Harnessed Passions (58 page)

Nearly forty minutes passed before Daniel
could convince himself to follow Julia to their room. The past two
days had proven to be anything but passionate. She had refused his
attention, both in the bedroom and out. She always managed to be
asleep when he came to bed and would push him away if he tried to
wake her. She refused to go with him to the stables and even
refused to ride her horse, now that the danger of the animal's
mating was out of the way. She was determined never again to ride
Biscuit until this mystery woman had been caught. She did her best
to avoid eating her lunch with him and rarely remained in the room
alone with him after her mother retired for the evening. The
distance and her cold manner made Daniel's anxieties about letting
her leave, fester.

Julia didn't seem to follow her usual suit
tonight. When Daniel opened the door, expecting to find her asleep
or at the very least in bed, he found her instead sitting at her
vanity. She was in her nightgown, her hair hanging loose about her
shoulders, a small bag sitting beside her on the floor to remind
him of the events of the following morning.

Daniel hesitated a moment before stepping up
behind her. The dim light of the lamp shined like fire against the
moist drops streaming down her cheeks. He felt like joining her
with tears of his own, but rejected the idea quickly, eager only to
soothe her pain. He knew her agony, had in fact fought a battle
within himself since first deciding to send her to her aunt; so he
understood the reasons for the tears and the feelings of total
depression.

"Princess," he whispered when she turned
away from the eyes watching her through the mirror's reflection.
She picked up her bottles of cologne and sat them gently in the
bag. Her hand had barely lifted from the action when it was
snatched in a warm, gently vice.

"Don't turn me out tonight," he begged,
lifting her fingers to his lips and kissing each one tenderly.

"It's your choice," she reminded him,
pulling her hand away before he had the chance to work his magic
and make her forget all logic; converting her into a spineless,
writhing lump of desires.

"It's for the best, Julia. We've already
discussed this."

"No Daniel, you've discussed it. I wasn't
given a say in the matter." She stood up and walked to the bed,
sitting on the edge of the mattress.

Daniel watched her for several agonizing
moments before stepping to her side. He could feel her anger, felt
too her deep need for revenge and knew he would have to be the one
who suffered for those feelings tearing loose within her.

"If you really don't want to go..." he
began, hearing the words before he had the chance to stop them from
spilling from his lips.

"I have to. I've already told my aunt we'd
be there and the tickets have been paid for. I won't throw money
away."

"Forget the damned money!" Julia witnessed
Daniel's own anger first hand as he grabbed her by the shoulders,
lifting her off the bed and shaking her so hard, she was certain
her teeth rattle. "If you don't want to leave than don't, but quit
making me feel like a vulture for wanting to keep you safe. Dammit
Julia, I'm just trying to protect you."

"Who asked you to?" she growled back,
matching Daniel's anger, degree for degree. "I don't need your
blasted protection and I'm getting rather tired of play knights
with you."

"Then quit playing!" He tugged her against
the hard wall of his chest, pinning her arms behind her back,
holding her prisoner for his assault. His mouth claimed hers in the
heat of the moment, ravishing and punishing them for allowing him
to send her away.

"Julia," he ground out, his lips still
against hers, his hands holding hers pulled her hips up hard
against him. Julia tried to fight, she wanted to stay angry and to
punish him for the way he was treating her, but having him so close
to her was wearing down her resistance - fast.

His touch was warm and eager against her
lips as he held her wrists prisoner in one hand while the other
began to massage her firm buttocks. He urged her to respond to him
as he teased her with his tongue until she did, bringing a wholly
different form of heat searing through her limbs. She was weak -
too weak when it came to this man, and the urgent demands he made
her feel screamed with liquid fire inside her veins. Her back
arched into him, surrendering to the desire and passion with a
groan of disgust, for she was breaking her silent vow to remain
chaste where her husband was concerned.

