“And who am I, Konal? Your brother or enemy?”
“His brother,” Runa interjected as she entered the room. “This squabbling must end. The people are chattering about it—casting lots on which of you will survive the summer.”
“Who gave you permission to speak?” Roald asked.
“The same man who sired you, fathered me, Roald. That alone makes us equals. I will no longer sit idly by and wait for the two of you to make peace. If you cannot bear the sight of one another, then for Odin’s sake, for all our sakes, once this celebration is over, leave this place, Konal.”
Konal frowned. “You choose him over me? Haven’t I always been sympathetic to your causes?”
“Yes,” Runa said. “But Roald is Jarl now. I must obey him.”
“Or leave with me and Silvia.”
Unable to control his temper, Roald lunged at his brother, catching him by the throat. Runa’s worried gaze flew to Roald’s and he loosened his hold on Konal.
“I offer you a last chance at a truce. Accept your place in this house as my brother and adviser. When the right time comes, I will bless your departure to start a new steading. For now, I need my family behind me.”
“Including Silvia?” Haakon joined them.
Roald rolled his eyes. Were all of his siblings in collusion against him? “Yes,” he said hesitantly. “My sister-in-law is part of this family now.” He let go of Konal then. “But don’t expect any great revelations. I will treat her with dignity.”
“I have your word?” Konal asked, straightening his tunic.
“Aye.”
A moment of intense silence followed.
“Good,” Haakon said. “Now that it’s settled, I think all of you should come with me.”
He led them to Silvia’s chamber and opened the door.
Sitting up in bed with a trencher of food on her lap was Silvia, eating and chatting with her maid.
“By Odin!” Konal rushed to her side. “How?”
Silvia’s radiant smile even warmed Roald’s heart as she thrust the tray in her servant’s hands, then threw herself in Konal’s arms.
“Hours ago,” she answered. “That lovely Sami girl greeted me when I awoke. She looked so relieved to see me well.”
“We all are,” Konal assured her as he lifted her from the bed.
“Where is the girl?” Roald asked. He must thank her, kiss her, and convince her to stay longer.
“Gone,” Silvia said. “She mentioned a brother.”
Twas his fault for losing track of Silvia. He’d been so caught up in the celebration. “Haakon, Runa. Tell the guards not to let anyone leave the great hall. I must speak with Eva.”
Judging by the way his heart raced, he’d search anywhere to see her again—Allfather help him.
Chapter Thirteen
“Stop babbling.” The older woman clapped her hands like she was trying to get the attention of children. “The six of you are fortunate to get this far. Tis an honor to be chosen to warm the master’s bed on the night of his inception as jarl.”
Her words did little to quiet Eva’s beautiful rivals.
All she could think about was what Silvia’s maid reported about the goings-on in the great hall. How Roald had been drinking in preparation for his special night with a virgin of his choice. A gift every jarl received. It stunned Eva that any father would willingly sacrifice his daughter’s virtue for such a selfish tradition.
But the servant had assured her that many chieftains’ wives had been chosen from such a pairing. Because of pregnancy… That’s what Eva decided would be the only reason a man of power would marry a girl he didn’t care for or know.
She couldn’t let Roald make that mistake. She wanted a chance to be with him. One kiss. One intimate embrace. One night of lovemaking before they parted ways forever.
Only after she was convinced Silvia was recovered, did she beg the maid for help. In return for healing her mistress, the servant gladly brought her a sheer gown and veil, the type of garments the other girls would wear. She bathed and dressed Eva, then brushed her long hair out.
Silvia even donated a gold necklace and bracelet, seeming to enjoy the trap Eva planned to set for the jarl.
“He doesn’t deserve you,” Silvia had said. “But I recognize the look in your eyes. The need to love a man you shouldn’t.”
