Princess Avenger - Brightcastle Saga Book 1 (11 page)

“What is it,
Captain? What has disconcerted you?” Should she mention this
attraction between them? Could she make such a fool of herself?
What if he didn’t experience that zap every time their skins
chanced to touch?

“Never mind,
Princess.”

Her heart fell
at the formality. “Please call me Alecia, at least when we are
alone.”

He came to
stand before her. “It wouldn’t be proper. I must remember what
stands between us.” His eyes narrowed. “When you stare at me like
that…”

Alecia
dropped her eyes.
Goddess!
She had
forgotten her fears of discovery in the excitement of the lesson.
She could not afford to do that. Her heart pounded as he stood over
her; she imagined him tortured with love for her that he could
never express. What did he mean “I must remember what stands
between us”?

He held out
his hand and helped her to her feet. Alecia rested her hands on his
chest to steady herself, just as she had that very first day. His
muscles tensed. Suddenly reckless, she twined her right arm around
the captain’s neck and pressed the length of her body against his.
Her eyes were very close to his lips; strong, sensuous lips that
parted in a gasp. What would it be like to be kissed by such a man?
Alecia raised her eyes to Vard’s and let the yearning inside her
show. All of a sudden, she didn’t care if he knew her secret. His
pupils became huge, the gold specks all but lost in the fullness of
his desire. She pressed closer.

The war of
emotions in Vard’s face captivated her. Restraint fought arousal
and ice battled fire. Fear of what might happen next trickled in
past her fascination, but then his mouth descended on hers and
every coherent thought evaporated. Walls of restraint within her
she hadn’t known existed crumbled and she moved against his body as
his mouth crushed hers. She curled both arms around his neck and
pushed closer, delighted at the way their bodies fit.

He groaned as
his arms wrapped around her, moving across her back and buttocks
and finally up to caress the side of her breast. Now it was
Alecia’s turn to moan as desire surged through her, sweeping her
along until she was suddenly afraid of losing control. She pulled
away.

He stood
gasping, his arms hanging at his sides. In a split second, the
longing in his eyes turned to horror. “We shouldn’t have done
that,” he said. “
I
shouldn’t have
done that. Please accept my apologies.”

Alecia
shivered, the intensity of the moment replaced with cold formality.
“I am a woman and you are a man. We did nothing wrong.” Would her
father see it that way? What if someone had seen them? Alecia
looked around the meadow. Their horses swished their tails at the
other end. It was high time they were on their way.

Vard gathered
up the quivers. “Can you walk, Princess?”

“I will be
fine.” She stalked ahead, managing to stay in front of him all the
way to their mounts.

They rode home in
silence. Vard didn’t try to draw the princess into conversation.
What could be said after what had transpired? He still reeled with
shock, though he hoped he had disguised it from the princess. She
had awoken something within him he hadn’t thought he possessed. He
wanted her like he’d never wanted any woman, but he couldn’t have
her. Was it her very unavailability that heated his blood? Perhaps
the wise move would be to abandon his plan to kill Zialni, resign
his commission and leave Brightcastle. Leave Alecia to the mercies
of the prince and whomever he chose to marry her. There would be
other women and other posts. The thought sent a pain through his
chest.

From his
position just to the rear, he admired the princess, the straight
set of her shoulders and her poise. No matter her brave front, she
couldn’t hide her inner turmoil from him. Shock and confusion
radiated from her, hitting him in waves that made him grit his
teeth. He tried to block her distress from his senses, but the
memory of her lips moving beneath his, of his body moulded to hers,
aroused him again. What was it about her that stole his breath? He
imagined her naked, their bodies entwined…
No!
He must stop this. Frustration and anger began to
build. He had to contain them or risk the life of the woman he had
sworn to protect.

“Princess,” he
said, “let’s push on to the castle. Your father will be waiting.
Don’t allow your horse to run ahead.” Vard kicked Swift into a
canter and drew abreast of the princess. It would be another bad
night tonight.

