by Kristen Cobb
“Apparently I cannot even leave you alone long enough to go get my horse.” Conri’s voice held more than a hint of frustration.
“This cannot be considered my fault. I was still sleeping, not bothering anyone.” The fact that Tiernan saw right through her ruse was disturbing. What if he opened Conri’s eyes to the truth? Would Conri believe Tiernan and go to Rory, asking that she be sent back to Leinster immediately?
“Sleeping off a night of heavy drinking. I assume you are amenable to riding with me today.”
That refocused her attention on the pounding inside her skull. All the excitement distracted her momentarily. She considered flinging a sarcastic comment at him but held her tongue instead. Conri had every reason to be aggravated, forced to rescue her twice in less than a day. She should probably be thanking him but could not bring herself to say the words. His antagonistic attitude tended to annoy her.
In all honesty he would have a great deal of difficulty prying her arms off him. Conri seemed to be her only protection against Tiernan’s wrath at the moment. Her position here was tenuous at best. She needed Conri more than she cared to admit.
Conri was still fighting the overwhelming urge to go back and kill every one of Tiernan’s men that threatened Nessa. Tiernan hated Dermot with an unparalleled rage. He should have anticipated what just happened. Some guard, she had almost been killed. Tiernan was the type of man who took what he wanted. He would have killed Nessa and worried about dealing with Rory later.
Seeing Nessa surrounded, Allister and Sedric severely outnumbered, his anger flared immediately. They were threatening his woman. That bothered him most of all. He had no business feeling that way about Nessa or any other woman. At this very moment he would likely kill any man who tried to touch her, his anger a nearly palpable presence.
They joined the rest of Rory’s guard at the front of the procession. Taking his place next to Rory he made a serious attempt to stop thinking about the woman behind him. An almost impossible task since the front of her body was pressed intimately against his back.
“So you finally got the woman on the horse.” Rory sounded vastly amused by the situation.
Nessa felt Conri’s body tense even further. Since his bad mood was likely her fault she decided to intervene rather than have him explode all over Rory. “A feat you never would have been able to accomplish.”
Rory’s attention diverted immediately to her. A look of disbelief crossed his face at her bold comment. “Is that so?”
She found herself smiling. “Most definitely. I seriously doubt you are up to the task.”
“I think you will find that I am absolutely irresistible. I can get a woman to do just about anything.” Rory’s grin held just a hint of mischief.
Was Rory flirting with her? It certainly seemed as if he were, although she had very little first hand experience in this area. Conri let out a sound that could only be called a grunt. She doubted anyone else heard it. Being pressed right up against his body meant she did not miss a thing. Nessa splayed her hand against his abdomen then ran her fingers gently along the ridges of muscle, a subtle movement meant to let him know that Rory was not the man she wanted, why she felt the need to reassure him a question she refused to analyze too closely.
Unfortunately that one motion set off a torrent of sensual feelings inside her. The feel of his rock hard stomach muscles beneath her fingers made her want to explore farther. In no time at all her breathing became labored as she fought against unwanted thoughts of a very sexual nature. Her mind was now so thoroughly preoccupied with Conri and his magnificent muscles she could not come up with a single coherent thought as a comeback to Rory. Seducing Rory would prove impossible unless she could get away from Conri. Her brain could not seem to function properly when she touched him.
Rory watched her intently, dissecting every move and reaction. “I love a good challenge.”
Conri caught the look in Rory’s eyes and did not like it one bit. Rory was a notorious philanderer. Nessa moved her hands again, instantly distracting him. She gently caressed his stomach under the guise of repositioning her hands. It felt like a silent message meant only for him. Her admission from last night popped into his head, telling him she would have risked everything to protect him.
Conri nudged his warhorse out in front of the pack by squeezing his knees against the animal’s sides, just enough that he could speak to her without being overheard. “Are you alright?” He probably should have inquired before now but his fury had been a bit overwhelming, and unexpected.
“Fine. Thank you for saving me, again.”
“We should be parting ways with Tiernan and his men the day after tomorrow. His territory is in the northwest corner of Connaught.” He considered telling Rory what happened but decided against it, better to wait and see if Tiernan made another move. Involving Rory would only make the situation more volatile. He was not at all certain Rory would protect her. If that happened he could not predict what his reaction would be.
Conri gently pulled on the horse’s mane, leading them back into formation around Rory.
Tiernan entered Rory’s tent without permission. Two of Rory’s guards followed, attempting to stop him without actually touching his body in any way. They knew better than to put their hands on him. Rory was lying in bed naked with one of his whores. Thankfully they were under the blankets.
“We tried to stop him my king but he insisted on seeing you. Conri is busy guarding the woman and…”
Rory interrupted the soldier’s frantic explanation. “I am well aware of Tiernan’s lack of manners. I will take care of this.”
“As you wish my king.” Both guards fled the tent as quickly as possible.
Rory sat up in bed. “What is so urgent you felt the need to barge into my tent uninvited?”
“Could you at least send the woman away? She should not be privy to our private conversations.” Tiernan could not keep the condescension out of his voice. First the man forces him to turn tail and run from a battle they could easily win and now he is frolicking in bed as if nothing of importance is going on around him. He contributed a large fighting force to this campaign, the least O’Connor could do was act like it mattered.
