"Why did you tell everyone what you did to me?” His words were muffled as he rested his face on his crossed arms.
Riana was appalled that he would think she would do such a thing. She opened her mouth to defend herself when common sense stilled her tongue. Of course he would believe she had deliberately made his punishment known. It was tradition in Nexar to make punishment public knowledge to reinforce the effect of the punishment.
Even if that punishment was untraditional.
She took a deep breath. Perhaps it might be better to let Darias think she told everyone, but she wasn't going to do so. “I didn't. Bryta overheard me muttering to myself."
"Are you telling me the truth?” He turned his head so that his eyes glinted from beneath his arm.
"Yes,” she said simply.
After a long moment, he said, “Thank you."
* * * *
She hadn't bragged about his Punishment.
Although his pride stung just as fiercely as his flesh with humiliation at having it common knowledge that he'd had his ass spanked like a child, he found his anger with Riana lessened by the fact she hadn't intentionally disclosed the Punishment.
The woman was addling his brains.
How else to explain the fact that he had to constantly remind himself that she was in the wrong. Or to explain the way she made him forget the teachings of a lifetime.
He felt the wet cloth lift, then return, the cooler side against his hot skin.
Darias buried his face in his arms again, so that Riana couldn't see his expression.
Or be forced to explain to her why the spanking had aroused him.
Still aroused him for that matter.
The bed moved slightly as Riana left. He heard running water and knew she was refreshing the cloth with cold water.
He almost moaned when the cold cloth settled over his ass.
Damn, that woman packed almost as much power in her arm as he did. He would never have believed it if he hadn't experienced it firsthand.
He found the thought unexpectedly appealing.
Women were weaker than men.
Women needed to be guided
Women needed to be protected from themselves.
Women needed men to protect them from the harsher realities of life.
Riana had defeated him in ritual combat.
Riana had introduced him to pleasures he hadn't known existed.
Riana refused to accept his protection.
Riana refused to play by the Rules.
Riana had whipped his ass.
Darias shook his head, confused. He couldn't figure her out. How was he supposed to return things to normal if she made him want the forbidden?
An unbidden groan broke from his throat as her soft hands started rubbing his sore ass in slow, soothing circles.
"What are you doing,” he managed, swallowing another groan.
"Putting a salve on you to ease the pain.” She rubbed some more. “Is it working?"
"Umm. Don't stop.” The words were out before he could stop them. He tensed, expecting her to take advantage of his weakness.
He should have known better. Riana never did what he expected.
"Good.” She leaned down and brushed a soft kiss on one cheek of his ass.
Darias nearly swallowed his tongue.
"Shh. Don't say anything. Just lie there and let me make it feel better."
Darias’ last thought before he fell asleep was that a spanking might be tolerable if this was the end result.
Chapter Six
Riana placed one finger on the line to hold her place. She had shut the door to her office and decided she deserved a little peace and quiet after the hectic morning. She'd decided to reward herself with The Damsel and the Dragon.
She was at her favorite part. She'd already read the book so many times that she had the passage memorized.
Danella's heart beat faster in fear.
The dragon was approaching.
He would kill her.
Ranuld laughed mockingly as he turned in the doorway of the tower room.
"You should have accepted me in your bed, my lady. Is your virginity worth the price of your life? As my wife you would at least live. As the dragon's whore your fate is death once he is tired of you. Perhaps come morning you will not be so defiant. Unless, of course, you kill the dragon.” He tossed a jewel-encrusted dagger on the floor, at her feet.
His laughter rolled over her as she heard the door close and the turn of the key.
The whoosh of wings filled her ears and nearly stilled her heart. One moment the room was empty save for herself, the next a huge beast settled in front of her.
The creature was beautiful, in a terrifying way. Its scales were iridescent blues, greens, and purples. Its wings a shimmering, almost gossamer, wash of silver, gold and bronze.
But it was the creature's eyes that held her attention. They were pure silver.
If Danella didn't know better, she would almost say they were filled with sorrow.
The urge to stroke his muzzle, to erase that look of intense sadness, had her taking one step toward the creature.
The dragon's head snaked forward. Its tongue flickered out, tasting her cheek.
She screamed.
The great, gaping jaw moved, working awkwardly.
Frantic, Danella bent down, her eyes never leaving the beast, and she scrambled for the dagger. She had to kill him before he killed her.
The dragon watched her with almost intelligent eyes, its gaze following her every movement. In the silver depths of its eyes, Danella saw acceptance.
The dragon lowered its head, presenting the vulnerable spot where spine joined skull.
It waited.
Riana fingered the Badge of Rank around her neck. Lifting the emblem of Darias’ house, she studied it closely for the first time. The dragon, carved in precious fireice, was an exact duplicate of the illustration in her book.
Was it possible that some long ago author from Nexar had written the novel? If so, life then had been much different. Nothing in the book hinted that women were without rights, considered little more than property. But, she supposed, it was remotely possible.
Ah, well, that was a mystery she'd never solve. The history recorded in the computer didn't go back that far, and she'd found no evidence that any literature from that era survived.
