lantern hanging on the wall, he could see that her face was flushed, the pins gone from her hair. The heavy mass tumbled in thick, golden curls around her shoulders, and bits of straw stuck out here and there.
His groin tightened even more. He couldn’t remember a woman who had stirred such rampant lust in him. He swore a soft curse.
“I heard that,” she said, “and you will refrain from swearing in this household.”
“You give orders like a man, lady. Is that another of your customs?”
Her cheeks flushed. For an instant she glanced away. She was used to giving orders, but deep down, he was pleased to see, she was still a woman.
“I came out here to tell you there is no need for you to sleep in the barn. A room has been prepared for your use in the house.”
He glanced over at the tiny monkey, who was looking at him with fear in his shiny dark eyes. “What about Alfinn? He will think I have abandoned him.”
The woman looked at the monkey. “Monkeys don’t belong in the house.”
Alfinn gave a forlorn, pitiful cry, a trick he had learned to get treats from the crowd.
The woman sighed. “All right, you can bring him with you, but you are the one who will have to clean up his messes.”
Leif grinned. “Alf is a very clean monkey.”
She rolled her eyes and started walking back toward the house, and Leif fell in behind her. Her cumbersome female garments mostly hid her curves, but her bottom swayed nicely beneath the heavy fabric.
By the gods, he would have to watch himself where Krista Hart was concerned. He had long been without a woman and this one pleased him greatly. He was used to taking his enjoyment from whatever woman he desired. They welcomed his advances and always had.
Not this time. Although he was now a free man, he would have to forgo his pleasure. He thought of her outrage when he had unwittingly caressed her breasts. He was glad his weapon had not been nearby. If she had found his sword, she surely would have plunged it into his heart.
Leif grunted. Unlike Inga, it didn’t seem likely the blonde would invite him into her bed.
Six
S he was running late. Krista rarely overslept, and wouldn’t have this morning except that she had been so furious after her encounter in the stables last night that she’d had trouble falling asleep. Leif Draugr was a big, crude, overgrown lout without the least sensibilities. Why, the liberties he had taken! No man had ever touched her the way he had. No man had ever dared to cup her breasts, let alone caress them as if he knew exactly how sensitive they were. She had known he would be trouble, but she never would have guessed how much.
Krista made her way down the hall, refusing to think of him as she hurried toward the bathing room, opened the door and walked in. Shock widened her eyes at the sight of the big brute lounging in the copper tub, his legs drawn up against his chest, water barely covering his manly parts.
“Good morning, lady.”
Krista whirled away from him, her face burning. Unconsciously, she pulled her quilted robe a little tighter around her. “What are you doing in here?” Her eyes remained closed but she couldn’t block the image of broad shoulders banded with muscle, and arms that looked as solid as steel.
“I am bathing,” he said, as if it was his right to usurp her usual time in the marble-floored chamber converted from one of the bedrooms her mother had designed. “I thought it was the custom here to bathe. In my country we cleanse with steam or in one of the hot volcanic pools, but I suppose this will have to do.”
She ground her teeth but kept her back to him. A memory returned of those moments beneath him in the stables, the feel of his big hard body pressing her into the straw, the heat of his mouth on the side of her neck. A faint shiver ran through her.
Krista took a deep breath. “Why is it every time I see you, you are at least half-naked?”
He started to reply, but she simply marched out the door,
His groin tightened even more. He couldn’t remember a woman who had stirred such rampant lust in him. He swore a soft curse.
“I heard that,” she said, “and you will refrain from swearing in this household.”
“You give orders like a man, lady. Is that another of your customs?”
Her cheeks flushed. For an instant she glanced away. She was used to giving orders, but deep down, he was pleased to see, she was still a woman.
“I came out here to tell you there is no need for you to sleep in the barn. A room has been prepared for your use in the house.”
He glanced over at the tiny monkey, who was looking at him with fear in his shiny dark eyes. “What about Alfinn? He will think I have abandoned him.”
The woman looked at the monkey. “Monkeys don’t belong in the house.”
Alfinn gave a forlorn, pitiful cry, a trick he had learned to get treats from the crowd.
The woman sighed. “All right, you can bring him with you, but you are the one who will have to clean up his messes.”
Leif grinned. “Alf is a very clean monkey.”
She rolled her eyes and started walking back toward the house, and Leif fell in behind her. Her cumbersome female garments mostly hid her curves, but her bottom swayed nicely beneath the heavy fabric.
By the gods, he would have to watch himself where Krista Hart was concerned. He had long been without a woman and this one pleased him greatly. He was used to taking his enjoyment from whatever woman he desired. They welcomed his advances and always had.
Not this time. Although he was now a free man, he would have to forgo his pleasure. He thought of her outrage when he had unwittingly caressed her breasts. He was glad his weapon had not been nearby. If she had found his sword, she surely would have plunged it into his heart.
Leif grunted. Unlike Inga, it didn’t seem likely the blonde would invite him into her bed.
Six
S he was running late. Krista rarely overslept, and wouldn’t have this morning except that she had been so furious after her encounter in the stables last night that she’d had trouble falling asleep. Leif Draugr was a big, crude, overgrown lout without the least sensibilities. Why, the liberties he had taken! No man had ever touched her the way he had. No man had ever dared to cup her breasts, let alone caress them as if he knew exactly how sensitive they were. She had known he would be trouble, but she never would have guessed how much.
Krista made her way down the hall, refusing to think of him as she hurried toward the bathing room, opened the door and walked in. Shock widened her eyes at the sight of the big brute lounging in the copper tub, his legs drawn up against his chest, water barely covering his manly parts.
“Good morning, lady.”
Krista whirled away from him, her face burning. Unconsciously, she pulled her quilted robe a little tighter around her. “What are you doing in here?” Her eyes remained closed but she couldn’t block the image of broad shoulders banded with muscle, and arms that looked as solid as steel.
“I am bathing,” he said, as if it was his right to usurp her usual time in the marble-floored chamber converted from one of the bedrooms her mother had designed. “I thought it was the custom here to bathe. In my country we cleanse with steam or in one of the hot volcanic pools, but I suppose this will have to do.”
She ground her teeth but kept her back to him. A memory returned of those moments beneath him in the stables, the feel of his big hard body pressing her into the straw, the heat of his mouth on the side of her neck. A faint shiver ran through her.
Krista took a deep breath. “Why is it every time I see you, you are at least half-naked?”
He started to reply, but she simply marched out the door,
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