Gem of Gravane (The Northern Knights) (6 page)

When he turned back to his wife, he
found a sight that made him grin.   

She was tugging the gown down over
her full and shapely hips.  He was sure she was not aware of the sensual
wiggle of them as she tried to free herself of the gown.  She was mumbling
something under her breath.  Aric smiled, curses reached his ears. 
Such a mouth on one that appeared so timid. 

She began to hum, her back to him
as he removed his scabbard and sword and began to undress.   All the while
his eyes never left sight of her. 

Finally, she stepped away from the
gown now pooled at her feet.  Then she pirouetted, slightly off balance
with her slight limp, around and around all the while humming.  

Aric felt himself harden as he saw
the thick braids sliding back and forth over her round bottom.  She
stopped humming, her eyes closed as she swayed from side to side, in a dance
with her long arms, tan as the rest of her above her head, clasped at the
wrist.  The position caused her large breasts to push against the material
of the thin shift and he could see the dark areolas easily through the
material.  He was pleased at the image she presented.

“Edie, can you please hurry it
along.  My husband will be here all too soon and I need to be under the
covers before he sees me.”  She paused, her back still to him.  “And
why are so many bloody candles lit?”

Aric’s brows drew together at that
as he watched her bend and blow out a row of lit tallow’s closest to her.
 She continued on, a slur in her tone. Aye the drink had loosened
her some, he thought.

“You know this cannot be.  I
cannot let him see me in all this light.  In the dark ‘twill not matter to
him.  Now, come, stop your tarrying.”  

 Aric frowned even more at her
words and stood still.  She whirled around, exhaling her exasperation.
“Edie! What-" She turned crimson and slapped a hand hard over her
open mouth, her eyes widening.   

Danielle froze. Nay!  Where
was Edie?  How long had he been standing there? Why was he not out in the
hall still talking to Balwain? And heavens!  

Why was he naked?

No, no, she tried not to look but
her eyes had a mind of their own and took in the beautiful sight before
her.  She did not notice that her breath quickened as her eyes roamed over
every inch of that muscular physique. 

A massive chest, covered only with
a sparse sprinkling of hair in the middle down his flat hard stomach,
rippling with his strength, thick and sinewy arms at his side.  The
tuft of black hair below his navel trailed down to where that male part of him
stood at attention.  That part of him she’d wanted so eagerly and tried to
get to in the garden. But then, it’d been alright, she’d been fully clothed.

She flushed and her eyes shot up to
his.  His smoldering gaze seared her and she felt the tears sting her
eyes. 

Nay. 

Danielle turned her back to
him.  She had been fooling herself. 

All of Thomas’s ugly words over the
years came rushing back to her. This was a cruel joke. 

She had thought after the kiss they
had shared in the garden she would be able to at least face him in the dark for
him to perform the marriage act and she had even been looking forward to
it.   But, he would not want to do that now.  She was not yet
naked, but she may as well have been as thin as her shift was. He could
see everything. Her head spun as she fought back the tears.   

Aric frowned over the myriad
of emotions he had read in her eyes.  Pleasure had been in them as her
eyes had raked over him, then terror.  He’d just been about to curse
himself for being so eager to bed her and letting her see his aroused
state.  But, he knew different when he saw the sadness flash in her eyes
when she turned from him.  He was larger than most, sure, but he would not
hurt her.   He crossed the room to stand at her back. 

 He could smell her, a
hint of rose and he wanted to wrap those thick braids around his
fist.   But he stopped himself.  He didn’t want her terrified of
him.  Not tonight. It should not matter, but it did to him.

“Milady,” he spoke
softly. “It is normal for a man to be in this state if he is to do his
duty.  Do not fear. I give you my word. I will be gentle with you.” 

He had never been one to use
flowery words, or ever had need of them, but Balwain’s words came back to
him.  Aric was used to women throwing themselves at him and climbing into
his bed even when he did not want them.  So, he had never needed to be
gentle with any of them, or speak sweet words or anything of the kind and at
first it felt awkward.   But, as it had in the garden, that
feeling left him as quickly as it had arrived.  For he found he
wanted to ease her fears and comfort her once again. 

