Deceptive Lord (Lords of Bondage) Page 4

  Eden climbed up the ladder and waited for Lord Woodcock. She shivered in the breeze and glanced toward the area of the boat that contained her clothing. It was lying where she had left it at the front of the boat. However, Audrelia was presently sitting in Vane’s lap and they were locked in a passionate embrace. Kissing a lord was definitely not permitted, but Audrelia did not look like she cared that she was violating that rule. She stood watching them, indecision weighing on her mind regarding whether or not to interrupt the couple. They could both wind up in a great deal of trouble if caught, but Nefertiti wasn’t around to catch them. Lost in thought, she had forgotten Lord Woodcock was behind her until she felt him bump into her. She moved forward a few steps to allow him to get onto the boat. She turned to face him. “There’s something going on over there. Should we say something?” He remained silent and his stare grew more intense. She noticed his eyes flash and turn a dark reddish color, which was odd. “You’re not listening to me, are you?” She needed him to help her figure out what to do about Audrelia and Vane, but he seemed to be preoccupied with his own thoughts. “I’m thinking maybe we should stay here for a few minutes and give them some privacy. What do you think?”

  He glanced at the couple. “Yes, let’s stay here.”

  Eden glanced toward the front of the boat again. Vane was trying to free himself from his tunic and Audrelia’s tunic was already pulled up to her hip. Going at that rate, the couple would probably be getting some action in less than ten minutes. She turned facing away from the other couple and laid down in the boat, hoping the sun would dry her tunic. Lord Woodcock sat down beside her and she could feel the weight of his stare. She tried to ignore her nervousness. She closed her eyes and tried to relax.

  A few minutes later, they were joined by Jules, who uttered an expletive when he saw the kissing couple. He stalked toward them and yanked Audrelia off Vane’s lap. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “What the fuck, Jules,” Vane complained. “Why don’t you mind your own business for once and go take a swim.”

  “You’ve lost your mind, Honeybone. You cannot hope to do such a thing and avoid discovery, and you know that Nefertiti would be unable to handle this kind of betrayal. She would try to have both of you killed,” Jules said.

  Audrelia shot him a look of defiance. “I don’t need your protection, Jules.”

  “He’s just using you for a simple fuck,” Jules said. “He doesn’t care about you.”

  “I don’t require caring. I’m only interested in the hard thing beneath his tunic, and for once, you can stay out of my affairs.” She rushed forward suddenly and threw her entire weight into his body, trying to push him overboard. He caught her and held her while she struggled.

  “You need to cool off,” he said as he threw her into the water. As a barrage of curse words were hurled at him, he dove into the water and swam after her.

  “Fuck Jules,” Vane complained. He stood and paced within the boat, clearly agitated. Judging from the state of his tunic, which was tenting, it appeared that Jules had put a stop to things before it had a chance to progress too far.

  Eden had stood when the commotion started and she watched as the events unfolded. Jules was angry and she realized he would probably never let them accompany the lords on any future outings. When her eyes met Vane’s, he stopped pacing and stared at her intensely. His hungry look made her feel naked, then it finally dawned on her that she probably looked that way. She looked down at herself and noticed that her wet tunic hid nothing. Her eyes slid toward Julian and she noticed that he was looking at her in a similar fashion. She supposed this must be the reason why the lords and ladies didn’t fraternize with each other.

  She walked toward the opposite end of the boat and stretched out, hoping that her tunic would dry faster if she laid flat on the bottom of the craft. She was absolutely drenched. If she tried to put on her outer tunic now, she would be stuck with two wet garments. She hoped that the wet tunic concealed her body well enough, but she had a feeling that it did not. Lord Woodcock sat down beside her and she felt burned by the heat of his gaze. “Stop staring. It’s not gentlemanly.” He ignored her and continued to stare. His gaze lingered on her chest, which made her all too aware of how her nipples protruded through the thin wet cloth. She found it harder to take a deep breath. “You could afford me some privacy.”

  “I could, but I still haven’t learned those qualities you spoke of earlier, like obedience.”

