Joseph Fallen (The Estate Series) Read Online Free PDF

  Her body hummed in anticipation of his
touch.   He lifted her body to remove
the robe from beneath her, but instead of idly tossing it aside as was his
usual practice, he pulled the belt from the loops of the robe before he dropped
the robe to the floor and turned back to her with an odd expression across his
face.
    “Would you like to play a game, beautiful?”   Heat filled his eyes as he rubbed his
hands up along the sides of her torso, her body quivering in response to his
touch.   His voice dripped with
seduction as he goaded her into a response to his question.
    “What kind of game?”   Her responsive question was hesitant and unsure, but she trusted Joseph,
and would go along with whatever he asked.   She’d never denied him in the time that they’d been married and he’d
never taken from her what she hadn’t willingly given.
    “Do you trust me?”   His breath rolled along her neck as he spoke into her sensitive skin.
    After Arianna nodded her consent, Joseph grabbed her arms,
lifting them above her head, before he secured one end of the belt over her
wrists and the other to the posts of the headboard.    She attempted to wriggle free, but
he’d tied the cloth too tightly to her wrists and her movement only caused the
material to bind her even more.
    Nervous laughter bubbled from her throat when she asked,
“Joseph?   What’s gotten into you
tonight?”
    His eyes darkened as he ran his nose along her jawline, down
further until his faced was nestled just above her breasts.   His voice slid across her skin, cold as
ice, when he answered, “I thought it wouldn’t bother me to see other men
staring at you hungrily while you flounced around tonight in that room.   I thought it would bring me pride to
know that my wife is desired above all other women…”   He looked up, his eyes covered over by a
sheen of what looked like anger, but the look was so foreign, Arianna couldn’t
be sure.  
    “…But instead of pride, I felt resentment; I felt a need to
stab out the eyes of every man who glanced in your direction.”   He moved his face to softly nip at her
breast and she jumped at the sudden sensation.   “I never realized how possessive I’ve
become of you, Arianna, and tonight, I intend to show you just how thoroughly
you belong to me.”

 

Chapter Four
    Arianna sat on the bench in front of the piano, her fingers
splayed motionlessly over the keys.   As usual, she’d spent her day cleaning her home and preparing a meal for
when Joseph returned from work before finally sitting down to absorb herself in
her instrument.   What began as a
light song, one filled with the staccato sounds of airy and harmonious notes,
had gradually shifted to a slower song made up of darker notes, discordant
harmonies and a flat tone that spoke of despondency and despair.   When she recognized the dreadful tone of
the song her fingers elicited from the keys, she stopped suddenly, pulling her
hands away from the instrument while tears fell down the pale skin of her face
to the ivory below. Examining her wrists, she allowed her eyes to brush over
the slight bruises that circled her skin where the belt had been fastened too
tightly the night before.
    When they’d awakened that morning, Joseph had been the first
to notice the bruises.   He
apologized profusely and blamed the alcohol he’d consumed as the reason for his
roughness when they’d made love. Arianna had stayed in bed while he’d dressed
and she’d failed to escort him to the door as was their usual routine.   When she’d finally managed the strength
to pull herself from beneath the covers, she stopped suddenly while walking
into the restroom, the mirror reflecting back to her eyes the reddened and
bruised marks on her breasts and body where Joseph had bitten her.  
    And now, under the light of the lamp that sat above her
music, those bruises and marks were made more visible; angry purples and reds
violently twisting around themselves, the