insist on going his separate way?
Erik was carefully watching her. “What is wrong?”
She gave a wry smile. “I was starting to enjoy our little retreat,” she admitted.
He chuckled at that, leaning forward to brush a stray hair from her face. “You enjoy being waited on hand and foot?”
Her grin grew. “I definitely could get used to that,” she agreed. “Although having access to a roaring fire would be quite a treat.”
He raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Oh? Tired of having to rely on my body heat to keep you warm?”
The thought of his lean length pressed against her coursed through her, creating a warmth wholly unrelated to skin temperature. “You were kind to turn yourself into a human heat rock,” she murmured hoarsely. “A noble sacrifice in payment for my efforts.”
His eyes grew serious at that. He took the mug from her, putting it to one side, before turning back to take her hand.
“There is nothing I could ever do which would repay you for your efforts,” he stated, his eyes holding hers. “When I was hanging in that dungeon, knowing that days of torture stretched out before me, I lost all hope. I began planning ways of charging the group as soon as I was free, so I would go down quickly. I saw no other way out. I had fully accepted my death.”
His eyes blazed with passion. “And then I looked through that grated window, and I saw your face. I had no doubt in my mind that you had come for me.”
She nodded, caught in his gaze. “Of course I came for you.”
He gave a low groan. “Even though I was not there for you when your village needed me?”
She ran her hand along the side of his face, and he trembled beneath her touch.
“The bandits were the guilty ones,” she murmured, caressing her fingers along the side of his neck. “I never lost faith in you. You have filled my thoughts, my dreams, and I could want no other.”
He groaned with desire, and it was as if some last internal dam had been breached. His lips lowered to meet hers.
Mary gasped. Electricity flooded through her body, rushing along every inch of skin. They had slept against each other every night, been in close proximity every day, and she had fought relentlessly against the longing which had called to her. Now an explosion had been unleashed.
It seemed they could not remove their clothing quickly enough, that the need to be cautious around their injuries only added to the heated torment.
And then they were free.
They tumbled and twined; cried out and reformed. For a long, glorious span of time all else was forgotten.
It was only when they were lying, exhausted, their limbs enmeshed, that he glanced down at her hands and chuckled. “We never even got your gloves off,” he gently teased.
She flushed, looking away, trying to draw her hands down beneath the covers.
He stilled then, carefully raising himself on one elbow, looking down at her. “I thought it was just the cold you were concerned with. It is more than that?”
She nodded, still unable to meet his gaze.
He ran a hand tenderly along her hair, gently turning her head to his. “You should never feel embarrassed before me; not about anything,” he murmured. “Not after what you have done for me.” His eyes glanced at her gloves, then back into her eyes. “Take your time. You will know when you are ready.”
He leant forward to kiss her on her forehead, then rolled to his feet. “But for now, we should get packed and ready to go.”
Mary’s heart thudded with an erratic beat. “Go?”
He gave her a wry smile. “You have been taking care of everything up until now, and have set quite a high bar for me. It is now my turn.” His eyes were quiet for a moment. “Unless you did have a plan from here?”
Her throat went dry. Her plan became nebulous at this point. The only way to know what Erik was truly like was to see what he would do when given free rein.
She was proud that her voice held steady. “If you have somewhere to go, I
Erik was carefully watching her. “What is wrong?”
She gave a wry smile. “I was starting to enjoy our little retreat,” she admitted.
He chuckled at that, leaning forward to brush a stray hair from her face. “You enjoy being waited on hand and foot?”
Her grin grew. “I definitely could get used to that,” she agreed. “Although having access to a roaring fire would be quite a treat.”
He raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Oh? Tired of having to rely on my body heat to keep you warm?”
The thought of his lean length pressed against her coursed through her, creating a warmth wholly unrelated to skin temperature. “You were kind to turn yourself into a human heat rock,” she murmured hoarsely. “A noble sacrifice in payment for my efforts.”
His eyes grew serious at that. He took the mug from her, putting it to one side, before turning back to take her hand.
“There is nothing I could ever do which would repay you for your efforts,” he stated, his eyes holding hers. “When I was hanging in that dungeon, knowing that days of torture stretched out before me, I lost all hope. I began planning ways of charging the group as soon as I was free, so I would go down quickly. I saw no other way out. I had fully accepted my death.”
His eyes blazed with passion. “And then I looked through that grated window, and I saw your face. I had no doubt in my mind that you had come for me.”
She nodded, caught in his gaze. “Of course I came for you.”
He gave a low groan. “Even though I was not there for you when your village needed me?”
She ran her hand along the side of his face, and he trembled beneath her touch.
“The bandits were the guilty ones,” she murmured, caressing her fingers along the side of his neck. “I never lost faith in you. You have filled my thoughts, my dreams, and I could want no other.”
He groaned with desire, and it was as if some last internal dam had been breached. His lips lowered to meet hers.
Mary gasped. Electricity flooded through her body, rushing along every inch of skin. They had slept against each other every night, been in close proximity every day, and she had fought relentlessly against the longing which had called to her. Now an explosion had been unleashed.
It seemed they could not remove their clothing quickly enough, that the need to be cautious around their injuries only added to the heated torment.
And then they were free.
They tumbled and twined; cried out and reformed. For a long, glorious span of time all else was forgotten.
It was only when they were lying, exhausted, their limbs enmeshed, that he glanced down at her hands and chuckled. “We never even got your gloves off,” he gently teased.
She flushed, looking away, trying to draw her hands down beneath the covers.
He stilled then, carefully raising himself on one elbow, looking down at her. “I thought it was just the cold you were concerned with. It is more than that?”
She nodded, still unable to meet his gaze.
He ran a hand tenderly along her hair, gently turning her head to his. “You should never feel embarrassed before me; not about anything,” he murmured. “Not after what you have done for me.” His eyes glanced at her gloves, then back into her eyes. “Take your time. You will know when you are ready.”
He leant forward to kiss her on her forehead, then rolled to his feet. “But for now, we should get packed and ready to go.”
Mary’s heart thudded with an erratic beat. “Go?”
He gave her a wry smile. “You have been taking care of everything up until now, and have set quite a high bar for me. It is now my turn.” His eyes were quiet for a moment. “Unless you did have a plan from here?”
Her throat went dry. Her plan became nebulous at this point. The only way to know what Erik was truly like was to see what he would do when given free rein.
She was proud that her voice held steady. “If you have somewhere to go, I
Similar Books
