Gem of Gravane (The Northern Knights) (11 page)

She said nothing as his large hands
slid up over her hips and pulled her closer. His touch burned into her and
caused her knees to weaken. He towered over her, his raven waves resting on his
shoulders. 

Aric wanted to say something to
her.  She looked as she had before he’d taken her innocence on their
wedding night. 

Would she deny him tonight?

She had said very little to him
after their heated words were spoken earlier in the hall.  He had been
wound so tight from the long day and eve and the jealousy he’d felt when he’d
seen Balwain’s hands on her. His friend!  

What was wrong with him? He did not
like the way she made him feel at all! The wine had failed to ease away any of
the tension coiling around him.

Nay, ‘twas this woman in front of
him.  His wife. 

She was part to all the emotions
raging through him along with the pending arrival of the guest’s tomorrow
afternoon.

He had wanted to tell her more at
dinner about it, but he had not and now all he wanted to do was kiss those lips
that she was holding between those white teeth.

His desire for her was ready to
swallow him whole. “Look at me.” 

She did and Aric sucked in his
breath.  She had the most unique eyes he'd ever seen.  The gown she
wore this night, made them even more appealing. They’d called to him and all
night Aric found he’d been unable to tear his gaze from her.  She was a true
vision that held him mesmerized.  

“Will you deny me my right to use
your body this night?”

He was hard and ready.  He had
been ready to explode all day with the images of last night swimming in front
of him and the way she’d ridden that horse into the village.

It’d been torture.   

But no more. He would not be denied
a taste. Even if she answered no, he knew he’d still take her. But he would make
sure she came willingly. He needed her to.

She shook her head no.

Aric bent his head and took her
mouth in a searing kiss.  He moaned his pleasure at the taste of her into
her hot mouth.  He had no time for her timidity this eve. He had one
goal and it was to get inside of her. 

Danielle
was breathless.  Had she said no, would he have honored her word? She did
not know nor did she want to say no. Had she not wanted to share this
experience with him again?  She heard herself panting between breaths when
he lifted his mouth before kissing her again,

His large hands were all over her,
his fingers warm and smooth over her flesh.  They engulfed her, enflaming
her passion and soon she found herself on her back on the soft coverlets with
her dress pulled up and his hands between her thighs. 

She was hot everywhere his
hands blazed a path.  She burned and wanted more.  Danielle cried out
in shocked pleasure when his fingers slid within her folds.

When he pulled down the neckline of
her gown and laved one distended nipple with his hot tongue in movement with
his fingers against her flesh, Danielle shook her head from side to side
delirious with the sensation. 

She grasped at his shoulders, his
hair, and strong neck, seeking something to anchor what she was feeling. 

It felt so good what he was doing
and she did not wish for it to stop.

Her anger be damned.

What was flowing through her now
was all she could think about. She could not stop moaning as the tide
rose.  She wanted to scream.  He may not want her love or aught
else and even though she knew his goal was to get his heir on her, she
didn't care in that moment. 

She was going to enjoy it for
however long it would last.  He was unwilling to give her much else but at
least she had this.  She lifted her hips and gasped.  His thick
member had replaced his fingers.

 Shocked, Danielle opened her
eyes in a flash.

He was above her, still fully
clothed.  His dark eyes met hers and held.  The moment seemed to
stretch forever and something fluttered inside her chest. She blinked and he
entered her in one powerful thrust.

 “Oh!”  Danielle could
not stop the breath that left her as he filled her completely.  She
groaned from the sheer feeling of him inside her.

Aric responded with another deep
thrust and whispered near her ear. “Danielle. Sweet, Danielle.”  His
movements matched his words. “I can’t wait.”

Danielle felt the tremors began in
her just as his thrusts quickened and then suddenly a deep growl left him.
 She felt him stiffen against her, and then his hot release filled her.

Bewildered, she could only watch as
he rolled off her onto his back.

The unfulfilled ache he’d left
between her thighs throbbed.  She was not finished and he had coupled with
her, both of them clothed. 

She looked at him. 

