Forcing a bright smile, she squeezed his hand. “Aye, well it’s been an eventful few days. Tell me, have you finished negotiations with my father?”
“Aye, nearly. I am but one signature away from an agreement. He is a hard negotiator. I do not envy you your father, ‘tis a miracle you are naught like him.”
“Aye, a miracle…” she agreed softly.
Her gut twisted. She had behaved selfishly, acted with greed, wanting Jake’s love without being honest with him. Mayhap she was more like him than she thought.
~* * *~
Swinging the wooden sword, Jake brought it down with unrestrained strength, his muscles and sinew bulging beneath his sweat soaked shirt. Fire kindled beneath his skin.
Dominic ducked to one side, bringing up his shield and absorbing the blow with a heavy thud. He lunged forward but Jake parried the thrust with a heavy swipe, propelling Dominic back.
Forging forward, Jake gave him little opportunity to recover before descending upon him with a brutal hit, sending Dominic’s shield skidding across the dirt.
With a growl, Jake held his sword aloft, his breath misting in front of him as his nostrils flared.
“Jake! Enough.”
Blinking, Jake stared at his brother. He brought the waster down carefully as the tension slowly seeped from his muscles. Dominic studied him with concern and Jake gritted his jaw. Hell’s teeth, he shouldn’t be angry with his brother. This was all his doing. Dominic was merely doing what he had asked of him. Flinging the sword to the floor, Jake swept the hem of his shirt over his face as sweat dripped into his eyes.
Dominic picked up his shield and eyed the damage. “Damn, Jake. Whatever demons are driving you now are dangerous. First you go after the reivers and now your own blood.”
“Forgive me,” he muttered before turning on his heel
Dominic was right. He was losing his head.
Marching across the bailey, Jake heard the scuff of feet as Dominic followed him. The two men ducked inside the armoury and stowed their shields away. Jake avoided Dominic’s stare as he handed him his discarded sword.
“I will away to Greycroft on the morrow.”
Dominic tore off his shirt and bundled it in his hand. “I thought you’d be here until the wedding. I need to take a tour of the lands before the banns are read.”
“I have been away from Greycroft for too long, Dominic. James can look after things well enough and I can ride back if I’m needed.”
His brother studied him, rubbing a hand across his jaw. “This need not happen, you know?”
“I must away.”
“Nay, I mean the wedding…my betrothal.” Dominic fixed Jake with a serious expression. “It need not happen.”
“You are getting cold feet?” Jake asked with a grit of his teeth.
“Nay, of course not.”
“Then you would go to war or send her back?”
“I am not a fool, Jake.”
“I know that.”
“Do you? If you ask it of me, I will not marry Isabel. I will do all I can to see her safe but you are my brother.”
“Why do you say this?” Jake snapped.
“You love her, do you not?”
“Nay.” He spun away and clenched his fist as he stared out of the doorway. “I cared for her, when I thought her a different person.” And she thought me a different man. “But it makes no difference. You are a good match. I would see you both happy.”
“You do not care for her now?”
“I will care for her as a sister.”
It was for the best. Dominic could give her everything she deserved. Safety, comfort…maybe even love one day. His knuckles whitened as images of them together flooded his mind. Dominic would not be so unforgiving. He was the better man. Isabel deserved as much.
Jake faced Dominic once more. Ack, he still looked unconvinced. “You need a wife, she needs a husband. A wife like Isabel will be of great value to you. I am glad you have found someone. Just…look after her. And cease your philandering,” he added with a scowl.
A burst of laughter erupted from Dominic. “Aye, fear not. Izzy is not the sort of woman to trifle with. I will be good to her, I promise you.”
Nodding slowly, Jake rested a hand on Dominic’s shoulder. “Aye, aye, you will. This is how it should be.”
Aye, what could be more fitting? The two people he loved most in the world would find happiness together. And Jake…he would go back to Greycroft and bury his love for Isabel, once and for all.
