SurrendersMischief (14 page)

One glass door was partially opened, allowing a hint of a
hot, fragrance-laced breeze to waft into the room. Darias could hear the sound
of distant voices floating up as people went about their business.

Damn, he hated waiting.

Almost as much as he had come to hate the hidden alcove in
the garden.

From the position of the sun, he’d have at least two more
hours before Riana strapped him down on the Punishment Stone.

Darias closed his eyes and swallowed as a shudder worked its
way down his spine.

He wasn’t a coward. As a warrior, he’d faced death and had
his share of wounds. As Supreme Chief of Nexar, he’d had to make some hard
decisions—which man to send on a suicide mission, whether or not to sentence a
man to death and so on.

But nothing he’d faced as either warrior or Supreme Chief
garnered such a hard knot of dread in his stomach as contemplating punishment
from one offworld woman. Making that walk to the hidden alcove needed more
resolve than facing the best-trained Trinearian warriors.

His plan to take back control of Nexar was full of risks,
risks that would result in punishments such as this one. He knew and accepted
that fact. Still, while willing to bear the punishment in order to succeed,
Darias couldn’t prevent a pulse of apprehension.

It left a sour taste in his mouth.

As Supreme Chief, he was required to present a front that
allowed no hint of fear or uncertainty to show.

As a warrior, he had trained himself to do what needed to be
done in spite of any inner fear he might feel.

But as a slave, all he could do was submit.

The bedchamber door opened and closed softly. His fingers
bit into the cushion as he faced the woman who now had control over his entire
life. She had come sooner than he expected. Contrary to his earlier musings,
Darias found he was not relieved to have punishment start early.

“Punishment does not start until the sun sets.” Darias
wanted to swallow his tongue. Never, ever let an enemy see nervousness.

Riana strolled fully into the room. Not looking at him, she
removed her leather jacket and placed it on the end of the bed, taking the time
to arrange it just as she wished. Finally, she met his gaze from across the
room.

“Punishment starts when I say it starts.” Her voice
softened. “And ends when I say it ends.”

“Nexarian tradition dictates…” Krel, could he stand it
starting hours early? It was bad enough when darkness cradled the alcove, but
broad daylight? When he could see the sky above him and know hundreds of people
were about in the castle and its grounds?

That hundreds more would hear every cry he uttered?

Darias wasn’t foolish enough to believe he could remain
silent. That first night in the garden had proved that.

“Screw Nexarian tradition. I am starting a new tradition.”
Her voice hardened abruptly. “Take your breeches down.”

“Excuse me?” Confused, Darias stared at her. “I—I do not understand.”
She wanted him to walk naked to the Punishment Stone? In daylight?

Riana crossed to stand in front of him. The light floral
scent that was hers alone surrounded him, teasing his senses. Her eyes were
deeply green and hard as fire crystals.

“You deliberately sought to derail the ability of the women
to take charge of their businesses.” Her voice lowered. “You deliberately
undermined my authority in front of not only the men but my women. You’re an
intelligent man, Darias. You knew there would be repercussions.”

He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Yes.”

“You knew that meant punishment.” Her eyes held his,
refusing to let him look away. Darias had never seen such seething anger in
her. Not even when he’d refused to give her the access codes to the main
computer system.

The lingering effect from that episode had lasted for days.
Even now, the remembered humiliation of having his discipline publicly known
created a dull burn in his cheeks.

What would Riana met out this time?

“Is part of your new tradition making me walk naked through
the garden where anyone in the adjoining gardens could see me?” Just the
thought brought chill bumps to his flesh.

“You misunderstand. I have no intention of using the
Punishment Stone.” Before Darias had chance to recover from that statement,
Riana spoke again. “Lower your breeches.”

He started to protest, but the expression on her face
stopped him. Slowly, his hands went to the waistband of his trousers. One by
one, he undid the tabs. Unable to help himself, he began breathing shallowly.
Slipping his hands inside, he pushed the silky material down his hips to his
knees where they fell to the floor, pooling around his ankles.

