Page 66 of A Bride for the Sinful Duke

“Careful, Juliet,” he warned quietly as he stepped even closer to her. “Do not try to push me further when I am already on the edge. Cease your childish tantrum and tell me what happened. Iinsist.”

Juliet took one step backwards, her heart thundering in her ears. “I do not know why you are being particularly insistent when we both know that you cannot be bothered to care. I amtired, Hector. I simply wish to rest.”

Without another word, he grabbed her wrist again and dragged her down the hall and into a room.

“Hector, what…” The end of Juliet’s question was lost when he pushed her against the door.

Gripping her chin, he tilted her head back, so she would focus solely on him.

“It is truly a marvel how easily you disrespect me,” he told her in a cautionary tone. “You clearly did not learn your lesson during your last punishment. Perhaps we are long overdue for a review.”

He pressed his lips to hers in a harsh kiss and silenced her wrath.

CHAPTER 23

Juliet wanted to resist him, just to see what would happen, but she already felt trapped and helpless, and it wasn’t long before she pressed closer and grabbed onto his shirt for support as her knees weakened.

Hector pulled her hands off him and pinned them to the door above her head. One hand held her hostage while the other moved to her hip and pushed her apart from him. Juliet felt him consume her as he kissed her roughly and deeply.

I still want more of him.

As he pulled back, Juliet whined in protest. Hector smirked at her as he leaned forward again.

Instead of resuming their kiss, he trailed his fiery lips down the column of her throat, making her shiver with delight.

“Hector…”

“Shhh,” he whispered, his breath hot on her skin. “You will need to be patient, dearest. Today, you must demonstrate your best behavior. Can you do that for me?”

Juliet nodded quickly, desperate to do anything as long as he kept touching and kissing her.

“Very good,” he mumbled against her jaw, sending chills running down her spine as she arched her back against the door.

God, this man will be my death.

Hector tightened his grip on her hands before he instructed, “Keep your hands up here. If they drop, I shall double your punishment.”

Juliet nodded again, feeling even more desperate than she had been moments ago. Hector took his hand off hers and pressed closer to explore her mouth again.

It took every ounce of self-control Juliet possessed not to curl her fingers into his hair and pull him closer until her clothes could no longer mask the passion burning beneath her skin. She needed more, but she wanted Hector to remain pleased with her.

Juliet was so mesmerized as his sensuous mouth licked, sucked, and nibbled hers that she did not notice that his hands were deftly undoing the buttons and knots of her dress.

It was not until he lowered her hands and slipped her out of the dress that she realized he had been hard at work. She stood before him in her thin chemise, a deep flush spreading from her cheeks to her neck. As he caressed her face, his hungry gaze wandered over her body.

“You are truly far too beautiful. I do not understand how anyone could have left you in that place to waste away when you were clearly created for much bigger things,” Hector grumbled as he gently pulled her away from the door.

Hector moved to stand behind her and nudged her forward towards the bed as his hands tugged and lifted her chemise.

“Bigger things?” Juliet questioned, gasping as he pushed her onto the bed and landed on her front. “You mean being your wife?”

A sharp sting of pain on her buttocks made her realize a few things simultaneously.

Firstly, Hector had raised her chemise high enough to expose her entire bottom. Secondly, she was in vulnerable position underneath him, unable to see what he planned to do to her.

Thirdly, something white-hot was unfurling within her, erasing all of her thoughts and rendering her useless.

I am completely at his mercy.

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