They’d tied a ribbon about her arm to cover her tattoo so Roald wouldn’t recognize her. Then the woman in charge of the maidens called for all the girls to veil themselves and meet in the jarl’s chamber. One-by-one, the woman inspected them, dismissing ten, the rest would have a chance to impress Roald.
“Do not speak unless you are given permission. And do not remove your veils. Names will not be exchanged. Call him lord or master. Curtsey when he arrives and never look him directly in the eyes. You are not his equals tonight, only vessels of pleasure. Do you understand?”
Once she was convinced they understood, she signaled to the thrall standing at the door. “Bring our master, the girls are ready.”
When Roald arrived, butterfly wings fluttered wildly in Eva’s belly. She’d never seen him look so lighthearted before. He emptied the cup in his hand and handed it off to a servant before he sat down in the carved chair at the foot of his bed.
His vast chamber was richly decorated. Tapestries covered the walls and abundant furs concealed the dirt-packed floor. Her gaze slipped to the expansive mattress, the headboard matched the wood of his chair, figureheads of dragons, the kind seen on Norse longships, were carved into the posts.
“Good eve, Hulda,” he addressed the older woman. “I believe you presided over my sire’s bedding the night he was crowned.”
“Yes, milord.” She smiled. “Tis an honor to do the same for you.”
Roald gazed past her. “What delectable morsels have you picked for me tonight?”
Hulda turned around. “You.” She pointed at the first girl. “Stand before our master.”
It pained Eva to think Roald would even consider another woman when they had shared such intimate moments together. But she also accepted that such a virile man required sex. As a healer, she often advised husbands and wives on how to improve their chances at pregnancy. She even had herbal mixtures that enhanced fertility and passion.
“Turn around slowly,” Hulda instructed the first girl.
“Thank you,” Roald said gently, then dismissed her.
It only took a few minutes for Roald to view the first four candidates, but it was the fifth that worried Eva the most. Blessed with pitch-colored hair and the darkest eyes Eva had ever seen, she recognized rare beauty, even behind the veil. And when she walked…
Should Eva give up now?
“You.” Roald gestured at her. “Come and stand beside your friend.”
Eva did as he commanded, happy her face was covered.
“Turn for me,” Roald said.
Reluctant to continue, she slowly turned her back to him. Did the man really need to stare at her arse?
After what seemed forever, he finally spoke. “Is there a chance to keep both?”
Hulda cleared her throat. “Both, my lord?”
“Did I stutter, woman? Odin gave me two hands and legs. So why shouldn’t I bed two women?”
“Because the gods didn’t give you two cocks,” she admonished. “Twould be an insult to their fathers. It’s never been done.”
Eva couldn’t resist turning around. She wanted to slap the whoremongering jarl in the face for being so lewd.
“Wait!” he said. “Did I give you permission to move?”
She shook her head.
“Turn back around.”
“Vile serpent,” she muttered.
“What did you say?” Hulda must have overheard her. “Milord. Dismiss this vicious-tongued girl for insulting you. The choice is obvious. And I will have her whipped for cursing you.”
“Wait.” Eva heard Roald stand up. “What words did she speak?”
“I won�
��t repeat them,” Hulda said.
Eva struggled to stay upright. Her legs were shaking and her heart skipped a beat every time she took a deep breath. Why had she subjected herself to such humiliation? How could Roald do this? Women were worth so much more. But if she didn’t do as she was ordered, her identity would be revealed. And she prayed to the gods he’d never know how she truly felt. That she’d give up her maidenhead to love him for one night.
“Tell me what she said, Hulda.”
“Very well, milord. She called you a vile serpent.”
His deep-throated chuckle filled the room. “I disagree with you, old woman. The gods didn’t choose this girl. They’ve chosen her.”
Though Eva couldn’t see where he pointed, she knew Jarl Roald meant her.
“Leave me,” he ordered.
“Come,” Hulda said.
The door closed and Eva thought she’d faint.
“Did anyone force you here this night?” Roald asked.
“No.”
“Do you regret coming?”
