Mostly asleep, Mathis still responded to her, as he always did when she was close. There was something about the woman that sent liquid fire through his veins that he could not control. She was still clad in her surcoat and shift from the night before but his hands snaked up her skirts as his mouth latched on to herear. She trembled giddily as he suckled a sensitive little lobe, his hands already pulling her legs apart and pushing her skirts out of the way.
Cathlina groaned as he entered her from behind, thrusting deep into her heated and moist body. He held her pelvis against his as he found his rhythm, performing the primal mating ritual that joined his body to hers. He pulled her left leg up, holding her fast so he could gain more freedom of movement as his mouth moved to her neck and gently nibbled. The more he thrust, the more inflamed he became, biting her shoulder and listening to her gasp with the pleasure-pain of it. Letting go of her leg, he flipped her onto her back and mounted her once more, long and hard.
Cathlina was swept up in their love making, her hand on his face as he repeatedly impaled her on his enormous phallus. Mathias kissed her deeply, his tongue invading her sweet mouth, tasting her as if he were feeding a massive hunger that refused to be sated. He pulled at her surcoat, freeing her breasts, and his tongue lapped up the tender nipples greedily as he continued to thrust. A hand moved to the junction where their bodies were joined and he rubbed her mound, feeling her buck and gasp beneath him.
When she finally found her pleasure, he answered with a massive climax of his own. His seed was spilled, filling her deeply and fully, and he whispered his love for her over and over, telling her how very much he adored her. Exhausted, Cathlina kissed him tenderly before snuggling down against him and falling back asleep.
Mathias, however, remained awake. Even though the sun was rising and they needed to start their day, he was loath to get out of bed, wallowing in this delicate cocoon of warmth and love. After the night they’d had, the things that had been said, he wanted to forget it all like some horrible nightmare. Worse still,he was coming to wonder if she wasn’t right. Was his knighthood more important than her? Was he being selfish? He didn’t think so, and he hated it when he started to second-guess himself. As Cathlina snored softly, he carefully disengaged himself from her and got out of bed.
Mathias was very quiet as he donned his clothing but once he began to put on his armor, the noise awoke Cathlina. He passed a glance at her after putting on his noisy mail coat and saw that she was awake and looking at him. He smiled timidly.
“Good morn, love,” he said softly. “Did you sleep well?”
Cathlina nodded, sitting up in bed as she watched him pull on his hauberk. “I did, but I had a horrible dream,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “I had a terrible dream that we quarreled.”
His jaw ticked faintly as he straightened out the mail hood. “That was no dream,” he muttered. “I am afraid we did quarrel. I am sorry if I hurt you. You know I would never knowingly do that.”
Cathlina blinked her sleepy eyes, thinking back to the previous night and the things that were said. She started to get misty but rubbed her eyes again to mask it.
“Then nothing has changed,” she whispered sadly. “You are still taking me home and then returning to Scotland without me. I do not know why you should apologize for choosing your own wants over mine.”
He didn’t want to start arguing with her again. He put his shoulder protection on and began strapping it to the breastplate. “I have a duty, Cathlina,” he said softly. “I am sorry if you cannot understand that.”
“You have a duty to me as well. I am sorry ifyoucannot understand that.”
“I will not have this conversation with you again. The subject is closed.”
Cathlina shut her mouth. Silently, she climbed out of the bed and began stripping off her clothing, completely ignoring Mathias as he finished dressing. There was a bucket of water on the table and she proceeded to pull out a clean shift, clean surcoat, her precious lavender soap and a rag. As Mathias pulled on his boots, she stood in her shift and washed her face, neck and arms, rinsing off in the very cold water and drying herself with the hem of the shift she was wearing.
As Mathias finished dressing and just sat and watched, she pulled off the shift she was wearing, exposing her luscious nude body to the weak morning light. Mathias inspected her hungrily, her sweet curves and remembering how they tasted upon his tongue. But she quickly covered up, pulling the clean white shift on and then a red linen surcoat over it. In little time she was completely dressed, braiding her hair into one thick braid and draping it over one shoulder. All the while, Mathias sat and watched her, feeling the pain of their disagreement like daggers. It was all he could do to breathe.
When Cathlina had finished dressing, she packed everything up in her satchel and opened the front door, calling for Midgy. She was back to ignoring him so Mathias quit the cottage and went to the livery to collect his charger as his wife tracked down the errant otter. He paid the stable boy to groom and saddle his horse, and by the time he returned to the cottage, Cathlina was standing on the riverbank sniffling. He went to her.
“Are you ready to leave?” he asked. When she turned around and he saw that she was weeping, his manner softened. He thought it was still because of him. “Love, I am truly sorry you are so upset but I will not continue to discuss it.”
She shook her head and wiped at her eyes, pointing to the river. “It is not that,” she said. “Midgy has not come back. I fear he is gone.”
Mathias could see that she was genuinely upset and his hawk-like gaze perused the area. “This is where we first found him,” he said gently. “Do you suppose he has returned to his family? It is quite possible, you know. I would not worry that something has happened to him. He more than likely simply went back to his family.”
“Do you think so?”
“I do.”
She was sobbing softly, looking over the river. “I hope not,” she said. “I will miss him so.”
Even though she was angry with him, Mathias threw caution to the wind and put his arms around her, kissing her forehead. To his surprise, she didn’t stiffen or pull away. She continued to sniffle softly, watching the river and hoping her otter would make an appearance. But there was no sign of Midgy. Mathias sighed softly.
“We cannot wait for him,” he said gently. “We must be on our way.”
“Can I call for him a little longer?”
He wriggled his eyebrows and released her from his embrace. “Just a few more minutes and then we really must leave,” he told her. “I will go to the inn and procure some food for the journey, and we will leave when I get back.”
Cathlina nodded and began walking the river bank, calling for her pet. Mathias watched her a moment, feeling sad for her, for the situation in general, before heading up the path to the tavern. By the time he returned nearly an hour later, as he wanted to give her plenty of time to hunt for her pet, he found her sitting outside of the cottage with her satchel in her lap, waiting for him. When he walked up to her, she didn’t look at him. Her gaze lingered on the gently flowing river.
“Midgy has not come back,” she said sadly.
Mathias sighed softly, his gaze moving out over the river. “We cannot spare more time to look for him now but if it will make you happy, I will return when time allows to search for him.”
