is vying with your need for control. You want me, but you’re scared about the strength of your body’s hunger.”
She looked away quickly. “Maybe…”
“But there is no need to be scared. You will be too busy enjoying the movement of my cock inside you.”
She gulped and clutched him. “Stop, Saher.”
“Why? There is nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be scared about. You know it truly. Your body knows it. You’re wet now, aren’t you?”
She nodded, reluctantly.
“And you will be even wetter, even more ready for me, I’ll make sure of that. And… after that, there will be nothing but pleasure.”
She drew in a deep, shuddering breath. She knew of what pleasure he spoke. He’d nearly brought her to its height with just a few kisses.
He took her hand. “You must trust me, Rowena. The circumstances of our meeting leaves much to be desired but, for better or for worse we are to be together. And I’m thinking it will be much for the better.”
“For whom?”
“For both of us, if you’d let it, if you’d trust me.”
She bit her lip, uncertainly. “Trust you? ’Tis a lot to ask.”
“Not of a husband, it isn’t. And I am yours, whether you desired it or not. You must trust me with yourself, your body, your mind, your future. I would know all about you. I want to know everything about you, I need to know the truth of you. There’s been enough deceit in my life to recognize it, and to hate it for such.”
Deceit. The word that so aptly described what she was about to do, damped down the ardor that his touch had ignited. She looked up at the now sunless sky behind the tower. “The light, ’tis fading. People will be wondering where we are.”
He rose, picked up her hood and brought it over her hair, still mussed and sprinkled with grass and flowers. He carefully tucked her hair under her hood. “My wild lady. I might be marrying you, but I still want you wild. I might tie your hands at night when we are alone, but I would not have you tamed for the world.”
She smoothed her hair and fixed her hood. “And I would not be tamed, my lord. I cannot be. I would die.” She glanced up at the jagged-edged tower that dominated the skyline. “’Tis getting late, sir. We should return.”
He followed her gaze to the tower. “What place is that?”
She shrugged. “Nothing. Just an old place.”
He looked from the tower, to her, back to the tower again. “A ‘nothing’ place that makes you shudder and casts fear into your eyes? Tell me about it.”
“’Twas a place used for imprisonment.”
“Take me there.”
“’Tis late, we should return to the castle.”
“Not yet. I would have you show me this place.”
She bit her lip to try to stem the trembling that just the thought of seeing the tower induced. But she wouldn’t give way to fear. “As you wish.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Rowena kept her horse to a walking pace, partly because the forest became more overgrown as they approached the top of the hill, and partly because she had no wish to arrive. Eventually they emerged into a small clearing from which the ruin soared high into the blue sky above them. They dismounted and tethered the horses. “This is it. You see, it’s nothing much.”
“Then why does that look come into your eyes?” He narrowed his own, consideringly. “Like a veil of fear.” She shrugged but turned away, not wanting to give herself away further. “Come, I wish you to show it me.” They walked over and looked inside. “An unwelcoming place. ’Tis on Gresham land?”
She nodded. “It was the first castle, so I believe, abandoned. A place where things were left… forgotten about.” She tried to turn away but he brought her head round to face him.
“Tell me.”
And just with that touch of his hand under her chin, she felt the fear melt a little. She looked up into eyes that were interested and kind. “It was my mother… She… was not my father’s equal in temperament. There was madness on her
She looked away quickly. “Maybe…”
“But there is no need to be scared. You will be too busy enjoying the movement of my cock inside you.”
She gulped and clutched him. “Stop, Saher.”
“Why? There is nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be scared about. You know it truly. Your body knows it. You’re wet now, aren’t you?”
She nodded, reluctantly.
“And you will be even wetter, even more ready for me, I’ll make sure of that. And… after that, there will be nothing but pleasure.”
She drew in a deep, shuddering breath. She knew of what pleasure he spoke. He’d nearly brought her to its height with just a few kisses.
He took her hand. “You must trust me, Rowena. The circumstances of our meeting leaves much to be desired but, for better or for worse we are to be together. And I’m thinking it will be much for the better.”
“For whom?”
“For both of us, if you’d let it, if you’d trust me.”
She bit her lip, uncertainly. “Trust you? ’Tis a lot to ask.”
“Not of a husband, it isn’t. And I am yours, whether you desired it or not. You must trust me with yourself, your body, your mind, your future. I would know all about you. I want to know everything about you, I need to know the truth of you. There’s been enough deceit in my life to recognize it, and to hate it for such.”
Deceit. The word that so aptly described what she was about to do, damped down the ardor that his touch had ignited. She looked up at the now sunless sky behind the tower. “The light, ’tis fading. People will be wondering where we are.”
He rose, picked up her hood and brought it over her hair, still mussed and sprinkled with grass and flowers. He carefully tucked her hair under her hood. “My wild lady. I might be marrying you, but I still want you wild. I might tie your hands at night when we are alone, but I would not have you tamed for the world.”
She smoothed her hair and fixed her hood. “And I would not be tamed, my lord. I cannot be. I would die.” She glanced up at the jagged-edged tower that dominated the skyline. “’Tis getting late, sir. We should return.”
He followed her gaze to the tower. “What place is that?”
She shrugged. “Nothing. Just an old place.”
He looked from the tower, to her, back to the tower again. “A ‘nothing’ place that makes you shudder and casts fear into your eyes? Tell me about it.”
“’Twas a place used for imprisonment.”
“Take me there.”
“’Tis late, we should return to the castle.”
“Not yet. I would have you show me this place.”
She bit her lip to try to stem the trembling that just the thought of seeing the tower induced. But she wouldn’t give way to fear. “As you wish.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Rowena kept her horse to a walking pace, partly because the forest became more overgrown as they approached the top of the hill, and partly because she had no wish to arrive. Eventually they emerged into a small clearing from which the ruin soared high into the blue sky above them. They dismounted and tethered the horses. “This is it. You see, it’s nothing much.”
“Then why does that look come into your eyes?” He narrowed his own, consideringly. “Like a veil of fear.” She shrugged but turned away, not wanting to give herself away further. “Come, I wish you to show it me.” They walked over and looked inside. “An unwelcoming place. ’Tis on Gresham land?”
She nodded. “It was the first castle, so I believe, abandoned. A place where things were left… forgotten about.” She tried to turn away but he brought her head round to face him.
“Tell me.”
And just with that touch of his hand under her chin, she felt the fear melt a little. She looked up into eyes that were interested and kind. “It was my mother… She… was not my father’s equal in temperament. There was madness on her
Similar Books
