Lexi almost jumped out of her skin when her leg support disappeared and two broad hands cupped her buttocks.
Her eyes snapping open, she found his gaze upon her. He looked surprised, but pleased, to find her on him. He dipped his head as though to kiss her, but stopped halfway, turning toward the sound of the battle horn.
"By the gods woman! I know you want it, but now is no time to make love!" He lifted her up and away from him and then set her down in one smooth motion.
"I--but--"
Yanking up his pants, he fastened them and grabbed his sword, tripping over the bed and swearing on his way out.
How dare he? 'He knows I want it?' I didn't want it! Much. Jerk. Lexi stepped into her pants and pulled them up. As if! He didn't even say thank you!
It occurred to her after a moment to wonder if he even realized that he had been stone. It might explain his surprise. It still didn't make her feel any better.
Before she could turn at a sudden noise behind her, strong arms wrapped around her waist and a head nuzzled her neck.
"Maybe later, precious?" He ran his hands under her shirt, rubbing his thumbs against her nipples.
"I--"
"Say yes and I'll go." He nibbled on her neck, kissing a blazing trail from its base to her ear, where he whispered. "Please?"
"A-all right."
He licked her ear lobe, releasing her and running back out of the tent without another word. She stood staring at the flap.
"What have I gotten myself into?"
* * * *
Cairn followed the dying sounds of battle. He worked his way past the fallen enemy, noticing there were very few of his own on the ground, and into the front lines. There were only a hand full of enemy soldiers left. Scanning the area, he spotted the captain at last.
"Karuso! Report!"
The man broke away from the forefront and approached.
"My lord, an enemy party, no doubt sent to collect tithes, stumbled upon us in the dark. One or two may have escaped. I'll send out men to kill them. They shouldn't get far. This party won't soon be missed."
"Let them go."
"Sir?"
"Let those who have already escaped go."
"But--" Karuso stopped. "Sir, if they reach the enemy--"
"The enemy will come us." I hope at least one of them makes it to Inui. Let their warrior come out to meet us. It will only shorten my own journey. "It doesn't look like they put up much of a fight."
"How could they hope to fight us? My Lord, the men knew you were behind us. We could hardly loose to this riffraff."
"How many have we lost?"
"I don't believe very many. It's too soon yet to do a head count, though. Sir, about the escapees...I apologize for my insolence. It will not happen again."
"Think nothing of it."
They stood, arms folded across their chests, watching the end of the battle. As the last man fell, Karuso started barking orders. Within minutes, they had a count of their own loss as well as the enemy's.
All told, they had lost six men, two of which were still alive but were unsuitable for travel. We'll loose another man just sending them back to the castle. He had no one to blame but himself. How could I not have heard the horn? One minute I'm going after Lexi, the next I have my pants around my ankles and she's mounted me. Not that I would mind, normally....
I must have been stone again. It was not something that had ever happened to him before. Then again, no celestial maiden had ever been forced before. This is not what I had in mind when I said she would come willingly next time. She hardly had a choice. All of that, and he had acted deplorably in response. How to make it up to her? Perhaps one of the men would know. One of them may have spoken enough to her to know what she wanted most of all, aside from the finding of her companion. He had already agreed to that, so it could hardly be considered repayment to do that and nothing more.
She had hardly spoken to him since the journey had begun.
"Karuso."
The captain broke off from his troops and approached.
"My Lord?"
"Ask you men who among them has spoken to the maiden. I would speak with them."
Karuso's face went blank. "Sir?"
"I wish to know which of your men have spoken to the celestial maiden. I must have a word with them."
"Well...."
"Come on, man! We've been traveling all day! Surely one of them has struck up a conversation?"
"No sir, they haven't."
"What? You're so sure?" She was shyer than he had thought, then.
"They...we, are all under a standing order by the king not to speak to or about the celestial maiden if it can at all be avoided."
"What?"
"I said--"
"I know what you said," Cairn ground out. "Why would the king issue such an order?"
Karuso shrugged. "I don't know. I assumed you knew. She's a very beautiful woman. Perhaps he simply wanted to make sure that you alone would have her attentions?"
Cairn's vision was red. All this time. She's gone all this time, without a sole for company. That bastard is doing the same thing he did to--
"From now on, the men are to speak to her any time she speaks to them." No, that might cause more problems than it solved. What if they were hostile and didn't want to speak? "Tell the men they are free to speak to her any time they wish."
"But sir, the king--"
"I am in command of these men. I say, they can speak to her."
He couldn't tell if the glare Karuso sent his way was in response to the order or the order to ignore what the king had said. Frankly, he did not care. The man nodded. As far as Cairn was concerned, the order would be followed now.
Cairn stormed back to his tent, trying hard to regain his composure. When he stuck his head inside, he saw that Lexi was curled up on the bed.
A young man approached him.
"I have your supper--"
"We will eat tomorrow. Make sure you bring plenty."
With that, he crossed the tent and crawled into the bed beside her.
