Claimed on the Frontier by Jane Henry Page B

drawstring to my undergarments. And then I was bare to him.
    His thumbs circled my breasts, and I gasped at the sudden sensation that lit my insides to fire. Heat pulsed between my legs and I felt my nipples harden. He smiled softly to himself. He released my breasts and tugged me down so that I sat upon his lap.
    “From now on, you’ll do my bidding,” he said, his lips at my ears. “Won’t you?”
    His hand gently kneaded my breast. I swallowed and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
    “And you do know that if you disobey, I’ll punish you. Don’t you?”
    I closed my eyes. “Yes, sir. I know, sir.”
    His mouth traveled the length of my arm, down my shoulder to my breast. He kissed me again, and his tongue flicked out. I gasped at the sudden sensation. He spoke again in a low whisper.
    “But tonight, on the night you vowed yourself to me, I’m feelin’ merciful,” he said. “Tonight we start anew. Tonight, Pearl, you belong to me.”
    Each touch of his hand, or whisper from his mouth, sent pleasant sensations through me, even as I trembled with anticipation and apprehension. His hand smoothed my skin, over and over again.
    “You’re beautiful,” he murmured. “And you’re mine. But if you’re mine, you will mind me. Won’t you, little one?”
    “Yes, sir,” I whispered.
    “You’ll not lift heavy things I can lift for you, and you’ll not give way to temper when you’re angry. You’ll do as you’re told and trust me to lead you,” he said. “Won’t you, darlin’?”
    I wanted to obey him then. Not for fear of punishment. No. I wanted to please him.
    Slowly, he trailed a finger down my thigh and circled a thumb on my leg. My insides melted and I pulsed with desire for him. I gasped, nearly leaping off his lap as one finger stroked between my slit. It was a strange sensation and completely new to me. His finger moved easily, in and out, and I squirmed.
    “Relax, darlin’,” he crooned. It seemed little one and darlin ’all at once would fill my heart to bursting. Now that I anticipated his touch, the feeling was welcome. He stroked me, and one touch made me feel full and eager for more, then an upward stroke set my senses on fire. I whimpered, eager for more.
    “My girl likes my being in control,” he murmured, and I wasn’t sure if he was speaking to himself or to me. He continued to stroke. “Don’t you, Pearl?”
    There was only one response. “Oh, yes, sir. Please, sir.”
    “Please what, my girl?”
    “Whatever you want,” I choked out, nearly sobbing. The desire to fulfill his need along with my own was all-consuming.
    “Such a very good girl,” he murmured. And then I was up and he laid me on my back on the bed. He was still fully clothed. He knelt above me and his eyes looked different now, feverish, insistent, though still kind. He unbuttoned his shirt, and at the first sight of his bare chest, I gasped. He was lean and muscular, but it was the intimacy of seeing him bare-chested that sent tremors through my thighs.
    The darkness, and my arousal, made me brave.
    “Please, may I touch you?”
    “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t,” he said in a husky whisper, as his shirt fell to the floor and he leaned his body down upon mine, not so heavy it was unbearable, but close enough that I felt the warmth and heat of him from head to toe. My hands roamed his body, and I sighed as I felt the heat of his skin, the hardness of his muscles, and the coarse hair on his chest. As my fingers gently traced the edges of his muscles, his mouth met mine with a moan. The contrast of his soft, warm mouth and prickly whiskers was intoxicating. I opened my mouth, unsure of what to do, but secure in the knowledge that I didn’t have to know. I would let him lead. With his warm mouth upon mine, one of his hands grazed my breast. I couldn’t believe how it made me feel. One touch, one caress, and my insides were on fire, the intensity of my need for him growing incrementally with every brush of his