She felt awkward at first, but it was easier when she closed her eyes. “What should I do?”
“Lift up on your knees and then lower yourself,” he said. “Any way that feels good to you.”
It went against everything she’d imagined, but she was making love to Raine, instead of the other way around. And slowly, she began to thrust upon him, shallow at first, and then deeper. Being in command made it easier to adjust to the soreness, and soon enough, she no longer cared. His hands moved up to cup her breasts, and he fingered her nipples as she moved up and down. When she sat upon him, leaning back slightly, he moved one hand down to her hooded flesh.
The moment he caressed her there, she clenched his length. “Oh, Raine.” She could hardly breathe, and it took an effort to continue her movement. The delicious friction was guiding her toward another release, and she wanted it so badly. He started to move within her, but she held his hips back. “Wait.”
He understood what she wanted, and while they were joined, he sat up, still caressing her while he suckled her nipple. The burgeoning feelings were gathering up like a thunderstorm inside her, and she arched against him.
“Let go,” he ordered, “and let me feel you come apart. I want to be inside you when you feel your pleasure.”
The wildness was gathering momentum, building up until she could hardly hold back the moans of excitement. She arched hard, welcoming the rushing sensations as they crashed over her.Her body was a liquid heat, pulsing around his shaft, and she bit back a scream as he thrust forward.
This time, he rolled her onto her back, and she could only hold on as he drove himself inside her. The reckless fire was rising hotter, and she came apart once again as he plunged and withdrew. She scored his back with her fingernails, giving in to instinct, until at last, his breathing deepened, and he collapsed on top of her.
Carice welcomed the weight of him, feeling beloved. Their bodies were still joined, and she held him close to her heart, unable to hold back her smile.
“Thank you,” she whispered, reveling in the touch of his body upon hers.
She could feel his tension, but in answer, he leaned up and kissed her. The need to sleep overcame her, and she closed her eyes, letting go of all else but the welcome sanctuary of Raine’s arms.
He awakened a few hours later with Carice nestled against him. Their legs were tangled together, and the sleep softened the features of her face. He supposed he ought to feel remorse for taking advantage of her. And yet, all he could feel was grateful. For these few moments, he was at peace.
She snuggled against him and opened her eyes. He waited to see if her expression would hold any regret. Instead, she sent him a quiet smile.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “I brought you food earlier.”
She nodded. “I think I distracted you from it. Why don’t you bring it here, and we’ll eat together?”
He rose from the bed and fetched the tray. Upon it was bread, meat and cheese. He offered it to Carice, and she chose a piece of cheese. “There was a time when I ate nothing but bread.”
He lay beside her while she ate, wanting her to have her fill before he touched any of it. “Why?”
“The healer thought it would keep my stomach from hurting so much.” She finished the cheese and reached for the meat. “It never did. There was a time when I tried not to eat because it hurt so much. Or perhaps I wanted to die, rather than wed the High King.”
Raine reached out to touch her flat stomach, feeling his own tension tighten inside. He’d hated watching her be so ill, so weak. “You were starving yourself.”
“It didn’t hurt as much when I refused food.” She sent him a faint smile. “It was only when I spent time with you that I was able to eat without pain. At least until we stayed at the village.”
He drew his hand over her skin, stroking it. It felt as if there was something he ought to understand, something that was causing her illness. “Were you ever well when you ate at home?”
“Not often. And in the last year, I grew worse.”
He still couldn’t let go of the suspicion that she’d been poisoned. If she’d had enemies within her father’s house, they might have tampered with her food to make her ill. There were many kinds of poison, some of which grew worse over time. Even if others had accidentally eaten her food, it might not have affected them with a smaller portion. Then, too, if she had losta great deal of weight, even a slight amount of poison would be more potent.
Yet, it didn’t explain why she had suddenly grown ill after they’d visited the village of Casheldrum. They had been alone, and there was no possible means of anyone poisoning her.
Raine gave her more cheese and reached for the bread. He was about to offer it to her, when suddenly he remembered what she’d said before—that she had only eaten bread in the past year. He frowned at the thought and then asked, “Had you thought that it could be bread making you sick?”
She broke into a laugh. “Don’t be foolish. Why would bread make me ill? I’ve eaten it all my life.”
“You said your illness grew worse last year. And that was when you ate nothing but bread.” He stared at her, thinking for a moment. “You ate no bread at the abbey, for we had none.”
“But I ate a little at Laochre on the night I arrived. I was fine then.”
“Until the next day,” he reminded her. “And you had some at Casheldrum, didn’t you?”
“The morning we left, yes.” Her expression grew thoughtful, and he wondered if it was possible. She leaned back and regarded him. “But I cannot think that it has anything to do with my illness.” Her breasts were soft pebbles in the cool air, and she burrowed closer to him. It took only seconds for him to grow rock hard.
