His Mistress by Monica Burns Page A

strength about him that said he could at any moment exert that force if he so chose.
    Her body tensed at his defiance. Angélique’s voice echoed in her head. You must be prepared to do whatever is necessary to bind him to your will for he will not surrender easily. Quickly looping his cravat several times into a makeshift strap, Jane stepped forward and used the silk tie to slap first one arm and then the other in a silent demand for supplication. He jumped at the small punishment and immediately dropped his hands to hang at his side. The slap hadn’t been a harsh one, but she was certain it had stung.
    Although he immediately dropped his arms to his side, his manner was unrepentant. Angélique’s words fluttered through her head once again. Tobias is not like other men, Jane. He has never submitted completely to any woman. It is a game he plays, and he has mastered it. Determination swept through her. Tobias desired her, and she intended to use that to her advantage. She also intended to teach him a lesson in humility.
    Jane stepped forward and wrapped one end of the silk tie around his right wrist. Circling him, she dragged the silk accessory across his back before she caught his free arm and restrained him completely. The backs of his hands rested on his firm buttocks with the silk tie holding them in place.
    Worried she might have knotted the tie around his wrists too tightly, she checked each wrist to ensure the tie wasn’t cutting too deeply into his skin. She had no wish to hurt him, only to teach him that she refused to let him question her authority. With a frown she tested the silken restraint with a sharp tug upward.
    Tobias’ soft grunt satisfied her that the snug binding was slightly uncomfortable without being painful. With him securely restrained, she raised her head to study his back in detail. Dozens of faded white lines striped his back. Time had made the thin scars so faint that she was certain he’d been not much more than a boy when a whip had touched his back. Jane blinked tears out of her eyes as she reached out to caress the marks. Beneath her fingers, his body became rigid, but he remained silent.
    Something terrible had happened to him a long time ago. It was evident from his restrained, yet tense, reaction. Was this part of the darkness she’d sensed in him? Instinct instructed her to say nothing at the moment. With each new layer she pulled back to reveal the different aspects of him, she would eventually reach the part of him that would explain the scars on his back.
    One hand gliding across his shoulder, Jane continued her exploration of the hard muscles of his back and shoulders. The instant her fingers moved away from his scars, his body relaxed beneath her touch. She smiled and gently dragged her fingernail down the seam of his back. No blood was drawn, but her nail left a dark red indentation in his skin. Slowly she walked around to face him.
    “You have a beautiful body, Tobias,” she murmured as she stroked the hard muscles of his upper torso. It was true, even despite the shadowy scars on his back.
    “I’m happy it pleases you, my Lady.”
    Rich and sinful, his voice caressed her senses in a manner that made her mouth go dry. If she wasn’t careful, she would be submitting to him. Her mind foggy with the heat and scent of him, she hesitated for a moment before she pressed the palm of her hand into his chest.
    “And the rest of your body? Is it just as beautiful?”
    “You will not be disappointed,” he said with a self-assuredness that made her smile, despite his cocky manner.
    “Then kindly show me.”
    “My Lady?” Puzzlement filtered its way through his voice, and Jane almost laughed out loud.
    “Finish undressing for me,” she said, not bothering to hide her amused satisfaction.
    Tobias grew still at the command and lifted his head slightly almost as if he were about to protest her instructions. They both knew that with his hands tied behind his back he would have