She called for Giselle again. The servant’s lively accounts of her spankings fueled Lua’s imagination, and she lusted after her husband in quiet desperation. She spent more and more time in the chapel, praying for forgiveness for her wayward thoughts, yet unwilling to control them. Her mind and body took a life of their own as a single glance at her husband’s strong physique made her weak in the knees. Every innocent touch from his large hands brought images of her bound and at his mercy. She needed him, and Giselle, who had become her confidant, assured her it was natural. As a matter of fact, it had been the young woman’s words that had finally prompted Lua into action.
“My Lady, the women that taught you things all married out of duty, and they know not what love is. You do. My Lord does. It is obvious to all who live here the affection you feel toward each other. Cease worrying. This is your life now, your castle and he is your husband, my lady. Is it not your duty to please your husband in all ways? Succumbing to your lust for him is just another way that you have to please him.”
Lua rubbed her arms as they descended the dank staircase into the bowels of the castle. She had never been to this part of GreyStorm before and it gave her goose bumps, but the idea of pleasing her husband drove her on. They walked down the long passageway, the light of Giselle’s torch marking their way as the fires on most of the corbels were out. Lua glanced at the closed doors to her left. At least, there weren’t any prisoners. As they reached the end of the hall, Giselle turned left and opened the last oak door, motioning for Lua to follow her inside. Lua’s eyes widened as she took in the windowless underground room.
“It is a storeroom, my lady, never a prison cell,” Giselle whispered, clearly reading her unspoken fear. She walked away from Lua, using the flame from the torch to light a few candles placed on iron candelabras before setting it on a scone near the door.
Lua shuddered as the bright light brought the room into clarity. It was small and impersonal, with a rackety table in a corner, a threadbare rug, and a small wooden trunk. However, what kept Lua mesmerized were the iron shackles hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. Absently rubbing at her wrists, she jumped slightly when Giselle touched her shoulder.
“That’s where you shall stand, my lady.” Giselle said, pointing to them. “Have no fear. It will not hurt. Take off your tunic and cloak, my lady.”
Lua hesitated. The time had come. Could she bring herself to bring to life what she had fantasized? Could she give herself to her husband in this way? She took hold of the edge of her cloak, glancing at the cuffs once more. With a deep breath, she pushed back the warm garment and handed it to Giselle. Blushing profusely, she removed her tunic and also gave it to the young servant. With a bright smile, Giselle hung the garments on a peg near the wall that she had failed to see earlier. The kitchen maid turned to look at her and Lua hurried to cover her body in embarrassment.
“Do not, my lady.” The young girl approached her and gently pushed Lua’s hands away from her body. “You are truly lovely. It is no wonder your husband aches for you. Come, I shall set you up.” Taking her hand, she led her to the chains and easily bonded her. “I have to wait for my lord to do this, but I believe he will be pleased to find you here and ready.” Clicking the pieces into place, Giselle stepped back to admire her work. “He should not be long now. Do not worry, my lady. The lord will love your surprise.” Lua’s mouth fell open as Giselle bent forward and brushed her warm lips against hers.
“Enjoy every moment, my lady,” she whispered before leaving.
Lua shivered as the heavy door closed with an ominous click. Though the room was not warm, she was not cold. Anticipation zinged through her veins. What would Jürgen do? Say? How would he react? She closed her eyes, and silence in the chamber increased her already frayed nerves. Butterflies twisted in her belly and soft flames licked her body warming it from the inside out, while her heart seemed set on escaping through her mouth. She was exposed as she’d never been before, and the knowledge both horrified and aroused her. The minutes seemed to tick by slowly as she waited. Her courage began to fail.
Suddenly, the door creaked open and closed. The hairs on the back of her neck stood as she heard the bolt slide into place. Heavy boots slapped against the floor, coming closer. Her chest tightened, her heart stilled. Her mouth went dry, her thoughts freezing as she waited. Was it he? Lua didn’t dare open her eyes, afraid to see anger or disappointment in her husband’s brown depths. What would she do if he sent her away? The sound of footsteps ceased, a looming presence taking over her personal space. Lua chewed on her bottom lip.
