Rex
Refusing to relinquish his hold, Rex kept his arm wrapped around Mary as she led the party into Lucas’ drawing-room, where the man himself was lightly snoring on the floor. Collins was also on the floor, but his state was not nearly so peaceful, and despite being unconscious, he was moaning in pain. Rex was more than a little tempted to add to the man’s agony. He had arrived ready to do battle and instead found his wife unharmed—for which he was grateful, and the villain defeated—for which he should be grateful but found himself frustrated and disappointed.
No longer confined to the carriage with Cormack, now that they were assured there was no danger, Misses Pennyworth and Davis had fallen all over themselves, alternatively ministering to and scolding Mary.
“Oh, look, your poor wrists!” Miss Pennyworth exclaimed, causing Rex to lean over to see as well. Truthfully, Mary had not looked much worse for the wear. Her skirts were a bit creased, and a few strands of hair had come undone from her coiffure, but he had not detected any hurt to her person. That a wound had been discovered enraged him.
“It does not hurt.” Mary shrugged, but the red marks on her delicate wrists, where she had clearly been bound at one point, did nothing to soothe Rex’s ire. He turned his glare to the man lying on the floor, unconscious but groaning. Rex was the only one allowed to put marks like that on Mary and for an entirely different reason.
“Who cut the ropes?” Browne asked, holding up the severed lengths and frowning. He had been prowling the room for the past several minutes, taking in the scene.
“Evie.” Mary looked around, her brow wrinkling. “Is Elijah not with you?”
“Who is Evie?” Browne and Jones asked at the same time, both halting in their movements, focusing on Mary with similar sharp-eyed gazes.
“Stuart’s niece,” Rex supplied when all three ladies’ lips clamped tightly shut. Three feminine gazes of outrage swung to glare at him. Rex glared right back. He did not have the patience for their secrets right now, and telling Browne and Jones did nothing to endanger Evie.
“Stuart has a niece?” Jones asked blankly. Browne looked just as confused. The ladies relaxed, going back to focusing on Mary.
“One who would like to be more involved in his investigations, I gather.” Something which he doubted the spymaster approved of, but Miss Stuart was not Rex’s problem—Mary was. Speaking of which. Rex tightened his hold on his wife. “If you will excuse us, Mary and I are going home.”
“But… Wait! What is going to happen to Collins? To Lucas?” Mary tried to pull away, but Rex’s grip was unyielding, and his strength far outmatched hers. “I want to stay!”
“I am sure your friends will catch you up later,” he said, cutting off what looked like would have been an intervention by those same friends. Miss Pennyworth’s eyes narrowed at him, but she did not protest when he met her gaze evenly before turning back to his wife. “You and I have some things to discuss, like putting yourself in unnecessary danger. Having to wait to know what’s happening will be part of your punishment for making the rest of us wait to know what had happened to you.”
That did it. Both of Mary’s friends rocked back on their heels, and Miss Davis even nodded her head in firm agreement. Neither of them was happy about Mary’s actions and thought having to wait to have her curiosity satisfied equitable retribution for the distress they had suffered when she had hied off on her own. Betrayed, Mary scowled at her friends, but neither of them said a word as Rex escorted her out the door.
Mary
Feeling very much like pouting, but trying not to, Mary was led back into Hartford House. She knew Rex was right. She had behaved impulsively, and she regretted her impetuous decision. It had not been like her at all. The only excuse she could think of was she had become caught up in the moment.
“What the devil were you thinking?!” The moment their bedroom door shut behind him—truly it was his room, but since Mary slept in his bed every night, she had begun to think of it as their room—the lecture Rex had been holding back since finding her in Lucas’ residence began to flow. Mary had known he was biting his tongue the whole time. “Or were you not thinking? What possessed you to go with Collins based on a note? Especially a note from Lucas, who you already suspected of being a traitor?”
“But—”
“It does not matter that he was not a traitor!” Rex roared, hands on his hips, glaring ferociously. “You suspected he might be, and you still went! Why? What possessed you to be so daft?”
