by Ria Cantrell
“What are you about, Rhi?”
“Your captain of your guard has returned. Come we shall greet him. Now, be cordial. I shall not have you thwarting their reunion.”
“What makes you think he is coming back for the girl?”
Rhianna looked up at him under her long lashes. Those eyes could turn him to stone and sometimes he did not doubt she had the power to do just that.
“Silly me, how could I forget that my sweet sorceress would sense the future.”
“This is no premonition. They belong together and this time, you best hold your tongue.”
Erik smiled at his feisty little wife. He had learned early on that it was futile to defy her.
“Where is the girl?”
“She is having a bath,” Rhianna said innocently. Seeing the glint in her eyes, Erik asked, “Does she know Drew is …”
“Nay, she does not.”
“Woman, what are you up to?”
Rhianna feigned shock, and fluttering her lashes coyly, she said, “Me? Up to something? Why surely I am not. I am just ensuring that silly pride is not going to get in the way of how these two really feel about each other.”
“And just how do you plan to do that?”
“I need not do anything. Nothing like a beautiful naked girl in a steaming bath to dash pride to the wind.”
“Rhianna,” Erik began to scold. “That is unfair. A man can only show so much restraint.”
Rhianna planted her hands on her hips and she said, “Don’t you dare scold me, Erik Ragnorsen. They love each other. They are just both too pigheaded to admit it. Now either you let me work this out my way, or be prepared to escort Bronwyn back to the cold and freezing highlands.”
Erik was always charmed by the spitfire exuded by his wife. He pulled her into his arms and said, “You may have a point, after all. Alright, I will not thwart your plans.”
“Let us go greet your captain.”
Rhianna gave Erik another warning look. He rolled his eyes and said, “I know…I know. I will not pick another fight with him.”
Then Rhianna flashed him that love-filled smile. Erik melted to his very core. Taking her hand to his lips, he kissed her fingers softly. Hand in hand, they went to greet the traveling party.
Drew and his family entered the main hall. Rhianna hugged him. She immediately sensed how ill he had been.
“You are a sight for sore eyes.”
“You are, too, Lady. You look quite well. It seems motherhood agrees with you.”
Rhianna blushed. She had thickened a bit even in the few weeks since they had last been in each other’s presence. She owed him so much for helping bring Erik back to her.
“Thank you. I mostly feel quite well. Drew…I wish I could say the same for you. You look most…unwell.”
Drew smiled sadly. He realized that he would never be able to fool Rhianna.
“Aye, my Lady Witch. I have been terribly ill, but I am better now. Please allow me to introduce you to my parents. May I present Lord and Lady Brandham, my father Geoffrey and my mother Elizabeth.”
“Welcome to Ragnorsen. Please come in and refresh yourselves. We will have a repast brought for you to eat.”
Drew nervously looked around the hall and he shifted from one foot to the other, taking the pressure off the healing leg. It was not unmissed by Rhianna. She would see what had wounded her friend and mix a salve and a draught to help continue his healing. He whispered, “Rhi,” and swallowed deeply. He said one word, “Bronwyn?”
Rhianna’s face fell and said, “She is in the solar. She is packed and ready to return home. You have been gone so long. She has missed you so.”
“I need to see her.”
Rhianna nodded and said, “Go on up.”
Erik tried to mask his thoughts as he knew what was waiting for Drew up in the solar. He forced himself not to smile.
“Don’t let her go back to Scotland, Drew.”
With head bowed, Drew said, “If she wants to go home, I don’t have the right to keep her here.”
Rhianna sighed heavily and said, “Make her want to stay. Go, go. I know she will be so glad to see you.
Chapter Thirty-One
Drew made his way up to the solar trepidatiously. He let himself in, just expecting to find Bronwyn readying for her journey home. He never expected to find her relaxing in a steaming tub. She gasped at the intrusion and tried to cover herself, but as she realized it was Drew, her hands dropped slowly. There was no need for modesty, and there would be nothing to hide from him.
