Bride of the Tower (13 page)

H
is mouth painted a line of heat down her throat. When he reached her bosom he paused, nuzzled aside her necklace, then bent to nip at her breast through the sheer material. “You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve imagined you like this,” he said, looking up at her and smiling as he drew her chemise higher, until it caught just below her breasts.

Though she lay exposed from the waist down, surprisingly she felt no embarrassment. Instead she rejoiced in the brush of his fiery gaze over her aching flesh. “If I cannot touch you, at least touch me. I need to feel your skin against mine. Now,” she commanded.

Will’s teasing smile, his expression as he continued to look at her, sent a shiver of anticipation
through her. “Do you, my heart?” He slipped his hands up her arms and drew her chemise over her breasts—slowly, the soft silk an almost unbearable pleasure as it rasped over her nipples. “For now I just want to see you.”

Will raised her up enough to slide the silk over her head, then laid her back against the pillows, her arms still above her head. Garbed only in her gold necklace, she felt wanton, womanly, beautiful.

“You, sir, are a tease. I believe you delight in torturing me.”

“Are you complaining?” he asked. “Let me torment you more.” He ran his hands through the length of her hair, arranging it so it moved over her flesh as she shifted beneath his attentions. He brushed a finger over her cheekbone and down to her chin, skating lightly around her lips and making the sensitive flesh nigh hum with anticipation.

Julianna captured his fingertip with her teeth and set out to tease
him
. He sat still, eyes dark and heated and fixed upon hers, as she nipped at his fingertip, swept her tongue over it with slow caresses and finally drew it into her mouth.

He groaned and closed his eyes, permitting the
caress for a moment longer before sliding his hand away.

Down her neck and over her breast.

To settle over her most sensitive flesh. She gasped as the moisture from his finger sent a trail of fire streaking from her breasts to her womanhood. He stroked her aching flesh, watching her all the while, till it took all her will to remain still.

’Twas all she could do to obey Will and not reach out for him, to drive him to madness as he’d already done to her.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured. Sitting back, he untied his shirt one-handed, his other hand still ministering to her aching body. His gaze was like the touch of his hand, stroking and heating her flesh to an unbearable pitch.

By the time he’d shrugged free of his shirt, Julianna was ready to rip it from him herself. “Now?” she demanded.

“Aye, love, now,” he growled.

Her hands met him halfway as he leaned down to kiss her again, coming up to brush over the firm muscles and rake through the mat of dark blond curls. His indrawn breath gave her the courage
to skim her fingertips over the corded expanse of his stomach, then work at untying his braes.

Passion made her clumsy, so that Will ended up unknotting the string himself. He guided her hands to his waist, however, and slid them into the loosened fabric.

She didn’t push the leggings off just yet, however, for she’d a torment of her own to carry out. Cupping his buttocks beneath the garment, she stroked his lean body, sliding her hands around his hips, but never quite touching his manhood.

“Julianna, do you want me?” She raked her fingernails over his stomach; he dragged in a breath and captured her hands, holding them still. “We don’t have to make love—I can still give you pleasure.”

His words cut through the cloud of passion that surrounded her. There was no turning back—but she didn’t
want
to turn back from wherever they were headed. So long as she and Will went there together, she’d be content with that.

But not quite yet, she decided with a devilish smile. She slid her hands free of his hold and set about driving him mad.

Will groaned as Julianna’s fingertips skimmed over his aching flesh, returning to slip inside the
soft, worn braes and linger there. He felt warm, exciting beneath her touch, and the sounds of pleasure he made fired her own passion.

He didn’t remain a passive participant for long. He lavished her breasts with attention, his hands and mouth never still. Julianna’s body felt light, warm, passion-lit until ’twas a wonder she didn’t explode into a thousand shards of light.

They teased each other until their bodies were slick with sweat, until Julianna could not bear to be apart from Will a moment longer. “Now,” she pleaded.

Once again he covered her hand with his own, pressing her fingers more firmly along his length. “Are you sure, Julianna? Be very certain this is what you want—that I’m what you want.” Holding her gaze, he pressed himself into her hand. “Because once I’ve got you, I won’t let you go.”

