He finished eating and took another drink of wine before handing the jug to her. As he brushed off his hands, he asked, “Are you ready? We should be on our way.”
Reluctance filled Alyna. Never had she shared a meal in a pretty meadow with a man, let alone one to whom she was so attracted. Would she ever again? Saddened by the thought, she looked again at Royce, wondering how she could prolong the moment.
He packed the bag with the remaining food, then folded the leaves they’d collected into one of the cloths with care. The sun glinted on his hair and turned it golden. His features, now achingly familiar to her, were relaxed. As she watched him, her heart twisted and filled with a wave of emotion so great, it swallowed her whole.
So, this is what it felt like, she thought. Half pleasure, half pain, it threatened to erupt into something she could not control. She loved this man body and soul.
She swallowed hard and tried to put the lid back on the cauldron bubbling inside her.
Royce glanced over at her. “Are you all right, Alyna?” Concern etched his features as he drew nearer.
“Royce,” she began. She laid her hand on his, willing him to understand in some small way everything happening inside her. Then she did what she’d thought of doing since she’d first met him. She stretched up to gently kiss the small scar near his eye.
He jerked back. His gray eyes darkened as he stared at her for an endless moment.
Dismay filled Alyna. What had she been thinking to act so forward? She pulled her hand from his warm skin, but he captured it with his own. He held her gaze as he turned her hand in his. Then he closed his eyes and placed his lips on her palm.
And stole her breath.
He withdrew his lips only to place them again on her palm, the addition of his tongue sending a rush of sensation through her. Shock mingled with desire and rooted her in place as his searing gaze found hers. At last, he released her hand and bent his head toward her, seeming to take an eternity before his lips met hers.
Joy and desire sang through her. She returned his kiss, reveling in the freedom her love for him gave her. Her arms wound around his neck and held on tight, wishing she never had to let him go.
He eased her down onto her cloak as his gaze searched her face as though to make sure she understood. “Alyna, I desire you more than words can say but–”
Before he could say more, she put her fingers against his lips. “Nay. Let us simply enjoy this moment.” She drew his head down for another kiss, her tongue giving chase to his.
His gruff grunt of approval was all the encouragement she needed. She slid her fingers through his soft hair, moving along his neck and well-muscled shoulders, glorying in the sensations singing through her.
His desire for her seemed to have no bounds. No longer did he hesitate. He nuzzled her neck, his lips finding every sensitive spot she hadn’t known she had. His hands joined the sweet torture, his fingers trailing along her bare skin before gripping her waist, moving even lower to her hips.
The weight of his upper body on hers was an unexpected pleasure. He felt so good, so right. Her hands continued their discovery of him. Her fingers caught on a thin strand of leather he wore around his neck. Again she kneaded his wide shoulders and back, marveling at the muscles rippling under his tunic.
His hardness pressed against her thigh through their layers of clothing, confirming his desire for her. Though she didn’t know what could come of their attraction, she knew she wanted Royce. At least for this one enchanted afternoon, she wanted him in every way possible. This was her chance to share her passion with the man she loved.
Her roaming hands seemed to free his. He caressed every inch of her. A moan rose in her throat, and she broke their kiss to give voice to it. His lips moved to her throat, kissing, licking and nipping, until she stirred restlessly beneath him. “So beautiful,” he muttered.
His words fueled her desire, and she throbbed everywhere he touched. “As are you.”
His deep chuckle made her smile. Then his fingers found the laces of her kirtle and pulled them free. The garment opened to his searching hand and revealed her linen shift. He eased it down her shoulders and rained kisses as he explored her.
She followed suit and found the bottom of his tunic and raised it up his chest, running her fingers over the smooth skin of his back, then to the mat of hair that covered his chest. His muscles flexed under her fingers as he moved, making her wish she could see more of what felt so fascinating. She pulled his tunic higher, and he rose to his knees to remove it.
