CHAPTER SIX
Katarina could hardly believe what he’d suggested. As his wife? How could he even consider such a thing? Arik was still holding her hand, his thumb pressing circles upon her palm. It unnerved her feeling his touch upon her skin. And what if he wanted to share her bed? Surely he would claim a husband’s rights.
As a young girl, she had once dreamed of being Arik Thorgrim’s wife. But not like this. She didn’t want to be the object of his pity. A twisted knot of worry ached inside her stomach as she tried to imagine a marriage between them.
“Why?” she blurted out. “What purpose is there in a marriage between us?”
“Because Leif will not let you go,” he said. “He would kill your brother and any man who stood in his way.”
Her heart was beating faster, standing so near to him. Arikhadproven himself able to defend her, even if his method was not one she had seen before. And right now, the look in his eyes was of a man bound to keep her safe.
“You do not want me as your wife,” she forced herself to say.
“I had not planned on taking a wife, this is true,” he said. “But neither will I leave you behind at Leif’s mercy.”
“You speak as if I cannot defend myself,” she accused. Her words were laced with bitterness, for she knew the truth of them.
“Would you rather marry Leif?” His voice turned gentle then, as if allowing her the choice.
“N-no.” She hated the weakness in her voice, and the fear invoked by this night. “I do not want to marry anyone right now.”
“It need not be a true marriage,” he told her. “I could protect you by name but leave you untouched.”
She had been holding back her feelings and fears for so long, the kindness made her crumble. A rush of tears came to her eyes, and she could not stop herself from weeping. She loathed herself for behaving like such a foolish woman, but it was the first moment she’d had to react to Leif’s attack.
Arik pulled her into a warm embrace but did nothing more than hold her. “You are safe now,” he promised. “I will take care of you.”
She didn’t know why he had offered to marry her, but he was right. She could not stay in Rogaland—not with Leif. He would only continue to pursue her.
After a time, her tears slowed, but Arik kept his hand upon the back of her neck. His touch was gentle and soothing. And though she was afraid to consider an arrangement like this, she saw no alternative.
Gathering her courage, she drew back and regarded him. “I will wed you. But only if you do not force me to share your bed.”
“You will sleep beside me at night,” he clarified, “but I will not touch you unless you ask it of me.”
It was the best she could hope for. Katarina took a breath and nodded. “In the morning, then.”
Arik was staring at her, but the look in his eyes was not threatening—only thoughtful. “I always knew I would have an arranged marriage,” he remarked. “But I never expected it to be quite like this.” A faint smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.
“Neither did I.” She refrained from mentioning that she had always wanted him as a husband—at least before she’d been attacked. It was strange to think that it had finally happened in a way she’d never imagined.
“There is something Iwouldlike,” he admitted. “If you are willing to seal our agreement.”
She waited for him to continue, and this time, he rested his palm against her cheek. His thumb nudged her mouth, and she understood then. He wanted to kiss her.
Every instinct warned her to pull away, but she could hardly breathe, much less move. She held herself motionless, terrified of what would happen now. The only kisses she had ever had were Leif’s possessive ones, or a few stolen kisses when she was younger. Never had she kissed this man, though she had dreamed of it.
He leaned in to her face, giving her every chance to pull back. Her heart was racing as his nose touched hers and he took her mouth.
The kiss was soft, an invitation instead of an act of possession. His mouth was teasing, stroking hers as he nipped at her lips. Katarina felt herself dissolving beneath the kiss, his mouth unraveling her senses. He took several kisses, savoring her mouth in a way that warmed every inch of her flesh. She wanted to go deeper, to fall beneath his spell and surrender.
But then he pulled back. His brown eyes had grown hooded, and she suddenly realized that hedidwant her. Very badly.
What startled her the most was the knowledge that she was not unaffected by the kiss at all. And marrying this man might well lead to far more than she’d anticipated.
Katarina’s blue eyes held confusion, and her lips were swollen from where he’d kissed her. Eric cursed himself for giving in to impulse. What had he been thinking? At first, he had intended only for it to be a kiss sealing their bargain. But the moment he’d tasted her, he’d been drawn deeper. It was as if invisible bonds had brought them together making it impossible to stop kissing her. He’d wanted to tangle his hands into her hair, stripping away her clothing until her bare skin was beneath his.
A marriage in name only? Such a thing might well be impossible.
