Rendezvous With Yesterday

by Dianne Duvall

  A devilish smile curled his lips as he eased her back on the bed, stretching out beside her. Cool air made her shiver when he bared her to her waist. Then all was forgotten in a rush of heat as Robert bent his head to her breast and laved the sensitive bud with his tongue.

  Robert groaned as Beth’s nails scored his scalp. Her body arched against him as he took the taut tip of one breast between his teeth and teased the other with deft fingers. Urging her onto her back, he rolled half on top of her and inserted a thigh between hers.

  His tenuous control begin to weaken.

  He should not be doing this. They should not be doing this. ’Twas beyond improper. And he did not wish to dishonor her.

  Had he not harshly criticized Dillon for taking Alyssa to his bed outside of wedlock? How could Robert do the same with Bethany?

  But she made it damned hard for him to resist the temptation. She made him damned hard.

  And she has slept in your bed for a fortnight with none the wiser, a wicked voice reminded him.

  Beth moaned when he transferred his lips to her other breast. Writhing in pleasure, she ground her hips against his arousal.

  Robert ignited. His whole body burned with the need to possess her. To be inside her. His hands shook. His caresses grew bolder, rougher as he nearly tore the robe off of her in his desire to see more, to see all.

  When she lay bare before him, Robert stared, awed, hardly able to draw breath. “You are beautiful, Beth.”

  So perfect. Soft, milky white skin dotted with pale freckles atop gentle ripples of muscle that flexed as she reached for him. No black scraps of material hid what he had spent far too many hours imagining. His hungry gaze devoured pink-tipped breasts that were surprisingly full for one with such a small frame. Beneath them, the ridges of a narrow rib cage led to an even narrower waist. Full hips spread beneath, bracketing a thatch of dark curls that beckoned him as water would a man in the desert.

  He rose above her, eased his other knee between her thighs, urging her to spread them wider so he could settle himself in between. He sought her mouth with his own, plundering and consuming as his pulse pounded in his head. He was frantic for her, his hands roaming at will, too rough surely for an innocent.

  But rather than frightening her, his passion merely seemed to inflame her.

  Beth fisted her hands in his shirt. “Take it off,” she demanded hoarsely. “I want to feel your skin against mine.”

  No sooner had she asked than ’twas done.

  The coarse dark hair on Robert’s chest abraded her sensitized nipples. Gasping, Beth wrapped her arms around him and explored the heavy muscle of his back with her fingers. He was so warm. Both hard and soft at the same time.

  The flesh beneath her hands bunched and flexed as he slipped an arm beneath her shoulders to elevate her breasts. He took one tight, aching bud into his mouth, teased it with his tongue and his teeth.

  It felt sooooo good.

  The other he pinched and rolled between thumb and fingers, kneading the mound and sending shards of pleasure slicing through her.

  Beth moaned his name, undulated beneath him, felt the long, hard length of his erection pressing against her core. She moved her legs restlessly against his as the burning ache inside her intensified, begging to be assuaged. She wanted more. She wanted all of him. Burned for him.

  Stroking her hands down his back, she molded them to his muscled ass and squeezed, urging him against the heart of her.

  He groaned. The hand at her breast tightened. Dizzying currents of sensation swept through her.

  She couldn’t think. Could only feel. Want. Need. More.

  Too breathless to ask him to remove his braies and hose, she instead delved beneath them, smoothing her palms across bare skin. His lips left her breast and scorched a burning path down her stomach. His tongue dipped into her navel.

  Then he rose and sat back on his heels between her legs. His hands stroked her thighs as his heavy-lidded gaze roved over her, arrayed before him like a banquet, as though he could not decide which morsel he wanted to sample next.

  Beth said nothing, merely watched, panting, while he slipped off the bed long enough to remove the rest of his clothing. His thighs were thick with muscle and dusted with dark hair as she had known they would be. But what she really had been waiting to see made her eyes widen and diluted her rampaging desire with a trickle of unease.

  The few glimpses R-rated movies had given her of full-frontal male nudity had never featured an aroused male. And even if they had, she suspected Robert would’ve outshone most of them.

  She met his heated gaze. “Okay. Now I’m a little nervous.”

  “Then mayhap I should distract you.”

  Before she could register his words, he climbed back onto the bed, slid his arms beneath her knees, then bent his head and took her with his mouth. Pure, unbridled ecstasy raced through her. Closing her eyes, Beth buried her fingers in his hair and clung as he laved and sucked and teased, rushing her toward a first climax more intense than anything she could have imagined.

  Her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths, she lay sprawled beneath him as he crept up her body, trailing kisses along the way.

  Robert braced himself above her on his elbows, gently settling his weight upon her.

  As heavy as he was, it should have been uncomfortable. But it felt good. Incredibly good.

  She stared up at him, feeling dazed and sated, yet hungering for more.

  He quirked an eyebrow. “Still nervous?”

  A disbelieving laugh crossed her lips. “Hell, no!”

