“Oh thank goodness for Alicia.”
“I second that.” He sealed it with a searing kiss.
Chapter 36
This time on the ship, they slept quite nicely together, cuddling for each other’s warmth and knowing they would never be complete without the other. The journey wasn’t at all as tedious as the one before. When land was called this time, Lillian was looking forward to being home.
As they set foot on solid ground, Eriik was pleased to see his kinsmen and people from the village receive Lillian with eager cries of welcome. They were glad to see her and it did his heart good. Lillian’s eyes were full as she now considered these people her own. Eriik didn’t need a wagon to take his treasure home from this journey, the most valuable treasure in the world was holding his hand and walking happily with him. As they neared his keep, he swept Lillian up into his arms and carried her across the threshold, “Welcome to my, uh, our home, sweet. This is how you should have entered the house of Thorennson in the beginning my lady, and I’m truly sorry you did not. I never explained to you the why of it all and you deserve more. I fell in love with you the first moment I laid eyes on your beauty and I selfishly had to have you. I can’t say I’m sorry because if I had not, you wouldn’t be here now, but I am sorry the tortures you suffered at my hand.”
“My love, I’m not sorry for anything that happened because otherwise I would be married to that evil excuse of a man. If there is anything to forgive, I give it willingly.”
He set her down as if she might break and scorched his lips on hers in a kiss they would both remember forever.
One of Eriik’s men waited patiently until Lillian spied him, “Excuse my lady, where might I put your things?”
Without one bit of embarrassment she said boldly, “In the lord’s chamber, please. My lord, I would have a word.”
They walked hand in hand to his chamber and when she entered, she sighed. She never thought she would see this lovely room again when she was held in Montfort’s house of horrors. She turned and closed the door quietly, walked over to Eriik, put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him with such urgency, it surprised him for a second, but not one moment longer as he returned her kiss in kind. She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck and grabbed his long, golden hair, running her fingers through it, deepening the kiss, entwining her tongue with his. She could feel the tingling at the apex of her thighs and reveled in the beautiful torment. Eriik picked her up and sat her on the bed as they started to slowly undress one another. She was determined to see and feel his naked body. It was magnificent and it had been too long since she had laid eyes on the hard and taught muscles she craved. The long days in the bedroom at Montfort’s she had dreamed of this day and promised herself if it ever came to pass she would make it a day Eriik would never forget and she meant it to be this day. She was stroking the solid muscles of his chest and it felt wonderful but she broke away to caress his groin. He groaned and started to stop her, he was afraid since it had been so long, he would not be able to stop himself from ripping her clothes off and ramming himself inside of her and he wanted this to last all afternoon. She had never murmured the word before but looked at him with longing, “Let me touch your cock, my love.” That was indeed his undoing. He had never heard anything sexual come out of Lillian’s mouth and all he could say was, “my lady.” He held his arms by his side and let her have her way. She untied his breeches and it was huge, straining for release. As it sprang from his trousers, she marveled at its strength as she wrapped her small hands around the thickness and length of it. As she was exploring this wonderful part of Eriik’s body, he was undressing her, reveling in her flawless body with his hungry eyes. Her nakedness and fondling was causing havoc with his senses. “Oh by the gods you are testing my will, sweet.”
She looked at him seductively, and to his utter amazement she lowered her head and tasted his cock with her tongue, tentatively at first then more boldly as she felt his gasp and then moans of pure pleasure. She had heard whispers of this act before and was disgusted, but with Eriik, she was getting wetter by the second hearing his sighs of delight. It made her feel powerful and after all the ecstasy he had given her, she wanted to make him feel the same way. She was rolling her tongue around the tip and down to the shaft and started to feel quite comfortable with this new way of loving him when Eriik stopped her, “Sweet, I must have you, now!”
He rolled her quickly onto her back and entered her body so slick and wet as gently as he could possibly manage at this point and after just a couple of strokes, all of his great muscles tensed, his face grimaced, his eyes closed, and he called out Lillian’s name in a roar, then he relaxed just for a moment, “By the gods woman, you have bewitched me. I have never, uh, how did you learn how to…” She put her fingers to his lips,
“I listen and I learn.”
“What has gotten into ya girl?”
“Besides you my lord?” She giggled.
