Conquered (Thrice Blessed Book 1)

by Kirsten Osbourne

  “Do you have any more questions?” Joan asked as she got to her feet to leave the room.

  “No, Joan, and I thank you for explaining it to me. I’m sure I shall be fine.” She was surprised to hear how calm her voice was, because inside she was shaking.

  Joan squeezed her hand before leaving the room.

  The door hadn’t even closed when her husband came in and began undressing. He unfastened his belt and dropped it to the floor, and then lifted his calf length tunic over his head. He had worn a red tunic over white breeches for the wedding. Roland sat down at the foot of the bed with his back to her, and unwound the straps of his breeches from his calves, dropping them to the floor as well.

  When he was fully nude, he climbed between the sheets beside her and stroked his hand over her arm. She closed her eyes and waited for him to roll atop her as Joan had said he would do as part of the bedding. After a minute, when he still hadn’t moved over her, she opened her eyes to see him looking down at her with a bemused expression on his face. “What do you wait for?” she asked.

  “You expect me to hurry and get it over with?” He stroked her cheek with his callused fingertips. “It’s not going to happen.” He dropped his lips to hers and gently ran his tongue along the seam of her lips. His hand stroked down her body and over her breast through the sheet. “You’ll feel more pleasure if I go slowly.”

  “I expect to feel no pleasure from anything you do!” she said defiantly.

  He laughed softly. “You will feel pleasure, wife. You will feel much pleasure this night.”

  She wasn’t sure what he expected of her, so she lay on her back with her lips tightly shut, her hands clutching the bedclothes to her body.

  “Open your mouth for me, bride,” he whispered against her lips.

  “Why do you—?” Her words were cut short as his tongue swept into her mouth to mate with her own. His tongue explored her mouth stroking the inside of her lip. She’d never been kissed by a man other than him, but she didn’t think it was proper for him to have his tongue in her mouth. She couldn’t help but enjoy the strange sensations, even though she knew they must be wrong.

  He moved one hand under the sheet and caressed her bare breast, taking her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. His lips left hers to travel down to her neck and her shoulder pressing quick soft kisses along her soft skin.

  “Why do you do this?” It made no sense to her that he was kissing her and acting as if he cared. “Why do you not just do it?” The man was a warrior, not a man looking to woo his wife.

  “It will make it easier for you,” Roland explained patiently.

  “Why do you care?”

  He sighed heavily. “I care because I don’t want there to be hate between us. You are my wife, and I need sons. I came here to England with Duke William to avoid a life of warfare. I don’t want to trade battles with other men for battles with my wife.”

  She stared at him in disbelief in the thin candlelight. “I would submit to you whether you were tender or not. It’s my duty as a Christian wife to do as you tell me.”

  He smiled. “I’m so glad you believe that. It will make our marriage much easier in the future.” He brushed a quick kiss across her lips. “I would like more than just submission from a bride. I would like tenderness. You will be the mother of my children, and therefore, it is my job to treat you with kindness. I do not abuse women, and I won’t start with you.”

  Her parents had loved one another, but she knew among nobles they were the exception. It was not common for a nobleman to even care what his wife thought. Christiana and Roland were fortunate to have met before the wedding took place, because most couples met at the ceremony. So why did he act as if he wanted love and affection from her, when they couldn’t be the desire of a warrior?

  She rolled to her side facing him, wanting to know what truly motivated this man. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the ability to know what he was thinking, unless he was responding directly to something she’d asked him telepathically. He didn’t seem to believe the powers she and her sisters possessed were real, so she wasn’t going to try to go down that road with him.

  “Why didn’t you stay in Normandy? You’re obviously a nobleman. Wouldn’t you have had land there?” She knew this was not a time when he would wish to talk to her, but if he truly wanted a good marriage with her, he would answer her questions.

  Roland was lying on his side with his head propped on his fist. “I’m a second son.”

  Those words were enough to explain everything to Christiana. It was the same in England. The eldest son inherited everything and the younger sons were expected to either live under their older brother’s rule or find their own way in life. “So you joined William to gain land.” It made sense. The man lying beside her would never want to submit to an older brother’s rules.

  “Primarily, yes. I also believe he’ll make a good king. He’s from the same region of Normandy as I am, and I grew up watching him battle another nobleman who wanted his title.” He shrugged. “He promised land and women to the men who followed him.”

  “So you get my land by marrying me, and feel all is right then.” She was disgusted that her father’s land would automatically be his, but it was the way things were, and she could do nothing to change them.

  “Did you have a choice about the first man you were betrothed to, or did your father just announce it one day?” His eyes showed true interest in her answer, and that pleased her.

  “He just announced it, but he was a good man. He’d been one of my father’s men for years.” He had been a good man, but he’d been closer to her father’s age than her own. She had no feelings of love for the man, simply feelings of respect and duty.

  “So, you’d have married a man you had no feelings, and submitted to him in bed, given birth to his children, and lived out the rest of your days content at his side?”

  She thought about his question for a moment before nodding slowly. “It’s a woman’s lot in life to marry whom she’s told and make the best of it.” As much as she hated the reality, she knew nothing she said would change it.