Alecia dismounted
and handed her reins to Billy, the stableboy she had nearly run
down the day before. That seemed a lifetime ago. On another day,
she would have stopped to chat with the lad, but after her
experience in the meadow she did not tarry. She strode into the
castle, leaving her bow and quiver with Vard.
Heavens!
When had he become Vard instead of Captain
Anton? She knew exactly when!

By the time
she reached the base of the broad staircase she was running, and
careened into Ramón at the top of the stairs. The squire hit the
wall with a grunt. Muttering her apologies she hurried on, anxious
to be away from scrutiny lest her control slip. Her chamber door
shut behind her with a bang and she leaned against it, pressure
mounting behind her eyes.

She
covered her face with her hands and groaned. Her world had been
ripped apart while Vard had been moved not a jot. Oh, she was
foolish indeed to think she could steal a kiss from a man like that
and suffer no consequences.
How little I know of men
. She had not expected…could not have known…In
that one instant of madness, she had become a woman in every sense
of the word. Her body longed for the hard strength of a man against
it, and not just any man. She had never felt this desire for Jorge.
Her feelings for her lost love seemed a water color compared to the
vibrant oil masterpiece she had just experienced with Vard. Was
this love?

No!
She could
not love a man she had known for so little time, and Vard had made
it very clear he was not interested in her. Well, perhaps he had
been distracted by the kiss; he had certainly seemed to enjoy it.
Her heart raced anew at the memory of his hands on her breasts and
back; the thrill, the heat, the hunger he had evoked within her.
She recalled the hard passion of his lips and her stomach lurched,
a fierce burning in her core reminding Alecia of what she had
wanted to happen next. She would not have allowed it and neither,
it seemed, would Vard. Next time, when she was not so caught by
surprise…

There cannot be a next time!
She pulled her hands from her face. Somehow she
must rebuild her world around this abyss that had opened in its
midst.

There was a
knock at the door and she took a moment to compose herself before
opening it. Ramón stood without. The large purple bump on his left
temple loaned him an air of danger.

“I have your
bow and quiver, Princess,” he said, eyes concerned. “What has he
done to you?”

“I do not know
what you mean.”

Ramón took a
step forward and Alecia brought her hands up to fend him off. The
squire stared into her eyes then reached out and gripped her
fingers. “You can tell me. We are friends, are we not?”

Alecia’s eyes
dropped. She needed to talk about her feelings for Vard, but not
with Ramón. He could never give her the advice she required and
would be even more hurt than he was already.

“Alecia,”
Ramón said, his fingers tightening on hers, “you know I care for
you. I cannot stand by and watch that man hurt you. Stay away from
him. You heard what he did to me.” His hand rose to his head and he
winced.

Alecia
bristled. “You say we are friends and yet you refused to see me
when I came to sit at your bedside yesterday.”

“I was angry,
but I am no longer, at least not with you. Captain Vard Anton I
would run through in a moment if I had the chance.”

“Please do not
try, Ramón. I could not bear it if anything happened to you.”

Ramón’s blue
gaze met hers and Alecia’s heart ached at the hope shining there.
“I could make you happy, Alecia.” He raised her hand to his mouth
and kissed her fingers. “Do you think His Highness would consider
me as a suitor?”

Alecia drew
her fingers from his grasp. “I do not know my father’s mind. All I
know is that he plans an arranged marriage for me and that he
wishes an heir within the year.”

Ramón gasped.
“That does not leave much time for courting.”

“I am sure he
has someone in mind.” Alecia stepped back to put more distance
between herself and the squire. She had to be strong; talk of her
impending marriage would only weaken her further, especially with
Vard’s embrace fresh in her mind. “We must remain friends
only.”

“Then that
must be enough,” he said. “Be on your guard against Anton. I have
seen the looks he gives you and it puts me in mind of a lion
stalking a gazelle. Do not trust him.”

Alecia sighed.
“He is my protector, Ramón. Are you certain your concern is not
merely jealousy that he may spend time with me and you cannot?”

