The softness of her skin taunted him, lured him away from his purpose. He moved his hand to her shoulder and forced his thoughts again on the past.
“So, she believed you were rich.”
“And I believed she was rich. The difference was my affections were genuine. I cannot say that a comfortable life didn’t appeal to me. I’ve known no other way, but I loved Monica.” He waited for the smoldering want he felt each time he thought about Monica, but he felt nothing, not even the faintest pang of longing or regret. Accepting the lack with a happy sigh, he continued. “She, on the other hand, had no interest in marriage to… Suffice it to say, when she learned of my true state, she refused to consider me as a husband.”
Rowena pivoted toward him, resting her hand against his chest. His heart beat against her palm. “Then she broke the betrothal?”
He saw curiosity in her eyes now, but how much longer would it remain? Must he watch her gaze harden with suspicion and distain? Would he feel her stiffen and pull away? He swallowed with difficulty and pressed his hand over hers, holding it in place. How would he bear it if she…
“We’d all gathered at Longueville in Normandy. Sir William throws a Yuletide Festival each year and the events unfolded on the day of the final feast. Private bedchambers are limited, so I was sharing the room with Ezra and a man named Launce. Ezra approached me at midday and told me that he had witnessed Monica with another man.”
“Did you believe him?”
Pulling her hand away from his chest, he curled her fingers around his and gently stroked her knuckles with his thumb. Tension gripped his abdomen as he realized what was left to reveal. Would Rowena think him a fool? “Nay, I’d yet to witness Monica in her full glory, so I thought Ezra misunderstood what he saw. The discussion escalated into an argument, and I ended up punching him squarely in the face.”
“In her full glory?” Her gaze was luminous and tender.
“The feast was well underway when Monica began her performance.” Ah, there was a pang of resentment. Even in memory Monica remained a ruthless bitch. “We shared a trencher in veritable silence. She’d already told me that she wanted to end the betrothal, and I offered no argument.”
Rowena moved closer and Dominic released her hand. He slipped his arm under her knees and draped her legs over his. Her scent caressed him, distracted him. Molding her softness against his chest, he let her nearness soothe him.
“With no warning or apparent logic, she suddenly tossed her wine into my face and began shouting at me. I was too shocked to be angry—until I realized what she was about. She accused me of lying, of claiming wealth I didn’t possess, of caring nothing for her. She made me appear the lecherous fool in front of my peers, my friends—Sir William.”
She took his face between her palms and kissed him softly on the lips. “I’m so sorry.”
Her compassion caught him off guard. Dominic froze. Reality slowly narrowed until he saw only her beautiful eyes.
She loves me.
A shocking jolt of happiness speared his heart, rocking him backward. He hadn’t dared to believe it until he saw it shining in her eyes. His wife loved him. Regardless of his past, Rowena loved him. She might not realize it yet, but Rowena loved him.
“What is amiss?”
Her soft voice called him back from paradise, and Dominic laughed. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”
He felt the shadow of Monica shrink and shrivel. His heart vibrated with happiness, giving him strength and confidence. “I stayed in the hall long after she marched out. Sir William asked me what had caused her outburst. He suspected that she was attempting to protect her pride, to paint me the villain, so she could continue with her quest for a rich husband.”
“His logic was sound.” She reached for the thong binding his hair.
A strangled groan escaped him as she freed his hair and raked her fingers through it. “Do you want to know the rest or not?”
Her hands returned to his shoulders. “I apologize.”
He cupped her cheek and pressed his lips to her temple, burning to do so much more. “You need never apologize for touching me. I’m your husband. It’s your right.”
“Then tell me the rest quickly, so we may explore our rights.”
Desire thickened her voice, and he felt blood pound in his loins. Quickly indeed! “I stayed in the hall and drowned myself in ale. Just before dawn, I staggered to the bedchamber and found Monica there with Launce and a man I didn’t know. She disentangled herself from the men. I watched in silent fury as she gathered my belongings and tossed them to me. She told me I was an ignorant fool, which was true. She told me that she’d rather be a rich man’s leman than a poor man’s wife.”