“Open your eyes, Lua Mirabella.” Jürgen’s deep commanding timber rocked through her core. Slowly, she blinked and opened her eyes to meet Jürgen’s heated gaze. Her heart plummeted back to her chest, a new wave of butterflies fluttering inside her stomach. She had never seen him look at her like that. The muscle in his jaw ticked and his lips were set in a thin line. His nose flared as if sniffing her scent. His eyes, always a lovely brown were a shade darker. His gaze was raw, dangerous. Emotions warred their way in their depths: lust and love.
“Jürgen,” she whispered his name, losing herself in his stare.
He said nothing, instead reaching for her breast, running his calloused fingertips against her nipple, causing it to pebble to a hard peak. Lua’s lips parted, breathing becoming difficult as he squeezed and kneaded the flesh. A moan escaped her and she looked away, self-conscious.
“Don’t.” Gently, Jürgen grasped her chin and forced her to look back at him. With his other hand, he massaged her breast expertly. “I have dreamt of this for so long, my darling Lua.” He flicked the hard point and Lua bucked against her restraints, another moan coming to the surface. Jürgen captured her face between his hands, staring into her eyes with a wild look.
“Why? Why are you doing this? It must go against everything you’ve been taught and believe in.”
Lua swallowed and licked her dry lips. Jürgen’s eyes were enormous. The need to understand danced in their depths, mingling with hope that he wouldn’t have to put her down.
“I love you, Jürgen.” His eyes lit up, his usually stern face showing the shadow of a smile.
“And I you, my precious Lua, but—“
“More than anything, I want to please you. I found out about Giselle and I,” she paused. “She told me what you did to her and I wanted to take her place. I imagined your hands on me, spanking me, torturing me with pleasure, commanding me to do things that…” she swallowed.
“You wouldn’t normally do.”
She nodded. “You are my husband and I vowed to obey you and please you in any way. If this is what pleases you then I want to be the one to do it.”
“Lua.” The warning in his tone was unmistakable.
“I want to please you, Jürgen, not only because I promised to do so, but because I love you.”
Chapter Three
Jürgen nodded. He was having a hard time keeping his concentration. He wanted nothing more than to bury his cock deep in Lua’s warm recess. She was precious, beautiful. He took a step back, fully admiring her beauty openly for the first time. She was all feminine curves and smooth pale flesh. Her long blonde hair was braided and hanging below her tight bottom, dipping playfully between the tops of her thighs. Her long legs were firm and lithe, no doubt from running around the castle all day. Jürgen slowly circled her.
Her breasts were plump and full, her nipples and areola a soft pink that invited a taste and a touch. His cock swelled in eager anticipation as he ran his eyes past her taut stomach to the light-colored curls between her legs. His mouth watered. What would she taste like? Honey? A small noise coming from his wife had him lifting his gaze back to her face. Her cheeks burned crimson, the flush of embarrassment spreading down her neck. Yet, surprisingly, she kept her eyes open. Jürgen walked around her again, brushing the tips of his fingertips against her naked flesh, teasing her.
“I want to do so many things to you,” he m
uttered. “But I don’t want to scare you.”
“You don’t scare me, my Lord.”
Jürgen shook his head. That would not do. Not in here. This empty, chilled cell was the wrong place for his Lua. He wanted her in the comfort of the bedroom, where he had envisioned her sprawled and at his mercy so many times. First, however, he had to make sure that this was what she wanted. To do so, the first step would be to ask her to call him something other than My Lord.
“You shall address me as Master, Lua,” he said, locking eyes with her. Lua’s eyes widened, a flash of surprise flickering through them before she nodded in acquiescence.
“I am always your lord and husband, but tonight and in our bed I will also be your Master.”
She nodded.