“Oh my God! My good God,” she murmured, almost not believing that she was actually seeing him. She had reconciled in her mind the fact that she would probably never see him again.
Drew warred with his own emotions upon seeing her. She was even more beautiful than his memory had allowed. Her hair was pulled up and pinned on top of her head. Wispy tendrils of auburn tinged silk curled about her neck. Damp curls clung to her cheek. She was flushed from the heat of the bath. Dusky nipples just skimmed the surface of the vat of water. She stared at him with her beautiful tawny eyes, which were wide with surprise in seeing him.
All feelings of missing her and the pain of rejection came flooding back. Rhianna had said she wanted to go home. Drew didn’t know what to do because he had vowed to return her to Scotland if her intent was to go home. He finally spoke, forcing his voice through his tightened vocal chords.
“You look…well. I am glad you have recovered from your ordeal.”
Bronwyn just nodded mutely. Drew continued, fighting to acknowledge that Bronwyn wanted to leave.
“Lady Rhianna told me you are ready to go home.”
“I-I have been very homesick and there seemed to be nothing to hold me once ye’ had….” Bronwyn could not finish the thought. Drew nodded, swallowing down the painful reality.
“If that is what you wish, I will bring you home.”
Bronwyn lowered her eyes and whispered, “That won’t be necessary. I have hurt ye’ enough. Sir Erik has agreed to escort me.”
“You did not…hurt me, but if you are decided about this, I shall respect your wishes.”
Drew felt his heart breaking again. After tomorrow, he would never see her again. Deep down he knew he could not let her go, but he had also made a vow that he would not hold her back from what she truly wanted. He almost could not breathe. This certainly was not what he wanted. He had suffered much because of his own foolish pride. He reached out and brushed his knuckles down her cheek as he had done so many times before. He wanted to beg her to stay. Instead, he said, “I am glad, then, that I made it back in time to say goodbye.”
Bronwyn could hardly bear to look at him, but she could not bear to pull her eyes away. Drew was the man who had been in her dreams since she was a child. Since falling in love with him, he had been in her dreams ever since.
He was going to let her go. She suspected it had more to do with the woman he had reunited with than with her leaving. She just did not have enough time with him to win his heart the way he had won hers. She did not want to think of him with that other woman. It made her feel sick to her stomach even at the slightest thought of it.
The entire time Drew had been ill, visions of Bronwyn had filled his dreams. It made him want to get better; just to see her again, and here he was going to let her go. Drew pulled his gaze away and walked to the door. He couldn’t bear to look at her another minute knowing it was going to be one of the last he would share with her.
She watched him go. So that was it. He was going to let her go. No words of love, nothing mentioned! Bronwyn had sent a letter to him nearly a week ago, explaining how she felt about him, but he did not even make a reference to it. She felt more like a fool, having bared her heart to this man, only to have him reject her in the end. It would have been better if he had not returned. To see him just to say goodbye was too much for her. She turned away, not wanting to watch him cross that doorway again. She did not want him to see her cry again. She ha
d humiliated herself enough.
Drew opened the door and let it close before him. He just could not bring himself to walk through it and let her go forever. When Bronwyn heard the door shut, her emotions burst forth and she sobbed out loud. She did not realize that Drew had not left at all, but stood there watching her. She put her head in her hands and sobbed, “Oh Drew…I love ye’ so….”
Drew’s heart slammed into his bruised ribs. Hoarsely, his voice filled with deep soul penetrating emotion, Drew let go of his pride and said, “I love you too.”
Bronwyn turned to face him; horrified that he had witnessed her humiliating outburst. Drew moved back to the side of the large vat, and he touched her face.
“My God, I have been such a fool. Please don’t go back to Scotland. Please stay with me forever.”