She smoothed the tip of her finger over the words, lingering on the description of the dragon. In some ways, Darias reminded her of the dragon. He, too, was trapped. Oh, not in the body of a beast, but by tradition. But at least the dragon had wanted to return to the form of the man. Darias enjoyed being the beast. He liked having the power to punish, to rule.
A frown creased her brow. In the last five sennights alone, she'd had to punish Darias in the Nexarian way several times. Oh, he'd been careful not to push so hard that she punished him in the garden, or spanked his ass in the Great Hall like she'd threatened.
Still, he'd managed to organize the men and headed the effort to undermine the women's attempted to function as heads-of-household. He was just sneakier about it.
Darias seemed incapable of accepting change.
Riana shut the book and leaned back in the chair.
But was that strictly the truth? While it was true that Darias was dedicated to toppling her from the position of Supreme Chief and setting about the roles of men and women as he felt they should be, Riana had noticed a few changes.
For one, Darias no longer automatically dismissed her observations. He'd even agreed with a few of her ideas on restarting the economy. Not, Riana thought with a wry twist to her mouth, her decision to contact the Far Islands, however. He was still dead set on preventing that from taking place.
For another, he wasn't so quick to throw tradition in her face during sex. If she didn't know better, Riana would think Darias was rethinking his position on what was and wasn't allowed.
She grinned.
If she didn't think it would
give him heart failure, she'd introduce him to a couple of the more exotic toys in her hold.
There was this one paddle that...
Riana wriggled in the chair as she grew warm between her legs. Why couldn't she get the thought of spanking Darias out of her mind? So it made her hot. She'd be a fool to think he'd want to go over her knee after the way she'd blistered his butt.
Although...
He had gotten an erection when she brushed his cock right after the spanking. Surely that had to mean something. Riana licked her lips. Did she dare try? What if she was mistaken and he hated her spanking him?
And what if he didn't?
* * * *
The lights in the bed chamber were dim. Darias paused before shutting the door behind him, suddenly uneasy. Had Riana found out about his little sabotage with the computer system? Did she know that he'd tucked the trade agreements away in hidden files?
Krel, he hoped not. She might make good on her threat and beat him in the Great Hall. At the very least, it would mean a Punishment in the garden.
Worse than that, it might mean she knew how to undo the damage.
"Riana?"
No answer.
"Riana?” Where was she?
Soft cloth suddenly covered his eyes. Instinctively, his hands went up to remove it.
"No. Hold still.” Her voice was soft in his ear. Her breath warmed the side of his neck. Her scent surrounded him.
"Riana, what are you doing?” His mouth went dry and his body tautened.
"Hush, slave. You must obey my every command.” Her tone was stern, but her hands were gentle as they knotted the piece of silk behind his head.
Excitement rushed through Darias’ blood.
He felt her hands on the leather harness on his chest, felt the tug on the buckles as she worked each one. A muted thump, and it was on the floor. Her thumbs brushed his nipples, once, twice, three times. Light touches, never long enough, never hard enough. His nipples pulled tight into hard nubs.
The hot heat of her breath bathed the puckered flesh through the sheer silk of his tunic.
Darias thought he'd go out of his mind. He waited, breath bated, for her to move that final fraction and cover his nipple with her mouth.
She grabbed the hem of the tunic and pushed it up, dragging the material with delicate roughness across the muscles of his stomach, to his chest.
"Yes,” he murmured, wanting nothing more than to take her head in his hands and guide her mouth to his chest. But Darias didn't move. She hadn't told him he could use his hands. Mayhap she wouldn't care, but Darias was in no mind to have her stop now. Not before he saw where she was taking him.
Sex with Riana since she became Supreme Chief had been an eye opener. Things that had heretofore been reserved for Punishment became an intrinsic part of sex. Darias had never realized that having a woman use her mouth on him could be so pleasurable.
His breath came faster as he felt the warm brush of her breath against his stomach. His muscles contracted sharply.
The tip of her tongue traced the outline of the shallow indent in his stomach before dipping inside. His hands came up without thought, holding her head between his palms.
"Hands at your sides."
His fingers tightened at the sharp command before, with a frustrated groan, he complied. He could feel her smile against his stomach. The urge to ignore her, to take what he wanted, was stayed by the even stronger urge to see how far she'd take him this time.
He was embarrassed by his need to submit, to give up all control to Riana. Darias soothed his pride by telling himself he was honored-bound to obey. He'd given his word.
His word was his honor.
She licked a delicate path up his stomach, tiny, wet touches that ruffled the line of hair that led to his groin.
He forgot about why he was standing there obeying her commands, forgot about his honor. All he wanted was for her to trace that line of hair down, down to where his erection was swelling, to where his balls ached with anticipation.
Almost as if she could read his mind, Riana went the opposite direction.
"Contrary wench.” He didn't realize he'd spoke aloud until soft laughter washed over his ribcage.
"Do you want more?"
Her lips moved on his skin as she spoke. Darias stifled another groan. If he said yes, would she drive him crazy?