Her hands shot into his hair and she pulled his face close to hers. “Then she was the ignorant fool.” Devotion shone brightly in her green eyes.
He grinned, his heart pounding. Her vehemence shot tingling warmth through his entire body, and he could restrain himself no longer. He brushed her mouth with his, not really kissing her, just feeling her lips with his.
Caressing her back with his hands, he peppered light kisses across her features as he told her the rest. “I slept in the hall, but many had seen me leave and return. Her body was discovered the following morning, naked at the foot of the stairs. Her father accused me of her murder.”
She pushed him back just a bit and traced his mouth with her fingertip. “What do you believe happened?”
“She must have thought of some final insult or hateful demand and come after me. I wasn’t the only one drowning in spirits that night. It’s the only thing that explains her nakedness. I believe she fell shortly after I reached the hall, no mystery, no murder. Monica’s death was an accident.”
Dominic expelled a long ragged breath. It was finally over. No more secrets. No more ghosts. He returned his gaze to Rowena’s face. Her eyes swam with unshed tears and her luscious lips trembled. What in the name of God had changed her reaction? He felt as if someone punched him in the belly.
“Why are you in such misery? This is my penance, not yours.”
He reached for her tear wet cheeks, but Rowena turned her face away, too ashamed to meet his gaze. “I’m a beast.”
She heard his soft laugh.
She pulled her legs back and knelt on the bench, facing him. His brows drew together and confusion shone in his gaze. She placed her hands on his shoulders and rested on her heels, putting their facing on a level.
“My demand seemed reasonable when I made it.” She sniffled. “I want to be your friend, your confidant. Friends don’t torture each other with unpleasant—”
“Rowena,” he cut in, “Monica has lurked in my life like a specter, but today I spoke of her without anger or self-recrimination. You have shown me, forever, that she has no power over me.” His voice rang with conviction, and she had never seen his eyes so bright.
Tears trailed down her cheeks, but Rowena smiled. “I want us to be happy. I want…I want you to love me.” Her breath caught in her throat, and she feared that her heart would stop beating. Crushing his tunic with her hands, she waited for his response.
He stood, grabbed her by the waist, and swung her from the bench. His arms encircled her, pulling her snug against his body. She felt his heat and his desire, and the beating of her heart galloped wildly.
For a long moment he just molded her body to his, searching her gaze with his burning blue eyes. “How can you doubt it?” His voice was rough and tremulous. “I think I fell in love with you when I first saw you glaring daggers at me because I dared to best you.”
Her laughter shuddered. The thundering of her heart was painful now, but what a glorious pain. She brushed her knuckles along the stubbly angle of his jaw, absorbing his masculine texture with greedy pleasure.
Stretching onto her toes, she kissed his mouth, drawing his breath into her lungs and pressing her wildly beating heart directly over his.
“I’ve fought my attraction to you for so long, I’ll fe
el lost without the struggle.” She looped her arms around his neck.
“You can continue to resist me if you like, just don’t expect me to cooperate with your resistance.”
Tingling heat erupted in her belly and spread throughout her body. His taunting words no longer frightened her. She tangled her fingers in his ink-black hair and pulled his face toward hers. “Nay, my love, I officially surrender. I can’t help loving you, Lord Dominic of Pendragon, my husband, my heart.”
She kissed him tenderly, exalted by the knowledge that this man belonged to her. Her lips memorized the texture of his, and she offered herself willingly to his questing tongue. She captured his groan in her open mouth, growing dizzy and hot.
Rowena pulled away with a throaty murmur. “We shall end up on the floor here in the solar if we continue like this. I want you to share my bed.”
“I want you to share my life.”
Joy surged through Rowena, and new tears filled her eyes. “Come, this shall be our wedding night.”
Chapter Fourteen
He raised one hand to her soft cheek and allowed a gentle smile to part his lips. “We cannot have a wedding night until we have a wedding.”