“I knew you would want to help him.” She stepped toward Rex, hands held out in front of her, pleading and placating. Unfortunately, the movement only fired up his temper even more when he looked down to where her sleeves had pulled up, and the rope marks on her wrists had become clearly visible.
“Of course, I would, which is why you should have come and gotten me.”
“I worried what might happen to him if I did not go immediately—”
“Whatever happened to him would not be worth endangering you!” Her lion was roaring again, pacing back and forth in front of her, hands behind his back, shooting her the occasional glare.
“He is your best friend—”
“And you are my wife!” Stopping in front of her, Rex shouted the words, flinging his hands out to either side of them, then reaching up to run them through his hair. Mary had never seen him so distressed. “I will not have the woman I love—”
“The what?” This time it was Mary’s turn to interrupt him, her question coming almost as a shriek of total shock and surprise.
They stared at each other for a long moment, Mary’s jaw agape, Rex’s set firmly, then he finally straightened, eyes averted, tugging on his waistcoat and jacket. For the first time, he seemed a little unsure of himself but was gathering his usual confidence about him like a cloak—or a suit of armor. Rolling his shoulders back, he met her gaze, this time with some semblance of his customary self-assurance.
“The woman I love. There. Now you know. And even if you do not have the same force of feeling for me, I hope you will be respectful of mine for you.”
Emotions collided inside Mary as she struggled to accept what she was hearing. Hope. Fear. Elation. Rex loved her? But…
“Why?” How? When? So many questions, but only one made their way to her lips. Losing some of his aplomb, Rex’s brow furrowed.
“Why? Because… because I do.” He waved his hands. “Because you are clever, intriguing, and beautiful, because you make me laugh, because I feel comfortable with you in a manner, I do no one else, and because… because I just do. What do you mean, why?”
Tears sparked in the backs of her eyes, along with a hot blush across her cheeks. She had wanted him to love her, had asked for advice to win his heart, but deep down… well, deep down, she had not expected it to happen, not even with all the effort in the world. While her family loved her, even her parents, who were very bad at demonstrating it, were obligated to do so. Her friends loved her, but they had grown up together, pushed together by geography and circumstance.
Rex, though, had the option of any woman in the world. He had married her, but that did not mean love. Not among their peers and social circle. Loveless marriages were far more common.
“I love you, too.” Saying the words made her feel so very exposed, but it was worth it. Besides, he had said it first. It was only fair she confessed her own feelings as well.
To her surprise, he tilted his chin up, looking down his nose at her in a stiff manner.
“You do not have to say it because I did.”
“I said it because I love you,” she retorted. Her chin lifted as well, eyes flashing dangerously if he dared question her feelings again. “I love you, Michael.”
Using his given name seemed to do the trick. The defensiveness dropped from his posture as he stepped forward, sweeping her up into his arms and pulling her to his lips for a kiss. Mary went eagerly, joy filling her heart. Flinging her arms around his neck, she kissed him back for all she was worth.
Rex
I love you, Michael.
Words he had never realized he wanted to hear so badly, but he had.
Their confessions notwithstanding, he still owed his wife a punishment. Jubilation had filled him, but it had not eradicated the memory of his fear or his indignation that she had put herself in such danger. That she had done so thinking it was for him, that he would have wanted her to risk herself in favor of Lucas, made it all the worse. Rex was determined to make her understand she came first—always—and she had better not forget it.
Moving her toward the bed, he began to pull at her clothing. His cock was already hard as steel, eager to sink into her, claim her.
Rex knew exactly how he was going to demonstrate exactly who was in charge. It was finally time to claim her fully, leaving no part of her untouched by him. That such an act often put the receiver in a very submissive frame of mind was an added benefit.
She unwound his cravat from around his neck while he undid the final buttons on her dress. Each piece of clothing that fell to the floor added to the urgency he felt pounding in his chest, throbbing through his heated blood. Once he was in nothing but his pants and boots and she in nothing at all, Rex spun her around, facing away from him.