  “Why not look at our marriage as the same as would have had with the man you were betrothed to. You were told to marry me, and you did. Now it’s your job to spend the rest of your life content by my side, making the most of the situation. I won’t mistreat you or your sisters. Look on me as someone who came along to protect you.”

  “To protect me and take the land that was meant for my future husband?” His reasoning made some sense, but she didn’t fully agree with him. If she’d married the man her father had wanted, she’d have lived in the manor with him, but also with her family. “What about my sisters? Will you marry them off to whomever you choose to get more land and more control?” Most men would, and she expected an affirmative answer, but desperately hoped he would allow them to choose whom they would marry.

  He shook his head. “I promise you, I will not force your sisters to marry. I will simply present choices for them.” He paused, thinking about what he’d said. “Now I don’t want them to spend the rest of their lives as spinsters, but as long as they reasonably consider every man I discuss with them, they will have a say in their future in ways you didn’t.”

  She couldn’t believe he was making such an offer, but she certainly wouldn’t turn it down. “How do I know you’ll keep your word?” How could she trust the word of the man lying in bed with her? How could she believe in a husband about to consummate his marriage with a woman who had no desire to be in bed with him?

  “You’ll just have to trust me.”

  She sighed. “It’s hard to trust a man who invaded my home and forced me to marry him.”

  “I can see where it would be. I won’t apologize for my actions, because I only accepted what the future king offered me. I will tell you I respect you for attempting to defend your home and for admitting who you are immediately, instead of trying to hide it from me.”

  Her green eyes star
ed into his blue. “I did what I had to do for my family.” Why had she not noticed before this moment how very handsome her husband was? He had the light looks of all the Normans she’d encounter except for his man, Hugh. “What are your plans for the land?”

  “The first thing we’ll do is begin construction on a castle. Your house is too difficult to defend. I could easily defend a castle with a fraction of the men this house will require.” He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers, kissing her softly. “Does this mean we have a truce, my lady? Will you try to be a good wife to me?”

  She nodded slowly. “I make no promises, but I will try.” And she would. She didn’t want to have a difficult marriage, and she knew that by trying to obey him and be the type of wife he obviously wanted, she had a much better chance to have a happy marriage.

  Christiana shouldn’t have been surprised when he reached out and pulled her into his arms, but she was. She felt as if she were being held against a rock his body was so hard. His years of training had created a man who was hard as steel. His hand stroked up and down her back, moving down to pull her bottom against him.

  She could feel the hard ridge of his erection pressing against her stomach, and she tried to pull away, but his hand kept her firmly locked against him. She didn’t feel ready for a physical relationship with him, but would she have felt ready for one with the man she’d have married if the situation had been different? She knew she wouldn’t have, but she’d have submitted to that man as required, just as she’d submit to this one.

  He was still in no hurry, stroking her soft body and kissing her thoroughly, his tongue exploring her mouth. “Relax,” he whispered against her lips.

  She laughed softly. “How do you expect me to relax when you’re touching me in ways no other man has? I can’t just force my body to relax any more than you can.”

  He moved his hand around to her front deliberately cupping her breast in his hand and flicking her nipple with his thumb. If she couldn’t relax, then he would simply make her want him so much, it wouldn’t matter. He inserted one hard thigh between hers, raising his knee so it was at her core, caressing her softness.

  At her gasp, he chuckled softly, rotating his knee slightly. “Does that feel good?”

  She nodded slowly. “But it’s not supposed to feel good is it? It’s only supposed to feel good for the man.” Her hands dug into his shoulders as his fingers stroked her nipples. How could she enjoy these sensations with a man who had forced her to marry him? Was she crazy?

  He shook his head. “It’s supposed to feel good for both of us. God made your body so you could enjoy being touched by a man.” He watched her eyes as he moved one hand down her body, across her stomach and to the juncture of her thighs. Moving his knee out of the way, he pressed his thumb against her clitoris and inserted one finger into her body.

  Christiana bit her lip to keep from crying out in pleasure at the feel of his finger inside her. But why was he putting his finger into her? Joan had said he’d put his man part inside her body and tear her apart. So far, she’d felt nothing but pleasure at his hands, even though she’d shot him and bit him just the day before. Why was he treating her so kindly?

  The hand at her breast moved up and removed her lip from her teeth. “Don’t stifle your cries. I want to hear them. I want to hear you cry out as you enjoy my touch.” He stroked her bottom lip with his thumb as he slowly moved a finger in and out of her with his other hand, his thumb continuing to press on her excited nub.

  She stared up at him by the light of the single candle still burning. “I can’t do that!”

  “Sure you can. Let me help you.” He slid an additional finger inside her, and she moaned softly at the feeling of fullness. What he was doing felt so good to her, but she was still unsure why he was using his fingers instead of the hard maleness that was pressing against her thigh.

  “Why do you use your fingers? This isn’t the way I was told it would happen. I was told you would push your…..” Her voice faded away as she realized she had almost given words to her thoughts. How brazen he must find her!

