The elderly housekeeper, a Mrs. Campbell, had been the one to show Fliss up to the suite of rooms she was to occupy during her stay, Sin having made arrangements to meet Fliss for tea before he retired to his study with his steward. No doubt, with Sin in London and his cousin Ranulf, who managed the estate, away on his honeymoon for several months, there would be many estate matters for the two of them to discuss.
Fliss’s rooms were extremely comfortable and looked out over the sea. It was calm today, but she could easily imagine it during winter, gray and white, the waves high and crashing onto the shoreline.
It filled her with a sense of anticipation. Excitement. Freedom.
Fliss could never remember a time when she was not answerable to another for her actions. Her parents. Stephen. Society. Up here in the Scottish Highlands, far away from those other responsibilities, the world seemed full of possibilities.
And Sin.
She felt the stamp of his presence everywhere. In the castle. The grounds. Out on the heathland she had seen on their arrival. He was a part of it all, as untamed and rugged as the land he came from.
He stood up now at her entrance before moving around to lean back against the front of his imposing oak desk. “Your rooms are to your liking?”
“Very much.” Fliss approved of this room too. It served as a library as well as Sin’s study, and she could easily imagine herself curled up in a chair next to the fire reading while Sin attended to the paperwork on his desk, the two of them sharing a companionable silence.
It was a ridiculous fantasy. Sin had brought her here only in order to protect her, and it was foolish of her to imagine it was for any other reason. Once he heard from Lord Brooketon that the danger in England was over, Sin would put her and her maid in a carriage and send them on their way. Never to be seen again, in all probability, except perhaps as polite strangers next Season, when they chanced to meet at one Society function or another.
The thought of that being the case caused a heaviness in Fliss’s chest.
“Take your drawers off, lift your skirts, and bend over the back of the chair.”
Fliss’s startled gaze rose swiftly to meet Sin’s. “What…?”
He crossed the room to lock the door before he shifted a lush-seated chair and placed it in front of the window. He returned to lean back against his desk, arms crossed in front of his powerful chest. “You heard me.”
She had, yes, but she did not believe what she heard. “You cannot be serious?” She eyed the chair dubiously.
“I assure you, I am very serious.” His green gaze was steely. “Did I not tell you this would happen once we were arrived in Scotland?”
Well, yes, he had said that, but Fliss had not thought it would happen immediately. If it happened at all.
“Unless you wish for me to do those things for you?”
“I… But… No.” She swallowed past the dryness of her throat. “It is only—”
“Do it,” he bit out. “Now.”
She blinked at his uncompromising tone. “It is broad daylight. What if someone should see us through the window?”
He shrugged. “Then they will have a clear view of me spanking your delectable ass.”
Excited color heated Fliss’s cheeks at the thought of someone witnessing her punishment. There was something so…forbidden in such a thought. The same something that caused her nipples to harden and the slick juices to flow between her thighs.
Besides, she had not forgotten what he had promised would follow…
“You like the idea of that,” Sin stated with satisfaction as he pushed away from the desk to take off his jacket and waistcoat. “I will take off your drawers if you do not,” he warned as he untied and removed his necktie, unfastened the top and cuffs of his shirt, then turned back the sleeves to just beneath his elbows. “But perhaps that is what you want? To have the choice taken away from you?” he guessed shrewdly.
Was it? Was Fliss so cowardly she would deny even her own desires by passing the onus of that responsibility onto Sin?
“Better,” he murmured as Fliss lifted her skirts enough to be able to remove her drawers. “Now, kneel on the seat facing the window, lift the back of your skirts up to your waist, and lean forward over the chair and grasp the sides with your hands.”
Fliss followed his instructions as if in a dream, or in lust, as she climbed onto the chair, lifted her skirts, and secured them in the bottom of her corset.
She could no longer deny the reason for her excitement. Her breasts were so swollen, they were in danger of spilling out of her bodice as she bent forward over the back of the chair and grasped the sides. The juices ran hot between her thighs.
Her tension increased as Sin remained unmoving and silent behind her.
Heat suffused Fliss’s cheeks as she knew what he must see. Her completely bare bottom lifted up invitingly.
She grew flustered the longer the silence continued, and began to sit up. “You think me too fat—”
“Do not move.” The instruction was accompanied by a sharp slap to the bared left cheek of her bottom, followed by that hand cupping and squeezing that stinging orb. “As far as I am concerned, your bottom is perfect. Not too thin.” His hand squeezed. “Not too fat.” He squeezed again. “A perfect handful for me to grasp and fondle.” The last was accompanied by a sharp slap to the other bared cheek.
Fliss thought of the size of Sin’s hands and knew her bottom was plumper than it should be. But if Sin did not mind…
Those slaps to her bottom began in earnest now, alternating from one cheek to the other, becoming harder and faster, and sending a gush of heated pleasure between her thighs. Finally there came a slap so hard, it caused the skirt of her gown to escape its precarious hold before sliding down to cover her. Fliss took that as a sign the punishment was over.
“Stay where you are.” Sin leaned over her back, his breath hot against her nape. “I will tell you when you may move. Is that understood?”