Chapter Seven
“What happened?” Lexi had seen no sign that he had been injured in the battle, but his expression had been grim when he’d first entered the tent.
Instead of answering, he covered her mouth with his, kissing her with an urgency that drove all other thoughts from her mind as his hands lightly caressed her body in a restless quest to familiarize himself with her, stripping off her clothes as well as his own and tossing them to the ground.
Her body, deprived before of gratification of her senses, instantly awakened to a state of heated arousal. Murmuring a sound of need in her throat, Lexi moved impatiently against his stroking hand, running her hands along his hard muscles in an exploration of her own as she surged against him.
Her response sent them both spiraling out of control and as their passion rose, they moved against one another with more urgency. Lifting his lips from hers, Cairn pushed her onto her back and explored her neck and the upper slope of her breasts with his lips and tongue. Cupping a breast in one hand, he massaged it as he sought the nipple of her other breast and began to tease it with fevered need that left Lexi panting for breath, dizzy, desperate to feel him inside of her.
Struggling briefly with his weight, she wrapped one leg around his waist, surging upward to press her cleft against his engorged cock. Uttering a grunt of pleasure, he shifted from one nipple to the other, slipping his hips between her thighs and arching against her.
His cock burrowed along her cleft, sending sharp jolts of pleasure through her and driving her need upward to a point of desperation. Reaching between them, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft, stroking him and then reaching lower and gently massaging his testicles.
Groaning, he broke from her, surging into her hand, his eyes squeezed tightly, as if he were in agony. Letting out a harsh breath, he pushed her hand away and guided the head of his cock into her opening.
Lexi gasped as she f
elt him pressing into her, arching upward to meet him, holding herself still as she felt him sliding slowly into the heated moistness of her passage. Uttering a sound of frustration when he made little headway, she lifted to meet him again as he thrust once more, sinking deeper, sending wild jolts of exquisite sensation through her as he probed her depths by agonizing inches.
He sought her lips once more as he sank to the hilt inside of her, kissing her in a rhythm that matched the cadence of his thrusts and drove her over the edge of reason as the tension coiled so tightly inside of her that she could scarcely catch her breath.
She kissed him back feverishly, sucking his thrusting tongue, her hands moving over his body as she moved with him, countering each thrust until their pace matched their rising desperation to reach the pinnacle.
Lexi groaned into his mouth as her body abruptly reached crisis and exploded with pleasure. Uttering a harsh growl, he followed her, shuddering as his body convulsed, jerking in rapturous spasms of release.
Dragging in a tremulous breath as her own tremors began to dissipate, leaving a heady glow of repletion behind, Lexi stroked his back lovingly as he collapsed weakly against her, struggling to catch his breath.
She was the next thing to unconscious and sinking fast when he at last gathered himself and rolled to his side, tucking her tightly against him.
* * * *
A lead weight lay across her waist and something long and hard was stabbing her in the back. Lexi opened her eyes, struggling to move under Cairn's weight. Her legs were tangled in the blanket, which was pinned under his legs. It hit her all of a sudden, after she had been threshing around for ten minutes without results, that in all that time he had not moved. Oh my god, please tell me he hasn't turned into stone again! Several minutes after that fear first gripped her heart, she at last managed to turn enough to look at his face.
He was grinning ear to ear.
"Good morning, sunshine. How did you sleep?"
Her fear turned to irritation, but fled quickly in the light of his smile.
"You're crushing me."
"Mmm." He pulled his arm off of her, brushing his fingertips across her skin as he did so. She could feel his hard cock throbbing against her back. Spurred by his obvious desire, she felt her own awaken. Lexi took a shuddering breath. Finally, she felt confident enough in her voice to speak again.
"The leg too."
With a laugh, he flipped onto his back.
"Are you hungry? There's food over there." He gestured with one hand. "I'm afraid it's a little cold now. I waited for you...."
Lexi sat up, her mouth watering at the mention of food. It took an effort to crawl out of bed. Muscles she did not even know she had were sore. Every movement brought pain and a curious kind of pleasure, as though using her muscles and stretching them out were a kind of massage. Falling to her knees, she sat cross-legged on the ground.
"What is it?"
"Wild rabbit." He sat down across from her.
She dug in greedily, gulping down her food. I don't think I've ever been so hungry in my entire life! It felt odd eating something roasted for breakfast, especially rabbit, which she'd never had before, but the flavor was every bit as good as the smell had been. Or maybe I'm just that hungry.
When she had at last had her fill, she lay back on the ground, feeling rather sick.
"Are you going to want any more?"
"No thanks. You eat it. I'm sure you'll need your strength." She couldn't fit another bite in her stomach as it was anyway. Closing her eyes, she licked the juices from her fingers since she had nothing else to clean them with. She heard Cairn stand. After several seconds of silence, she cracked an eye open.
He stood above her, his eyes caressing her body. When he noticed she was looking back, he turned away.
"I'll go see about the men. It's time to break camp."
"Hey, shouldn't you put on your armor?"
