by Fiona Faris
“Ye dinnae answer. Then there is something ye like.” He smiled, looking down at her as she pressed against his chest, trying to be free. She attempted to ignore the feeling of his touch beneath her hand, but she could not – it was rigid with muscle. “Tell me, laoch. What is it ye like?”
“Release my sword!” she ordered, trying again to pull the sword free, but it was of no use.
“Ye daenae hate me as much as ye pretend to.”
“I do.” She made a petty maneuver, one that rarely worked. She tried to stamp on his foot, but he moved it out of the way. With her off balance, he wrapped his free arm around her waist and backed her up against the wall. She winced as she collided with the wall, expecting pain, but it did not come – the presence of his arm protecting her.
Why would he do that? Why avoid causing me harm?
In this position, she was forced to stare into his eyes, their faces so close together. At his side, he was still holding her sword down with his own. They were so near to each other that their heavy breathing began to match one another. She was aware of the rise and fall of his chest mirroring her own.
“Release me,” she whispered, making another feeble attempt at pulling her sword free.
“I cannae,” he whispered back. His eyes flickered from hers to stare down to her lips.
Idunn saw it – and the sight brought a new revelation to her. She was not the only one drawn to the other.
“Let go of the sword, Idunn,” Gavin pleaded as she struggled within his grasp. Her breathing was heavy; each rise and fall of her chest meeting his. The desire he felt for her was running wild. He longed to lower their swords, to touch her, kiss her. Yet her hand was still firm on her weapon. At his slightest show of weakness, he had no doubt that she would use it.
She is the warrior woman – I cannae forget that.
He was aware of every point where their bodies met, and her heat seared into him.
“I will never let go of my weapon,” Idunn shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper, “I will not give up my chance to escape this place. Why…” She licked her lips, urging him to look down at her mouth again. He was confused – torn between anger at her escape and the excitement caused by the physicality of their fight. He dreamed of kissing her, but he forced his eyes back up to hers. “Why did you stop me from hitting the wall?” She frowned with her question. “Your arm – you put it there to stop me from hurting myself. Why?”
He could not answer her. The words died in his throat before he could summon them. He opted for something else instead.
“I daenae want to harm ye. Isnae that obvious?”
She shook her head and closed her eyes, trying to block out his presence entirely.
“Release me, Gavin.”
“I cannae believe ye would fight so hard to go back to the people that abandoned ye.”
Her eyes shot open again. The blue-green color was alight with fury. She renewed her efforts to lift her sword – with her free hand, she reached towards his face, as though she would attempt to push him away. He was too prepared for the attack.
He leaned away, causing her to suddenly lurch forward and sending her off balance. He kicked the swords out of both their hands and blocked her flailing attack with his arms, as the two swords clattered together down the steps. Idunn and Gavin tumbled to the ground, she on her back with him above her – one arm still around her waist. His other hand was braced against the floor beside her head, allowing him to look down at her. Their bodies were pressed together; the shock in her eyes urged him to move his legs, to the point where he was straddling her.
She gasped at his move, but it was not a gasp of fear. Gavin searched her face again, seeing Idunn’s cheeks blush, and her eyes dart down to their bodies pressed together told him everything.
She was not impervious to him.
His mind jumped at the thought as he closed the short distance between them and kissed her.
Chapter Thirteen
The kiss set Idunn’s body alight. With her free hand, she clutched at Gavin’s shirt, unsure if she was trying to push him away or pull him closer. All her wild fantasies of being close to the handsome Highlander were coming alive. She could not resist him any longer.
As Gavin ran his tongue along her bottom lip, pleading entrance, she gave way. His tongue tentatively connected with hers – the first fleeting touch making them both moan against each other. He explored her, urging her to tilt her head to the side as he deepened the kiss.
Idunn pressed herself up against him, reluctant to part from him now this barrier had been crossed.
I do not like him. I should not like him. So why does my body react in this way to his touch?
His arm around her waist tightened, holding her body up to him. She gasped at the change; it urged him to part from the kiss, moving away slightly to stare down at her. His green eyes appeared so dark in the orange torchlight; their normal color impossible to make out.
“I –”
“Daenae tell me ye wished that hadnae happened,” Gavin whispered so closely that his words vibrated against her lips.
“I was not going to,” she felt a smile tug at her lips. He mirrored the action before lowering his lips back to hers again.
This time, it was even more heated than before. She gave him entrance to her mouth and wound her free hand into his hair, weaving her fingers through the dark auburn locks as she held him to her.
She had kissed Einarr a few times in their betrothal. Yet each one had been chaste, gentle even. The one-time Einarr had attempted to deepen it into something else, she had pulled away, pleading it was improper before they were married.