“You do not know the depths of my depravity, my precious Lua. The things I want to do to you would involve leaving your pale flesh more colorful than the rose that taints your cheeks at this moment.” He stepped closer, invading her space without physically touching her. Her eyes dropped to the floor. She was perfect, his precious Lua. “It will sting your soft, supple flesh and make it as red as the color of your sex.”
Her gasp echoed in the room. Jürgen didn’t give her time to react further. Cupping her chin, he tilted her head back so that she was forced to look at him. Gently, he ran his thumb across her bottom lip.
“I want to kiss you, Lua, until you’re out of breath.” Her grey eyes glazed and her lips parted in invitation. Jürgen leaned toward her, brushing his mouth across hers, barely tasting her exquisite flavor. “But more than that, I want this soft, pliant mouth around my cock, sucking it, licking it, lavishing it.” He pressed his erection against her, keeping her face immobile as he rubbed his clothed cock against her naked body. “Are you sure this is what you want, Lua?” he rumbled.
Lua’s eyes closed for an instant, then opened wide. The clarity in their depths threw him off guard and he released her chin as she answered his question with a hushed determination.
“Yes, Master.”
Jürgen’s heart skipped a beat at her words, his blood traveling straight to his cock in a rush, hardening it even further.
“Look at me, Lua.” He locked gazes with her, tenderly pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I will not hurt you, Lua. If at any moment it’s too much for you, or you wish to go slower, or for me to stop, you must tell me. We will use special words to ensure your safety.” Jürgen frowned. Fear or nerves danced in Lua’s eyes.
“Will the word no not suffice, my Lord?” she asked.
Jürgen stroked her cheek, running his thumb over the peachy flesh and loving the way she tilted into his touch.
“No, Lua. It will not suffice,” he finally answered. “You will beg me to stop and you will say no, it is natural, but that will not mean that you really wish me to do so. That is why you must pick another word, so that there is no confusion.”
“I choose storm,” Lua declared with a mischievous grin.
Jürgen did not respond, instead stepping behind her so that she wouldn’t see his smile. The first time they’d spoken face to face a storm had whipped up around them and they had had, along with some more of the King’s guests, to take refuge under a copse of trees. Thunder had crashed wildly around them and he wasn’t sure how but her small hand had ended up in his larger one.
Jürgen reached for her bound hands, unclasping the cuffs with practiced ease. They were as soft now as they had been then.
“Tell me your fantasies, Lua Mirabella,” he ordered, while massaging her wrists to bring back the circulation.
“Master?”
He wanted her tied up all right, but not yet. First, they had to move to their chamber. An idea occurred to him, and the thought of watching his Lua walk before him, naked as the day she was born, stoked the fire running through his veins. Would she accept?
“What have you envisioned we do together, Lua? You are not shy when it comes to speaking to me about other matters. Do not bite your tongue now. Tell me.”
“I, well…” She blushed, attempting to remove her hands from his grasp. He held her in a stronger grip.
“Yes?”
“I imagined touching you, running my hands across your body and tangling my fingers in your hair.”
“What else?”
“You would touch me in intimate ways.” She looked away, her crimson cheeks giving away her discomfort at speaking her thoughts. Jürgen decided to press her. If she were determined to play his tune, they’d do it properly.
“How? Where would I touch you? Show me.”
He released her hands, crossing his arms across his chest, waiting for Lua to demonstrate what she had envisioned. Eyes wide like those of a trapped animal, she didn’t budge.
“Do it now, Lua Mirabella.” Jürgen spoke softly, lowering his pitch so that there was no mistake in his tone of voice. He was ordering her to follow his command.
His wife closed her eyes. With trembling hands she lifted them to her shoulders and slid them down to her wrist in a caress. On the third upward stroke, she reached for her breasts, fondling them. Her lips parted and her breathing grew labored as she pinched and pulled at her erect nipples.
