.”

“You what? And you’re blaming me for that?”

“The sin of one often leads others astray.”

She wanted to be angry. It seemed unfair that she pleasured herself and got spanked while he did the same thing and he got to give her a spanking, too. But, the warm curl of desire building in her loins told her not to argue further, but to get over his lap as quickly as she could.

She did.

As soon as she put herself across his knees the big shirt fell forward, exposing the bare flesh of her back and nearly covering her head entirely. Caleb touched the waistband of her pants. “You’ll need to lower these.”

Lara wiggled her feet in delicious anticipation, then squirmed across his lap until her pants were around her knees. She had never been in such close proximity to a man’s private parts and she most certainly had never bared her bottom to a young man. The world, and Lara, were completely different from what they had been.

Caleb gasped. “Where are your panties?”

“I’ve been wearing them for a week. They’ve been washed and hung out to dry. I didn’t know I would be getting a spanking.”

She could feel the tension in Caleb’s thighs, as well as the firm pressure of his manhood against her bare belly. His finger tickled a trail along the crevice between her cheeks.

“Have you ever done this before?” she asked.

“No, I have not. I expect that as husband and wife, we will explore many new things together. This shall be the first.” His rough palm cupped the left half of her buttocks, nearly encompassing the entire globe, making clear his dominance in position and strength.

Lara shivered with anticipation, but felt no fear. Instinctively, she trusted Caleb to be gentle with her.

“The switch shall be used after we are married, for serious infractions. For today, I believe I can make my point without it.”

The first slap of his work-worn hand against her tender flesh dissuaded her of the belief that he’d be gentle. “Ouch, that hurt.”

“How else are you to learn a lesson, Lara?” He gave her lessons all over her left cheek and then administered some stinging lessons to the right. All the while, Lara yelped and bounced across his knees.

“Caleb,” she said, gasping between swats, “please stop.”

“I am the one who determines your punishment. ‘Tis your job to be quiet and think about why you are being disciplined.”

Lara rolled from side to side trying to elude his paddle-like hand. “All I can think about is that it hurts.”

With an exasperated sigh, Caleb swung his leg over both of hers and clamped her in place. “Hold still and hold your tongue, woman.” He raised the single knee Lara balanced across and pressed his other leg against the backs of her calves, forcing her to a jackknife position, bare rear end pointed toward the ceiling. For a first timer, Caleb spanked with surprising accuracy and vigor. Heat reverberated across her bottom and down her thighs. The same tingling sensation she’d sought to alleviate in the shower earlier blossomed in her womanhood and she cried out in confusion and pain. Why was Caleb spanking her and why did her traitorous body like it?

Maybe she should have stayed in the woods with the others. Tears, great waves of them, began to fall from her eyes. She had no idea what was happening in the world outside of the bedroom. She should have been trying to help her friends. She should have been looking for food and a way to get it to them. Instead, she was getting her bottom spanked by one sexy Amish man.

She sobbed out her frustration, hurt, and fear. Caleb kept swatting and she did not know how many times his hand landed on her flesh, only that he had been peppering her bottom for what seemed like hours. Maybe she had made a hasty decision. Did she really want to be married to a man like this?

Finally her punishment ended, and Caleb swung her around to nestle against his chest. She sniffled into his neck and he stroked her back and hair, trying to calm her. “I st-still don’t understand what I did that was so wr-wrong,” she said, gulping for air.

Caleb wrapped both arms around her and hugged her to him, gently rocking her on the bed like she was a child. When she relaxed against him, he spoke. “Our passion is meant to be saved and shared only with our spouse.” His voice was a comforting rumble under Lara’s ear. “When we touch ourselves, we are taking what is meant to belong only to our mate.”

She gave one last shuddering sigh and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling herself closer to him.

“Today, we both took something that belonged to the other,” Caleb continued. “We should not have done that. When we are married, your body will be mine, to love and to cherish. That means only I will be allowed to touch you in your special places.” Lara’s pants were still lowered so Caleb slipped his hand between her legs. “Like here,” he said, sliding a finger into the slickness of her vagina.

Lara gasped and opened her thighs, inviting him to explore further. For a brief moment, he complied, then set her away from himself and onto the bed next to him. “Please pull your pants up and cover yourself before we both commit more sins.”

Shamed, Lara stood with her back to him and righted her clothing before turning back, unsure of what his reaction might be. “I think we had best get back to the main house,” he said, his eyes darkening with desire, “before we are unable to stop ourselves.”

Lara nodded and the two of them walked silently back to join the others. Mr. Miller and the rest of the boys, save Daniel, were sitting on the porch enjoying the last of the evening light.

“Where’s Daniel?” Caleb asked.

“Gone off to his house. Took a toolbox and a lantern. Seems determined to get some work done there tonight.” Mr. Miller gave Caleb a look that appeared significant, and a dark shadow crossed Caleb’s face, but Lara had no idea what any of it meant. She made a mental note to ask Caleb about it when they were alone.

It had been an eventful and exhausting day and all she wanted to do was get some rest.

Until that moment, she had not considered where she would sleep. The house could not have more than four bedrooms and with seven male inhabitants, she could not imagine there was a spare room just in case a guest stopped by. The couch in the living room, though hardly opulent, appeared to be her best option. Compared to sleeping on the ground, it would be heavenly.

Plus, it would give her an opportunity to sneak some food from the pantry and take it to the girls in the woods and fill them in on what she’d found out. She could make the delivery and return before anyone knew she’d been gone.