“You cannot stop me now,” she told him. “Not if my life depended on it.” Smiling, Julianna slipped her hands into his braes and pushed them off. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said. She leaned over him, her hands running boldly over his hair-roughened flesh. “And neither are you.”

Groaning deep in his chest, Will moved onto
his side, caressing her with his eyes. Her body quivered in response, fired by an almost unbearable yearning to feel him against her skin, his weight pressing her into the soft bed beneath her, to know the strength of his passion burning hot within her.

She got her wish. His every movement exquisitely slow, Will positioned her beneath him and linked his hands with hers. “Be mine, Julianna,” he whispered, his gaze holding hers. “Make me yours.” He eased into her body, allowing her time to adjust to him.

She felt a mere twinge of discomfort as he slid into her, then passion sent her flying.

Watching him, she matched move for move, using her hands and body to tempt him, even as he did the same to her. Soon both were gasping.

Her hands skimming the sweat-damp contours of Will’s back, Julianna’s entire being strained toward an elusive pinnacle. The higher she climbed, the more tantalizing it seemed, but she couldn’t quite—

“Easy, love.” Will groaned into her mouth just before his tongue slipped in to duel with hers. “Don’t rush—’tis better if we go slow.”

“I will if you will,” she told him. Capturing
his face in her hands, she drew her fingers through his hair and down his chest. His entire body tightened in response; grinning, he varied the rhythm of their bodies, continuing to taunt and tease. Every motion a caress, he reached down and repositioned her legs higher about his waist, tearing his lips free with a gasp as he sank more deeply into her softness.

The intensity of Will’s gaze, the urgency of his body, finally pushed Julianna over the edge. Sinking her teeth into his shoulder, her entire being reaching for him, she flew beyond the boundaries of pleasure.

Breathless, unable to do more than grasp Will to her as if she’d never let him go, Julianna’s head fell back on the pillows.

But he wasn’t done with her yet. The flush of passion on his cheekbones matched the drive of his straining body, fiery, hot. Arms unsteady, Will rested his weight on his elbows and clasped her face in his hands. “Mine,” he said in the ghost of a whisper. The smooth grace of his movements disappeared. “Julianna,” he ground out as the pleasure took him captive and pulled her along with it.

Stifling a moan against his lips, she grabbed
him tightly just before pleasure sent her flying again, as well.

A quiet rapping on the door drew Will up from the depths of sleep at once. He slid carefully away from Julianna, who slept on, apparently oblivious to the disturbance.

He realized he was naked just before he got to the door. Where had his braes gone?

He grabbed the end of a sheet from the bed and eased it away from Julianna, who still didn’t move. What he and Julianna had been doing would be clear to whoever stood on the other side of the portal, no matter what he did—or didn’t—wear.

What if Julianna didn’t want anyone to know she’d given herself to a man? She was a noble lady, after all.

Jesu, at this point he could scarce think straight; no matter what he did, he’d likely be wrong.

More knocking, a bit louder this time, spurred his brain. He’d simply pretend he’d been in the other chamber, asleep on his pallet where he no doubt ought to be.

Will hurried into the other room and quietly shut the connecting door. Yawning, he gathered
the sheet about his waist and tugged open his own.

Rolf turned to him, eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I was seeking my lady, not you,” he told Will.

“Since it didn’t seem as though Lady Julianna was about to respond to your summons, I decided to see who was here and what they wanted. After she nearly fell off the wall tonight, I imagine she’s resting.” Will scratched absently at his chest and met Rolf’s steady gaze. “No doubt she needs it.”

The man nodded, though he didn’t look too eager to deal with Will rather than Lady Julianna.

“If you want to wake her, all you need to do is to hammer a bit louder,” Will informed him. “I’m sure she’ll awaken eventually.”

