by Marie Hall
He placed a soft kiss on her earlobe, his tongue skimming along the edge before gently biting down on the lobe. The pressure of his teeth increased until the sharpness could be felt along her neck, down across her chest, through her belly to where it pulsed between her legs. The moan couldn't be stopped and sounded loud to her ears. She tried to swallow it before it woke the children, but he'd taken hold of her breast and was kneading the flesh with his fingers.
The heat continued to build until pressing her thighs together no longer eased the ache and she needed to feel a touch. His touch, her own, she didn't care as long as she was touched and the building inferno was doused.
"My goddess," Xavier whispered in her ear. "You should not deny yourself this for so long. You are far too passionate to be left unfulfilled for days and days."
"Xavier," Io called and tried to turn against him. But he stood, and before she could protest, he'd laid her on the bed. He didn't leave her long in the wait, disrobing her and taking her nipple into his warm mouth. Io let the rush of pleasure reign. She reached up and wove her fingers through his hair, both holding him in place and urging him to do more. He complied without a word being spoken. Sucking on that bit of skin until she was teetering on the edge of pain, only to shove her so suddenly into pleasure when his fingers found her swollen, throbbing clit and clamped down on it, she was left gasping.
"There is nothing more beautiful to behold," Xavier was saying as Io felt the mattress sag and his weight cover her. She opened her legs to accommodate the heaviness. As soon as she felt the head of his cock, she arched up. Xavier's soft chuckle instantly frustrated her as she knew he wasn't done yet with these preliminary acts. "Such impatience," he chided, planting little kisses down her body as he slid back, lifted her knees over his shoulders, and used his arms to force her thighs wide. His rough stubble scratched as his head dipped between.
"You need to shave," she complained just to let him know he wasn't controlling this as much as he thought. His response was to squeeze her thighs hard, then cover her sex with his mouth. At that moment, Io did give up all control. Xavier's mastery of her body needed no input from her. He directed her with maddening ease right to that place she always craved to be whenever they shared their bodies.
He'd told her it'd be his duty to please her in the bed they shared, and he did. He carried her up in a frenzied whirlwind then sent her into a slow fall back to earth, only to take her back up again before she could get grounded.
She opened her eyes to find him settled back over her with a wicked grin on his face. "Think you might have enough left for a little more?" he asked as his hard length slipped inside.
"I think I might be able to keep my eyes open awhile longer," Io quipped back.
He chuckled again. "Not if I do this right, you will not," he warned before pushing forward and filling her completely.
He was right; Io's eyes closed as the gasp opened her mouth. His lips quickly covered hers and his tongue plunged in. His siege came at her without mercy. Every stroke, every lick, every undulation breaking down her every pretense of resistance. If he was as much a conqueror on the field of battle as he was in her bed, it was no wonder he was so feared by those who thought to stand against him. If pleasure could kill, Xavier took her as close to death as any living being might go without succumbing completely.
"One more, Io, give me one more," she heard him plead as his body strained over hers. Already, she was feeling her own body tighten and clamp down, her arms and legs trembling as she worked to give him even half of what he gave her, knowing if she gave in to her own pleasures, she'd not be able to continue to give him an effort. "Let go, Io, let me feel it again." His strokes became more forceful. "Spend, Io, spend." It was a command she'd never disobey, and with one final thrust, she was falling again, her blood pulsing in her ears, her lungs burning for lack of air, sweat rolling down her skin with an odd pleasure of its own. She barely acknowledged Xavier's body going stiff, and his groan seemed soft in the mix of their gasps for breath.
She felt him settle over her, his arms tightening around her. When he moved to slide off, she lifted her legs and arms and held him a moment longer in place.
He settled back, but she knew he was holding a good deal of his body off her. Tightening her hold, she pulled him down until the crushing weight covered her fully.
"What is it, my love?" he asked, kissing her cheek.
"Make me feel."
"Feel what?"
"Safe?" She was, she knew that.
