Niall brushed a kiss across her nose, absently fingering a dark curl. “Ye think ye can stand me in yer bed more than once a month?” he asked teasingly.
“Aye, I expect I can manage.”
“Ack, lassie, donnae ye know yer meant to compliment a man after bedding him?”
She smacked playfully at his arm. “Ye need no compliments, ye fool. Ye know well enough what a fine job ye did.” She considered him seriously for a moment. “Ye love me? Already?”
“Aye. Already. Ye must be a witch for I donnae how but ye captured my heart.”
“Then how is it that ye’ve captured mine?”
“Sinclair charm,” he responded easily.
Anna rolled her eyes. Somehow he had stolen her heart with his arrogant charm. Mayhap they were always intended for one another. Their fathers were certainly wiser than they were. She would always remain a Mackenzie, and she knew Niall would never make her be anything else, but with Niall at her side they could forge a new peace between the clans.
The sunlight began to flicker over the horizon, announcing the arrival of the next day as it bathed them in an amber glow. Anna sighed. She wished heartily that this moment would never end. Niall leant over and gave her a sweet, lingering kiss, sealing her wish that they could lay there forever.
Anna was too absorbed in the taste of Niall to notice the creak of the door or the two men that came to stand over them. It was only when their shadows fell across their entwined bodies did Niall and Anna pause to see what it was. Both of them followed the great trunks of legs, squinting to make out the features of the intruders.
Anna squealed and buried herself into his chest in embarrassment as she recognised her father, his expression a mixture of surprise and satisfaction. Laird Sinclair merely grinned.
Niall shook his head with a groan, burying his head against Anna’s hair. “Ack, now I’ll definitely have to marry ye.”
***************
Black Knight
“You are bored.”
The voice whispered over Katherine’s ear causing an unwitting shudder and she turned to face the source of the disturbance.
“Is it so very obvious?” she asked with a smile.
“Only to me,” James told her with the raising of an eyebrow.
Katherine brushed off an imaginary speck of dirt from his shoulder as she admired him in his finely cut tunic. She sighed inwardly. She and James had practically grown up together, James having been fostered to their family while he trained as a knight. It had been many years since he had lived with them and she missed him, but he visited frequently.
Not unaware of the narrowed eyes of several of the noble women in attendance at the feast, she turned her eyes to James with a flutter before shifting closer to whisper in his ear.
“You have a great many admirers this night. Mayhap I shall help you snare one if we make them jealous enough.”
James chuckled with a quick glance around.
“Nay, Kitty, for what woman would wish to be in competition with you?”
She rolled her eyes at his endearment - a childhood nickname that she so wished to put behind her - and his words of flattery. While she was not unaware that she was pleasing to the eye, James had never seemed to look upon her as anything other than a sister-type figure.
Her stomach churned at the thought of him marrying a simpering, foolish woman - which Katherine believed most of the women of their acquaintance were. James was too intelligent, too humorous and, well, too handsome to be lumbered with a vacuous wife. But he was not getting any younger and he would have to marry soon. And then she would lose him, she thought sadly.
As she observed the drunken men scattered about the Great Hall, their fat bellies resting above their belts and their chins covered in grease, she thanked the Lord that she had not been forced into marriage yet. Though practically an old maid at one and twenty years, her father had enough wealth to last a dozen lifetimes and two healthy heirs in her older brothers. As she had turned her nose up at almost every potential suitor, he had given up even attempting to arrange a marriage for her.
James drew her attention back to him as he positioned himself next to her, his strong arm brushing against hers as he leaned in conspiratorially.
“How then, can we relieve your boredom, my lady? Mayhap some amusing observations would bring you some joy?”
Katherine glanced sideways at him, aware that his face was not far from her own. His blue eyes glinted with mischief, belying his strong, masculine appearance. His dark blonde hair fell over his face slightly and she resisted the urge to push it back.
“Mayhap it would.”
Scanning the room, he placed a finger to his lips, a slight smile playing on them. “How about Lord Edward and his wife? She is looking almost as fed up as you and yet he continues to talk.”
Flicking a look over to the couple, she noted that his young wife did indeed look incredibly uninterested in whatever it was he had to say as they sat at the large trestle table.
She flicked her auburn hair over her shoulder. “Well, what does one expect when you marry a man twice your age?”
“I doubt she had much choice, Kitty,” he scolded lightly. “And besides, most women are not as…particular as you are.”
“You mean picky?” she asked him archly.
“I mean particular. And you have every right to be. Anyway, are you not yet amused?”
Katherine shook her head. “Nay. But here I have one. See the Earl of Sussex? He keeps attempting to refill his wife’s wine goblet when she is not looking. Mayhap he is hoping to bed her tonight,” she added saucily.
James laughed at this. “Aye, but look, she has noticed and is taking only the smallest of sips. I think the Earl shall be having a lonely night this night.”
“Aye, he shall.” Katherine flicked a glance back over to the women who were still watching their interaction. “I think you need not be lonely tonight though.”
