“You know very well what I mean.” Telling Thorfinn about the feelings she’d once entertained about him, making her look like a fool.
Again.
The expression on Edita’s face was one of pure innocence. “But surely there’s no need for such coyness. Surely Thorfinn is aware that you once wanted him for yourself? Oh! But I see… Perhaps his wife is not, and you’d rather she didn’t get to hear of it. Yes, I understand. It can be awkward. Forgive me, I never intended to put you ill at ease.”
Could she hit her cousin, Aife wondered? In that moment she was sorely tempted. Far from being sorry, Edita was enjoying herself, pursing her lips like someone who’d just eaten a sweet delicacy. As if all that weren’t enough, at that moment, her gaze crossed Torsten’s, who had finished what he’d been doing with the chain. It was clear from the anger swirling in his eyes that he had overheard what Edita had told Thorfinn and guessed what they’d been whispering about just now. Well, at least this latest humiliation wouldn’t have been in vain. He would see that she’d had good cause to want to put her cousin in her place. After overhearing a second insulting conversation, Torsten would not doubt her sincerity any longer.
It was some consolation she supposed.
Feeling more dejected than ever, Aife averted her gaze. Then she looked up again when Torsten made a brusque gesture. Her heart leaped in her throat. He had put the chain down and he was walking directly over to her, all smoldering intent.
“Aife. Please. I don’t know what else to do.” He sounded so fierce, so truly determined to have her that her breath caught. “Put me out of my misery. Say you will have me. I cannot wait another day.”
Overwhelmed with gratitude for yet another timely intervention, she took the hand he was holding out to her. He was offering her a way out of this conversation with her head held high. When she spoke, she heard the wobble in her voice.
“Yes, Torsten. I will have you.”
“So.Here we are. Do you think you will be brave enough?”
A smile came to tease Aife’s lips at the question, because of course she would be brave enough. Besides, even if she hadn’t been, after what he had done for her, she owed it to Torsten to at least try.
Thanks to him, Edita had stopped teasing her. Indeed, this morning she had looked at her with, not respect exactly, but something resembling…was it envy? Aife thought it might be. Her cousin, who supposedly attracted all the men, had looked a little bit jealous to see her being wooed so forcefully. It seemed that Wulfric had never beaten anyone to a pulp for her or begged her to have him in front of near strangers.
“I think I will be brave,” she said, lifting her chin. “Who do you take me for?”
“A fearless warrior?”
Aife laughed, throwing her head to the skies. Fearless warrior? They were talking about tasting honey, something everyone loved to eat. Surely even someone like her, who’d never held a sword, could manage that? True to his word, Torsten had taken her into the forest that morning, in search of a hive. She suspected he wanted to make her feel better after Edita’s attempt to embarrass her in front of Thorfinn the day before, and she was grateful for the intention.
“Yes, I’m a fearless warrior,” she said with decision.
A smile curled up the corner of Torsten’s lips. “You are. Ready then?”
“Ready.” As if she would back down now that he had likened her to a warrior. “But wait,” she called, when he made to put his hand into the tree hollow. “Won’t you get stung?” Rememberingthe pain the bee had caused her the other day she didn’t want him to suffer.
Torsten shrugged the question away. “I’ve been stung so many times that another sting or three will hardly matter. It’s all in good cause anyway. A life without honey is not worth living in my opinion. I will not have this on my conscience.”
Aife melted. What had she done to deserve such a good friend? “Well, then, if you’re sure.”
“I am.”
With careful gestures, Torsten inserted his hand into the hive. He had rolled his sleeve up to the elbow and Aife was fascinated by the way the muscles rippled under his skin. She held her breath when she imagined the bees crawling over his naked arm. If they decided to defend themselves against the intruder, he would suffer. But if the expression on his face was to be believed, the bees had decided not to bother him. Seeing that he’d not been stung on her account, she allowed herself to relax. A moment later, he lifted his hand back up just as carefully as before and she saw that his index and middle finger were coated in sticky, golden honey. He lifted the hand above his mouth and allowed some of it to dribble onto his tongue.
Realization hit.
If she wanted to taste the honey—and she dearly wanted to—she was going to have to lick his fingers clean. Not once since she had agreed to follow him into the woods had she considered that such a lewd act would be required.
Aife’s gaze met Torsten’s and heat bloomed between her legs. This was a lot more evocative than she had counted on. Where was the fearless warrior now, she wondered? Reduced to a puddle on the forest floor, it would seem.
Not waiting for her to change her mind, Torsten slowly brought his hand to her mouth.
“Open.”
Utterly under the spell of the moment, Aife did as instructed, and welcomed the two fingers he was holding out between her lips. Refusing was not an option, even if accepting felt positively scandalous. She sucked at the thick substance he’d gathered for her. Everything within her exploded when divine taste hit her tongue. Her eyes fluttered shut and a groan escaped her lips. This was truly delicious, even sweeter than she remembered. How had she deprived herself of that treat for so long? Greedy for more, she licked and licked, swirling her tongue until, at last, he was clean. Still, Torsten seemed reluctant to move and take his fingers out of her mouth.
Eventually, he did.
Crossing his arms over his chest he leaned back against the tree, looking rather satisfied with himself. “That good, huh?”
