by Starla Kaye
Then the other man stepped down next to Thomas. As she glanced up, he gave her a crooked smile. “And you may call me Rowan.”
She blinked at him and felt her heart race even more. Where Thomas had a head of thick, wavy black hair that brushed his shoulders, Rowan’s hair was dark blond, chin-length and straight. His eyes were brown and appeared both interested in her and slightly amused. “Gloriana,” she repeated, more forceful this time.
Thomas cleared his throat to capture her attention. “We have much to discuss. In private.”
“Yes,” she said, again feeling her stomach flutter with nerves. “Yes, we do.” She nodded toward the stairs. “The solar would be good.”
As Gloriana climbed the torch-lit stairs in front of him, Thomas watched the gentle sway of her hips beneath the green gown. She was a tiny woman, delicate, fragile for a man such as him. His first wife had been a woman of fair size, not that he’d minded. They hadn’t been in love and he’d never grown to love her, but she had pleased him outside of the bed. She had managed his household well. His people had respected her, as had he. Yet there had been no lustful feelings between them.
The sweet swell of Gloriana’s buttocks held his gaze. And he recalled how generous her breasts had looked barely contained in the low neckline of her gown. He’d hardened as he’d stared at them, as he’d fought a desire to lower his head and her gown so he could taste of the tempting mounds. He remained semi-hard as he climbed the stairs behind her. He hadn’t been with a woman in months and the need to have a soft, pleasing woman beneath him once again was almost overwhelming. This small woman drew him as no other before her ever had. He was both uneasy with that and glad, for they were to marry. Soon.
He heard Rowan’s heavy footsteps behind him. The two of them had talked about Edward’s decree during their long ride from Tunis. Both of them had concerns about the matter. Neither wanted this marriage to affect their deepening relationship, but both knew it would. Thomas wouldn’t give up Rowan. Somehow he had to make both situations work.
“She’s a pretty one,” Rowan said quietly. “I’m thinking twill nay be a hardship to have her as a wife.”
Thomas considered what his friend said, wondered about the tone of his voice. Rowan bedded women, but he’d told Thomas once that his attraction for women grew less as they grew closer, as their love grew stronger. Yet he was certain he’d heard a touch of envy in his lover’s tone. As if he, too, well appreciated the petite beauty thrust into their lives. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Later he’d ponder the idea.
Gloriana stopped in a doorway, waited with a smile that looked forced. “Geoffrey’s … I mean, your solar, my lord.”
As Thomas strode closer, her eyes widened and held a hunted look. She feared him. Because of his well-known reputation for being a tenacious, often merciless warrior on the battlefields? Because of rumors spread through Edward’s court of his numerous liaisons with women after his wife’s death? He wondered. Or did she fear him just for being a man?
He’d seen how Geoffrey treated women in the towns they’d traveled through on the way to Tunis. Cruel was putting it lightly. He’d even interceded once, making them enemies from that moment on. Had the man been brutal with Gloriana? His hands knotted into a fist. No doubt. The idea sickened him.
He stepped by her quickly so as not to make her any more anxious than necessary. Patience. He would have to draw on his limited patience and settle her down before they married.
“I … I understand you,” she said uneasily, “are to marry me.”
Thomas went to stand by the large, scarred wooden desk and let her frightened words roll over him. Rowan walked beside him, giving him a look of understanding. He’d picked up on her fear as well. Rowan, too, had witnessed Geoffrey Stewart’s vicious side when it came to women. He, too, had despised the older man and had stepped in to defend a helpless young woman.
She eased into the room, although she stayed near the door. She hovered there, giving him the impression she wanted to be there in case she needed to run from them. If ever a woman needed a protector, it was this one. He sighed. He could be her protector, would be her protector. Rowan, too, would keep her safe; there was no doubt of that in his mind.
