Page 7 of The Herald's Heart
He had a weakness for pansies. His cock lengthened painfully, and he readjusted his position, stretching out along her back. She was soft and warm. A man could resist only so much temptation. He sought and found her delicate nape, then scraped his teeth along her skin until he located her earlobe. He closed his lips over the pliant morsel and sucked. His tongue darted forward to tickle the firmer shell of her ear as his fingers released the knots he’d tied last night. Her bottom wriggled, and her feet swept up his legs. Yes, she wants me. He relaxed against her and moved his hand to her thigh.
She kicked him.
Talon howled in pain and rolled away from her. A thumb’s length higher and she would have unmanned him.
She rolled after him, pummeling his chest and head.
“Cease, vixen.” He raised his arms to ward her off.
“Nay. You sought to maul me in my sleep. I will teach you to try rape.”
Talon set his jaw against guilt. He had touched her without her leave. Still, he had never forced a woman in his life and would not start now. He fought her for control before she could harm herself.
“I intended no rape,” he grunted.
“What else could you intend?” She battled back, raining blows on his chest as she spoke.
In moments, he manacled her hands between their bodies. He used his legs to hold her down while he fumbled with one hand to retie the rope around her. She shifted and bucked below him, causing no undue amount of stress to his aroused flesh, but their positions protected him from direct attack.
Once the rope was secure, he placed a hand on each of her shoulders, weighting her legs down with his own. “Cease,” he shouted when she continued to rage beneath him.
His words had no effect. Was she mad? He caught a glimpse of her eyes as she tossed her head. He had seen such looks on men gone berserk in battle. To stop those men often required a strong blow to the head. He was not about to hit a woman. So he did the only thing that came naturally. He clamped an iron grip upon her chin and ground his lips upon hers.
Her screams became muted grunts, and she stilled. He eased back the pressure on her mouth and suckled on the plush lower lip, urging her to open for him.
She did, but only to bite him.
He whipped away from her, put a hand to his bleeding mouth, and stared at her. “I apologize. ’Twas the only way I could think to make you stop without doing you violence.”
Her lip curled, and he heard a snarl start low in her throat. “You would say anything to try to excuse your lust. You’re a man, so of course the situation is all my fault.”
“Nay.”
“Aye.”
“I only sought comfort. Then you seemed to want me.”
“The day I want you in any manner is the day the dead will walk.” She sidled as far from him as possible. “What sort of dunce are you to think a woman who kicks you wants you?”
“I thought that before you kicked me,” he mumbled. He pressed hard on his lip, trying to stop the bleeding.
She stared at him with disbelief and frustration and no little fear in the quiet trembling of her mouth.
This had to stop. She did not wish to lie with him. Fine. He did not require it. But if he could not have comfort, he would have peace with her. He would not permit anger, distrust, or fear to get in the way of that.
He pushed himself up. Then grasping her by the arms, he lifted her into a sitting position.
Her mouth dropped open. The muscles in her throat worked, but she remained silent.
“Yes?” he invited, setting her on the bed. Now that she no longer fought him, he would not mind hearing what she had to say. If her words bothered him, he could always gag her, since kissing proved dangerous.
She swallowed again. “I am hungry.”
Whatever Talon had imagined she might say, it had not been this bald statement of personal need. He stepped to his saddlebags and rummaged for some food, coming up with two strips of dried meat. He held it out to her. “’Tis all I have for now.”
She glared back at him.
“Ah. If I remove the rope, will you vow not to try to escape now or in the future?” He waited, the dried meat held in his palm like a promise.
