Dark Heir by Faye Pierce

Chapter Four

Caspian

She doesn’t look afraid, but anyone in her position would be begging for mercy. The strength it takes to defy me is somewhat disconcerting. She loves to test and challenge me to see how far she can push before I push back.

“What’s with the dress? That not what we chose. Something tells me that you’re not going to play nicely with others unless I do something about your attitude. I can’t have you undermining me in front of my peers,” I say.

Just standing behind her makes me yearn to see that orgasmic look of pure pleasure in the mirror.

“I thought you would be pleased. This is the very same dress my mother wore on her wedding day. She didn’t wear white. I didn’t see any reason why I should either. Let’s call this a way to make everybody happy. You have everyone fooled. I’m the only one not under your thumb, and it bothers you. Something gets stuck in your throat whenever you see me standing defiantly, never backing down from a fight,” Valeria says.

I have her in a compromising position pinned against the counter. My raging excitement presses between the warm folds of her buns, with only a thin piece of fabric standing in my way. Her red dress mocks me until I feel an overwhelming need to rip it from her body.

I’ve become a wild bull, completely concentrating on the curve of her spine. There’s a need inside to discipline her. Words don’t seem to sway her, but maybe a physical display of my dominance will give her something to think about.

“You didn’t do this to please me, and we both know it. Don’t even think you can live up to my lofty expectations. My mother was a force of nature. She was constantly screaming at my father, but he deserved every bit of her tirade.” I reveal a little bit of my childhood without going into detail.

“She sounds like a good woman. What makes you think that she would be okay with the way you’re treating me? She’s probably rolling around in her grave, shaking her head and wondering where she went wrong,” Valeria adds.

“You’re dangerously close to getting on my last nerve, and I’d be very careful about what comes out of your mouth next. That’s not a warning but a promise I intend to keep,” I say between clenched teeth.

“Did I say something wrong? A strong man like you should be able to take criticism. I’m not afraid to tell you the truth, unlike everybody else around you. Midnight is delusional. She thinks you’re this honorable man, but she doesn’t know half of what you do. She might suspect, but I bet you don’t discuss business around her,” Valeria says.

“I’m going to say this one last time, and then I don’t want to hear another word about it. What I feel for my family is none of your business. You don’t have any right to talk about her. Midnight is stronger than both of us. She refuses to see anything about me that might cloud her judgment. So keep your mouth shut about my business when you’re around her,” I warn with my hands on her shoulders.

“You can’t…you can’t intimidate me,” she stammers.

“I think you might be protesting a little too much. The guests will be here shortly, but we still have time to get this marriage off on the right foot. You must know by now nothing escapes my knowledge. There are people everywhere watching and listening on my behalf. I get daily reports of dissension among the ranks. I think you like a man with a firm hand, and I’m going to prove it,” I say.

“I don’t know where you get that impression. Nobody touches me without my permission. It’s amazing how few men know what a woman wants. They think they have the power, but it’s merely an illusion. A woman will always hold a man’s balls in her purse out of sight and out of mind. Why you think you are any different is beyond me,” Valeria smiles defiantly.

“I thought this was going to be fun, and I was right. Those people attending the ceremony have no idea what’s in store for them when the dust settles on this union. I have big plans to go international. There’ll be some that oppose me, but they will learn quickly to get on board. Blood will be spilled. That’s unavoidable in this business. You should know that better than anybody. It’s not like your father’s hands are clean. I could tell you some stories,” I say.

“I didn’t want to hear them from him, and I certainly don’t want to hear them from you. Some things are better left unsaid. Maybe that’s something you should consider before you open your mouth to tell stories that are not yours to tell,” Valeria replies.

“This attitude is fucking hot. Do you know what would be even hotter?” I ask. The question hangs in the air waiting for her response.

“I’m afraid to,” she says.

“I don’t think you fear anything. There’s ice water running through your veins. It’s in the blood. You can only deny it for so long,” I say.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What makes you think you know anything about me?” She asks

“I didn’t grow up in this world as you did. I scratched and clawed my way to the top. I wanted to make myself bigger than life to show my father that I could amount to something more than some graduate of a technical training school,” I say.

She has this uncanny ability to make me say things I wouldn’t say to anybody else, including Leo. It’s almost like she has a spell over me, but I know one surefire method to break it.

One hand takes hold of the bottom of her dress as I press forcibly on the back of her neck with the other.

She bends to convention but not by her own free will. The slight gasp is a little surprising, but I enjoy a woman who invites pleasure and pain in many forms. Valeria tests my limits, but I don’t feel constrained when I lift the fabric to see that my assumption is correct. The wet stain confirms her desire without her having to speak a single word.

“I’m going to scream,” she threatens.

I take the precaution of putting my hand over her mouth before she has a chance to attract the wrong kind of attention. She struggles in vain.

“Nobody is going to hear you. Leo is outside the door. He’ll make sure that we’re not interrupted. You need to understand your place. A man like me demands a woman to obey his every command. You’re the first to defy me. I’m going to tell you a little secret. I like the way you fight me. It makes it that much more exciting to see you succumb to my basic urges,” I add.

My eyes travel down the backside of her torso. Her body is a sinful and delicious example of a woman in sexual distress. Yet, she doesn’t try to fight me very hard. There is no scratching of my eyes or kicking me where the sun doesn’t shine. She likes being subservient, but I doubt she likes knowing that about herself. It’s that revelation that pushes me to unbuckle my belt and snap the black leather hard enough to make her jump out of her skin.

I place it next to her head. “You should’ve seen the look in your eyes. I don’t need anything other than my hands to teach you a lesson you will never forget. Let this be a reminder of what happens when somebody decides to displease me.”

