Captivated

her lashes and putting men off or making them come to heel.

But he was no lapdog.

And that was just one hard lesson the fawn had to learn among many. He was a patient man, in spite of the fact that he ached for the full-bore possession of her sex. Oh, yes, he wanted her; the gnawing was intense, almost unbearable.

Which made it all the better. Because soon, soon, he would teach her how to want him, too.

'On your back, my fawn. Good. Nowhold your breasts up to me, and spread your legs.'

She moaned; her body writhed in protest and the movement sent a jolt of pure boiling lust to his throbbing penis.

'Do it, Drue. I want to see everything between your legs.'

She turned on her side. 'I won't.'

Damn the bastard He had to touch her, much sooner than he had planned, but he had to crush that refusalnow.

She felt his hot, huge hand on her hip, rolling her ruthlessly onto her back.

'The master always gets what he wants,' he growled. 'Spread your legs, or I will spread them for you.'

'I won't…' It was enough, it was, and he wasn't even undressed, and she didn't know what he wanted or what he planned to do, but she couldn't yield to him in that, not that way, by putting herself in the most vulnerable position for a woman.

But it became clear that her desires held no sway. He ripped off his shirt, and tore off the sleeves with all the anger, lust, and crippling desire to cram himself into her channeled into containing her on the bed.

She couldn't escape him; he was stronger, tougher, relentless in his passion to have her nakedness exposed to the greed of his lust. She couldn't kick him hard enough, scramble fast enough, or roll far enough to elude his hot huge hands.

Mercilessly he wound each sleeve around a bare ankle and tied it to the posts of the bed.

'Bastard!' she spat. 'Take me now.'

'Oh, no, my naked fawn. No. I won't take you now. That would be too easy.' He moved away from the bed to pull a small upholstered chair from the window over to where he could sit and see her perfectly, and he settled himself there.

'I cannot believe you're doing this.'

'What am I doing, little fawn? I'm feasting my eyes on my wife's enticing nakedness.'

She fell back against the mattress, feeling so exposed, so bare, she thought she would die.

But her body wouldn't let her die. Her body moved incessantly against the bonds that held her legs spread wide, as if the movement itself could loosen the knot instead of escalating the tension and anger she felt.

She arched her back against the restraints. 'Damn you, damn you, damn you' No one had ever treated her like this.Gerard wouldn't…

His whole body seized up with every undulating movement of her rounded hips. He saw himself between her legs, riding that hot, bucking thrusting body so deep, so hard, that he exploded and drowned in her juices and begged for more.

He couldn't get enough of watching her innocent body finding an erotic rhythm of its own that he matched in his imagination.

This was his domain and he was the master. He had only to drop his trousers and present himself to her and her writhing, grinding body would take him to sweet, hot oblivion.

But denying himself his release only made the pleasure of anticipation that much more intense.

Slowly he rose from the chair and went to the bed.

'I hate you.'

'Well, this is your first lesson, little fawn, I hate when you refuse me what I want.'

'Take what you want,' she whispered, 'and then just go away.'

'No, my wife. You don't yet understand. You are to willingly give me what I want whenever I ask, whatever it is. Sonext time I want you to spread your legs for me, you will lie down on that bed and make sure your legs are as wide apart as an ocean. Is that clear?'

'I willnever…'

He clamped his hand over her mouth. 'I see. You still need to be taught who is beholden to whom. You'll note that I kindly didn't make a fuss over the fact that you didn't hold your breasts up for my inspection. Well, one must be patient with a sharp-toothed fawn. We have many days, Drue, many lessons to be learned. I didn't think I would have to work you so hard after paying out so much money for you. I thought your overwhelming gratitude would compel your utmost desire to please me. I will tell you, Drue: it will come. You will surrender everything to me. And when you do, you will beg for everything I can give you.'

'Never!' she spat, pulling at her bonds.'Never, never, never.'

He looked down at her pitilessly. 'Evie will untie you in an hour or so. I want you to get used to the feeling of your legs spread wide for me.'

'I hate you.'

'It doesn't matter, little fawn. All that matters is that you never hide your naked body from me.'

He got out of the room not a moment too soon; his sex overpowered him, erupting in spume of frenzied lust for her so intense, he doubled over with it.

Soon, he thought, soon. The fawn was nibbling. Very, very soon, sooner than she thought, she would be ready to feed that dark desire that would drown and consume them both.

chapter 4

She lay limply on the bed, her legs aching from her struggle with the ties. She was in such turmoil, she could barely move. Didn't want to move. Wanted to just sink through the soft mattress into oblivion.

Court treating her like this!

What could he want from her, if not what every man wanted?

She moved fretfully against the restraints. It was hellish, this… thisgame of exposing her and humiliating her.

And yetyet… the look in his eyes when he finally got her naked… he wanted her; there had been burning, naked desire in his eyes. Even she, innocent as she was, could see that.

And that her nudity had aroused his sleeping giant to the point of explosiveness. It was huge, thick, and hard as iron, andit wanted to possess her, even if he did not.

She levered up on her elbows to look at herself, to try to see whathe saw. A thick, wiry bush of dark hair between her legs, and whatever else was visible beyond that. Her smooth thighs. Her long legs. Her flat belly. Her high, rounded breasts with their ever-erect nipples.

Tentatively, she laid the fingers of her right hand on her bushy mound. The hair between her legs was like a wild woman's; sometimes she felt the wiry strands between her thighs as she walked.

And always she felt her taut nipples pressing tightly against whatever she wore, making her very aware of her body.

She lay back on the bed and cupped her breasts, thumbing one nipple. Her body twinged, impacted by her sprawled legs, her nudity, her touch.

His cruelty.

If she gave in to him, her life, her sex, would never be her own. And she would mourn Gerard forever.

Her only recourse was to seduce him and fight him. Forever. Or to the end. Whichever came first.

Evie came after a while, with a tray. 'Master say you eat.'

'I can't sit up.'

'Master say make restraints prettier.' She held up two strips of black satin. 'Come. I untie your one leg, and you eat something.'