He lifted his gaze from hers to view the women who watched them so closely. “They are of no interest to me.”
She felt a sense of relief at his words and the knowledge that he would be going to bed alone tonight, but she could not help push him for an answer. “None of them? Surely you are not as picky as I? There are some bonny ones to be had.”
“None of them,” he told her seriously, his eyes darkening slightly as they fastened onto hers.
They both fell silent for a moment, an odd sensation settling into the air between them and Katherine found her bodice to be too tight all of a sudden.
“Are you not yet amused then, my lady?”
She shook her head mutely.
“Kitty, I think you have need of air. You look flushed.”
Katherine allowed him to lead her out into the courtyard where she took a deep breath, grateful for the cooling effect of the fresh air.
The night was dark, the stars concealed behind thick cloud, but torches were lit around the courtyard providing a warm light that made the courtyard look more inviting than in the day.
Taking her elbow, James led her to a bench and bade her to sit down. She did as she was told, the odd fluttering in her belly weakening her usual stubbornness.
James stood in front of her, watching her intently.
“I am well enough, James. Pray go back to the feast.”
“Nay, I would not leave you if you are unwell.”
“I believe I just had need of air and now that I have had some, I am fine. You need not attend to me like some frail damsel. I am quite capable of looking after myself.”
He gave her a wry smile. “That much I know.”
Seating himself next to her, she tried to ignore his hard thigh rubbing at hers through her silk dress. Sweet Mary, what an effect he was having on her! She could feel the heat rising in her skin once more and she hoped it was too dark for him to notice, as he would surely never believe that she wasn’t ill if he did.
“So what would amuse you then, my lady?”
&nbs
p; Katherine shook her head with a smile. “I have plenty enough to amuse me. You, for one.”
He pretended to look offended and she laughed out loud.
“But ‘tis not amusement, I seek,” she continued. “‘Tis excitement, adventure…anything other than endless feasts and being polite to pretentious nobles. Something dark and dangerous, that is what I yearn for.”
James stared at her with an unreadable expression. “You truly wish for danger? Kitty, think on what you say. There are some fantasises best left in the dark.”
“Aye,” she sighed. “You are right, of course. But sometimes I think that I have not truly lived. I have been cosseted up in this castle for too long. How I wish for some excitement…”
***
Katherine masked a yawn with her hand as she held the candle out in front of her, the flickering light just bright enough to guide her through the stairwell to her chambers. As she entered her room, a gust of wind hit her from the hallway and the candle sputtered before blowing out. She cursed, seeing that her room was dark. The fire wasn’t lit as it had been too warm recently and the shutters were closed, blocking out any chance of light entering the room.
With a shrug, she placed her candle down on the small wooden table that sat to one side. She knew her chambers well enough that she needed no light to find her way around.
Glad she had chosen a gown that laced at the sides, rather than the back, she began working on the ties. All the servants had worked hard this day, preparing for the feast, and she was loath to disturb her maid to assist.
Her gown fell to the floor and she kicked it aside, feeling too tired to hang it up. Stepping out of her slippers, she did the same to them before peeling off her stockings and flinging them in the same direction.
Now in her chemise, she carefully made her way to her washbowl, quickly going through her ablutions before padding back over to her bed. She peered through the gloom of the night, unable to believe her eyes had not yet adjusted. The night was blacker than she had ever seen before.
Just as she was about to pull back her sheets, a familiar scent registered in her senses and as she tried to remember it, a large hand came across her mouth.
Her scream of surprise was muffled as a strong body pressed against her back, the stranger’s arm coming around her waist and pinning her to him.
Katherine had already surmised that her attacker was male. He was taller than she, and strongly built. But there it was again, that oddly familiar fragrance.
She fought against his hold but was unable to move the strong arm that held her tight. She tried not to panic and she let herself relax, hoping that her assailant might do the same, giving her the opportunity to escape.
However, instead of his touch softening, he seemed to hold her tighter, her supple body moulding into the hard ridges of his. Katherine tried to tamp down on the ache that built in her womb but her body had other ideas and she instinctively arched into him.
The man let out a hiss of breath before his voice brushed across her ear. “I mean you no harm.” His voice was guttural and unusual, as if it was slightly forced. “If I release your mouth will you remain quiet?”
She nodded, having every intention of screaming.
The hand came off her mouth, one finger at a time, but as she opened her mouth to scream, it clamped back across her lips.
“If you cannot be quiet, I shall have to silence you another way.”
He spun her round to face him and before she knew what was happening, his mouth was upon hers, his tongue pressing between her lips.
Katherine gasped, her hand coming up to slap at him as he used the opportunity to press the kiss deeper, but he grabbed at her wrist, pushing it down to her side as he wrapped his arms around her.
All sense seemed to depart her as the stranger’s body pressed into hers and his tongue invaded her mouth. Her free hand wound up around his neck, stroking at the soft hair that met her fingers before tracing across his jawline. Trying to discern what this stranger looked like, she moved her fingers up, intending to feel her way across his face but she found herself twisted around again, held back into place.