~* * *~
Slamming his sword down upon the table, Jake grabbed a scrap of chainmail and rubbed it up and down the blade. The metal sparked as he worked it vigorously over the steel, sharpening the edges. He paused to swipe at the perspiration on his brow and he hauled his tunic off, flinging it to one side.
A gust of wind blew through the long stable and horses whinnied. It was a cold night but it did little to cool the turmoil that burnt inside of him. He dealt with it the only way he knew how, working his body into a sweat. It was either this or take a swipe at someone with his blade but it was too dark for weapons practice and he feared he had little control over his temper this night. He had proved as much by nearly killing his own brother.
Straightening, he paused as a familiar scent infused the air. With a muttered curse, he turned. Isabel stood in the doorway of the stalls, her hands clenched together. She looked pale and vulnerable as she chewed on the corner of her lip.
“You are leaving?”
“Aye, on the morrow.”
“But…Dominic will want you present for th-the wedding.” Her voice cracked.
He winced, closing his eyes briefly, hoping to block out the haunted look in her eyes. Was it possible she was hurting as much as he?
“My brother wants much from me.” You. “But, alas, I cannot remain away from my lands.”
She fixed him with her sapphire eyes, placing her hands on her hips. “That is all you have to say?”
His heart pounded in his ears as he observed the fire spark within the blue depths. Jake turned away, continuing to work the mail up and down the blade.
She remained. Even over the grating noise of the metal, he was convinced he could hear her breathing. He did not need to turn to know that she stood with a stubborn resolve written on her face. Had she come here just to torment him? When it became clear she would not leave, Jake slammed down the mail and his sword, denting the battered table further as his blade bit through it.
“What would you have me say?” He faced her abruptly. “That I cannot stay, for how can I watch you wed my brother when I would wish to have you for myself? That it tears at my heart just to think of you in the arms of another man? Or that I…I regret every harsh word I ever spoke to you? I shall never meet another lass as fine as you.”
Isabel stared at him, her mouth ajar. He watched the emotions play out through her face. He could read her perfectly. Every nuance, every inflection in her eyes spoke of the truth of her feelings and he suspected she would never be able to lie to him again. Not about what lay in her heart. Hell’s teeth, if only he had realised this sooner. He may not have thought himself worthy of her but Isabel plainly did. If she gave voice to her feelings, he was sure he would crumble.
The smoky air of the barn clung to his throat, as their gazes remained locked and in spite of the winter air, his skin prickled with heat. His eyes left her face briefly to trace her sweet curves, emphasised by her heavy silk gown. The blue shade of it reminded him of when he had first come across her. How far they had come since then.
Jake recognised the quickening of her breath under his study of her and her cheeks filled with colour in the glow of the candlelight.
Pushed by an invisible force, he stepped towards her and enfolded her into his hold, barely aware of what he was doing. Her returning kiss was fiery and honeyed, a reflection of the woman he held in his arms.
Jake crushed her desperately to him, seeking the heat of her mouth with an urgency he ha
d never experienced before. Too long had he gone without her sweet taste. He would never get enough of it.
His fingers tangled fiercely in her hair, pushing himself yet deeper again and Isabel gasped against his mouth. Isabel’s hands tugged desperately at the hem of his shirt, working underneath until she hit flesh. He shuddered as her velvety fingers skimmed over his back.
Jake pressed her back against the rough wood of the stable door and it gave way as she leaned against it. They stumbled backward, still connected in a potent embrace. He lifted her easily and slid her to the ground, the clean straw crackling under her gentle weight.
There were no candles lit in the stall but the warm glow from the stable filtered in, bringing a luminosity to Isabel’s skin. God’s blood, he ached to touch the balmy softness. Her hair splayed over the straw and her skirts lay rumpled around her. Her lips were rosy from his kisses and her eyes held a dreamy look as they viewed him. Jake would always remember her like this.
Pushing Isabel’s hair eagerly from her face, he flattened his lips against her neck before trailing down to her collarbone. Jake’s knee slipped between her legs and she ground eagerly against it with a moan. Her gown slipped easily off one shoulder and he bit at it, groaning at the taste of her on his tongue.
