The slap reverberated around the room. Jason gritted his teeth trying desperately to keep hold of his temper. Daphne started towards the door but Jason caught hold of her wrist, his eyes steely.

"You're not going anywhere until we've got this settled. Daphne glanced coolly at his hand and then back to his face. Then she brought her foot down on his. Hard.

Jason gave a furious growl and exploded into action. Grabbing her, he swept her off her her feet and headed toward the bedroom. Daphne gasped in anger.

"How dare you!", she bit out, starting to jerk and kick as violently as possible. Daphne knew that she would probably hit the floor hard but she didn't care. Luckily for her, they had reached the bed when she finally came loose and landed on the bed.

He was on her in a second, his body pinning her to the bed, his mouth finding hers. With a muffled cry of rage, she jerked her head away and got her first good look at him. He loomed over her, the fury in his eyes telling her more than words ever could that he was very, very serious about this. She went cold.

"Damn you, Jason. This is rape!" Very deliberately, he shook his head. "No, this won't be rape," he answered quietly, "Because, I'm going to make you beg for me, over and over again."

Daphne gave an incredulous laugh. "Never." she replied scathingly, "You're crazy if you think you'll ever hear ME beg!"

"Before this night is over," he promised softly, "You will."

She threw all her strength at him, surprise on her side, heaving him off her. He rolled off the bed but caught her arm and dragged her off with him. They hit the floor hard, Daphne lying momentarily stunned, the breath knocked out of her. It gave Jason enough time to flip her over, get to her zip, and yank her gown to her waist.

She drew in a breath of outrage before fighting to free her arms, trapped in the tangled sleeves. Jason took the moment to tear his shirt off, a couple of buttons bouncing on the floor, and reached for his trousers.

Daphne finally managed to get her hands free and shoved her gown the rest of the way. Now unhampered, she sat up and backhanded him, knocking him off balance.

"You bastard!", she snarled as she sprang to her feet and took off. She sprinted half-naked through the living room and had thrown open the closet door to grab her coat when she was jerked back and thrown over his shoulder in a fireman's lift.

"Goddamn you, Jason", she yelled, coat dangling from her fingers, "You'll never get away with this." The next moment she was flying through the air, landing on the bed with a thump. He advanced purposely towards her but she was ready for him.

She kicked out with her strong legs, catching him in the stomach. He doubled over with a loud whoosh while she scrambled for the other side of the bed. Unfortunately for her, Jason flung himself across the bed, grabbed hold of her ankle and hauled her ignominiously, inch by inch, back into bed.

Truly desperately now, she sat up and tried to backhand him again but her wrist was caught in an iron grip. Instinctively, she tried to pull his hand off. A bad move. Effortlessly he caught her other hand, then pulled them high over her head, forcing her down with his body.

Gasping, Daphne strained her muscles, desperately trying to raise her arms as he leant over her to pick something off his bedside table. She only glanced up in horror as something soft wrapped around her wrists and tightened. Jason swiftly finished tying the ends of his silk tie to the brass bedstead before drawing back, panting, to finger his bruised jaw.

It was only then that real, dark rage washed over her. Jason saw it swirl into her eyes, the power of it exciting to behold. She was now a truly dangerous woman.

"You will pay for this", she promised softly, dangerously. "If it takes forever, you will pay for this." Jason's eyes swept slowly over her body, sending blood rushing to the surface of her skin.

"Right at this moment, my dear", he answered derisively, " I don't give a damn."

He backed away and started to finish undressing. Cheeks flaming, Daphne closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping her face impassive. She had never felt so defenseless as she lay there tied to the bed, clad only in her underwear. But the one thing that had her cringing was that she was already moist and ready for him. The fact that she had been so physically aroused by their tussle humiliated her almost unbearably.

Jason was already regretting putting her through such humiliation, but no matter how much he loved and understood her stubborn pride, Jason knew that he would have to teach her a lesson now or she would forever be treating him as a punching bag. And whether he liked it or not, he was already too aroused to stop.

She felt it when he slid into bed beside her, warm and vibrant. She stiffened, prepared for the assault. Then unexpectedly, she felt his hand slide slowly but surely down her side. She cursed herself furiously. With that simple gesture, he had successfully set her entire nervous system tingling unmercifully.

Jason moved in closer and smiled. He loved strapless bras. They seemed to epitomise feminity to him because they were held up by nothing but a woman's natural curves. He rubbed his cheek lightly against the fabric. Black lace. Very fine and very soft. Sensuously, he lifted a finger and gently outlined the edge of the lace, traveling up the gentle slope and then down into the perfumed valley between her breasts. Slowly, he curled his finger under the flimsy lace. Then he ripped it off.

Her eyes flew open in shock as his mouth slashed down on hers. Ruthlessly he plundered her mouth, trying to provoke her into a response. she began to fight him; kiss for kiss, bite for bite.

Swiftly, he dragged his mouth from hers, trailing a line of hot kisses down to her throat. Suddenly, he sensed the power flow back into her so he was ready when her taut body shifted beneath him, then arc in a vain attempt to throw him off. Jason put his weight on her, forcing her down, then nipped her neck sharply, leaving a clear red bruise.

Daphne closed her eyes again in misery. There was pain here aplenty, in her as shame and in him as regret. But the worst of it all was that they were both too emotionally involved to stop now.

Her breath started coming in pants as his mouth began to move over her collarbone, his hands holding her steady beneath him. He reached one ivory breast and teasingly began to draw wet circles around her rosy nipple with his tongue. Delicately, he taunted her as he danced nearer then further from her sensitized peaks, making her fight to keep in control of herself.

Then just as suddenly as he came, the teasing lover was gone as Jason finally claimed her throbbing nipple. Daphne managed to swallow a cry but lost control of her body as Jason drew on her peak harder and harder. Gasping, she arched like a bow as Jason swirled his tongue around her, sending hot lighting streaking down to her groin.

Then as if he understood, his knee pressed down between her legs, a second before she could lock her ankles together. She knew she could never resist an attack from that quarter, so she squeezed her thighs together in a last, heroic attempt to thwart his questing hands. Easily, he parted them once more, moving his leg up and letting his hand trail over her stomach into the wetness between her legs.

The double stimulation was too much for her to tensed body to bear. A stifled cry burst from her as she arched into his body, her hands twisting and jerking futilely above her. Kissing her nipples and finding the perfect rhythm with his fingers, Jason kept her senses at fever pitch, reveling in the feel of her body moving beneath his.

Then suddenly, he slipped his fingers into her. Daphne froze, every muscle in her body tensing up as she focused on that secret part of herself. Jason raised his head from her breasts to better concentrate on her and what he was about to do.

Slowly, ever so slowly, his fingers slid in and out of her, his thumb carefully brushing against her clitoris. Gasping, she responded to the rhythm, every movement an agony for her, as tense muscles strained to move to the painfully slow motion of his skillful fingers.