SurrendersMischief (15 page)

Shit! His ass was on fire.

“If you ever take our private struggles public again, I will
strip you bare and spank you raw in the middle of the Great Hall.”

Shevet.
The woman had the arm of a warrior. Darias
couldn’t believe her strength as she pounded his ass with unflagging fury.

Smack!

A small groan leaked past his control. Sweat popped out on
his forehead. Another groan slipped from between his teeth.

At last she stopped. Darias sagged in relief against the
chair. He was peripherally aware that the muscles in his arms were trembling as
he pried his fingers from the chair.

Still, he didn’t straighten. He would not tempt fate by moving
until she gave him permission. He was a strong man, but he didn’t think he
could stand another go-round.

A gentle hand brushed damp strands of hair back from his
face. He closed his eyes and tilted his head until his cheek was nestled in the
palm of her hand.

Riana pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head. “Stand up
now.”

Darias’ lips tightened in pain as he complied with her
command. And it was a command, for all of its softness.

“Turn around.”

His erection had wilted as the spanking grew more intense
with each stroke, but now, as her body brushed his as she leaned down to grasp
his thong, it resurrected.

Darias blushed.

And then cursed himself silently. Never, not until he met
Riana, had he blushed in his adult life. Krel, he couldn’t even remember blushing
as a child.

He flinched as she pulled the material up around his hips,
settling the thin strip between the heavy muscles of his butt. Even the
lightest touch sent jarring needles of pain radiating out from his abused
cheeks. She took her time adjusting his cock and tight sac into the cup of the
thong.

Darias couldn’t look her in the eye. Surely it wasn’t normal
to get aroused so easily after having his ass blistered.

Was it?

He stifled a moan as she leaned down again, her body sliding
along his as she slipped his trousers up his calves, to his thighs and then
over his hips. The small quirk to one corner of her mouth told Darias that she
was well aware of her effect on him.

He hissed as the sheer silk molded the cheeks of his ass and
the back of his thighs.

Riana followed the contour of muscle with her hand, from his
waist down to his thighs and back up again.

He didn’t make a sound, but a bead of sweat ran down between
his shoulder blades as he tried to summon control.

“Do not make me spank you again.” Her voice was a caress
when she spoke, a contrast to her words “I don’t like causing you such pain,
but I will not tolerate your outright disobedience.” She stepped back. “Come,
it is almost time for the evening meal and I have a great deal to accomplish before
then, thanks to you and your friends.”

Another hot breeze ruffled the sweat-dampened strands of
hair clinging to his neck as he started to follow Riana. For the first time it
sank in that his bare ass had been exposed to the outside the entire time.

* * * * *

Riana sat at her desk in the privacy of her office, her
hands clasped before her on the glossy surface. They were shaking, she noted in
detached interest.

Oh dear Zethra, what was happening to her?

Truth was she liked spanking Darias. Liked seeing his ass
glow brighter with each stroke of her hand and hairbrush. Liked hearing the
little intake of air every time a blow landed.

She was still wet.

What was happening to her?

In the past, she’d played with a little light bondage and
spanking. Nothing too heavy. It hadn’t particularly aroused her, not even when
she’d spanked the handsome lieutenant after he’d spanked her.

So why had spanking Darias aroused a raging need that burned
even now, hours later?

Why did she want to turn Darias over her knee and show him
the difference between punishment and play?

Riana didn’t have the answer, but she knew she ached to
spank his ass before fucking his brains out.

Anger had dictated her actions this afternoon. That, and the
need to knock Darias off balance.

She couldn’t just command him to strip and lie down over her
lap.

Could she?

* * * * *

“Sit, Darias. You need to eat.”

He looked uncomfortable. There was a long silence. “I would
rather not.”

It was the dark color highlighting his cheekbones that clued
Riana in to the problem. “Oh.”

“I will eat later.”