“Now the thong.” Her gaze fell to the garment in question.
Her chest, with those beautiful breasts, lifted and fell as she took a deep
breath. She took a tiny step forward and the pure heat in her expression about
brought him to his knees.

His cock quivered and lengthened. Yes. Finally, she’d come
to her senses. Understood women had a place in Nexarian society, and that place
was not at its head. It was bound to happen. Once she and the other women
realized the breadth and complexity of running a government, it’d become
obvious they were in over their heads. Who would have thought such a minor
setback as being denied trade contracts would trigger such a revelation. But
maybe they’d already been having doubts. The more he considered it, the more it
made sense. But Riana’s offworlder pride wouldn’t allow her to just concede
defeat. No, she’d want to make him sweat first.

While he sympathized with her need to retain face, she must
understand that there’d be a price—both for her rebellion and for trying to
dominate him even now.

But he could be magnanimous. Punishment would be private.

He reached for her.

She gave one, sharp shake of her head and those fascinating
green eyes lost their slightly glazed look, became focused. “Put your hands
back at your sides,” she barked.

His hands fell obediently to his sides before his conscious
mind even had the chance to register the command. The moment it did, his jaw
went iron-hard.

Or she could have been toying with him. The urge to put an
end to this farce was a burning need in his gut, but as much satisfaction it
might give him, it’d tear Nexar apart. The men, warrior, merchant, laborer
alike, were like a keg of explosives just waiting for the touch of a flame. If
they saw him go back on his sworn word and seize power back from Riana, they
wouldn’t hesitate, and the women would pay an unimaginable price. Not that they
didn’t deserve chastisement, but in their anger, the men would likely give nary
a thought to the long-term repercussions and loose their fury and humiliation
on the women.

It would set in motion a chain of events that could never be
undone. Or erased.

Still, when she pressed the tip of one nail against his
breastbone, it took all of his considerable will not to grab her wrist and
teach her why it was not wise to taunt him. Fortunately, the Supreme Chief in
him overruled the man’s instincts.

“I did not tell you to touch me. You do nothing without my
permission. Is that clear?”

He stared down at her, refusing to answer. She might hold
the power until he could find a way to take it back without losing his honor,
but that didn’t mean she dealt with a tame
chelan
.

Riana dragged her nail across his chest to the small nipple
barely hidden by his tunic. Right in the center, she pressed hard.

The sharp, sensual pain spiked arousal through his
bloodstream. He didn’t comprehend the effect she had on him, but there was no denying
it. Mouth dry with a combination of resentment and lust, he managed, “I
understand.”

“Remove the thong.”

He hooked his thumb under the slender straps and slid the
minuscule garment down, taking his time. The silky material caught on the tip
of his erection. Sensation shot through his penis, and his breath lodged in his
throat. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of her and if he’d hoped to see some sign
of his arousal mirrored on her face, he was disappointed. The desire he’d seen
just moments ago might have been an illusion. Her expression was set in stern,
remote lines. Riana was in complete control while he could feel his fracturing
as each order, each command made a twisted excitement boil through his veins.
Damn, he hated being the only one in this condition, but the resentment he felt
didn’t dampen the need threatening to overtake him in the slightest. She had
some kind of strange hold on him, and until he learned what it was, how to
counter it, all he could do was try to hang on and survive. Without being told,
Darias put both hands back by his sides.

Curiosity, he told himself. He just wanted to see where she
was going with this.

“Lean over the back of the chair and grip the armrests.”

Ice sleeted over his nerves, and for the space of a breath,
he froze. Surely…surely she was joking. The chair had a high back that came
just above his waist. If he did as she asked, it’d leave his lower half
completely exposed. He searched her face, tried to judge if she were indeed
serious, and came to the reluctant conclusion she was.

