Chapter 13 #2
“And truly, that is fine. Perhaps I thought for a time that…” She shook her head, not daring to go down that path.
“It does not matter what I thought. You have made it clear what you want from this marriage and I am willing to accept it. You want nothing to do with me, so be it. But what I will not accept is being told what I can and cannot do by a man who insists on acting as if I do not exist.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
“And if that is too much for you to accept then, well, perhaps you should have thought about that before you chose to cut me off as you have done.”
She was breathing heavily. Red in the face. Unable to believe most of what she had just said but glad that she did.
There, it is done. At least now the two of us can move on as I know he wants to do. Not the best outcome, but the one he wishes for.
Iris braced herself for Philip’s wrath. Surely, she could not speak to him like that without him snapping at her. All she could do was not give in, and certainly not let him try and seduce her as he might have wanted to.
If he wished to have a marriage of pure convenience, he was welcome to it. But what he would not have was her.
“May I say something?” Philip said, his tone surprisingly soft.
Iris blinked, caught off guard. “I… yes, I suppose you can.”
Then, he laughed. It was disarming and filled with humor. And with it came a soft smile that reached his eyes. This had Iris leaning back, unable to fathom what was going on in Philip’s head.
“I would ask you to tell me how you really feel, but you’ve already done that,” he started. She opened her mouth to speak, not even sure what she was going to say, but he held up a hand to stop her. “Which is why I think it is time that I tell you what I think.” He looked at her pointedly.
“You… yes.” She had no idea what else to say.
He nodded once. “You are right. With how I have behaved this past day, I have given you no reason to listen to me. No reason you should want to. And if this marriage does indeed continue down the path of us having nothing to do with one another, then my telling you what you can and can’t do makes little sense. ”
“It… excuse me?”
He chuckled. “The thing is, I’m not so sure that I want that.
The truth is, I don’t know what I want. And this confusion, rather than coming to terms with it, has seen me do as I always do and close myself off.
Easier in my mind to pretend it doesn’t exist then face it head on and determine for myself what I might really want and how I might get it. ” He raised an eyebrow at her.
She frowned. “I don’t… what are you saying.”
“I am saying that both of us are clearly confused.” With those words he reached down and took her by the hand. She thought to snatch it back, but his touch was soft and warm and felt better than it ought to have. “And this confusion has led us to fight. Often.”
“You are the reason we have fought,” she snapped.
He laughed again. “True enough. But I don’t like fighting with you, Iris. Oh sure, there are some…” His eyes flashed and she felt her breath catch at its meaning. “… positives to it. But it is not a solution, and I can’t help but feel that we are doing ourselves a disservice.”
“We are?” she blinked stupidly.
“These past few days, despite everything else, were some of the better I have experienced in as long as I could remember. The two of us, treating the other with respect and kindness. Enjoying our company for a damn change, and I found that the concept of married life wasn’t nearly the travesty I have assumed it would be. ”
“You… you did?” she blinked again, her mouth now hanging open.
“I can’t tell you what I want because I don’t know exactly. But I can tell you what I don’t want. I don’t want to fight with you always. I don’t want to go about pretending as if you do not exist. And I certainly don’t want you to hate me.”
“Hate you…” She looked away as she felt her cheeks flush. “I don’t hate you, Philip.”
“You should,” he countered. “But that’s my fault.
And now I’m thinking that maybe it is time that we…
” He clicked his tongue with consideration.
“That we started again. We’ve proven already that we can stand to be around one another, so now why do so a second time?
And this time, without the awkwardness.”
She laughed softly. “I was never awkward. That was you.”
He scoffed. But then he squeezed her hand again.
“Liar. The point is, neither of us really knows what we want or expect. But that puts us in a unique position to find out. And…” He bit into his lower lip, hesitating, and when she dared to look up she saw just how hard this was for him.
“And I want to find out, Iris. I really do.”
“I do too,” she said softly, realizing that she meant it. “I just didn’t think you did.”
He laughed. “Again, I gave you no reason to. But I’m done with that now. Just as I hope you are done with this…” He indicated toward the room.
“Oh.” She considered. “I mean, I would still like to have my dresses made.”
“I meant purposefully trying to annoy me.”
