Her Grace's Stable: A Jane Austen Space Opera, Book 2 by Joely Sue Burkhart Page B

control. His cock twitched so hard he couldn’t entirely suppress the grunt.
    “Impatient, are we?” Chuckling softly, she stopped before them and simply ran her gaze over them both head to toe. Her gaze lingered longer than usual on Arthur’s groin, unneeded fuel for the fire blazing in his body. When she finally raised her gaze to his, the secretive little smile on her luscious lips drew a rumbling growl from him. Which only made her smile wider. “Today, my ponies are going to work together. Of course, if you object, Arthur, you can simply say so now before we begin.”
    He gritted his teeth and glared at her.
    “Wonderful. I’m so pleased that you don’t object. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you side by side with Cole. Rather, I should say tail to nose. You’re too big and he’s too small in comparison for you to work very well side by side in harness.”
    He almost walked out. He did. It was just too much teasing, too strange and new and forbidden to consider on top of everything else she’d been teaching him. He’d fought beside men, even led some to their deaths, which he’d never be able to forget, but he’d never once thought about taking a man sexually.
    Until Cole.
    And now she brought that tantalizing morsel to stand in front of him, already slick with oil, lean muscle gliding and flexing just paces away. He loved a woman’s curves, but the rounded muscle of the man’s buttocks held his gaze as surely as Lady Blackmyre’s breasts would entrance him.
    She knew it, too, the conniving little witch with the smoldering eyes and her secretive little smiles. She put that tempting arse in front of him just to torment him. Cole’s tail to my nose. God, what have I done by submitting myself to her will like this?
    Then he suddenly noticed that Cole’s tail was missing. Absently, Arthur shook himself to hear the harness jingle while he tried to decide what that meant. Maybe that’s why I can’t seem to keep my eyes off his backside. Where’s that scandalous tail?
    Maybe she’s punishing him too.
    That thought made Arthur feel a little better. He didn’t want to be the only one powerless beneath her will. Maybe he burns to have that plug crammed up his arse as much as I burn to seat myself firmly in him again.
    Hot shame flooded him and he took an involuntary step back, dragging the surprised Cole with him. I had to have hurt him. What has he done to earn such punishment that she’d put him defenseless and naked in front of his rapist? In the end, I’m no better than the clods at the auction house, taking and abusing the helpless.
    Cole bumped into him, naked ass pressed to his groin, and he jerked away, stumbling, tangled up in the rigging until he struggled harder, desperate to free himself. He tripped and went down, dragging the other man with him, on him, rolling and fighting the harness, bucking to get away before he hurt anyone again.
    “Arthur!” He’d never heard that sharp tone in her voice, cutting more fiercely than her whip. “Stop it!”
    The dragging weight pinning him suddenly disappeared and he leaped up, backing away until his back slammed into the railing. Shaking, he panted, trying to clear away the darkness suffocating him.
    Lady Blackmyre had cut the traces binding him to Cole, and she held the man in her arms, smoothing his hair.
    Dear God, he’s crying.
    “I told you,” Cole choked out. “It’s no good, Mistress.”
    “I’m sorry, pet, so sorry. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have harnessed you together so quickly. I didn’t know he had such a hard limit or I never would have taken him there.”
    She didn’t even look up at Arthur, which allowed him to settle himself without her all-knowing prying eyes. He ached all over like a herd of real horses had trampled him. Cole must feel even worse.
    Despite the horror churning in his stomach, Arthur made himself ease closer to them. He deserved punishment. Maybe then he’d feel better about what he’d done to the