you?» A muscle
flicked in Captain Gray’s cheek and his eyes narrowed. «That is
one of the most insulting things anyone has ever said to me.»
Robert tried to shrug away the pain. «What would you like me
to say, sir?»
«I’d like you to tell me what you really think and I’d like you
to kiss me, but I doubt I’ll get either of my wishes.»
«I don’t know, sir. If you ask Lord Minshom nicely, perhaps
he’ll hire me out for your use.»
Captain Gray briefly closed his eyes. * Robert, I can only
apologize for making such a mull of this. If you ever want to talk
to me about anything, please come and find me. I am truly
concerned about you and I want to help.» He hesitated, his gaze
flicked to the cook who seemed oblivious to the drama going on
behind her. «I know some of the reasons why you stay with
Minshom, I have some of the same memories, but I... God, I
miss you and I’m afraid for you.»
52 / Kate Pearce
Robert returned his gaze to his cup and kept it there, his
whole body shaking with the urge to get up and find comfort in
Captain Gray’s embrace. He heard the captain sigh and then walk
away. Not chasing after him, not taking this second opportunity
for freedom, was one of the hardest things Robert had ever had
to do.
SIMPLY INSATIABLE / 53
6
Jane’s steps faltered as the doorman opened the last door at
the end of the narrow dark hallway. Blaize placed his hand in the
small of her back and urged her firmly over the threshold before
closing the door behind him. Jane stared at the black and red
painted walls, the bare birch floorboards and the racks filled with
instruments for sexual pleasure, and slowly swallowed.
She’d never imagined such a place existed, but now that she
was here, she could see how her husband might thrive in such
threatening sensual surroundings. Even with her, his sexual tastes
had run to the unusual and the extreme. And here was a place
where there seemed to be no boundaries except those imposed
by the men and women inhabiting the space.
It took her longer to focus on the people in the room, most of
whom had stopped what they were doing to stare at her and her
husband. A tall brown-haired man wearing just a long shirt came
toward them and went down on his knees.
«Lord Minshom.»
Jane looked back at Blaize, who barely acknowledged the man
kneeling at his feet. His gaze scoured the room as if he was
looking for some particular person. Was he hoping to see the
infamous Lord Anthony Sokorvsky, expecting his lover to come
back to him after all? Jane prayed he hadn’t. She had plans for
her husband that didn’t include a previous lover.
Minshom took her hand and walked her farther into the room
until she faced the largest wall of implements. He selected a short
54 / Kate Pearce
whip and then turned back to the man who had remained on his
knees by the door.
«Mr. Shaw. Did you miss me?»
«Yes, my lord.»
Jane shivered at the silken anticipation in her husband’s voice
and pressed herself back against the wall. She watched as
Minshom strolled across the room, the tip of the whip tapping
against his thigh.
«Why did you miss me?»
«Because you give me what I need, my lord.»
«And what is that, Shaw?»
«Pain, my lord.»
Shaw shuddered as Minshom trailed the whip over his
shoulders and down his back. Jane licked her lips and drew her
arms around her waist as if to protect herself from Minshom’s
beguiling tone.
Minshom glanced over at his wife, smiled when he saw her
attention was riveted to the scene he played out for her benefit.
Well, not entirely for her benefit—he was enjoying it too,
enjoying her watching him even more, if he was honest. Shaw
was an easy mark, his pleasure at being thrashed a legacy of his
school days that required little effort to satisfy. But Jane didn’t
know that. He hoped she’d only see the man cowering before
him and hate him for what he was about to do.
«Place yourself on the
flicked in Captain Gray’s cheek and his eyes narrowed. «That is
one of the most insulting things anyone has ever said to me.»
Robert tried to shrug away the pain. «What would you like me
to say, sir?»
«I’d like you to tell me what you really think and I’d like you
to kiss me, but I doubt I’ll get either of my wishes.»
«I don’t know, sir. If you ask Lord Minshom nicely, perhaps
he’ll hire me out for your use.»
Captain Gray briefly closed his eyes. * Robert, I can only
apologize for making such a mull of this. If you ever want to talk
to me about anything, please come and find me. I am truly
concerned about you and I want to help.» He hesitated, his gaze
flicked to the cook who seemed oblivious to the drama going on
behind her. «I know some of the reasons why you stay with
Minshom, I have some of the same memories, but I... God, I
miss you and I’m afraid for you.»
52 / Kate Pearce
Robert returned his gaze to his cup and kept it there, his
whole body shaking with the urge to get up and find comfort in
Captain Gray’s embrace. He heard the captain sigh and then walk
away. Not chasing after him, not taking this second opportunity
for freedom, was one of the hardest things Robert had ever had
to do.
SIMPLY INSATIABLE / 53
6
Jane’s steps faltered as the doorman opened the last door at
the end of the narrow dark hallway. Blaize placed his hand in the
small of her back and urged her firmly over the threshold before
closing the door behind him. Jane stared at the black and red
painted walls, the bare birch floorboards and the racks filled with
instruments for sexual pleasure, and slowly swallowed.
She’d never imagined such a place existed, but now that she
was here, she could see how her husband might thrive in such
threatening sensual surroundings. Even with her, his sexual tastes
had run to the unusual and the extreme. And here was a place
where there seemed to be no boundaries except those imposed
by the men and women inhabiting the space.
It took her longer to focus on the people in the room, most of
whom had stopped what they were doing to stare at her and her
husband. A tall brown-haired man wearing just a long shirt came
toward them and went down on his knees.
«Lord Minshom.»
Jane looked back at Blaize, who barely acknowledged the man
kneeling at his feet. His gaze scoured the room as if he was
looking for some particular person. Was he hoping to see the
infamous Lord Anthony Sokorvsky, expecting his lover to come
back to him after all? Jane prayed he hadn’t. She had plans for
her husband that didn’t include a previous lover.
Minshom took her hand and walked her farther into the room
until she faced the largest wall of implements. He selected a short
54 / Kate Pearce
whip and then turned back to the man who had remained on his
knees by the door.
«Mr. Shaw. Did you miss me?»
«Yes, my lord.»
Jane shivered at the silken anticipation in her husband’s voice
and pressed herself back against the wall. She watched as
Minshom strolled across the room, the tip of the whip tapping
against his thigh.
«Why did you miss me?»
«Because you give me what I need, my lord.»
«And what is that, Shaw?»
«Pain, my lord.»
Shaw shuddered as Minshom trailed the whip over his
shoulders and down his back. Jane licked her lips and drew her
arms around her waist as if to protect herself from Minshom’s
beguiling tone.
Minshom glanced over at his wife, smiled when he saw her
attention was riveted to the scene he played out for her benefit.
Well, not entirely for her benefit—he was enjoying it too,
enjoying her watching him even more, if he was honest. Shaw
was an easy mark, his pleasure at being thrashed a legacy of his
school days that required little effort to satisfy. But Jane didn’t
know that. He hoped she’d only see the man cowering before
him and hate him for what he was about to do.
«Place yourself on the
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