He was shaking. He reached into his hose, gripped the length of his cock, squeezed. She shoved thick strands of hair from her face, shaking her head like a wet puppy. The innocence of her action only heightened his need. His blood roared in his ears. His eyes slipped to what her parted legs offered to his view. His hand slid up. I should leave, he thought, and knew he would not.
She turned abruptly onto her stomach, and he was lost. He wanted to hold her lush buttocks, squeeze them, knead them, as he was kneading himself. He groaned, heard it, and knew from the way she had stiffened that she had heard it too. He didn’t care. He couldn’t. His hand was sweeping up and down his turgid length, no longer languid, but quickly now, he was so close, and God’s blood, he needed this, he needed her now….
She whipped upright, looked around, saw him, saw what he was doing. For one instant their gazes locked. When he closed his eyes, he still saw her, shocked, gasping. He released himself, then jerked faster, faster, and he cried out, coming violently, again and again.
His heart had not slowed when he opened his eyes, sure she was gone. She wasn’t. She stood now on the far side of the creek, eyes wide, mouth parted, quivering, arms folded across her breasts. Staring. He pulled his hose up. “Would you still trust me to guard your bath?” he asked harshly.
She shook her head wildly.
He wiped his hand on the tree near him, never removing his gaze from her. The next time, he wondered, would he be able to resist what he truly wanted? The question did not have to be answered. He had lost control of the situation. Therefore, the situation had to be changed.
“What?” Alice gasped.
“Beth told me, Lady,” Mary said eagerly, correctly assessing her mistress’s surprise as interest.
“They were here,” Alice cried, still stunned. “Are you sure? If this is a mistake, I will have you flogged and thrown in the dungeons!”
Mary shrank, her pretty mouth trembling. “’Tis the truth. Beth only saw Morcar, but he said Edwin had come too. She was sent to fetch Ceidre so they could meet.” Mary eyed her. “Are you not pleased with me?”
“Oh,” Alice breathed, her heart pounding. “I am pleased!” Absently she extracted a gold coin from her girdle, then pushed Mary toward the door. “Leave me, I must think!”
When Mary had left, Alice sank, trembling, upon the bed. She had known it would come to pass! Ceidre was playing at treason again. Only this time she had not been caught. What punishment, she wondered, would Rolfe inflict this time? Surely he would not let her get away with this! Meeting her own brothers right under his nose! Alice knew exactly what she would mete out, and she clapped her hands, smiling. This was her chance to get rid of her sister, finally.
She knew precisely how to proceed. Hurriedly she rose and ran downstairs to find her lord. He was just coming inside, looking quite relaxed, without his customary grimness, and Alice thought that this was most fortuitous. The gaze he turned upon her, at her greeting, was level and even, not annoyed. “I must speak with you,” Alice said huskily.
He smiled slightly. Indeed, his mood was good. His gesture was expansive. “A chair, my lady.”
“There must be no ears to overhear us,” she said. “Can we adjourn to our chamber, my lord?”
His look was bemused, but he allowed her to precede him upstairs. Trying not to be dramatic, Alice closed the heavy rosewood door behind them. She turned to find Rolfe seated on the bed, indolently lounging there. “My lord, I have spies about, my own spies.”
He looked at her. “Indeed?”
“Yes. And I have just learned something of great import that affects us both.” “So it seems.
Continue.”
“The afternoon you were hunting, Ceidre met with both Edwin and Morcar.”
Rolfe stared.
“’Tis true. They came right into the village once you had left. She is planning treason again, my lord!”
“This is a serious accusation. Do you have proof?”
“Yes! The maid, Beth, relayed a message betwixt Morcar and Ceidre. She may lie and deny it, for she is most fond of Morcar—indeed, ’tis said one of her brats is his—but if you beat her she will tell the truth.”
Rolfe stood and paced to the dark, unlighted hearth, his back to Alice. He turned slowly. “You are quick to wish your sister ill, Alice. Rightly, I think, I am suspicious of this accusation.”
Alice went to him, and brazenly touched his sleeve. “My lord, I am lady of Aelfgar. I intend to continue to remain so. If treason against you rears itself, I will fight it—for treason against you is treason against me. I have, for the first time in my life, what I want. I will not willingly give it up. Your interests are mine, thus I protect us, not just you. True, we are not close, but you must know I am loyal. Me you can trust.”
“A pretty speech,” he murmured.
“A true one.”
He did not respond.
“What will you do?” Alice asked boldly.
