“William.”
She squared her shoulders and placed the thick block of wood back on the table. “Aside, Mr. Cope, you hardly know me. ‘Tis unconscionable for us to be friends this fast. Why, we just met.” The act of him jamming his hands into the pockets of his trews drew her focus to his waist. Whether ‘twas her natural curiosity to peek at his crotch or the passionate haze she’d been fighting off since meeting him, she didn’t know, but she was compelled to let her gaze drop a few scant inches to see if he was still hard or not. Cease. It took all her willpower to not indulge her curiosity. No further. No further.
“Come here, Eliza.”
Casting a glance behind her only to find herself trapped by the printing press and shelves filled with ink and such, she steered her gaze to the shop door. Mentally gauging the distance, she peeked at him. If I’m quick about it.
“You could try to make it.”
“Beg pardon?” Now I know what an animal imprisoned in the menagerie feels like.
“There is nothing wrong with your hearing.” He strode forward. His hands left his pockets. He stopped his forward progression a mere pace from where she stood. Nonchalantly, he leaned his hip against the counter. “Relax.”
She shivered. Her throat went dry. “I am.” Her coming into maturity stirred the attraction she felt for him, it also made her feel as though she was dancing with a demon.
He chuckled. “If you are so relaxed why do I sense you are about to spring out of your skin?”
“Why are you asking me all these questions?”
“Because I want to get to know you better.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“You underestimate me.” He held his hand out to her. “Take it.” A long pause passed between them. “I know you yearn for me as badly as I do you.”
“How could you possibly know that?” Her heart beat hard in her chest. She tilted her head to the side, pondering him.
“I can smell your heat.”
She was as confused as ever. Her brow furrowed into a frown. She was almost certain he wasn’t a paranormal, but her lack of exposure to many of the common varieties could also be at work. “This is wrong.” There was no denying she was drawn to him. She also knew the emotions flowing through her weren’t normal. Not now.
“Soon I will make everything better.”
He said his promise so sincerely she almost believed him. “Mr. Cope…”A growl warned her to either use his given name or not call him by aught. Swallowing hard, she took his hand. Warmth radiated off his body as he pulled her with gentle insistence closer to him. “William, I’m not sure you can make this better.”
“Why don’t you tell me the truth and let me be the judge of it.”
He made it sound so easy. Telling him she was part fae was out of the question. She shook her head. Just blurt out her dirty secret and see what he made of the fiasco with Geoffrey. ‘Tisn’t as if I’m likely to ever see him again after today. Perhaps his insight can help me at least understand what happened. “Do you promise not to tell a soul?”
“I swear on my grandmother’s grave.”
What do you have to lose? “I was engaged.”
“I suspected as much.”
“How?”
“You aren’t hard on the eyes, and a man would have to be a blithering dolt to not notice you are a true lady.”
A timid laugh escaped her lips. “Well, you see, he was military.”
“Died in battle, did he?”
“Aye.”
“And you and he were intimate just before he left for his term of service.”
“You seem to know a lot.”
“My dear, I have marched for King and Country myself.” His smile was full of patience and sympathy. “You are not the first lass to watch her man walk off to battle after sharing a bed but not a marriage ceremony.”
“I sort of figured. ‘Tis that…well…when…” She waved her free hand in the air, words fleeing her mind.
His right eyebrow rose. A merry twinkle entered his unusual colored eyes. “’Twasn’t what you expected.”
She swallowed. Glad he’d done most of the work for her, she nodded. ‘Twas time to lay out her sin and pray he could help her deal with it. “I didn’t know what to expect.”
“On this front, you are going to have to tell me what transpired.” His stare was filled with compassion.
“He didn’t like it,” she blurted. “At least, that’s what I think.”
“And, because he died you can’t ask him outright.”
Thankful he didn’t beg her for more details, she breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling a bit better for having gotten the most of it off her chest, she blushed. He was very easy to talk to. “Aye. My friends, they’ve tried to assure me…that ‘tisn’t anything wrong…”
“Eliza, there’s nothing wrong with you.” His smile turned gentle.