Panting for breath, Mary leaned back against him while his hands roamed over her, caressing, squeezing, and when he reached her nipples, pinching. She shivered and moaned, shifting her weight and rubbing her thighs together to put pressure on her needy pussy. Unfortunately for her, that need was going to have to go unmet for a while.
“Up on the bed, petal, on your knees with your arms out in front of you. I want your sweet little bottom high in the air.” Giving said bottom a little slap, Rex enjoyed her tiny jump and the way she hurried to do his bidding, casting a nervous but eager glance over her shoulder. She likely thought she knew what was coming—a simple spanking followed by indulging their passion.
In general terms, she was correct, but Rex did not think she anticipated the specifics.
Naked, bowed down in supplication on his bed, with her arms stretched out before her, head against the sheets, bottom high in the air, with her thighs slightly spread to give him access to all of her most sensitive parts, Mary was in a completely submissive, completely vulnerable position. Stepping up to the side of the bed, Rex ran his hand down her supple spine to curve over her bottom. The moment he cupped her soft curves, he felt her muscles tense, though the position did not allow her to do so for long.
“Do you understand why I am going to punish you, Mary?” he asked, still caressing her beautiful bottom, then squeezing it. Not harshly but firmly, his fingers digging into her soft flesh before releasing to move on to the next spot.
“Because I knowingly made a choice that put me in danger.” Her tone was more rueful than apologetic, with a bit of an edge as if she was not entirely sure she had been in the wrong. Still, it was a start. And Rex was going to finish it.
“Correct.” Lifting his hand, Rex brought it down on her bottom with a loud slap. Gasping, Mary rocked forward, then immediately settled back into position, her bottom even higher in the air. What she did not know was this was a mere warm-up.
Considering she had put her own life at risk, more than a mere hand spanking was called for. Still, warming her bottom to a nice, even pink would help her better endure the harsher discipline. It would still hurt, as it was meant to, but it would be less arduous on prepared skin.
Mary
The spanking was not nearly as harrowing as Mary had expected, which made her nervous. Maybe he was holding back because of their exchanged declarations, but some part of her doubted the conclusion. Her skin heated under his hand, as did her passion, her body now primed to expect pleasure after the pain and often conflating the two.
When Rex stepped back, she lifted her head to see him smiling down at her bottom, pleased with his work.
“Stay in position, petal.”
A whimper escaped her lips when he brought out the supple leather strap, well-oiled and quite flexible. Catching her eye, Rex raised his eyebrow, silently asking if she was going to claim she did not deserve a more severe punishment. Pressing her lips together, Mary held back her urge to protest.
Today, she had made a stupid decision, and looking back, she knew it. Rather than thinking logically, she had been too eager to impress Rex, hoping to earn his admiration and love, not realizing she already had both. While she could not regret the impulse, she knew her judgment had been suspect at best. It was only luck that had saved her. If Evie had not been there, Rex and the others might have shown up in time… but they might not have.
She could be dead right now.
Instead, she was wonderfully, gloriously alive and ready to make amends with her husband. If he had put himself in such a position, risking his life in such a manner, she would have been furious with him.
“Three with the strap, then I’m going to claim your arse.”
Mary did not have time to absorb the meaning of his words before the strap fell. She screamed, burying her face against the soft sheets as the line of fire across her bottom burned hot and painful. Tears flooded her eyes, and a little sob rose in her throat, coming out when the strap fell for a second time, adding a second line of fire just below the first.
Wagging her bottom up and down in the air did nothing, but somehow, Mary maintained her position, clenching her fists in the sheets to keep from reaching back. Such a maneuver would only risk her hands being caught by the strap. One more, just one more…
It fell, and she screamed again, tears soaking the cloth against her face. The heat that flared felt unbearable at first, slowly faded—far too slowly for comfort. The third stroke hurt the worst, the lowest on her bottom, nearly on her sensitive sit spots.
