Viking's Love (16 page)

“
What will your people say, seeing a
slave garbed so richly?” Allisande caught the garment and saw the
amusement in his blue eyes.

“
They will say you have replaced Merta
in my bed, as you have.” Joran enjoyed the way she blushed
furiously. She got off the bed and backed away from him. He folded
his arms across his chest, and saw her violet eyes darkening with
rage. The smoldering expression in them dispelled any doubt he had
about her submissiveness after her punishment. “Come now, my feisty
wench. You act as though you had any other use for me.”

“
Nay!” Allisande cried and met his gaze
mutinously. “I will not be your whore, Viking! I told you that you
will have no pleasure of me! If you force me, I will kill you, do
you hear?” She backed away from him, but not before his hand snaked
out and jerked her close to him. He was mindful of her injured back
as he regarded her furious face with devilish amusement.

“
There will be no force, my beauty. You
will come to me, and you will like it.” His lips took hers in a
hungry kiss. She sobbed under the fierce onslaught of his lips. His
mouth slanted over hers, parting her lips. His hands slid into her
luxuriant hair to hold her head still as his tongue delved into the
honeyed sweetness.

Joran’s strong arms held her tightly as the
kiss deepened. She struggled futilely in his arms. He held her fast
as his lips continued their sensual attack. Allisande was finding
it difficult to breathe as his mouth clung to hers for what seemed
an eternity.

Allisande had little experience with kissing
before the Viking dragged her away. Her heart beat furiously in her
chest, partly in fear, and partly in growing sensual awareness. She
was lost in sensation as his lips slid over hers, coaxing hers to
answer his.

He was pushing her backward now, easing her
down onto the bed; eager for more as his hands caressed her,
sliding down her body. Her hands were fisted against his chest. She
used what little will she had left to push him away.

Joran was like an immovable force. She was
frustrated by her lesser strength. He nibbled at her full lower
lip, and sucked upon it as his kisses grew deeper. She shuddered in
fear as he came down onto the bed with her, pushing her down
gently, easing up her skirts.

Allisande whimpered under his lips as his
hands slid down to rest at her hips, drawing her closer to him. She
stiffened as she felt his hands touching her so intimately, his
arousal pressing into her belly.

Allisande tore her mouth free and struggled
anew, seeing how his eyes darkened with lust and pushed him away.
She was disgusted with herself for enjoying his kisses. She shoved
him away with all her might. She scurried off his bed to the other
side, her amethyst eyes narrowed in anger. “You will not touch me,
Viking! I will never lie willingly with the man who killed my
father! You disgust me!” She wiped her mouth with her torn sleeve,
her lips twisted into a grimace. “I shall hate you forever!”

“
Hate me all you like, Allisande.
Pretend you don’t enjoy my touch, but we both know I won’t have to
force you when the time comes.” Joran eyed her mockingly and got up
from the bed. He reached out to trace her pale cheek with one, long
finger. She flushed and slapped his finger away. “You are a slave
now. You will open your legs for me whenever I have need of you.
You will not be thinking of killing me, mark my words.”

“
Ooh! You vile, disgusting knave! I
will never enjoy your touch! You shouldn’t have sent your whore
away so soon!” He chuckled at her harsh words. He stalked her from
the other side of the bed. She turned with a squeak, seeing his
intent to catch her. Before she could get away, he was on her. He
grabbed her gown by the neckline. She shrieked when he ripped the
rest of her gown off her to toss it upon the floor.

Allisande tried to cover her nakedness in
vain. She struggled against the wall as he approached. His eyes
moved over her boldly from head to toe. Joran stared at the perfect
ivory skin exposed to his gaze.

He nearly groaned aloud as his gaze lowered
to her full, perfect breasts with their rosy crests nearly visible
with her hands frantically seeking to cover herself. His eyes took
note of her sleek, flat abdomen and gently curved hips. His gaze
lingered at the dark thatch of curls at the apex of her thighs.
Sweat beaded upon his upper lip as he saw her long, taut muscled
legs.