She mumbles something, but I can’t hear her with my hand over her mouth.

I lick my hand for the maximum amount of contact with her skin. I don’t want her to know when it’s coming. She stares at me in the mirror.

This is my world, and everybody else lives in it.

Valeria

I should be thrashing madly, but I don’t for the reason that’s as old as time. This craving for the bad boy is not something I’m used to. It feels good to have no control over him, exemplifying a man of action.

“I’ve changed my mind. Screaming is what you want me to do. Do your worst. I’m not going to say one word. You won’t hear a peep out of these lips. Does this make you feel like a big man? It’s pathetic. I’m not a prize at the bottom of a crackerjack box. I have real feelings and opinions that matter,” I stress.

He places both hands on my cheeks with the white virginal panties visible. The material is a string of floss barely covering my smooth mound.

“Do you smell that in the air? It’s not napalm in the morning,” he snickers into my ear.

“I don’t smell a damn thing,” I counter.

“That is sex in the purest form. It’s that sweet aroma of surrender,” Caspian says.

It’s tempting to grab the belt and defend myself, but I know it would be pointless.

That first crack of thunder explodes when he brings his hand down.

I bite my tongue to hold back the scream. He allows a few seconds to follow that first initial strike. He wants to unbalance me. Looking at the woman in the mirror tells me she needs more of what Caspian can give her. It makes me feel subjugated and embarrassed to let him lay hands on me.

“This could have been easy, but you made it harder on yourself. I’m glad you did. Those meek and mild waifs do nothing for me. This gets me all hot and bothered. It’s the perfect recipe for when I get you behind closed doors under the sheets. I call this a teasing gesture. It shows you that I mean business,” Caspian whispers like a snake.

He spanks me several times, each one harder than the other. There are tears in my eyes, but there is also something else happening down below. The pain and humiliation have evolved into a pleasurable sensation.

One finger enters me.

My juices flow freely, and I shiver from the orgasmic rush of adrenaline pushing me beyond my boundaries, yet my emotions compel me to look at him with hatred and condemnation. It’s my fault for letting him think he has me where he wants me.

I could have run for the door. Why didn’t I is the question?

There’s no excuse for my behavior. My body betrays me with this torch of delight burning through my lower extremities. My eyes flutter in response to the intense stimulant of his finger stirring things to the surface.

I certainly didn’t know spanking was a form of pleasure and pain mixed into one delicious act of dominance.

He stops and takes a step back to admire his handiwork.

My skin is on fire, the juices streaming down my legs.

“I would say that hurt me more than it did you, but we both know I would be lying,” Caspian scoffs.

He licks his finger while watching me in the mirror.

“Are you happy with yourself? It takes a small man to overpower a woman. I don’t think you know what love is. Women feel much more deeply than men. We are not stupid. We know sometimes men say those three little words because they feel trapped. It doesn’t have to be that way. It could be a simple matter of mutual respect and desire. You think the only way to make a woman yours is by being masochistic,” I say.

The dress thankfully falls down to hide the way my body responds to his touch. But, unfortunately, it’s going to be hard to sit down while wearing the handprint of his dominance. His reputation is something that makes people fear to tread close without asking for permission.

“That is an understatement. Most men don’t know how to love a woman unconditionally. I’ve heard people say a happy wife makes for a happy life, but I don’t believe that. You are here with me for a purpose, but that doesn’t mean we can’t mix business with pleasure,” Caspian says.

I’m trying to hide the way my legs are shaking. My trembling hands are behind me, holding onto the black marble counter. It’s hard to trust myself when my body wants more than anything to take the full force of his masculine dominance.

“I don’t know how you expect me to walk out there after what you just did. They’ll see it on my face. I’ve never been able to hide anything from my father. This was a mistake. It might cost you more than you want to pay,” I say.

“I can handle your father. What I did here is what every man wants to do but is afraid to take matters into their own hands. Amazingly, some women love this sort of thing, and I think you are one of them. You’re going out there with a smile on your face if you know what’s good for you,” Caspian says on the way out.

“Where do you think you’re going. I’m not done giving you a piece of my mind. This is never going to happen again. You’re not going to get close enough to put your hands on me. You mentioned the honeymoon, but there’s not going to be one. This marriage isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. It’s nothing more than a facade. I never agreed to sleep with you,” I shout.

Caspian stops at the door with his hand on the handle, but he doesn’t say a word. There’s a sudden tension in the air. I said something to rattle his chain, and now I have to face the full wrath of a man that knows how to get what he wants.

“You just can’t help yourself. I’m going out there, and I expect you to follow. I think you should know one thing before I leave. Sex is on the table…in the bed...on the floor...up against the wall…” Caspian trails off, laughing into the hallway beyond.

His words send a cold chill down my spine.

I take a couple of steps and almost fall to my knees. I’m able to hold onto the wall for support. I open the door and immediately hear the buzz of people congregated in the dining area.

My mother appears with a drink in her hand. “I didn’t even know you were seeing someone. He is handsome. Are you happy?” She asks a loaded question.

“I don’t think that I have felt this way for another man,” I answer truthfully.

She hugs me, and I return the sentiment. The glass of champagne will help to dull her senses. She probably won’t remember this conversation. It’s better that way.

I try and avoid having to speak to anyone. It’s difficult being the bride, but I need to think. Then, it suddenly dawns on me that the honeymoon is going to follow the reception.

He looks over at me and lifts a glass. It’s easy to see that he’s undressing me with his eyes. It makes me feel naked and exposed. A small tremor of aftershock hits me hard enough to make my breath erratic. I know what’s waiting for me. God help me, but I have to admit the idea of letting him touch me again holds me hostage by the throat.