Lying on the floor in a tangled heap with Gavin, she did not care for such things. All her body craved was to be nearer to him, for him to hold and keep kissing her. She deepened the kiss, wound her fingers more tightly into his hair, and pressed her chest up against him.
When he pulled away, she nearly whimpered at the loss.
“Ye cannae run out of that window now,” he murmured with the smallest shake of his head.
She looked past him, up to the barred window, and he took the opportunity to lower his lips to her neck and place small kisses with the gentlest flick of his tongue just below her ear. She strained her head back, giving him better access and closing her eyes, blocking out the view of the window.
“But…this is not my home,” She murmured. He stopped his kisses and raised his head above hers again.
“It could be. Ye just said ye dinnae regret this. Would ye nae like to see what this is?” He gestured with his eyes between them.
She licked her lips, debating her thoughts for a minute. She wanted to escape. She wanted freedom away from the fulling, the stench of urine, and leeches attacking her legs, but at the same time, she had never known such kisses.
Would it really be so bad to explore this a little more? I could always escape another time.
“Stay, Idunn.”
She nodded; it was the slightest of movements, but it earned a grin from Gavin that she had not seen before – it was disarming in the way it altered his features.
He kissed her again.
Gavin was uncertain how long he and Idunn had been on the floor, kissing and embracing as though the sun would not come up in a few hours. Only when the torchlight began to wane, and the shadows grew did he lookup.
“Bandia, we must move. It willnae be long before the steward rises.”
She nodded beneath him, her lips swollen from their activities. It tempted him to kiss her again, but he knew he had to stop. His body was still humming from their ardor as he jumped to his feet.
Offering a hand to help her stand up, she took it quickly and moved to her feet, casting a glance down at the discarded swords. Gavin moved towards them speedily and placed both in his belt, as she gave him a withering look.
“Daenae look at me like that. Ye ken ye cannae keep yer sword.”
“I know, but that sword matters more to me than
you can imagine.” Her words urged him to take her in his arms again. He tilted her head back and took her lips with his own, marveling at the way her toned body nestled against his. A perfect fit.
“Come on, we must return to our beds before we are discovered.” He took her hand and urged her up the staircase and out of the tower. The two of them kept to the shadows along the castle wall as Gavin directed their path towards the servants’ hall.
He never released her hand; the possibility their night had been just a dream and that he would wake at any moment to find her not within his grasp tormented him. If he did not release her hand, he could be certain it was real. Neither of them said a word as they walked across the estate.
When they reached the doorway for the servants’ hall, Gavin pulled her within the shadow of the arched stonework above the entrance, just in case anyone walked into the yard and gazed in their direction. It allowed them to speak in peace for a moment without fear of discovery.
“Tell me again,” he lifted her hand to his face and kissed the back of her knuckles, “Tell me again ye daenae regret it.”
“I do not regret it,” she whispered - though her face was torn. “But you and I both know this cannot end well. I am your slave.”
No. Ye are a Vikin’ Warrior.
“Nay, laoch. I choose not to believe that.”
She looked down from him and bit her lip, clearly unwilling to agree with him.
“What does laoch mean? I do not know Gaelic,” she asked eventually, turning her gaze back to his. In the moonlight, her blue-green eyes shone as though pools of water.
“It means warrior,” he confessed, feeling his stomach tighten at the revelation. Her sudden smile appeased his fear of embarrassment.
“There was another word you called me earlier.”
“Bandia?”
“Já. What does it mean?”
“That I shall keep to myself for a little longer yet.” He smiled and kissed the back of her hand again. That was a secret too far to reveal just yet. He had barely noticed addressing her so, it had been automatic. “To bed, Idunn.”
She nodded and turned away, slowly creeping through the doorway without a sound. He waited until the door closed behind her. Only when he heard her soft footsteps retreat on the other side did he look away to the moon and rest his head against the stone wall.
He could not tear the smile from his face, too thrilled at having indulged in the fantasies he had been harboring for weeks. Yet the darkness invaded his thoughts a moment later, just as a cloud crossed in front of the great full moon.
Aye, she is right. This may nae end well.
“What happens now?” Idunn asked, as she walked down to the riverbed, aiming for the marshy area where the leeches swam. Gavin was beside her, holding the bucket she would have to use.
“Must it be planned?” Gavin looked down at her with a smirk. “I would rather see what happens.”
“Gavin, you are not sensible,” she pushed his side, begging him to be serious, yet he merely chuckled at her action.