“No. You are the one who is interrupting a private matter. Speak your mind and go.” The woman was obviously fondling Rory under the covers. He closed his eyes for a moment and groaned. “And make it fast.”
Tiernan felt nothing but complete and utter disgust. O’Connor was seriously unfit to be high-king yet he had thrown his lot in with the man. “The woman who is traveling with you, the emissary from MacMurrough. She is the one they call Dermot’s druidess.”
“I am well aware of that. The stories of her talents are likely Dermot’s doing and highly exaggerated.” Rory reached under the blankets. The woman moaned with pleasure.
“Have you considered the possibility that she has some other nefarious reason for wanting to go with you? You should send her back to MacMurrough.” He would never trust Dermot MacMurrough or anyone associated with him.
“What harm can one woman possibly do?” Rory pulled down the blanket and began suckling the woman’s breast.
“I can attest to the fact that one woman can do an inordinate amount of damage.” All of this began because his faithless wife carried a torch for MacMurrough. She humiliated him as had MacMurrough. The old anger bubbled up inside of him as if the incident happened yesterday rather than many years ago.
Rory continued his ministrations on the woman’s breast until she threw her head back, writhing in pleasure, begging him for more. Tiernan could not believe he was attempting to have a serious conversation with the man under these circumstances. Finally Rory removed his mouth from the woman’s body and answered him. “I have made my decision. Now if you do not mind I am rather busy.”
Tiernan stormed from the tent angrier than when he walked in.
3
Small cottages lined the dirt road leading into Rory’s stronghold. Most were wattle and dau
b but a few were constructed of stone. All had thatch roofs. Stone covered roofs were time consuming to construct and therefore rare. Some of the residents came out to watch the procession of men returning home. Most of the people living in these cottages would be tradesmen rather than farmers, living near the king’s main residence to sell their goods or services. Others would be employed as servants at the castle. There was never enough room in a castle to house them all so they would live nearby. Small, or sometimes large towns would form outside the castle walls. Farmers likely lived further away from the castle, needing more land than the densely packed homes in this area allowed.
The vast majority of Rory’s army broke away before they ever reached this road. Men that followed their own smaller territorial king into Rory’s service but had no real ties to the king of Ireland directly. Those that were left would comprise Rory’s personal fighting force, men on permanent retainer that could be called up at a moment’s notice to fight. To raise a large army a king needed to rely heavily on his alliances.
A light rain continued to fall. Her clothes were soaked. If not for the warmth of Conri’s body against hers she would be freezing. After the incident with Tiernan the rest of her journey proved relatively uneventful. Conri, Allister, and Sedric were her constant companions, ever vigilant in their effort to deliver her here safe and sound. Allister, Sedric, and Eion rode directly behind them. Conri procured a horse for each of them, ordering Allister and Sedric to remain close and assist as her personal guards, apparently a promotion out of the ranks of the rabble. The pair took their duties quite seriously, remaining within sight the rest of the journey.
As they rode up to Rory’s main residence she was seriously impressed. They crossed a narrow wooden drawbridge that covered a mote diverted from a tributary of a larger river. A large wooden structure that looked like a rectangular archway on the other side of the moat allowed the bridge to be pulled back when necessary. A tall, thick stonewall stood in front of them enclosing the entire compound. A stone castle rose up in the center. There were four towers, one at each corner, with crenelated battlements connecting each of the towers. It was an enormous structure.
It resembled the castles in Normandy. Dermot took her with him to France when he went chasing after Henry Plantagenet, the Norman king of England. Unable to rally any support in Ireland to regain his lost lands and power Dermot looked abroad for military support. Henry refused to help in any direct way. He did however agree to allow his vassals leave to fight with Dermot. According to Henry it would be up to the deposed Irish king to make it worth their while.
The Norman’s had the most spectacular castles. No one in Ireland built castles like that, until now. Rory’s stronghold would not be easy to take. It was designed with defense in mind. Archers on top of the outer stonewall could make it almost impossible to get an army across the bridge. Then there was the stonewall itself to deal with. A heavy iron portcullis guarded the entrance. Men on the other side of the wall slowly raised it as they crossed the bridge. The loud scraping sound of metal against rock struck her as a bit ominous.
“Did you really think I would make it easy?” Rory’s comment as they rode through the arched opening in the wall surprised her. The smirk on his face implied he could read her every thought.
She fought hard not to smile. Charming in his own smug, self-satisfied way he was also no fool. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Rory laughed outright.
Rory and Conri rode hard toward three large stone buildings with thatch roofs. Reluctant to dismount when they stopped her arms were wrapped around Conri, her body pressed against his. She did not want it to end. The fact that she basically threw away her long held principle of not riding seemed a less than subtle indication of how desperately she craved his touch. The moment she stepped off this horse it would be time to implement her plan. Conri had somehow become her anchor in a life she no longer recognized.
She watched Rory dismount, a groom already by his side waiting to lead the horse away.
“Either you need to dismount or you need to let go but one of us should get off this horse.” Conri made no attempt to remove her arms.
