Page 36 of Hungry Like a Wolf
“I said they are my gift to you…” He lowered his face. “My beautiful princess.”
“That is what I thought you said.” She pressed her hands onto his chest. “But why speak that way? I am just a thrall, am I not?”
She saw something new flash in his eyes. Desire. Need. Want. Her breath hitched and for the first time, she realized why he’d brought her on this journey. It wasn’t to be his slave, or a mother to his son, and it certainly wasn’t to save Tillicoulty. It wasbecause he wanted her to be his woman. Whether that was to be his wife and queen or his whore, she wasn’t sure.
“Because you are beautiful,” he said. “And beauty deserves beauty.”
“You lied.”
“About what?” He raised his eyebrows.
“You acted as though you were doing your brother a favor by taking me away, but it suits you, doesn’t it?”
“Go on…” His lips twitched as though holding in a smile.
“I’m not just going to be a mother to your son, am I?”
“You can be whatever you want to be.” He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“I want to be a princess to my people, to live in my castle.”
“That can’t happen. You must accept your new life.”
“And if I can’t?”
“You will. I’ll make damn sure of it. You’ll be happy too.” He dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers.
His beard tickled. His lips were warm and soft and he tasted slightly salty. Carmel knew she should pull away, push him away, but she stayed frozen in place as he gently kissed her. After a few moments, his tongue peeked between her lips and stroked against hers. Still, she didn’t stop him.
But although she was deathly still, her heart raced, her stomach clenched, and a tremble traveled down her spine, taking heat with it to between her legs. This was her first kiss and never in a million years could she have predicted it would be with a wild Viking on his longboat as he stole her away to new lands.
He pulled back and cupped her face with one warm hand. Studied her eyes as if trying to gauge her response to his boldness.
“My mother would have you hanged for that,” she managed, then she swiped her tongue over her bottom lip to retrieve his flavor.
“She’d have to catch me first.” He chuckled. “But if she did, I’d consider my fate worth it for a kiss with you.”
“Don’t do it again.”
“Why not? You didn’t like it?”
“I am an unwed maiden and as such, I am off-limits to all affections from men…and that includes you.” She pulled away, surprised that he let her unpeel from his embrace. “You should remember that, King Ravn.”
There was no smart reply, no disagreement, but she felt the heat of his gaze as she made her way past the rowers and sat back down beside the mast. Once again, she hugged her knees and pulled her hood up, losing herself in a dark, little cave.
But when she closed her eyes, all she could think of was his lips on hers, the feel of his arms surrounding her like a great fortress wall that would keep her safe.
She knew what happened between married men and women—she had a married friend at court who had been happy to fill her in one evening after some potent fortified wine. But still, Carmel struggled to imagine the act, and imagining it with a man like Ravn was impossible.
Or was it?
An image of him chopping wood with his torso naked came to mind. His strength and vigor was almost divine. She wondered what he’d be like without any clothes. With his cock thick and erect, as her friend had described it would be when aroused and ready for the marital bed.
A shiver snaked up through her belly and seemed to tug at her nipples. These were not the thoughts of a good Christian woman. She should be ashamed of herself.
Shewasashamed of herself.
*