She tried to laugh it all away. God’s truth, ‘twas just knowing she wasn’t alone in the proverbial boat that made her relax. “’Tis too late for me. I’ve put myself on the shelf.”
“Which is why Constance has a proper dowry.”
“’Twas good enough before, but now—‘tis just—she’ll have a better chance at a fine match.”
“What if you were to marry me?”
“Sir.” Stunned, she gaped at him.
“William. He sounded as angry as a bear whose hibernation had been interrupted.
Conceding, she used his given name. “William, you don’t know me.”
“I know that I am attracted to you. That I long for you. That we will suit given time.” He rattled off the list with such certainty she couldn’t help but smile.
“Was there more you had with your fiancé?” He inquired, his tender expression wafting away. “Please, don’t think I’m naive enough to believe you loved him.”
“Perhaps.” Nay, they hadn’t been a love match. “I’m jesting,” she said on a laugh when he grabbed her about the waist. Eye to eye with him, she brushed an errant lock of his honey-brown hair from his face. She snatched her fingers back. “I’ve forgotten myself.”
“I intend to make you not only forget yourself, but also the lack-brained man you were engaged to.”
She was ready for him when he slammed his mouth against hers. Leaning into his strength, she clung to his shoulders. She’d never been kissed with such fervor. His tongue eased between her lips and dueled with hers. Passion ignited in her belly. Her fingers tangled in his hair.
The over-active imagination she’d suffered from was spurred into a full gallop as she pictured his hands on her—in her. Above the blasting pound of her pulse in her ears, she imagined William taking her in every lurid position her friend blushingly whispered about to her after she’d lost her virginity.
Lost in the wonderment of his kiss, she gasped for air when he rained kisses across her cheek. He licked the delicate shell of her ear. Instinctively she rubbed against him. Her body wanted to get closer to his. Little mewls of pleasure escaped her lips as he gripped her bum in his big, strong hands. She ached for him.
“Give yourself to me, Eliza.”
“Give yourself to me—now.”
“Aye,” she muttered between her panting breaths. Hugging him hard, she yearned for what she’d never experienced with Geoffrey. She desired the satisfaction she sensed only William could bring her. “Oh, aye.”
Chapter Three
Beware an alpha male on a mission.
Eliza couldn’t gather air in her lungs. In the back of her mind, she understood she was setting herself up for disappointment, that rather than aye, she should have said nay. Her common sense told her this was wrong. She was a lady, and should never engage him in carnal kisses and allow him to feed her sexual fantasies.
He might want to marry her, or he might be using her depressed mood merely to find his own satisfaction. She didn’t care.
“There’s no backing out, Eliza. Either you willingly give yourself to me or we stop the play n
ow.”
“Nay.” The single word was ripped from her throat. If naught else, she could finally discover the mystery behind the marriage act. She could also uncover whether ‘twas as her friends said and there was naught wrong with her or if she was defective.
Squealing when he planted her behind on the smooth wood of the counter, she gripped the rounded edge. About ready to beg him to cease the sexual onslaught he’d unleashed, she licked her lips.
“I need you to understand a few things before we begin.”
“Alright.” Her chest hurt from her heart clanging against her ribs. She gasped for air against the tightness of her corset. Be quick about it. She wiggled her bum on the bench-top. Her nether-region primed.
“You have agreed to this of your own free will.”
“Aye.”
“You are giving me the right to do aught I chose to do to your delectable body.”
“Here?”
“You’d prefer I take you upstairs with your father and sister just outside the wall of my bedroom?”
“I…” Here? A frown marred her brow. Do I dare? Granted the notion that they were exposed to the street and the danger of someone from above-stairs happening upon them whetted her appetite more. “Fine.” What do I have to lose?
“Good.” He planted his gaze on her face. “If you don’t like what I am doing to you, you need to say the word ‘valentine’. Saying ‘no’ will have no effect.”