One big arm was thrown across his
brow as he fought to catch his breath.  His braies lay open, his softening
member visible.

Danielle yanked down her
gown.  He’d taken her as though she was not even there. 

 The feelings he’d stirred in
her the night before were there but he was different and had been all day and
even now.  Now she felt truly discarded.  Pain and anger
returned and she rolled away from him to crawl off the bed. His husky words hit
her back.

“Next time will better,
Danielle. I promise.”  Aric told her.   

 He’d reached his release
within seconds and it had left him reeling from the magnificent explosion.
 At first he’d not expected the same feelings to be repeated this
eventide, but he’d been wrong. 

Very wrong. 

He wanted his wife more than he
cared to admit and he was not happy about it.  He had wanted to prove
something to himself.  To prove that she was no different than any other
woman he’d taken before. That he felt the way he did because it was new.
That what he’d spoken earlier was true. No feelings would be between them. But,
nay. 

All he’d proven was that he wanted
her more than last night and in his haste to sate that animal hunger; he’d done
something horribly wrong. 

He watched her scramble off the
bed, her shoulders had slumped and she stumbled.  Quickly she righted
herself and straightened her shoulders back.  A knot formed in his
chest. 

“Danielle.”  He called her
name softly, his tone still thick with his desire. 

She turned and looked at him and
Aric wished she had not.  The sadness in her eyes tore through him. He sat
up. He had hurt her deeply. 

He saw it plainly although she did
her best to try to hide it by looking away from him.  The tallow’s light
made those unique depths all the brighter and wet, yet her tears did not fall.

“Come here.” He ordered her.

He could tell she wanted to refuse
him, but her soft footfalls brought her back to the side of the bed. 

Aric pulled her between his
thighs.  He’d taken her fully clothed like a green lad and had said all
but a few words to her. He sighed with a heavy heart. 

He began to undress her.  His
movements slow.  She was stiff as a board and it bothered him.

He let one hand caress the soft
skin just below her throat.

When she was naked, he stood and
pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly like he had on their wedding
night.  Then laid her down softly on the bed.  He undressed and
was surprised and glad that her eyes watched him.

He swelled even more.  He
wanted to please her as she had pleased him.  He could give her that.
 

He lay down next to her and
proceeded to do just that.

Chapter 10

Danielle woke in
Aric’s arms warm and comfortable.  He still slept.  She ran a finger
along the strong bones of his face.  He did not flinch.  He
slept like a log.  She smiled.  Some great warrior.
Aye, he was.
He had brought her pleasure twice in the night and himself too. Although
few words had been spoken between them, his caresses had eased some of her
concerns. She still wanted him again.  Even now. 

She moved against his hard
body. She checked that his eyes were still shut, and then she peeled back
the coverlet gently, every so often looking up to make sure that he still
slept.  Danielle let her eyes sweep over his long form.

His skin, darkened from the sun was
taut with muscles everywhere.  The firm plane of his abdomen moved with
each slow breath he took.  Her gaze moved lower, feeling bolder. She had
to see that part of him that made her hungry for him. 

It was not as she’d imagined.
 It looked different as it lay there soft against the thick patch of black
hair. She viewed the top of his hairy thighs and her eyes went back to that
piece of him she wanted inside her.

The ache between her thighs grew
and her fingers slid closer to his flesh.  It felt warm, smooth and silky
beneath her fingers.  A gasp escaped her lips as she watched it jump and
grow in her grasp. Danielle’s eyes shot up quickly. Aric’s eyes were
still shut and his breathing still the same. 

 She wrapped her hand more
securely around the shaft and bit back a moan at the hardness of it.  She
squeezed harder and opened her mouth on a sigh. She needed her other hand to
cover him almost completely. 

So engrossed in her new discovery
Danielle failed to notice the change in his breathing.  Not even aware
that she was doing it, her hands began to massage the pulsing shaft and caress
the swelled blue veins. 

 A loud pounding came on the
chamber door.  Danielle yanked her hand back quickly as though burned and
her eyes shot upwards. 

