Who would have thought that Miss Sapphire Bleu would be married to Judge Gerard Hobson by a Lutheran minister in Kentucky, of all places?

But that’s what happened. In the end, Sadie got married in a dress she borrowed from May. She stood in the lovely parlor of Aunt Ethel’s house, surrounded by her sisters and the families that they were making for themselves. Truly, they didn’t need her anymore. May and Lucy were engaged and Daisy was courting and Lily and Junie were doing well in school. She had given them something more than motherly love. She had given her sisters the security with which to find their own way.

And now she was free. Free from jail and free from worry. They didn’t need her anymore.

But Gerard did.

“… Man and wife,” Pastor Lucas, May’s intended, said as he closed his bible with a snap. “You may now kiss the bride.”

She was married. She turned towards Gerard—her husband—and felt her head swim with the wonder of it all. She’s never dreamed that this would happen, that he would come for her. That she would be respectable enough to be married in front of her sisters.

She was so overwhelmed that she was momentarily frozen, but then Gerard leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips. Her eyes fluttered shut and one word formed in her mind. His. She was his. No matter what happened next, she belonged to him.

His lips moved to her cheek and then he was whispering in her ear. “If we were alone, I’d bend you over my knee and spank you until you begged for release.”

A shiver raced over her body as he leaned back and smiled that secret smile, just for her. But he did no such thing, of course. He was merely torturing her, making her wait for her reward.

Somehow, the afternoon passed in a blur. Her aunt had baked a cake and Lucy’s fiancée had brought wine and there was toasting and laughter and smiles.

Every so often, Gerard would lean over and whispers something naughty in her ear. “I’m going to tear that dress from your body,” he promised while sliding his hand up her leg underneath the table.

“When I get done tying you to the bed, you won’t be able to move,” he whispered another time under the guise of kissing her cheek.

By the time they were finally able to leave, Sadie could barely walk, the weight between her legs was so heavy with lust. With nothing more than his words, he’d already reduced her to shaking, shivering need.

The moment the carriage door was shut behind them, he had her pinned against the seat, his weight pressing down on her. She tried to shift her hips so that he could settle between her legs, so that she could feel the weight of his erection against her pussy, but all he said was, “I don’t think so,” as he straddled her with his legs on the outside of hers. He held her hands over her head with one hand with the other, lightly traced down her cheek to her neck to her breasts. She waited for him to tear her dress, but he didn’t. Instead he gently circled her nipples through the fabric and somehow, that was worse.
“Gerard,” she whimpered, writhing beneath him.

In the dim light of the carriage, she saw his eyes narrow and a shiver of fear went down her back. Suddenly, his hand was around her neck and he said, “You know better than that.”

She shouldn’t smile—but she couldn’t help it. “Judge Hobson?”

He leaned his weight against her throat. Her eyes went wide as she unexpectedly struggled to breathe. “Have you already forgotten how to play, my pet? If you can’t remember the rules, I won’t let you come.”

Yes, this was what she wanted. He had complete control over her and she was his. “Your Honor,” she wheezed and instantly the pressure was off her neck. His lips are placed his hands, kissing away the redness.

“It’s all right, my darling girl. It’s been too long,” he murmured, his tongue stroking over her sensitive skin. “We’re almost there. Can you hold on?”

Whimpering, she nodded. Then his weight was off of her and he pulled her up to sit on his lap, his arms around her waist. “I missed you,” he murmured into her hair. “I missed you so much.”

She looped her arms around his neck and held him. “You don’t ever have to miss me again.”

He let out a shuddering breath and then the carriage stopped.

Gerard handed her down and then tucked her hand into the crook of his arm as he led her into the nicest hotel in Lexington. He guided her up the stairs and down the hall until it felt like they had walked the entire length of the place. Finally, he stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall, the room farthest away from everyone else. He ushered her inside, every inch the gentleman.

The moment the door was closed, however, he slammed her back against it, covering her body with his own. “The rules tonight are that you must be very, very quiet. We wouldn’t want anyone breaking down the door because of your screams.” His smile was cruel and Sadie reveled in it. “Can you do that?”

She wanted to be able to say yes. But she was already so excited, so needy for him, that she couldn’t help whimpering.

“I know,” he said, stroking a finger down her cheek. “But it’s important, my beautiful girl. You must be quiet. Otherwise…” He cupped her cheek in his hand and stared down into her eyes. “Sadie,” he said seriously. “You told me once that I could not gag you until we knew each other better.”

That was one of her rules. She would not be gagged until she could trust a gentleman caller to understand her limits. She always needed to be able to say her safe word and that was hard to do with a rag in her mouth.

But she had married this man but a few hours ago. She was bound to him the rest of her life. He could do with her whatever he pleased and that? That pleased her. “My dear husband,” she said and was surprised to hear her voice shake. “I trust you more than anyone else in this world because I love only you.”

He rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. Sadie knew this was the calm before the storm, but she held him anyway. “And I will always earn your trust, my beautiful wife.”

Another moment passed and then, seconds before he moved, she felt the tension inside of him uncoil and the next thing she knew she was flying across the room, landing on the bed in an ungainly heap.

Gerard sank his fingers into her hair and jerked her head back. “Remind me to buy your sister another dress,” he said as he began to pull against the seams at the back. The neckline of the dress cut against her skin as he yanked until the fabric gave, tearing free of her body. He ripped pull the whole thing off her and she tried to shift to free her arms, but he grabbed her by the back of the neck and slammed her against the bed. She sprawled out, the dress half on and half off her body. “What are you going to do to me?” she asked, the anticipation driving her mad with want.

“Everything.”