Forgetting about the other woman, forgetting about feeling foolish; forgetting that she was completely naked, Bronwyn stood up in the vat and wrapped her arms around Drew. She was quickly soaking his clothes, but none of that mattered now. All that mattered was that she was in his arms again. He pulled her tightly into his arms and crushed her against him. His lips pressed down on hers and the kiss deepened with all the pent up love and longing they both had felt. He kissed her with all the abandon and loss and pain he had felt from being without her. She was the other half of his heart. He knew that now. There was no running from it anymore.
Feeling her warm and naked in his arms filled Drew instantly with desire. He moved her away from himself just long enough to rid himself of his now sodden clothes. Drawing her out of the bath, he unpinned her hair and he watched as it tumbled over her delicate shoulders. He kissed over her neck, nibbling softly. Her skin was dewy and soft from the bath. He led her nearer to the roaring fire and settled her beside him on the thick fur that was there before the hearth. They took turns touching and familiarizing themselves again with each other. As Bronwyn’s fingers flitted over his back and down his hip, she saw the newly healed wound on his leg. She drew her hand back and gasped at the jagged raw line recently added to his varied other scars. Her eyes searched his with concern and she said, “What happened? How did ye’ get this?”
“It is a long story. I promise to tell you everything, but well, I was distracted and was unhorsed by a wild boar. He then took his chance on me,” Drew said sheepishly.
He was still embarrassed that he had been so careless. Bronwyn wondered what could have distracted him to the point of forsaking his warrior’s instincts. She frowned. It must have been her. Bronwyn inched away from Drew. Suddenly, she didn’t want him to touch her after all. He reached for her, and she recoiled. He wondered at the look of hurt and betrayal in her eyes. He said, “It was careless, I know but I….”
“She must have been quite a woman to take yer’ thoughts away from yer’ natural born instincts,” Bronwyn said, bitterly.
Drew smiled and said, “She is.”
Bronwyn slid away from him and pulled her chemise over her still wet body. She had to get out of this room right now. She could not be near him another minute. Drew stood and grabbed her hand and said, “What are you doing? Why does this make you so angry?”
Not usually prone to jealousy, Bronwyn had listened to Dana tell her how Drew had been reunited with his past lover, and she just could not swallow this bit of news. Anger flashed in her eyes and she said, “Ye’ allowed thoughts of a woman to compromise yer’ instincts. Ye’ could have been killed. And now ye’ think to be with me, after….”
“You--it was you, Bronwyn. I couldn’t get you out of my mind. I needed to ride to clear my head and shake some sense into it. Then I was injured. Before I succumbed to fever, I asked our Welsh harper what you had said to me before I left, when you were still hurt. You spoke to me in Gaelic. When I learned what your words meant, I knew I had been such a fool. ”
Bronwyn stared at him in disbelief. She shook her head and said, “Nay! I dunna’ believe ye’.”
“It’s the truth. I rode out and was so caught in thoughts of what I had done and how foolish I had been, I never heeded the warning my training had prepared me for. It was too late when the boar charged.”
“Dana told me about the other girl…the one ye’ had been with before me. She told me ye’ had reunited with her.”
Drew shook his head in confusion. “I don’t know anyone named Dana. I was involved with someone before I ever met you, t’is true, but I haven’t been with her in months.”
Drew took her shoulders in his strong hands and he turned Bronwyn to look at him. “I swear to you. I tried to be with someone just to forget you and I just could not do it. I missed you so much.”
“Dana said she had seen ye’ in the village. I kept hoping ye’ would come back but ye’ ne’er did. Then she told me that ye’ had been with your other lover.”
“Sweetheart, I was never in the village. I got hurt two days after leaving and then I have been sick in bed ever since. I don’t know who this Dana is, but I promise you I am telling you the truth.”
At his words, Bronwyn looked at him closely. Clarity and understanding of what had actually happened finally penetrated Bronwyn’s mind and heart.
“Ye’--ye’ were sick?”
“Yes. I am not proud to say that I succumbed to the wound and I….”
His words were cut off when Bronwyn sealed her mouth to his. She kissed him fiercely. She kissed him with all the longing and heartache that had plagued her. He broke the kiss and he said, “Do you believe me?”