He reached out and had barely
touched her shoulder when she let out a shriek to rouse the dead and stepped
away from him. 

She faced him, her trembles
visible.  She suddenly seemed sober.  Aric sighed, frowning. 
Mayhap she’d not partaken in enough drink after all.

What happened to the hot woman he’d
held in the garden?

 “’Tis not that, milord. 
I- can, we…can we not blow out the rest of the candles before I-“ she halted,
biting her lip as a frown creased her brow.  “Oh no. Did you hear
anything I said be-before?”  She blurted and he saw the horror flare anew
in her eyes. 

He answered truthfully. 
“Aye.” 

Her mortified gasp filled the
chamber. Aric was truly vexed now and continued firmly. “I will not take
you in the dark, milady. I want to see you as I take you. I want to see
the pleasure I wish to give you on your face.  I will give you all the
time you need. Come, this is foolish talk of the candles.” 

Aric reached out and caressed her
cheek. 

She tried to move away but found
she could not for she was trapped.  He had backed her into the wall.    

“Please.”  Danielle
cried.  His kisses had been so sweet like nothing she’d ever known nor
wanted to forget.  If he saw her unclothed he would not want to kiss her
again.  Did he not know this? Could he not see enough even in her
shift?  She pleaded again, breathlessly. “Milord, I beg of you this small
boon. In the dark, please.”   

His anger mounting, Aric drew in a
ragged breath.  What was she so afraid of?  He had not had too many
virgins, sure, but of the ones he had, none had behaved as this. 

So what if he saw her? 

Did she not know what it took for
him now not to rip that material from her and to what it promised under its
thin veil of her luscious curves? 

Nay, her eyes told him she did
not.  

 She feared being seen. She
was scarred more deeply than any scar to mar her body if any under the only
piece of cloth that stood between them.  Anger washed over him, but Aric
tamped it down and focused on calming her. 

“You enjoyed our kiss in the
garden, did you not?” he asked her and bit back a curse at the irritation in
his tone. 

She nodded, licking her lips and
her eyes went wide. “Aye. But we…we were clothed.”

Aric leaned down and kissed her
open mouth.  He kissed her over and over until she was moaning and her
tongue danced with his. 

He could feel the tension leaving
her body as her hot tongue searched inside his mouth. The woman in the garden
was almost back.

 She wrapped her soft arms
around his neck.  He groaned as her breasts brushed against his chest and
took pleasure in feeling the shiver run through her as her hard nipples grazed
his chest. He shivered too and waited until he felt her relax completely
against him.  He slid his hands up and down her sides over and over,
massaging her ribs, the undersides of those full breasts until she was nearly
driving him mad with need by doing what she had in the garden.  She tugged
and sucked his bottom lip into her mouth.  He pressed into her, his
hardness between them lying against the soft curve of her belly. 

Danielle did not want him to
stop.  His mouth was so hot and she loved the feel of his lip in her
mouth.  She rubbed against him.  That liquid fire was back between her
thighs.  He was bent over her and she ran her fingers through his hair all
the while moaning as his fingers neared her breasts.  When they hardened
more beneath his palms, she could not stop the sigh that escaped her into his
mouth.   

So lost in his thorough kissing and
touch, Danielle did not notice when he lifted her off her feet into his arms
and carried her to the raised bed covered in coverlets.  Nor did she
utter a sound when he rose up slightly and pulled her shift over her
head. 

Aric watched her and saw the
unchecked passion, so open with her emotions laid bare in those unique depths.
 Her nostrils flared with her heavy panting, her ruby lips were darker and
swollen from his ravaging kisses.  He had to see her, all of her. 

Danielle’s fervor engulfed
her.  She protested as his body heat left hers. 

“Shhh. Let me look at you.” 
Aric said huskily as he pulled away from her.  Danielle blushed and moved
her hands up to cover her breasts but he stopped her, taking her hands in
his.  She tried to pull away.  

“I need to look at you.” Aric
insisted. 

Danielle groaned. A look of
surprise crossed his face when she tried to twist and throw him off.  
Seeing that her efforts were futile, she gave up.  Now he would
know.  Now he would see and kiss her no more.  The deep ache tore
through her and she waited.  

Nothing happened. 