Her delicate brows drew together but tenderness warmed her gaze. “Are we not already wed?”
“Aye, but only one of us participated in the ceremony. I want to hear you pledge your troth and accept me as husband with your own voice.”
Her lips trembled and her tongue darted out to wet them. “I’ll honor and obey you, so long as your demands are reasonable.”
He laughed and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. “I don’t remember that stipulation in the vows. Do you accept me as your husband? If I asked for your hand today, would you agree to wed with me?”
“I do, and I would.”
He framed her lovely face with his hands. “Then let us have a wedding night.”
Dominic lowered his mouth to hers. He savored the petal-soft texture of her lips as they parted in a breathless sigh. He felt her tongue venture forth, encouraging his advance as no words ever could. His heart swelled with pride and tenderness. She was beautiful, fiercely proud, intelligent—and his.
He pulled her into his arms for a long, lingering kiss. They had all night; they had the rest of their lives to explore their passion and savor the elemental connection forming between them.
A simple white wimple covered her glorious hair. She helped him remove it and unweave the braid. Combing his fingers through the thick, wavy strands, Dominic momentarily closed his eyes as the softness caressed his fingers. “So beautiful.”
He unlaced her woolen gown and tugged it down along her arms. Rowena pulled the long-sleeved chemise off over her head and stepped from the gown in one fluid movement. The fair perfection of her form was revealed to his anxious eyes as she stood before him, silently waiting for direction.
Dominic pushed her hair behind her shoulders and leisurely explored her curves with appreciation and longing. Her arms remained at her sides, her firm, round breasts quivered slightly as her breathing accelerated. Raising his gaze to her mouth, he watched her tongue wet her lower lip. He wanted to touch her, to kiss and caress her, but the tension humming between them was too exciting to ignore. Anticipation heightened the pleasure, and Dominic was in no hurry.
Rowena felt her nipples tighten into achy little buds, and he had yet to touch her. Already her core ached with throbbing need. Her skin tingled as his dark blue gaze moved in leisurely assessment across her flesh. If he couldn’t decide how best to begin, then she would have to help him.
She stepped forward and grabbed the hem of his sturdy tunic, tugging it up along his torso until, with a muffled chuckle, he raised his arms and allowed her to pull the garment off over his head. Before he could successfully disentangle his arms and toss the tunic aside, Rowena had moved on to his linen braies. He quickly kicked off his shoes and released his knitted leggings as she attacked the drawstring securing his remaining garment. She pushed it down over his hips, until it fell to his ankles and he kicked it aside.
Rowena gazed at his nakedness and then threw herself against him. Dominic laughed. Her obvious eagerness seemed to please him. Running her palms up along his chest, she encircled his neck and molded herself against the entire length of his hard, hot body. She needed so much more than what her hands could touch. She needed all of him, touching her, filling her, part of her. A groan escaped her throat. She tangled her hands in the thickness of his dark hair and looked up into his shining eyes. “Kiss me, Dominic, please.”
He growled an unintelligible response just before his mouth sealed over hers. Rowena responded eagerly to his demand, parting her lips and seeking his tongue with hers. Pressing her breasts against his chest, she rubbed her nipples against the hair sprinkled across his skin. One of his legs eased between hers, and Rowena gasped. She clutched his shoulders and arched her pelvis, grinding her mound against his thigh.
“Easy, love,” he whispered, separating their bodies.
Rowena moaned. Cool air wafted across her heated skin, compounding her loss. Did he not want her as desperately as she wanted him?
Tossing back her hair, Rowena stubbornly reached for him again. She clutched his upper arms, her fingers digging into his thick biceps. She pressed her mouth to the upper curve of his chest, trailing hot, wet kisses down to his flat nipple. The frantic pounding of his heartbeat pulsed beneath her lips, hinting at his desire. Her tongue darted out to explore the dark circle of flesh, teasing him as he had often teased her. She sucked the hardened tip into her mouth and heard his ragged sigh. If his body responded to the same sorts of stimuli he used to arouse her, then the possibilities were intriguing.