As he watched her, he felt outraged at what she might have suffered at Geoffrey’s hands. The man had no respect for women, would have had none for his wife. He saw a hint of curiosity in her eyes as she looked from him to Rowan. Those same eyes warmed with sensual interest for the barest of seconds before she blinked it away. The woman had a passion that she didn’t know what to do with, that she feared letting anyone know about. The lovely Gloriana needed a man to teach her the softer ways of intimacy and to unleash her hidden desires. He felt challenged to peel away the layers of fear and distrust, to soothe her worries, and to gain her trust. He looked forward to it.
He met and held her gaze. “Aye, King Edward wants me to hold Middlemound for the crown. It is a valuable asset both land-wise and with people here known to be loyal to him.” Trying to look less intimidating, he leaned back against the desk. “He wishes us to wed as quickly as possible. He believes that as soon as word spreads about Geoffrey’s death, men wanting to lay claim to Middlemound will come from near and far. They will want not only the castle and its lands, but also you.”
“Me?” She blinked in puzzlement. “I have no value, other than having been Geoffrey’s wife.” The sadness in her expression, that she appeared to believe such nonsense, tore at him. He wasn’t sure what to say. Rowan answered for him. “You are wrong, Gloriana. You have great value.”
She cocked her head slightly and worried her lower lip for a second. “Geoffrey didn’t value me.” “He was a fool,” Thomas stated in anger at the same time Rowan said the same thing. Her pretty face grew pink. “Although it is sinful to speak badly of the dead…or of one’s husband…I agree.” Thomas smiled at her spark of spirit. He hadn’t smiled in a very long time and was surprised he could even still manage it. Evidently his smile wasn’t as comforting as it should have been because she shifted uneasily. A crease of concern furrowed her brow.
“Forgive me, my lord,” she said quietly, fidgeting with the folds of her skirt.
“For speaking the truth? Nay, there was nothing sinful in what you agreed to. Geoffrey Stewart was a vile man, disliked by most people who crossed his path. Feared by women unfortunate to come anywhere near him.” Thomas slammed his mouth shut and wished he had watched his tongue better. She was one of the women who had feared Stewart, one of the women who had been, he was certain, seriously mistreated by him. The man deserved to spend eternity in the fiery depths of Hell. To his surprise, she straightened to her full barely over five-foot height and thrust out her chin. “Aye, I feared the wretched man every day of our life together. But, know you this; I will not endure that kind of life again. No man will ever treat me that way again.” Thomas felt his chest swell with admiration. Some men would not allow a woman to speak so boldly to them. Many men expected complete submission. He was not one of them. He appreciated honesty and someone who held strong to their beliefs. Aye, with time and patience, they would make a good couple.
“You will never need to fear me, little one.” He meant it. She brought out the fierce protector in him. He would never allow another person to harm her in any manner. That chin thrust out even farther. “I might be small in stature, Lord Montrose, but do not mistake me for being incapable.”
Rowan gave a chuckle and quickly covered it with a cough.
“Incapable of…?” Thomas questioned, curious to what she was referring. She stopped fidgeting with the sides of her skirt and looked directly at him. “Geoffrey didn’t believe I was capable of acting the chatelaine for the keep. He didn’t think anyone would listen to me, take me serious because of my size. But he was wrong! I’ve acted as chatelaine ever since he left nearly a year ago. My people listen to me, respect me. I want to continue with that duty.”
Thomas had to admit that he’d been co
ncerned about her handling the normal duties of a lord’s wife in the running of the keep. She appeared little more than a child, and she brought out his strong need to protect those weaker than himself. He would try his best to give her some free rein, within reason.
He gave a nod. “As much as I see that you are capable of handling, Gloriana.”
Her lips pursed in annoyance for a second, and then she seemed to accept his statement. Her gaze held his once more, but her creamy cheeks grew pink. “Geoffrey also thought me incapable of pleasing him in bed.” She looked away, curling her hands into fists. “In truth, when we were first married, he never gave me the chance. Then … well, then I lost any interest in doing so.”
She shifted her gaze back to him, anger flashing in those grass green eyes of hers. “He never pleased me either.”
