* * *
“You’re killing me, Galien. Please, please, please,” Claire said, her head thrashing around as she begged. He relished each frantic plea that fell from her lips, and he enjoyed watching her writhe underneath him while she ached for his cock.
“Ask me for what you want, Claire,” he said, now drawing his length through her moist folds.
“I want you, of course!”
He grinned down at her. “That’s not specific enough. I want to hear yousay, ‘Please, my lord husband, will you please pound into my wet quim with your cock?’”
“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t wish to consummate this marriage after all, my lord. I want an annulment.” Through her sensual haze, her eyes shone with mischief.
“Is that so, my lady?”
“Yes, sir, I am quite decided about it.”
He tapped the tip of his cock against her womanhood, aiming for the swollen nubbin he’d rubbed her moisture over earlier. “You’re quite decided, are you?”
She screwed up her face and closed her eyes. Little gasps emanated from her with each tap of his cock on her pleasure spot, and finally she relented. “I-I cannot remember the exact wording you asked for.”
“Use your own words then, sweet Claire.”
“Please, my lord, will you please…” Her words trailed off and a profuse blush stained her cheeks. She stared at him pleadingly, and released a frustrated sigh when he held fast to his demands. “Very well,” she said, arching her hips up. “Please, my lord husband, will you please pound into my, er, intomewith your co-cock?” She saidcockin a whisper so faint he almost missed it.
“Such bawdy talk for a lady. I might have to punish you again tonight.” He grasped her hips and surged forward, entering her slick channel in one rapid, harsh thrust. The tight warmth of her wet core gripped his cock, and he groaned and leaned further over her, kissing her cheeks and nibbling at her soft earlobe. She shuddered and ground against him, and he withdrew partially and slammed back into her.
Galien set a fast pace of driving in and out of her sweetness, claiming her with all the height of his primal lust. His need for her overpowered his ability to be gentle, but by the wild manner in which she met his thrusts, it was obvious his bride didn’t wish for him to take it slow. More than happy to give her what she wanted, he drew her legs atop his shoulders in order to plunge deeper into her tight, moist quim. Ah, she was so lovely and responsive, his sweet Claire. Her hair billowed out on the bedroll around her delicate face, and her bare breasts bounced with the movements of his pounding.
“You belong to me now, Claire.”
She met his eyes with a shocked look, and at first he thought she intended to protest his claim on her. But her lips parted and she let out a deep, long moan as she gyrated her mound against his hardness. “Oh, Galien. Galien… my lord…” Her nails dug into his arms, and she closed her eyes as she rode the wave of her release, a release he suspected was her first.
As her moaning and writhing subsided, he slowed and waited for her eyes to open. When they did and her stare fluttered to his, her expression was one of pure contentment. “That… that, my lord, has never happened before.”
He cupped the side of her face, and she leaned into his touch with a purr. “I believe this means I have conquered you then, Claire,” he said, unable to stop the pride welling up within him over his prowess.
“If this is what being conquered feels like, I invite you to do so again and again.”
“Gladly, my lady. Every day for the rest of our lives.” Galien’s cock throbbed within her and ached for relief, but when he resumed driving in and out of her, he drove excruciatingly slow and after the first few thrusts, he pressed his thumb to her sensitive nub. She jerked underneath him and undulated her hips, matching her moves with his.
Too soon a tingle of pleasure raced up the insides of his thighs and his balls clenched up, his peak imminent. He spread more moisture overtop her sensitive spot and increased the swirls with his thumb. Her legs quaked and her eyes closed, and her insides once again clamped down on his cock. Unable to hold back any longer, he pumped into her faster and groaned as he filled her up with his seed, holding her hips tight and not releasing her until he had spent himself completely.
He withdrew from her and cupped her face, stroking her cheeks as he peered into her enchanting blue eyes that reminded him of the mountain lakes near Minrova.
The intensity of his feelings for her unnerved him, and he had to resist the compulsion to whisper sweet words of affection into her ear. That he even had the urge in the first place startled him. He reminded himself that he’d known her for less than a day, and if he spoke of the warmth spreading through his heart, she’d likely balk at him. Yet in the short time he’d known her, he’d glimpsed many sides of her nature. Her beauty and grace, her sweetness and her stubbornness, and her bravery and kindness. She was a lady who had put the safety of others ahead of herself, a lady who had possessed enough bravery to take on a mercenary nearly twice her size with nothing but a dagger, and a lady who had overcome her fear of intimacy and discovered the passion blazing within her.
He pulled the blankets atop them and tucked her into his side. She rested her head over his heart, and he stroked her hair as his thoughts turned to the future. The death of his father would overshadow the arrival of his new wife at Minrova, but he was certain she would understand. The late Lord Galien’s burial would take place in two days, and Galien knew his cousins who’d stayed behind were likely making the arrangements for the late lord to be put to rest next to the wife he had loved so dearly. Galien smiled at the memories of his childhood, of always catching his parents kissing and hugging and making eyes at one another.
The sound of Claire’s soft snoring brought his attention back to her. He was thankful for the braziers and extra blankets that allowed her to curl up naked next to him, despite the fact that the cold wind howled outside thetent.
“Sleep well, my sweet Claire,” he said, even though she was already fast asleep. In response to his voice, she sighed and snuggled closer to him, draping one leg atop his and burying her face deeper into his chest.
Though his responsibilities as the new lord of his estate weighed upon him, as well as the impending funeral and the sadness at losing his father, the world didn’t seem so bleak with Claire nestled in his arms. He leaned down to brush a kiss atop her forehead, and when she sighed again so sweetly in her sleep and her breath tickled his chest, his heart swelled with tender emotion for the spirited lady encased in his arms.
Chapter Five
Minrova was a large keep that greatly resembled Hohenzollern, and Claire’s head spun as she walked the halls in the late afternoon, determined to make the acquaintance of anyone she’d missed meeting last night. She was also determined to immediately take up her position of lady of the house; she’d already visited the kitchens to discuss the evening meal, and she made certain chambers were being prepared for the arrival of several of Galien’s relatives, two more cousins, and an uncle and his wife.
A somber mood prevailed over Minrova due to the passing of Galien’s father, and Claire hadn’t seen her husband since last night when they rode into the bailey under a bright full moon. He’d passed her off to one of the servants, a bashful young woman named Erwyn who was to be her lady’s maid. Erwyn had taken her to Galien’s chambers and helped her get settled, and she’d fallen fast asleep after a relaxing bath in lavender-scented water. At some point in the night, Galien must have returned, because his side of the bed was crumpled, and she did recall the feel of a warm body pressing into hers in the middle of the night.
