Legendary Warrior (22 page)

Try as she might, she could not get warm. Her wet clothes continued to keep her cold no matter how close she got to the fire. The men tended the horses while one took bow and arrow and left the shelter in search of food.

Reena shivered and rubbed her hands together. It would be a long night, though not the night she had in mind. Not wanting to feel any sorrier for herself than she already did, she went to her horse, grabbed her satchel, and returned to the fire. She wanted to make certain none of the maps were disturbed by the weather. She always made certain to protect her maps with leather wrappings. Her father had taught her to do so, explaining that he’d lost several maps before he was wise enough to keep them from being destroyed by the elements.

A shiver continued to run through her every now and then, and just as she finished tucking her maps back into the satchel, Magnus entered the cave.

He walked over to her and took her arm. “Come with me.”

She had no time to respond or to pick her satchel up off the ground: his hold was firm, and she was forced to follow him. With rushed steps and rain pouring down on them they made their way a few feet past the cave and entered another cave.

Reena wiped the raindrops from her face and glanced around the cave. It was small but high enough to stand and move about. A campfire burned in the middle of the earth floor, and wool blankets were spread out on one side. A bird of some kind roasted on the wooden spit over the fire and was just beginning to scent the cave with a delicious aroma.

She turned to Magnus, smiled, and shivered.

His hands instantly went to the ties on her cloak. “I want you out of these wet garments now.”

Chapter 25

R
eena placed her hand on his and stilled it. “I do not know if I am ready for this.” The thought of standing naked in front of him chilled her more than her wet garments and filled her with apprehension.

He slipped his hand from beneath hers. “You are not ready to rid yourself of wet clothing and seek the warmth of a blanket and the heat of the fire?” He let her cloak fall to the ground. “For at this moment that is what I offer you.”

She felt foolish and expressed her misgivings. “I will disappoint you for sure—”

His brisk laugh interrupted, and his hands went to the cloth belt around her waist. “It is not possible for you to disappoint me.”

“I most certainly can,” she insisted. “When first I drew my maps they were not at all good, though my father told me I had talent. It took time and much practice.”

Magnus laughed again. “Then we will practice as much as you like.”

“You will not mind if at first I disappoint you?”

His hands grasped the sides of her tunic and drew it up and over her head, leaving her wearing only her shift, the wet garment clinging to her chilled skin. After letting the tunic fall to join the cloak, he took hold of her arms. “I love you, Reena, you could never disappointment me. Besides, you have a passion in you that cannot be denied. It is in everything you do, from your drawings to your love of others to your joy of mapping. It is who you are, a woman full of passion and life.”

“You make me sound more than I truly am.”

“Nay, you simply need to learn who you truly are.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Now finish undressing while I see to the food.”

He walked to the fire, squatted down, and slowly turned the stick so that the roasting bird would cook evenly and not burn. He kept his back to her, giving her privacy to rid herself of her remaining wet garment, but as she did she could not help but judge herself. What womanly qualities did she truly possess? Her breasts were barely a handful and her hips were narrow, though they had rounded some since food was no longer scarce and her appetite heartier. Many of the village women commented on how birthing would be difficult for her, and then there was her height, a mere two inches, no more, over five feet.

Whatever did he find attractive about her?

She was who she was, not beautiful, small in size and a mapmaker, certainly not the makings of a good wife. Or was there something she failed to see about herself? Was there something for her to learn?

She stared at his back, broad and strong and carrying the weight of far too many, and yet he remained caring and honorable. He had even turned his back so that she might undress in private.

The Legend certainly was a man of honor; she could see that clearly. Why, then, could she not see herself as clearly?

She quickly finished the task he had started, wrapping a soft brown wool blanket around herself once she stood naked. Then she spread her wet garments out on a large boulder to dry and sat herself down by the fire, adjusting the blanket around her and leaving her shoulders bare. Her long dark hair hung down her back, rainwater dripping from the ends of her hair onto the blanket.

