Wagered

4

Seeing Thomas the next day was like a nightmare. He kept trying to get Minerva to speak, but she had nothing to say. Then he wanted to get her to his room. And she vehemently denied him.

But Thomas knew to keep his mouth shut. The biggest question on her mind was what the men wagered on. Was it her virtue?

That afternoon Minerva retreated to the folly to paint and commune with nature. She brought a blanket and luncheon, planning to spend hours lazing about the pond with the swan.

As she painted a tree in the corner of the pond, a shadow covered her canvas. Immediately she knew it was Elijah. He always cast a shadow in her life.

Uninvited and without a word, he lay on the blanket beside her and watched her paint. The minutes ticked by as they sat in comfortable silence. She could feel his fingertips slide over a silk ribbon along her sleeve.

"Are you angry with me?" he asked.

"Yes, but it is not something to concern yourself with, for I don't think things will change," Minerva said as she blended the greens in the tree.

"No? Are you unwilling or unable to deny me?" he chuckled.

Minerva sat down the brush and turned to the man set on torturing her. He was lounging on his side with his head propped on his hand. "I'm not sure why you have targeted me for your mistress or conquest or whatever this is, but I'm older now..."

"Older?" he scoffed. "You are what...twenty-one?"

"Twenty-two and..."

"I'm thirty-five," he offered without any hesitancy. Men never were ashamed of getting older.

"Perfect age to find a teenage wife," Minerva said with a roll of the eye. "My point is that I may never have sexual relations..."

"Do you think I plan to fuck you?"

"Well, I assumed...uh, yes?"

"Hm, well, here is the thing, love...."

"What? But it seemed like..."

"Oh yes, I very much would like to destroy that cunt. In fact, nothing would give me more pleasure, but I have an issue..."

"Oh, from battle? Your penis doesn't work..."

"Ha! Hardly the case! It is in perfect working order. Perhaps that is my concern. I don't wish for any...bastards. And I'm afraid I would find it difficult to use a French letter or pull out when I'm buried balls deep in your wet cunt. So my solution..."

"You don't plan to have other men do that with me..."

"God, no! I'm not that much of a martyr!"

"Oh good, because I am not interested in Thomas or any other..."

"You seemed rather..."

"You aroused me. Because you appeared to enjoy another man..."

"Very much so, love. To see his eyes... you didn't look, but he was transfixed. Your cunt was flawless last night, pink and wet. And so fucking needy."

"So, uh, what do you plan if not to have sexual relations with me or have others...what..."

"You are more than just an ideal cunny, love. You have an ass and mouth. Both exceptionally suitable for fucking."

"Oh. Ooooh! Wait, no, my lord!"

Elijah reached out and tugged her arm a little. "Lay."

Minerva looked around a bit to see if they were alone and then awkwardly mirrored Elijah's position on the blanket. She still felt dwarfed by his looming size, like a mountain range beside her.

His scarred hand brushed away a stray lock of her hair as the wind blew between them. Minerva's eyes were anywhere but on the seemingly relaxed man before her. Given his ridged demeanor, it was unsettling to see him so filled with ennui.

"Look at me, love," he whispered as his fingers curled the hair behind her ear.

Minerva peeked through her lashes at the man that was a complete enigma to her. His handsome face always seemed to make her catch her breath.

"There you are. So, what were we talking about?" Elijah smirked, knowing the subject quite well.

"How if you do not wish to have sex with me..."

"Now, that is a bit of an exaggeration. I wish to, but I shall not. Poor Alex was forced into marriage and..."

"He loves Penny," she corrected him.

"I'm sure there is quite an affection. She is beautiful and evidently very subservient in the bedroom..."

Minerva tittered at the observation. "Perhaps in the bedroom..."

"No matter. My point being that I know Alex was not looking for a wife..."

"Untrue. Alex was actually planning to fulfill his duties..."

"Fine," he growled. "My point is that not having a child on the way would have given him more options - marriage-wise."

Minerva shrugged her shoulder. "But perhaps he didn't want more options."

"For fucks sake," he mumbled.

"Perhaps he wanted to ensnare her!"

"Now you are giving me even more reason not to fuck you..."

"I wasn't asking you to in the first place! I didn't ask you to corner me after dinner or follow me to that bench! I surely didn't ask you to touch me somewhere I've never been touched or give me my first kiss!"

"First kiss? Pft! Hardly!"

"Yes, it was! Obviously," Minerva said, thinking back to how amateurish she felt at the time.

"Obviously? Ha! Please, love, sell that to someone that is buying. No matter," his fingers traced down her jaw towards her chin. "The point is that you have no fear about my cock in your pussy. No fear about pregnancy or loss of virginity - if that is still an issue. Your worries should be assuaged. However, I think you made some promises about your manners. Didn't you?"

Minerva's eyes closed as memories and excitement coursed through her. "Yes, my lord."

"I have it in mind to punish you for some of the ways you've spoken to me today."

"Punish?" Minerva's eyes flew open. No one had ever punished her before. Her parents, although proper, did not care enough to discipline their children. Besides her flirtations with the servants, Minerva was a good child growing up, so they rarely even raised their voices to her.

"Mmhm. I sense that your parents did not formally introduce you and your brother to the world of discipline. It is part of why I have such a distaste for him."

"But you are here..."

"And pursuing his ideal bride and seducing his sister," he chuckled.

"Ah, I see. This," Minerva waived her hands between them, "has nothing to do with me but a bit of revenge for some wrongdoing of Michael's. I hate to inform you, but Michael could give a right shit about me or my good name so long as I don't burden his purse."

Elijah was laughing harder than Minerva expected.

"What?!" she asked.

"Ahhhh, I just find you so much fun to ruffle. Don't worry, love. I have no such designs for vengeance. It is just a happy coincidence," he lifted his hand to point toward the shaded folly away from prying eyes. "Go in and lean over the balustrade with your skirts around your waist. Underthings at your ankles."

Minerva blinked a few times as she processed the words. "Wh-why?"

"Your spanking, my love."