I am not letting you leave,” Raoul thundered at her.
Sabrina leaned over towards him.
“Yeah, well, if you don’t tell me, I will find someone who will. Francine looks ready to burst with what she knows. I am sure with enough persuading I will get it out of her. Then there’s the police. I am sure they are going to want to talk to me at some point. I will ask them. You won’t be able to keep them away from me. What are you frightened of, Raoul? Are you frightened I might find out that you had something to do with all of this?” she shouted, yanking at the case.
He had pushed her too far. He lorded over her as though he held all the cards to her memory and her life, and he would dictate how and when she would recover it. It didn’t matter that she’d been submissive in their marriage before; she wasn’t going to have it now.
Raoul’s eyes narrowed to a sharp point, but despite the sudden tenseness in her shoulders, Sabrina was determined to stand her ground. Raoul pulled hard on the suitcase and took possession of it. He threw it to the floor, then took two steps towards her. It took every ounce of effort not to move back away from him in fear. His tall muscled figure towered over her small form. She titled her chin defiantly at him. No way was she going to back down on this. She put her hands on her hips and braced herself for what he might do next, remembering last night.
“I am only going to say this once more, Sabrina, and I don’t want it raised again,” he said in a smooth voice that was doing its level best to keep calm and not erupt. “I have never hurt you. I have never wanted to hurt you and I did not beat you, rape you, or kidnap you. Do you understand me?”
Sabrina stared into his eyes looking for something, anything that would confirm her reluctant suspicions that he was lying, but she could see only pain and hurt. No matter how she continued to deny it, to distrust him, he was breaking down her defences and convincing her of his sincerity and love. Slowly she lowered her eyes.
“I understand. So convince me it wasn’t you. Let me find out what happened. This is my memory, Raoul. It’s not yours to rule.”
She heard him take a breath to calm his anger and then curse under his breath in French. She raised an eyebrow and gave him an indignant, impatient look.
“You have just earned yourself another spanking on account, Sabrina, and you are perilously close to earning a stay in the tower room strapped to the bed until your behaviour improves.”
She lowered her eyes and stared at the floor, resignedly penitent. Once more she apologised. But her meekness was to be rewarded.
“There were signs of a struggle in your study. The police found out later that some drunken idiot heard you arguing with a man there.”
“Why was I in my study and not with you at the party?” she quizzed, confused, backing away from the dark look in his eyes warning her of more punishment. As if to confirm it, he picked up his riding crop and smoothed his thumb over its rounded end, studying it closely as he talked. Bravely, she persisted.
Raoul sighed, obviously uncomfortable with their conversation.
“You were avoiding me,” he said flatly, staring at the picture on the table she had picked up earlier.
Sabrina furrowed her brow.
“Why would I do that? Did we have a row or something?”
Infuriatingly, Raoul turned and walked to a door at the other end of the room, giving her a tantalising glimpse of the way his jodhpurs moved in perfect moulded unison with his tightly muscled thighs and buttocks. To her annoyance, she found herself staring at the magnificence of it all. She could tell by the gentle lift of his lips from the side that he knew she was watching. Damn it. He still held the riding crop, reminding her she need to tread warily in her conversation and not be suspicious of his love for her. She already had two spankings on account.
He turned on a light to reveal a large walk-in closet. Sabrina
Sabrina leaned over towards him.
“Yeah, well, if you don’t tell me, I will find someone who will. Francine looks ready to burst with what she knows. I am sure with enough persuading I will get it out of her. Then there’s the police. I am sure they are going to want to talk to me at some point. I will ask them. You won’t be able to keep them away from me. What are you frightened of, Raoul? Are you frightened I might find out that you had something to do with all of this?” she shouted, yanking at the case.
He had pushed her too far. He lorded over her as though he held all the cards to her memory and her life, and he would dictate how and when she would recover it. It didn’t matter that she’d been submissive in their marriage before; she wasn’t going to have it now.
Raoul’s eyes narrowed to a sharp point, but despite the sudden tenseness in her shoulders, Sabrina was determined to stand her ground. Raoul pulled hard on the suitcase and took possession of it. He threw it to the floor, then took two steps towards her. It took every ounce of effort not to move back away from him in fear. His tall muscled figure towered over her small form. She titled her chin defiantly at him. No way was she going to back down on this. She put her hands on her hips and braced herself for what he might do next, remembering last night.
“I am only going to say this once more, Sabrina, and I don’t want it raised again,” he said in a smooth voice that was doing its level best to keep calm and not erupt. “I have never hurt you. I have never wanted to hurt you and I did not beat you, rape you, or kidnap you. Do you understand me?”
Sabrina stared into his eyes looking for something, anything that would confirm her reluctant suspicions that he was lying, but she could see only pain and hurt. No matter how she continued to deny it, to distrust him, he was breaking down her defences and convincing her of his sincerity and love. Slowly she lowered her eyes.
“I understand. So convince me it wasn’t you. Let me find out what happened. This is my memory, Raoul. It’s not yours to rule.”
She heard him take a breath to calm his anger and then curse under his breath in French. She raised an eyebrow and gave him an indignant, impatient look.
“You have just earned yourself another spanking on account, Sabrina, and you are perilously close to earning a stay in the tower room strapped to the bed until your behaviour improves.”
She lowered her eyes and stared at the floor, resignedly penitent. Once more she apologised. But her meekness was to be rewarded.
“There were signs of a struggle in your study. The police found out later that some drunken idiot heard you arguing with a man there.”
“Why was I in my study and not with you at the party?” she quizzed, confused, backing away from the dark look in his eyes warning her of more punishment. As if to confirm it, he picked up his riding crop and smoothed his thumb over its rounded end, studying it closely as he talked. Bravely, she persisted.
Raoul sighed, obviously uncomfortable with their conversation.
“You were avoiding me,” he said flatly, staring at the picture on the table she had picked up earlier.
Sabrina furrowed her brow.
“Why would I do that? Did we have a row or something?”
Infuriatingly, Raoul turned and walked to a door at the other end of the room, giving her a tantalising glimpse of the way his jodhpurs moved in perfect moulded unison with his tightly muscled thighs and buttocks. To her annoyance, she found herself staring at the magnificence of it all. She could tell by the gentle lift of his lips from the side that he knew she was watching. Damn it. He still held the riding crop, reminding her she need to tread warily in her conversation and not be suspicious of his love for her. She already had two spankings on account.
He turned on a light to reveal a large walk-in closet. Sabrina
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