her. Seeing her mother’s smiling rosy cheeks as she lifted her to smack a kiss on her small cheek. For the second time in less than a day, the darkness overshadowed the memory. Celestine drew back, shutting her eyes tight, clamping her hands to her ears, willing the evil to go away.
“ Celestine? What’s wrong?” The voice came from a great distance as if through a six-foot stone wall.
She rocked back and forth. “It’s nothing,” she managed to croak.
He placed a gentle hand to the back of her head and pulled her to his chest. She heard his heartbeat against her ear. A heavy sigh blocked out the sound. “The darkness lives with you too, doesn’t it?”
His shaking voice forced her to drag her eyelids open and give him a questioning look. Deep pain filled his steely gray eyes. “The darkness?”
“The memories of the bad,” he whispered.
She fisted her hands against his chest. “That’s just it. I can’t remember the bad.”
He kissed the line of her jaw. “I have the opposite problem. I remember it only too well.”
Her breath shortened. Tears gathered in her eyes. “What do you remember?” she whispered, hoping he wouldn’t draw into himself again. She couldn’t remember the shadows that haunted her but she suspected, remembering them might be equally bad.
“I’ve never told anyone before.” He hesitated and plunged on. “Six years ago and a hundred miles away, Leuric had my father killed for no other reason than that he was a noble. Leuric wanted the power and lands my father held. The only way he could get it was to kill in cold blood. He killed my helpless mother whom my father adored right in front of his eyes. I watched her die, watched the blood gush from the wound in her throat. I’ve never felt so helpless before.
“Then he ruthlessly killed my father, even as he mourned my mother’s loss. Leuric took everything.” His fists clenched into tight balls. “Since the good lady died, he’s been the lord, repressing those trying to make an honest living with an honest day’s work. He doesn’t hesitate to kill indiscriminately. He forces them to pay more and more taxes. I’m so weary of him and his ways.”
Celestine listened, stunned by his words. What could she do to help him? What would happen if he found out she was Leuric’s stepdaughter? Hatred bred hatred. She buried her head against her shoulder, clamping her hands tightly against his broad shoulders. Words of sympathy were so useless. Coming from her, it might sound like hypocrisy, especially if he found out who she was. He had lost his family even as he watched Leuric’s cruel behavior.
Tears, for his great loss and for her own, bathed her cheeks. She had to leave before he discovered her identity. She tried to get to her feet but he pulled her back down against his chest. “Don’t leave. Stay with me.” He crooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face. Their eyes met. “Make love to me.”
She took his hand and pressed it against her cheek, rubbing it, reveling in his tender masculine presence. Her silky hand seemed fragile and small against his callused palm where she saw a long life line etched in. She turned his hand over, lifted it to her lips and sucked gently on his index finger. He didn’t have to know who she was and she would never let him find out. The thought saddened her that tonight was all she had with him.
He reached between her thighs, rubbing at the soft nub of pleasure. Tomorrow would take care of itself, including the possibility that she would be forced to marry Lord Guermont if she couldn’t find a way out. But today, she had this handsome stranger to herself. Why not enjoy what she had?
She was so wet again with wanting him. He seemed to sense it and increased the tempo of rubbing against her clit. She kissed his throat, hoping he would never regret this short time with her. She knew she wouldn’t.
Chapter Nine
Cream seeped from her pussy along her thighs and onto the
“ Celestine? What’s wrong?” The voice came from a great distance as if through a six-foot stone wall.
She rocked back and forth. “It’s nothing,” she managed to croak.
He placed a gentle hand to the back of her head and pulled her to his chest. She heard his heartbeat against her ear. A heavy sigh blocked out the sound. “The darkness lives with you too, doesn’t it?”
His shaking voice forced her to drag her eyelids open and give him a questioning look. Deep pain filled his steely gray eyes. “The darkness?”
“The memories of the bad,” he whispered.
She fisted her hands against his chest. “That’s just it. I can’t remember the bad.”
He kissed the line of her jaw. “I have the opposite problem. I remember it only too well.”
Her breath shortened. Tears gathered in her eyes. “What do you remember?” she whispered, hoping he wouldn’t draw into himself again. She couldn’t remember the shadows that haunted her but she suspected, remembering them might be equally bad.
“I’ve never told anyone before.” He hesitated and plunged on. “Six years ago and a hundred miles away, Leuric had my father killed for no other reason than that he was a noble. Leuric wanted the power and lands my father held. The only way he could get it was to kill in cold blood. He killed my helpless mother whom my father adored right in front of his eyes. I watched her die, watched the blood gush from the wound in her throat. I’ve never felt so helpless before.
“Then he ruthlessly killed my father, even as he mourned my mother’s loss. Leuric took everything.” His fists clenched into tight balls. “Since the good lady died, he’s been the lord, repressing those trying to make an honest living with an honest day’s work. He doesn’t hesitate to kill indiscriminately. He forces them to pay more and more taxes. I’m so weary of him and his ways.”
Celestine listened, stunned by his words. What could she do to help him? What would happen if he found out she was Leuric’s stepdaughter? Hatred bred hatred. She buried her head against her shoulder, clamping her hands tightly against his broad shoulders. Words of sympathy were so useless. Coming from her, it might sound like hypocrisy, especially if he found out who she was. He had lost his family even as he watched Leuric’s cruel behavior.
Tears, for his great loss and for her own, bathed her cheeks. She had to leave before he discovered her identity. She tried to get to her feet but he pulled her back down against his chest. “Don’t leave. Stay with me.” He crooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face. Their eyes met. “Make love to me.”
She took his hand and pressed it against her cheek, rubbing it, reveling in his tender masculine presence. Her silky hand seemed fragile and small against his callused palm where she saw a long life line etched in. She turned his hand over, lifted it to her lips and sucked gently on his index finger. He didn’t have to know who she was and she would never let him find out. The thought saddened her that tonight was all she had with him.
He reached between her thighs, rubbing at the soft nub of pleasure. Tomorrow would take care of itself, including the possibility that she would be forced to marry Lord Guermont if she couldn’t find a way out. But today, she had this handsome stranger to herself. Why not enjoy what she had?
She was so wet again with wanting him. He seemed to sense it and increased the tempo of rubbing against her clit. She kissed his throat, hoping he would never regret this short time with her. She knew she wouldn’t.
Chapter Nine
Cream seeped from her pussy along her thighs and onto the
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