  Flustered, she closed her eyes and tried to block all of the lords from her mind. Her eyes opened when she felt his hand at her knee. “What are you doing?”

  “You do realize that you are naked, right?” Her tunic reached a couple of inches above her knees, leaving her lower thighs and legs bared. His hand slipped between her knees, parting them. With his other hand, he fingered the bottom part of her tunic.

  She looked into his eyes, which appeared to be subtly sparking red flames. “It’s not an invitation, and anyway, I’m not naked.” She could feel his hand on the inside of her thigh. She knew that she should stop him, remind him of the inappropriateness of his behavior. Looking into his unusual eyes made her feel mesmerized, trapped and held immobile. He pressed his hand against the wet cloth of her tunic, pinning it to the floor of the boat and effectively anchoring her in place. That hand of his was centered between her thighs, and although it did not brush against her bare skin, she was keenly aware of its presence. The intrusion of his hand against her tunic had stretched the wet fabric tightly against her feminine center. He appeared to be intensely studying the private details of her anatomy, which he had to realize was extremely inappropriate.

  He leaned closer to her. “I want you.”

  He could not possibly have said such a thing to her. He was not acting as a Flourdan male should; it was not even close. He looked as if he wanted to ravish her. It made her wonder what it would feel like. She had a feeling he would be naturally skilled in lovemaking and would leave a woman utterly satisfied. She shivered as one of his hands inched up her thigh. He leaned his body closer to her and his expression was of a carnal nature. She opened her mouth to tell him to stop, but instead gasped when her body quickened with arousal. Her mouth felt dry and she licked her lips, staring at him helplessly. She saw his eyes darken further and he placed his mouth near her ear.

  “You said that the ladies didn’t take lovers, but your friend seemed willing enough.”

  Her friend Audrelia had clearly lost her mind when she had allowed Vane to kiss her. The countess would not tolerate her ladies encroaching on her territory. All of the males belonged to Nefertiti, and that included Lord Woodcock. Since the countess was the head of Eden’s family, she could order her to be executed for her impropriety. “It would be far too dangerous.”

  The sounds of splashing water and raised voices interrupted them. Jules and Audrelia had returned. Jules shot Lord Woodcock a warning glance, causing him to move slightly away from her. Lord Woodcock looked at Jules. “Did you find out anything about that other boat in the distance?”

  “It wasn’t Roman, that is all I could determine,” Jules said.

  Eden watched Jules and Audrelia move to the center of the boat, then she returned her gaze to Lord Woodcock. His eyes were gleaming an unnatural color. “What is wrong with your eyes?”

  He closed his eyes briefly. “I have a condition of the eyes.”

  She had never seen eyes in such a condition, which suggested it was an uncommon one. Rare conditions were often serious and she wondered whether he was in danger of losing his sight entirely. “I’m so sorry, Lord Woodcock. Do they pain you?”

  He covered his eyes with his arm. “A little.”

  How terrible. She hoped he was not going blind. Her heart ached for him and she pulled him into her arms. His head fell against her chest and she rested her chin on the top of his head. A blind male would have difficulty securing a mate. “It must be awful for you.” She tensed as she felt him kiss the skin revealed by her low neckline, and she belatedly realized her mistake. She should not have tried to give him comfort. He was a virile male and she was an improperly dressed female. She pulled away from him. “We forget ourselves.” She moved a few more inches away from him and stretched out on the bottom of the boat. She watched him in silence, and to her, it seemed that everyone was acting awkward around everyone else.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Drest knew that he should have left Avenal by now. He had lingered too long, against his better judgment. He knew that the fair Lady Eden was one of the reasons he had delayed his return, and he knew that it was pointless to remain in Avenal for that reason. Despite what Eden had told him, he wondered if the ladies ever took lovers. He had been shocked to see Audrelia and Vane locked in a passionate embrace. He supposed that it was a desperate attempt on Vane’s part to wipe the events of last night from his mind. Submersing himself in mindless pleasure would probably only provide a few minutes of relief, but he couldn’t really blame the male for trying. He had heard about Vane’s rough night with the countess. She had bound him to the bed, beat him with whips and chains, inflicted him with verbal abuse, and passed flatulent gas in his face while she forced him to guess what she had eaten for dinner. According to Vane, the assault to his nostrils had been nearly as bad as the assault to his dignity. He couldn’t blame Vane for trying to get something on the side, since being forced to be with Nefertiti would be nightmarishly ghastly. He had noted how quickly Jules broke up the happy couple. The way in which he guarded Audrelia’s chastity made him wonder whether the male had feelings for her. He wondered just how often the lords and ladies got together. He had thought they did not interact at all with each other aside from the brief time spent at the mansion.