“Valentine.” She nodded. Just get on with it. Liquid heat pooled between her legs.
“I can smell your desire. This pleases me.” He reached out and began undoing the buttons of her bodice.
Sneaking a peek out the window, Eliza struggled to relax. A blush crept up her cheeks as he slowly undid her bodice and, after done, swept the cloth aside to expose her camisole. A jolt of static socked through her when his thumbs brushed over her taut nipples. Once. Twice. Thrice.
Propping her weight on her straight arms, she let her head fall back. The shift of her skirts being lifted snapped her head up. “William?” A low, keening moan sounded from her when he dipped his head and suckled her nipple through the soft wool of her camisole. “William?” She couldn’t fight off the spurt of fear that shot from her breast to jingle in her mind.
He pulled his head away to meet her face. Thinking he might kiss her, she was surprised when he didn’t “Trust me, Eliza. I won’t harm you.”
She wanted to trust him. God knew how desperately she wanted to put all her faith in him.
“If ne’er again, then now, I ask you not to fear this.” His hand moved up her pantaloon-clad thigh. Her feminine walls grew tense. His fingers moved closer to her crotch. She wiggled her hips. The tension in her thighs competed with the heaviness growing in her womb.
She felt caught in a contradiction. ‘Twas as if all of a sudden the room had become an inferno, yet cold drafts scurried across her cheeks and neck. She was hot. Her body filled with wanton lust. The snow swirling outside and the blackened wood waiting for a spark to light it on the hearth were completely opposite to the heat William evoked from her.
As suddenly as his onslaught began, it ceased. He strode away from her on powerful legs. “Don’t move.”
A scream inched up her throat. For the love of God, don’t leave me like this. She slapped her hand down on the bench-top.
“Impatient, are we?” He had the unmitigated gall to chuckle at her. “For that, you’ll sit there longer.”
Realizing he’d merely gone to close the door leading to the flat upstairs, she shakily drank in as much air as she could manage. Her eyes grew wide when he leaned back against the oak door. “Please,” she begged him.
“Keep your legs spread wide.” He seemed to be taking in a painting by a master artist which hung in a posh gallery. His stare intently focused on her crotch then shifting to her bosom. “Arch your back for me.”
With her leg muscles twitching, she did as she was told. The ache in her pussy grew. She waited for what seemed like hours. “Please.”
“You’ll do as I say.”
“Aye.” How many times must I swear this to you?
“Aye, Master.”
Shocked by his harsh command, Eliza bit her lip. Do it. Do it. Do it. “Aye, Master.”
“That’s my lass.”
A clog of emotion formed in her throat as he strode to where she sat. Her nerves twanged when he cupped her femininity. Tiny tremors of pleasure rolled their way down her channel as he worked his palm in a slow, circular motion against her mound. He palmed her left breast, capturing her nipple between his index finger and thumb. The pleasure of his hand applying steady pressure against her crotch coupled with the slight pain he inflicted when he pinched her nipple made her gasp. “Dear God, have mercy upon me,” she whispered huskily.
“Nay. ‘Twill be I who shows you mercy,” William replied. “’Twill be I who brings you to climax, and me whom you will thank after.”
“Aye.”
He pinched her nipple harder. She cried out. The desire wracking her body shot through the roof.
“Master.”
“Aye, Master.” His mouth met hers in another hot, open-mouthed kiss. At the same time, he pulled her camisole aside to expose her breast. The sensation of his calloused hand against her tender flesh had her writhing for release.
Without warning he lifted her off the counter and set her to the side. “Place your hands on the press, thus,” he ordered.
She watched him lever his hands on the counter. Glancing at the machine, Eliza exhaled. Moving to right her clothes, a sharp slap to her bum told her to leave her bodice alone.
“The next time I take your delectable body…”
Curious as to whether he’d left his sentence hang to heighten the desire flowing between them or he was merely thinking aloud, she felt a small smile creep across her lips. “Aye, Master?” she asked. She planted her hands on the edge of the press where her body would be obscured by the counter.
