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was simply being his usual arrogant, overbearing self by not

allowing her to look around. She waited until he stalked away

from her toward the next staircase and simply took herself in the

other direction into the first of the public salons. He wouldn’t be

happy when he realized she wasn’t behind him, but at least she’d

get a quick glimpse of the delights of the pleasure house before

he caught up.

The salon was decorated in tones of scarlet and gold, and an

opulent buffet occupied one third of the far end of the room.

Large cushions piled up into one corner housed a variety of

couples and groups engaged in sexual intercourse or play. Jane

paused to stare at a man who was being sucked off by a naked

woman while he sucked off another man.

When he winked at her she felt herself start to blush. As she

progressed farther into the room, warmth continued to creep

into her face and other more interesting parts of her body. She

had never seen such unguarded public sensuality before; realized

she was both attracted to and appalled by her instant arousal.

She almost gasped when a heavy hand descended on her

shoulder and spun her around. It was Blaize, of course, his blue

eyes arctic and promising retribution.

«We are going upstairs. If you don’t choose to obey me, I’ll

pull down your pantaloons and spank you.»

Jane licked her lips. «Right here in fror.t of everyone?»

«Yes.»

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«I’m almost tempted to stay.» She saw his eyes flicker, and the

depth of his sexual awareness of her was revealed before he

masked it.

«Jane... don’t provoke me.»

«Why ever not?»

«Because you don’t really know what I’m like anymore, or

what I’m capable of.»

She held his gaze. «Then perhaps you should take me upstairs

and show me.»

He bowed. «Perhaps I should.»

Robert sat down at the pine table in the warm welcoming

kitchen of the pleasure house and sipped at the cup of mulled

wine the cook had just given him. He couldn’t help but wonder

what his employer was up to, bringing his wife to such a

scandalous place. He could only guess that Minshom was trying

to frighten Jane into going back home. That would be just like

him.

He took another sip of the wine, enjoyed the tartness of the

apple and the warmth of cloves and cinnamon against his tongue.

But her ladyship had always had a way of getting around his

lordship. Robert suspected that she might enjoy the pleasure

house far more than Minshom anticipated.

«Robert, is that you? I thought I saw you in the hall.»

Robert got hurriedly to his feet and smoothed down his hair.

«Captain Gray, sir.»

He stared into the smiling face of the very man he’d hoped to

avoid. The man who haunted his dreams, whose face he

imagined every time Minshom fucked him. Captain Gray was

blond, his hair clubbed back in an old-fashioned queue, his skin

bronzed and weather-beaten from his days at sea. He was about

the same age as Minshom, but there the comparison ended.

Captain Gray gestured at the mulled wine. «Is there any more

of that?»

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Kate Pearce

«The wine, sir? I don’t know, you’ll have to ask the cook.»

God, he felt like such an idiot. He was probably blushing like a

girl as well.

«If you don’t object, perhaps I might sit with you?»

Robert shrugged and sat back down, watched as Captain Gray

laughed and flirted with the elderly cook in perfect French and

then brought not only a cup of wine back to the table but a

whole jug full.

«I haven’t seen you for quite a while, Robert.»

«No, sir, you haven’t.»

«Have you been down in the countryside working at Minshom

Abbey?»

«No, sir.» Robert stared down at his cup. «I’ve just been busy,

sir.»

«You haven’t been here for ages.»

«As I said, I’ve been busy.»

Captain Gray finished his wine and poured himself another

cup, offered the jug to Robert.

«Is something wrong?»

«With me, sir? No.»

«Then it’s just that you don’t want to talk to me.»

For the first time, Robert lifted his gaze from the tabletop and

found Captain Gray’s calm blue eyes fixed on his.

«It’s more the other way round, isn’t it, sir? I’m not quite sure

exactly why you would want to talk to me.»

«Because last time we met, you told me to leave you alone and

that you were quite happy with Minshom.» Captain Gray smiled.

«I didn’t believe you then, and I don’t believe it now.»

«Because you can’t believe I’d stop wanting you?» Robert

blinked hard. Didn’t Captain Gray understand that he’d done

what was best for all of them?

Before he could continue, Captain Gray spoke. «I’m not that

conceited, Robert. I think you wanted me to be free of Minshom,

and you sacrificed what you desired for yourself to achieve that.»

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«You’re wrong, sir. I’m perfectly happy where I am.»

«Being fucked by Minshom, being at his beck and call, being

used.»

Defiantly, Robert met Captain Gray’s skeptical gaze. «Just

because you decided you didn’t like it anymore, doesn’t mean

that I had to, sir.»

«My name is David. You’ve always had my permission to call

me that.»

«In bed, maybe, but out here in the real world? You’re the son

of an earl and I’m the son of a parson. You like fucking me;

Minshom likes to fuck me. We’ll never be equals, will we, sir}»

Captain Gray stood up and pushed away from the table. «Ah,

yes, hide behind your class, pretend that I view you in the same

light as Minshom does. You know it wasn’t like that between us.»

«Wasn’t it, sir? Perhaps you remember it differently than I

do.»

«Are you suggesting that I forced myself on you?» A muscle

flicked in Captain Gray’s cheek and his eyes narrowed. «That is

one of the most insulting things anyone has ever said to me.»

Robert tried to shrug away the pain. «What would you like me

to say, sir?»

«I’d like you to tell me what you really think and I’d like you

to kiss me, but I doubt I’ll get either of my wishes.»

«I don’t know, sir. If you ask Lord Minshom nicely, perhaps

he’ll hire me out for your use.»