“Aye. I dunna’ know why Dana would lie to me but….” Oh, she had been such a fool. Dana had said her friend was Drew’s former lover. Of course she would be loyal to her friend. She had feigned friendship with Bronwyn to aid her friend in planting doubt in her own heart.
“Oh Drew, I am so sorry. I should not have listened to her. She just pretended to be my friend. Can ye’ forgive me?”
Drew took her back to the fur by the fire. He needed no words to tell her just how much he forgave her. His mouth hungrily took hers in passion and love. His beautiful Bronwyn was in his arms again and if he could arrange it, he would never be parted from her. Bronwyn slid happily in his arms. She felt him raising the hem of her chemise as he peeled it off her damp skin. His eyes grazed over her hungrily and he just wanted to touch and taste her. He fit his hands gently around her breasts. He was not certain who moaned at the touch and then realized they responded as one.
Drew took her into his arms, cradling her against his lap. He nibbled her neck and lowered his head to gently take a peaked nipple into his lips. She sobbed with hunger, wanting him; needing him. She could feel him harden beneath her and she knew her body was responding in the way only Drew could make her. His hand rested on her hip, and then easing around to the heat emanating from inside of her, he explored the source of that heat. As his hand slid from her inner thigh between her legs, he touched her. Oh yes, she was hot and wet. She was ready for him.
He pulled her over him, as he lay back on the fur. He bent his knees, giving her support against her back as he drew her legs around his hips. She lifted herself slightly to take him inside of her and he held both of her hands as he slowly filled her. His back arched slowly from the floor as he felt his beloved Bronwyn sheathing him with her perfect wet heat. Bronwyn moved over him, taking him deeply, releasing him slightly only to take him deeper again. Her head fell back and her hair cascaded around her shoulders. Her eyes grew dark as desire overtook her.
Drew never took his eyes from her. The feel of her clenching around him took him quickly to that place that he only felt he could reach with her. He raised his back from the floor, as he moved in perfect rhythm with her. He loved watching her move over him; giving her complete control of their motion. It was not going to take long this time, Drew thought. They would take it slower next time. Now they needed it fast. Drew’s hands slid up along her ribcage as he watched her delicious breasts bob before him. Holding her, Drew rolled her onto her back and took her legs around him. He then delved
deeper, thrusting faster and harder. He gave no thought to the ache in his leg. It did not register. Only pleasure surged within them both. Bronwyn’s breath came in short gasps as she rose up to meet each pulse. Drew’s leafy green eyes were darkened with passion as well as he watched her. He saw her little tongue peak from her lips, licking them as they were suddenly dry.
As Drew felt the wonderful clenching around him, he could no longer hold back. Bronwyn felt the power of his release, and she shuddered under him, finding blissful pleasure in feeling him fill her with his hot seed. She moaned not so very softly as she also joined him in release.
He smoothed her hair from her face and he whispered, “I almost died without you. I thought I would be able to forget you…to forget what we shared, but I could not.”
She felt him roll to his side, next to her, releasing himself from within her and he leaned up on one arm while the other hand stroked down her stomach and hip. She sat up and kissed him. He looked around the room and quickly got up, grabbing his clothes. He haphazardly threw on his soaked clothes and handed her the crumpled chemise. He watched her put it on and he said, “Come with me…I want this time to be slow and tender. I want to cherish every inch of you.”
Taking her hand, Drew left the solar with her, and they hastily made their way back to his apartments, which had become Bronwyn’s room while he had been away. He planned to love her again very soon, but as he promised it would be slow and careful. They had time now and Drew fully intended to take it.
~~~~~~~
Rhianna went up to the solar and found it empty. She padded down to Bronwyn’s and Drew’s apartments and softly opened the door an inch. She was not trying to spy, but she was hoping that Drew and Bronwyn had put aside their grievances. She quickly closed the door and made her way back down to the main hall.