Ramón raised
his chin, his eyes more serious than she had yet seen them. Alecia
caught a glimpse of the man he would one day become. Perhaps a man
that Vard could respect. “I have seen his face when he observes
you. I know what it means.”

“Thank you for
the warning.” She raised her hand to take the weapons from him. “If
you will excuse me?”

Ramón opened
his mouth but Alecia forestalled him with a shake of her head. He
bowed and handed her the bow and quiver then strode off down the
hallway. She closed the door behind him, her mind a flurry of
thoughts and impressions as she gazed at the weapons in her hands.
The last few days had turned her world on its head. Who was she?
Girl or woman, victim or avenger, pawn or…? How could she judge the
way forward unless she was honest with herself?

As Alecia
changed clothes for luncheon, she reviewed the facts. Jorge was
dead and someone must pay for his murder. Would it be the remaining
mercenaries, her father or Finus? She had killed a man, albeit in
self-defence. Could she go on killing to avenge her first love, a
man as gentle as a lamb who had gone to the slaughter to defend his
parents? Vard had kissed her, awakening desire for the first time,
showing her how wonderful it could be between a man and a woman.
What she had felt for Jorge was not true love or passion. Could she
countenance a marriage of convenience, knowing what she might be
giving up?

Somehow it was
all interlinked. Jorge, her father, Finus, the mercenaries, Vard
and the events of the past days and months were coalescing to forge
Alecia into the woman she needed to be. She shook her head. What if
she was wrong and it was not all some grand plan of the
Mother’s?

Alecia
finished dressing and stood before the portrait of
her
mother. As she gazed at
beautiful Princess Iona, Alecia’s disquiet vanished. Iona had had
faith in her. She was the Princess Alecia Zialni. Her father may
have the power here, but she too had power and she would not allow
anyone to take it away. She would exact revenge for Jorge’s murder
and not allow her father or Vard or even Ramón to dictate how her
life would be lived.

Vard sat on the bench
in the kitchen and read the message on the tattered parchment for
what seemed the hundredth time. A pretty serving girl, blonde curls
peeking from beneath a white muslin cap, sauntered up to him with
his plate of mutton and vegetables. When he failed to take the
plate from her, she laid it on the bench and sat beside him, her
thigh pressed against his. He crumpled the paper, threw it into the
fire and watched the flames eat the note.

“I could help
you forget whatever’s in that note, Captain,” she said. Her hand
caressed the side of his jaw.

The girl was
more than inviting, and at one time he would’ve taken her up on her
offer. “I don’t think so, Miss.”

“Oh, I’m no
‘Miss’, Captain. You can call me Larissa, or Larry if you like. I
know a nice warm hayloft where we won’t be disturbed.” She leaned
closer, her minty breath swirling up Vard’s nostrils. His eyes fell
to her mouth. It would be easy to allow this distraction and would
hurt no one. Well, most likely it would hurt no one. In his current
state there was a chance that he could lose control and then
Larissa would be at risk. He couldn’t allow that and still call
himself a protector of the innocent, a Defender. He sighed and
stood up. “I must decline, Larissa.”

As the kitchen
girl stood, her arm curled around his waist and she pulled his body
against hers. “There’s not too many as would turn down Larissa,
Captain,” she said, her tongue licking pink lips.

It was almost
Vard’s undoing. Why should he not have some fun? A vision of torn
flesh ripped through his mind and he pushed the buxom maid
away.

“
No!” he
said, unable to keep the growl from his voice. He stalked from the
kitchen and down the hall to his room, slamming the door behind
him. As he lay on his bed, staring at the exposed beams of the
ceiling, arousal surged through him.
Why can I not control my urges?
His mind tumbled through the
events of the past three days, replaying and sorting the scenes.
The clarity he usually brought to his problems eluded him, but one
thing was clear. Princess Alecia Zialni was the source of much of
his consternation. Well, perhaps that was unfair. She disturbed
him, attracted him, infuriated him and aroused him, but it was
hardly her fault that he’d been thrust into the role of her
protector.