As he laughed with her, she started the rhythm of the ages, as old as time. She had held herself in check because she wanted to hear and feel him completely, but now it was her turn. He was soft inside of her but she could definitely feel him and she started to rock, squeezing her muscles, holding him inside. She pressed her legs, then relaxed them. It felt glorious because little by little, she felt the hardness returning. Her muscles seized him from inside her body and he replied with his. They matched one another stroke for stroke. She arched her back as she was reaching for a place in the heavens she knew was there and only he could take her. He was gathering all his clues from her body and doing exactly what she needed. Slower, faster, whatever she desired, “Eriik, I want to be on top.” He spun her on top of him and gently lowered her over him and she celebrated the fullness of him inside her. She began the tightening of her muscles, over and over, again and again. She bent over to give him access to her breasts and his tongue enjoyed the majesty of her erect, pink nipples to excite him even more. All of a sudden, her breath started coming in short gasps, she was close to the precipice, her muscles were grasping his cock in a life or death grip and she would have her way, come what may because she was there. “Oh God, oh my God, yes!” She was trembling and exhausted as she fell on Eriik’s chest and placed tiny kisses on his neck and chest, finally navigating up to his lips.
“As I keep trying to tell you my love, I’m only a man,” he said laughing.”
“I’ll have to disagree with you after what I’ve just experienced.”
They both laughed together, Eriik still inside her warmth. She rose up all of a sudden as if she’d forgotten something, “Can you have another?”
“No my dear, I’m quite satisfied. I’ve exhausted myself and if I tried, you would be walking bowlegged tomorrow.”
They both laughed as he gently slid from within her and they held each other into the night. Much later they made gentle, sweet love one more time before they found sleep in each other’s arms.
Chapter 37
They emerged late the next morning sated from a wonderful night of glorious lovemaking and ready for the day ahead. Unfortunately for Eriik, he had a council he had to attend, “Lillian will you go with me? After the joining ceremony, you will sit beside me and we will make decisions together, after all.”
“Of course, I’d love to see how your council works.”
After breakfast, they walked to the council dwelling, hand in hand. Eriik seated Lillian as close to him as possible, not being able to sit beside him, not yet anyway. After they were joined, she would be by his side always.
Complaints and problems were brought to the Jarl’s attention and he and his advisors solved as many as possible and then Lord Asgaut stepped forward with Helgi at his side.
Eriik had an uneasy feeling.
“Yes Lord Asgaut, what do you say?”
He was practically snarling at Eriik, “I believe Jarl Thorennson, your advisors should hear me, as my complaint is against you.”
“Sta
te your grievance, then we will make that decision.”
“Well, this is a delicate matter. You have lain with a lady, my daughter, Lady Helgi Asgaut, who is with child, your child, a good and true blooded Norsewoman, but I hear you are planning to join with a foreign woman and she will be your wife. This is not of our customs. I understand the ways of the heart, but my daughter should be your one wife and the foreign woman, well…” he shrugged.
“Lord Asgaut, I beg to differ. Lady Helgi is indeed a good and true Norsewoman but you are misinformed, she and I did not lie together and the child she carries is not mine.”
The entire room gasped.
“You insult me and mine my lord!”
“I mean no insult, I simply tell the truth.”
“No, my lord, you are speaking from your heart.”
Eriik stood up with a look of pure rage on his face and Lord Asgaut started to tread closer to the dais.
Lillian silently rose from her seat, causing everyone to stare.
The room quieted and Lillian said simply, “Helgi, Lady Asgaut, if I understand correctly, this is simple. You claim Eriik had relations with you and Eriik, I mean Lord Thorennson claims he did not. I know a sure way to decide who is telling the truth and who is not. Simply describe the shape of Eriik’s birthmark to the right of his, uh…”
Helgi erupted furiously, “I will do no such thing. To say anything further than it exists would be absolutely vulgar. No lady would entertain such an unattractive conversation. You claim to be a lady but apparently you are not!”
Lillian simply sat down with the outside of her lips just the slightest bit upturned. No one even noticed, except Eriik.
Lord Asgaut was furious, “Jarl Thorennson, what is the meaning of this outrageous act?”
Eriik seemed amused, “Please pardon my lady, she is trying to untangle this seemingly unsolvable problem.”
“How can being rude and offensive solve the problem?”
“Well now let’s see, Lady Lillian asked Lady Helgi to describe the birthmark to the right of my uh, well suffice to say on a place on my body one wouldn’t ordinarily see. Lady Helgi said she would say nothing further than it exists but would not be ill-mannered and describe it. Is that about it?” He smiled and Lady Lillian smiled back at him.
Lord Asgaut was not pleased, “I don’t see anything funny about this. My daughter is a lady who does not stoop to crude conversation, and this is far from solved.”
“This has been solved, because you see Lord Asgaut, I have no birthmark.”
The room exploded into a roar. Eriik held his hand up to hold down the commotion.
