I carried her to stand beside the bench and set her on her feet before me, kissing her over and over as she stood stiff in my arms, her naked body pressed to mine. My cock wept with pre-cum where it was locked between us as I trailed kisses along her jaw and shoulder.
“I claimed you at the Mirana oasis, but never properly, as is custom on Trion.”
“Apparently, you don’t plan on claiming me at all.”
My growl was pure male instinct at her sass. She was pushing me, testing me. The logical part of my mind recognized the need behind her challenge. I had failed her as a master, as a mate. I had not conquered her, convinced her that I was
strong enough to protect her and our son. No, I’d left her for over a year, been injured and then nearly lost her again upon our return to Trion.
Instinct and logic warred within my body until my chest felt as if it would tear in two. My mate had been through much, had suffered much. Logic told me to go gently, to soothe and comfort her, but instinct roared through me like a wild beast, demanding I restrain her, spread her open and tie her to the bench as I should have that first night, fuck her senseless, fuck her until she screamed my name and nothing else.
My cock jumped at the idea and I lifted my hand to her cheek, stared into the fiery defiance in her eyes. Gods, she was beautiful when she raged, my strong, rebellious mate. From this moment on, she was mine to protect, mine to master. Mine.
Sinking my hands into her hair, I gripped the base of her neck and held her in place for my kiss. My lips were soft, gentle, the last touch of patience I contained in the kiss. Her lips were hard beneath my softness, unyielding and angry.
“You are mine, mate. And I warned you about defying your master.”
“You’re not my master. Not anymore.” Her breath came in hard pants against my lips. “You don’t want me, fine. Let me go. I’ll cut the damn chain off myself with a pair of wire cutters when I get home.”
“You are home.” Holding her still, I kissed her hard, thrust my tongue into her mouth, forced her to yield. With a whimper, she let me in and I claimed her mouth as my own, left her no room to retreat, nowhere to hide from me.
Done with the kiss, I lifted my head, still holding her exactly where I needed her to be. “You’re mine, Natalie.” I spun her around to face the bench, pushed forward until her hips met the pads and stood with my cock pressed to her ass. Kicking her feet wide, I bent over, covering her back with my much larger frame. “You’re mine, mate. And after tonight, you’ll never doubt me again.”
* * *
Natalie
He stood behind me, his cock like a branding iron pressed in the crease of my bottom. Roark’s fist was in my hair, pressing me slowly, gently, but inexorably forward until I leaned over the bench, my breasts swaying below me, the chain dangling low, nearly brushing the floor.
He kicked my legs wide, opening me to him, to whatever he wanted to do to me. “You’re mine, mate. And after tonight, you’ll never doubt me again.”
I recognized this bench from my fantasy in the brides processing center. I knew my ankles would be tied, my wrists as well. I would be restrained and vulnerable. Weak. Completely under his control.
My pussy clenched, wetness coating my thighs even as fear reared its ugly head. Behind me was the man who wanted to remove his mark from my body. He wanted his gold, the symbol of his house, and the medallion, the only things that marked me as his, removed.
As much as my body longed for him, my heart literally ached with each beat. And my mind? The little girl who’d been left at boarding school like luggage, left alone at Christmas and abandoned to give birth and raise a son alone? She was in charge right now, and she didn’t believe a word coming out of Roark’s mouth.
“You’ll walk away, Roark. Fine. Do it. Fuck me now and cut off your stupid chain in the morning.”
Chapter Sixteen
Natalie
God, it was stupid, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I needed to push him, to make him hurt the way he was hurting me.
With a growl he held me down with one huge hand on the small of my back as he leaned over and secured my ankles to the base of the bench. That done, he walked around me and lowered my wrists into the leather restraints that were attached by slightly longer chains. I could move. I could lift my body until my back was horizontal to the floor, but no farther.
I expected him to walk behind me and stuff me with his cock. Instead, a sharp sting landed on my bare bottom.
Smack!
Smack!
Smack!
Fire spread through my body and I bucked and fought the restraints as he spanked me harder and faster.
“Who do you belong to?”