She could see the lust in his gaze, and
uttered a cry of denial, and pushed away from him.

Joran merely tossed her the gown in her face,
and passed her to go to the door. He turned before leaving, his
blue eyes dancing with devilry. “I know you’re disappointed I don’t
seek to force the issue of your willingness, Allisande. But make no
mistake, I will have you, and you will please me.”

Allisande fumed as she pulled the gown
carefully over her head. She found the gown was overly snug at the
neckline and did little but draw attention to her full breasts. She
looked in the chest and retrieved a darker colored apron to wear
over it. She searched and found a pair of shoes and slid them on,
noting they fit perfect.

Allisande had no choice but to wait upon him.
He locked her in his room once again. Her pleasure over the new
clothes was greatly diminished when she realized his intent to
force her into his bed. She knew she couldn’t fight him off for he
was too strong. She would rather die than submit to him after his
cruel taunts.

Allisande uttered a curse when she tripped
from the shackles at her ankles in her pacing. He couldn’t keep her
chained at all times. She would wait when the moment was ripe and
she would leave this place. She would have killed him cheerfully
had he not removed every weapon from his room while she slept.

Her eyes narrowed as she sat fuming to wait
upon him, finding she was hungry. Her belly growled. She was
growing more irate as the minutes turned to hours. It was time for
the evening meal. He failed to return. She flounced into a chair in
front of the fire, silently hurling all manner of abuse upon his
head as she waited.

Joran was aware of Janna’s glare focused upon
him. He gazed at his friend’s wife with a questioning look as he
awaited the evening meal at the high table. He was growing tired of
Janna nettling him for his treatment of his newest slave. He was
tired of everyone cosseting the feral English bitch! He remembered
her earlier threats to kill him if he touched her.

“
What have I done now?” He grumbled
aloud to the hall at large, and her, and sat back in his chair to
eye her darkly.

“
Allisande might be Harold’s daughter,
but she’s done nothing to us, Joran,” Janna reminded him, uncaring
who listened. “When do we seek to punish the innocent for the
crimes of our enemies?”

“
Leave it alone, Janna!”

She glared at her Chieftain. “Since when do
we not have a say in matters here, my Chieftain?”

“
Since the girl’s fate is now in my
hands!”

Grogan glared at his wife. “Mind your tongue,
Woman! It’s not your place!”

Janna flounced away, giving them both angry
looks. “Don’t expect us to treat her as you do! That is all I’m
saying!”

The smell of roasting venison filled the
hall. He cursed as he suddenly remembered he had failed to have a
tray sent up to Allisande. She hadn’t eaten all day, and was
doubtless hungry.

He thought it necessary to keep the
girl locked up in his room for a few days to teach her a
lesson.
She would learn who was master
here
, he thought smugly as he gestured to Elwynn. He
asked her to feed his slave, drawing another glare from
Janna.

“
Pay her no heed, Joran.”Grogan spied
the furious look his wife tossed them both. “She is still angry
over the girl’s whipping. She hasn’t spoken to me all day!” He
looked so miserable at this admission Joran chuckled and clapped
him on the back.

“
Don’t allow my slave to come between
you and your wife, my friend. I fear she feeds off it. Do not
forget what short work she made of Hakon. She is skilled with
swords and knives. Her father and brother must have been crazed to
see the woman schooled with weapons!” Joran had never actually met
Harold before the day he killed him.

What manner of a man would allow his daughter
to be taught to wield a sword? It was obvious the wench was used to
having her way in all things, and given the cowardice of the man,
it was likely she walked all over him when he was alive.

“
Spring cannot come soon enough!”
Grogan moaned into his ale. “I, for one, will be glad to see the
girl gone from here! The God’s laugh at us now! She is nothing but
trouble! We have had naught but bad luck from the moment we took
her!”

Joran silently agreed as Elwynn bore a tray
up the stairs to his room. He imagined Allisande’s surprise when
she learned she would not be allowed to eat in the hall. A few days
sequestered in his room, and she would rethink her defiance. She
would be on her way to healing. Thinking of her in his bed made him
eager to finish the meal.

