Warriors in Winter

by Michelle Willingham

  ‘Show me.’ In her voice, he heard the breathless excitement, and it only heightened his own arousal. Though he’d lain with a few women whom he’d paid for the privilege, no one had ever chosen him. Not like this.

  He led her through the space until his foot brushed the edge of the fur pallet he used for sleeping. ‘If you were my prisoner, I would order you to take off your gown.’

  There was a moment of hesitation, but he heard the sound of Rhiannon removing her shoes and stepping on to the furs. Then the soft shush of fabric as her clothing slid to the ground.

  His imagination raged with visions of what Rhiannon looked like with bared skin. He ached to touch her, and no longer did he care that this was dishonourable, to accept her innocence. He didn’t deserve such a gift but he was going to accept it with both hands.

  ‘It’s cold,’ she murmured, her teeth chattering.

  ‘You won’t be cold for long.’ He removed his own tunic and guided her down to lie upon the fur. ‘Not after I’ve finished with you.’

  ‘What about your arm?’ she asked, reaching out to touch it.

  ‘It doesn’t hurt any more.’ He reached out and lifted her fingers to his eyes. ‘But I wish, for a moment, that I could look upon you and see how beautiful you are.’

  ‘See me with your hands,’ she offered.

  He knelt beside her and started at the top of her head. With his fingers, he drew a picture in his mind of a beautiful woman with dark hair and slender features. He captured her mouth, and in her kiss, he glimpsed hope.

  For so long, the loneliness had stretched out before him, endless moments of darkness. But she had come to him now, and he wasn’t about to turn her away. He wanted to give Rhiannon pleasure, to have her come apart in his arms, knowing that he had given her this. He wanted her to cry out his name.

  With his hands, he touched the curve of her cheek, moving down to her throat.

  * * *

  Rhiannon held herself motionless, and as Kaall’s hands slid to her shoulders, it drew a path of heat over her bare skin.

  ‘You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever touched,’ he said, lowering his mouth to her shoulders while his hands explored her arms, moving to her wrists. She couldn’t catch her breath, nor would he let her touch him in turn.

  The firelight cast a glow over his bronzed skin, and when his palms cupped her breasts, she let out a shuddering breath. It was as if she’d flung herself off an ocean cliff and was falling fast. The heady sensations prickled through her, conjuring up a fierce need.

  ‘Shall I warm you?’ he murmured.

  She tried to reach up to pull him down to cover her bare skin, but instead, his mouth covered one breast. Shocked, her hands moved into his hair, uncertain of whether to push him away or pull him closer. His mouth suckled against her, drawing out sensations of desire that echoed between her thighs.

  With every lick of his tongue, the building ache intensified. He moved to the other breast and did the same, covering the first with his palm. ‘Are you growing warmer?’

  ‘Yes,’ she sighed, reaching up to his shoulders. She’d never touched a man before, and it fascinated her to trace the outline of his muscled skin. Her fingers moved down his broad shoulders, back to his chest, and finally over his ridged abdomen.

  Kaall did the same, his fingers spanning her waist.

  ‘If you were my captive, I’d feed you more,’ he teased, kissing her flat stomach. But when his mouth moved lower, she grew more fearful. Though Kaall couldn’t see her, his face was dangerously close to her womanhood. And though she understood what would happen between them, it unnerved her to feel the warmth of his breath so near.

  As if he sensed her fear, he moved to her hip, kissing it gently while he moved down her legs.

  ‘Such long, beautiful legs,’ he said, his mouth moving down the outside of her thigh. When he reached her calf, she fought to hold still, for he’d found a sensitive place. Her fingers dug into the furs, her skin fiery from the blood coursing through her. As he explored her other leg, his mouth moved up the inside of her thigh, gently nudging them apart.

  She couldn’t bear it. Not if he were to kiss her there. Reaching to him, she fought to bring his face back toward hers.

  ‘Frightened, are you, søtnos?’

  He wouldn’t obey, and his strength far overpowered hers. If he wanted to kiss her intimately, he would, and the tension nearly broke her apart. Instead, he balanced his weight on either side of her, his mouth coming on top of hers. He kissed her hard, and she nearly melted with relief when his tongue entered her mouth.