  Chuckling, he pressed his lips to hers. “Only you could make me laugh while I am clinging to control by my fingertips.”

  “You are?”

  He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Can you not feel me trembling?”

  He was, she realized, amazed that she could affect him so strongly. His whole body practically vibrated with restraint.

  She cupped his face in her hands. “Then take me, Robert. Make me yours.”

  A shudder rippled through him. His hands fisted in the covers on either side of her face. “I do not wish to hurt you.”

  “It’s my first time. That’s unavoidable. Besides…” She trailed a series of kisses along his deliciously stubbled jaw, then nibbled his earlobe. “I want to feel you inside me.”

  He surrendered with a groan, plundering her lips, then stimulating her anew with his talented hands and mouth.

  She did feel pain when he entered her despite the care he took, but it faded quickly, eclipsed by the wonder of being joined with him so intimately. He moved inside her with long, slow strokes, rekindling the flames that had engulfed her earlier, then quickening his pace and fanning them higher until—clinging together, muscles straining—they reached the precipice.

  Sheer ecstasy.

  I’m so glad I waited, she thought as breath returned to her body and her pulse began to slow. No one else could’ve made me feel like this.

  No one.

  And she had had to travel back in time to find him.

  When Robert shifted as though to move away, she hugged him tighter. “Not yet.” She loved the feel of him against her, inside her.

  He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m too heavy for you.” Locking his arms around her, he rolled them to their sides, bodies still joined.

  Neither spoke.

  Was he as stunned by what they had just shared as she was?

  He combed his fingers through her damp hair and pressed another kiss to her forehead.

  Beth didn’t think she had ever felt so relaxed in her life.

  And Robert seemed content to lie quietly with her snuggled up against him, lightly stroking her back, her arm, her hip.

  As their passion cooled, so did her skin
.

  When a light shiver rippled through her, Robert raised his head and glanced toward their feet.

  Beth did the same and took stock of the bed. Almost all of her belongings had been knocked to the floor. Though the two of them lay atop the rumpled covers, a blanket adorned the foot of the bed.

  Reaching down, Robert drew it up and cocooned them in its warmth.

  Beth closed her eyes and snuggled closer.

  How had he come to mean so much to her in such a short amount of time?

  And how much time would they have together?

  She frowned. No. She wouldn’t think about that. Not tonight.

  Tonight she would just live in the moment and forget about tomorrow.

  Sighing, she embraced the peace Robert inspired and let sleep claim her.

  Beth awoke to Robert’s chuckle rumbling in her ear.

  “I already did,” he murmured, his voice laced with amusement.

  She smiled, eyes closed, head pillowed on his chest. “You already did what?”

  “Showed you my sword.” Amusement warmed his voice.

  She laughed. “Robert, what are you talking about?”

  “You were speaking in your sleep again.”

  She opened her eyes to near darkness. “I was?”

  “Aye.”

  Shifting, she folded her hands atop his chest, then rested her chin on them so she could see his handsome face and tousled hair. “What did I say?”

  His lips twitched. “You were begging me to show you my sword.”

  His sword?

  When she realized where his thoughts lay, she grinned. “I did not!”

  He laughed with obvious delight and drew her up until she covered him like a blanket. “I vow ’tis true.”

  “I did not beg you to show me your sword.”

  “You did.” He winked devilishly. “And I told you I already had.”

  “No kidding,” she drawled.

  He rolled, taking her with him, until she lay beneath him.

  Beth looped her arms around his neck and offered him a teasing grin. “If I’d known how well you wielded it, I would’ve asked to see it sooner.”

  He laughed again and pressed a quick, hard kiss to her lips before settling beside her once more and holding her close.

  Beth decided there was nowhere else in the world she would rather be at that moment.

  “I wish we could remain thus forever,” he said softly, mirroring her thoughts.

  “That’s what your lips say, but the rest of your body is telling me you’re ready to make love again.” His arousal and the effect it had on her proved impossible to ignore.

  “I believe now would be an appropriate time to tell you, sweetling—in order to avoid any confusion in the future, you understand—that I am always ready to make love to you.”

  She grinned up at him. “All I have to do is ask you to show me your sword?”

  He laughed. “That would do, aye.” His boyish smile softened. “But you are no doubt tender.” She wrinkled her nose in protest. “So I should not.”

  “Yes, you should. You really should.” Her smile faded as a thought intruded. “But not yet.”

  His gaze sharpened at the change in her tone.

  Dread soured her stomach. “I need you to hold my hand while I do something I don’t want to do.”

  He brushed his knuckles down her cheek. “What is it, love?”

  “While you were gone, I tried to help your friends. The ones who were wounded.”

  His brow furrowed. “Sir Miles and Sir Winston?”

  She nodded.

  “Then you have my gratitude.”