  “My what? My sword?” he asked with a laugh.

  She blushed, but took the word for an apt description. “Yes, your sword. The one you’ll force inside me and tear me apart with.” Her voice broke on the words, but she forced herself to finish them. “Why do you not just finish it instead of prolonging my agony?”

  “Agony?” He wiggled his fingers inside her, increasing the rhythm. “You feel agony from my fingers?”

  “No,” she said, moving her head from side to side frantically. That was the problem. His fingers were making her feel too good. There was something they seemed to be driving her toward, but she didn’t know what it was. She felt as if she’d break apart if he kept doing what he was doing, but she felt like she’d die if he stopped. Couldn’t he just shove his sword inside her and be done with it?

  “Good. Then I’ll continue.” He was watching her carefully his blue eyes staring into hers in the dim light. “Let yourself go. You’re going to like this.”

  “But this isn’t the way you’re supposed to do it!” she protested again.

  “You’re mine. Anything I do is okay. Just relax and let it happen.”

  His fingers became faster yet again, and she choked back a cry. His hand moved back to her nipple and pinched it, just hard enough to bring her pleasure but not pain. The pressure building between her legs was stifling to her. She clenched her hand around his fingers and let out a low scream, feeling as if her entire body were flying apart. She closed her eyes and gripped his hand tightly, finally collapsing onto the bed to stare up at him.

  “What did you do to me?”

  He smiled, dropping his mouth to kiss her lips which were already swollen from his many kisses. “I brought you pleasure.” He stared into her eyes as he asked, “Didn’t I?”

  She flushed. “Yes,” she whispered, embarrassed that he’d asked.

  He removed his hand from between her legs and rolled to settle between them. “There’s more pleasure for us to find together.”

  She knew better. She spread her legs wider to allow him access to her body so he could find his pleasure and spill his baby-making seed inside her. She knew there would be no pleasure this time, though. Men took pleasure in the bedchamber, but they never gave it. She closed her eyes to brace herself for the pain she knew was to come.

  “I’ll try not to hurt you much,” he whispered as he pressed himself against her opening.

  She felt his hot erection pressing against her body, and she dug her fingers into his shoulders, bracing herself for the pain she knew was to come. She couldn’t deny him, but neither could she relax as he tore her body in half. She held herself rigid waiting for the burning pain.

  “Relax,” he whispered covering her mouth with his. His tongue thrust insistently into her mouth even as his body penetrated hers.

  She stifled a gasp of pain and waited for the burning to continue, but instead the pain seemed to be over and his body was still above hers.

  “Are you okay?”

  She blinked a couple of times staring at him. “Is it over?”

  He laughed. “It’s barely begun, but the pain should be over.”

  She swallowed hard. “There was barely any pain at all!”

  “Good! Now the pleasure can begin.” He pulled out of her and pressed back in.

  She lay beneath him trying to decide what she thought of the new sensations. It was really similar to the way he’d thrust his fingers in and out of her, but nicer. After a few thrusts, she shifted with her knees in the air and her feet against the mattress, liking the sensations better that way. Within moments, she was moving her hips to meet his, and beginning to feel that same tingling sensation she’d felt with his fingers.

  Her hands roamed over him, caressing his shoulders and strong back. Watching his face in the dim light, she saw he looked as if he were the one in pain, which surprised her. Joan had said he would feel only
pleasure from their joining.

  Watching him, for some reason, seemed to increase her pleasure. The building sensation between her legs grew and grew again, feeling as if she needed to break apart. And then it happened. She clenched her legs around his waist and pulled him down to her, trapping him close. Her gasp of pleasure filled the room and she arched into his body.

  She collapsed against the bed, ready to roll away, but realized he was still hard and moving inside her. Her eyes opened once more to watch him. His thrusts were faster and harder, and finally, he let out a growl and collapsed on top of her, his body thrusting a few last times.

  She stroked his shoulders, which were slick with his sweat. How could anyone have claimed this was a painful unpleasant experience for women? She wanted to do this again and again. He felt so good inside her.

  After a moment, he rolled off her, and onto his side pulling her head onto his shoulder. His hands stroked up and down her body as if he couldn’t stop touching her even now that he was sated with pleasure.

  He turned his head to look at her and realized she was staring up at him. “Who would have thought you’d be such an insatiable creature?”

  She blushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to stop it.” She was humiliated by the way she’d reacted to his touch. How could she act like such a wanton?

  “Sorry?” He pulled her closer. “Don’t be sorry. Your feelings are natural, and we’ll enjoy each other a great deal.” His eyes closed, and he sighed. “Soon, we’ll enjoy one another again.”

  She thought for a moment and decided she liked the idea. Snuggling her head against him, Christiana drifted off into a quiet slumber, for once devoid of all dreams. He may be the enemy, but in her bed at night, he was her husband, and she would find pleasure in his arms.

  Chapter Four

  The candle had sputtered out when Christiana was awoken during the night to insistent hands stroking her awake. She yawned sleepily, and found her new husband’s tongue joining with hers taking advantage of her open mouth. Within moments his hands were between her thighs stroking her to arousal.