As he dropped it to the ground, he hesitated, uncertainty evident on his face. “Alyna,” he began.
“This moment is ours.” She rose to her knees and pressed her lips to the scars that marked his bare chest. A pale blue stone hung on the strand of leather around his throat that she’d touched earlier and her breath caught.
A blue stone the color of the sky.
Of course. Hadn’t she always known in her heart he was the knight destined to aid her?
“Royce,” she said without hesitation, “let us enjoy each other for this one day.” She ran her hands over his chest and pressed kisses to the broad expanse, breathing in the clean scent of him, delighted to see what she’d only felt moments before.
His breath hitched and his muscles quivered as she touched him, reveling in his response.
“Alyna,” he said her name again, this time with desire. He reached out to cup her cheek before trailing down to the sensitive skin of her neck, then lower still to linger at the curve of her breast still covered by her shift.
She held her breath as his fingers dipped lower and lower, her breasts tingling with anticipation. At last, he grazed her nipple, and she gasped with pleasure at the sensation. Desire shot through her entire body and pulsed deep within her.
He gently pushed down her shift to reveal her breasts to his heated gaze. “You are so very beautiful, even more than I had imagined.”
She smiled and for once in her life, felt beautiful. His rough fingers alternated with his calloused palm to perform an intricate dance on each breast. The throbbing in her very core kept beat with his touch until she felt she would burst with pleasure.
He lowered his head and kissed her shoulder, his mouth leaving a heated trail as he moved lower. She frowned in confusion. Surely he didn’t mean to–
Oh! His mouth was so hot. She arched back and tangled her fingers in his hair as he gave each breast equal amounts of attention. She ached with need. “Oh, Royce.”
“Aye,” he murmured. The sight of him kissing her so intimately nearly matched the pleasure of his mouth on her. When she was certain she could bear it no longer, he eased her back onto her cloak, his body partially on hers. The wiry hair of his chest against her added another layer of sensation, and she gasped and shifted against him in response.
His hand moved to her thigh, and she caught her breath. His fingers caressed her bare skin, moving ever closer to the heat of her center.
“Let me touch you, Alyna. Let me touch all of you,” he murmured against her throat. He took her mouth with his as his fingers brushed against her. She moaned, amazed at how he made her feel.
More, she thought. She needed more.
As though he’d heard her, Royce gently touched her.
Her hips raised in answer.
“Aye, Alyna,” he murmured as he continued his sweet torture.
But still...there had to be more. A release from the aching need that consumed her. “Royce?”
He moved away for a moment, but only to help her remove her clothing. His gaze admired all of her, his appreciation for her evident by the intense expression on his face. Then, he removed his chausses and his manhood sprung free.
Alyna gazed in wonder, the size of it giving her pause. But she had to touch him. She trailed a finger down him, surprised at the hardness under the velvety skin. Royce moaned in response, and she looked up, alarmed, only to see the pleasure her touch gave him.
“No more.” Roy
ce grasped her hand and held it against his chest. “Your touch undoes me.” He kissed her fingers and took a deep breath before lying down beside her once again.
Alyna marveled in the sensation of their bare skin touching. He felt so right against her. He kissed her before lingering in the curve of her neck. Her desire for him took on a new hue, and her heart swelled with love. Delight filled her as she realized this powerful knight was also gentle and tender.
“Your skin is so soft,” he murmured. “As is your hair.” He ran his fingers along her hair, then over one breast, down to her stomach, and even lower.
Desire returned ten-fold when he resumed his exploration. It started in her very center and sent waves of feeling clear to her toes. But even so, when he eased between her thighs, nervousness took hold. Though she had a basic idea of what was going to happen, never had she expected to be so overwhelmed by the feelings coursing through her.
***
Royce groaned as he tried to pull back the reins of his desire again and clenched down on the feeling that threatened to end this before it fully began.
