Ademar brought food for Katherine, offering her pieces of bread and cheese. It was meager fare, but he hadn’t known she would be traveling with him. She held out a portion, but he couldn’t bring himself to touch the food.
“Ademar,” she murmured. “You should eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
She broke off a piece of the cheese and brought it to his mouth. He forced himself to taste it, but it could have been grass for all that he knew. Being here alone with her, knowing that she had given her agreement to wed him…it didn’t seem real. Almost as though he could close his eyes and she would disappear.
“It’s late,” he said, though it wasn’t at all. “You should get some sleep.” Nodding toward the tent, he waited for her to go inside.
Worry lined her eyes, and when her hand moved to his temple, she examined the wound. “Does this hurt you?” Tenderly she smoothed back his hair.
It did, but he was so entranced by her touch, he didn’t care. He caught the faint scent of eastern spices—a hint of cinnamon with the tang of cloves—an exotic perfume he didn’t recognize.
“Do you know why I said yes to the betrothal?” she murmured, letting her hand fall to his arm.
He shook his head, unable to speak.
“Because I know that you care for me…the way Ewan never did. You never look upon me as though I embarrass you.”
“You honor me,” was all he could say. And though he didn’t believe she would ever come to feel the same way about him, it was enough for now.
Her dark blue eyes were unfathomable in the twilight, and he was afraid to touch her. Afraid she would pull away from him.
“Aren’t you going to kiss me?” she asked.
He wanted to, but he didn’t trust himself. A single kiss would lead to more, and it would frighten her. But he brushed an innocent kiss upon her mouth, the kiss a friend might give to another.
She faltered, her lips pursing as if she were about to say something. Instead, she whispered, “Good night.”
He heard her enter the tent, but he didn’t watch her. Instead, he granted her the privacy of a sleeping place of her own. Unbuckling his sword belt, he laid his weapon within an easy grasp, should it be needed.
“Are you going to sleep there, on the grass?”
“Yes.” He kept his gaze firmly upon the fire. At the moment, his imagination was rekindling the memory of last night, when he’d laid her down upon his bed. He couldn’t stop thinking about the way she had responded to him, and even now, his body hardened to think of her.
Grimly, he closed his eyes, trying to shut her out.
“Is this the way it will be, once we’re wed?” Katherine’s voice held a note of disappointment, but God above, what did she want from him? He was trying to respect her needs, to let her have her own space.
He rolled over, resting his head against his palm. She was sitting down inside the tent, with the flap drawn back. Her black hair was unbraided, spilling over her shoulders like a river of ink. The veil she usually wore was folded neatly beside her.
“Share the tent with me,” she offered. He couldn’t say whether she was giving him a courtesy or a true invitation.
“I’ll be fine right here.” Where he would lie awake all night, dreaming of the taste of her skin.
“Ademar,” she whispered again. His name was a seductive command, and like a siren, he could not ignore her call.
“I can’t, Katherine.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I get any closer to you, I won’t be able to stop this time. You’ll take me into your body and be a virgin no longer.”
To his utter shock, she smiled.
Katherine had never seen the knight so flustered. His face was red, and he was staring at the grove of trees as though he expected them to catch fire.
Her heart softened toward him, knowing that she had unsettled him so. He made her feel powerful, as though she could say or do anything and he would never leave her.
His marriage offer had taken her by surprise, but after she’d thought more about it, she believed it was a good match. Even when she’d fainted, Ademar hadn’t chastised her or looked upon her with disgust. He’d taken care of her.
Saints, she didn’t know her own feelings right now. She wanted to lie beside him this night. She wanted to fall asleep with his arms around her, taking strength from him.
His head wound had remained closed, and so long as it didn’t fester, she believed it would heal well enough. She was proud of having faced her fears.
But Ademar could have been killed. The thought sent a shiver through her, for she was starting to question her feelings for this man.
“I would have…have helped your sister anyway,” Ademar confessed. “You don’t have to sacrifice yourself by wedding me.”
His words caught her unawares. It was as if he didn’t believe she wanted to be betrothed to him.
“It’s not a sacrifice, Ademar.” She left the shelter of the tent and went to kneel beside him. Taking his hands in hers, she settled them around her waist.
Touch me, she thought. I need you.
Especially now, for she was letting go of Ewan. She needed to reaffirm that she was desirable, that nothing was wrong with her.
Ademar bent down, leaning his cheek against her hair. “I don’t want you to have regrets.”
“We have friendship between us.” Lifting her gaze to his blue eyes, she added, “Perhaps more.”
She brought his face down to hers, kissing him again. She explored his firm mouth, trying to tempt him to kiss her back.
When he did, he made her forget what she’d been trying to do. His mouth took possession of hers, his tongue sliding inside while he plundered her. His hands moved to fill up with her breasts, caressing and teasing the nipples.
He pulled her onto his lap, and she straddled his waist, feeling his hard length between her thighs. Ademar cupped her bottom, riding her against him in a new form of torment.
Against her neck, he murmured, “You shouldn’t have…have started this.”