  Her body trembled, her skin growing hotter. The kiss had already crossed over into another boundary, imitating the sexual act she wanted. Against her swollen mouth he demanded, ‘I can feel your need, Rhiannon. You want me, don’t you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  And God help her, she no longer cared that they were virtually strangers. That he would never share her life the way she wanted him to. But for this night, she could love him.

  ‘You can feel it, can’t you?’ he coaxed against her lips. ‘When I touch you, you’re imagining what it would be like if I were inside you. You’re wet, and you don’t understand why.’

  His words were another weapon against her, and she felt another rush of desire.

  ‘Yes.’

  At that moment, his hand reached between her legs, and she felt the blunt invasion of two fingers slipping inside her damp opening.

  ‘Kaall,’ she whispered, and her gasp was all the encouragement he needed. He seized her mouth again, silencing her moan while his fingers entered and withdrew.

  ‘I can’t stop shaking,’ she whispered, her hips arching as he thrust against her. His thumb brushed against her, and at the unexpected pressure, a cry escaped her mouth. She leaned into him, needing him to touch her there again. But instead, he kept up the rhythmic pressure.

  ‘Feel me inside you,’ he ordered. ‘And let yourself go.’

  ‘I can’t.’ Though the pressure was building, it was the sensation of touch upon another part of her that she needed. She reached down to guide his hand higher, and when he found the point of pleasure, she nearly sobbed with relief. ‘There,’ she pleaded.

  ‘Like this?’ He experimented with his touch, rubbing her until prickles of rising pleasure gripped her. With his hand, he played with her, dipping his hand into her wetness and using it to drive her into a place where there were no thoughts, no regrets...only mindless ecstasy.

  She lost herself in him, letting go as he tormented her the way he’d promised to. And abruptly, her body tightened against him, her body shaking hard until she spasmed against him, her body climaxing as the pleasure took her over the edge.

  He spoke words in a language she didn’t know, and it was then that she realised his intent. He’d planned to touch her, to give her pleasure, without taking anything for himself. He would leave her a virgin, and it bothered her.

  ‘My turn,’ she ordered. With her hands, she unfastened the ties of his trews, guiding them lower.

  ‘Rhiannon—’

  ‘You’re my captive now,’ she said. ‘Unless you don’t want me to touch you.’ Her hands moved over his bare hips, and he let out a slow breath as she helped him out of the clothing.

  ‘Lie down,’ she commanded, straddling him. His arousal pressed against her wetness, and in the dim light, she saw the strain upon him as he fought for control.

  Just as he’d touched her, running his hands and mouth over her body, she did the same. She kissed his broad shoulders, exploring his chest muscles, while against her fingertips she felt his heart beating faster.

  Between her legs, he was rigid, and when she pressed lightly against him, he let out a dark groan. ‘Show me,’ she pleaded, guiding his hand below his waist. He curled her fingers around his shaft, showing her how to stroke him up and down.

  And as she did, it intrigued her to see the play of expressions upon his face. A desperate need, a savage man who hissed when she
squeezed lightly. His eyes were closed, and she rose up on her knees, wondering if she dared to take matters into her own hands.

  She’d never been with any man before, but there was no one she wanted more than Kaall. Beneath his fierce exterior lay a lonely man, one who had been turned away from women. She wanted him to know that she cared about him. And just as he’d awakened her to sensual pleasure, she wanted him to know the same.

  With a gentle rhythm, she continued her stroking, as she moved herself into position. His eyes were still shut, and she didn’t know if her actions would anger him.

  Slowly, she guided him to her wetness, and used her body weight to sit upon his length. Kaall’s eyes flew open. ‘What have you done, Rhiannon?’

  ‘Claimed you.’ His thickness stretched against her, so tight, she felt the loss of her innocence. It was painful, but when he was fully inside her, she felt the resurgence of the quaking desire he’d given her before.

  She rose up, withdrawing slightly, before sinking against him once more. His hands moved to her hips, and he guided her again, the slow rise and fall beginning to take her back into the deepening pleasure.

