Page 41 of Saxon Blade Norman Blood
Her body melted in a sudden rush when his hand closed on her breast and teased its pointy end through the fabric of her gown. It did not take long for it to become hard and engorged. Her breath was coming in short, ragged bursts but he did not stop. The arm around her waist kept her in place against his hard body. Just when she thought she would cry out for mercy, he drew away.
“This part of your body is a nipple.” This time she could not find the strength to respond. “I believe the maid said the man did both at the same time,” William said, leaning into her once more. His voice was little more than a purr.
“No,” she screamed, feeling his lips at her earlobe, about to suckle it once more. She would never bear having the two things done to her at the same time. Surely she would explode. “I-It’s enough, I understand what it means.”
But she knew that this was not about language anymore, and soon she would have to accept that there was something between them.
“Now you know,” he said slowly, releasing her.
“Yes. I do.”
Indeed she did. Rowena knew for certain her feelings for William were nothing like what they should be, and his toward her of a confused nature to say the least. He would never have done what he had just done otherwise. He could easily have explained the meaning of the words, or even told her that it was not important, but he had seemed no more able to resist touching her than she had been able to refuse his caresses.
She took a step back and breathed deeply. They stared at each other for a long moment, she panting slightly, he with an expression she would have found worrying had she not learned the complete mastery he had over his urges.
The message in his eyes was clear. She only had to say the word and he would take her to bed right now. It was a heady feeling, but that was not what made her tremble. What made her hands shake was the realization of how perilously close to uttering those very words she was.
“Was there anything else you wanted to know?” The polite question was incongruous, considering that only a moment ago he had been…
Nibbling at her earlobe and fiddling with her nipple.
As long as she lived, Rowena would not forget those words.
“No. I did not hear the rest of the maids’ conversation. They were interrupted.”
“I am glad to have been of assistance to you.” He gave a strained smile she could not return.
Was his body throbbing as much as hers was? She doubted it. A man as experienced as he would need a bit more than a quick fumble to be overcome with emotion. Whereas she had never been touched in that way before.
The response of her senses upset her. Not because it felt wrong, though it definitely should have, but because it had not been enough. She had wanted more of his touch.
“I wonder if the maid spoke of the blacksmith or our new groom,” William said pensively. “I have noticed they are both rather popular among the women.”
Rowena was grateful to him for trying to overcome the embarrassment of the moment. She gave what she hoped was a passable imitation of a smile. One thing was certain, from now on she would never ask William the meaning of any word, forshe could not risk a repeat of this performance. After a nod in his direction, she made her way back to the keep.
Now that he had touched her so intimately, she did not know how she could bear to be in his presence again. Despite sleeping next to her every night, he had never once tried to take advantage of their proximity. He had promised not to, on the first day, but she had not dared believe him. Men were easily overcome by their urges, as well she knew, but so far, he had kept his word. The shocking display in the herb garden had been provoked by her questioning, and though he had perhaps made more of the opportunity than was necessary, he had been considerate enough to respect her wishes when she had wanted to put an end to the experiment.
Sleeping with him, she could not ignore that his body was aroused by hers. She felt it every time he drew her into his arms, but it had ceased to make her panic. It had not taken her long to understand he was perfectly capable of keeping his cravings under an iron control.
The reason for this restraint must be an impeachable sense of honor rather than fear of what she would do to him once he was on top of her. Rowena was not so naïve as to ignore he could have satisfied his desire for her without placing himself in any danger of being killed.
No. William would never rape her. But he might try to persuade her to give in to his touch, and if he did, she wasn’t quite sure of how inflexible she would be.
This state of affairs could not be allowed to continue. Something would have to change.
And soon.
*
The scream curdled William’s blood. Panicked, he turned to the girl by his side, the only person who could have uttered it. What was happening? Who had entered the roomwhile they slept? In the moonlight her eyes were round as coins and dark with fright. Her chest was heaving, but he quickly saw that they were alone. His heartbeat returned to normal.
This was only a bad dream, nothing more.
“You’re having a nightmare,” he whispered in her ear. “But you’re safe. I’m here.”
Intent on reassuring her, he drew her against his chest but the contact of his body only seemed to make her panic more.
“Let go of me,” she panted, pushing and shoving against him with surprising force.
