CHAPTER SEVEN
The weight of his silence was crushing. Katarina felt as if her life had been blurred by the intimate way Arik had touched her. He had awakened the dormant piece of her heart that she’d given him so many years ago.
She hadn’t lied when she’d said she would welcome his touch. His kiss had drowned out the horrifying memories, pushing them into the shadows, until she was aware of nothing but him.
Never had she imagined that he would arouse her like that. She had wanted him desperately, but he had refused to claim her.
Was it because he had been forced into this union? Had he taken her as his wife out of pity? She didn’t know. But as she stood and took his hand, her body was sensitive beyond words. Although he had pleasured her, the act had felt empty when he did not join with her. She wished she could lead him back to the furs, to finish what they had begun.
But he intended to keep his promise of not touching her—that was clear enough.
When she was fully dressed, he held out his hand and led her from the partition. The men awaiting them let out a loud cheer of approval, and she felt her cheeks burning with humiliation. They believed that she had consummated the union, that they were now truly husband and wife. But it was nothing but a lie.
Suddenly her emotions felt battered, as if she were an undesirable woman. She couldn’t understand the tangle of thoughts within her.
Outside, he led her toward the feasting, and someone gave her a plate loaded with food. Arik found a place for her to sit and they shared the roasted mutton, fresh fish, and boiled eggs. Her new husband seemed distracted, his gaze searching.
“What is the matter?” Katarina asked quietly.
He reached out and touched a lock of her hair, fingering the waving length. “We are traveling north at dawn—to my uncle’s settlement.”
She stilled, for she had wanted put the sea as a barrier between herself and Leif. He would not accept this marriage, nor would he let them go. She had no doubt at all that he was conspiring at this moment, waiting for his chance to kill Arik and claim her for himself.
A coldness swept over her, and she reached out to her new husband, seeking to allay the chill. He took her hand in his, placing his other arm around her. “Have you eaten enough to satisfy you?”
“I have.” She had little desire to consume any more, and the longer they remained among the people, the more nervous she grew. At this moment, she wished they were back inside Valdr’s house, surrounded by so many warriors. Leif might be a captive for one day and night, but she worried that he would challenge Arik again, catching him unawares.
Her husband was not at all weak, despite her earlier fears. Though he lacked the brute muscles of the other men of her tribe, he was intelligent and swift. Hehaddefended her…and yet, she couldn’t help but worry about the uncertain future.
Her husband’s thumb slid over her palm in an unconscious caress, and she lifted her gaze to his. For a moment, his dark eyes regarded her with undisguised heat. She remembered his touch upon her skin, and beneath her gown, her breasts grew heavy and aroused.
Many of her kinsmen played music, and soon, the women pulled her away from Arik, forcing her to join the dancing. His face held the shadow of a smile, but he hung back, watching her as she spun with them.
The ale made her mind drift with thoughts of him. And as she danced, she saw him watching her move.
This will be a good marriage,she thought.Freya will bless us.
Several of the men seized Arik, dragging him toward her. He started to protest that he did not wish to dance, but they would not allow him to remain on the outskirts.
There was a slight awkwardness about him, almost as if he’d forgotten their dances. She joined hands with him, trying to coax him into spinning with her.
But he caught her waist with his left arm, drawing her to him. Against his body, she felt his arousal returning, and he caught her hair with his other hand. She stopped dancing, caught up in the fierce expression upon his face. Her lips parted in invitation, and he bent down, capturing her in a ruthless kiss.
By the gods, her husband knew how to steal the very breath from her soul. She clung to him for balance, savoring the rough kiss, responding in kind. He kissed her for a long moment, his tongue invading her mouth.
She didn’t understand the wildness between them or the preternatural sense that they belonged with one another, two parts that joined to make a whole. This marriage had been an arrangement, only a means of protecting her—and yet now, it seemed like far more.
She was startled when Arik lifted her into his arms and strode through the crowd. She never took her eyes off him, but instead of bringing her inside Valdr’s house, he walked toward the coast.
“You can put me down, and I will walk with you,” she offered, feeling self-conscious while he carried her. But once they reached the view of the sea, he set her down. They stood upon a hill overlooking the sand. A clouded moon shone over the dark waves, casting a hint of gold upon the water’s surface.
His expression was grim, and for a long while, he didn’t speak. He stared out into the water, and a chill rose over her skin.
“I don’t understand why you asked me to be your wife,” she confessed. “Not really.” All her life she had yearned for this man, knowing that his feelings were not the same. And yet, a few moments ago, he had kissed her as if she was the only thing in the world he desired.
“I did not want to see you with a man like Leif. He would have hurt you.”
It was the answer she’d expected, but his actions spoke otherwise. She pushed a little further. “But why marriage?”