She was trembling with a dark need for him, the need to be taken. It didn’t matter that it would take time to finalize the betrothal and wedding. She didn’t care about the ceremonial bedding and everything expected of them.
She wanted him to lie with her this night. She wanted to seduce him, to ensnare him the way he’d tantalized her. And she had no doubt he would exorcise Ewan from her mind.
“Finish it, Ademar. Touch me the way you did last night.”
He glanced through the trees toward the fire belonging to her father’s men. “Be certain this is what you want.”
She rose, removing her garments until her shift pooled at her ankles. “I am certain.”
Ademar inhaled at the sight of her, his eyes burning with intense need. She was hardly aware of how long it took him to remove his own clothing, but he guided her inside the tent, drawing the flap closed.
The space was tiny, barely enough for one, let alone two. His large body wrapped around hers, his legs tangling up with her own. The hot male skin took her breath away, and she found herself growing wet when his hard manhood nestled against her. He lifted her leg around his waist, nudging himself at her entrance.
She shuddered at the contact, wanting him to slide deep inside her. But he didn’t. Instead, he caressed the skin of her spine, kissing her lips and face. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
He made her feel beautiful. She smiled in the darkness and noticed that his hands were shaking.
“Have you ever been with a woman before?” she asked, sliding her palms over his torso. The soft hair of his chest brushed against her breasts, arousing her even more.
“No.” His hands moved over her bottom, reaching between her legs to the wetness of her entrance. Katherine gasped at the contact, moaning when he inserted his finger. “But I’ve dreamed of being with you.”
“What did you dream of?” she whispered, trembling when
he stroked her womanhood, sliding deep inside and then out again.
He gave a low laugh. “They were nothing compared to this.”
Raising her hips, he guided the tip of himself inside. Thick and hard. Her breathing quickened when she felt him rub against her in shallow strokes.
“Tell me what you like,” he murmured. “I’ll do whatever you ask. What—whatever feels good to you.”
She didn’t know how she dared to tell him. But instead, she guided his mouth to her breast, squirming against him when he sucked the nipple. With his tongue, he traced the outline, flicking it against the tip while her body took his manhood deeper. She was sliding against him, her body weight sheathing him.
Tight. So unbearably tight and hot. And yet nothing in the world would make her let him go.
His face tensed, and when at last he was buried inside her, he held her so fiercely, she could scarcely breathe.
“It…hurts a little,” she admitted. He kissed her tenderly, his mouth grazing her neck while he lifted her up a fraction. Withdrawing slightly, he eased her back down.
“You’re going to drive me mad,” he whispered hoarsely.
She pushed his shoulders back until he was lying flat. With their bodies still joined, she rose up, experimenting with the motion until she found a slow rhythm that felt good.
He endured the penetration, his eyes locked upon hers. “Faster,” he commanded.
Katherine obeyed, bouncing her weight upon his length until something hot and bold began to awaken within her. Her breathing shuddered, and then he moved his thumb upon the folded flesh above her entrance. “How does that feel?” he asked, gently nudging the hooded opening.
As he caressed it, she cried out, her voice growing pitched as she took him even deeper inside. “It makes me feel like…I need you more.” She rose up against him, and he stopped her movement.
“Stay there,” he ordered, and Katherine held herself halfway impaled upon him. With his thumb, he stroked her again, a light pressure that stimulated her arousal even higher.
“And now?” he asked, deepening the touch until she burned for him. She was shivering so intensely, she could hardly bear it.
“Too much,” she moaned, and he backed off, changing the tempo until it was softer. She let him experiment, and something built up within her, a wave of need so strong that she could scarcely stand it.
He kept up his rhythm, urging her closer until her body seized up with the fierce release. She bucked against his erection, half sobbing as he surged deep inside.
Rolling her over, Ademar filled her, again and again. She crested the wave, meeting his strokes with her hips until another wave of ecstasy ripped through her. He drove inside a few more times, until a groan escaped him, then he laid atop her, exhausted.
She felt a wetness against her womb, the evidence of his seed. As she clasped him to her body, she kissed his cheeks, his face. Anywhere.
Still inside her, he touched his nose to hers. “I’m not very good at this.”
“I didn’t notice.” Her lips curved upward, though he could not see it in the darkness.
“I’ll need to practice more. Until I get it right.”
Heavens, she hoped so. “If you insist.”
After that, Ademar was insatiable. He made love to her three more times that night, though Katherine was still sore. The last position had been a delicious one, with him entering her from behind. He had raised her bottom up, forcing her hips up to meet him, while he penetrated her deeply. She had nearly screamed, the pleasure was so intense.
And now, she was naked in his arms while the sun came up. It was time to go, before her father learned where they had gone.
Katherine pressed a kiss on Ademar’s shoulder, daydreaming about him. They would finalize the betrothal, and there were places at Ardennes where they could steal away to be together.
It startled her to realize that she hadn’t thought of Ewan at all. Perhaps it really had been infatuation, instead of love. She’d been so humiliated at his rejection, she hadn’t been able to tell whether it was her pride or her heart that was hurting.
