Page 28 of Heart of Defiance

As Iko deepens his attentions with a flick of his tongue, a strangled sound escapes Jostein. He eases in at my other side, tips my chin upward, and captures my mouth.

Great God help me, this is another realm of pleasure altogether. I kiss him back instinctively, more heat flooding my body and pooling between my thighs.

The two men enfold me, Iko teasing his hand across my belly to rest on my hip, Jostein caressing the small of my back. When Jostein releases my mouth to trail his lips along my jaw and nip my earlobe, Iko wastes no time in claiming a kiss of his own.

A whimper of need escapes me, which might be embarrassing if these men didn’t seem to need me just as much.

Jostein stifles a groan and nibbles a path right down to my shoulder. His stroking fingers creep up under the hem of my skirt, drawing scorching lines on the bare skin of my back.

Not to be outdone, Iko lifts his hand to skim his knuckles over the peak of my breast through my shirt. My nipple pebbles with a jolt of bliss, and he swallows my gasp with the deepening of his kiss.

I grip his shirt and Jostein’s arm, my legs abruptly wobbly. All at once I’m wondering whether I shouldeverhave to choose.

Their combined attention is so delicious. How could anyone give this up once they’ve had it?

Jostein lets out a little growl that seems to demand he resume his claim on my lips. Iko draws slightly back with a soft chuckle?—

And a twig cracks beyond the clearing with a rough inhalation.

All our heads snap around. Landric has halted several paces away into the forest, but well within view of our intimate embrace. His eyes have gone wide, his face wan but spotting with uncomfortable red before my eyes.

“I— Never mind.” He whips around and strides away, his shoulders hunching.

A different sort of heat ripples through me—a mix of shame and anger that this man who’s never treated me as better than trash before the past few days can make me feel that shame.

What’s it to him who I kiss or how many?

Then it occurs to me with a sudden chill that my private choices might become much less private as soon as we reunite with our neighbors. Is he going to tell all of them that I’ve become some kind of insatiable seductress on top of all my other failings?

My stance tenses, the desire that consumed me earlier snuffing out.

Jostein sighs. “He’ll get over it.”

What’s there to get over? It’s not as if Landric’s ever wanted me for himself.

I shake my head and gather myself. “I’d better go talk to him, to make sure this won’t become a bigger problem.” I pause, glancing at both of them with a renewed blush tingling across my face. “Um, but it definitely wasn’t a problem for me.”

I hustle off after Landric before I can get any more embarrassed, with Iko’s pleased laugh following me.

Landric has stalked all the way back to the stream. He’s crouched down at the bank, peering into the water but giving the impression he’s not actually seeing anything there.

At my approach, his gaze jerks up. He pushes to his feet and turns to face me, his expression tightening.

I stop a few paces away, my stomach balling into a hard lump. I just had one of the most amazing experiences of my life—why did this jerk have to ruin it?

“It wasn’t even my idea,” I blurt out. “Not that I’m saying it won’t happen again. Not that it’s any of your or anyone else’s business.”

The blotchy flush has crept back over Landric’s face. His eyes flick down toward the ground and back to me. “I know it’s not. I wasn’t going to criticize.”

I frown, crossing my arms over my chest. “You want to, though, don’t you? You look like you’re already thinking of all the new insults you could toss at me.”

To my surprise, he flinches as if the accusation startles him. “Of course not. I wouldn’t— I never said anything against you.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “One of us has a very spotty memory, then.”

Landric’s hands twist the fabric of his tunic. “I know how it must have sounded. But whenever I heard anyone speak against you, I did my best to push them in another direction, to get their attention away from you so they’d leave you alone.”

He did?

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