Her tongue skipped up and down the ladder of his ribs.
"Yes. I want your mouth on my cock.” The words burst out of him. Krel. Had he actually said that? Had he really asked for an act that was reserved for Punishment?
He stiffened, mentally trying to pull back, to regain control.
Her teeth closed about one distended masculine nub, nipping daintily.
Air hissed from between his teeth.
As if that were a signal, Riana began a concentrated assault on his senses, licking, nipping and sucking at his chest.
His heart thundered in his chest, stuttering when she found a particularly sensitive spot.
"Take your tunic off."
Darias didn't even think. He ripped the flimsy material in half with a quick pull, dropping the ruined garment in a careless heap on the floor.
"Well, that's one way, I guess."
Unable to see her expression, to judge if she were amused or irritated at his impatience, Darias stilled.
Please, may she not stop.
Her hand cupped his genitals, testing their weight, the extent of his need. Behind the blindfold, his eyes closed in relief.
"You've been very bad. Ruining your clothes."
His eyes shot open.
"You need to be punished."
Punished? His heart jumped even as his cock grew harder. Was she serious? Would she really Punish him for such a minor infraction?
Her hand squeezed in warning.
"Do you not?"
Darias cleared his throat. Should he agree or disagree? Was she truly angry or was she playing one of her games with him? The not knowing added an extra fillip of excitement.
She squeezed again, a little harder.
"Yes.” It was all he could manage, and barely that. Darias didn't recognize his own voice, rough and hoarse as it was.
Her hands settled on his hips and Darias let her lead him, trusting that she wouldn't let him trip over anything. Vaguely, he recognized the extent of that trust, but then pushed the disturbing thought away. His world narrowed, became the heat of her hands through his silk breeches, the sound of his breathing, harsh and uneven, in his own ears, and her warm, womanly scent that filled his nostrils.
They stopped. Darias heard the give of the mattress and sensed, rather than felt, that Riana had sat down on the bed. His heart skipped a beat and then his pulse began thrumming in his ears.
"Remove your breeches."
His cock quivered. Encased in the thong and showcased by the black silk of his breeches, Darias knew there was no way she could have missed the betraying reaction. His hands went for the blindfold.
"No, leave that on. I like the fact that you know, but can't see me watching you undress.” Her voice was husky, but firm.
Darias was somewhat reassured by that subtle evidence of her arousal.
Darias spread his legs for balance as his hands went to the waistband of his breeches. Leather brushed the outside of his thighs. He was standing between her spread legs. Fire raced through his blood at the image that formed in his mind.
His fingers fumbled in his eagerness. Krel, he was acting like an untried youth. Still, he couldn't seem to grasp hold of his composure. He untied the lace closing his breeches, loosening it enough to slide his breeches down his hips.
"No. Unthread the lace. Slowly."
Slow. His blood was on fire and she wanted slow? He inhaled in an effort to do as she asked. It wasn't easy. His every instinct roared at him to shuck his clothes and then throw her back on the bed and bury his throbbing cock in her woman's wetness.
Darias tugged the lacing through the eyelets,
a faint tremor in his fingers, one end at a time. At last he was down to the bottom two eyelets. His cock, still constrained in the thong, pressed upwards, rubbing against his hand. Even that small contact was almost too much.
He started to rip the last of the lacing free, then stopped. If he didn't do exactly as he asked, would she end this tantalizing game?
The faintest of pressure tickled his balls. “Slowly,” she reminded him.
A shuddering breath leaked from his chest. Gripping the bottom of the lacing between thumb and forefinger, Darias pulled. Slowly. He gritted his teeth as the silk tie twined around his aching cock. Each tug on the tie, tugged on his cock.
Darias nearly lost it.
The moment the tie came free, he dropped it with an audible sigh of relief.
His breeches dropped as far as his knees, prevented from going any further by his spread legs.
Her hands were there immediately, silently telling him to shift so she could ease his breeches the rest of the way down.
He did as instruction, acutely conscious of the fact that his cock must be mere centimeters from her face.
From her mouth.
He swallowed a groan.
Krel, he wanted to feel the warm, wet depths of her mouth around his cock again. Wrong or not, Darias knew he'd kill for the opportunity.
"Now the thong."
He was shoving the indecent scrap of material over his hips when he stopped abruptly. It just occurred to him what had happened the last time she had given him a similar set of instructions.
She'd blistered his ass so hard that he bore the marks for over a seven-day.
Nerves he hadn't known he possessed set up a dance in the pit of his stomach, vying with an equally disconcerting excitement of once again baring his ass to her stroke.
His cock had no such qualms. It leaped to attention.
Filled with an unsettling mixture of trepidation and lust, Darias shoved the thong down and stepped out both breeches and thong.
A drop of pre-come beaded on the head of his cock.
"Use your hand to pleasure yourself."
Darias was taken aback. “I cannot,” he automatically protested.
She made her displeasure with his refusal clear with a light swat on his thigh. Another drop formed.
"You can and you will. My will is your will. Now, pleasure yourself."
Surrender Page 10