Tears trickled out of the corners
of her closed lids down into her hair.   She lay stiff as a
board. 

Aric released her hands and took
his fill of her.  She was beautiful.  Each and every curve tight,
full…yea, fuller than most he’d taken to bed, but her voluptuous frame
intoxicated him. 

Her bountiful breasts called to him
and her ribs were visible as she breathed hard.  Dropping his gaze to her
belly, his eyes swept over a waist drawn to perfection to the slight little
curve that made it just right for him, then over her navel, to the thick patch
of hair between her shapely thighs. Animal like lust shot through him and
he prayed for patience.

His eyes barely lingered on her
knees.  The left one was fine.  The right was misshapen, puckered
with pink scarred skin around the knee cap.  He reached down and covered
the bump with his palm.  He felt the flinch ripple through her beneath his
touch. No other scars marred this perfection and even if it had, Aric knew he’d
desire her no less. He was so hot and hard for her.

Danielle knew he would leave now.
 He had freed her hands.  The room was so quiet and all she could
hear was her labored breath roaring in her ears. 

“Look at me, milady.”  His
voice soft, yet firm was not quite a question.  Danielle knew it was a
command.  She opened her eyes and he was looking right at her.  One
hand wiped away a tear, the other; he took her hand again in his.  When
she saw where he intended to put it, she cried out. 

“No, don’t.  Please.  Is
it not enough that you have seen me?   Must you be so cruel as to
make me feel what I already know is there?”  Her words ended on a sob as
he laid her fisted hand on her breast with his hand over it. 

“Tell me, milady.  What or
whom has made you so ashamed of such a body?  Open your hand. Open
it.”  She obeyed and opened it slowly. Aric was torn with the hurt that
caused her body to tremble so.  “Tell me, why you are ashamed of
this?” 

Danielle felt heat rise in her
chest and she shook her head no. Thomas had told her often enough that men
did not desire women built as she. She was too big and too soft.  “I know
such a body as mine is not as desirable as most men wo-would like… pre-prefer
their wives to have.” 

Her anguished whisper caused the
tightness to deepen within his chest. “Oh, my sweetness, I beg to differ
on that statement. A body such as yours pleases me very much. Look only at
me.” 

She did.

He squeezed his hand over her
breast, causing Danielle to gasp. He rolled her hardened nipple between
his fingers. Exquisite sensations exploded inside her. Her gaze did not leave
his and something inside her slowly started to waken. When he did the same
tantalizing move to the other breast, she squirmed under him.

 “A body like this is
perfection to me and I am glad it belongs to you.”  He slid their entwined
hands down over her belly.  “Knowing I will be the one to make it tremble
with desire gives me immense pleasure.” 

Danielle tried to pull her hand
free as he covered her mound.  Heat pooled in her belly and seemed to
center where their hands lay.  A whimper escaped her and he let her hand
go, but did not stop his caress.  He slid two fingers into her folds and
Danielle nearly came up off the bed as a jolt of pure bliss rocked through her
limbs.

 Aric smiled as her hot
moistness coated his fingers.  It took everything in him to not thrust
into her and relieve himself of the unbearable need that raged through
him.  But, nay, he was determined to give her more.  She deserved
more. Someone and he knew who, had made his beautiful wife repulsed of her
womanly charms.  But never again, he vowed.  Never again.

He leaned down and tenderly kissed
her tears away before capturing her mouth again and laid his body fully on top
of hers.  He had to taste her, he could no longer wait. 
Shifting he lowered his head and took a taut nipple into his mouth. 

Danielle cupped his head in her
hands, her fingers fisting in his long raven mane as he laved first one nipple
to an aching intensity before doing the same to the other.  She began to
squirm beneath him with soft moans escaping her throat.  She didn’t want
the wonderful sensations to end and almost cried with the sweet joy of it. 

Aric wanted it to last, wanted to
bask in pleasuring her for a longer time, but he knew he could not.  Her
supple flesh had him on the edge.  She had unknowingly spread her legs
while she wriggled beneath him and his pulsing shaft lay against her
thigh.  Aric reached down between them and found her swollen nub of
pleasure between her soft folds. She arched into him with a loud
cry.  He stroked her softness as she panted and moved her hips against
him.