“Poor boy. I remember those days.”
“Oh?” Lena cocked an eyebrow, not sure she appreciated Ivar’s empathy toward her brother.
Ivar pulled Lena into his arms as he loosened her braid, running his fingers through the tresses that fell to her waist. “Oh yes. I remember how my cock ached until I returned to my chamber and ease my need for you. You were the bane of my existence and the fulfillment of my dreams all wrapped into one agonizingly beautiful package. Now that I know you love me and I can feast upon you whenever I want, you are just the fulfillment of my dreams.”
“For me?” Lena’s lips turned down in a mocking frown as her fingers worked the laces at the neck of Ivar’s tunic.
“Yes, for you. You know that you were the reason I would take swims in the freezing fjord, woke up in the middle of the night to a cock that was still pulsing, and eased my suffering with my own hand.”
“Eased your suffering? You have never suffered from anything but a cold. And that hasn’t happened in years.”
Ivar lifted Lena’s dress over her head, tossing it aside as he gazed at her body. He pressed her hand against the ridge within his pants, groaning when she took command alternating squeezing and stroking.
“How I suffer now, my little seductress.”
“I cannot bear the thought of causing your agony. Let me ease that suffering.” Lena finished unlacing Ivar’s pants and pushed them down over his hips before sinking to her knees. Lena cupped his bollocks before looking up from under her lashes. She pressed her breasts together, surrounding his rod with the mounds of flesh. She bent her head towards him and licked the tip each time he thrust.
Ivar’s hand braced her shoulders as though he needed to support to remain on his feet. He watched as his rod moved between her breasts, momentarily disappearing before emerging to receive a kiss. He watched as Lena’s eyes darkened and her pupils dilated with unspent desire. It only made his bollocks tighten as he raced towards completion. Lena read the signs, letting her breasts drop away as her mouth consumed him to the root. She relaxed and savored the power of knowing she drove Ivar to the brink of losing control. Lena had experienced the same eking away of her restraint countless times when Ivar worked his magic on her body. The first salty drops landed on her tongue, making her hum with delight. The vibration was more than Ivar could withstand. He pulled free and stroked himself until his seed sprayed across Lena’s chest and breasts. His satisfaction was more than physical. He had marked her once more as his, seeing his seed upon her skin, knowing no other man had ever possessed such a privilege.
Lena rose to her feet and walked to the tub without looking back. She was certain Ivar would follow. She was unprepared for him to grasp her hand and spin her towards the large table upon which they took their meals. He pressed her against it as he slid his still hard cock between the cheeks of her backside.
“How am I still so hard?” he wondered aloud. “How can I still need you when you just gave me such pleasure?”
Ivar slid into her sheath, and they both moaned. His body draped over hers, their fingers interlocked on the table, him dropping a kiss behind her ear before sucking the lobe between his teeth.
“I know why,” he continued. “I haven’t pleasured you, my love.”
“A pleasure you shall undoubtedly share, too,” Lena teased.
“That is true, but there is plenty of time tonight when it will be your turn alone. Many, many times tonight.”
He would be true to his word. She often wondered how she functioned on only a couple of hours of sleep each night. Ivar stayed with her every night that his father did not demand he return to the jarl’s longhouse. Most nights they only managed two or three hours of sleep at best, both waking each other throughout the night. Ivar had tried to move Lena into his chamber permanently after Lorna left with Rangvald, but his father had been livid. Ivar solved the problem by returning to Lena’s home instead.
“More, Ivar,” Lena panted as Ivar’s thrusts pressed her mound against the lip of the table. The sensation against her pearl and the feel of him within was catapulting her towards release. She threw back her head as sensation after sensation flowed through her like waves crashing across cliffs. Her body tensed, her muscles clenching, as she tried to prolong the sensations. Ivar rocked his hips against her backside as his own release filled her.
They moved, climbing into the tub, before positioning themselves so Lena’s back pressed against Ivar’s chest. They allowed the warm water to envelop them as they relaxed. The water was both soothing and erotic. Ivar’s hand rested on Lena’s belly, the touch both protective and possessive to each of them. His other hand kneaded her breast as her hands gripped his thighs. They had done this so many times that they had a routine. They would rest together before Ivar lathered soap to run over Lena’s body. Then Lena would return the favor by turning to face Ivar. Their anticipation mounting with each swipe of the soap. They would wash one another’s hair, Ivar having to lean far forward for Lena to rinse his with fresh water. It was an excuse for him to begin his feast on her breast. They would finish by slowly coupling as the water lapped about their chests. Neither wanted to consider this might be the last time they would enjoy the connection.
Once they finished, Ivar and Lena drained the tub and climbed into bed. While they normally chatted about the parts of their day they spent apart, that night they held one another until they drifted to sleep. However, without fail, their need for one another woke them throughout the night.
Ivar stretched as the first rays of morning crept through Lena’s window. He rolled to pull Lena into his embrace, but his arms remained empty. Ivar looked about the room to find Lena standing at the window, the soft light casting a glow around her naked form. Ivar slipped from the bed and came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle. He felt her shudder, then tremble.
“Lena?” He attempted to turn Lena toward him, but she would not budge, shaking her head. Ivar did not pressure her, and in return, Lena relaxed against his body; however, her trembling did not cease. Ivar’s heart broke as his one great love cried, knowing, even accepting, that they might say goodbye to their relationship and their connection that morning. “We have today. Let’s go for a ride. We can spend the day together.”
Lena shook her head and turned around. Ivar brushed the stream of tears from her cheeks, but the stain from the trail remained, a reminder to Ivar that despite Lena’s constant attempt at stoicism, their circumstances deeply pained her.
“That’s impossible. You must go before everyone realizes you didn’t sleep in your chamber. For all we know, Inga tried to go to you last night, only to find you missing. She will not let that go unspoken. You must pay your court on her today. Tomorrow you will marry her.”
Lena’s tears began again as she turned away, but Ivar caught her in his embrace, her face resting against his chest. His warm skin and steady heartbeat were so familiar and comforting to Lena, and her tears devolved into sobs. Ivar stroked her hair while his own tears fell.
It was Lena’s turn to absorb the trembles, and she leaned back to see the tears flowing from Ivar’s hazel eyes. Their hearts broke all over again as they recognized their own pain mirrored in their lover. Lena reached up and brushed away Ivar’s tears. Ivar cupped her jaw as their lips fused for the most tender kiss they had ever exchanged. It was slow as each of them poured their love into it, praying the other would absorb the love they each offered.
“I will make this work. You are and always will be the one great love of my life. You are who I need and want as my wife, my partner. You are the woman this tribe needs to one day help lead us. I will not give up on us.”
“Patience.” Lena sighed.
“Patience.” Ivar kissed her forehead before they stepped apart and dressed for the day.
Eleven