Captain Gray briefly closed his eyes. * Robert, I can only

apologize for making such a mull of this. If you ever want to talk

to me about anything, please come and find me. I am truly

concerned about you and I want to help.» He hesitated, his gaze

flicked to the cook who seemed oblivious to the drama going on

behind her. «I know some of the reasons why you stay with

Minshom, I have some of the same memories, but I... God, I

miss you and I’m afraid for you.»

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Kate Pearce

Robert returned his gaze to his cup and kept it there, his

whole body shaking with the urge to get up and find comfort in

Captain Gray’s embrace. He heard the captain sigh and then walk

away. Not chasing after him, not taking this second opportunity

for freedom, was one of the hardest things Robert had ever had

to do.

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6

Jane’s steps faltered as the doorman opened the last door at

the end of the narrow dark hallway. Blaize placed his hand in the

small of her back and urged her firmly over the threshold before

closing the door behind him. Jane stared at the black and red

painted walls, the bare birch floorboards and the racks filled with

instruments for sexual pleasure, and slowly swallowed.

She’d never imagined such a place existed, but now that she

was here, she could see how her husband might thrive in such

threatening sensual surroundings. Even with her, his sexual tastes

had run to the unusual and the extreme. And here was a place

where there seemed to be no boundaries except those imposed

by the men and women inhabiting the space.

It took her longer to focus on the people in the room, most of

whom had stopped what they were doing to stare at her and her

husband. A tall brown-haired man wearing just a long shirt came

toward them and went down on his knees.

«Lord Minshom.»

Jane looked back at Blaize, who barely acknowledged the man

kneeling at his feet. His gaze scoured the room as if he was

looking for some particular person. Was he hoping to see the

infamous Lord Anthony Sokorvsky, expecting his lover to come

back to him after all? Jane prayed he hadn’t. She had plans for

her husband that didn’t include a previous lover.

Minshom took her hand and walked her farther into the room

until she faced the largest wall of implements. He selected a short

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Kate Pearce

whip and then turned back to the man who had remained on his

knees by the door.

«Mr. Shaw. Did you miss me?»

«Yes, my lord.»

Jane shivered at the silken anticipation in her husband’s voice

and pressed herself back against the wall. She watched as

Minshom strolled across the room, the tip of the whip tapping

against his thigh.

«Why did you miss me?»

«Because you give me what I need, my lord.»

«And what is that, Shaw?»

«Pain, my lord.»

Shaw shuddered as Minshom trailed the whip over his

shoulders and down his back. Jane licked her lips and drew her

arms around her waist as if to protect herself from Minshom’s

beguiling tone.

Minshom glanced over at his wife, smiled when he saw her

attention was riveted to the scene he played out for her benefit.

Well, not entirely for her benefit—he was enjoying it too,

enjoying her watching him even more, if he was honest. Shaw

was an easy mark, his pleasure at being thrashed a legacy of his

school days that required little effort to satisfy. But Jane didn’t

know that. He hoped she’d only see the man cowering before

him and hate him for what he was about to do.

«Place yourself on the punishment horse, Shaw.»

The man got up and went across to one of the black leather

contraptions in the center of the room. He laid facedown, arms

on either side of the horse.

«Grasp the restraints.»

Minshom came up behind Shaw and stared down at the

prostrate man. He kicked Shaw’s feet apart until he could stand

between the man’s legs and raised the whip. Shaw made no

sound at first as the whip flicked over his arse and back. But

Minshom knew all the signs, how he gripped the restraints, his

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knuckles whitening against the black leather as the whip landed

on his flesh.

After another quick glance at Jane, Minshom lifted Shaw’s

shirt and stared down at his reddened buttocks and sweaty,

quivering skin. Sexually, Shaw did nothing for him. He was far

more interested in the effect his actions were having on his wife.

How much would Jane be able to watch before she fled the room

in horror? How far would he have to take this suddenly

unappealing charade before she broke?

«Please, my lord.»

Shaw’s stuttered words brought Minshom’s attention back to

his victim.

«What do you want, Mr. Shaw?»

«More of the whip, please, my lord, more pain.»

Minshom drew back his arm and landed a perfect blow on

Shaw’s right buttock.

«Like this, Mr. Shaw?»

«God, yes, please... just like that.»

Minshom put a little more effort into his strokes until Shaw

was writhing on the horse and moaning. Red lines marred his

skin and he shoved his hips forward with every stroke. Minshom

drew the tip of the whip down between Shaw’s buttocks and

then lower to nudge his balls.

«What else do you want, Shaw?»

«To be fucked, my lord? Please, I beg of you, fuck me.»

Jane hadn’t moved, her gaze was still fixed on him and Shaw.

Minshom contemplated his options. If he fucked Shaw, she

would probably run. Even though he was hard and ready, it

wasn’t because of the pathetic man in front of him. It was

because Jane was watching. That gave him much more sexual

satisfaction than he had anticipated; made him even more

determined to finish it and get rid of her.

He took a step backward and snapped his fingers.

«Come here, Jane.»

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Kate Pearce

She walked slowly to his side, her expression calm, her hands

clenched at her sides. Minshom ran his hands over Shaw’s

buttocks until he moaned.

«Do you think I should fuck him?»

«I think you should do whatever you wish.»

She sounded far too composed for his liking. He pointed at a

chest of drawers set against one of the walls. «Go and get me the

second drawer and bring it back here.»

He waited until she returned with the shallow drawer,

gestured for her to place it on the floor between them.

«You see that black ebony phallus there in the center?»

«The big one?»

«Yes, pick it up and give it to me.»

Jane bent to do his bidding and handed him the thick

engraved phallus; her fingers trembled when they brushed his.