Small sounds of longing were falling from her lips, even as those calloused fingers made their way to that place where she needed him and dipped just inside, stretching her, testing her, smearing the evidence of her desire back up and around, until bright shards of light burst behind her eyelids and her body tensed like a bow drawn tight, pleasure exploding outwards from her core as she flung herself into the abyss and let the sensations flood her fully.
Alaric didn’t take his hands off of her, his fingers relentless as they wrung every last gasp from her lips. He held her through the fever, until they were trembling together, hands tight on skin as the world slowly righted itself once more.
Trying to catch her breath, Hanna relaxed just as Alaric rolled away, fumbling with something at his waist. Alarmed,Hanna sat up, wondering what was happening as he cursed softly in the darkness beside her.
She heard the sound of skin on skin, and Alaric groaned, a guttural sound that made Hanna’s stomach flip, desire blooming in its wake all over again.
“Hanna-” he murmured softly, an edge of pleading to his tone, and she reached for him instinctively. He caught her hand in his, leading her down his body until her hand was wrapped around the hard length of his manhood, his hand lightly covering hers as he used her palm to stroke up and down his shaft.
Hanna froze, waiting for the fear, but it never came. Instead, she felt that power again. He wanted her, but she knew she was safe.
Once, twice, she slowly stroked the length of him, exploring the girth as she wrapped her fingers tight, letting him guide her up to the thick bulge of his crown and then down again.
His hips bucked, and Alaric dragged her hand away, pressing her palm to his mouth with one hand as he took himself in hand with the other. Hanna sat there, enthralled, as Alaric moaned against her palm with every pump of his fist, each faster and more desperate than the last.
Close now, he pulled her hand down once more and wrapped it around him just as he shot his seed, coating her in his release as he panted her name like a prayer.
Shocked, Hanna sat still on the bed as Alaric slowly stood up, walking over to the washstand in the light of the moon, and returned with a cloth that he used to carefully clean her hand. Pressing another kiss to her palm before he tended to himself and slid back between the covers.
Hanna was silent, her mind spinning with all that had occurred, and she sat there until he pulled her down to lay beside him, rolling her back into his arms as he pulled her tight againsthis chest where she could feel his heart still beating like a wild thing.
Slowly, the frantic thumping calmed, as did she, relaxing back into the familiarity of the embrace as Alaric’s breath came slower. Deep and even, until Hanna could tell he was asleep.
She was grateful that he had not said anything, she didn’t know how she felt or what she could possibly say as the gravity of the moment they had shared revealed itself.
But perhaps a small part of her was looking forward already to tomorrow night, when the darkness might bring more surprises.
ALARIC
Alaric unfolded the missive that arrived during breakfast with a brisk shake of his wrist, glancing up at Hanna as she poured more tea into his cup and murmuring his thanks.
She flashed that small, shy smile again, and Alaric felt his heart seize momentarily at the beauty of her face lit with happiness.
Her cheeks were particularly rosy this morning, her colour high and her step light.
Unable to help himself, Alaric flashed her a slow wink, thoughts of their passion in the dark swirling around in his mind, and Hanna blushed furiously, ducking her head and handing over a plate of sweet buns fresh from the oven.
James fussed in his chair, smacking the kitchen tablecloth with pudgy little hands and Maria shushed the boy good-naturedly, offering him another mouthful of porridge and cooing in that way women did to babies.
Alaric caught himself watching his new family and mentally shook himself, turning his attention back to the letter that still lay unread in his hand.
Skimming the contents, he sighed, gulped down the dregs of his tea and stood, stomping his way to the front room and grabbing the rifle from the case mounted on the wall.
“What is it?” asked Hanna, coming up the kitchen stairs while wiping her hands anxiously in her apron.
Alaric sighed, filling his satchel with shot and leather and checking the powder horn before tucking it inside his jacket pocket.
“The hunting party is extending itself by another three days. I must go and check the peasant and partridge numbers, and round up the beaters. Not sure if I will be home nights, all considering. There will need to be an early start until the lords have satisfied their bloodlust.”
Alaric grimaced at the thought of the carnage and swung the rifle strap over his shoulder.
“Can I do anything?” Hanna asked in a small voice, her eyes wide as they tracked his every move.
Alarix realised that she had not yet been alone in the small flint cottage that was now her home.
“You can not worry,” Alaric said gently, grabbing her chin and stealing a kiss from those tender lips. It was a luxury he did not intend to take for granted. “You are my woman now, nothing for you to do except look after James and Maria and keep our bed warm.”
After staring a moment too long into her eyes, watching as she blinked slowly and nodded, her cheeks turning pink with a shy blush, Alaric nodded goodbye and grabbed his hat on the way out.