“I… But—”
“Is that understood, Fliss?” One of his hands moved beneath her skirt and between her thighs before he stroked a finger over her hard little nubbin, causing her to squirm and groan. He moistened his fingers in her juices, then continued that slow caress, stopping well before he reached the base of her spine, fingers lingering to stroke and caress.
Fliss’s breathing sounded loud and labored in the otherwise silent room. She had never been touched so intimately. Never known she could feel pleasure there. And yet she had, that tight little band of muscles as sensitive to Sin’s caress as her nether lips and nipples.
She moistened the dryness of her lips. “I understand. What are you doing now?” She gasped as she felt his fingers against the back of her gown.
“As you seem to be having trouble breathing, I am loosening the bodice of your gown. There,” he murmured with satisfaction as he stepped around to the front of the chair and saw Fliss’s gown was now loosened to such a degree, her bared breasts fell firm and free from her clothing, the nipples aroused and distended. “I will get to these soon enough,” he assured her. He cupped her breasts in his hands and gave them a squeeze before moving back behind the chair to tuck her skirts more securely into the loosened top of the gown.
Sin knew that Fliss was not a true submissive, nor would he want her to be. He reveled in those flashes of her newly discovered fire and spirit, the times she made demands and expected to be obeyed. This was only a game they were both playing. A game where Fliss gave up control to Sin, and he took that control to pleasure her in ways he was sure she had only dared to imagine.
Something else Sin had learned on their journey here was that Fliss’s eyes did not flash with fire when she spoke of her husband, nor did her face flush with excitement when she talked of her marriage. Instead, she showed a quiet loyalty and liking for Stephen Randall, the man to whom she had been married for three years but seemed to barely know.
Sin would rather feel Fliss’s hatred for him than her quie
t loyalty and liking.
He wanted to set free that woman of fire and excitement. Wanted Fliss to demand and then take whatever she wanted from him.
He had no doubt she would do it too. When this part of their game became too frustrating to bear, he knew Fliss’s need to wrest control would come into play. Sin was more than happy to play his role until she was ready.
“Now where was I?” He looked at her bared bottom, both cheeks a delectable rosy red. From this angle, he could also see the plumpness of Fliss’s nether lips and the slickness of her juices as they soaked her inner thighs and the dark curls above. “Ah yes,” he murmured with satisfaction before bringing his hand deliberately down against those swollen nether lips. Not too hard, but enough to cause Fliss to give a low moan.
He slapped her there again, slightly harder this time, causing her to groan even louder and her bottom to wriggle enticingly.
He plunged two fingers into that gripping heat, causing Fliss to gasp anew. But she made no word of protest, nor did she move from leaning over the back of the chair, her hands now gripping so tightly, her knuckles showed white.
Sin continued to thrust into that tight inferno as his other hand unfastened the front of his pantaloons, allowing the material to fall down. His freed cock jutted up long and thick, the head already glistening with his juices.
He moved so that his cock pressed against the hot length of her bottom. “Shall I take you now?” he murmured against her ear.
She gave another groan.
“Was that a yes?” Sin pressed harder against her.
“Yes, damn you!” she sobbed. “Yes, yes, yes. Take me now.”
“That was not politely said, Fliss.” He tsked. “Now ask me nicely.” The thrusting of his fingers grew faster, harder.
“Nicely?” She released her hold on the back of the chair before looking at him over her shoulder, her cheeks flushed, eyes glittering with anger. “You have spanked my bottom until I doubt I will be able to walk, let alone sit. You have teased and aroused me until I now ache with need. A need you also feel,” she announced triumphantly as she looked down at his long, swollen cock. “It is now time for you to do as I ask.” She lifted away from his fingers before pushing him back far enough that she could climb down from the chair and stand. “Sit.” She pointed to the empty chair.
Sin raised his brows, wondering if she had any idea how glorious she looked with her hair in disarray, her gown still falling down at the front and revealing bared breasts tipped with those hard, juicy red nipples. She was so aroused, physically and emotionally, she no longer seemed to care if someone walked past the window and saw her half-naked.
“I told you to sit,” she repeated, fiery gray gaze daring him to disobey her.
Sin had no intention of disobeying her. Much as he had enjoyed spanking her, hearing her groans, and feeling and seeing the evidence of her arousal, he was going to enjoy this part of the game just as much. His cock grew even harder at the thought of being at Fliss’s mercy.
Chapter 12
“Better.” Fliss nodded as Sin slowly lowered his bulk into the chair before she stepped between his parted legs, her thigh nudging against his cock.
Such a beautiful cock it was too. So long and fat, thick veins throbbing along its length as she curled her fingers about it. So swollen the skin was pulled fully back, revealing the blood-engorged head.
Fliss held Sin’s gaze as her fingers tightened about that straining length to give a slow and measured pump. Then again. And again, as Sin groaned with each languorous caress. His head leaned back against the chair as he watched her through narrowed lids, his body slumping as he thrust up into her encircling fingers.
She smiled as several thick beads of his release escaped the slit at the tip, using the index finger on her other hand to gather up a pearl before raising it to her lips and slowly lapping up the salty-sweet liquid.
“Again.” Sin gave a demanding thrust of his hips.
