My skin sparked from touching her.

My stomach clenched with desire to take her.

She was blindfolded but not bound.

I’d rectify that before the night was through.

She stumbled forward with a laugh. “All right, who did that?” Spinning, her arms flailed, doing their best to catch me.

I parried backward, keeping my feet light.

She didn’t succeed in touching me, only the wind left in my wake.

Her lips pursed as she tottered forward, searching for my cage. “Q?”

Come to me, pretty Tess.

My heart pounded as I prowled around the room and came up behind her again.

And pushed.

You’re mine.

This time, she didn’t yield, forcing herself into the push and spinning fast.

A bit too fast.

I jumped back silently; a little closer to being caught.

Well played, wife.

I’d have to punish her for that.

Leaving her alone on the carpet for a few minutes, I followed as she gave up waiting for me to push her again and moved forward gingerly. Holding my breath, I slinked behind her, hand outstretched.

With nimble fingers, I grabbed the zipper on her spine. The dress she wore clung to her skin, but I slid the metal teeth down and down, so gentle and light, she didn’t feel the change in pressure.

Her snowy skin revealed inch by inch.

My lungs burned to breathe, and my cock strained against my own zipper to go to her. Be with her. Claim her right on the fucking hearth in this vast unknown castle.

Straightening her shoulders, Tess drifted on.

I moved with her.

My fingers never let go of the zipper, turning her dress from full garment into quickly fanning pieces of material.

Another few steps before the zip reached the base of her spine.

The neckline gaped.

Tess slammed to a stop, her hands flying up, finally feeling the loosening. With a gasp, she was forced to catch the soft dress as it gave up trying to stay upright.

“What on earth?” Reaching behind her with one hand, she found the half-undone garment.

I stepped back, smothering my grin.

Her voice was taut. “Who did that?”

I stayed silent, gritting my teeth at the swell of her just visible ass as the dress sighed around her arms. Her breasts peeked above the neckline, but her embrace kept her decency covered.

I loved the fucking tease of her body.

But I wanted her naked.

I wanted her panting and wet and begging.

I wanted my scissors so I could slice off every last shred of material and touch every inch that was mine.

Tess did her best to refasten the zipper, but it wasn’t a one person job. Quickly giving up, she huffed with frustration and dawdled forward. One arm clutched her modesty while the other stayed outstretched as a buffer for any obstacles.

Silly esclave.

The only obstacle I’d let her run into was me.

And nothing could save her once that happened.

She looked so sexy, so innocent. Her naked back so creamy and virginal for a whipping.

A growl percolated in my chest.

I bit my lip to stop from making a sound. Once again, I stalked her, letting her walk right past me as I found what I wanted on the sideboard.

A pair of scissors.

I didn’t know what they were used for; the blades were tarnished and dull. But they’d do.

Creeping toward her again, I snipped a small hole in the side of her dress, running the sharp metal with a quick slice around her waistline.

She stiffened and whipped to the side.

I ducked beneath her arm, continuing the slice around her torso to the zipper at the back. With a final snip, the silky material separated from the half-undone bodice and cascaded to the floor.

“Oh, no—” Tess scrambled to keep her dress from fluttering into ruin, but she had to make a choice: let her braless chest be on display or fumble at the bottom where her garter belt and beige tights complimented the white knickers that left nothing to the imagination.

This time, I couldn’t hold back my groan.

The staff had gone to bed.

Our friends had vanished at my bequest.

We were alone.

But it didn’t mean the castle didn’t have eyes in the walls and ears in the curtains.

I wanted to fuck my wife.

But I wanted to do it privately.

Stalking the small distance between us, I scooped her from the carpet and slung her over my shoulder. “Enough.”

“Q, wait—” She squirmed in my arms, her tiny fists on my lower back. “How did you move so soundlessly? I’ll never get used to it.”

I smiled ruefully. “The ability not to be heard comes in handy in most things.” I pinched her ass. “For parlor games and other reasons.” My trousers tented with my rock-hard erection. “I like watching you without you knowing I’m there.”

She trembled, prickling with energy.

My skin electrified with the thought of having her all to myself.

Just like I’d never played innocently with friends, I’d never played like this before.

Ruthless but loving.

Rough but fair.

My wife.

My equal.

I’d missed out on love and company in my life but now had so much more than I fucking deserved.

A small cry escaped her lips as I carted her from the great hall. “What are you doing?”

“Claiming my prize.”

“Your prize?”

I bit her hipbone, sinking sharp teeth into feminine flesh. “You.”

She shuddered in my arms, flinching a little as I bit too hard. “Did you have to ruin my gown?”