Innocence (Tales of Olympus #1)(44)
“Fuck,” Marcus cursed. Cora kept screaming as he carried her to the bedroom.
“Be quiet,” he ordered, holding her down with his weight. “Cora. Be still!”
She froze at his barked command. He lay a hand on her heaving midriff, calming the storm. “Are you hurt?”
She looked at him like he was the crazy one.
“Lie still and let me make sure you didn’t get glass in your feet.” He released her and examined her bare legs. He wanted to shout at her, what the hell were you thinking? But he knew what she was thinking. She was trying to get away from him.
And now a shard of glass had embedded itself in her calf. Who knew what the state of her feet were. A sick feeling twisted through his stomach. He hadn’t protected her. Scowling, he pulled it out. “I need to clean this. Will you stay on the bed?”
When she stared at him, he sighed. Without a word, he shackled her leg to the bedpost. It was a much longer chain, but still secured fast.
She wouldn’t have gotten hurt if she’d just listened to him. He went to the bathroom and returned with a first aid kit. She jerked a little when he cleaned the tiny wound, but lay quiet and blinking as he bandaged it. He held his breath as he looked at her feet, but there wasn’t any more glass. He breathed out a relieved breath.
“You need to stop fighting me. You could have really hurt yourself.”
Her jaw hardened and he realized that the words had come out with more bite then he’d intended. Well, she could get over it. Things would only go one way in this marriage. His way.
Her next words only proved she didn’t understand, though. “If I stop, will you leave me alone?”
“No.” He closed the kit with a decisive click. He met her gaze and underneath the stubbornness, he saw her. The her she never had learned how to hide. Vulnerable. Beautiful. Precious. “I told you, Cora,” he finally said more softly. “I’ll take care of you.”
Cora’s brow furrowed like she didn’t know what to make of him. But he could see it in her eyes. She wasn’t resisting him, even when she said, “I can’t do this.” She jerked her foot, testing the shackle’s hold.
“You can,” he murmured. He knew how strong she was. But he needed to show her there could be strength in submission, too.
“You fight me, but you don’t want me to leave you alone.” He leaned closer and she closed her eyes, like she was letting his deep voice wash over her. “Let go, Cora. Just let go, and let yourself be mine.”
He slid a hand up her thigh and her breath shuddered out of her. Her leg was tense under his touch, but she didn’t move.
“Let me show you,” he murmured. “Let me give you a taste of what it’ll be like. I can be a kind master.”
Emotion rippled through her at the word master, her body inadvertently responding to him. Instead of disgust she felt desire. Even with eyes closed, her face betrayed her.
“We can do this the easy or the hard way. It’s up to you.” He kept stroking her leg. “Imagine what it would be like. To not fight. To not have to be strong. To let me keep you.” His voice deepened, relaxing, hypnotic. “I can keep you safe. No one will touch you.”
She stirred a little at that. “No one but you.”
“But you like it when I touch you. We’ve established that. What makes you think you wouldn’t like the rest of my rule over you?”
A little sigh. Her body stretched before him, flushed and perfect, made by the gods to be claimed and plundered by him. She was open and compliant as he touched her, clay in his hands. Even though he’d hardened himself, he felt the strangest stirring.
What if—? What if it could be like this? Days with her on his arm, by his side, and nights with her yielding to him?
He wouldn’t just be the most powerful man in the world. He’d feel like it, too. Everything he’d built, everything he’d done, all the shit and grit and sin he’d waded through for years… what if it could all be for her? Innocence put on a pedestal and guarded like the precious thing she was. His wife, his trophy and reward.
He just had to mold her…
Slowly, he shifted and seated himself on the bed where she could still reach him, even with the chain. “Come lie over my lap.”
She blinked at him, brow furrowed. Uncertainty warred with curiosity.
“Now, angel,” he said, still gentle. “Or it’ll be worse for you.”
She moved, crawling over the bed to him, and he hid a smile. He’d read the signs right. She wanted to fight, but her instincts told her to submit.
He’d show her she wasn’t fighting him as much as herself.
His cock hardened as she draped her lithe body over his legs. Later. He’d relieve himself later. Right now, he needed to focus on her.
“What...what are you doing?” Her voice was small and uncertain.
“I’m going to teach you a lesson,” he said in a soothing voice, rubbing her pert bottom. She shifted and he squeezed harder a silent order to be still. She obeyed right away, letting her light weight collapse on his hard thighs. His cock rose in his pants, brushing her belly. Every breath she took, he felt.
Gods, this might kill him.
He focused on massaging her ass and the backs of her thighs, working out knots. Preparing her for punishment.
“That feels good,” she mumbled.