He stood after hearing her sit and quickly shed his tunic and shirt, and her breath caught when he turned to face her. Muscles rippled over his chest and down his stomach. They filled his arms, and the firelight glistened off his damp skin, making him appear as though the fire had kissed it.

“Unlike you, I have no problem standing naked before you, so if it disturbs you to see me naked—” His hands went to the ties at his waist, and Reena closed her eyes in a flash.

She heard his laugh and felt like a coward.

“In time, Ree,” he said quietly and sat down beside her, a blanket wrapped around his waist. “You will not be able to get enough of me naked.”

It was her turn to laugh. “You are so sure of yourself?”

“Nay,” he whispered in her ear. “I am sure of you.”

She opened her eyes and turned her head, their lips brushed once, twice, three times, and then he kissed her.

A sudden crash of thunder rocked the ground and startled them apart.

“Do you think the heavens warn us?” she asked.

“Aye, they do, the heavens grow tired of us delaying our union as man and wife. We are meant to be together, for I think we are the only ones who understand each other.”

“You jest with me,” she said and teasingly poked him in the arm. It was a solid wall of muscle and warm flesh, and it sent a tingle running down her spine. “Though I do agree that we understand each other better than most.”

The scent of the cooking bird grew heavy in the air, and Reena sniffed it appreciatively and gave a small yawn.

“Hungry and tired?” he asked with concern.

She wiped away a small spot of rain that had settled on his chest from the wet ends of his hair. “You care so very much.”

“Of course I care, I love you.”

She shook her head slowly. “Nay, I do not mean only me.”

“Be careful,” he whispered. “You may ruin my reputation if word spread that—”

“The Legend has a caring heart,” Reena finished.

He turned away from her, but she caught the troubled look in his eyes. “None would believe you. I am the Legend and I earned my name.”

She reached out to him, her hand resting on his shoulder. “You are—”

She stopped suddenly, and he turned to see her eyes wide and her mouth open, as if she were about to speak, then froze.

He grew concerned. “What is wrong?”

“You have a caring heart.” Her blue eyes shone brightly, and she looked excited, as though she had made a discovery.

“So you say, do you think otherwise now?”

“Nay, nay, you care, and because you care you could not have killed Mary, your teacher’s young daughter. You did not kill her, you protect her.” She did not let him answer. “And I realize now that your teacher never meant for his daughter to die, and you understood this. He knew you would make certain she was cared for, he understood you as I do.”

“I am not that complex, but Mary’s situation is such that I must ask you to give me your word that you will repeat none of what you know.”

“You have my word, I will say nothing.”

“And I will tell you no more, for there are those who search for her, and I will not have your life endangered by knowledge of her whereabouts.”

“As you wish,” Reena said, “but if there should ever come a time—”

“I will seek your help,” Magnus assured her. “I do not know about you, but that bird smells delicious, and I am starving.”

Reena rubbed her hands together, part in anticipation of the feast and part in knowing The Legend had earned his title because of love. “Let us feast.”

They talked about many things while they ate, and they laughed often, until finally words drifted away and they looked upon each other in silence.

Tingles ran over Reena, mixed with a loving warmth; a strange and pleasurable sensation and one she would never grow tired of feeling. She wanted to reach out and touch him and let him know she was content here with him, just the two of them.

She looked at her hands, which needed cleaning from their meal, and with a smile she stood and hurried over to the opening of the cave. She stuck her hands outside to let the rainwater wash them clear.

She heard Magnus approach from behind and his arms slipped past her, his hands joining hers to cleanse them. They rubbed each other’s hands slowly, the chilled rain feeling good on their warm skin.

And then he stepped closer, his body pressing against hers. He lifted her up with one arm to rest against him, while he rested his cheek to hers.

“I am too small in height for—”

“You are perfect,” he whispered.

“Nay,” she said with a soft laugh. “Love blinds you.”

“Beauty blinds.” He kissed her cheek and then her neck.

His tender kisses sent gooseflesh rushing over her, and she shivered.

He turned her in his arms. “I want to make love to you. I want to touch and kiss every part of your beautiful body and make you mine and mine alone.”

This time she shivered from his words.