Isabel’s fingers tangled urgently in his shirt and he paused just briefly to haul it over his head. She coiled her hands over his shoulders, drawing his weight down on top of her, and he bit greedily at her neck and each swell of her breasts.
She pressed into his lips, breathing his name.
Jake understood what she wanted. With a yank, he freed one breast from the confines of her bodice. Its delicate tip sprang free and he took it immediately into his mouth as Isabel moaned and arched up to him. He held her to him, slipping a hand under her back. She smelled of lavender and soap, and he drew in her scent as he feasted upon her.
Trailing his free hand down her side, he burrowed underneath her skirts, releasing a faint growl as his fingers met the flesh of her thigh. Jake pressed higher, drawing his knee from between her legs to stroke at the silken flesh that awaited him. Isabel’s breaths became agitated as his fingers brushed against her heat and she writhed under his touch, the straw crunching beneath her.
Jake reclaimed her mouth, slipping his fingers easily into her and clasping the back of her neck as she lifted towards him, her body shuddering as he plunged into her depths. His thumb flicked over her tender flesh and Isabel tensed against him. He drew back to view her, cupping her neck as he moved his fingers within her. She moved restlessly, silent cries coming from her lips as she clung to his back. Isabel’s eyes fluttered closed and her head slumped back.
Moving his hand with increasing urgency, Jake felt her tighten and she gripped his hand with her thighs as a flush of pleasure filled her face. His mouth dried as he gazed at her while he drew out her climax. Her hands fell from his shoulders and she wilted.
Isabel’s eyes drew open, hazily focusing on him as her lips twitched with a satisfied smile.
He smoothed his fingers across her sheening face and his heart expanded while a sickening thud echoed in his chest. God, how he needed her. How would he ever leave her? Jake’s morbid thoughts were quickly forgotten when Isabel brushed her fingers across his jaw, tracing the line of his mouth. He realised he was frowning and he offered a gentle smile, kissing at the tips of her fingers.
“I need you, Jake,” she whispered.
Groaning, he buried his face against her neck. Ack, but he was weak. Jake tugged at her bodice, loosening it enough so that he could release her other breast. He moulded his hand against her and Isabel wriggled impatiently, slipping her hand underneath his chausses and digging her nails into his buttocks.
Need coursed through him and he freed himself from his chausses. She kissed and bit at his shoulder as she urged him forward. Seizing her skirts, he lifted them up and settled between her legs, not bothering to remove his chausses fully. Isabel rocked and whimpered impatiently as Jake braced himself over her, her delicate heat drawing him in. He thrust sharply, gritting his jaw as she enveloped him and she drew in a sharp breath, her eyes flying wide. He froze, gripping at the straw with restraint.
“Did I hurt you?” he rasped.
“Nay,” she replied breathily. “Nay…Jake, I need you.”
“And I you, Isabel.” More than you can ever know.
He withdrew before plunging sharply again. Isabel sobbed in relief, burrowing her face into his shoulder as he moved forcefully inside her. She had lured him in and he was lost. He could think of nothing else as she met his powerful thrusts, drawing him in deeper with each movement.
Isabel pressed frenzied kisses to his damp skin and her legs came about his hips, clamping him in place. He released a ragged breath as she tightened around him, sending the world hazy. Clawing at him, she cried out as she stiffened against him. He drove himself into her, murmuring words of love in her ear as she came apart beneath him.
Several more times he sank into her heat before a shuddering release claimed him. Jake collapsed against her, resting his forehead on hers.
“Am I too heavy?”
“Nay.” Isabel smiled, smoothing her hands across his back. “Nay, you are not.”
Shifting to one side, he drew out of her and rested his head on her chest. He cupped absently at her breasts as she weaved her fingers though his hair.
“We cannot stay here,” he mumbled against her skin.
“Nay, we cannot.”
“‘Tis late, we must away to bed.”
“Aye, we must.”