"You are," he said, his arms holding her closer.
"Wanted?" She never questioned that.
"Needed," he countered as he pulled away with intent and lifted up on his forearms. "What is the matter, Io?" he asked, brushing his knuckles along her jaw. "Did you not enjoy this? I can try again if you—"
Io snorted, managed a smile. "No, I can take no more." She tried to sound teasing, but the ache in her shoulder grew.
"Io, what is the matter?" He sounded far more serious now than she cared for.
"There is no matter, I was… am quite pleased with—"
"Do not lie to me, my lady," he growled and captured her right hand in his. She'd not even noticed she'd reached over to rub at her shoulder. "Tell me what is bothering you."
She shrugged and turned her head so she wasn't staring straight up into his dark, churning eyes. "Io," his warning clear, "I prefer to end this night with only your cunny throbbing, but I will make your arse ache, too, if you do not speak to me." He rolled off but pulled her over so she was half on top of him, her backside vulnerably exposed to his hand if he so chose to take it to her.
"I do not care to point out my faults to you, my lord," she muttered, rubbing her face against his skin.
"You care not to point out anyone's faults, it is not your nature," he said without the sternness of moments ago. "Come now, is it a fault or a doubt plaguing you?" He placed a finger under her chin and forced their eyes to meet. "Tell me, I cannot give you advice if I do not know the subject." The smile on his lips was betrayed by the resolve in his eyes.
Io shifted closer, tucking her head down. He let her. A deep fortifying breath and… "Do you think I have not been able to give you sons because God knows I will be a terrible mother?" There, she'd asked. Now she waited to hear his answer and prayed it wouldn't be he'd already considered this and was ready to accept the king's decision to get him a new wife capable of keeping his bloodline alive.
Xavier went deathly still, his hands lifted from her, and it seemed forever before he responded. That the response was him grabbing for a pillow to smother his bellowing laughter made it impossible for Io to choose between crying and punching him.
"Xavier?" Io called as tears slipped out and her fist landed on his arm. "Xavier? Stop laughing."
"I am trying," he said against the pillow. She punched him again but felt a lightness start to fill her.
"Xavier!" Anger was replacing fear as she tugged the pillow from his face. She didn't get a chance to say more as he pulled her down and kissed her, hard. Kissed her until she was breathless and dizzy.
"You can sometimes say the most ridiculous things," he told her, rolling them both so now he was half over her.
"It is not ridiculous," she insisted. "More than two years and you have no son—"
His fingers covered her mouth and a bit of a frown creased his brow. "Last time I counted, Io, I had six sons, all but one you gave me." He gave her a smug smile. "I managed to find one on my own, and I might add, the only daughter so far."
"They are not yours, though, not of your loins."
"They are mine, Io. They are mine in both my heart and my mind. I could not care for a child I create more than I care for each of them. I will not forsake any for ones we might bring to life between us. They are not of my loins, but they are the ones I have chosen, and I hope who have chosen me."
"It is not the same, it is not what is expected of me," Io said and, again, felt him pull her hand from her should
er.
"Io, I have no expectation. If I recall correctly, not so long ago, you did not even wish to consider a child from your womb, for fear it would be a girl." That was true enough, she'd admit that. "When it is time, Io, we will be blessed with a child, and that child, be of blood or water, I will love it, and you will be a fine mother."
She managed a small smile, remembering Xavier was well versed in the scriptures and he was often part of the long talks and debates she had with Lucas and Father Holt over their interruptions. But she knew, too, he referred to his often stated stance that birth and marriage did not make family. Family could be made by choice, in battle, through a covenant of brotherhood, which was why he refused to take back his disowning of his mother. She wasn't his family. Charlotte Brice gave birth to him but was a poor mother.
"You cannot know I will be any better a mother than your own," Io said, turning to look at the box where Owl lay, a few whimpers then silence again.