"Tell me you don't hate me," Daniel pleaded,
guiding her gently down to the bed as he stretched her arms above
her head; he lay next to her, covering her thighs with his strong
leg. She was his prisoner; willingly and wanting to reunite them
once again. Julia couldn't speak, emotion and desire had robbed her
from answering; making Daniel think she did indeed hate him.

Her lips trembled beneath his and he felt
her sobs vibrate within her chest, the salty taste of her tears
mingled with their kiss. Daniel was hurting her, perhaps not
physically since he was being as gentle with her at that moment as
he would if he held a newborn babe, yet he knew he was raping her
soul; leaving her to fear the future.

"Don't cry Princess,” he whispered. “I’m
sorry for everything I’ve done; I love you, I need you."

"But you're sending me away,” she sobbed.
“You're trying to get rid of me after you promised you never
would."

"I'm not trying to get rid of you. Is that
what you think? Oh, Julia," his tone was urgent, yet soft as he let
go of her arms and sat up next to her, forcing her to look at him
with a strong finger beneath her chin.

"I expect you back here in a few weeks. You
have to help me with the sale; I barely know the buyers names, let
alone how to deal with them. I was hoping you would guide me
through all of this." He pulled her against his chest, holding her
gently in his arms with the security and warmth she had grown to
rely on.

"I can't allow you to leave me; not forever.
You're the only reason I'm alive. I realize now I was born to be
with you, to love you, to spend the rest of my life with you. If
you don't come back by the end of next month, I'll be forced to
hunt you down and drag you back in irons if I must."

"Do you mean it, Daniel?"

"Not only would I love to see you tied up, I
will bring you home and keep you as my willing prisoner in this
very room. I won’t let you lose until we’re both so old and senile
we can’t remember our own names. Even that will be sooner than I
wish.”

“
Swear it Daniel," she
ordered urgently, sitting up out of his grip. "Swear you'll always
want me."

"I've never lied to you Julia and I never
will. You are my life, you're my reason for living and I don't ever
want you to ever forget it. I love you." He wrapped her in his
embrace again, easing her down to the mattress as his fingers began
caressing her ear lobe and neck.

"I thought you were trying to get me out of
the way for some reason."

"Like what? You've already seen me mate your
bloody horse, what other reason could I have to get rid of you?"
Julia laughed, sniffing her tears away.

"I thought perhaps there was another
woman."

"There is only you, Princess. There will
only be you."

"Promise?"

"With all my heart," he whispered, nuzzling
her neck with the heat of his lips. "Don't leave me like this," he
pleaded. "I don't want to think of you in Boston without
remembering our last night of passion. Love me Julia, let me love
you." Julia nodded her head softly unable to speak; giving her
silent agreement to her husband.

Within a few quick movements, her nightgown
was eagerly removed and lying on the floor. He moved her on the bed
so her arms were above her head and smiled into her emerald
eyes.

“
I want to play with you,
so you’ll never forget me,” he assured her and quickly left her
side as he went to his dresser and removed the silk strips of cloth
he had brought with them from his flat, along with a brown wrapped
package. Julia bit her lower lip, smiling as he tethered her gently
to the headboard. He stood at the foot of the bed, admiring her
beauty as he slowly removed his own clothes.

Daniel smiled wickedly at her as his hands
began to caress her inner thighs then moved her legs further apart
so he could restrain them. Julia knew what was about to happen and
forced the excited giggle back down her throat. She had wanted him
to tie her up for days, but wasn’t exactly sure how to ask him. It
was only then that she understood what he meant by playing; she was
forced to surrender her trust to him and in exchange, he would
provide her with endless pleasure and fun.

“
Are you ready?” he asked
in a husky whisper as he lay slowly began to unwrap the brown paper
from the package. Julia nodded silently and watched him remove a
black leather riding crop from the wrapping. Again he smiled at her
as he slowly trailed the leather tip up her inner
thighs.

“
I got this for
Roustabout,” he told her as he gently slapped it against the bottom
of her feet; first one and then the other, smiling as she gasped.
“I suppose I’ll have to find him something else; I plan on keeping
this for private use from now on.”

