Bound by Bliss (Bound and Determined #2)(51)

“Then tell me who he is.” Duldon’s hand slowly closed into a fist.

She closed her eyes. “No. Take me to the retiring room and then I will dance that waltz with you or any other dance you wish, but I will not let this incident grow any further.”

“Open your eyes, Bliss.”

She did and found him staring straight into her soul.

It was his turn to speak clearly and with careful slowness. “So you sought out this man thinking about kissing him and now you will not tell me who he is so that I can rectify the wrong he has done?” Fury marked his every word, despite his care.

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. “Yes.”



“You know that I warned you not to kiss other men.”

“Yes.”

“If you will not tell me who he is, if you insist on protecting him, then you must take the punishment for disobeying me. I have given you much leeway, but you must learn that there is a limit. You must learn that I give you advice for a reason.”

She gasped slightly and looked down at his closed fist. He would strike her? For the first moment she felt fear of him, beyond the fear of marriage.

He caught her gaze, caught her tension, and with some effort she saw him soften his mouth. “No, I will not punish you as I would him. You do not need to fear that. Although I am not saying that you do not need to fear.”

She should just walk by him and leave. He had no control over her, none that she did not give him. If she left, what could he do? He was not a man who would complain to either her father or her brother. Only—only, she did not wish to leave him. For whatever reason she enjoyed the game between them, enjoyed it far more than she should. And yes, loath as she was to admit it, his mention of punishment did tantalize her, make her ache. She might resent it, resent it with all her being, but she could not deny it.

“I will take your punishment,” she said with a boldness she did not feel. “Although that does not mean I will obey you.”





Chapter Thirteen


He should have given this more thought. Duldon looked down at Bliss’s determined little face. He’d spoken the words as much in fantasy as reality. He’d long dreamed of erotic punishment with Bliss, but had never truly considered the real possibility, not even after marriage. He knew plenty of men struck their wives in fury, but that had never been his way. And as for his own passions, he had certainly never intended to indulge them with Bliss, with his wife. But as her pupils widened and grew dark, even as fear marred her brow, he knew he had no choice. He must see this through, for both their sakes.

But here?

He glanced about the darkened hall, looked ahead to the lighted ballroom and back at the swinging door to the pantries.

Bliss continued to stare up at him, her eyes dazed.

His heart sped with the trust that look implied, a trust he would not betray. He wondered if she realized how she was reacting.

“Your punishment will come in two parts, one tonight and one tomorrow at Madame Rouge’s. I assume you can slip out again?”

Her teeth nibbled on that lush lower lip as she considered. Did she know what it did to him each time she chewed upon it? Is that why she did it so frequently? She gave a slow nod and a slight blush marked her agreement.

“And no breeches this time. We are going to move this thing between us a step further and I don’t want your ass covered, no matter that it looks delectable in tight breeches.”



“My ass looks delectable?” She sounded confused, as if she’d never considered the possibility. “Does that mean you want to bite it, to eat it? Are you sure you mean delectable?”

“Very sure.” He grinned wide, giving her a wide flash of white teeth. Yes, he’d very happily bite her and eat her. His mouth watered at the thought. “Now back to the pantries with you. I have a punishment to administer.”

She shivered but stepped backward, pushing the door open with her hands and sliding through.

He followed.

He glanced about the pantry, seeking inspiration. Something that would keep him in her mind all this night, but not push her too far, pain her too much.

There were some hot peppers sitting in a basket, but he rather thought that would be a bit extreme.

The sting of lemon? Not quite right.

A few swings of a switch upon her soft thighs? That was closer, but didn’t seem quite proper this evening. There was not time for the proper lead-up that would send the zing straight to her sex.

He would have to go with the tried and true.

In one swift move, he backed her against the wall, pinning her with his weight.

Lifting one hand, his fingers tilted her chin back so she stared up at him. He held her gaze for a moment, letting all his dark emotions slip into his glance. She pulled a breath and held it, her body quivering with excitement edged in fear. Her eyes were huge, the blue outer rims flashing in the dim light. His hand skimmed along her lower lip, reveling in its softness, imagining all the uses he would put it to in the coming months.



He lowered his mouth to hers and paused a breath away from her lips. Their eyes held and he could feel the beginning of their kiss before they even touched. He breathed out. She breathed in. Again. Again. It was as sensuous a moment as any he could remember. He lost track of everything, his thoughts, his purpose. For a moment all that existed was Bliss and the promise of her lips.