The Duke's Reform by Fenella J Miller

tongue from the roof of her
mouth.
          With slow
deliberation he placed his candlestick on the ormolu table beside the bed.
Isobel shivered— she feared her bladder would empty. Why didn't he speak?
    'Tonight, madam, you brought
disgrace to my name. The last time you did this I warned you what to expect. I
am master in this house and it’s high time you learnt what happens when you
disobey me.'
    His words were clipped, each one
enunciated clearly. This was the voice of a madman. He stepped forward and
slung her over his shoulder like a sack of flour and, ignoring her protests, he
carried her into the anti-room in which she took a bath.
          'You disobeyed
me. You have only yourself to blame for this.'
          The door slammed
and she heard him pushing a large piece of furniture against it. She was shut
in a freezing room in only her nightgown. How dare he treat her like this? She
was not a recalcitrant child to be punished. There were no other doors in the
room and she couldn't escape into the servants' quarters even if she'd wished
to.
    She pressed her ear to the door. His
footsteps faded into the night. Slumping onto the icy tiles she hugged her
knees and tried to stop her teeth from chattering. How long would he leave her
here to freeze? After an hour she was too dispirited and cold to do more than
huddle in a corner praying for release. She shivered and froze for what seemed
like hours before she heard him removing whatever he'd used to barricade her
inside. She scrambled to her feet.
    His voice reverberated through the
door. 'I hope you have learned your lesson, madam.'
    She would never forgive him. Rage
overwhelmed her—she was blinded by it—her fear and misery burned away by its
ferocity. The door swung open and she sprung forward snarling with anger.
    Before he had time to react she
lashed out punching him squarely in the mouth. His teeth ground into her fist,
his lips split, but she ignored the hurt that travelled up her arm. He reeled
back, blood dripping from his mouth, his eyes wide. Not giving him time to
retaliate she punched him with her left hand. This connected with his eye.

She was incapable of speech. Her
cheeks were awash with tears of rage. He stepped away from her shaking his
head, wiping blood from his mouth with his shirtsleeve. She turned to see what
she could snatch up to hit him and her fingers closed around a candlestick. As
she lifted it, his hand grasped her wrist and he prised it from her.
    'Enough, little firebrand, there are
better ways of venting your spleen than that.' He flung her full length onto
the bed, his weight pinning her down, then held her
arms on either side of her head. She bucked frantically to get free.
    'Alexander, I beg you, not like
this. Haven't I been punished enough tonight?'
    He disregarded her plea, trapping
her. His tongue invaded her mouth—she could taste his blood. He took the two
sides of her nightgown and ripped them apart leaving her naked and exposed. His
lips closed on hers but they were not hard but soft, persuasive, seducing her
into submission.
    He trailed hot kisses down her neck;
taking a nipple into his mouth he nipped it gently between his teeth. Her
treacherous body began to respond. Although she hated him, was still imploring
him to stop, inside her primitive urges took over. It had been too long since
she'd made love to him.
          The
all-too-familiar heat spread rapidly until she was unable to control herself.
His mouth teased— he sensed she was willing. He was a skilled lover and she was
helpless as his fingers worked their magic. Down her shoulder, caressing her
breasts, then lower to the very centre of her being. Her anger evaporated
beneath the heat of her desire— a wildness flooded
through her and she grabbed his shirt and tore it from his shoulders.
    Keeping his mouth on hers he
stripped off his remaining garments then, red hot skin covered her from head to
foot. She clawed his back, imploring him, biting his