  “Don’t thank me yet,” she protested. “All I did was clean their wounds as well as I could, stitch those that needed to be stitched, apply some honey and antibiotic ointment and bandages, and give them both some ibuprofen. I’m worried I might have done more harm than good. I’ve never even seen injuries like that before, Robert, let alone sewed them shut. What if I didn’t do it right? Or what if I forgot something or did something I shouldn’t have and… I don’t know… made things worse?” She shrugged miserably. “I’m afraid to go down and find out.”

  “You did what you could for them, Beth. And, coming from where you do, from such an enlightened time, I am confident you did the right thing.” Sitting up, he grasped both of her hands and brought them to his lips. “Come. Let us see how they fare.”

  While he donned his tunic and hose, she tugged on his robe. Everyone else in the castle was probably asleep, so she didn’t think what she wore mattered as long as she was covered and warm. A pair of socks helped, but didn’t completely insulate her feet from the frigid floor. Unfortunately, her boots were still wet from sitting in the rain, so socks would have to do.

  Robert took her hand and led her from the room, down the stairs, and into the great hall.

  They found the large open room deserted for the most part. Winston and Miles still lay on the table where she had left them. Someone had covered both with blankets and placed pillows beneath their heads. Most likely Mary, who had fallen asleep in a chair beside her husband.

  Adam must have taken her request to guard the injured men seriously, for he sat in a chair on the opposite side of the table with his arms crossed over his broad chest, keeping watch. Michael and Stephen had joined him. But those two now sprawled on nearby benches, snoring.

  Adam rose as they approached and bowed. If he was shocked by their appearance or her improper attire, he didn’t show it.

  Beth tightened her hold on Robert’s hand and tried to smile, but doubted she hid her concern with any success. “How are they?”

  “Sleeping soundly, my lady.”

  She studied the large, still forms with trepidation.

  Robert moved to stand behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

  When she glanced up, she saw his jaw clench as anger darkened his features. She hadn’t asked him what had happened while he was off looking for the men responsible. But assumed that, since frustration rather than relief had marked his features upon his return, things had not gone well.

  Reaching up, she covered one of his hands with her own, then turned her attention to Adam. “Are they sleeping,” she asked, “or unconscious?”

  Adam slid a covert glance Robert’s way, as if he wasn’t sure how blunt he should be. “Winston sleeps. Miles has not yet roused.”

  Fear and regret filled her. “You see?” she said, looking at Robert over her shoulder. “I did something wrong.”

  “Nay, Beth. Both men would be dead now had you not tended them so carefully. They look far better than when I last saw them.”

  “Aye,” Adam inserted. “Michael was impressed by your efforts. And his dealings with Lady Alyssa have given him more knowledge of healing than anyone else here at Fosterly.”

  His words failed to ease her worry. Nothing short of both men recovering swiftly would do that.

  “Thank you for watching over them, Adam,” she said, though, appreciating it.

  He nodded.

  She looked to Winston’s wife. “Do you think we should wake Mary and send her to bed? She looks really uncomfortable.”

  Adam shook his head. “I already tried. She will not leave his side, my lady.”

  Nodding, she looked up at Robert. “I wouldn’t either if I were her.”

  Robert offered her a tender smile and gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Come, Beth. ’Tis late. You can do no more for them this night.”

  Nodding reluctantly, she turned away, then paused and looked back at Adam. “If anything happens… if they should get worse or… anything, please come and get me.” Glancing around furtively, she leaned forward and whispered, “I’ll be with Robert.” And damned if she didn�
��t feel a blush climb her cheeks.

  His face impassive, Adam responded, “As you wish, my lady.”

  “Thank you.”

  Robert seconded her thanks as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steered her back the way they had come.

  Robert woke Beth before dawn with a kiss, then lifted her into his arms.

  She smiled, practically purring with contentment. “What are you doing?” she mumbled sleepily, snuggling against his chest as he carried her through the secret passage to her own chamber. “Still trying to preserve my reputation?”

  “Aye,” he admitted, lowering her with great reluctance to her cold bed. “Though I doubt we can fool them for long. My people have sharp eyes and possess an overabundance of curiosity.”

  “Particularly when it comes to their hero,” she murmured, then shivered. “Come here and give me another kiss.”

  Grinning, he obliged.

  It began simply, but she was so damned tempting that he could not seem to prevent himself from ravaging her lips with a hunger reminiscent of the long night they had just passed.

  Until duty reasserted itself and forced him to draw back.

  Beth moaned her disappointment. “Why don’t you take your clothes off and join me? These sheets will get a lot warmer a lot faster if you and I create a little friction.”

  He laughed. “No doubt they would. But if I join you now, I will pass the day here. And I must leave.”

  “Leave?” He couldn’t tell if her eyes reflected surprise or alarm. “You’re leaving? Where are you going? How long will you be gone?”

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took one of her hands in his. “There remains a threat to my people, Beth. I cannot rest until I have eliminated it. The attacks grow more frequent, more violent. And the man who launches them was not amongst those we fought last night. I must continue my search for him and end this ere more lives are lost.”

  “Oh.” Sitting up, she shoved tangled curls back from her face. “I’ll go with you, then.”