His Mistress (15 page)

“You’ve asked me not to lie to you, my Lady. I am not lying when I say that I know how to pleasure you.” His harsh response caused silence to stretch between them for a long moment.

“I want more than the promise of pleasure, Tobias,” she said in a voice that had lost all trace of amusement. “I want complete submission.”

An icy finger scraped down Tobias’ spine, and the ground shifted beneath his feet as he considered her words. In the past, he’d heard similar words from the Ladies he’d sought his release with. But
Mystère’s
words held a far deeper meaning than any Lady he’d ever submitted to before. Fear twisted and knotted his gut until he no longer felt the pain in his arms.

She was asking for a part of him he’d never shared with anyone, and he had no intention of doing so now. When he didn’t answer,
Mystère
closed the distance between them. Her touch gentle, she undid his lace straps then gently pulled his arms downward until his bound hands hung loosely in front of him. The fingers that had gripped him moments ago made short work of the silk tie wrapped around his wrists.

“You may remove the restraints from your legs and dress, Tobias,” she said quietly as she turned away.

It was a signal their play had ended for the evening. Dumbfounded, Tobias’ arm snaked out to stop her from walking away from him. The moment his fingers wrapped around her arm to hold her in place he knew he’d erred.
Mystère
jerked her head to look at him over her shoulder, her sapphire eyes stormy with anger. He quickly released her and bent his head.

§  §  §

Jane took a quick step back from Tobias and glared at his bowed head. The man had fought her every step of the way this evening, and now he had the audacity to protest her decision to end their evening. Even before she’d come to
La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres
this evening, Jane had accepted the fact that Tobias would not surrender tonight. But she’d been hopeful he would show some sign of yielding to her care. He hadn’t.

From the moment they’d entered the room, he’d merely played at succumbing to her commands. The knowledge left her with a great sense of disappointment. Jane closed her eyes at the unwelcome and foolish sensation. What had she expected? The beginnings of an understanding that would ease the awkwardness of marrying a man she barely knew? The possibility of a marriage that would bring them mutual pleasure in the bedroom?

It was not as if she were asking him to love her. In the back of her head, her subconscious awoke and laughed at her. She crushed the sound. Love would only make her a slave to Tobias, and she refused to let that happen. The sound of Tobias clearing his throat made her focus her gaze on his bent head.

“Forgive me, my Lady, I meant no disrespect. I had only thought to pleasure you as you have me.”

The sincerity of Tobias’ apology pleased her, but beneath the regret she heard the inflexible note in his voice. Renewed frustration rose inside Jane. Securing Tobias’ surrender required time and patience. That she’d lost sight of that in the past few moments made her wince. A more skilled Lady would not have made such a simple error. Self-doubt reared its head once more as she struggled with a growing sense of inadequacy. Her gaze slowly focused on Tobias once more, and she tightened her lips with determination.

“I told you what was required to earn the privilege of satisfying me, Tobias. You answered my command with your silence.”

“I am yielding to you now, my Lady,” he bit out.

“With great reluctance.”

Even with his head bowed and his weariness evident, he still projected the strength of an undefeated knight after a hard battle. She wanted to feel herself wrapped in that steely strength knowing she’d tamed the demons driving him to defy her. Jane sighed as she closed the distance between them. Her hands cupping his cheeks, she raised his head so she could read his expression.

His dark hair had fallen across his damp forehead, and she brushed it aside. He truly was beautiful, and she wanted him. She wanted him with a fierce craving that made her long to give way to his request. It was impossible to do so. If she gave in, he’d make use of that the next time they were together, and she would do everything in her power to have him in this room again.

Tobias turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand. His tongue grazed her skin in a heated kiss that made every nerve in her body explode with desire. Need clutched at her until she ached to give way to him and order him to carry her to the bed.

The thought made her flinch, and she immediately put several feet between them. If she gave in to her own need for pleasure, she had no doubt he’d believe himself the winner of their battle. He might never return to this room with her again, and she intended to do everything in her power to ensure that he returned.

A low growl of protest rumbled past his lips. It confirmed her suspicions. He was not ready to surrender. It would take time, and tonight he had to learn who was in control in this room.

“You say you’re yielding to me now, Tobias, but you could have done so at any point in our time together this evening,” said softly.

“If I’ve made you unhappy—”

“I’m not unhappy with you Tobias. In fact, you performed quite admirably tonight, but that’s the problem. It was a performance.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he snarled.

Jane heard the sudden note of panic in his voice, and her heart skipped a beat at the sound. It was a sign she’d touched something deep inside him. Possibly a place no other woman had reached before. She stepped forward and slid her hand into his thick, wavy locks to gently tug his head up. As she looked into his mahogany colored eyes, a savagery glittered there that indicated how determined he was to guard himself. As she studied the depth of anguish in his gaze, Jane wanted to weep. Whatever dark secrets he held close to his soul, they filled him with an incredible amount of pain.

“What did I tell you about lying, Tobias?” she said softly. “The only things allowed in this room are honesty and the acceptance that I’m here to care for you and your pleasure.”

“That should be the other way around, I think.” His voice was like ice cracking on a lake.

“No,” she whispered and brushed his cheek with her lips. “Caring for you
gives
me pleasure, and it’s my responsibility to ensure that I care for you both physically and emotionally. I can’t do that if you refuse to bend to my will.”

“If you’re looking for me to act the part of some weak-willed fool, that’s not going to happen,” he bit out fiercely.

“You are as pigheaded as they come, Tobias.” Jane released her grip on his hair with a slight shove of disgust. “I want a man who’s strong enough to surrender to me and only me. I don’t just want it. I expect it.”