Never before had it been this way with a woman. Never had he felt his control threatened by the very sighs that passed a woman’s lips. By the tilt of her head as her eyes closed in surrender. By the restless stirring of her body as he pushed her closer to the edge.
He shifted and pressed against her heat. His hands braced on either side of her to hold his weight, he eased slowly forward, surprised at the tightness of her.
Suddenly, he stopped, knowing now why. He looked into her eyes, reading the truth there.
He was her first.
He should’ve picked up on the signs of her innocence, but he’d been too distracted by his desire for her. Unsure of how he felt about this or what he should do, he paused.
Her expression held no doubts as she wound her arms around his neck to pull his head down for another kiss, teasing him with her tongue. All thoughts left his mind when she tilted her hips up to meet his.
As she released a moan, he took her in full. He clenched his teeth and stopped again, this time to give her body a few moments to adjust to the feel of him.
His body shuddered with the effort, wanting nothing more than to continue. He looked down at her, trying to gauge her reaction, afraid to discover she wanted to stop after all.
After a brief frown, she moved against him, and this time it was more than he could bear. Knowing he was near the edge, he touched her intimately. Above all, he wanted to feel her tighten around him in release.
He was rewarded when he felt her first shudder. Her response was all he needed before he yielded to his own pleasure, the intensity more than he’d ever before experienced.
Several moments passed before he could think coherently. Slowly, he lifted the weight of his body onto his elbows, surprised at how weak he felt. He raised his head to look at her, not wanting to see any sign of regret on her face at the gift she’d given him.
She smiled up at him, her amber gaze warm and tender, her face flushed with the aftermath of pleasure. He leaned down to kiss her tenderly.
He shifted to her side and gathered her against him, not prepared to let her go. “All is well?”
“Oh, yes,” she said, her enthusiasm making him smile.
He continued to caress her arms, her shoulder, the delicate line of her jaw. Her skin was flawless, a creamy white, soft as the petal of a flower. Her breasts were firm, overflowing the palm of his hands with their weight. He lifted up to lean on one elbow to see her beauty again. To his surprise, she gave him the same scrutiny he gave her.
When he felt his manhood stirring, he knew he needed to think of something else, but that was difficult to do with her naked in his arms. The sight of her so warm and willing was what he’d dreamed of for many nights.
His gaze came to rest on her flat stomach. “Nicholas is not your son.”
It was a statement rather than a question, but Alyna answered easily. “He is my son in every way, but not by birth.”
“Why?”
She sat up and pulled on her linen shift, as though uncomfortable answering his questions while bare. “I was with his mother when she gave birth to him. Myranda was a healer too, and she had second sight.”
“So that is where Nicholas gets his talents.” Royce nodded and waited for her to continue.
“She died giving birth to him. I vowed to raise him as my own. So I have, and so I will.”
After a few moments of silence, Royce told her, “I know of vows, Alyna, and I respect yours. It is not an easy task to raise a child, especially on your own. I’m sure your father was less than pleased.”
“Nay, he was not. Of course, I dared not tell him of my vow. He didn’t care for it when I spent time with Nicholas, so I made sure Nicholas stayed out of sight as much possible. When Father insisted I marry Lord Tegmont and leave Nicholas behind, I prepared to flee. I couldn’t leave Nicholas. If you hadn’t brought me to Northe Castle, we would’ve come anyway. Charles, Enid, and I had been planning our departure for some time.”
But Royce heard nothing further than Tegmont’s name.
That alone was enough to dim the pleasure of the day. Why did his uncle hurt every person Royce cared about? Tegmont had to be stopped. At all cost, his actions had to be halted.
“Royce?”
Royce could hear the concern in Alyna’s voice and did his best to push past the rage that engulfed him.
He took a deep breath and then looked at her, still sitting in her shift, the light fabric pulled taut, outlining the curves of her body. Her dark hair splayed alongside her face and down her back, a dramatic backdrop to her creamy skin still flushed with passion. Her golden eyes watched him with wariness, and he closed his eyes with regret that he could not give her what she wanted. What she deserved.