  Then he held her firmly while he quickened the penetrations, forcing her to bounce upon him. The shallow thrusts were angled, sliding against her wetness, until she was panting and countering his motion with her own force. When she let out a cry and came apart, his hands moved up to squeeze her nipples making her surrender to him.

  He rolled her beneath him, and she was breathless with relief as he ignored caution and gave in to instinct. He drove within her, over and over, while her hands dug into his hair and she met him with every grinding thrust.

  She was drowning in him, in the feelings she had no name for, but when he gave a shuddering groan and emptied within her, she could do nothing but hold him close. His body was inside hers, and whether or not he’d given her a child in this act of love, she held no regrets.

  He lay atop her for an endless eternity, and she never wanted him to leave. Joined together like this, she could almost believe there was hope for them.

  At last, he withdrew from her body. Without a word, he moved behind her, wrapping both of them in the furs until she was cocooned in his arms.

  Chapter Five

  Kaall’s hands drifted over Rhiannon’s bare skin, and for the first time in his life, there were no words for the feeling of contentment that had taken root inside him. Never before had any woman chosen to be with him. They had seen only his lack of vision instead of the man he was.

  But Rhiannon had come to him of her own free will. She’d kept her promise and discovered the whereabouts of his daughter.

  ‘It’s nearly morning,’ he heard her whisper, as she pulled him down for a kiss. At the soft touch of her lips, he felt the urge to spend every morning with her. To awaken with this woman in his arms, even if he had to fight hard to prove that he deserved to have her.

  A rush of need slipped within his veins, with the desire to bind her to him. He explored her body with his hands, touching her with the intent to arouse. She caught her breath and as he moved his hands over her, she guided him inside her until their bodies were joined.

  ‘Will you go back with me to Laochre?’ she asked.

  The urge to refuse crept to his lips, but he silenced it. This day, his future hung in the balance. It was no longer just about Emla, but Rhiannon as well. She’d already admitted that her father had refused to let her marry any man. He didn’t expect Connor MacEgan to approve of a match between them, but he was willing to fight for her. Even so, the greater question was whether Rhiannon would consider staying with him.

  ‘We’ll go together,’ he swore, and he made love to her until she trembled in his arms, holding him tight and crying out his name.

  * * *

  When they rode out together an hour later, Rhiannon slowed the mare. ‘Your father is approaching with other members of your tribe.’

  A familiar tension gripped him as he wondered why Vigus would bother. Possibly because of Rhiannon.

  She reached down to grasp his hands. ‘We should join them.’

  He didn’t want to, but he doubted if there was a choice. If Vigus had spied them together, his father would not allow them to pass without confronting them first.

  She nudged the mare around, moving toward the others. The crisp winter wind was cool against his cheeks, and when he leaned into Rhiannon’s hair, he scented pine, like the branches she’d hung everywhere.

  It had been a gift, but her acceptance of him was the greater prize.

  When they reached the others, Rhiannon called out a greeting to Vigus. Kaall couldn’t sense how many men there were, but he listened hard for the sounds of other horses.

  ‘I am glad to see you once more,’ Rhiannon said to his father. ‘If you are travelling to Laochre Castle, might we join you?’

  ‘You may. The king’s brother Trahern MacEgan sent word, inviting us to join in your festivities. He believed it would be wise to make peace after what happened last year.’ Vigus glanced over at the castle. ‘He has been a good friend to us, especially with the kinship and relations between our two tribes.’

  Rhiannon drew their horse beside the chief’s. ‘Why did your men attack last winter, when there was never any cause?’

  ‘Hromund and several others took it upon themselves to act. We followed to try and stop them. Kaall was with me.’

  Against his palm, Kaall felt Rhiannon’s fingers squeezing his. Though his efforts had failed, resulting in the death of a MacEgan, there was nothing he could do to change it. Except try to make amends as best he could.

  ‘I am glad to hear that there will be friendship among our people,’ she said to the chief. ‘And you should consider making peace with your son, after what you did to him.’ With that, she drew their horse to the back of the others. ‘Kaall, when we get closer, I’ll have to go in alone. I can’t be seen with the rest of you, or my father will know I wasn’t there last night.’

