Her Lord's Claim (The Forbidden Saga #4) - Maggie Ryan Page 0,18

Every moment that passed made her need to confess grow within her.

As the last couple left, Lucas drew her to the foyer where their banns had been hung. He turned her to face the glass cabinet, her back against his front as he slid his arms around her waist. Lucy leaned back against him as he quietly read the words of their banns aloud. When he finished, he bent to kiss the top of her head.

“Lord Lucas William Henry Huntington,” Lucy softly read from the document. “I didn’t even know your full name. I don’t know how you wish me to address you.”

Lucas smiled and bent to whisper into her ear. His breath caused her to shudder, and her stomach to flip as he spoke.

“That is something else I will teach you, kitten. You will spend the rest of your life learning many lessons,” Lucas whispered and then moved his lips closer, lightly kissing the lobe of her ear.

Lucy’s body instantly reacted to his words and his touch. Thoughts raced across her mind, and her face heated with the realization that many of them had no place in a church. She couldn’t suppress the tremble as her eyes closed briefly, knowing the lesson she would be learning soon enough would certainly not be a pleasant one. She nodded as she opened her eyes and turned in his arms. She lifted her face to his. “I’ll try to be a good pupil,” she said softly.

Lucas pulled her close. “Did you learn anything this morning?” he asked quietly. When Lucy nodded her head, he shook his, adding, “Tell me,” before moving to set her away from him.

Lucy took a deep breath as she attempted to gain control over her emotions. She didn't want to talk; she simply wanted to rest her cheek against his chest, wanted to close her eyes and draw comfort from the arms wrapped around her.

Lucas lifted her chin with his finger, tilted her head back until her eyes met his again. “Tell me, little one,” he instructed again.

“To… to obey and sub… submit,” Lucy whispered, her voice quivering. She took a deep breath. “To accept that I will be punished.”

When she didn’t continue, Lucas prompted, “When will you be punished, Lucy?”

Lucy discovered that confession wasn’t as easy as just speaking words… not when each one she needed to say was heavy with meaning. “I’ll be punished whenever I’ve chosen to disobey you. When I’ve chosen to be nau ... naughty.” No, not easy in the least as speaking them aloud put the blame in exactly one place… on her.

“How and to whom shall you submit, kitten?” Lucas asked.

Lucy felt as if they were the only two people in existence at this moment. All it took was a glance to know that this man was perfectly capable of forcing her to do whatever he wished. He was more than twice her size and could easily overpower her. But to know him was to understand he’d never even consider such a thing. While she knew in the deepest part of her soul that this was the one man who would demand everything from her, things she had no knowledge of how to give, he wasn’t a man who’d ever take what she wasn’t willing to give. Despite her ignorance, her heart was pounding with the anticipation of more than just a promised spanking.

“To you, sir,” she whispered, her eyes softening. “To you in all things.”

“That’s my good girl,” he said, and his smile made her heart stutter. “That lesson will serve you well, kitten.”

Lucy blushed but nodded. They both turned when they became aware of someone approaching.

Reed swallowed his jealousy as he approached the couple, a packet of papers in his hands. Throughout his sermon, he had not seemed able to allow his eyes to stray from the beautiful young woman. She had appeared to be listening attentively to his words as if she were drinking them in to quench a deep thirst in her soul. Her upturned face and wide eyes had repeatedly drawn his gaze to her. The yellow of her dress beckoned to him like a sunflower drew a bee to drink deeply from its nectar. He felt his cock stir beneath his robes as he wondered how this little tart’s honey would taste on his tongue. He watched as she looked up and met his eyes briefly, before immediately flushing and lowering her gaze, her hands dropping to her sides to twist in the fabric of