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“I was convinced you could not continue to love me, disfigured as I am…”
He gave a roar of protest.
“Gabriel, I cannot continue if you growl so every time you do not like what I say.”
“Then I shall endeavour to control myself,” he replied dryly.
She wriggled indignantly on his lap, and he rewarded her with a growing hardness under her thigh.
He smacked her leg lightly. “Be careful, minx, I am close to showing you how displeased I still am at your deception,” he warned.
She stilled, continuing her tale of life in Italy living with her cousin. When she’d finished talking, he was so silent that she pulled backwards in order to look into his face.
“You seem vexed,” she told him.
“I am shocked by the fact the count was willing to go along with your plan. By Hades, I feel honour-bound to call the nodcock out.”
“Mais non, Gabriel,le contwas actually most difficult to persuade. Eventually, Alessandro agreed on the proviso that should we hear that you were to take a bride you would be informed that I still lived.”
“And yet you did not inform me, nor, from what I understand, did you intend to. Am I correct?”
She shifted guiltily.
“Angele?”
“Malheureusement,I confess that I did not wish to burden you with a damaged wife but I had not had time enough to plan, although…Peut-etre?” She shrugged.
He frowned. “I am not a cruel man but I feel the need to punish you on so many levels and for so many counts.” He began to tick them off on his fingers. “Running from the house yesterday and putting you, your maid, and two valuable, beloved horses in grave danger. For your lies, for the hurt you have caused both to me and our son with your wicked deception. However, you have just returned to me from the dead…” He dropped his counting hand. “I am loath to do anything that might jeopardise our joyful reunion. Therefore, I wish to know your opinion on the matter. You may be completely candid.”
Angele did not reply. As she shifted, he let her go. She stood, and he watched as, without hesitation, she walked to the old brown leather chair adjacent to his desk. Lifting her skirts, she placed herself over the padded arm of the furniture. He recalled other occasions of discipline, with her bent across that very chair. A delicious thrill of anticipation ran down his spine.
“I shall accept whatever my lord deems as an appropriate punishment and with no ill will. I feel that I deserve your retribution,” she told him huskily.
He moved to her side.
* * *
Her heart rate increased her pulse racing as he arrived next to her.
“Very well then, purely for running away yesterday and for nothing else, ten strokes of the strap. I shall divide your punishments into increments to be dealt with at a later date as and when I see fit to deliver them.”
Her gaze followed his progress across the room to his mahogany desk. He pulled out the bottom drawer. She knew only too well what resided there. He retrieved the worn and supple leather strap, split at one end. It was a fearsome implement, one that had her begging for reprieve in her younger days, but not today, oh no. She felt this scolding to be well-deserved. She avowed to take every slap bravely in order to show him her full remorse for not trusting his love, for fruitlessly keeping them apart for the last five years.
“I have not used this in many a year. What had you done to deserve its bite on the last occasion I used it upon your pretty arse?”
She quivered at the crudeness of his language; St. Nicholas had always been a gentleman out in society, always so polite, so very correct. To discover his crudeness within their boudoir had always titillated her.
“I believe the punishment was for throwing my punch over you at the Yuletide masquerade, the year you danced twice with that frightful harlot,EveBassiley-Browning.”
“That was extremely ill-advised of you as I recall,” he chided, giving a bass chuckle.
Her stomach lurched with delight.
“I was coerced by the blasted woman, finally escaping her clutches only to find myself doused with an odious mix of juices that permanently ruined my grey silk coat.”
He sounded so piqued she thought it funny. She tried to repress her giggle and failed.
“Angele,” he scolded gently. “I recall you took twenty very well on that occasion, but I think ten sufficient for the crime of yesterday. You have a deal more punishment to come by my hand over the next few days; you will need some respite in between.”