He kept his voice low so that no one else at the table could
hear. She did the same. “Sit. Once we return to our chamber, I will put a cool
cloth on you.”

“No.”

Riana could tell the words were torn from him and he hated
the fact he had to confess to a weakness. She hardened her heart. He needed to
learn he was no longer in control. She was.

“You will.”

Shooting her a dark glare, Darias sat. His discomfort was
obvious to her. A quick glance around the table made it clear that others were
also aware of his problem.

Riana sighed. She should have realized Bryta would have told
the women what she planned.

She would have to have a talk with her First. Bryta needed
to learn that it was not necessary to spread tales of her every act.

Still, it wasn’t a bad lesson for Darias to digest. He
started this public tug-of-war. Let him feel its consequences.

A hint of color stayed under his skin as one of his former
guards placed a plate in front of him.

From the man’s dark scowl, he too was aware of the nature of
Darias’ punishment. And was embarrassed by it.

Good. Let the men have second thoughts about following
Darias’ lead.

Though Darias didn’t shift a muscle throughout the dinner,
Riana sensed his continued discomfort as she and the women hashed out what they
wanted from a trade contract. Finally, she decided to take mercy on him.

She stood.

“We will continue this conversation in the morning.” She
held out her hand. “Come, Darias. It is time we retired.” There were a few
knowing titters as Darias rose.

A muscle flexing in his jaw, he managed a polite nod to the
women.

Behind his back, Riana grinned. If the man’s spine became
any straighter, it was going to snap in two. Oh, he hated that others knew of
his unconventional punishment.

Perhaps he would think twice before challenging her in
public.

Back in their chamber, Darias stood by the bed, his hands
clenched into fists.

Riana sighed.

“Undress, Darias, so I can access the damage.”

“I am unhurt.” He glared at the wall, refusing to meet her
gaze.

“I will check. Your spanking was over hours ago and it still
hurts for you to sit.”

His gaze slid to hers then away. “I am fine.”

“I want to make sure I didn’t injure you.”

“I am fine,” he repeated stubbornly.

Riana sighed loudly. “You will remove your clothes and lie
across the bed. Either you do it willingly or I will have you stripped and
restrained.”

A mask of arrogance fell over his face. He looked directly
at her as he stripped. Darias lay facedown across the huge bed, resistance in
every long line of his body.

The man wouldn’t give the slightest millimeter.

Riana’s gaze dropped to his bottom. She barely restrained a
gasp.

His ass was still red and blotchy from the blows of the
hairbrush. She hurriedly crossed to his side. Faint bruising was clearly
visible.

Sitting beside him, she touched one mark with a gentle
finger.

“I did not mean to hit you so hard.” Regret formed a nasty
knot in her throat. No one had ever roused her rage to the point she lost
control. No one except Darias.

“Didn’t you?”

She placed her hand over one cheek, unable to believe the
heat that still radiated from it.

“No.”

“You wanted to punish me. You did.”

Riana tenderly stroked the abused flesh. “Yes, I wanted to
punish you. I never intended to injure you.”

He shifted beneath her hand. Riana traced the outline of a
bruise forming on the tender flesh where thigh joined buttock.

“Stay there. I will be right back.” Riana hurried into the
bathing chamber and soaked a cloth in cold water.

She glanced in the mirror, not liking the person she saw
there.

Never again would she let rage control her to the point she
didn’t realize the damage she was doing.

There was little comfort in the promise.

Wringing out the cloth, she returned to Darias. Placing it
over his abused rear, she smoothed a wrinkle from the wet material, grateful
Darias couldn’t see her face. It was hard to look at him while the evidence of
her rage was under her hand.

“Why did you tell everyone what you did to me?” His words
were muffled as he rested his face on his crossed arms.

Riana was appalled that he would think she would do such a
thing. She opened her mouth to defend herself when common sense stilled her
tongue. Of course he would believe she had deliberately made his punishment
known. It was tradition in Nexar to make it public knowledge to reinforce the
effect of the punishment.