Aric smiled at her. 

Danielle turned crimson and would
have held his gaze longer to bask in his warm smile until his words caused her
to look away.

“If I do not answer, they will go
away. Then you can finish your inspection to see if it stands up to meet
with your satisfaction.”

She was embarrassed like never
before.  She wanted to slap his naked chest as she noted the teasing glint
in his dark eyes.

“Nay?” he continued in a teasing
tone. “Ah, ‘tis too bad, for I was just beginning to enjoy your
curiosity.”  He planted a quick kiss on the top of her bent head and leapt
out of the bed with a loud bellow directed at the door. 

Her husband shamelessly strode
naked to the chamber door as Balwain answered his bellow on the other
side.  Aric unbolted the door and opened it, letting his friend in. 

Danielle colored even more. 
She pulled the coverlet over her head.  He had no shame.  Nay, just
she!  She was mortified!  And was even more so when the two men
struck up a conversation inside the chamber.  Danielle peeked out from
behind the covering. Aric stood proudly in his nakedness as he spoke with
his second.

“What is of such import that you
knock as though to wake an army of the dead, my friend?”

Balwain did not glance once in the
direction of the bed. His body movements seemed nervous, agitated.  Her
interest piqued, Danielle sat up with the coverlet clutched to her chest,
tucking it in about her body to make sure every inch of her was covered. 

Aric grabbed a fur from a nearby
chair and wrapped it around his waist.  This time she heard Balwain’s
words.

“Your guests have arrived earlier
than expected, milord.” 

Danielle watched Aric.  Had
she blinked she would have missed his flash of stunned pause.  His face
darkened and he gave orders to Balwain to have the servants welcome, ready for
the unexpected early arrival and send up a bath along with her maid.

“Edie?” Balwain asked.  

Aric arched a brow. “Aye,
Edie. You know the one whose skirts you’ve been sniffing about.” 

Balwain’s cheeks colored to
Danielle’s surprise. He then turned to face the bed, eyes averted and
nodded.  “Milady.”  Then he quit the room. 

Aric’s dark scowl was back. 
He came near the bed and looked down at her a silent moment. Something
flickered in his gaze which caused her to shift under the coverlet
with discomfort.  Danielle asked what she thought aloud as
habitual.  “Are these guests more of your men or family, Aric?”  
He’d yet to tell her anything about them, let alone himself or any
family. 

Something was not right. He looked
as agitated as Balwain had been moments ago. She tried her best to ignore the
ache twisting in her heart as she awaited his response.

His brows drew together tightly and
his scar turned white.  He simply replied.  “Neither.” 

 Danielle could not shrug off
his rude dismissal. The anxious feeling churning in her gut spurred her on and
clearing her throat she called out.  “Well then, tell me at least how many
guests are we to expect?”

His answer was so long in coming
she did not think at first that he would respond, but he did.

“A party of two.”

Then he turned his back on her
and his long strides took him to the hearth.  “Prepare to greet them as
soon as Edie helps you with your bath.”

The cold man was back with his
commanding and cool tone.  Pain lanced her breast and Danielle wiped away
a stray tear. The brief closeness they’d shared shattered that quickly. 
She was glad his back was to her, for she did not wish for him to see how upset
she was by the change in him.  She fumed silently, watching him as he
ignored her and began to cleanse himself in the fresh water the young squire
had just brought into their chamber. 

.
****

 Aric sighed again.  How
much longer was she going to take?  It was well past the half hour and
Danielle still had not yet shown her face in the great hall. He looked to
Balwain who had been wearing a sour expression on his face since he’d come
below stairs and now sat at his side.  The guests were on the other side
of the manor and the few servants that had travelled with them still carried in
their belongings to their rooms. 

Deep regret caused Aric’s lips to
thin as he sat there brooding.   The hall was busy as the servers
readied the room and trestle tables for the guests to break their fast. 
He had hoped to have the business yet to attend to today and other matters
completed before his guests had arrived.  Now, with their early arrival,
those matters would have to be put off until noon.