against her cheek. “Yes. I have not been able to forget you, no matter how hard I try. When I saw you in the market yesterday, I decided somehow I must help you.”
She smiled and embraced him, placing her cheek against his chest. “You could take me as your wife.”
“No, Judith.” He pulled her back and looked into her eyes. “Let me explain what I have in mind.”
She remained silent, waiting to hear what he had devised.
“We could feign your death. There are herbs that can make one fall into a deep sleep—so deep, it will be disguised as death itself. We can say it was self-inflicted. There are many ways. My point is, if they suspect your dead, you can find a new identity and flee Caldwell.”
“It would be a selfless thing to do for me, but I cannot.” She refused to leave Sam again.
“Why?” he asked.
“My son.”
“I will find a way for him to be sent to you once you are safe.”
“I don’t see how any of this helps you in anyway.”
He looked at her. “Knowing that you are well and no safe from harm will bring me peace.”
“And you will take another for a wife?”
“If I were able to marry a peasant I would put a ring on your hand this very moment.”
“What if I were carrying your unborn child in my womb?”
The sounds of the forest closed in on them. He studied her face, his dark eyes searching hers for meaning in her words.
“You are with child?”
Judith took his hand and pressed it firmly against her abdomen. “I am.”
He blinked twice. “And it is… mine?”
“Yes, I am certain that it is. I cannot remember the last time I lay with Garreth.”
“Does he suspect it’s not his?”
“No. He cannot even recall the last time we lay together let alone what we had for supper last night.”
“I do not know what to say,” he said with a hint of elation. He leaned against a tree, rubbing his forehead.
“Do not say anything. Garreth is pleased; he knows no different.”
“Yes, but I know different. He doesn’t deserve you, or this child.”
She grabbed his sleeve. “Then take us. Take what is willingly yours…”
He turned and took her by the wrist, his lips thin with irritation.
She held her breath, unsure of what he would do.
When he pulled her against him and pressed a hard kiss against her mouth, her heart sang. Their tongues danced and their hands caressed one another. When she pulled back to look into his eyes, she found a familiar the desire in them.
He bowed his head against her neck. ‘I would take you now if I did not have the responsibility of a baron.”
“I would gladly oblige,” she whispered against his ear, lifting her leg against his waist.
His hand pulled her skirt back and caressed her naked thigh. “Judith, you belong to another. We should not.”
“No, my heart is yours,” she pleaded, taking his face in her hands and kissing his lips again.
“It is a sin,” he growled against her mouth, his hand trailing further up her leg.
“The sin is already made,” she said, and placed his palm against her prominent abdomen.
They staggered into the ruined church and dropped to the ground. She settled on his lap and left reckless kisses on his lips while her hands fought his belt free from his trousers.
He unlaced her bodice and pulled her chemise down to expose her breasts. His tongue traced her taught nipples and made her whole body ache.
Her moans echoed through the dark wood and her hips burrowed down into him, aching for release.
Desire overcame the baron’s conscience. He removed the last of her clothing and admired her, tracing his hand delicately over the proof of their previous indiscretion.
Their lovemaking had been different when she was Lora Noire. This time, there were no secrets and their feelings were sincere.
It was nearly sundown as they lay in each other’s arms, wrapped in the warmth of his fur cloak. Not even the cold autumn air that whispered through the broken walls could cool the heat radiating
She smiled and embraced him, placing her cheek against his chest. “You could take me as your wife.”
“No, Judith.” He pulled her back and looked into her eyes. “Let me explain what I have in mind.”
She remained silent, waiting to hear what he had devised.
“We could feign your death. There are herbs that can make one fall into a deep sleep—so deep, it will be disguised as death itself. We can say it was self-inflicted. There are many ways. My point is, if they suspect your dead, you can find a new identity and flee Caldwell.”
“It would be a selfless thing to do for me, but I cannot.” She refused to leave Sam again.
“Why?” he asked.
“My son.”
“I will find a way for him to be sent to you once you are safe.”
“I don’t see how any of this helps you in anyway.”
He looked at her. “Knowing that you are well and no safe from harm will bring me peace.”
“And you will take another for a wife?”
“If I were able to marry a peasant I would put a ring on your hand this very moment.”
“What if I were carrying your unborn child in my womb?”
The sounds of the forest closed in on them. He studied her face, his dark eyes searching hers for meaning in her words.
“You are with child?”
Judith took his hand and pressed it firmly against her abdomen. “I am.”
He blinked twice. “And it is… mine?”
“Yes, I am certain that it is. I cannot remember the last time I lay with Garreth.”
“Does he suspect it’s not his?”
“No. He cannot even recall the last time we lay together let alone what we had for supper last night.”
“I do not know what to say,” he said with a hint of elation. He leaned against a tree, rubbing his forehead.
“Do not say anything. Garreth is pleased; he knows no different.”
“Yes, but I know different. He doesn’t deserve you, or this child.”
She grabbed his sleeve. “Then take us. Take what is willingly yours…”
He turned and took her by the wrist, his lips thin with irritation.
She held her breath, unsure of what he would do.
When he pulled her against him and pressed a hard kiss against her mouth, her heart sang. Their tongues danced and their hands caressed one another. When she pulled back to look into his eyes, she found a familiar the desire in them.
He bowed his head against her neck. ‘I would take you now if I did not have the responsibility of a baron.”
“I would gladly oblige,” she whispered against his ear, lifting her leg against his waist.
His hand pulled her skirt back and caressed her naked thigh. “Judith, you belong to another. We should not.”
“No, my heart is yours,” she pleaded, taking his face in her hands and kissing his lips again.
“It is a sin,” he growled against her mouth, his hand trailing further up her leg.
“The sin is already made,” she said, and placed his palm against her prominent abdomen.
They staggered into the ruined church and dropped to the ground. She settled on his lap and left reckless kisses on his lips while her hands fought his belt free from his trousers.
He unlaced her bodice and pulled her chemise down to expose her breasts. His tongue traced her taught nipples and made her whole body ache.
Her moans echoed through the dark wood and her hips burrowed down into him, aching for release.
Desire overcame the baron’s conscience. He removed the last of her clothing and admired her, tracing his hand delicately over the proof of their previous indiscretion.
Their lovemaking had been different when she was Lora Noire. This time, there were no secrets and their feelings were sincere.
It was nearly sundown as they lay in each other’s arms, wrapped in the warmth of his fur cloak. Not even the cold autumn air that whispered through the broken walls could cool the heat radiating
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