Hot lips met the crook of her neck and she inhaled sharply as it sent tremors shooting through her. His rough hands held her own across her body, pushing her into him and she could feel the hard length of his manhood. It startled her and she bolted away towards the door, surprising him enough that he let her go.
As she fumbled with the door, she realised it was locked and the key was missing. A sensation akin to fear trickled through her, weakening her legs, as she felt her intruder coming up behind her.
With deliberate leisure, he flattened himself against her back, pressing her body into the door.
“I will not do anything that you do not wish. Say the word and I will leave,” he whispered before brushing his teeth over her ear and lavishing attention on her neck.
Katherine found her head lolling back as her legs trembled beneath her, but the man kept her upright, his hand snaking around her waist.
She tried to summon the words but they would not come. All she could focus on was the feeling of his warm mouth upon her skin and the agonising ache that settled deep inside of her. Why was she reacting this way to a stranger? She should be doing everything she could to get away from him, yet her body would not co-operate.
Just a few kisses, she decided. Some more deep, delicious kisses and then she would tell him to leave or she would scream to the high heavens.
Sensing her submission, his hand skimmed upwards, brushing lightly over her breast. She whimpered at the faint touch, her nipples unbearably hard. His other hand settled onto her hip, angling her into him, and she writhed against the solidity that awaited her.
Tilting her head back, she was gratified to feel his lips upon hers once more, this time lingering more carefully in a movement that was almost loving. Katherine eagerly met his tongue with hers, delighting in the decadently wanton feeling. Sweet Lord, mayhap she was just that. A wanton woman. For what other woman would fall so easily into the arms of a dark intruder.
He groaned as she kissed him back with relish and she smiled with self-satisfaction. So she was not the only one affected by their kisses. Her momentary feeling of power was quickly snuffed out when a hand began to tug at her chemise, yanking it down over her shoulder.
Katherine’s slight sound of protest quickly gave way to a moan of pleasure as the stranger bit and suckled his way down her neck and shoulder, his hand coming up to cup more forcefully at her breast. His fingers swept over the stiff peaks that poked from her chemise teasing them until they became impossibly tight.
His other hand crept down to the tender flesh between her legs and though a flash of panic bubbled up inside of her, she found herself keening for his touch. He kept her clamped to him with the press of his hand on her breast as his fingers brushed at the damp heat of her through her chemise. She released a sound of surprise as he stroked over the heat, the moisture that awaited him quickly seeping into the fabric of her shift. A growl erupted from him as she ground against his touch, the ache in her sex becoming replaced with a gratifying tingle.
In a sudden flash of movement, both of his hands came about the neckline of her chemise and he ripped it from her as she squealed in shock. Katherine instinctively covered herself with her hands but the man was swiftly upon her, peeling her stiff hands away.
The soft fabric of his tunic rubbed against her bare back as he tugged her into him, both hands closing over her breasts. His breath hissed between his teeth as he spread his hands over her soft flesh and Katherine trembled with trepidation and desire.
“You are exquisite,” he grated out.
And Katherine felt it. In the arms of this dark man, in this black, black night, she felt sensual and beautiful. How strange that she could feel like this when she could not even see his face.
He buried his face into her hair as his thumbs continued to rasp over her nipples. A hand left her breast and she felt be
reft, longing for the rough heat once more. However, the warmth of his hand was soon back on her skin and trailing over her stomach, carefully snaking towards her sex. Her muscles contracted under the gentle touch which seemed almost uncertain and questioning.
In response, she lifted her hips and he seemed to take that as her acceptance, easing his hand to the silken skin that awaited him. A finger dropped very briefly into the damp juncture before swirling over her pulsating core, causing her to buck. He continued tormenting her, keeping her pinioned with one hand to her breast, and she found herself reaching for something, an ending to the torturous but blissful sensations.
Two fingers penetrated her, plunging swiftly, and her eyes widened in the dark as the ache seemed to both quench and inflame. In and out he went, and she continued to writhe under his attentions as he kissed at her with the tenderness of a lover. Quickening the pace, she found her breath stolen from her as her womb clenched in response. His thumb brushed over her sensitive nub and she cried out as the fiery heat enveloped her, sending her shuddering with waves of rapture.
Katherine lay limply in his grasp, his fingers still imbedded in her, as she tried to gain her breath and gather her senses. Easing himself from her, he turned her to face him. She wished she could make out his features in the dark, but no matter how hard she tried the black night still prevailed.
The stranger’s mouth came down on hers, tenderly, cautiously, and she reacted similarly, savouring the sweet warmth and the press of his lips. His hands twisted into her hair with a sigh and Katherine vaguely wondered how it was that he treated her with such love.
“Lie down,” he whispered against her lips.
Katherine found herself obeying, hurrying to the curtained bed. She nearly pulled aside the sheets but decided against it, enjoying the feel of her nudity and forgetting any vulnerability in the dark cloak of the night. Instead she felt mischievous and delightfully shameless.
The One Knight Collection (Medieval Sensual Romance) Page 4