“The choice is yours; I will not force you. I want our joining to be one of love, our marriage to be one of love, our life together to be one of love. I will have it no other way.”

He placed her on the ground, and her eyes filled with tears.

“You are truly a man of honor.”

“Without honor a man is nothing.” He raised his hand to wipe away the single tear that slipped slowly down her cheek.

She kissed the palm of his hand. “My tear falls out of love, not shame or regret or doubt, but pure love.”

He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. “Then let me love you.”

She hesitated but a brief moment, then her hand went to the blanket at his waist. “Let us both love.”

His blanket fell away as his hand reached for the fold of her blanket and released it to fall at her feet. They stood naked in the mouth of the cave.

“You are beautiful,” Magnus said softly, then scooped her up into his arms and walked to the campfire, lowering them both to the blankets.

He stretched out alongside her, ran his fingers though her hair, and smiled as her arms reached out to wrap around him and draw him near.

His body felt deliciously good against hers, warm and hard and soft all at once, and the taste of him—she did not want to stop tasting him. The more she tasted, the more she hungered for him. She could not get enough of him.

His hands explored her, touching and titillating her senses beyond reason.

“Your skin is like silk,” he whispered and nibbled her ear. “And your breasts—” He cupped her breast in his hand. “A perfect size for me to hold and enjoy.” His mouth descended on her nipple, and with slow licks it disappeared into his mouth.

She moaned and grasped his arms, holding tight while he took his pleasure and gave her pleasure.

His mouth drifted down, and he rained soft kisses on her belly. He did not stop and continued to taste every part of her, making her squirm and moan with pleasure.

She soon lost complete control of her senses. Nothing mattered but his touch, his kiss, his loving. She wanted to scream, laugh and cry all at once, and she wanted him never to stop loving her as he did this night.

He moved over her, rubbing his heated body against hers, and she felt the length and hardness of him.

“I need to touch you,” she said, her words an urgency that spilled hastily from her lips. She pushed at his chest to force him onto his back so that she could have her way.

He did not argue, and when her hand slipped around him in slow curiosity, he grew harder.

“You feel like silk,” she said, surprised, and ran her finger up and down the length of him before her hand completely encircled him. Once again she tested the feel of him.

He moaned before speaking with haste. “If you continue to excite me with your touch, this night will end quickly.”

“But you feel so very good.” Her hand moved down to cup him delicately, and she moaned herself. “I do so want you.”

To his surprise she climbed on top of him.

“This is permitted?”

He laughed and groaned. “Aye, very permitted.” Then he took a breath and grabbed hold of her slim hips to hold her steadfast. “But this is your first time and it may be painful for you this way, and I want you to suffer no pain.”

“I will feel no pain,” she insisted, moving against him in a motion that was instinctive and natural.

He groaned, his own body joining hers in the rhythm. “You will tell me if you do?”

“Aye,” she said on a moan and moved to slowly settle herself down on him.

He reached out and touched her intimately, firing her passion even more. She groaned and flung her head back, arching her body as she descended down on him. Then she leaned forward, her long dark hair tickling his face, her hands pressing firm on his shoulders.

His hands went to her waist, and he attempted to assist her, hoping to ease her slowly down on the full length of him so that she would feel nothing but pleasure. But she was lost in her passion and she was intent on feeling all of him.

“Easy,” he warned.

“Nay,” she said on a cry. “I need to feel all of you.”

“You will hurt.”

“You will never hurt me,” she said on a rushed breath, kissed him soundly, then forced him completely into her in one solid thrust. She let out a sigh of absolute pleasure, and her smile was wide as she moved and swayed like a woman born to love.

Magnus groaned at the feel of her so tight and hot around him, and he lost his senses.

They mated in a frenzied love, their movements natural, demanding, tender and forceful.

Reena loved the freedom of loving him as she chose, and he loved allowing her that freedom, and their powerful climaxes reflected their unselfish love. It was something Magnus had never experienced before and Reena had never known. They lingered against each other, Reena spent, her damp body stretched out over him, Magnus content with her there on top of him.