  There was still much he did not know about their culture. He had been surprised to see the ladies in the water, as Asstrumnian females considered the act of swimming to be vulgar. Their females kept their bodies covered at all times, which was different from the Flourdans, who often wore very little. When Eden had gotten out of the water and had climbed onto the boat, he had been momentarily left speechless by the sight of her. The wet tunic had turned completely transparent and had clung to her body, revealing pretty much everything. She had seemed unaware of her state of undress. She had tried to ask him questions, but her words failed to penetrate his brain. He had sat down beside her and stared at her body, wondering whether she would be receptive to his touch. Her eyes had been closed; judging by how relaxed she appeared while lying there, she was probably unaware of his interest in her. When she had questioned him about his eyes, he had felt a flash of panic. He could not afford to reveal his hybrid nature to her. His identity had to remain hidden to ensure the Flourdans remained ignorant of any hybrid interest in their affairs. He was surprised that she had accepted his explanation of an eye condition, but he would still have to be careful not to arouse her suspicions further. He would have to curtail his interest in the lady. It wasn’t like he could pursue her. His world was completely different from her world; it was also likely that tensions between their two nations would escalate to the point of war. It would be stupid to get involved with a Flourdan. He would leave tonight and return to Asstrumnia. He would likely need to wait until the others were sleeping, as he had not had any alone time. He couldn’t transport himself to his homeland in full sight of the Flourdans.

  ***

  Nefertiti had instructed that all of the lords line up on the stage for her again. He wondered why she persisted in this same routine, night after night. Did it not get stale looking at a line of naked cocks? Most of the males could easily pass as twins, with nearly all of them sharing the same physical traits. Flourda was not known for its genetic diversity. He felt uncomfortable when Nefertiti cast her greedy gaze toward him. Her eyes shone with desire, but her interest in him left him feeling queasy. He wondered how he could excuse himself without being noticed. If he could gain some privacy, he could transport himself to Ravenwood sooner rather than later.

  Nefertiti stopped in front of him and gawked at his naked body. “You will entertain me tonight in my private suite.”

  Despite the fact that he had not had a woman in a very long time, he was not anywhere close to being desperate enough to stick his cock inside that hideous creature. “I’m afraid I cannot pleasure anyone tonight. Perhaps another night?”

  “Lord Woodcock, I will accept no other cock but yours this night!” Nefertiti laughed, believing her play on words the most brilliant statement ever uttered. “I will not allow you to deny me. I spent much time carefully arranging the most perfect night to surpass all nights. The shackles are waiting to bind you hand and foot to the bed and my new Roman toys are weeping to be used on your naked flesh. My eunuch guards will happily convince you to comply.”

  He was met by a dozen eunuchs, who ordered him to walk with them. They did not even allow him to clothe himself. He was led upstairs to the countess’s suite. Inside, there was a parlor that she used for bed sport, and beyond the parlor, lay her private bedchambers. He was taken to the parlor, which was dominated by a large bed. There were chains, ropes, shackles, and whips in various places in the room. There were also strange metal items of unknown function displayed on a narrow table. It looked like a torture room, not a room for pleasure. Somehow, it suited the countess, because she was a deranged psychopath. The eunuchs ordered him to lie on the bed in a spread eagled fashion so they could attach him to the shackles at the corners of the bed. He resisted, and they grabbed him and dragged him forcibly to the bed. He punched some of the eunuchs, knocking them to the ground. Two other eunuchs grabbed his arms and restrained him. He kicked another one in the area that should have contained balls, had he had them. The disfigured male grunted and punched him in the stomach. Other arms grabbed his legs and he was thrown on the bed. While he struggled, they attached him to the shackles. He watched in horror as they placed a collar around his neck. The collar was attached to chains and they secured the other end of it somewhere behind his head.

