“I’ve had enough of waiting. Waiting and watching while you carried on with William, the prince, even that troubadour.”
His eyes fixed on her mouth. Oh God, she could not take it if he kissed her mouth. Without releasing her wrists, he leaned down and kissed her throat. She bit her lip to keep from screaming at him to stop.
“But I am an understanding man,” he said with a thin smile. “I will give you as much time as it takes for me to remove my boots.”
He lifted her to the floor with him.
“Light a candle while I take my boots off,” he said. “It’s getting dark, and I want to see you.”
Her hands shook as she lit the candle stub. As she did it, she listened for sounds from below. She heard no sound of guards fighting their way into the keep to save her, only the soft rumble of male voices and hoots of laughter. If she was to be saved, she must do it herself.
Feeling his eyes on her back, she turned to find Edmund sitting on the bench holding his boots midair.
“You are beautiful,” he said, raking his eyes over her. “I gave you your time. Now I want to see you naked.”
She took two steps back but could go no farther. Her back was against the bed. Somehow, she had to slow him down and gain control of the situation.
“What about you?” She let a faint smile lift the corners of her mouth. “If you want me to enjoy myself, you will have to take your clothes off as well.”
She fluttered her eyelashes and tilted her head to the side. “And you will most definitely have to take your time.”
Praise God, he was even drunker than she thought! Judging from the way his mouth gaped like a fish out of water, he believed her act. Or he wanted badly to pretend he did.
“You did say we have until dawn, did you not?” she asked, drawing out each word. “That is a long, long time.”
Edmund dropped his boots to the floor and stood up. Without a word, he methodically removed every article of his clothing. Apparently, he had not listened to the part about taking his time.
She tried to tell herself this was going well, but he was standing naked before her, fully aroused. Fortunately, he was a vain man and misinterpreted the cause of her flushed cheeks.
As he came toward her, she dropped her gaze so he would not see her rising panic. When he ran his hands down her arms and kissed her neck, she thought for sure he would notice she was trembling and clammy with fear.
She need not have worried.
He turned her around and pressed himself against her. She felt the hardness of his erection through the layers of her clothing as he moved against her, groaning.
“I thought your growing belly would decrease my desire for you,” he said, breathing hard against her ear. “But I want you more than ever.”
This was going much too fast! She needed time, more time.
He kissed her neck as he undid the tiny buttons down the back of her gown.
“Please, I’m cold,” she said, clutching her arms across her chest to keep the gown from falling.
“Then I shall keep you warm, for I am hot as fire.”
In one quick movement, he pried her hands loose and jerked the gown down. It hung for a moment on her swollen belly and hips, then slid to her feet. She was left standing in only the thin tunic she wore underneath.
He lifted her in his arms and looked down at her.
“I promise you, Catherine, we shall make the most of our time together.”
Chapter Thirty-three
Edmund laid Catherine down on the bed with unexpected gentleness. Taking care not to put his weight on her belly, he lay naked against her side. He threw one leg over hers, pinning her down. She felt trapped, surrounded by his smell, his heat, his male body.
No matter what he did, she told herself, she had suffered worse at Rayburn’s hands when she was just a girl of sixteen. She was a more formidable opponent now.
Edmund brought a fistful of her hair to his face and breathed in deeply. “From the moment I saw you on the drawbridge that first day, I knew you were not like any other woman.”