“What you’re asking…” Tobias’ voice trailed off as he swiftly bent to untie the lace around his ankles. He threw them aside in a vicious movement, the muscles beneath his bare skin rippling with a raw, powerful beauty. She swallowed hard as he straightened to meet her gaze dead on. “You’re asking for more than I have to give.”

“Then there’s no more to say, is there?”

Defeat sliced through Jane as she turned and walked toward the door. She’d hoped to prove Angélique wrong, but her friend had been right. Tobias wasn’t about to surrender to any woman. The disappointment of his refusal cut deep. She hadn’t realized until now how much she wanted Tobias to
choose
to bend to her will. As her hand grasped doorknob, she heard him expel a loud whoosh of air.

“
Wait
.”

It was more of a command than a request. Jane stiffened slightly at his abrupt, authoritative tone, but released her grip on the knob and turned around. Tobias faced her in all his naked glory, proud, defiant, stubborn, and yet strangely vulnerable all at the same instant. It was his vulnerability she wanted. That was the man she wanted to reach. The man she wanted to free from whatever demons held him hostage. The thought was a breathtaking one, and she ignored the internal question as why she was so compelled to save him. When he didn’t speak, Jane arched her eyebrows at him in a silent demand.

“You’re asking for my trust.” His gaze dropped downward, and Jane immediately knew it was out of respect, as well as a need to protect himself from showing his inner turmoil.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m asking for,” Jane said with a slow nod of her head.

“I’m not sure…I can do that.”

Tobias’ face and voice were devoid of emotion. If he’d been a stone statue he could not have been any less still. The urge to go to him tugged at Jane, but she didn’t move. Instinct told her they were at a critical juncture. She needed to tread lightly if she were to achieve her goal. She clasped her hands in front of her.

“Trust is the only thing that will work between us, Tobias. Without it, there’s no point in going forward.” He didn’t reply, and she squeezed her hands together until her fingers stung in protest. Quickly swallowing the knot in her throat, she drew in a quick breath of air. “If you’re willing to trust me, Tobias, then be here a week from tonight standing
there
stripped to your bare skin waiting for me.”

Jane gestured toward the section of the room where a pulley hung from the ceiling and its ropes dangled all the way to the floor. Without any further instructions, she wheeled around on her heel and left the room. The door softly snapping closed behind her, Jane pressed her hand against the wall as she struggled to quiet the butterflies in her stomach. Laughter echoed in the hall behind her, and feeling herself suddenly vulnerable, Jane darted along the corridor until she reached Angélique’s private quarters.

Bernadette was quick to answer her knock and offer Jane a welcoming smile. Jane barely acknowledged the woman’s greeting as she entered the suite and hurried into the dressing room Angélique had provided her. The moment Jane close the door behind her, she tugged the silk ties of her mask apart and jerked the burgundy domino from her face. Dear God, what had she done? Trembling, she crossed the carpet to sink down onto a green lounge sofa. Hands clasped in front of her in an effort to calm herself, Jane closed her eyes.

Angélique’s training had given her the skills to make a man submit, but this was not what she’d expected. The confidence she’d placed in her abilities had left her blind to the ramifications of agreeing to Tobias’ offer to serve her. Her heart pounding, she drew in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly in an effort to stop her body from shaking so badly. She’d barely regained some semblance of composure when the dressing room door opened with a rush of air.

Jane jerked with alarm as Angélique swept into the room with a quiet rustle of black silk. Concern furrowed the Frenchwoman’s brow as she hurried forward to take Jane’s hand in hers.

“What is it, Jane. What has happened?”

“It’s Tobias.” Jane shook her head as she tried to put her thoughts into words. “He…he…did as you said he would. He made it a game of submitting.”

“Oh
ma chérie
, I was afraid this would happen.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Jane said with a shake of her head. “I reached something in him tonight.”

“What do you mean?” Angélique asked with a frown of puzzlement.

“I told him a strong man would surrender to me and would trust me to care for him.” Jane noticed her hands had stopped trembling as she remembered how Tobias had commanded her not to leave. “He balked at my condition, but he didn’t refuse either.”

“And did you come to an agreement?”

“No,” Jane shook her head. “I told him that if he were willing to submit to me, he’d be waiting for me a week from tonight.”

“Do you think he’ll come?” There was a guarded note in Angélique’s voice that made a smile of irony curve Jane’s mouth.

“I don’t know, but while I didn’t state it outright, I’m sure he knows I’ll not see him again if he doesn’t return.”

It was a chilling thought. She hadn’t realized it until now, but if Tobias didn’t come next week, it could jeopardize everything. She’d already taken a great risk even agreeing to let Tobias serve her, but what had happened between them tonight could change her life completely if he didn’t return next week. Jane swallowed hard as Angélique patted her hand in a gesture of confidence. Gently, the Frenchwoman nudged Jane’s shoulder with her own and smiled.

“Then we will think positively,” Angélique said in a firm, matter-of-fact voice. “It is a good sign that he even discussed the possibility of submission with you,
ma petite
. He has never done so with any of the Ladies he has been with in the club.”

“And if he doesn’t come?” Jane looked at the Frenchwoman with a mixture of fear and worry.

“That is for us to consider then. The future is yet undecided, and until then, we will not think of it.”

T
obias leaned back in his chair and stared at the paperwork in front of him. It had taken him most of the week, but he’d finally narrowed down Angélique’s list of possible traitors to three names. The most obvious suspect was Ashcroft. Tobias knew he was biased where the Viscount was concerned, but he couldn’t help believing the man was guilty.