The Captive Flesh by Cleo Cordell Read Free Book Online

and pain.
    She held his eyes by the force of her will as she leaned against the wooden edge of the platform. Kasim was silent, locked in private appreciation of Gabriel. She meshed her black-gloved fingers, gripping them tight, pressing them into the hollow between her thighs. Suddenly her climax wracked her, washing over her in great wrenching spasms, leaving her weak and spent.
    Kasim’s hard body supported her still. He was fully aware of what had happened. He said something under his breath and the hand that rested on her waist trembled. He too desired Gabriel, she could feel it. The thought excited her beyond measure. Could men be lovers? What things would they do together?
    Kasim and Gabriel. The darkest night and the sun. She imagined their bodies locked in a fierce embrace, and glimpsed a world of jewelled delights, hitherto unknown to her.
    She felt quite faint. Though her body was sated for the moment, she was confused by all she had experienced. The tight lacing of her gown restricted hermovements and she could hardly draw breath for the tightness of her throat. Her responses alarmed her. Suddenly the crowd seemed to lose its fascination. She wanted to get away from the crush of people.
    But poor Gabriel remained a prisoner.
    For a moment longer she looked at him. A thin trickle of semen ran down one thigh. Even as she watched, a last pearly droplet fell from the tip of his cock. Tremors jerked across his chest. He was sweating so much he looked oiled.
    The man with the lash drew away, grinning. The spectacle was over. She realised, belatedly, that the whipping had been incidental. There was no blood and the marks, though pink, were not raised, and plainly not too painful.
    Humiliation had been Gabriel’s punishment – not the lash.
    His master must have known him well to have chosen such a refined chastisement. As well, it seemed, as Kasim was beginning to know her.
    â€˜Come, Marietta. It is hot and dusty. There is nothing here for us now,’ Kasim said shortly, drawing her away.
    Marietta looked over her shoulder at Gabriel, who was still watching her. She mouthed ‘Thank you’ to him.
    Surprise, then the ghost of a smile passed over his remarkable face before his head sagged forward a last time and dropped onto his chest.
    Gabriel lifted his head and stared after the figure of the woman who had watched him.
    He felt grateful to her. Her presence in the crowd had dissipated some of his agony of mind. It had seemed, at the last moment before the explosion of pleasure came, that he was on show just for her – andit had not been so very bad. He had pretended they were alone, and the reflection of himself – which he had seen in her shining face – had made him proud to be beautiful. Proud that, though he could not hold on, and the crowd would have their satisfaction at his expense, he could give himself to her.
    The crowd did not matter. Only
she
mattered.
    And she had understood that, accepting what he gave her. She had even thanked him, shaping her lovely mouth around the silent word. Even through the haze of exhaustion and the shame which still burned in every line of his abused body, he held onto her image. While they untied him and led him away, he thought only of her.
    That perfect oval face, framed all in black, and the big blue eyes. Blue as the summer sky. Blue as flax flowers. Who was she? He had not heard of a blue-eyed slave. Such a one would be noticed. She had been with Kasim Dey, and Kasim was a friend of his master, Selim the jewel merchant.
    The merchant went often to Kasim’s house to do business. Gabriel might be taken, too, if he took pains to engineer events. He smiled, the strong well-shaped mouth curving richly. He knew what he must do to influence his master. Tonight he would beg to be allowed to pleasure Selim, protesting his contrition after the public punishment.
    Selim could resist him nothing when he had his buttocks pressed to Gabriel’s