  “You should not have done that,” one of the eunuchs said. “You are being given an honor, and you repay this kindness by assaulting the countess’s servants? You have much to learn.”

  Drest stared at them with defiance, but remained silent. He debated whether he should try to transport himself anyway, but he would have difficulty doing so with his movement restricted. He had to visualize a portal and then actually walk through it to transport. He was literally screwed and he knew it. They would pay for the indignity they caused; he would make sure of it. Minutes later, the countess arrived and questioned why some of the eunuchs were clutching various parts of their anatomies and groaning in pain.

  “Lord Woodcock refused to cooperate,” the eunuch said. “He acts like a frightened virgin. So pathetic. He is beneath you.”

  Nefertiti licked her lips and stared at the male bound to her bed with covetous eyes. “I do so long to have that delicious feast of man flesh underneath me.” She grabbed a leather whip from a peg on the wall and sauntered close to the bed. “If he was frightened before, he will learn the meaning of true terror after I am done with him.” She stared at the male on the bed with contempt. “See this whip? I will use it on you if you do not perform to my satisfaction. I will tame you as I tame my horses, with the whip. Let me tell you that it works well, as the horses know how to give a good ride. You will learn as well, whether you wish it or not.”

  “I do not desire you.”

  She frowned at him and struck him with the whip. “Does the horse choose its rider? Certainly not. It is the rider who selects the horse. And horses that cannot be trained are not kept in the stables.” She trailed her long fingernails down his chest, over his flat stomach, and down to his genitals. “I do so love to have a male bound to my bed, to be left to my mercy.” She cackled loudly and struck the whip forcefully against his thigh, leaving a red mark. “Sadly, this stallion is asleep. You cannot be ridden in your current state, for I cannot mount you. Ready yourself for me or I will have to discipline you with this whip.”

  He glared at her with murderous eyes as she removed her gown. The sight of her nude did nothing to arouse him. His every thought involved killing her, preferably using a slow method that would leave her in tremendous pain. He was not violent by nature; he was quite the opposite. He was not a warrior; he was a controlled and intelligent type of person, as well as an artist and a musician. Right now, he felt like going to war with the bitch.

  “I do not like my males soft!” She looked pointedly at his nether regions and hissed in frustration. “How can I make you gallop if you cannot even trot!” She hefted the whip and struck him forcefully on his legs. “I order you to display proper appreciation of my charms, you mule.”

  His flame filled eyes reflected his outrage. “Release me now. I have no interest in being your stallion.”

  She responded by striking him with the whip. After several minutes of voicing ineffective threats, she breathed a heavy sigh. “Eunuch, ready him for me,” she said.

  Drest yelled a string of obscenities as one of the eunuchs grabbed his sex and started to massage it. He desperately tried to break free of the bonds, but found he could not move. He threatened to murder the eunuch if he did not stop molesting him, and he must have gotten his point across, because the eunuch stepped away from him and started to cower.

  The countess looked at him with disgust etched on her red splotched face. “This display of violence from you will not be tolerated, Lord Woodcock. I will leave you in this room by yourself for some time so that you can meditate and calm yourself. We will begin again when I return.”

  He watched them all exit the room, and in moments, he was alone. He was in a rage, which would impede his progress toward breaking free of the bonds. He was only mildly skilled with the ability to weaken metal with his mind, so it would take some time. With only the briefest amount of effort, he turned himself invisible by bending the light around his body. It was a skill he had mastered long ago. It was not necessary that he make himself unseen, but it made him feel better. He concentrated on calming himself and focusing on the shackles. He felt some relief when the collar and chains were freed from his neck. Ten minutes into it, he felt a light object hit him just below his stomach. He glanced in that direction and saw that it was a silk scarf; it must have fallen from the ceiling. He tried to dislodge it, but it remained on his body.