Love's Savage Bonds Read Online Free Page A

candlelight of the
study.
     
    “My God...” he breathed the words, as
if to himself. He reached out his right hand, and let its fingers caress her
wind-whipped hair. Catherine shuddered, quaking with fear. Fear and...
something else? For an instant the picture flashed into her brain of those
strong fingers of his ceasing their light stroking, and instead locking in her silky
tresses, gripping her with such force... she shook her head, as if to throw off
both his touch and her own disturbing thoughts.
     
    The fingers left off stroking her
hair... and she saw his eyes drop to where her chest heaved for breath under
what remained of her nightdress. His eyes took on an expression as though the
treasure he'd sought was never in her husband's study at all— but was right
here, now, in his grasp.
     
    His hand now moved to her chest... and
his fingers undid the top button!
     
    An enraged scream emerged from beneath
the cloth binding Catherine's mouth, but Charles Redmond seemed not to notice.
She squirmed as well as she was able, but her bound arms soon made contact with
the wall behind her, leaving her nowhere to go to escape her captor's
intentions.
     
    Catherine now began to whimper behind
her gag, as Charles moved his hand to the next button.  Her arms strained
as she pulled at her bonds…
     
    And if my hands were free… what
then? She tried to imagine herself
clawing at his eyes like an animal... but somehow, she couldn't quite see that
picture. The only picture that would come consisted of Catherine's naked body
writhing beneath large, strong hands that played her like a fine violin.
     
    And, in fact, his hands hadn't ceased,
and Catherine could hear his breath quickening at the sight of his exquisite
prize, a quickening that matched the gasps coming from beneath her gag.
     
    She closed her eyes, gritting her
teeth. He would do what he would with her, that was clear. And she, helplessly
bound, had no choice, did she?  No choice but to give her body over, to
submit to...
     
    “ Damnation! ”
     
    Catherine’s eyes snapped open at the
sound of the curse; she blinked back tears, fully expecting to see him towering
before her, exposed and rampant.
     
     Instead, he was standing several
feet back from her, staring down at where she lay captive, glaring blackly… but
still fully clothed.
     
    “By God, that's what he'd have led you
to expect, isn't it?” He was breathing heavily, as though mastering himself had
been a form of physical exertion, and slowly came to stand over her again. “No
doubt my brother has told you what a monster I am. No doubt you'd expect such a
man to take low advantage of his helpless prey.” His face was now inches from hers,
intensity radiating off it like sunburn.
     
    Catherine was sure she should choke
beneath her gag as she tried to get breath through the stifling cloth. The
fierce visage before her far eclipsed in raw emotion anything that her husband
had ever demonstrated.
     
    “Damn you, stop looking at me!”
Charles' voice was hoarse as he reached to his throat, and pulled away the
white cravat; it appeared to be somewhat worn, but clearly of the finest silk,
and he held it before her face.
     
    Catherine managed a horrified shriek
into her gag, picturing the silk wrapped about her own throat, slowly
constricting it. Instead, as she flinched, Charles lifted it to her face,
passing it over her eyes.
     
    He wound the scarf savagely about her
head, barely allowing her time to close her eyes as the cloth pressed down upon
them, shutting her away into a primal darkness. She felt two passes of the
cloth wrapped around her head, trapping her long hair against the back of her
neck. The knot that fastened the blindfold in place was tied sharply and
firmly. Catherine whimpered into her gag, overcome by the feeling of
helplessness in this man's hands.
     
    After securing the blindfold, Charles
seemed to pause; Catherine could hear his heavy, ragged breathing, and she
suddenly felt