She shook her head, still turned away from him.
“Am I a vile serpent?”
Before she could answer, his hot breath pricked the skin on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and willed herself to remain silent.
“You smell as sweet as heather.” His fingertips circled down her arm. “You’re as smooth as Baghdad silk.” Wet warmth tickled her neck. “You taste like honey.”
She spun around then, unable to stay still. She met his steely blue gaze, the excitement she felt and the wetness pooling between her legs overpowered her senses. One touch from Roald had sent her over the edge—made her forget herself.
“You disobey me yet again, girl.”
She lowered her eyes, ashamed she couldn’t follow simple directions.
“What beauty do you hide beneath that veil? Are you a witch? A Valkyrie?”
She shook her head.
“Do you want me to love you?”
More than anything. Hunger unleashed inside her, but she didn’t know how to respond, how to express what she felt. “Yes,” she whispered, disguising her voice.
He approached her, his big fingers playing with the laces that held the flimsy gown together. She dared not look up again.
“Does it bother you there’s another woman I wish to bed?”
How long could she withstand this abuse? She didn’t answer.
“A golden-haired beauty from the mountains who disappeared. What I’d give to feel her writhe beneath me, to call out my name. Tonight I will call you, Eva. I will pump inside of you and pretend you are another woman. Will you fulfill that fantasy for me? Are you woman enough to do it?”
She’d reached her limit. “Pig!” She slapped him in the chest with fisted hands, then rushed for the door. But it had been locked from the outside. She leaned her forehead against the rough-hewn wood, tears threatening to fall. “Let me go.”
“No,” he said firmly. “Not until you give me what I know we both want.”
Chapter Fourteen
Roald had recognized Eva immediately. Didn’t she know the color of her hair stood out? That her shapely body would always attract his eye? That her ethereal beauty couldn’t be hidden by a veil? The fact that she’d disappeared had angered and worried him. But finding her in his chamber, playing with his heart and mind, infuriated him. It also made his cock rock hard.
“Face me, girl.”
She did.
Her low cut gown hid little. His blood boiled at the sight of her hard, rosebud nipples. “Your breasts were made for my hands and lips to worship. Know you are mine tonight. That door won’t open until well after dawn. No matter what I say to the guards.”
She shivered, but it wasn’t chilly in his room. “What if I scream?”
“No one will hear you, girl. And if they did, they’d only raise a cup in honor of me showing you pleasure. That’s what I do best.”
She clicked her tongue in disapproval. “You are arrogant.”
“I won’t deny it.” He took a step closer.
“You’re an animal.”
“I’m Norse.” He beat his chest with a fist, proud of his blood.
“Soulless bastard.”
There was nowhere for her to retreat to; he’d cornered her against the door. “Do you see it’s pointless to run? Unless you choose to come into my arms.” He spread them wide, hoping she would. “Mine,” he growled, desperate to hold her.
“Don’t touch…”
In one fluid movement, he pressed her flat against the door with his body and ripped the veil from her face. “Eva. My sweet Eva.” He devoured her soft lips, giving her no time to recover from the shock of him knowing who she was.
Rigid at first, when his tongue met hers, she melted beneath him.
“Did you think I’d want another in my bed?” He lifted her hands above her head and used his knee to spread her legs wide. “Foolish, girl. Don’t the spirits tell you when a man wants to fuck you?”
Unable to contain his desire, he roughly untied the laces on the front of her gown. It gapped open all the way to her navel, revealing two milky white breasts. He lowered his head, sucking on each nipple, a blind fury rising inside him.
He freed her hands and dropped to his knees then, lifting the hem of her dress. What greeted him between her lush thighs pleased him. Golden curls crowned her center.
“What are you doing, Jarl Roald?”
He gazed up at her. “What I should have done the night I met you.” He buried his face between her legs, tongue and fingers taking possession of her wet core. He sucked her nub mercilessly, loving the taste of her, dreaming of the moment he’d bury himself inside her.