“Nay, it’ll wait till morn. Just wanted to let her know we couldn’t find the archer who shot at you. We’ll keep looking.” Rolf turned away as if to leave, then spun about and took a step closer to Will, his face twisted into a scowl. “If you seek to hide what you and milady’ve been doing, I suggest you put on a shirt next time you come to the door.” His frown disappeared, replaced by a grin, to Will’s surprise. “Doesn’t matter much which door you open, when you look like you’ve been marked up by a she-cat.”

Will glanced down at his chest, where the marks of Julianna’s stitchery had been joined by obvious scratches on his shoulder and a love bite low on his throat.
So much for subtlety
. He nodded.

Rolf thumped him on the arm. “You just remember to treat her well, young sir, else you’ll be answering to more than just me.” This time when he turned away, he kept on going down the stairs.

Will climbed back into bed and watched Julianna as she slept, her hair spread out over the pillows, the ends draped across his chest. ’Twas as soft and sweet as her skin, a temptation he already wanted to indulge himself in again.

But though his body might be willing, his mind knew he’d other things to do, more important in the greater scheme of things than to lie abed with his lover and fill his senses with her.

She turned toward him and nestled closer. He shifted his wounded arm so her head rested on his shoulder, even that slight movement reminding him of the injuries Julianna had mended.

His head felt fine now—because ’twas hard as a rock, no doubt, as Lord Connor and Lord Rannulf
both had reminded him so often. The other wounds appeared to be healing well, but he’d put a strain on them by pulling Julianna up and onto the wall walk.

And by hauling her back to her chamber over his shoulder, he thought with a quiet laugh.

Not to mention the new “wounds” he bore—wounds he’d wear proudly, for they were the marks of a woman well satisfied.

He couldn’t distract himself from the night’s earlier events for long, however. They’d no doubt haunt his dreams for years to come. That moment when he’d grabbed for Julianna’s gown, had feared the delicate fabric would tear completely and send her plunging to the hard earth below….

He’d have reached for her had it torn his wounds open wide; protecting himself at her expense had never crossed his mind. How could he have watched her fall and done nothing? The mere thought was nigh impossible to contemplate. Though a fall from that height would not necessarily have killed her, of a certainty she’d have been gravely injured.

Thank God he’d been able to keep hold of her!

The recollection alone of those endless moments was enough to send shivers down his spine.

Something cold brushed against his chest, startling him from the disquieting memory. ’Twas Julianna’s medallion. He leaned closer to peer at the design etched there; ’twas of an archer drawing back his bow.

Robin’s daughter, indeed.

She’d her father’s bravery, Will knew; seldom did women go so far as to actually protect their lands with their own bodies. Even Gillian, for all her bold ways, had never ridden about her demesne fully armed in a warrior’s armor, ready to fight.

Julianna stretched, rubbing against him from head to toe. His body leapt instantly to attention.

“Will?” she mumbled, still half-asleep.

“Aye, love, I’m here.”

She smiled and pressed an awkward kiss on his chin before burrowing under the covers. He wrapped her in his arms and rested his head atop hers.

How was it that he suddenly understood what had made so many of the men he knew become husbands as well as warriors? Had it happened so quickly as this, made them question themselves, their lives, their emotions?

He’d not ever expected anything to tug him
away from his duty. He’d planned out his life. There had been the possibility of a mate, of a home and children—but as the next step a man took, not as a compulsion that drove him, as his growing feelings for Julianna were doing.

He
must
leave for Lincoln today! If he was well enough to make love to Julianna, he could certainly mount a horse and go about the business that had brought him here in the first place.

Though he couldn’t complete all he’d set out to do when he’d come to Nottinghamshire, not quite yet, he reminded himself. His reservations about Birkland and Sir Richard Belleville would have to wait until he returned from Lincoln.

He could—and would—send word to Lord Rannulf about his suspicions, however, especially since he didn’t plan to return to l’Eau Clair quite yet.

Now that he knew Rachel was Belleville’s sister, he wondered if she could be useful in discovering what her brother was doing. Perhaps she knew already…. He glanced down at the woman held snug in his embrace. Mayhap Julianna might be able to learn something from Rachel while he was gone. From what Julianna had told him last
night, Rachel had no desire to return to her brother’s keeping, and she had lived at Birkland.