He frowned at her and demanded, “Then why in thunderation did you now run from me?”
“Just because I enjoyed it once, Viking, does not mean I crave it again, as you men forever do. My curiosity has been appeased, and so I can do without a repetition of the act.”
“The act!” he grunted, thoroughly vexed. “There is a better word for it.”
“What?” she sneered. “Surely not lovemaking, for there was no love in what we did. Not for me, and especially not for you. You, the man, do not even participate. You have readily admitted ’tis only your body that craves release. So do not come to me for that release, when any woman will do.”
“But Ihavecome to you,” he replied, a decidedly wicked smile turning his lips.
Brenna’s eyes clouded with fury. “I refuse! I will not be used to satisfy your body’s cravings!”
“So you refuse,” he said lightly, the evil smile still on his lips. “That will not stop me from having you.”
Her eyes lit up with cunning. “’Tis fortunate, I suppose, that your body does not get these urgings often. But tell me, do you, the man, ever seek a woman?”
“Why should I?”
“Not even Morna?”
She expected to arouse his anger by her question, and possibly even to suffer a reprieve because of that anger. But she did not expect the icy rage that contorted his features and sent a cold chill down her back.
“How came you to know of Morna?” he asked in a deadly calm tone.
“Have you not learned that you should never do battle with an enemy until you know all you can of him? I made it a point to know of you.”
“You consider me your enemy?”
“You are certainly not my friend or ally. So, yea, we are enemies.”
“Nay,” he returned coldly. “We are master and slave. We make war with words, not weapons. And now I grow tired of the words.”
“You will let me leave, then?” she asked hopefully.
“Yea, you can leave—after the act, as you call it, is finished.”
Garrick’s sudden leap across the bed took her by surprise, and in a panic she jumped away from him. But she was not quick enough and he grabbed her foot, holding it secure while the rest of her tumbled forward to land flat on the floor. The impact knocked the breath from her, and her elbows, which hit hard, smarted terribly and brought tears of pain to her eyes. She cursed herself silently for allowing the glistening drops to well up and make her eyes glassy. A woman’s weapon, tears; she would not use them to aid her cause.
“Are you hurt?”
“Would it matter?” she snapped.
“Are you?” he repeated harshly.
“The only thing that hurts is your grip on my foot!” she lied, quickly wiping her eyes on her palms. “Release me, damn your hide!”
“Nay, Brenna,” he said softly. “Not yet.”
One hand holding her ankle, he moved his other hand up her calf and lifted her nightdress. When she kicked out at him with her other foot, he laughed and grabbed it too, then twisted her until she was forced to turn over on her back. He was crouched at the foot of the bed, holding her ankles, one in each hand. She stared in disbelief as he slowly started to stand, pulling her legs up with him as he straightened.
“Cease, Garrick! Stop it, I say!”
But he continued to lift her up off the floor, up and up until he had her dangling in the air above the bed. Brenna was torn between whether to use her hands to brace herself, or to try to push her nightdress back in place, for it fell about her head, baring her limbs for his view. Before she could decide, though, he lowered her gently on the bed till she lay on her back. But he kept her legs raised and slowly spread them wide.
When he fell to his knees, she tried to pull away from him, but he yanked her back. Then in a swift movement he dropped her legs over his shoulders and fell forward on top of her at the same time, pinning her legs high with his arms so that she could not lower them. He did not even need to remove his short robe, for it had opened with his exertion, and his throbbing member pressed against her, searching for the moist cavern of her womanhood.
“You are a depraved beast!” she gasped.
“Nay, I am determined to have you, Brenna, that is all,” he murmured.
