Only a few seconds passed before she felt Garrick’s presence directly behind her. He took her elbow and without a word, escorted her from the hall. They passed Perrin, who grinned but said nothing, and saw Gorm and two others just coming in the back door. Garrick ignored them all and pulled her up the stairs behind him. When they reached the top, she finally jerked away from him.
“Where are you taking me, Viking?” she demanded in a harsh whisper.
“To bed,” he replied and grabbed her quickly, sweeping her off her feet before she could escape him.
“But you have guests below!” she protested.
Garrick laughed heartily, a sound Brenna rarely heard. “They can wait; I cannot.”
Cradled in his arms as he carried her into his room, Brenna felt overwhelmed by the desire that flooded her senses. She squeezed her eyes shut and fought the urge to succumb to Garrick’s advances.
“Put me down!”
He grinned devilishly. “As you wish.”
He dropped her on the bed, then followed her there, straddling her hips with his knees. She sat up with all her force and pushed him with both arms, but did not even knock him slightly off balance.
“Can it be you have not missed me, wench?” he teased her as he removed his belt and threw it aside. She leaned back on her elbows and stared up at him haughtily.
“Why should I miss you? You are not the only man around here, Viking.”
The coldness that came instantly to his eyes shocked her. “You will not dally with any man save me.”
Now anger flared in Brenna and black smoke gathered in her eyes. “And what of your friends? I was told you allow them to bed any female slave you own!”
He grinned at that. “Do you at last agree I own you, Brenna?”
“Nay, but your loathsome friends think you do!” she retorted hotly.
“Well, you need have no fear on that score, mistress. They will not bother you.”
“You will tell them to leave me be, then?” she asked in surprise.
“Aye.”
“Why will you do this?” she questioned skeptically. “Certainly not for me.”
“’Tis enough that I do not choose to share you yet,” he admitted in a careless tone.
Brenna’s eyes darkened even more. “Yet—yet!You are contemptible! When you tire of me, you will just throw me to the wolves, eh? Well, let me tell you something. You have given me your warning not to dally. Now I give you mine. If I find a man I desire, I will have him, be he slave or freeman.Youwill not stop me!”
“I will have you whipped, mistress,” he said coldly.
“Then do it now, damn you, Viking!” she stormed. “I will not be threatened!”
“You would like that, eh?” He took her wrists and spread her arms out on the bed, leaning down close to her. “You have a clever way of distracting me from my purpose, wench.”
“That was not my intent!” she cried in frustration, squirming beneath him.
“Then be still.”
Brenna felt tears well in her eyes as he released one hand to raise her skirt, then moved to lower his trousers. She felt like a whore. She felt dirty, but he wouldn’t understand.
“I hate you, Garrick!” she hissed, trying desperately to stop her tears of weakness.
He said nothing as he nudged her knees open, then fell between them. But when he finally looked down at her face again and saw the tears, he froze.
“Why do you cry?” he asked in a surprisingly soft voice. “Did I hurt you?”