“I hold no grudge against you or your daughter but I suggest you leave this place immediately, find the child’s father and inform him of the good news. I will assume you had no knowledge of this fallacy, Lord Asgaut?”
Lord Asgaut appeared stunned, “No, no Lord Thorennson, I swear to you. My daughter will be punished for this, I promise you.” Her father took Helgi’s arm and dragged her out of the council house none too gently and could be heard yelling at her quite a way down the road.
“If there is no more business, I call this meeting to an end. I’ll call for ayes or nays.”
All called “Aye.”
As Eriik and Lillian made their way back home, Eriik was beaming, “My lady is not only beautiful but very shrewd as well.”
“I couldn’t lose the love of my life to a pretender.”
“And how did you know she was a pretender? How did you know we had not lain together?”
“You told me you had not and I believed you, and that is that.”
“What a remarkable woman you are.”
Chapter 38
The joining ceremony, or wedding as Lillian preferred calling it was upon them. It was Friday, Frigga’s sacred day, the goddess of childbearing. She had obviously already blessed Lillian and Eriik as two would be walking down the aisle, instead of only one. This knowledge made Lillian even happier than she would have been otherwise. Carrying Eriik’s child was the most wondrous feeling in the world.
Lillian had asked permission to wear the wedding gown she had brought from England from her hope chest and was granted her wish. They were going to blend the ceremonies to reflect some of Lillian’s traditions, such as her gown, with the Norse. The Norse traditions would be upheld in the fullest, such as the wearing of the traditional head dress by Lillian. She insisted it be that way and Eriik was grateful. She wanted to walk down the aisle to meet Eriik as she would have done in England and there was no Norse rule that prohibited it, so Renouf would stand in for her father and give her away. He would provide her with the sword to give Eriik that would be passed down to their first born son. Bjorn, standing in as Eriik’s male relative would bring Eriik’s sword to hold high during the ceremony, as well as an axe, to symbolize Thor’s mastery of the union.
Lillian’s gown was white silk and lace with tiny silk buttons that reached down the back of her exquisite gown with lace that reached up to enhance her graceful neck. Alicia was stunned as she helped her dress, “Oh Lady Lillian, you look gorgeous. Lord Thorennson will be swept away by your beauty and charm.”
“You’re too kind, dear. I expect to be attending your wedding soon what with the rumors I’ve been hearing. I would be honored to help you when the time comes.”
Alicia blushed and whispered, “I can only hope. Oh goodness, it would be my greatest pleasure and honor to have you be a part of my wedding.”
“No need to hope, Renouf is smitten with you. Eriik tells me so.”
“Really my lady?”
“Of course. Why else would he be working so hard to learn English?”
Alicia blushed as she held up the long train and gasped with delight. She would be following behind Lillian walking down the aisle holding up the yards and yards of silk. Lillian thought perhaps Alicia was almost as excited as she was.
As she heard the beautiful music and the drums, she knew it must be the time she had wished and prayed for all her life, marrying the man she loved.
“Alicia, it is time for me to meet my groom.”
The joining ceremony, the wedding, was lovely. The words were beautiful and the presenting of swords was awe-inspiring. Lillian couldn’t have been happier and she could tell Eriik was too. Her father had promised she would be allowed to marry for love and in a complicated round-about way he had kept his promise. Perhaps God had helped. However she decided it was most likely Eriik, as he always got his way when he was determined and he had indeed been unwavering in his dogged determination that they be together. She couldn’t thank God enough for her wonderful, stubborn Viking.
The feast after the ceremony was fabulous. Everyone in the village turned out and seemed genuinely happy for the couple. By the time they separated themselves from the throngs of well-wishers and managed to get away to their bed chamber, they were more than ready to be alone and find the marriage bed. They were tired but not too weary to make slow, sensual love, savoring every moment as husband and wife, joined for life, and perhaps even after, if the gods deemed it so. Eriik wanted it that way and as Lillian was well aware, Eriik always got his way.
Epilogue
Lillian gave birth to a healthy son with golden hair like the sun and as handsome and strong as his father. No one could have been as proud as Eriik as he showed him off to his kinsmen and villagers alike. One afternoon, while their new son, Lars, was suckling at his mother’s breast, Eriik sat down to cuddle both his heart’s desires, “What a lucky boy.”
Lillian grinned. Her husband was always thinking of ways of the flesh and she was always pleased he was so inclined.
“How I love you my handsome Norseman.”
“And how I love you my beautiful wife, my love, my life, my passion, my desire.”
THE END
>
Viking's Desire: Sexy-Romance Novel: A Viking Love Story Page 14