He shook his head, calling back over his shoulder as he left. "We aren't on enemy lands yet. I'd rather travel light. I'm not a knight, you know."
After gaining her feet, she grabbed up her pocket book. Finding her brush, she brushed the worst of the tangles from her hair. Without a mirror, she had no way of telling just how bad she looked, but she decided it didn't really matter. No one outside would be talking to her anyway. Popping a stick of gum in her mouth and throwing her purse, along with Dionne's, over her shoulders, she walked out into the brightening dawn.
Soldiers were running to and fro, readying themselves for departure. Most of the tents were already gone. Many of the men were already suited up and mounted, ready to go. Cairn was no where in sight, but that hardly surprised her.
"Good morning maiden!"
Lexi turned at the sound of the deep-chested rumble. A tall, dark knight stood close by.
"Excuse me?"
"I said good morning." He tipped his head in her direction with a smile before hurrying on his way.
That was strange.
"Good morning, maiden. I trust you slept well?"
To her right, two knights, already in full suit, came swaggering up. They were both very handsome. One was the color of bronze. His golden hair, left carelessly loose, rested just above his shoulders. The other had dark, olive skin, with long hair the color of a raven's wing tightly braided down his back. The dark man bowed his head.
"My lady, the day is brighter for your presence. Would you do me the honor of riding by my side this day?"
Lexi stared, slack-jawed, for several moments.
"No? Well, then, perhaps another time."
"Ah, what.... I mean, yes. I'd love to." She flashed him her brightest smile. I don't understand it. They've just ignored me for so long, and now this? She wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, though. They both seemed like they would make charming company and she was starved for human interaction.
"She's with me."
The men's faces fell. Just as she'd started to turn toward the sound of Cairn's voice, one of the men grabbed her hand and planted a light kiss on it.
"Perhaps later on." Both of them scurried away.
"Are you ready to mount?"
When she turned around, she found that Cairn had come up with her horse in tow. He smiled, but his eyes seemed stony. It couldn't be jealousy? She decided it wasn't. The men had only been speaking to her, after all. He had nothing to be jealous of.
"I'm ready." She took the mare by the mane and lifted her foot into the stirrup. Flinging the other one up and over proved to be more challenging today, since her legs were still stiff, than it had the previous day. With the second attempt, she almost fell backwards. I think I need to stretch a while first.
It took effort to pull her foot from the stirrup now that it was already in, especially since she had to maintain her death hold on the mare to keep her balance, but she finally disentangled it. Spreading her legs, Lexi bent down to touch her left foot, but the muscles in her leg were too sore for her to reach it. She had just straightened to try the other one, when Cairn spoke.
"What, exactly, are you doing?"
Turning, her gaze was pulled inexplicably to the huge bulge between his legs. Pulling it back up his body, she met his eyes.
"I, um, I...." I've completely forgotten what you asked about. Oh yeah! "I'm stretching, so I can get up on the horse."
"I can help you up, if that's really why you're doing that."
"That really isn't necessary. I can do it. I just need to stretch out my muscles, that's all." Why does he think I'm stretching? What else could I be doing it....
"Mmm. Right."
Lexi felt heat travel from her neck up to the roots of her hair. Well, of course. It turned him on. That must be why I did it, right? Men. She ignored the look he gave her.
"I'm just limbering up so I can get on, that's all."
"I can help you with that too."
Before she could even ask what he meant by that one, even though she suspected she knew, he grabbed her and lifted her b
y the waist and set her down on her horse's back.
"That was much easier, wasn't it?"
You were just looking for an excuse to touch me there. She honestly wondered if that were true, or if he just didn't have the patience to wait any longer.
He swung himself onto his own horse and looked around at his men. Lexi looked too, surprised to find that many of them were looking back. I'm not sure which is more disturbing. Everyone ignoring me, or everyone suddenly paying attention. She wasn't sure she could take much of either.
The whole of their force was mounted and moving at a faster pace than the night before. She and Cairn were quickly swept along with them, but this time, he remained by her side.
"How long will it take. To reach our destination, I mean?"
"Not long. With any luck, they are already coming out to meet us."
Lexi stared at him in horror. When he noticed her look, he elaborated.
"It would be best if they did. Not only would our own ride be shortened, they would no longer be inside their castle, making a siege unnecessary."
She doubted seriously that they could even siege Inui's castle as few men as they had. Not to mention the food problem. Didn't they bring food with them on a siege back in the middle ages? It didn't seem like any fight they could put up could last very long. She had to wonder how she could have been fool enough to agree to go at all. Because he asked me to....
"What are we supposed to do if they don't come out?"
Cairn was quiet so long, she had begun wondering if she had not actually said that out loud.
"We will just have to hope they do come out." He turned to her, flashing a smile. "Don't worry about it. I'll have this war won in a few days at most. Then we can go looking for your aunt. Now, I have to speak with Karuso. Think you'll be all right by yourself for a little while?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine."
He kicked his horse into a trot and wove his way through the crowd, out of sight in a matter of minutes.
Romancing the Stone Page 4