Again, he thought about defying her, about taking back what
belonged to him, and, once again, it was the knowledge that Nexar would suffer
that prevented him. He stretched over the top of the chair and, big as he was,
the position brought him up on the balls of his feet.

“Good. Now spread your legs.” Back teeth grinding together,
he moved until his feet were shoulder-width apart. “Wider,” she commanded.

Fuck. Scorched into his memory was the feel of her fingers
playing with his anus during that first punishment. The act was forbidden,
whether in punishment or in sex.

That fact hadn’t stopped Riana then. What was to stop her
now?

Or from doing more?

A shot of pure fear closed his throat, but it didn’t stop
that traitorous organ of his from responding, from filling and lengthening
until he was hard and aching.

Krel, what the hell was wrong with him?

From his position, bent over the chair, he couldn’t see what
she was doing. The not knowing gnawed at him. To his chagrin, he felt his cock
swell and harden. His balls tightened.

He could hear the rustle of her clothes as she moved away
from him. What was she doing?

There was a knock at the door.

His heart stilled. If she opened the door, whoever was there
would have a clear view of him bent over the chair, the thin tunic the only
covering over his ass.

The door opened.

Darias tucked his chin against his chest and strained to
hear the conversation but could only make out a vague murmur of voices. He
heard the click of the door latch again. The muscles in his back relaxed.

Darias jumped when Riana placed her hand on his lower back.
He hadn’t heard her move. Through the sheer silk, the warmth of her hand burned
his skin. His heart began beating harder as she smoothed her hand down over the
curve of his ass to the bottom edge of the tunic where buttock and thigh met
and stopped. He was acutely aware that the tips of her fingers were centimeters
from his naked balls.

Millimeter by millimeter, she pulled the tunic up until it
rested halfway up his back.

His ass was now totally exposed.

The sharp swat on his ass took him by surprise.

“What the…” Instinctively, he started to straighten. Another
blow caught him smartly on the other cheek. The power in her slender hand
surprised Darias.

“Don’t move.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded. His ass
stung. Darias was furious. How dare she treat the Supreme Chief in such a
manner?

“Punishing you.”

“Like Krel you are!”

Another, harder, smack landed on his ass. “Shut up. You knew
there would be consequences.”

“I thought you’d punish me in the garden. I refuse to be
treated like a child!”

Her hand landed on the sensitive area where thigh and
buttock met.

Darias gritted his teeth at the burning sting. Enough. He
was a warrior. The Supreme Chief. He would not tolerate such disrespect.

“First you objected to being punished like a woman, now you
object to being punished like a child. It is time you realize you have no say.
I make the rules. Not you. No, don’t say a word. One more syllable out of you
unless I ask you a question and I will have you tied over that Stone you’re so
intent on using and I will beat your ass until you can’t sit for a fortnight.
Is that clear?”

When he didn’t respond, she hit him again, two hard blows in
quick succession. “I said, is that clear?”

Darias ground his teeth together. “Yes. I. Understand.” He
answered when another stinging slap landed on his ass. He could do this. While
humiliating to be spanked by a woman, and though his ass stung and burned with
the heat of the blows, she wasn’t really hurting him.

“You will stay in this position until I tell you to stand.
If you move before I tell you to, your lesson will begin all over again.”

Smack.

Darias nearly shot upright. At the last minute, he regained
control and gripped the arms of the chair until his knuckles turned white.

That definitely wasn’t her hand.

A series of hard, randomly spaced blows forced a grunt out
of Darias. He couldn’t anticipate them.
Smack.

Smack.

Smack. Smack.

“You will never again attempt to undermine my authority in public.”

Smack.

Smack. Smack. Smack.

Darias tasted blood as he bit his lip at a particularly hard
slap. He would not make a sound. He refused to give her that satisfaction.

“Our battle stays between the two of us.”

Darias had trouble catching his breath as she let loose with
a flurry of spanks. The sound of wood meeting the tender flesh of his ass and
thighs resounded in his ears.