Even if that punishment was untraditional.

She took a deep breath. Perhaps it might be better to let
Darias think she told everyone, but she wasn’t going to do so. “I didn’t. Bryta
overheard me muttering to myself.”

“Are you telling me the truth?” He turned his head so that
his eyes glinted from beneath his arm.

“Yes,” she said simply.

After a long moment, he said, “Thank you.”

* * * * *

She hadn’t bragged about what she did to him.

Although his pride stung just as fiercely as his flesh with
humiliation at having it common knowledge that he’d had his ass spanked like a
child, he found his anger with Riana lessened by the fact she hadn’t
intentionally disclosed the punishment.

The woman was addling his brains.

How else to explain the fact that he had to constantly
remind himself that she was in the wrong. Or to explain the way she made him
forget the teachings of a lifetime.

He felt the wet cloth lift then return, the cooler side
against his hot skin.

Darias buried his face in his arms again, so that Riana
couldn’t see his expression.

Or be forced to explain to her why the spanking had aroused
him.

Still aroused him for that matter.

The bed moved slightly as Riana left. He heard running water
and knew she was refreshing the cloth with cold water.

He almost moaned when the cold cloth settled over his ass.

Damn, that woman packed almost as much power in her arm as
he did. He would never have believed it if he hadn’t experienced it firsthand.

He found the thought unexpectedly appealing.

Women were weaker than men.

Women needed to be guided.

Women needed to be protected from themselves.

Women needed men to protect them from the harsher realities
of life.

Riana had defeated him in ritual combat.

Riana had introduced him to pleasures he hadn’t known
existed.

Riana refused to accept his protection.

Riana refused to play by the rules.

Riana had whipped his ass.

Darias shook his head, confused. He couldn’t figure her out.
How was he supposed to return things to normal if she made him want the
forbidden?

An unbidden groan broke from his throat as her soft hands
started rubbing his sore ass in slow, soothing circles.

“What are you doing?” he managed, swallowing another groan.

“Putting a salve on you to ease the pain.” She rubbed some
more. “Is it working?”

“Umm. Don’t stop.” The words were out before he could stop
them. He tensed, expecting her to take advantage of his weakness.

He should have known better. Riana never did what he
expected.

“Good.” She leaned down and brushed a soft kiss on one cheek
of his ass.

Darias nearly swallowed his tongue.

“Shh. Don’t say anything. Just lie there and let me make it
feel better.”

Darias’ last thought before he fell asleep was that a
spanking might be tolerable if this was the end result.

Chapter Nine

Riana placed one finger on the line to hold her place. She
had shut the door to her office and decided she deserved a little peace and
quiet after the hectic morning. She’d decided to reward herself with
The
Damsel and the Dragon
, the ancient text she’d bought from Mrs. Gorganos.

She was at her favorite part. She’d already read the book so
many times that she had the passage memorized.

Danella’s heart beat faster in fear.

The dragon was approaching.

He would kill her.

Ranuld laughed mockingly as he turned in the doorway of
the tower room.

“You should have accepted me in your bed, my lady. Is
your virginity worth the price of your life? As my wife you would at least
live. As the dragon’s whore your fate is death once he tires of you. Perhaps,
come morning you will not be so defiant. Unless, of course, you kill the
dragon.” He tossed a jewel-encrusted dagger on the floor, at her feet.

His laughter rolled over her as she heard the door close
and the turn of the key.

The whoosh of wings filled her ears and nearly stilled
her heart. One moment the room was empty save for herself, the next a huge
beast settled in front of her.

The creature was beautiful, in a terrifying way. Its
scales were iridescent blues, greens and purples. Its wings a shimmering,
almost gossamer, wash of silver, gold and bronze.

But it was the creature’s eyes that held her attention.
They were pure silver.

If Danella didn’t know better, she would almost say they
were filled with sorrow.