Jürgen’s mouth dried. His pulse beat erratically as he watched his timid wife slide her hands over her ribcage, across her flat belly and to her sex, her curious fingers brushing against her folds. Pre-come gathered at the head of his cock and he fought back the urge to possess her right then and there.
“Enough.”
Lua blinked.
“Get on your hands and knees.”
He waited patiently for her to obey, observing quietly as she followed his request. Only the slight tremble of her hands betrayed her nerves.
“You are precious, Lua Mirabella.”
Jürgen circled her, taking in his fill of her gorgeous figure. Her position was perfect, welcoming all manner of dirty thoughts: He could remove his breeches and encase his cock around his wife’s core, play with her breasts or kneel and devour her heavenly fluids. For now, still testing her limitations, he would only touch her. Jürgen trailed his fingers across her spine, resting them on the nape of her neck for an instant before making the return trip to her bare bottom. Lua breathed deeply, low purring sounds coming from her mouth as her back arched under his touch like an affectionate kitten. He moved further down, skimming over the back of her thighs. Lua opened her legs wider.
“You please me, precious.”
Jürgen’s cock throbbed painfully at the sight of his wife’s glistening lips. He ran his fingertips over the inside of her thighs. Lua squirmed but remained in place. Interpreting her reaction as a positive sign, he took it a step further by sliding his fingers across her slick folds. Her startled gasp seemed to fill the room.
“Yes,” he growled, teasing her further. “I want to hear you, Lua. I want to hear your moans, your cries, your pleasure out loud.” He spread her juices, teasing her clit, pulling and rolling her lips between his fingers. Lua responded to his touch, rolling her hips, arching her back and issuing shy whimpers.
“Go on, precious,” he encouraged her, firmly circling her clit while pushing a finger into her molten heat. Lua moaned, her body tensing as she stood on the brink of orgasm.
Jürgen pulled back.
“Master?”
“How are you feeling, Lua Mirabella?”
“I feel,” she hesitated, clearly searching for the right words to express her current state, “on fire,” she finally declared. “My sex pulses and throbs in desperate need for…” She paused again. “Something hard, long and thick, like your shaft.”
Jürgen didn’t give her time to react. Wrapping her braid around his hand, he pulled her head to the side while delivering a hard smack against her bottom. “Do not tempt me, witch,” he said darkly. “I will only give you my steel when I feel you’re ready to take it.”
He released her just as quickly, hiding his smile from her eyes. Who knew his wife could be so feisty? He moved t
o the trunk in the corner, rummaging in it for an unnecessary long period of time. Finally, he pulled out the implements he had already decided he would use. Taking her cloak down from the hook by the door, he wrapped them in it.
“Stand and come here.”
Jürgen watched her as she obeyed, visibly wobbling, the uncomfortable position to which she was not accustomed, taking a toll. As she came toward him, he swung the chamber door open.
“Let us go.”
Chapter Four
“Jürgen!”
He turned, careful to keep his features set in a grim mask. He knew what he was asking of her: absolute trust. This was a decisive moment, wherein either she came and they continued to explore this new side of their relationship or she stayed and their love would remain as pure and innocent as the lovers from a minstrel’s song.
“What did you call me?”
“Master,” she whined.
“Did I not make it clear, Lua, that tonight you were to follow all my orders?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Yet, just now you issued a protest, not your special word.”
She nodded, tears filling her beautiful eyes, and it made his heart ache.
“I will repeat it once more and only once. Come or speak your word.”
Her eyes to the floor, Lua followed him outside. Jürgen’s heart beat against his chest in a manic frenzy. She had come. She had chosen to follow him deeper into his perversion. Torch in hand, he quietly led her up a flight of stairs and down the corridor to a rarely used arms room. At the back, he pushed aside a large tapestry revealing a hidden door. They went through, climbing a long set of worn out narrow stairs that led to a locked door. Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out a key and pushed.
Laughter bubbled and burst from his mouth as Lua’s startled squeak suggested she had recognized the room they had come out to.
The Crimson Rope Page 7
