‘I will try to remember the next time and drink with proper appreciation, but last night was my wedding night and I had other concerns.’
His mouth returned to her earlobe, making her nipples tighten to hard points. She knew she didn’t want to move, even though it was probably the most prudent thing to do.
She forced her head to turn. ‘If you insist…we can lie like this for a short time. No harm in resting.’
He slowly relaxed his hold on her fingers. ‘There, you see. Nothing spoiling. Everything to be gained.’
The warm muscle and sinew beneath her fingertips enticed her to explore further. Her hands slipped lower towards his belly.
He caught her forefinger and raised it to his lips. ‘Don’t start anything that you don’t intend to finish, my lady fair. A friendly warning.’
Immediately, she drew her hand back. ‘A warning? How am I starting anything?’
He lifted her chin. She glimpsed the fierce light in his eyes. ‘A promise. We both know where this sort of play leads, Svanna.’
Her tongue moistened her suddenly parched lips. He thought her experienced—he must, from his words about her knowing where this would lead—but she was a maid. If she explained, would he believe her? She knew the horrible rumours that Turgeis had caused to swirl. She’d heard the doggerels, even though her nurse told her to ignore them because reacting would only give them credence.
‘Do we?’
‘Yes, lots of time. The tides turn and then turn again.’
‘Why are you waiting for the tide?’
‘Because one day soon you and I will go to Eire as man and wife.’ He wrapped a tendril of hair about his forefinger. ‘But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t deeply attracted to you. You were in my dreams and now you are in my arms. I wanted to do this.’
She wet her lips. ‘Do what?’
‘This.’ He cupped his hand about her jaw and brought her mouth to his. His lips descended, seeking rather than demanding, taking their time to explore and gently persuade.
The warm curl within her grew to an insistent white heat. Every particle of her appeared to be gloriously awake and alive.
‘Shall I continue?’ he asked, moving his lips to her ear. ‘We have time.’
She knew that saying no was the last thing she wanted.
‘Yes.’
‘Good.’ His mouth returned to hers and his tongue traced the outline of her lips before penetrating her.
Her body arched forward and collided with the length of his much harder one. She ran her hand down his flank, feeling the indents of the scarring which marked his body. Giving in to impulse, she pressed her lips against the smooth scar on his face.
‘I’m sorry you received this,’ she murmured.
‘Once I blamed you,’ he admitted, tangling her hair about his hand. ‘But that was wrong of me.’
‘Wrong of you?’
‘You’d no idea of my existence. You are not the sort of person to lie about something that never happened. It was an unfortunate accident.’
‘I… I know who you are now,’ she said, her voice faltering. She knew she should tell him about the innocent flirtation and the chaste kiss they’d shared, but she worried about breaking this fragile truce which had sprung up between them. She wanted this white heat to continue. She wanted to feel his hands on her body, making her feel precious and unsullied. She simply wanted to be. Time enough for confessions later.
‘The time for talking has ended.’ She turned her mouth towards his and parted his lips with her tongue.
His hand slid down her back, urging her closer still, while their tongues touched, tangled, retreated and returned to tangle again.
The apex of her thighs encountered his rampant erection.
‘You see, I do want you, in case you had any doubt,’ he breathed against her ear. ‘But it remains your choice.’