Jake sighed, stroking across her nipples. He laid there, listening to the steady thud of her heart and the slowing of her breaths. “Would that I could stay here forever.”
Reluctantly, he lifted his head and pulled her bodice back into place. Isabel’s gaze followed him as he adjusted his chausses and hauled his shirt over his head. Offering her his hand, he helped her to her feet. How was it he could still feel a thrill from her hand in his after what they had just done?
What he had just done with his brother’s betrothed.
Isabel eyed him warily but her fingers remained gripped around his and she tugged him towards her. He could feel his limbs weaken as her body flattened against his and he couldn’t help but wrap his hands around her slender frame.
“Will you see me to my chambers?”
Jake closed his eyes for a moment, his heart becoming heavy in his chest. He placed a quick kiss to her hair, drawing in her scent.
“Aye.”
Leading Isabel across the courtyard, Jake was careful not to touch her. Few were about, aside from the watchmen, but he could not risk shaming Isabel by revealing his feelings for his brother’s betrothed.
Had anyone spotted her entering the stables? Jake snorted inwardly. Ack, but he was fickle. Throwing away Isabel’s affections because of her deceit, to then bed her once she was his brother’s betrothed.
His stomach roiled as he darted a look over her crumpled gown and flushed cheeks. Isabel noticed and gave him a coy smile, her eyes lit with affection. Jake sighed. God’s blood, if he was but worthy of such a look.
The sound of his boots on the stone steps to his chambers echoed through the night and Jake winced with each step he took as he followed the rustle of Isabel’s skirts. Each thump served to secure his guilt and he waited for someone to come bounding up and demand to know why he was with Dominic’s betrothed so late at night.
They paused at the top of the stairs as Isabel glanced at him over her shoulder. “Will you not come in?”
Nay. “Aye.”
Isabel pressed open the door and Jake followed closely, his hand curling around the crook of her neck as they stood motionless in the dark room. Isabel sighed and tilted her head back gently as he rubbed his thumb over her flesh.
“Isabel, I—”
“Will you not stay, Jake?”
He stared at her back. Why would his legs not move? And still his thumb caressed her skin.
“Just for a while?” she implored quietly. “Just hold me.”
Nay. “Aye.”
Isabel twisted and wound herself against his chest, drawing him towards the bed. She lay down and tugged expectantly at his hand. With a muttered curse, Jake lay next to her and Isabel wrapped herself around him, her hair tickling at his jaw and her fragrance enveloping him. Ack, how would he ever leave her?
Chapter Ten
The bed was cold when Isabel awoke. Her heart was heavy as she stretched, realising she would find no one laid next to her. She had not heard Jake leave; she’d been too satiated by their intimacy. They had made love once more after he had come to her bed. It was sweet and tender, and had felt agonisingly like farewell. Tears stung behind her lids as she remembered Jake’s gentle words as he had kissed and stroked at her flesh. Her returning words of love had remained trapped in her throat. How could she admit to her love for him when she knew they were to part?
Isabel sniffed, taking in the empty pillow next to her. Mayhap he was just breaking his fast? In the stables she was convinced they could surmount anything but his loving caresses had put paid to those thoughts. Her heart felt empty. Jake was gone.
Throwing her legs over the bed, she pulled her shoulders straight. Winnie would be here soon and it wouldn’t do for her to see her like this. She should be the blushing bride-to-be. A choked laugh escaped her throat. How cruel fate was. A kind, handsome man had given her the opportunity to escape the clutches of her father and yet she did not want him.
A timid knock came at her door and Isabel swiped at her eyes, hoping she had succeeded in adopting a serene expression as she called out, “Come in.”
One of the twins entered and she expelled a breath. They weren’t as attuned to her moods as Winnie. Isabel tilted her head as she studied the young girl. “Good day to you, Mary.”
Mary smiled in response. Good, she’d got it right. After all this time, she still struggled telling the girls apart. Mary didn’t seem to take note of the rasp of her voice or the slight shake of her hands as she struggled to control her emotions.
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