He shook his head. “Orm told you these things?”
“Aye.”
“The truth was that Orm wanted her himself, but her parents believed me to be the better man for her.”
“Was she silly?”
He laughed then and pulled her down against him, squeezing her. “Aye, she was silly and she laughed as openly and freely as a child and she loved to dance in the moonlight, even when the ground was covered knee-deep with snow.”
She was silent, trying to picture such a creature. She said on a sigh, “I do not remember the last time I laughed openly.”
He couldn’t either.
“I have never danced in the snow.”
“Mayhap you could also be silly every now and then—occasionally giggle and poke your fingers in my ribs.”
“Aye, mayhap.”
“Either kiss me again or let me sleep, Zarabeth.”
“If I kiss you, will you force me?”
Anger roiled inside him. “You have already kissed me more times than I can count. But they weren’t really a woman’s deep kisses. Kiss me again, as a woman ought, and you will see.”
She leaned down and pressed her mouth lightly to his. Her lips were dry and firm. He lay very quietly, not returning her kiss, letting her take what she wanted, letting her invade him, then withdraw, only to return again when she found no aggression in him. His sex swelled and throbbed but he didn’t move. When would she realize that she belonged with him? When would she stop fighting herself and him?
She raised her head and stared down at him. Her look was brooding. Finally she said slowly, “I had forgotten the taste of you.” He thought he would spill his seed at her words, just simple words, yet they shook him to his very core. She kissed him again, then shimmied down to press against his side and lay her cheek back on his shoulder.
“The next time you kiss me, Zarabeth, I will kiss you back and I will caress you and come inside you.”
He felt her tremble at his words. “Mayhap in the future you will feel silly and laugh when we are making love. It doesn’t have to be such a devoutly serious business.”
She didn’t know, and such a notion seemed strange to her. It seemed a very serious business.
The men were stirring. Magnus gave her another squeeze, then eased away from her. He rose and stretched, naked and lean and powerful in the soft morning light. He looked down at her and was pleased to see the candid interest in her eyes. She was staring at him quite openly. “I will fetch you one of my tunics to wear.”
He smiled when she strapped Orm’s wide leather belt around her hips, but he said nothing. He guessed wearing the sword made her feel she was in control. The sword banged against her leg whenever she took a step. Her legs were long and bare, as were her feet. He watched her try to untangle her hair with her fingers. He could have told her that she looked wild and beautiful, as savage as a warrior goddess. Then she rubbed her bottom and the image was swiftly gone. He laughed. He made certain she ate her fill before they left camp.
The day was hot, the sky clear. They rode near to the shore, the trees to their left, for there was no tracking to be done now and it was a quicker way back to Malek by this route. Magnus carried Zarabeth in front of him. She leaned her head back against his shoulder and dozed. She felt safe; she felt at peace. It was a strange feeling and she was loath to let it go. She fell deeply asleep with the scent of him in her nostrils, the gentle sway of the stallion beneath her, his arms holding her steady.
Ragnar’s stallion came even with Thorgell. Magnus turned to see his sister regarding him solemnly. She said, “I want to know what you will tell our father.”
“Mother already came to Malek, frantic to know if anyone had seen you. Now all know that you escaped our father’s farmstead to meet him, Ingunn. What would you have me say? All know that you sacrificed your honor to him.”
“I saved your wife’s life.”
“You did, but not because you care one whit about her, so do not pretend that you do. You hated to see Orm take another woman. You feared that he would want her and not you. Isn’t that right?”
Ingunn was silent, but Ragnar said, “You speak harshly, Magnus.”
“Ragnar, you speak blindly. Look well at her, speak long with her, and listen to the feeling behind her words before you decide to take her.”
Ingunn’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? Take me? What is this, Magnus?”
Magnus stared between Thorgell’s ears. “Ragnar wants you for a wife.”
Ingunn seemed to swell up even as she sat there. “I don’t want him! He is a lout and a boor and I have seen him fondle any female who chances to walk by him. He is no more faithful than a flea.”