“Nay, I wish you to look outside as I fuck you.” He led her to the long side and settled her hands on the top lever.
Swallowing hard, she grabbed the wooden grips of the top lever. He lowered the other side of her camisole so both her breasts hung free.
“Spread your legs, slave.”
Obeying without complaint, she gasped when he tossed her skirts about her hips. With deft moves he freed the tapes of her pantaloons. The silk drawers slid over her bum but came to rest about mid-thigh. He clapped his hand down on her butt cheek.
“You are beautiful. Let’s see if you are well behaved too.” He moved his fingers up and down her cleft. She was wet for him.
Her knees dipped slightly when he swirled his thumb over the sensitive nub of her clit. A firm, strong hand spread her arse cheeks apart. Eliza moaned when he eased a digit into her channel.
“Don’t make a sound. Do you understand me, slave?”
“Aye, Master.” The man was clearly delusional.
Another smack hit her butt. “Shh,” he muttered. “You’re incredibly tight. This will be a good ride for you.”
Eliza bit back on a moan when he added another finger to the one already planted in her pussy. She began to grind her crotch against his hand. Dear God. Please. Please. She was close to finding bliss. Her cunt ached. Her heart pounded.
“Rock back on my fingers, slave,” he commanded her. “Pull yourself forward and then push back.”
None of her friends had ever told her of the likes. Still, she managed to do as she was told. The friction sent shockwaves through her. His digits stretched her channel. Her clit hit his knuckles perfectly. “William.”
His hand cracked down on her arse. The minor offense to her butt cheek mingled with the pleasure of his fingers. Her body bucked forward when his thumb teased her anus. “Master.” She sucked in a gasp when he slapped her bum again sending a fresh spark of pain down her legs. The tremors of release ratcheted up.
“Master,” she pleaded. She didn’t know what she
was begging for, but was sure he was a means to that end.
He slapped her other arse cheek. His hand brushed away the pain. “Quiet,” he whispered. “You wish my cock in you.” It wasn’t a question but a statement of fact. “Tell me that is what you want.”
“Aye, Master.” She bit back on her cry of dismay when he removed his fingers. Nay. Don’t leave me like this.
The rustle of clothing hit her ear.
“You will stare outside as I fuck you. If you look away, I will punish you.”
She almost balked but caught herself in time. How will he know if I duck my head and hide my face from the street? There was nay way he could know. After all, Geoffrey had kept his eyes closed during their bedding.
Breathing hard, she felt the tip of his cock tease her hole. He swiped it up and down her cleft for a few strokes, and then settled it at the entrance to her channel. She almost asked him if that was all there was to the act when he surged forward. The twinge of pain caused by his invasion was soon forgotten. ‘Twas the girth of his cock that had her feeling full to the hilt. The length of him was yet to be determined.
She thought the act over when he pulled out until just the knob of his penis was nestled in her pussy then he plowed forward again and again. Accommodating all of him was a struggle. The man was huge.
The heavy printing press shifted not a bit. She thought the world had moved.
He snaked a hand beneath her skirts and played with her clit. The delectable tremors from before began to trip down her feminine walls. Her thigh muscles shivered.
Then he started to thrust.
“Not a sound, slave.”
She laid her forehead against a side brace. He was having naught of that. Fisting her long, dark locks in his hand, he pulled her head up. There wasn’t pain, but there was an understanding that he wasn’t going to let her hide.
His thrusts turned frenetic. The finger playing on her clit alternated between swirling motions and tapping against the nub. Pressure built in her womb. Twinges rocked her pussy. “Goodness.” The single word slipped from her lips.
He came to an abrupt stop. His cock imbedded deep inside her. His finger on her clit didn’t move. She lifted her hand to slap the press. Frustrated to no end, she wiggled her bum against him, trying without much success to reach her climax. He released her hair and grabbed her wrist before she could finish the outward expression of her internal frustration. His other circled her waist and held her still. “Tsk. Tsk. You were warned, slave.”
Mastered by a Wolf Page 3
