Page 52 of Her Dark Seduction
I tried to let go, but he gripped my fingers. For a moment we looked at each other, and I held my breath, waiting for a sneering comment, but none came. The heat rose in my face, and I needed to break the silence.
“Your meal is ready, Monsieur.”
“Monsieur!” His voice was soft but he mocked me. “So formal, still? Why not address me as you ought?”
“Husband,” I whispered.
He lifted my hand and brushed his lips against my fingers.
“Come, wife, we shall dine together.”
Though we ate in silence the air had been cleared a little. The wall of hostility between us had lost some of its height. There was a little meat left on the rabbit after we finished, and I wrapped it in a cloth before handing Sawford the waterskin. He drank slowly, his eyes on me, before handing it back. Aware it was nearly empty, I took a small sip, but he shook his head.
“You need water. Finish it. I’ll find us more tomorrow.”
Squeezing the last drops out of the skin, I handed it back before sinking, exhausted, onto the blankets. Listening to the sounds of him moving about the camp and the crackling of the fire, I closed my eyes and waited for him to join me. For the first time since we’d left Mortlock, I fell into a dreamless sleep.
I woke as he lifted the blanket and crawled in behind me. The night was freezing, and I moved closer to his warmth, turning sleepily to face him. My eyes flew open as his lips covered mine. My body responded before my mind could object, and I opened eagerly for him, drawing his tongue into my mouth. He moved his lips over mine and pulled me toward him, his body hard and ready.
“Lisetta,” he whispered, kissing me on the jaw, following a heated trail down my neck while he caressed my arms. He cupped a breast, and I sighed, arching my back to offer myself to him.
“Lie back.”
I was his to command, not only in the eyes of the world, but my body yearned to obey him. I relaxed against the blankets and closed my eyes as he unlaced my gown. I possessed neither the strength nor the desire to resist. His hands set every nerve on my skin ablaze before his hot, wet mouth came down on my breast. I cried out as he laved me with his tongue and grazed my nipple with his teeth, and I buried my hands in his thick, dark locks, holding him close.
His touch was so gentle and previously unshed tears spilled onto my cheeks. He pulled my skirts up, and I shifted my knees apart. I shivered at the exquisite sensation of a light fingertip which ran along the inside of my leg, stopping to stroke me tenderly where my thighs met. A rush of warmth flooded my body, and I parted my thighs with a sob of resignation. He hushed me gently as a mother would a crying babe and slipped a finger inside me, releasing a shockwave of pleasure. I cried out as my whole body shook with it.
He knelt up and drew me to him, holding my hips firmly in his hands, until the head of his thick member brushed against my throbbing core. With a low growl, he claimed my body, and I wrapped my legs around him to pull him deeper inside. I reached out, and he took my hands, our fingers interlocking. My body dissolved as waves of pure pleasure shook me. He moved faster and faster until I sobbed aloud, begging him not to stop, and I heard him shout his own pleasure. Our twin cries echoed into the night, before fading until nothing remained except the sound of our breathing. I lay back fully sated, struggling for air, and opened my eyes. His own eyes, almost black in the dim light, were wide open, staring at me in surprise and wonder.
He uncurled his fingers from mine. Eyes fixed on me, he eased my skirt back down before pulling his chausses up. Without a word, he rolled me onto my side and pulled the blanket over us both. His heart beat a gentle rhythm against my body, and his soft voice whispered my name. He stroked my hair before taking my hand, moving it to cradle my belly where our child slept peacefully within. I closed my eyes, my body at peace.
Before I fell asleep, I realized I had cried out a name as I came to pleasure—not Tarvin’s, but another name.
Vane.
The crackling of the fire penetrated my sleep, and a voice called my name.
“Lady Lisetta.” A young man’s voice. He sat before me, his youthful face bathed in red light; sightless eyes trained on me. He turned his head, and the red light glowed more brightly; thick, scarlet liquid which poured down his face.
Percy.
The crackling turned into a deep roar and two voices joined Percy’s.
“Lady!”
“Daughter!”
Maman and Harwyn sat beside him. The flames were closer now, the heat scorching my skin. Maman held up her hand, blistered and blackened, and she opened her mouth to scream, the shrill sound cutting through my dreams.
“Maman—no! Don’t leave me!” I cried, reaching out to her, but I was bound tightly and unable to move. She gripped my hand and the flames engulfed me. My flesh began to melt until the bone gleamed through it. Maman opened her mouth wide and flames shot out with a piercing screech…
“Wake up!” another voice broke through as I struggled against my bonds. I thrashed my limbs, fighting to free myself until a resounding crack brought me to my senses.
Sawford held me in his arms, crushing me against his chest.
“I saw them!” I cried, looking around in panic. “My God—the fire!”
“We’re alone here. The fire is almost out.”
