gripping her bottom, and she was bent over at the waist with her hands poised on the rock.
He slowly withdrew but just when his tip had reached her entrance, he thrust forward quickly with his hips flush against her backside. Again, he slowly withdrew, only to slam forward again. Giselle cried out, white lights dancing behind her eyes. Suddenly, Eustache began to pound into her with wild abandon, one hand steadying her at the base of her spine and the other reaching to cup her breast. Giselle wasn’t sure if the cries of pleasure echoing off the stream’s surface were hers or his—but she didn’t care. Just before her knees gave out in a wave of ecstasy, she felt Eustache shudder and release a stream of white-hot liquid into her core.
He pulled her up to cover her with his arms, still trembling with the aftershocks of their love-making. When the fine tremors finally ceased, Eustache guided Giselle from the stream. They helped each other dress before strapping his armour and weaponry to Bayard’s rump. Eustache easily lifted Giselle up to sit sideways across the front of Bayard’s saddle before swinging up behind her. With her carefully tucked in between the pommel and his chest, they set off at a brisk walk back to the manor.
When the chateau was visible on the horizon, Giselle finally steeled herself to ask the question that had been burning at the back of her mind.
“Are my parents…?” She stopped. “Are they…?”
“They made it safely into the chateau courtyard,” Eustache answered. “They are well.”
“Merci,” she said. “I’m so glad.”
Eustache cleared his throat, keeping his eyes fixed ahead.
“I have instructed my men to have Madame Lessard give your mother a job as a scullery maid in the chateau,” he announced brusquely.
Giselle blinked, stunned at the news.
“Why?” she asked.
“You cannot be my chambermaid forever” was his curt reply.
Giselle looked down at her hands. Her chest throbbed painfully. Had her lord grown tired of her already?
“I cannot,” she repeated slowly. She glanced up at his square jaw. “Will you take another?”
Eustache’s lips turned down into a dark frown.
“Another?”
“Another chambermaid.”
He looked down to meet her eyes, his gaze softer than she expected.
“Again, you misunderstand,” he said gently. “I am not releasing you because I want to, but because it is only a matter of time until I am called back to battle by William the Conqueror.”
“When?” she asked, her heart constricting. “When will you leave?”
“I cannot say,” Eustache replied, looking back up to the path. “But we shall enjoy each other’s company until then.”
The chateau loomed before them against a setting sun. Giselle leaned in closer to Eustache.
“Yes,” she said quietly. “Until then.”
Chapter Seven
The coast was as windy and cold as he remembered it.
Eustache stood at the edge of his camp surveying the angry grey waters of the English channel as his small entourage rushed to set up tents and start a roasting fire. They had been traveling for a few days and were finally ready to meet the boat sent for him by William the Conqueror.
Only a few months , he mused to himself as the salty wind whipped his hair into a tousled mess. The days of their last few months together had been steeped in happiness. And by night, they had explored avenues of passion that left them both exhausted and trembling with fulfilment. But he’d only had a few months with his sweet young lover before he’d received the call to arms in England. She had taken the news surprisingly well, her expression stoic yet sad. He hoped she would be well cared for in his absence, and he dared to think that she had not sunk into despair because of the provisions he had arranged for her family.
They were the best few months of my life , Eustache acknowledged. How he wished to see her face, to touch her cheek and to pull her close to inhale her sweet scent.
But a darker,
He slowly withdrew but just when his tip had reached her entrance, he thrust forward quickly with his hips flush against her backside. Again, he slowly withdrew, only to slam forward again. Giselle cried out, white lights dancing behind her eyes. Suddenly, Eustache began to pound into her with wild abandon, one hand steadying her at the base of her spine and the other reaching to cup her breast. Giselle wasn’t sure if the cries of pleasure echoing off the stream’s surface were hers or his—but she didn’t care. Just before her knees gave out in a wave of ecstasy, she felt Eustache shudder and release a stream of white-hot liquid into her core.
He pulled her up to cover her with his arms, still trembling with the aftershocks of their love-making. When the fine tremors finally ceased, Eustache guided Giselle from the stream. They helped each other dress before strapping his armour and weaponry to Bayard’s rump. Eustache easily lifted Giselle up to sit sideways across the front of Bayard’s saddle before swinging up behind her. With her carefully tucked in between the pommel and his chest, they set off at a brisk walk back to the manor.
When the chateau was visible on the horizon, Giselle finally steeled herself to ask the question that had been burning at the back of her mind.
“Are my parents…?” She stopped. “Are they…?”
“They made it safely into the chateau courtyard,” Eustache answered. “They are well.”
“Merci,” she said. “I’m so glad.”
Eustache cleared his throat, keeping his eyes fixed ahead.
“I have instructed my men to have Madame Lessard give your mother a job as a scullery maid in the chateau,” he announced brusquely.
Giselle blinked, stunned at the news.
“Why?” she asked.
“You cannot be my chambermaid forever” was his curt reply.
Giselle looked down at her hands. Her chest throbbed painfully. Had her lord grown tired of her already?
“I cannot,” she repeated slowly. She glanced up at his square jaw. “Will you take another?”
Eustache’s lips turned down into a dark frown.
“Another?”
“Another chambermaid.”
He looked down to meet her eyes, his gaze softer than she expected.
“Again, you misunderstand,” he said gently. “I am not releasing you because I want to, but because it is only a matter of time until I am called back to battle by William the Conqueror.”
“When?” she asked, her heart constricting. “When will you leave?”
“I cannot say,” Eustache replied, looking back up to the path. “But we shall enjoy each other’s company until then.”
The chateau loomed before them against a setting sun. Giselle leaned in closer to Eustache.
“Yes,” she said quietly. “Until then.”
Chapter Seven
The coast was as windy and cold as he remembered it.
Eustache stood at the edge of his camp surveying the angry grey waters of the English channel as his small entourage rushed to set up tents and start a roasting fire. They had been traveling for a few days and were finally ready to meet the boat sent for him by William the Conqueror.
Only a few months , he mused to himself as the salty wind whipped his hair into a tousled mess. The days of their last few months together had been steeped in happiness. And by night, they had explored avenues of passion that left them both exhausted and trembling with fulfilment. But he’d only had a few months with his sweet young lover before he’d received the call to arms in England. She had taken the news surprisingly well, her expression stoic yet sad. He hoped she would be well cared for in his absence, and he dared to think that she had not sunk into despair because of the provisions he had arranged for her family.
They were the best few months of my life , Eustache acknowledged. How he wished to see her face, to touch her cheek and to pull her close to inhale her sweet scent.
But a darker,
Similar Books