Her body jerked uncontrollably as his fingers circled and sank deeper. By the gods he’d found paradise on Odin’s green earth. No woman had ever consumed him so completely. Without thinking, he lifted her above his head and carried her to his bed, lowering her to the mattress. Then he spread her legs even wider, breathing in her scent, enjoying the way her saturated core glistened in the candlelight.
She squirmed a little, the look in her eyes revealing what she wanted—what she’d come here to give him. Her body, her blessed maidenhead. And for the first time in his life, Roald cared whether a woman he bedded was a virgin.
“Mine,” he whispered as he positioned himself between her legs again, lowering his mouth to her entrance. “Beautiful, Eva. Wet, sweet girl. Everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I knew you’d be.”
Like a Berserker, he took her again and again with his tongue, making her scream and tremble, her insides convulsing around his tongue and fingers.
And just when he knew she couldn’t take another lick, he stood up and stripped his clothes off. “I can’t wait, Eva. Will you give yourself to me?”
She shifted to her knees, staring at his cock with amazement. “Is this my reward for coming to you tonight?” she asked.
“You can have whatever you want.”
“Anything?”
He nodded.
“Come here, then.”
Proud she was impressed by his engorged member, he walked to the edge of the bed where she could reach him. But instead of caressing him or licking his shaft, she flicked the base instead.
“Ouch!” He jerked out of reach. “What are you doing?”
“What my mother always taught me to do whenever I encountered an erection.”
“Just how many cocks have you seen?” he asked angrily, jealousy blooming in his gut.
“Just yours.”
“So why am I the victim of this cruel act? And what does it mean?”
“My mother told me if you flick a man’s penis in the right spot it will wilt.”
The purpose dawned on Roald then. To protect her against overexcited patients. “I will personally thank your mother someday. But never try that on me again. Understand, woman?”
“Aye.”
He pushed her back on the furs and she opened up for him.
/> “Love me, Roald. Give me a cherished memory to carry in my heart forever.”
He groaned as he covered her body with his, pumping his hips. “You can never take this back, Eva. Never.”
She locked her hands behind his neck. “I am yours.”
As he buried himself balls-deep, he took her mouth at the same time, swallowing her little moan. He moved gently at first, but her slick core sucked him in and he couldn’t hold back.
“Si navnet mitt,” he said.
“Roald,” she cried out.
“En gang til.”
“Jarl Roald…” She granted his wish again.
He wanted her to cry his name all night long. Maybe forever. “This is just the beginning, sweet Eva. By first light, you won’t be able to walk.”
Chapter Fifteen
Sure hours had passed since she first coupled with Roald, Eva sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Only the braziers provided any light in the room. All the candles had burned out long ago. The throbbing ache between her thighs hadn’t gone away completely. Though the jarl had gifted her with so much pleasure, something as simple as watching him sleep peacefully beside her reignited her desire.
But desire hadn’t wakened her. Something else had. A dream. The first she’d ever had or at least the first she could remember. She’d spent years begging the gods to bless her with visions, to help connect her to the spirits. A noaidi must enter the netherworld in order to be recognized as a true healer. Otherwise, she remained incomplete.
For this very reason, her mother had forbidden her to practice her art in the open. Shame had followed Eva wherever she went for not being able to dream.
She flipped the fur back and quietly slipped off the mattress. Her gown was on the floor and she grabbed it up and dressed. Then she walked to the table and poured herself a cup of mead. What reason existed for this sudden night vision?
She gazed at the sleeping man in his bed. Stretched out on his side, he looked so fulfilled. And she felt the same, like all the pieces in her soul were finally together. Could lovemaking really change everything? Could a woman find her heart after bedding a man? Never had a man looked at her so fiercely. Roald’s blue eyes were a summer storm as they joined, dark and utterly possessive.
Desire's Fury (Viking's Fury Book 2) Page 6