She laughed. “Right. Yes. Well, I suppose I can do my best. Even if you are rather easy to tick off.”
Philip laughed along with her. Nothing too loud. Soft agreement. And Iris felt the tension lift around them. Only then, with him still holding her by the hand, and standing as close as they were, it was replaced by a new sort of tension.
Iris felt her heart quicken as she considered the implication. What she had said that she wanted versus what she now did. It’s not the same. Things have changed since then. So surely, I should not feel guilty for wanting…
Indeed, everything had changed in the space of a few seconds.
Philip had apologized. He had been honest with her for the first time.
And he’d said exactly what she needed to hear.
Like him, Iris was just as confused about what she wanted, but just like him, she was willing to find out. And that was what mattered.
“So…” Philip smiled down at her, a look in his eyes that she recognized for what it what. “What now? Should we… go somewhere and talk?”
“Talk? About what?”
He shrugged. “I am not sure. But isn’t that what people do in these situations?”
“I am not sure…” She laughed nervously. “I have never been in one before.”
“Me either.” His dark eyes looked her over and paused on her shift, specifically her bosom. The shift was light, almost see through, and her curves had never been more pronounced. Iris had not cared before, too angry to bother with such thing. But now…
She felt a shudder ripple up her spine and her nipples hardened. He squeezed her hand again and then took her other one so that she was facing him fully. And all the while, her heart raced with anticipation because she knew too well what was on his mind.
Just as she knew that she did not have the power to deny him. Nor did she want to.
“Or perhaps…” A coy smile. “You know, you were rather rude to me earlier.”
“Oh, was I now…” She flashed her eyes back at him, her own coy smile as her body began to tremble.
“And bringing the modiste here like that.” He clicked his tongue in chastisement. “Done so just to annoy me. Admit it.”
“I admit nothing,” she said with a grin.
“Very naughty of you.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Downright wicked. I can’t help but feel that you need…” He bit into his lip and squeezed her hands as he growled, “punishment.”
Again, that single word, and what it did to her.
Iris let forth a whimper from her lips as she felt the word ripple throughout her body. It seemed to plunge inside of her, wrapping her heart and striking between her thighs so that her womanhood moistened in an instant. And the way her thighs began to tingle…
Deep down there was a part of me that knew it would come to this. Not that I’m mad about it.
“I have been rather bad, haven’t I,” she said with a sultry look.
“A very bad girl indeed.”
“I need to be punished for it.”
“You need to be taught how to behave,” he corrected with a growl. “It’s the only way.”
“Well…” She was looking right at him. Unblinking.
Needing him to see how much she wanted this.
There would be time to talk later. Time to build on what they had and see where this marriage might lead.
But for now, she thought, this was the perfect place to start. “What are you going to do about it?”
“Do you remember what happened the last time you disobeyed me?”
“I do,” she whimpered.
“I see now that wasn’t nearly enough. My fault,” he purred. “Thinking you were a fast learner. But now, I have come to realize you will need another lesson.”
She swallowed. “And what lesson will that be?”
As with the last time, Philip chose to show her through action.
First, he leaned around her and closed the door. Then, he led her across the room. Iris’ heart raced with excitement, knowing what was coming, barely able to control the anticipation building inside of her.
When they reached the bed, he turned her to face it and then gently pushed her forward, bending her at the waist. Her heart thumped as he stood beside her, gently lifting her shift once more to expose her bare backside.
“Philip,” she gasped turning around. “What are you –”
“I am punishing you,” he said to her, gently turning her around once more. “You do need to be punished, do you not?”
Her heart raced so that it hurt. A spike of fear exploded inside of her, because she did not know what he meant to do. But she thought back to that kiss, how she had felt when he’d denied her, and how much she wanted it… and so much more.
“I think I do,” she said.
“And why is that?”
“Because…” She was trembling as she looked ahead. “Because I have been a bad girl.”
“Yes you have,” he growled. “Now, hold onto the sheets,” he commanded. “And brace yourself.”
She did as he commanded, grabbing hold of the sheets on the bed. She tensed as he started to stroke her exposed skin. Her body trembled as she awaited her punishment…
“What you did today,” Philip purred as she gently ran his fingers over her buttocks. “You did it to upset me, didn’t you?”