"Io, I already know it. I see it every day from the day you dragged Franklin into camp, even before, when you chose to stand against that madman in the glen." His hands settled on either side of her face, holding her still as he said the next. "You are as naturally a mother as your own mother was. Willing to give yourself to protect a child. Maybe more so as you are willing to do this for a child not your own." She opened her mouth to refute him, but his shaking head silenced her. "You are already a good mother, Io. And you will only become better in time."
"I cannot even soothe that babe there," she said, tossing a hand in the direction of Owl. "A real mother would be able to do something for him."
"Charlotte is a real mother, and I assure you, by now, she'd have smothered that fussy babe. I can almost promise you many women would rid themselves of any child requiring so much attention. At the very least, if it was in their ability, they would hand the child off to some other to care for. You have more patience and more care in your small finger than many have in their whole body. And you do not set aside any of the responsibility, even when it costs you rest and peace."
"But I am not helping him."
"But you do not give up. I cannot tell you what the matter is. Some babes cry for no reason at all. But those who do not, it could be anything. Already, I have planned to have a physician look at him when we reach court. Gerald has suggested it may be nothing more than his teeth, and Ian concurs. We will seek a remedy, and he will be fine." He bent closer until his lips brushed hers. "You are a wonderful mother, Io. And I am very happy with the children you have already given me." His kiss was soft and comforting.
She drew in a deep breath and released it as he drew the covers around them and tucked her close. She still worried no one at court would see things as he did, but until she arrived and heard for herself the king's proclamation, she couldn't form a plan. She needed to trust Xavier in this. Closing her eyes, she snuggled closer to him and let the safety of his arms carry her through the next few days.
Xavier worked to settle Cloud and keep both himself and Fox seated. The boy was becoming frustrated in his inability to control the huge warhorse. "He likes to hear compliments," Xavier advised then chuckled and shrugged when the boy twisted around to look at him. "I do not know why, but it works for Io."
Fox faced forward again and, after a moment, patted the horse's thick neck. "You have nice ears," he said.
Xavier was left shaking his head when his battle worn beast snorted, tossed his head, and settled back into an easy trot. Catching Lucas's eye as they rode side by side, he saw the man cover his mouth with a fist to avoid laughing. All amusement fled when the sounds of racing hooves coming at them rang out.
Samuel was quick to take Fox from Xavier's mount and seat him behind him on his own before dropping back. The boy didn't so much as respond to the displacement. He'd so quickly fallen into the practices of knights and soldiers, Xavier wondered that he'd only been training for a few weeks. Luther and Mark regularly commented on his ability to learn quickly all manner of weaponry. His archery skills were beyond any of their expectations, though, and much time was spent speaking of how that skill might be put to use. For now, they'd send him off to hunt small game as a reward for completing his studies. He did sometimes question the array of protocols he was also learning and he bored quickly at lessons in reading and numbers. But Xavier had little concern. He was very young, only a little older than a boy entering training as a squire and without any of those stabilizing factors often given to sons whose destinies would be serving a higher lord.
Xavier waited until Samuel fell back and his knights moved forward before halting on the road to see who approached. The three scouts sent ahead pulled to a stop, and a collective sigh rolled through the travelers. It wasn't hard to tell everyone was on edge after having dealt with the prince, still expecting at any moment whomever he'd angered would seek revenge. Not that they stood a chance of victory, it wasn't something anyone wanted.
"My lord," Liam said with an incline of his head. He was firmly Io's man, but today, he accepted the duty as scout. "The bridge at Fairmount is washed out. The river is calm enough, but it is high."
Xavier swallowed the oath that rose up. "We will need to see if we can cross at Galand," he said, trying not to sound as defeated as he felt. It wasn't that much more out of the way, but he was more than tired of being on the road with a wife who spent her days wavering between despair and doubts and a loud mouth lord who found a complaint for everything. Balbroke, if they didn't reach their destination quickly, could well wake up dead one morning. Everyone was tired of him.
"I already sent David that way to find out," Liam said with a weary smile.