Nessa forced herself to release Conri, feeling as if she were set adrift on a vast ocean with no way to navigate as soon as she let him go. She felt safe with Conri. The arrogant aloof warrior saved her life twice already.
Conri dismounted, holding out his hand. “First I could not get you on the horse now I cannot get you off.” The faintest hint of a smile curved the edges of his mouth. His brown eyes conveying something far removed from disinterest or antipathy.
Looking down at Conri she could not imagine betraying him but that is exactly what she needed to do. She traveled here to murder the man he swore his life to protect. Could there be any greater betrayal?
The urge to order him back on the horse so they could ride away nearly overwhelmed her. How convenient it would be to forget about this whole mess but nothing about her life had ever been convenient or easy. Nessa swung her leg over the horse’s back, dismounting, feeling every bit the villain she most assuredly was.
Conri set his hands around her waist, guiding her down, an entirely unnecessary action. Even after her feet were solidly on the ground his hands remained where they were. As they looked into each other’s eyes the heat in her body began to build.
The man was an absolute menace. How would she ever manage to seduce Rory while lusting after the captain of his guard? A nearly obsessive desire to kiss the handsome warrior again seemed to occupy her every waking thought lately. This morning she woke early to find herself snuggled up against his warmth.
A young woman ran up behind Conri, throwing her arms around him. Eion watched the unfolding scenario with obvious frustration. “Conri, you are back.” The woman wrapped herself around Conri so tight she was surprised he could breathe.
Conri’s eyes remained locked on hers, his hands still on her waist. Nessa smiled at him, guessing the woman’s identity. Conri removed his hands from her waist and tried to pry Alana off his body. The woman appeared to be sticky as a thorn bush, refusing to be dislodged. When Eion assisted Conri from behind they managed to remove his stubborn admirer.
Alana’s beauty would stun just about anyone human, male or female. The word exquisite came to mind. She looked to be about the same age as Eion, tall and thin with long brown hair and the biggest, bluest eyes she had ever seen. Perfectly proportioned and rounded in all the right places her dress was a dark blue that drew your gaze back to her eyes, highlighting them, as if that were necessary. She could well imagine men panting after the woman.
Eion turned Alana around to face him. “Would you listen to me for a moment.”
“Whatever it is can wait. Conri is home.” Alana attempted to turn away but Eion refused to let her ignore him.
Eion sighed in exasperation, obviously trying to be gentle. “Alana this is Nessa.” Eion turned Alana’s body so that the stunning beauty faced her.
“Why would I want to meet her?” Alana looked her over from head to toe, face scrunched up in distaste. It took a moment for Alana to fully comprehend what Eion’s statement implied. Eion obviously believed Conri had feelings for her. The woman’s eyes opened wide in disbelief. “Her? She is a dirty, smelly…”
“Enough!” Conri’s eyes blazed with anger now. “You need to get it through that incredibly thick skull of yours that I am not interested. Pick any one of the multitude of men that are dying to catch your attention but please go away and leave me alone.”
“As amusing as this is we have more important matters to address. Take Nessa to see Conor immediately then lock her up for the night. I want her gone in the morning. Escort her back to Leinster personally.” All the lighthearted humor disappeared from Rory’s expression, obsidian eyes devoid of all warmth. “No offense my dear but your presence within these walls will bring me nothing but trouble.”
Up until now Rory seemed rather pleasant, almost jovial. It left h
er wondering how he ever managed to ascend to the coveted position of high-king. There were rumors that he ordered the execution of his own brother to keep the man from challenging him as high-king. The man standing in front of her now could easily be believed capable of such a brutal act. It made her all the more determined to follow through with Dermot’s plan. Gone was the flirtatious man without a care in the world. In his place stood the cold and ruthless warrior she expected to find.
Conri grasped her hand tighter than necessary. He began walking without saying a word, pulling her along behind. Nessa struggled to keep up as he very nearly ran toward Rory’s castle. A thick wooden door on the front of the enormous structure served as the main entrance. The metal spikes of a portcullis could be seen at the top of the opening. Crenelated battlements connected the towers built into the four corners of the castle. Wall walks ran between the towers. She could see two guards up on the battlements watching them approach.
“Slow down please. You act as if we are running from a fire.” Nessa tried to pull her hand out of his grasp without any success.
Conri slowed down a bit but his body remained tense and stiff, his gait still swift and determined.
“I cannot believe you refused to sleep with her. The woman is absolutely gorgeous. I would have sex with her if I were a man.” She was hoping to lighten the mood. The intense change in Rory’s demeanor rattled her a bit.
“You are welcome to her.” Conri’s face showed neither anger nor amusement. He just continued staring straight ahead, dragging her steadily toward the castle.
“Have you taken a vow of celibacy? Maybe some secret order of incredibly handsome but chaste warriors.”
The corners of Conri’s mouth twitched as if trying not to smile. He slowed down considerably and actually looked at her. “You of all people should know the answer to that.”
The memory of their kiss flooded over her immediately, assaulting her mind like the crashing waves of an immense storm. She stopped walking. Her body simply refused to move and all she could think about was kissing him. Nothing else in the world mattered.