“More fool than we’d first thought,” Rowan said with a snort of disgust.
Thomas glanced sideways at his friend and, again, wondered what Rowan’s feelings were for this intriguing woman. He felt a second’s jealousy. Because he would be Gloriana’s husband and didn’t want another man thinking sexually about her? Or because Rowan might be interested in Gloriana and no longer in him? Or because Gloriana looked as heatedly at Rowan as she did at him? Who was she drawn to?
“Trust me, my lady, you will definitely find pleasure in our marital bed,” Thomas said with determination.
She cocked an eyebrow. “I heard many tales of your conquests at court, Lord Montrose. Often those tales are mere overblown rumors.” Her face hardened. “I’d heard tales about Geoffrey, too, before we were wed.”
Thomas saw Rowan stiffen beside him. He knew Rowan’s need to defend the weaker was even stronger than his own. Had Geoffrey not already been dead, Rowan would have taken his blade and cut off the older man’s cock for what they both suspected he had done to Gloriana.
“You will come to no harm in my bed,” Thomas assured as gently as he could. “I promise you that.”
“He’s a man of his word, Gloriana. You can trust him to take care of you, to be gentle in loving you, or to be passionate when you desire it.” Rowan glanced at Thomas, silently acknowledging what happened between them.
She looked curiously at them. “Good friends as well as lord and first knight. You watch each other’s backs. Tis good, that.”
Thomas didn’t want to go deeper into the subject. He merely nodded and then straightened from the desk. “We will say our vows on the morrow.”
Her eyes widened and she sucked in a shallow breath. “As you wish, my lord.”
***
The keep was quiet as Thomas lay awake in his temporary bedchamber. He’d lain in bed for the last hour thinking about tomorrow, about saying marital vows to Gloriana. Uncertainty curled through him. It was clear she’d experienced some manner of abuse from her previous husband. She didn’t truly want another husband, but she had no choice in the matter. He, too, was reluctant to wed again. His first marriage had given him a wife who tolerated him and his physical attentions. They’d been friends of a sort, no more. She had been completely submissive to him, had never questioned him about anything, and had never spoken up for herself.
He stretched and thought about how Gloriana had seemed at first timid, fearful even, but then she’d dared to speak against her brute of a husband. She’d insisted Thomas let her fulfill the normal duties of a lord’s wife; be the chatelaine. He’d agreed, with reservations. She was so slight, appeared so in need of protection. He could easily envision her being taken advantage of, even hurt in some way while trying to tend to her duties. He would not stand for either. He would watch her carefully, and only if she could truly prove herself would he give her free rein in the role.
His thoughts turned to James. It had been far too long since he’d seen his son. In truth, he’d seen very little of his ten year old son. When Sarah had died in childbirth, he’d not even been there. He’d been off battling on behalf of King Edward. His sister and her husband had raised James until now, although he’d made sure James knew he was his father. Now that he planned to settle here at Middlemound and train soldiers for Edward rather than going off to war, it was time to bring James to live with him.
Frowning into the darkness, he wondered if Gloriana was infertile. She’d been married to Stewart two years before the man had gone off to the Crusades. Surely the man had tried to get her with child. He frowned even more. Even though he barely knew her, he hated the idea of Stewart taking her to his bed. He hated thinking about the man known for his cruelty with women driving into her delicate body with no care for her. He would be as gentle as he could with her. Hopefully she would soon find that he could give her great pleasure, and, hopefully, she would free the passion he sensed within her.
His body was too tense now to consider falling asleep. His cock throbbed, demanding attention. For a second, he reached down and stroked the hard rod. But he wasn’t interested in finding relief that way, not when Rowan had settled into a bedchamber at the far end of the hallway.
Thomas pulled on his braies and headed out into the semi-dark hallway. The only light came from torches in holders on the stone wall. He padded barefoot toward the chamber Rowan had claimed. He needed Rowan tonight and hoped Rowan needed him as well.