Daniel caressed her legs once more with the
tip of the crop, then quickly flipped it, striking her tender flesh
gently. Julia closed her eyes; this was the most erotic feeling she
had ever experienced. He continued to slap her gently across her
legs, her lower abdomen, across her ribs and up to her breasts. He
captured her gaze with his as he flipped the leather against her
breasts, moving it up to slap her erect nipple and over to the
opposite breast.

“
Do you like it?” he
whispered and she moaned, nodding her head. “Shall I continue?” he
asked with a seductive grin. Again she nodded and watched as he
smiled, flipping the crop against her curls.

Julia gasped and moaned as he flipped the
tip against her again, the reached down and opened her labia,
slapping the tip against her swollen clitoris. She gasped and bit
her lower lip, causing him to frown at her.

“
Did that hurt?” he asked
and she nodded, then smiled.

“
Don’t stop,” she begged,
seeing the relief visibly cross his handsome face as he raised the
crop again and let it slap against her moist body. Twice more the
leather struck her and she moaned deeply; taking and absorbing each
strike to its passionate limit.

Daniel slipped two of his fingers inside her
and tossed the leather stick aside as his lips fell to her
clitoris, suckling and teasing until he felt her vaginal muscles
tighten around his long digits. He sucked her swollen bud into his
mouth and gently bit the tender flesh, sending her over the edge.
Julia tensed beneath him and cried out; a deep moaning plea for
more escaped her lips and she felt him move to sit between her
legs.

A moment later and her legs were free;
lifted high above her as he pressed the tip of his erection against
her wet body. Slowly he pressed forward, slipping the full length
of his penis into her quivering body and smiling as she moaned
again. He knew it would take one more, tight grip of her muscles
around him before he filled her with his seed, insuring that she
remembered what it felt like to be in his arms; making her eager to
return to him.

The next hour was spent in passionate love
making, while Daniel worked to convince his wife just how much he
wanted her and how badly he was going to miss her. Their orgasms
continued until late in the night; neither willing to release the
other from the grip of need until they were too exhausted to
move.

As Julia lay in his arms, sleep began to
take her over and she smiled. The beating of his heart beneath her
ear made her feel content and happy, as his hands caressed and
massaged her firm buttocks.

“
Never forget me,” he
whispered through the stillness of the room.

“
Never,” she assured him as
she drifted into a restful slumber.

Morning arrived with a flurry of activity
while all the final details were attended to; the bags loaded to
the Dearborn, breakfast eaten and clothes changed for proper
traveling attire. As they waited to board the train, Julia found
herself fighting the urge to run home screaming. She didn't like
this, she wanted to stay here with Daniel, but she also knew how
much he needed her reassurance she wanted to go. She had spent
nearly half an hour that very morning, telling him how much she
looked forward to visiting her friends and cousins, even though
they both knew it was a lie. Now the time had come to say good-bye
and she was feeling the flutter of confusion deep inside her
stomach.

"Just remember," Daniel said, pulling her
into a strong embrace, "I expect you home next month. You're a part
of the stables and I need you with me."

"You make me sound like a pile of horse
shit," she teased with a sniff that forced the tears back for a
little longer.

"I'd never say that," he scolded softly,
kissing the tip of her nose. "At least, never to your face." Julia
smiled and hugged his strong neck before the tears finally proved
victor and spilled down her cheeks.

"Come on Princess," Daniel told her gently,
lifting her chin with his finger. "You're going to miss your
train." Julia nodded, but kept her hold on his waist unwilling to
let go of him, just yet.

"I'll take good care of her," Louise
promised, smiling softly. Daniel returned her smile easing his wife
out of his arms slowly.

"I trust you, Louise. I also trust that you
make certain she has a good time and spends an ungodly amount of
money. I can't argue with her when she returns if she hasn't done
anything wrong."