“I am, but I am far too happy to be afeared of anythin’. Ye daenae ken how much I have been imaginin’ such a thing as last night.”
“You have?” She looked up at him in surprise, astounded he thought of her so.
“Aye, so I am nae worried.”
“You are a fool,” she declared, as she tore the bucket from his grasp and dropped it at the bottom of the yew tree next to the river.
“I am nae a fool; I am just nae as anxious as ye are.” He laughed, leaning against the yew tree to watch her. Idunn threw him a dark look as she slipped off her shoes and began to tie her dress around her thighs. The appearance of her legs made Gavin tilt his head to one side, watching her even closer.
“You should raise your eyes, Sir,” she added mockingly, releasing a laugh of her own as Gavin looked away, caught in the act.
“Idunn, ye daenae need to worry. It will just be our secret.”
“I would have thought that part was obvious.” Idunn tiptoed into the water, stiffening her body at the expectation of the leech bites. “I do not think many people here would be too pleased to see the son of their Laid kissing a slave.”
“Perhaps nae. It doesnae concern me.”
Idunn looked back to see him still smiling. Since he had appeared beside her that morning, there had hardly been a moment when he had not been smiling. As handsome as he was with his features lit up, Idunn only grew more concerned.
What good can come from amorous activities with this man? What happens if we explore this attraction and grow tired of one other? I must still escape at some point.
“Ahh,” Idunn hissed in pain, as the leeches began to grab onto her legs.
“Perhaps there is a way I can get ye out of this duty.”
“You know you cannot. Showing any favoritism would be suspicious.” She looked up to him, aware no one else was near them by the river. “Speaking of which, what if someone sees you here?”
“Nay one will.” He shrugged as if it mattered not to him.
She moved back towards the bucket, certain that a particularly large leech had found her from the startling sting delivered to one knee. As she reached the riverbank, she freed her skin of the leeches and dropped them into the bucket.
Before she could retreat back into the shallows, Gavin moved in front of her. He bent down and tilted her chin upward with his hand, stealing a quick kiss. Idunn almost tipped off-balance in surprise.
When he pulled away, she reached up and found his lips again, holding the kiss for a little longer. His hand on her waist soon brought her to reality. Anyone could look down from the castle to the river. She pulled back and hurried into the reeds.
“We could be seen,” she whispered, as she walked away.
“Ah, but ye kissed me.”
“You kissed me first!” She looked back in admonishment, only making Gavin chuckle more.
“Ye are hard to resist, bandia.” His words filled Idunn with a warmth she had not known. The compliment was something she had not heard before.
A comfortable silence settled between them as Idunn continued with her duties, moving through the marshes to collect the leeches.
“Will ye tell me somethin’ of yerself before ye came here,” Gavin’s words startled her. She twisted in the reeds and looked back to him with a furrowed brow.
“Why do you wish to know?”
“I am interested in ye, is that nae obvious?” He sat down on the roots of a tree, leaning back against the bark. His dark auburn hair was tousled around his ears, making Idunn yearn to touch it again. An image of the two of them from the night before, tangled on the floor together, flashed in her mind. She shook it away and looked back down to the river.
“My past is gone now. Is that not what you keep telling me? Surely where I come from no longer matters.”
“It is still a part of ye. I would like to hear about it.” His imploring tone would not persuade her. Just because she had lascivious thoughts about the man, she was not going to trust him with all of her secrets. He was still a Scot, and she still a Viking.
“Another time. Perhaps.” She kicked through the mud, training her eyes down to the water, determined not to look at him again.
“Gavin, is that ye?” A voice interrupted Idunn’s thoughts. She turned to see Tadhg standing further up the hill, looking down to where Gavin sat.
“Aye, it is me.”
“I have been lookin’ for ye. Our faither would like to talk to ye about clan matters.”
“Aye, I am comin’.” Gavin jumped to his feet and stepped nearer to the riverbank, lowering his voice just so Idunn could hear. “This conversation is nae over, laoch.”
“Oh, it is.” She raised her eyebrows in a mocking challenge. He merely smiled in response before following his brother away.
“Why are ye speakin’ to the Vikin’ slave, brother?” Tadhg’s gaze flicked between Gavin and the slave as she paddled in the river.
“I
t is nae important.”
“Nay? She could be plottin’ an escape for all ye ken.”
“Aye, that she could,” Gavin smiled, as though Tadhg had muttered a joke.
Tadhg looked back down the hill towards the woman. He had no liking for a Viking presence under their roof, yet he found his eyes following the slave woman more and more. Her fair hair was something he had rarely seen before; her features were striking, and her figure was enticing. He shook away lustful thoughts as he turned back to Gavin.