“Tsk, tsk,” she rebuked, fingers tightening about that straining cock. “That was not politely said, Sin. Perhaps if you were to ask me nicely?” She repeated his words back at him.
“Witch,” he muttered achingly, his eyes dark and stormy.
“That certainly is not polite.” She removed her fingers completely.
“Damn it, I am asking nicely.” Sin glared at her. “I am nicely asking that you please take off that ridiculous gown and then climb on top of me and put my cock inside you.”
It was not what he had promised would follow her spanking, Fliss acknowledged, but nevertheless, it was exactly what she wanted. She needed Sin to ease that empty ache between her thighs, to bury his thick cock so deeply inside her, she felt full of him. She ached with the need to feel that stretch and fullness.
It should have felt awkward, inelegant, to remove her gown and shoes before placing her hands on Sin’s shoulders to aid her as she straddled him wearing only her thigh-length camisole and her stockings. It should have, but it felt too good to matter.
Fliss placed her knees on the chair either side of Sin’s muscular thighs. The position stretched her to her limit and left her pussy wide open. Her eyes were half-closed, and she used her grasp on Sin’s shoulders as leverage as she began to undulate her hardened nubbin along the length of his heated cock. She gasped as shards of pleasure shot straight to her core and up the length of her spine.
Sin stood the torture for as long as he could before reaching out and grasping Fliss’s hips, increasing the depth and speed of those strokes along his cock. His mouth latched on to one of the turgid nipples swaying so temptingly, mere inches in front of him.
He could feel the throbbing of Fliss’s nubbin rubbing along the length of his cock, hear her gasped moans increase as she neared her peak. Sin bit down hard on the nipple in his mouth and instantly felt the force of Fliss’s release. She groaned and sobbed, the juices flowing between her thighs, wetting Sin’s cock enough that he was able to lift her up slightly and allow the bulbous head to easily penetrate her pulsing channel.
She came again as Sin entered her fully, her breathing no more than encouraging sobs as Sin began to thrust in earnest. Every thrust and pull drew him ever closer to reaching his own release.
“Again.” His voice was guttural as he fought to retain control, the base of his spine tingling, his balls drawing up tightly beneath his cock. “Now!” He bared his teeth as Fliss’s channel contracted for a third time.
Sin lost the battle for control, gasping as his own pleasurable release shot along the length of his cock and erupted inside her with heat and force.
The next three days and nights passed so quickly and enjoyably that Fliss wondered how she was ever going to return to London and the stultifying life she led there.
Her days were spent walking or riding with Sin, and she grew to love the wild, mountainous countryside as much as she loved walking barefoot in the sand along the rugged shoreline.
As for her nights…
She quickly discovered her own bedchamber adjoined Sin’s, and once the household was abed for the night, he would join her there.
Those nights were a revelation of physical delights such as Fliss had never dreamed existed, let alone ever expected to enjoy for herself. Sin was a demanding and inventive lover, and during her quieter moments, Fliss blushed to think of some of the pleasures he had introduced her to. Of the ways in which he had shown her she might pleasure him.
But at the back of it all was the knowledge it could not last, that once Sin received word from Lord Brooketon, she would have to return to England. To the rest of that quiet and peaceful summer in the country she had once looked so forward to.
Before Sin.
Before he had tempted her into such delicious sin.
Now just the thought of returning to her own modest country home, pottering about the garden, reading the books she loved before retiring to her lonely bed, filled Fliss with a dread that was starting to color her enjoyment of these stolen days with Sin.
She had fallen in love with him.
Sin had not fallen in love with her.
Oh, she had no doubts he was thoroughly enjoying the intensity of their lovemaking, but he showed no sign of feeling anything deeper for her.
“Why the sigh?” Sin prompted on the fourth morning of Fliss’s stay in Scotland as the two of them ate breakfast together in the small family dining room. “Are you bored here already?” He was well aware that the remoteness of his home in Scotland offered little in the way of entertainment, but he had hoped Fliss would come to love the untamed beauty as much as he did.
“Not at all,” she answered a little too quickly to be convincing, her gaze avoiding his. “I was merely wondering when you thought you might hear from Lord Brooketon.”
Allowing her to leave, Sin easily interpreted. But what had he expected? His mother, also an Englishwoman, had been the exception when it came to falling in love with the remoteness of Castle Montgomery.
He knew Fliss had lived in seclusion during her childhood, her years as the wife of Major Stephen Randall only a little less so. Widowhood was her first opportunity to live her life as she wished. She was now accustomed to living alone in the city, to the convenience of having the shops close by, her friends a mere carriage ride away. To enjoying the theatre and other entertainments.
Castle Montgomery was miles from the nearest town, and even then it was a provincial town, catering to the inhabitants around it and possessing none of the sophistication of London.
Sin realized he had been remiss in not thinking of this sooner.
It had been all too easy, having left the rush and bustle of London and the debauchery to be had at Eckles Manor, to forget that Fliss was a part of that world rather than his. Maybe not the debauchery, but visiting her friends and enjoying the sophisticated entertainments in London, certainly.
Taken by the Earl (Regency Unlaced 3) Page 9