“I did,” she said.
He clicked his tongue. “I thought as much.” His hand pulled back, she braced and then her eyes widened as he slapped her across the right cheek.
A gasp escaped her lips, she thought to turn around and ask what he was doing.
But the pain which ripped across her backside transformed into pleasure and she ended up biting into her lip, moaning as it rippled over her body, and then she sunk further into the bed.
“I wanted to make you angry,” she said through gritted teeth, her hand still clutching the sheets. She knew what he needed to hear, so she said it. “To annoy you.”
“You are worse than I thought.” Again, he spanked her. She gasped a second time, eyes turning wide. “Such a bad girl.” A third time, the hardest one yet.
Iris yelped when she felt his hand smack against her. She clenched her jaw and breathed in sharply, accepting the spike of pain as it transformed into pleasure which rolled across her body.
“I’m so bad…” she moaned, unable to believe what was happening.
“Yes.” A fourth spank, open palmed and stinging. “Such a bad girl.” He spanked her a fifth time and she screamed as her body stiffened. “Now…” Philip began to stroke the area he’d spanked, clicking his tongue softly, keeping his touch light. “Do you promise to behave from now on?”
“I… I’m not sure –” She was cut off by another hard spank, one which had her gasping as she tried to stop herself from crying out.
“Are you?”
Her breathing was up. Her body was shaking. Her right cheek throbbed, and Iris could not believe how good it felt. She wanted more. She wanted the duke to really punish her.
It wasn’t enough to simply be spanked. But to de denied and teased was something else entirely. Would the duke go further? Teasing her and tempting her as he did the last time? Did he think she deserve it?
“I… I want to be a good girl for you,” she said in a whimper.
“Is that right?” he chuckled. As he did, his fingers started to trace down her thigh. It sent a shiver through them, tingles breaking across her skin, her loins throbbing from it. “Do you think you can be that? A good girl?”
“I do.”
“I know you do,” he purred. As one hand traced between her thighs the other continued to rub over her exposed buttocks. “And I think you can be.”
“I want to be,” she pressed. “So badly. Please…”
His laughter was deep and commanding. “How about this. I’ll… test you. And if I think you deserve it, then I’ll give you a reward. As I did the last time.”
“T—test?” she stammered, her heart leaping through her throat with excitement. “What sort of test.”
He didn’t answer with words.
Still bent over the bed, Iris’ heart threatened to erupt from her chest as she felt Philip shuffle around her.
As she felt him lower himself behind her.
And then, when she felt his lips kiss where he had spanked her, she very nearly screamed such was the excitement at what she knew was about to happen.
He kissed her again. And again. Each kiss moved lower, inching slowly toward her womanhood. Her thighs were trembling. She was turning moist, and she knew that he could feel it. His hands squeezed her thighs as those kisses moved closer and closer.
Almost there. Each kiss sent a small ripple of pleasure through her thighs and her body. She could hardly contain herself. She wanted to shift herself and put her womanhood right in his face because he was taking so long! But the way he teased her was just as tempting.
And then, finally, she felt his tongue lick the outside of her lips and a low whimper escaped her mouth as she shoved her head into the bedding, bracing for what was sure to come next.
A sudden knock at the door snapped her from the spell.
Her head snapped up and she spun about, almost crying out ‘no,’ because she could not believe this was happening.
“What!” Philip shouted from his knees, his hands still gripping her thighs.
“Your Grace!” It was Mr. Tibbitt on the other side of the door. “Might I come—”
“No!” both Iris and Philip cried out as one. They were frozen to the spot, both unable and unwilling to move.
“I am… busy,” Philip answered. “Whatever it is, I am sure it can wait, Mr. Tibbitt!”
“But Your Grace!” Mr. Tibbitt shouted through the door. “You have a guest—just now, he has arrived. Your brother, Your Grace.”
Iris’ eyes widened. Lord Robert Lawerence… what is he doing here? The man she had meant to marry, returned for some reason, and at a most inopportune time.
“Robert?” Philip released Iris’ thighs and again she almost cried out, her heart crashing and her body rebelling because she didn’t want this to stop.
“No, Your Grace,” Mr. Tibbitt answered. “It is your younger brother, Master Percy.”