Seeing her nude earlier enflamed him to such
a degree, he was uncomfortable, and lingered upon the stairs until
the proof of his desires went down. He wasn’t used to reacting so
violently to any woman. She was getting under his skin, and he was
furious at it.

Joran was further encouraged by her response
to his kisses. He knew he could make her want him. He must use
restraint and patience to tame his English beauty. He unlocked the
door and saw her sitting in front of the fire. She finished her
meal. The tray sat on the floor next to her.

The look she tossed him told him volumes of
what she thought of him. He barred the door from the inside. He met
her narrowed gaze with a raised eyebrow. “Get you ready for bed,
Allisande.” He slid his tunic over his head and tossed it upon the
chest at the end of the bed. “Or do you wait up for me in hopes I
will begin to train you in your new duties tonight?” He enjoyed the
way she flushed angrily at his insulting words. He didn’t see the
way her eyes widened at the sight of his naked chest, nor the fear
in her eyes as his hands unfastened the strings to his pants.

Allisande closed her eyes tightly, and looked
at the wall as he slid them over his hips. She heard him finish
disrobing and cringed as she heard the bed dip from his weight as
he got into it and drew the furs up. “Come here, Allisande,” Joran
ordered softly, his voice thick with desire, reminding her of her
new status in his bed.

Allisande swallowed hard and tears filled her
eyes and she rose and went to the edge of the bed uncertainly. Her
back throbbed painfully and she was aware of his nudity beneath the
furs. He reached out and handed her a fur skin and pillow. She
looked confused. He laughed as he saw her look of bemusement.

“
You will make your bed by the fire,
Slave. Do not look so disappointed, or I may decide to forget about
the wounds upon your back.” He chuckled as she gave a sharp gasp
and wrenched the fur skin from his hands. She stomped away to make
her bed upon the bear skin rug lying in front of the
fire.

It was soft and thick enough that she did not
have to lie upon the hard, cold floor. She removed the apron, and
placed it upon the chest and turned to lie down upon her stomach.
She pulled the fur blanket over her, and snuggled upon the rug. She
was listening to his deep, even breathing as she realized he slept.
She closed her eyes and her thoughts of vengeance lulled her to
sleep.

Allisande was awoken rudely the next morning
with a slap to her buttocks. She shrieked as she looked up to see
Joran standing over her. He was dressed in a pale, blue cotton
tunic and simple dark-colored pants tucked into his leather
leggings. The shirt made his eyes appear even bluer. His waving,
golden hair was combed neatly. He grinned down at her as he held
out his hand to help her up.

She ignored his offer of help as she rose
stiffly, grimacing as the pain in her back made her flinch. He
frowned and reached out to touch her back, but she flung herself
away, eying him darkly. His lips tightened in anger.

“
I merely wished to look at your
wounds. If you need more salve applied, you may have need of my
assistance.”

“
I do not need your help, Viking! I
will not have you touch me! Now leave me be!”

“
You do not order me about! I am your
master here, and you will learn your place, Girl!” He grabbed her
and jerked her around. He pulled the gown down carefully to see the
welts crisscrossing her back. He was pleased to see Grogan had been
far more careful than he had thought.

The lash marks were scabbing. She flinched
away from him, and stiffened as his hands touched her back to
assess the damage. He grabbed the jar of salve Janna left upon his
chest, and applied it to the wounds gently.

She had no choice but to allow it as she
stood with her back to him. Joran pushed her hair aside and
luxuriated in the silken curls as he brushed her hair over her
shoulder to get at the wounds higher up on her back.

He could smell the sweet scent of her so
close to him. His hands trembled slightly as he finished. When he
was done, she jerked the gown up hurriedly over her shoulder and
walked away from him, the shackles grating against the planks as
she went.

“
I am not a cruel man, despite what you
may think, Allisande,” Joran began reasonably, only to be cut off
by her sarcastic laughter. Her violet eyes were filled with venom
as they met his.