Sleepless Night

Yeah, the number of people who'd witnessed that embarrassing moment was astounding. That room could have held well over a hundred people. I hadn't had much time to count heads, but at least half that had been present and had learned that I had used a dildo on myself before marriage.

His hands grabbed the fabric of my dress and started collecting it in his grip, pulling it up higher and higher, exposing my legs.

"My honor is fine, Ian."

He shook his head, a dark lock of hair falling over his forehead. "She insulted you, insinuated that your motives were not pure." The last word had a thick roll of the 'r'. "I gave you that rod. I haven't touched you, just as I promised. But knowing you were preparing yourself for me only makes what we have stronger, what we share tonight so much better." He growled when his hands cupped my bottom. Only a thin layer of underwear—what were they called, drawers?—separated my bare skin from his palms. "What we do together will ne'er be shared, Alexandra. Your body belongs to me. Your pleasure belongs to me. It isna for Glynnis or anyone else."

I shook my head. "No, of course not."

"Good." I was facedown over his lap before I could cry out in surprise. He'd kept my dress rucked up as he moved me and as I tried to rise, he brought his hand down on my bottom.

"Ian!"

"Shh, lass. What we do together is nay for anyone else. While all of them out there know we're going to fuck, I don't want them to hear it. The same is for your punishments."

"Then don't spank me," I muttered.

He laughed and gave my bottom a playful swat. Reaching around my waist, he tugged at the string on my underwear and worked it down over my hips so I was bare to his gaze. All mirth stopped, though, when he stroked his palm over my bottom.

"You'll take your punishment like a good girl, then you'll show me how you played with that rod. I'm sure you were a very naughty lass."

While his words were damn hot, I had to push him. Why? Because perhaps women in historic Scotland were like proverbial doormats, I wasn't. "Do you want me to be a good girl or a bad girl?"

His hand came down on my butt and the crack of it was loud in the room.

"Ow!" I said, trying to wriggle. He held me fast, even hooked his leg over mine to pin me in place. All I could see was his muscular calves and the dark hair on his legs. With another spank, I reached back to try and cover my bottom, more out of instinct than pain, and he took hold of my wrists in one hand.

"You're both, Alexandra." I loved the way he said my full name. Surely he could see my wetness on my thighs. "You're a good girl in front of others, and you can be as dirty as you want when I'm fucking you."

Spank. Spank.

I cried out, for he wasn't being gentle, but I imagined it wasn't the hardest he could strike either. While it smarted and stung, it was more humiliating than wounding. In fact, the idea of being over Ian's thighs was surprisingly erotic. I'd never been spanked before, but it totally worked for me. I was into more than just insert Tab A into Slot B. I wanted play. I wanted kink. I wanted to be dominated, and Ian was sure as hell doing that.

"Keep quiet, lass. Remember, only I get to hear you have your pleasure, whether it's from pain or sweet seduction."

I moaned, albeit quietly. "More," I murmured.

"You want more?" His hand stilled on my bottom, the hot flesh tingling against his palm. Slowly, his fingers slipped down to my pussy and slid through my folds. I was so wet I could hear it. "Ach, lass, you are a naughty thing."

His spanking, while it struck everywhere across my bottom, not one spot left untouched, did not become harder. I slumped down over his thighs, giving over to his domination. There was no other word for it. I was pinned over his knees, my bottom raised, hands trapped behind my back. I couldn't move. I could only take what he wanted to give me. And I wanted this. Oh, man, did I ever.

With one final stroke over my very red bottom—I couldn't see it, but I could feel how red it must be—he lifted me back up to stand before him, once again between his parted knees. My dress fell back to the floor.

I was nervous and felt awkward. I'd just been thoroughly chastised by a spanking. What did one do after that? With my head dropped, I glanced up at him through lowered lashes. Although I had keen desire pumping thickly through my veins, this man was a stranger. A stranger who'd just spanked me and discovered that I got off on it. While he seemed to know me, I'd only been in his presence a matter of minutes. So while my body screamed yes, my mind was getting in the way. I wasn't one to sleep around, no matter how eager and horny I was. No matter how much I liked his personal brand of kink. I needed foreplay or something, and spanking wasn't enough.

"I know ye are no a virgin, being married as ye were to Duncan for two years." The sarcasm and bitterness in his words were obvious. A frown marred his brow.

It was the second mention of Duncan. I had no idea who he was besides having been my husband, nor what happened to him,

although I could easily assume he was dead since I was married once again. Divorce in Scotland some centuries past was certainly not considered. In this instance, it was fortunate I'd had some experience. Modern times Lexy was no virgin either. "Ian, I—"

"Nay, lass. It was not your fault, and I don't blame ye. Your da was a bastard and married ye off to one. It is all in the past now. Finally." I wished I had some idea of what my previous husband had been like. It was obvious that Ian hated the man, hated my father as well, so perhaps it was better that I didn't know, since it seemed that time had been pretty miserable. He raked his gaze over my body as if I were a possession that he could finally claim as his. "Ye are mine now."

Goosebumps broke out on my skin. Ye are mine now. I reveled in the caveman quality of those words. Belonging to Ian was definitely not a bad thing. Based on the look in his eye, the way his hands continued to grip the arms of the chair, it seemed he was holding himself back. It was as if he'd been waiting all his life for just this night. Just like me. I just hadn't imagined it would be in historic Scotland.

"Duncan told me ye were a frigid bitch." His voice was a dark growl.

The words were like a slap to the face. I straightened my spine and stepped back, offended.