Page 6 of Saxon Blade Norman Blood
“Let me help you,” he said in a low, sensual purr. “Like this.”
There was no time to protest. With breath-taking skill, he took over. First, he moved her fingers out of the way, then he started to circle her flesh. There was no comparison between her clumsy fumbling and his assured caresses.
Within moments Rowena was clutching at the fur covers and the dagger was forgotten. In any case, she reflected in a last moment of clarity, William was not even in the bed, she would never be able to reach him where he was.
So she let herself be swept away by his deft strokes, and when a hot mouth closed on her nipple she let out a moan of astounded pleasure. In response he sucked the nub of flesh deeper into his mouth and rolled it around his tongue with expert precision. At the same time a flick of his fingers made her body shatter with a force that frightened her.
What had he done?Had he broken something inside her?
One breath at a time, her heartbeat settled back to normal, and Rowena understood she was not hurt in the least, simply panting and disorientated. She couldn’t understand what had just happened.
“It’s all right. I’m here.”
William growled, brushing his mouth onto the crook of her neck. His lips moving against her flesh somehow prolonged the spasms created by his caresses. Her eyes fluttered open, and she arched her back, unable to stop herself. It was as if her body demanded something she didn’t understand.
Kneeling at the side of the bed he was smiling like a man who understood what she needed. Her core twitched in reaction, and suddenly she understood. As unlikely as it was, in this moment, she wanted him to make love to her. There seemed to be a void in her, a void he would be able to fill, a void sheneededhim to fill.
He saw it. His eyes darkened further, and the smile floating on his lips became even more indecent.
A hand closed over her naked breast. Two fingers squeezed her oversensitive nipple and wrenched a moan out of her. A moment later William joined her in the bed. Rowena closed her eyes again, unable to look at him, but not wanting him to stop his caresses.
“You are very beautiful, you know. What’s your name?”
The unexpected question cleared the haze of desire in her mind. He wanted to know her name. Why? What difference would it make to him? He could possess her without knowing who she was. But, in truth, nothing of what was happening made sense. William had given her startling pleasure, he had been gentle with her and forgotten his own desire. Now he was asking her name and paying her compliments.
This was not what she had expected. He was supposed to lunge at her and take her without any consideration, not call her beautiful and stroke her intimate flesh. He was supposed to be a mindless brute, not a gentle lover.
And she wassupposedto kill him.
The dagger was still under the covers, easily accessible, and William was now in the bed, next to her. One swift jab and it would be over.
“You do have a name, I assume?” he said, stroking her cheek. She still did not answer. “Never mind, you can tell me later.”
Later. After he’d possessed her, he meant.
The word recalled her to her senses.
Rowena slipped a hand under the furs and recoiled when her hand touched the cold metal blade. She forced herself not to grimace and betray its presence. But if she wanted to kill him, it was now or never.
He was about to take her into his arms.
*
William groaned. He had to take the Saxon now, before he went mad with need.
She was achingly beautiful, so graceful and innocent, utterly unaware of the image she presented, with her body half exposed and her cheeks flushed from the pleasure he’d given her. His body gave an almighty jerk, demanding that he put an end to the exquisite torture.
How? Should he lie between her spread legs or cradle her against his chest? Should he lie her flat on her stomach or raise her hips so he could kneel behind her? Have her straddle him? Yes, perhaps. That way he would be able to see and touch every inch of her glorious body.
Before he could move a knock on the door caused the girl to jump as if she’d been scalded. He let out a frightful curse. Not now!
“What is it?”
“My lord, your presence is required in the hall as a matter of urgency,” a muffled voice answered.
“I sincerely hope you are not lying about the urgency of the matter,” he said through gritted teeth. He was so hard it was painful.
The last thing he wanted to do right now was leave the bed—and the girl in it. The feel of her flesh pulsing under his fingers, combined with the sweet taste of her skin in his mouth had almost been his undoing. He could not remember being brought so close to explosion by witnessing a woman’s pleasure.