At least, not yet. Nor could he make promises that he might not be able to keep.
“We must get you back, Alyna.” He gathered both her hands in his. “We have much to speak of, you and I. But there are things I must do, things I must see to before we can truly talk.” He kissed each of her hands, then stood and drew her to her feet. He hoped his sudden change in mood hadn’t pushed her away, but it was the best he could do for the moment.
Somehow, he had to free himself of the black, dark hole that filled his soul. The only way he knew to do that was complete his revenge. If he didn’t, or couldn’t, he’d have nothing to offer this beautiful lady, neither his heart, nor a home. He could only hope she would wait for him.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Aster is an effective love potion,
but be certain you use it wisely.”
Lady Catherine’s Herbal Journal
We have much to speak of, you and I.
Royce’s words kept cadence with her steps as she made her way to visit Gunnell the next morning. No matter what she did, she simply couldn’t get her mind off the events of yesterday and what he’d said to her again before they’d parted.
His mood had shifted dramatically after she’d told him of her vow to Nicholas. But why? Surely that had not caused him to withdraw. Yet what else could it be?
The ride home had been long. Though he’d held her and they’d conversed, she’d no longer felt that special bond of warmth. Royce had erected a wall between them she hadn’t been able to breach.
Still, she didn’t regret what had been the most glorious day of her life and one she would treasure always.
Oh, but what if it hadn’t been for only one afternoon? What if she could have that every day of her life? The idea gave her such fragile hope that she was too frightened to believe it might be possible.
One moment, her heart would soar with optimism. He’d shown he cared for her with his tenderness and if he did care, he’d want to make plans for a future together.
And the next moment, that same optimism plunged to despair.
When she’d first met Royce, she’d been certain he wasn’t the type of man she needed or wanted. A
ye, he was handsome and formed in a way that made her heart pound just to look at him, but did he represent the safety she needed for Nicholas? In the years to come, or maybe it would only be months from now, Nicholas would show more signs of second sight, and when that happened, Alyna wanted to surround him with people who cared for him and could protect him.
Royce could certainly protect him, but would he care for him? Would he willingly raise another man’s child as his own? She shook her head at her wistful thoughts. She wasn’t so naïve as to expect Royce to offer for her because they’d spent one afternoon together.
Her breath caught in her throat, and her hand moved to her stomach. What if she carried his child?
Luckily, the last thought brought her to Gunnell’s cottage, so now she’d be forced to think of something else. Before Alyna could knock, the door flew open.
Gunnell stood there with shock upon her face. “My lady, are you all right?”
Alyna felt heat stain her cheeks, wondering what Gunnell referred to. “I’m well, Gunnell. And you?”
“I’m fine, but I thought...” Gunnell stopped, a puzzled look upon her face.
“My journey into the woods was successful.” Alyna chose to ignore her odd behavior and handed the healer the small basket she carried. Though confused, she had no desire to discuss her predicament with anyone at the moment. She needed to work through things herself first.
“Oh, that’s wonderful.”
“I found the meadow you’d described. You’ll be pleased to know several plants grow in the area, so if the one I brought you doesn’t grow, we can gather more.”
Gunnell glanced into the basket. “Oh, my lady, I don’t know what to say.” She looked at Alyna with gratitude. “How can I ever thank you?”
“There’s no need for thanks.” Alyna leaned forward to hug the woman. “Someday, I’ll need something, and I know you’ll be there when I do. That’s what friends are for.”
“Are you certain that time isn’t now?” asked Gunnell.
Alyna laughed nervously. She’d felt this way with Enid as well. The maid had looked at her so carefully after hearing Royce had accompanied her that Alyna felt she must have some sort of mark on her face telling everyone what had happened. Alyna vowed to look at her reflection more carefully the next time she had a chance.
A VOW TO KEEP (The Vengeance Trilogy) Page 22
