said, drawing it out. She cradled the knife while Mara labored under the fabric all the way back to the house. There Aisling retired to her bedchamber and practiced drawing the knife from its sheath and putting it back in again. It was perhaps a pointless way to spend an afternoon, but she did so enjoy owning something with an edge. Something a little bit dangerous. She had never been allowed so much as a sharp quill in the tower lest she mark herself.
A few times she accidentally added to the first shallow scratch, but she did not mind. A little pain was nothing, and she could use the knife to cut little strips off the bottom of the bed sheet for use as bandages. She did that several times, becoming quite practiced at it.
“Aisling?”
Rikiar’s rumbling deep voice announced his presence before he stepped into the room, and most glad for it she was because it gave her time to hide the knife under the pillow. Or so she thought.
“Tired after a hard day at the market?” He strode in, masculine and strong.
She looked into his eyes and felt herself swoon. There was no man like Rikiar. She had seen many men that day, but none of them compared to him in even the slightest way. He came toward her, straddled her feminine form and pressed a hot kiss to her lips.
Aisling melted beneath him, enjoying the way his hard hips pinned her to the bed. There was a thick ridge betwixt them, one she was orally familiar with. The memory served to inflame her loins and stoke her ardor as she was kissed almost insensate.
“What is this?” The kissing stopped with the question.
When Aisling opened her eyes, Rikiar was holding her blade. His hand must have slipped beneath the pillows while kissing her and found the weapon. She did not know if it was mere chance or if he had seen her hide it there; either way it did not much matter. He had found it.
“I bought it at the market, isn’t it pretty?”
“Pretty?” His cheek dimpled momentarily. “It’s a knife, Aisling.”
“I know.”
Rikiar’s brow drew down across his enchanting eyes and his voice dropped in censure. “You weren’t sent to the market to buy knives.”
“Mara said we could buy whatever we wanted.”
“That’s true. But I would have thought you would have wanted dresses and jewelry,” Rikiar said, sitting next to her. “Not light weaponry.”
“I always had plenty of jewels and dresses,” Aisling said. “But I never got to play with knives.”
“Knives aren’t toys…” Rikiar glanced at her fingers and scowled. “Is that why you are bandaged?”
“I received a couple of little cuts,” Aisling admitted. “But I bandaged them up nice and neatly.”
“Aisling. A cut can turn septic and kill you. You must be more careful.”
“Yes, m’lord,” she agreed, bowing her head.
“I will take this,” Rikiar said, sliding the pretty knife into his pocket. “Until you have mastered the basics of handling a blade.”
Aisling knew better than to argue. She was not surprised Rikiar had taken it away from her. It was too much to hope that the barbarian would allow her all the freedoms she desired. She should be content with what he had given her, it was already more than she could have imagined.
“Are you sulking, my sweet?” Rikiar’s fingers lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him.
“No,” Aisling said. “I understand.”
“You are sad. Is it just because I took a pretty thing from you?” He ran his hand down her neck, over her chest and cupped her breast lightly. His touch distracted her from her disappointment and made her arch herself toward him. When his thumb played over her nipple, she moaned and bit her lower lip, suddenly eager to remove her dress and let him have his way with her naked form.
He kissed her again and she kissed him back, eagerly suckling his tongue until he growled and loosened his cock from his pants, presenting her with his hard member. She knew what he wanted. It was the same thing she wanted, to
A few times she accidentally added to the first shallow scratch, but she did not mind. A little pain was nothing, and she could use the knife to cut little strips off the bottom of the bed sheet for use as bandages. She did that several times, becoming quite practiced at it.
“Aisling?”
Rikiar’s rumbling deep voice announced his presence before he stepped into the room, and most glad for it she was because it gave her time to hide the knife under the pillow. Or so she thought.
“Tired after a hard day at the market?” He strode in, masculine and strong.
She looked into his eyes and felt herself swoon. There was no man like Rikiar. She had seen many men that day, but none of them compared to him in even the slightest way. He came toward her, straddled her feminine form and pressed a hot kiss to her lips.
Aisling melted beneath him, enjoying the way his hard hips pinned her to the bed. There was a thick ridge betwixt them, one she was orally familiar with. The memory served to inflame her loins and stoke her ardor as she was kissed almost insensate.
“What is this?” The kissing stopped with the question.
When Aisling opened her eyes, Rikiar was holding her blade. His hand must have slipped beneath the pillows while kissing her and found the weapon. She did not know if it was mere chance or if he had seen her hide it there; either way it did not much matter. He had found it.
“I bought it at the market, isn’t it pretty?”
“Pretty?” His cheek dimpled momentarily. “It’s a knife, Aisling.”
“I know.”
Rikiar’s brow drew down across his enchanting eyes and his voice dropped in censure. “You weren’t sent to the market to buy knives.”
“Mara said we could buy whatever we wanted.”
“That’s true. But I would have thought you would have wanted dresses and jewelry,” Rikiar said, sitting next to her. “Not light weaponry.”
“I always had plenty of jewels and dresses,” Aisling said. “But I never got to play with knives.”
“Knives aren’t toys…” Rikiar glanced at her fingers and scowled. “Is that why you are bandaged?”
“I received a couple of little cuts,” Aisling admitted. “But I bandaged them up nice and neatly.”
“Aisling. A cut can turn septic and kill you. You must be more careful.”
“Yes, m’lord,” she agreed, bowing her head.
“I will take this,” Rikiar said, sliding the pretty knife into his pocket. “Until you have mastered the basics of handling a blade.”
Aisling knew better than to argue. She was not surprised Rikiar had taken it away from her. It was too much to hope that the barbarian would allow her all the freedoms she desired. She should be content with what he had given her, it was already more than she could have imagined.
“Are you sulking, my sweet?” Rikiar’s fingers lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him.
“No,” Aisling said. “I understand.”
“You are sad. Is it just because I took a pretty thing from you?” He ran his hand down her neck, over her chest and cupped her breast lightly. His touch distracted her from her disappointment and made her arch herself toward him. When his thumb played over her nipple, she moaned and bit her lower lip, suddenly eager to remove her dress and let him have his way with her naked form.
He kissed her again and she kissed him back, eagerly suckling his tongue until he growled and loosened his cock from his pants, presenting her with his hard member. She knew what he wanted. It was the same thing she wanted, to
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