He hesitated in front of Rowan’s door. What if one of the maids was with him? He’d seen Rowan leading one up here earlier; he’d known what they’d had in mind. It hadn’t bothered Thomas then. Yet he would be disappointed if the young woman was still with Rowan.
The wooden door opened, startling him. Rowan stood naked before him with a slow smile sliding over his face. He motioned Thomas inside.
Relieved, Thomas strode into the chamber. His glance took in the rumpled bed and the candles burning on the bedside tables. He smelled sex in the air and felt a second of jealousy. As it passed, he faced his first knight, the man who had protected his back nearly as many times as Thomas had protected his. He nodded toward the bed. “Mayhap you don’t want…”
“Hell yes, I want!” Rowan countered, sounding almost angry. “I want a good pounding.”
Pleased that this much hadn’t changed, Thomas felt the tension drain from him. “Good.”
Rowan cupped Thomas’s head with his calloused hands and leaned toward him. Their lips met with familiarity. Thomas raised his hands and wove his fingers into Rowan’s chin-length hair, pulled him closer. Heat flared through him, need, demanding in its intensity. He slid his tongue along his lover’s lips until they parted. Then their tongues parried as they’d done so many times before.
Rowan skimmed a palm over Thomas’s bare chest and deepened the kiss. Thomas had kissed many a woman in his years but none kissed with Rowan’s fiery enthusiasm. Rowan took his mouth hungrily, with an almost feverish desperation. Thomas’s cock hardened and pressed between them, throbbing, aching for relief. His balls swelled as the kiss went on. Rowan didn’t give him a chance to catch his breath. Yet somehow his thoughts turned to Gloriana. He recalled her rosebud mouth, the passion that had flashed in her eyes when she’d stood up for herself. Would kissing her be… Rowan rubbed his lower body against him and commanded his attention. Thomas’s focus returned fully back to the man he’d come to see. His body thrummed with the powerful need for more.
His chest heaving, Rowan pulled his head back. His nostrils flared. “I’ve missed this.” He pushed Thomas’s braies down, enough to free his hard cock. Grinning, Rowan gripped it, worked the pulsing shaft slowly with his strong hand. “I’ve really missed this.”
Thomas groaned. His hips rocking as his cock was pumped repeatedly. Rowan’s other hand cupped Thomas’s balls. He closed his eyes and groaned. “God’s teeth, I’m so hard,” Thomas bit out.
He couldn’t take any more. He shoved Rowan’s hand away before he lost all control. “Now. Right now!”
Rowan grinned, clearly proud of having driven him half mad with need. He turned and walked to the bed. The dim light from the candles teased over Rowan’s toned body, ov
er the taut ass that drew Thomas.
He pumped his dick and watched Rowan settle onto hands and knees. God, he wanted in that ass.
Looking heatedly at him, Rowan wiggled his ass. “I’m ready for that pounding now.”
Thomas moved quickly behind Rowan and took a second to stare down at the butt he so loved. Pre-cum leaked from his cock, making his lover’s eyes widen and making him lick his lips. If they didn’t both need this so desperately, they’d take more time. Thomas would let Rowan lick that cum; let him suck long and hard on his cock. And he’d return the favor before they got down to actually fucking. But he ached to be inside Rowan too much right now.
He coated a finger with the pre-cum before finding Rowan’s puckered anus and sliding his finger inside. Rowan kept his head turned away, and Thomas watched in fascination and pleasure as his finger disappeared. He gritted his teeth and probed deeper still. His jaw tight with tension, Rowan craned his head back to look at Thomas. Their gazes locked and Thomas drove a second finger inside as well.
Rowan’s eyes glazed over; his face tightened. “Work me,” he gritted out, shoving back in demand.
Thomas twisted his fingers, pulled them nearly out, and then shoved them deep again. His cock throbbed. He couldn’t do this much longer, or he would shoot off, and he’d rather be buried deep in Rowan’s warm hole when he did.
“Fuck me!” Rowan bent down to rest his head on his forearms. “Pound me into the bed!”
