Capturing her hand, he kissed her fingertips before wrapping one of the shorter lengths of rope around her wrist. He hauled her hand above her head and attached the cord to one of the spindles of the headboard. He’d have to remember to compliment Marcus on his choice of beds. For a man like Julius, the four thick posters and slotted headboard were a playground.
Straddling her waist, he sat back on her stomach and gave her a wicked smile. “Now that you can’t escape, I have a few questions.”
***
Each revolution of the rope around her wrist was a tether. A link to the earth that allowed her to float free without the fear of flying away. Her body sank into the feather mattress, and it felt like she was reclining on a cloud. The past hour drifted from memory like a bad dream.
She was safe, at home, with Julius. It had been rare in her life, those moments when she’d felt secure. Her father had robbed her of that when she’d turned thirteen. Newgate had been better. Most days she’d been snug in her little cell, separated from the world. But when the door opened …
No, she’d never been safe. So many took that feeling for granted. She never would.
He stretched her other arm to another post. No escape now. A tingle started at the base of her skull and shivered down her spine.
Julius misinterpreted its source. Rolling off the bed, he stalked to the fireplace and stacked more coal on the andiron. He prodded the mound with the poker. “There. That should keep you warm. Either that, or I will.” His smile was dark and dirty, and she definitely felt the heat.
Julius knelt on the bed and picked up the long length of rope. The purple-dyed hemp scraped across his palms. Amanda loved his hands. Large, with long, tapered fingers. More importantly, she loved the way he used them on her.
Crawling to her feet, Julius raised her ankle and rested it on his thigh. “In the East, I learned the human body is connected by a series of meridian lines. Applying pressure to certain points can cause either great pain or”—he pressed his thumb into the skin below the ball of her foot—“intense pleasure.”
Amanda arched her back, swallowing a whimper. Lightning raced up her leg and settled in her core before he eased his grip.
His large hands enveloped her foot, kneading the skin, soothing away tension she didn’t even know she’d had. She was putty in his hands. His to mold. Julius hit another spot, one that sent fire racing through her veins, and he smirked. If she wasn’t so boneless, she’d want to kick the smug right off of him.
He kissed the pad of her big toe and moved to her other foot. “You can learn the most interesting things, even in the worst of situations. When I was first taken prisoner, my captors delighted in causing me pain.” He lifted a shoulder. “That first month, I believe I received first-hand knowledge of every meridian point on my body.”
And his captors weren’t giving him lovely foot rubs, of that Amanda was sure. She’d known that he’d been tortured and wondered at it. His body was nearly without marks. But his gaolers hadn’t needed a blade or a club to break his bones. Her heart broke for the pain he’d endured. No one deserved it, but the kind, determined man in front of her less so than most.
“As time wore on, the daimyo learned of my elevated status in British society. For some reason, that mattered to him.” Julius twisted his lips, but his hands never stopped moving. “In their eyes, I became worthier of respect because I was the son of a nobleman. They shared their knowledge with me, and the ropes holding me became looser, the pain ended. Until finally the knot around my wrists was purely a formality.”
“Weren’t they afraid you’d escape?”
“They followed their own code of honor. As a nobleman, I wasn’t supposed to try to escape.Myhonor was supposed to forbid it.” Placing her ankle by his thigh, he slithered up her body and took her mouth. His kiss was bruising, possessive. Amanda couldn’t get enough.
“They were idiots.” He cradled the side of her neck, his eyes darkening to wet moss. “When it comes to survival, there is no honor. Only choosing life or giving up. And there’s nothing wrong with choosing life. Do you understand?”
She understood he was trying to reconcile her actions to his personal code. The back of her throat burned, and she swallowed down her pain. There was no comparison between the two of them. Her life hadn’t been in danger from her father; only her sanity, and that of her sister’s.
“I’m glad you chose life,” she whispered. Their faces were so close she felt her breath rebound off his lips and feather across hers. Wrapping her legs around his lean hips, she rocked her pelvis against the hardness trapped behind his trousers. “Most glad.”
He groaned. “I’m supposed to be sapping your will, seducing information from you. Not the other way around.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know I will tell you everything. That was the entire point of why I chased after the man. To tell you.”
One edge of his mouth slid up. “I know. But where would be the entertainment in that?” With one last kiss, he sat back on his haunches and reached for the rope. Her legs were splayed around him, her body open and aching. He gripped her behind the knee, adjusted the position of her leg. He wound the hemp around her upper thigh, one of the knots digging into her flesh.
“Arch your back,” he told her. She complied, and he ran the cable across her stomach and around her back before running it down around her other thigh.
Amanda bit the inside of her cheek. This was all very nice. Anytime Julius wound rope about her would be enjoyable. But the ropes at her thighs and waist didn’t immobilize her, didn’t provide any restraints. Her other experiences, she’d been cradled, her movement, and all responsibility, taken from her. The rope at her hips merely provided a nice scrape.
Scooting down the bed until he lay on his stomach, Julius settled her knees over his shoulders. “Now, for every answer you give me, you’ll receive a small reward. If you leave anything out …”
“What happens then?” Amanda forced her body to remain still. His face was so close to her most intimate parts, his focus completely centered on her body, it was difficult not to be discomfited.
But if she was going to feel abashed, she should darn well yield some benefit, at least. He was so close, his breath stirred her thatch of curls. She lifted her hips, wordlessly trying to demand his attentions.
Julius ran his thumbs down her folds, peeled back her layers. He ducked his head and blew.
Amanda jerked, the ropes tightening on her wrists. She licked her lips. “That feels quite nice. I don’t believe that creates a sufficient deterrent.”