The sound of horses approaching caught her attention. Katherine raised the tent flap and the sunlight pierced her vision. Through the grove of trees, she spied the glint of chain mail.
“Ademar,” she whispered, shaking him awake. She pointed toward the trees, and when his eyes adjusted, she saw the grim look upon his face.
He swore, reaching for his clothes. Katherine dressed quickly, fumbling with the garments and her veil until she was presentable. She packed up their belongings while Ademar went to discover what was happening.
When she reached his side, she paled. Over a dozen men were mounted with John of Ceredys. Two of the soldiers rode forward, their crossbows aimed at them.
Ademar took her hand and rested it upon his dagger grip. Meeting her gaze, he let her know without words that they would fight, if need be.
“What do you want?” Ademar demanded of John.
Lord Ceredys drew his horse closer, a smirk upon his face. “Lady Katherine. I see we have interrupted your tryst.”
She flushed. “Leave us and go back to Ceredys, as my father commanded.”
“Your father’s commands mean nothing to me,” John said softly. Eyeing Ademar, he continued, “And because of your efforts, Lady Honora has gone.”
Ademar smiled, but Katherine saw the rage glittering in his eyes. She’d never seen the knight so furious.
“I was glad to see her rid of you.”
John drew his sword, but before he could strike, Ademar blocked the weapon with his own blade. “Fight me,” he dared.
Although Ademar was at a disadvantage since John was mounted, it had no effect upon his fighting. His sword shifted from his right hand to his left, in a constant movement that John barely managed to defend. She was so engrossed, that she shrieked when two of John’s men grabbed her arms.
She hadn’t even seen them.
“Ademar!” she cried out. His attention jerked in her direction her for a split second, and John struck hard. A scream tore from her throat as she saw Ademar fall to the ground, blood staining John’s sword.
Tears blurred her eyes, and she was hardly aware of the men dragging her atop a horse. Her gaze was focused upon Ademar’s prone form, her mind begging for a miracle.
As they took her, she stared back at him, her heart dull with pain.
Let him be alive. For, God help me, I want to wed him.
Chapter Five
The first few days, Katherine had prayed for a rescue. Surely her father would send men. But no one came for her, and even more time went by. Slowly, her fear and grief transformed into anger. John had chained her wrists and ankles to a stone wall within a storage chamber, and what little food she’d received was rancid.
Lord Ceredys intended to use her as a lure for Honora. His obsession with her sister bordered on madness, and he spoke of nothing but bringing Honora back.
As for Ademar, he was likely dead. A broken hollowness seemed to swallow her up at the thought. She had let herself become so caught up in trying to let go of her feelings for Ewan, she hadn’t noticed the way Ademar had slipped inside her heart. Strong and quiet, he had been both her friend and her lover.
It didn’t matter that he struggled to speak. He’d needed no words to show her that he cared. Had he loved her?
Katherine’s throat thickened, and she wished that she could go back and tell him of her own feelings. If somehow, by the grace of God, Ademar had lived, she could think of nothing else but being at his side.
She wanted to wed him, to be a part of his life. Yet, it might be too late for that. Tears swelled within her eyes, but it would do no good to shed them. Right now, she had to find a way out of this prison.
As if in answer to her plea, she heard a soldier’s voice ordering, “Bring her out.”
A guard unlocked her chains, and Katherine struggled against his grip, trying to seize his dagger. He backhanded he
r, and she stumbled to the ground. With no energy to fight him, her hands were bound, each wrist by a separate rope. He jerked the two ropes behind her back, forcing her out of the storage chamber.
Outside, the sunlight blinded her for a moment. Before she could get her bearings, the soldier lowered a hood over her head. She heard him mount his horse, and he took one of the ropes. A second soldier took the other rope, and they forced her to walk between their horses. Katherine struggled to keep from stumbling, unable to see anything.
After a few minutes, she heard the screeching of seagulls and the rhythmic sounds of waves. Her heartbeat quickened. Was Lord Ceredys planning to drown her?
The guards kept her a distance away, and she heard John’s voice, along with a woman’s. Oh sweet Virgin, it was her sister. She’d thought Honora had escaped.
“Who is your prisoner?” Honora called out.
And then John laughed harshly. “Someone who tried to rescue you. A fool.”
A moment later, the hood was ripped away. Katherine blinked in the fierce light before she saw the terrified face of her sister.
Ademar couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept. Though every instinct screamed for him to ride after Katherine, he forced himself to return to Ardennes.
He’d narrowly missed his own death. When he’d seen John’s sword slicing toward him, he’d thrown himself to the ground, letting the blade cut through the top of his shoulder as he rolled away. His head had struck a rock, and he’d lost consciousness.
Likely the damned stone had saved his life. When he’d awoken, Katherine was gone and his head was caked with blood. It had taken the better part of a day to reach Ardennes, but he’d recruited the baron and fifty of their best fighters.
“If Ceredys has harmed her—” Nicholas of Ardennes began, his voice rigid with fury.
“He dies.” Ademar kept up his pace, matched only by the baron.
“You should have stopped Katherine from following you,” Nicholas continued. “Or better, you should have let Honora go.”
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