"We can make camp where the road splits and wait," Ian said.
"You know we will pass through Galand Shire that way, might find a healer who can help the boy," Jon added, and Xavier wondered at the man's smile. "And if not, we can always take him to Lady Margarette." Xavier only rolled his eyes. "What? It has been years. I am sure your aunt would love to see me; I mean you."
Xavier laughed and shook his head. "That is at least a day's ride out of the way, and you know well enough if we rode in, we'd never get to court as commanded… by the king… like we need to. And," he went on before Jon could say what was coming next, "His Majesty would know exactly where to find us to drag us to his hangman."
"You have become rather dull in your age," Jon griped but with a smile.
"I simply have more reason to want to reach a greater age than I did in my youth," Xavier said, looking back over his shoulder to see Io riding up.
"Well, you are not going to see it with that woman," Mark quipped. "Though I'm sure the manner of your death will be the envy of every man for eons to come."
Xavier felt his face heat as laughter broke out around him. He gave them a hard look, but it only served to make them laugh more, so as Io pulled up beside him, he chose to ignore them in favor of his beautiful scold.
"What has happened?" Io asked, and he guessed it was the light mood around her that kept concern from her voice.
Xavier reached out and brushed his finger down her cheek. "Nothing completely unexpected, the bridge we were headed for is washed away, but there is another just a bit off the route we can use."
"Another delay," Lord Balbroke yelled as he joined them, Whitby by his side. Again, Xavier noticed the way the man looked at Io. It was no longer just her disturbed by his attentions. A few of the men closed ranks around Io, preventing Whitby from getting closer.
"The bridge is out at Fairmount; we will need to hear if the same is true for Galand. A man is already on the road there," Xavier explained, refusing to show anything but civility and respect to the man.
"All these delays. It is unacceptable. We should be well to Argon by now," Balbroke bellowed. "If you did not work so much to coddle those mutts and—"
"Shut your mouth, you filthy pig," Io yelled, rounding on the lord. Several more men came up at her loud command.
"You will not speak to me like—
" Balbroke warned.
"You will be spoken to as you deserve," Io was quick to defend, though Xavier knew she didn't defend herself but the children.
"The children have caused us no delays." Xavier pushed between his wife and this lord who sat on the king's counsel. "And they certainly did not cause the bridge to come down; the weather did that."
"Nor have we slowed the pace because of them," Roth said, his arm protectively around Frog, who had, for some reason, attached himself to the knight.
"These are the common occurrences of travel," Mark said most diplomatically, more pointedly putting himself between Io and Whitby so the man's view of her was blocked.
Xavier let the tense silence hang for a bit longer, giving Balbroke and his men a clear warning that everyone here stood with Io and it wasn't wise to raise her ire. "If we might all resume our positions, we might make it to the turn off and hear the conditions which wait in Galand." With some grumblings, everyone again took up their positions in the procession and Xavier started them forward. Fox still sat with Samuel, but Xavier could hear them speaking.
"Lady Io does not like that man," Fox said with more than a child's insight.
"Lord Balbroke is a peacock, but he is harmless," Samuel reassured.
"Not him, she doesn't like the other one. I do not like him, either. He looks at her… wrong." Xavier slowed his mount so he was closer to the two.
"Who? Lord Whitby?"
"Yes, he looks at lady Io… wrong."
"Wrong, how?"
"Like, I… um…" the child stammered.
"It is well, tell me how you think he looks at her," Samuel encouraged.
"He looks at her like the baker looked at the candle maker's wife, before he killed the candle maker and ran away with her."
Xavier caught Samuel's eyes over the boy's head. He, too, was surprised by the answer. He rather expected the boy to say that Whitby looked at Io like a man looked at a whore—with lust. To hear the child say he thought it might be more than simple desire for a beautiful woman with great wealth was concerning. It left him wondering if he shrugged off the man's intent too quickly because he knew Io had no desire for him. She didn't even understand how even Xavier desired her so much.
