Page 18 of A Tale of Two Dukes

Despite the zips of pain that threaten to make me bow up within the confines of my bonds, there’s still that sizzle of want and need. His voice plays over my skin, both soothing and irritating it at the same time.

My body throbs and aches as I turn about in the ropes. I wish the agony was far greater. That way, I could feel some sort of penance for allowing him to use my body this way. And yet, the things he’s done to me thus far, though frightening and uncomfortable, haven’t been nearly as painful as I thought they would be.

That is, until he took away the one thing that I truly owned. The one thing that made me desirable to other men. But what’s the sense in mourning that loss when my mere presence in this whipping house is enough to disgrace me from ever making an advantageous match?

Still though… For a moment, I close my eyes and allow a moment of sadness to wash over me. I can’t allow myself to wallow in it and give in to hysterics. Besides, I chose this. This is the price I must pay to keep my family safe and away from harm.

If this moment of my maidenhood being ripped from me is the worst of the punishment, I’ll take it in stride and do my best to be grateful for the pleasure that blossoms after the pain. Either way, it is done now. I’m officially a woman of the house, free to be used by any man who wants me.

And that is the pain that nearly cripples me. It doesn’t even compare to the lashing and hot wax dripped upon my person. Honestly, it makes losing my virginity even pale in comparison. Knowing that I will never belong to just one man shatters my resolve, allowing a single cry to flee from my lips to punctuate the air.

Concern flits over Birchleigh’s face as he lowers himself, nearly covering my body with his. The warmth from his skin soothes me a touch, but it doesn’t help the hole expanding in my heart. As his fingers skim my face, it makes that cavity grow even more until it’s almost unbearable.

But then, a thick, rich, luscious sound I’ve never heard before peppers the air. It smothers me, comforts me, and turns my body into liquid. I drown in the sonorous vibrations, soaking them in, allowing them to heal all the wounds, both internal and external.

The closest I can ever remember feeling anything like this was when my sister was on her deathbed, when her life hung in the balance and we didn’t know she’d be okay. Father made a similar noise, but it was nothing like this. Comparably, it was thin and reedy, not all-encompassing like Birchleigh’s.

The moment the duke skims his fingers down my breastbone, teasing the bits of skin exposed in between the coils of rope, my thoughts scatter, bringing me back into the moment. This intimate scene is not the place to reminisce and conjure ghosts of the past. A soft moan slips past my lips as my body relaxes even further into his touch.

“That’s my good girl,” he whispers, the purr never stopping. “Just a little bit more. Can you do that for me? I’m going to fuck your quim either way, but I’d rather you enjoy the process.”

I peer up into his eyes, noting an emotion that resembles remorse. And I realize I can’t blame Birchleigh for taking me in this manner. He didn’t know, and I didn’t confide in him the state of my virginity.

Once more, he slides forward, but this time, there’s only a sensation of stretching. It’s uncomfortable, but not unbearable. In fact, underneath the slight sting is something else altogether. It causes my stomach to flutter and my muscles to clench.

“That’s it,” he croons, inching in a bit more. “You can take me, can’t you, my pretty little omega? Your body was made for this. Made for me. Bloody hell, Kitty, but you’re so tight. You feel like heaven wrapped around my cock like this.”

His words stir me, setting my heart to pounding. I want to obey him, to give him everything. But I know nothing of what he’s asking. All I can do is lie back and allow him to have his way with me.

It’s the one command I have control over. I have no earthly clue how to allow his girth further entrance. Perhaps that’s yet one more secret that’s been kept from me I’ll learn while working here.

Soft murmurs of pleasure tell me I’m at least doing something right. Luckily, bound as I am, I can’t make any further mistakes. Settling into the ropes, I picture them as Birchleigh’s arms, holding me, securing me, keeping me safe as he shatters the rest of my innocence.

Soon, his fingers dance across my skin, gentle this time, a hard contrast to the insistent stretching he’s forcing down below. They skim across my stomach, pausing at the top of my sex. I hold my breath, waiting, yearning, to see what he plans to do.

Will he reward me with pleasure similar to that of his mouth? Have I been good enough to receive such a touch? The moment he grazes that curious spot at my apex, my body ripples around him, loosening even more so that he can slide in another inch or two.

This time, instead of discomfort, a stretch that borders on pain, I feel nothing but pleasure and intense fullness. It’s a sensation I’ll treasure in my heart and look back on. Again, he touches me, sending tendrils of arousal through my body.

More wetness gathers between us, but instead of finding disgust in me, he continues to make sounds of approval. It hums through his lips as he continues to play with me, learning what makes me gasp and what makes me writhe.

Slowly but surely, we play this game. For every few strokes of his fingers, his member moves inside me, until he’s freely moving back and forth. This new friction brings about a different set of sensations, ones that have me twisting and turning in the ropes.

“That’s it, Kitty.” He pauses to grab my chin, forcing my gaze to his. “I want you to look at me. Eyes on me as I bring about your release.”

Confusion floods my brain as I train my eyes on him. He speaks about things I know not of. But even as I puzzle through his cipher, I find that I cannot keep my mind on the task at hand. Everything in me buzzes about, as if my insides long to fly outside of my body.

Right now, the only thing tethering me to the earth is the ropes and Birchleigh’s commanding presence. My heart beats hard and fast within my chest, like the flap of a butterfly’s wings. Surely he can hear it.

Rising just a touch, the duke grips my hips, pistoning in and out of my body. His member grazes nerve endings deep inside I never knew existed before this moment. Moaning, I close my eyes just for a second.

A hard slap to my inner thigh brings my gaze back up to him. There seems to be a note of disappointment in his demeanor, but most of it is swallowed up in pure, unadulterated lust. Again, he reaches between my legs and strokes me, forcing me to cry out as pleasure assails my body.

“Eyes. On. Me,” he repeats, his fingers roughly stroking me.

There’s a slight zip of discomfort. Not pain, exactly, but it’s a roughened edge of pleasure that sends me spiraling into the unknown. My lips part as a wanton moan rips from my throat.

Pleasure explodes through me, setting my limbs to quivering. Everything tightens inside, squeezing as I try to make sense of these new sensations. Unable to stop myself, my eyes shut as my body clenches.