[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
you.
There is no future, Grace. Good sex doesn t equal commitment.
Grace s eyes narrowed in anger. Maybe not; when one party wants the fun without
even trying to make something permanent, then there s no chance it will go anywhere.
Couples have problems; you work through them because you love each other. And when
you re alone, wondering what happened between the two of you, remember that he tried,
and you didn t. And that, to me, makes you the huge loser in this whole thing.
Grace walked toward the door, her anger evident in her heavy steps. Kennedy wanted
to call out to her, tell her to stop and come back so she could explain. She didn t, and within
seconds Grace was gone, the door slamming behind her.
Kennedy stared at the door, tears welling in her eyes. Why couldn t anyone see it
except her? They expected her to just say, Fine, I ll be with him always and know there will
never be a problem.
Of course, she knew that wasn t true. They knew there would be problems; every
couple had problems. She just wasn t willing to put herself in the situation where she had to
deal with those problems. In the end she d lose, right?
Doubt crept into her thoughts, and she wondered if Grace was right. If a couple cared
about each other enough, maybe they could work through the problems. What if they didn t
and she ended up alone, with no warning or explanation, like she did with Jack? How could
she be sure Cedric wouldn t do that to her?
In the end she couldn t know for sure, of course. She would just have to trust her
instincts that he was a good man, who wouldn t use people. If he didn t care, he wouldn t be
doing what he was doing now, would he? He would have just let it go.
She moved to the sofa and sat down, leaning over until her head was on the cushion.
Grace was right; she was a loser. No, not a loser in life, that s not what Grace had meant.
Undercover Submission 79
She d meant Kennedy was a loser in the relationship, because she d turned tail and run; she d
hidden.
When had she become a person who didn t want to live life? Was it just Jack s betrayal
that had made her this way, or was it that wrapped with other things, including her failure
to meet her goal of being published by thirty-five. She was late doing that, yes, but it could
still happen. It would still happen.
She thought positively about her career, didn t she? She d taken the chance of giving up
her jobs and moving here so she could concentrate on her writing. Why couldn t she gear
her optimism in Cedric s direction, too? She wiped away a few stray tears that had managed
to leak onto her cheeks. Then she stood and walked to the bedroom, wondering how long it
would take her to lace the ties around her body.
* * * * *
That way. The man dressed as a Roman centurion pushed a sword onto the path to
block Kennedy s progress toward the house and pointed toward the lower portion of the
grounds.
What?
That way. He pointed again and she walked in the direction he d pointed. The outfit
didn t seem as see-through in the moonlight, and she felt a little better. Of course, following
the directions on wrapping the cords meant lacing around her midsection and breasts, which
molded the material to her body. She wondered who the guard was and what he thought of
the woman wearing a strange crown.
At the bottom of the path another soldier pointed toward the pool house, and Kennedy
went that way without putting up a fuss. She knew the house contained a lap pool and a hot
tub, as well as various chaise longue chairs. When she opened the door, she found herself
looking at a place she d never seen before.
80 Melinda Barron
Candles had been set up alongside the pool, their light glittering off the surface. The
chaise longues were gone. Sitting against the corner was a huge mattress, covered with
colorful pieces of fabric and large pillows. A table held a tray of fruits, vegetables, cheeses,
two goblets, and a large carafe of reddish liquid, which Kennedy presumed was wine.
She stepped inside, the humidity of the room enveloping her immediately. It felt as if
someone had turned up the heat in the hot tub, just to create the hot, clinging atmosphere.
Cedric?
My queen. His deep voice was low, and she looked around and didn t find him. I
know you are accustomed to being waited upon; tonight, however, you are the servant, and I
am the Master. You will bow and serve me.
A thrill shot through her. I am Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. I bow to no one.
Movement at the far side of the room caught her attention. He walked along the edge
of the pool, the light from the candles shining on him. He was dressed not as a Roman but as
an Egyptian, wearing a tight kilt around his waist. His chest was bare, his hair hanging long
around his shoulders. And in his hand he held& Kennedy swallowed hard, a flogger.
He stepped up next to her and put the end of the flogger under her chin, lifting her
gaze to his. Tonight, you are mine.
Never. The queen does not serve, she is worshipped like the goddess she is. The tails
of the flogger trailed over her breasts, making her nipples harden in excitement. Moisture
pooled between her thighs. She wanted to beg him to use the flogger on her, to bring it down
across her bare buttocks and thighs, to claim her as his slave.
What arrogance you have. Let s see if I can convince you, shall we?
She flashed a challenging look at him. Go ahead, try to subdue me. It won t work.
Won t it? His grin made her nervous. He dropped the flogger from under her chin,
then snapped the fingers on his free hand. Instantly, two sets of male hands grabbed her
arms. Kennedy fought against the two guards from outside as they dragged her between two
Undercover Submission 81
columns, using ropes hanging from the top to stretch out her arms and bind them to the
posts. They did the same with her legs, wrapping the cords around her ankles so she was
spread-eagle. Then the men bowed to Cedric and left.
Let me go.
No. He moved so his body was flush with hers, his bare chest pressing against her
breasts. As I said, you are mine tonight, my queen turned slave.
Kennedy glanced over her shoulder at the doorway where the men had exited.
Are you worried they re watching? Maybe I ordered them to. Maybe I want you to
know the two of them, who you don t even know, will watch me whip you, watch me fuck
you.
His hot breath tingled against her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and she
licked her lips.
Master.
That s right, I am. Say it again, slave girl.
The idea someone might be watching excited her more than she d ever thought
possible. Her body trembled as she strained against her bonds. Master.
He ran the top of the flogger over her lips. Open your mouth. She had barely parted
her lips before he pushed the handle between them.
Hold this while I prepare you for my lashing. His fingers made short work of the ties,
undoing the fastenings holding her dress closed. When nothing was left except the binding
around her waist, he gave her a smile that made her tremble even more.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]