By the time the worst of it had begun to fade, allowing her to relax slightly, she felt Rex moving on the bed behind her. The moment of relief that her punishment was over gave way to tension when she felt his slickened fingers probing her bottom hole rather than her pussy.
Oh, no!
Surely he did not mean to… but clearly he did. Mary whimpered at the slow invasion of his fingers, stretching her open in preparation. They felt far more ominous than usual, a prelude of what was to come, rather than the deed itself. Before, the difference between the size of his fingers and the size of his cock had not seemed so great, but now, Mary quailed at the idea. Would it hurt more than the belt? Perhaps her cheeks were so pained, she would barely notice at all. She could not quite convince herself it would be so easy.
Squirming, she moaned into the sheets. This did not feel bad, in fact, it felt rather good, but the anticipation of what was to come was nearly punishment in and of itself. Fear trickled through her, heightening her senses and her arousal.
When his fingers pulled free, she automatically tensed, then yelped when Rex’s hand came crashing down on her already afflicted bottom.
“Relax, Mary,” he murmured. “This will not hurt as much if you relax.” His hand rubbed over her hot flesh, squeezing and kneading, so tingles of pleasure and pain ran through her. “After this, you will truly know who your lord and master is.”
Any sassy retort she might have mustered was forgotten as the head of his cock pressed against her tight opening and began to push in. Mary cried out at the odd sensation, so different from his fingers—thicker, softer at first but with a steel core. Her tight ring of muscle gave way to the pressure, opening and stretching with burning effort.
“It hurts! Rex, it hurts!” A completely different kind of pain than the belt blistering her bottom, she felt almost dizzy under the conflicting assault of exquisite agony now consuming her.
“Shhh, relax, Mary.” His hands massaged her bottom as he groaned with pleasure, pushing a little deeper. “You can take this.”
Somehow, his words, hearing his pleasure, made it a little easier for her. Mary wanted to please him, enjoyed it, and knowing she was doing so helped relieve some of the difficulty. Panting, she breathed through the pain, the same way she did during a spanking, then moaned as Rex slid deeper. Now that the initial breach was past her tight hole, it tried to close around him, but he had lubricated his shaft, and it pushed easily past her clenching muscles.
The throbbing burn had not eased, exactly, but it had was bearable as she became accustomed to the sensation. The shocking feeling of fullness, like there was no room left inside of her, not even for a full breath of air, was overwhelming. Rex had been correct—with his cock slowly sliding into her forbidden entrance, impossible to ignore or remain indifferent to, she did indeed feel mastered. Claimed. Taking him this way meant surrendering herself completely, and surrendering heated her passion to a shocking degree, despite the empty ache of her untouched pussy.
Rex bottomed out, his skin and hair rough against her whipped skin, and Mary whimpered again, knowing he was now fully inside her.
“Good girl,” he murmured, holding himself still while she adjusted. The praise sent a wave of heat and satisfaction through her. Then he began to move. Drawing back and pushing forward, the two sensations were so very different, so very intense, and Mary clawed at the bed in reaction.
Heat flared, ecstasy and agony intertwining, and her head spun. Each stroke was tortured rapture, a wickedly raw show of dominance, and Mary cried out with confused passion. Thrusting harder, faster, Rex rode her from behind, filling her over and over with his cock with wicked intention. Breasts swaying beneath her, her hard nipples rubbed against the mattress, further stimulating her, adding another brush of pleasure while every slap of his body against her burning cheeks contributed to the erotic torment.
Leaning forward, Rex’s weight bore down on her as his hand slipped over her hip and between her legs. Fingers met slick, swollen folds. Mary thought she might faint when he swirled the digits over her clit, sending a wave of pure sexual bliss through her.
“Michael!” She bucked beneath him, unable to take the hot blend of conflicting sensations, but there was nowhere for her to go. His weight pressed down on her, his cock pressing into her, and she screamed as the complicated jumble collided inside her, sending her over the edge and into a devastating climax. Her husband thrust hard and throbbed, filling her with his seed and completing her perverse subjugation.