  ‘I thought you wanted to face him together,’ he countered. Frustration tightened inside him, though he should have expected this. ‘Or would you rather we ended what was between us?’

  ‘I don’t want it to end,’ she protested, leaning her head back against him. ‘But you don’t understand the kind of man he is. I’d prefer it if you meet him when he isn’t trying to kill you.’

  ‘I’m not afraid of him, Rhiannon.’

  ‘It’s not that. It’s just that—’

  ‘You don’t want to be seen with me,’ he finished. She pulled on the reins until the horse stopped.

  ‘Give me a chance to speak with him,’ she pleaded. ‘I might be able to convince him.’

  He drew his hand up her arm until he found her cheek. ‘It’s not about him, Rhiannon. It’s about you.’

  Her hand covered his, but she could give no reply to his words. He didn’t ask if she wanted to be with him. Her actions would give the answer.

  In the end, she dismounted, retreating to go in alone.

  * * *

  Rhiannon hung behind the rest of the men, knowing that she’d cut a bitter blow into his pride. But if she rode in with him, her father wouldn’t ask questions. He’d sooner drag Kaall from the horse and slit his throat.

  As she slipped inside, she saw Arturo de Manzano staring at her. She prayed the Spaniard wouldn’t speak a word, or reveal where she’d spent last night. Though he’d come to witness his sister’s marriage, he’d also grown closer to Brianna.

  Which meant he could reveal everything to her cousin.

  She touched her finger to her lips, praying he wouldn’t betray her. But it wasn’t long before Brianna emerged from her home and saw the others.

  As soon as the young woman spied Kaall, her face transformed into fury. She strode across the grounds with hatred in her eyes. Rhiannon had no doubt her cousin wanted vengeance for the death of her husband.

  ‘Don’t,’ she pleaded, stepping into Brianna’s path.

  ‘Don’t w
hat?’ the woman countered. ‘Don’t face the Lochlannach who murdered my husband?’ Her words were bitter, laced with the grief of a woman who had lost the man she’d adored.

  ‘It’s not what you think.’ She struggled for an explanation that would calm Brianna’s fury, but could only offer, ‘He came to make amends.’ It wasn’t exactly true, but it was the best she could come up with.

  ‘There’s nothing he could ever say or do to make amends. He killed my husband, and that, I’ll never forgive.’

  Despite her cousin’s harsh words, Rhiannon saw the glint of tears in her eyes. Brianna wasn’t thinking clearly, and the longer she could keep them apart, the more likely it was that she could help the woman understand what had truly happened.

  ‘They didn’t come here to fight.’

  ‘Do you think I care why they came?’

  Rhiannon stared at her, seeking the right words, but there was nothing that would console her. Brianna had lost her husband, and grief was dictating her actions now.

  With a glance behind her, she saw that the men had gone inside, Kaall with them. For now, he would be safe enough. She squeezed her cousin’s hand and left, knowing there was only one person who might change Brianna’s mind.

  * * *

  She had disappeared among her people. Kaall remained with Vigus and the others, but Rhiannon’s abrupt departure left him cold. She’d asked him to come to Laochre, but not at her side. And the longer he stayed here, the more he understood that she wasn’t ready to accept him as her lover. He never should have let himself dare to hope for more.

  He’d encountered a weeping lady, moments ago. After following the sound, he’d spoken to Adriana de Manzano, the bride of Liam MacEgan. Though the young woman had been embarrassed by her tears, her words had stayed with him: Sometimes I feel I don’t deserve to be with him.

  Kaall knew what that was like. Just as he knew what it was to love someone and not be loved in return. First with Lína. And now, surrounded by her people and loved ones, he fully expected that Rhiannon would turn from him, too.

  He remained in place a few moments longer, and within the Great Chamber, he could smell the pine boughs Rhiannon had described. In another few days it would be Christmas, and he could imagine this place filled with people. There would be music and feasting, the aromas of food mingling with pine and beeswax. Already there was anticipation in the air, with the children running around, talking excitedly about the celebration that would come.