She wanted him to tremble. She needed him desperate for her.
Dropping gracefully to her knees, she nuzzled her cheek against his flat abdomen and lowered her gaze to the target of her brazen exploration.
His shaft had already hardened in anticipation of their joining. Rowena trailed teasing fingertips across his lean flanks and slowly closed her hand around his erection. A harsh gasp from Dominic rewarded her daring, and Rowena became bolder still. She couldn’t doubt his desire, but he wasn’t trembling—yet.
Extending her tongue, she circled the flared tip crowning his shaft and waited to see his reaction. One of his hands moved to the back of her neck, preventing her retreat. He didn’t force her forward, but it was obvious he wanted her mouth on him. Parting her lips, she slowly slid him into her mouth, flicking her tongue against his tip as he sank deeper.
There was nothing tentative in his response this time. He groaned loudly and rocked his hips forward. He pulled back, and she understood the movement he needed from her. She tightened her lips around him, swirling her tongue as he moved in and out of her mouth. He held the back of her head with a steady pressure, but Rowena knew that if she tried to pull away he’d let her go. She didn’t want to pull away. The tension in his body clearly sang her praises. Each gasp, each throaty moan was its own reward.
He began to tremble, and Rowena’s body responded forcefully to the knowledge that this battle-hardened knight was shaking uncontrollably because of her. She felt her head spin dizzily, and her breasts ached for his attention. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the sensations coursing through her body in response to his desire.
Finally, with a hoarse cry, Dominic stepped back, quickly pulling out of her clinging mouth.
“God’s blood, Rowena,” he gasped. “I can stand no more.”
“Then, lie down, my lord,” she purred with a smug little smile.
The hazy languor in his midnight blue eyes instantaneously flared into demand. She released a nervous chuckle as he took a menacing step toward her. The nearly euphoric power she had experienced moments before fizzled, leaving only a trembling uncertainty. He was so much bigger than she, so much stronger.
A startled gasp escaped her when he effortlessly swept her up into his arms and strode with her toward the bed. “I…I�
�m sorry.” He tossed her onto the mattress and came down immediately on top of her.
His elbows rested to each side of her shoulders, and he levered himself up, his face hovered over hers. “Sorry? Sorry I want you so much I nearly lost control? Sorry I ache for you still? Or sorry it’s my turn now to make you tremble?”
He didn’t allow her to answer his string of questions. He kissed her with slow, gentle tenderness until Rowena melted into him, surrendering completely to the power of their desire.
Inhibition fell away. She felt free for the first time in her life, to express the feelings surging through her being. Her heart was so filled with love and tenderness that it was nigh unto bursting.
Her hands greedily moved across the hard contours of his back. She couldn’t absorb the feeling of his warm skin fast enough.
She cried out when he tore his mouth from hers, but he moved from her face to her neck and began a thorough investigation of her sensitive skin. Chills and hot little tingles took turns racing down her spine as his mouth moved across her shoulders and on to her breasts. Her nipples had been hard and aching for so long, she moaned when his mouth finally closed over first one then the other. She needed this burning nearly as much as she hungered for the release she knew would follow.
He nipped and licked his way down her torso and across her quivering abdomen. She knew what he intended and eagerly parted her thighs. There was no need to protect herself from him. She was safe within his arms, free to abandon herself completely to the pleasure.
His mouth danced along her inner thigh, purposely avoiding the throbbing apex to skim down the other side. Rowena moaned. “Please, my love, please.”
Gently he touched her with just his fingertips, lightly brushing the damp curls that concealed her feminine secrets. She shuddered and arched her back, asking and offering. Dominic leaned in close and fanned her with his warm breath. The persistent ache intensified.
He pushed two fingers into her core, and she felt her entire body convulse for a moment before resuming its rhythmic pulsing. She trembled. This was bliss, and he had barely begun. Holding her open with one hand, he slid in and out with the other, his gaze intent upon her face.
Tears of the Dragon Page 21