With a slight chuckle in his voice, Kendrick pulled them away. "You are much too beautiful to hide yourself, Isabeau," he murmured as his gaze lowered to her exposed breasts. "Any man in his right mind would sell his soul just for one to look at you."
Tears misted her eyes but she refused to shed the moisture. It was only her body that would be used tonight, not her mind, heart or soul, she tried to tell herself. Deep down, she knew it was more than that and that once she returned to Henstrige, she would seek a confessor if Kendrick allowed it.
Kendrick sank to his knees as his hands cupped the milky globes with an expert touch. His mouth descended on one ripened, quivering nipple while his free hand kneaded the other. Gently, he exerted a maddening pressure that soared through her body and mixed with the heat of his touch. Isabeau closed her eyes and delved into the deep pool of emotions as all the feelings came together in one great rush. Her skin heated as the dull throb between her legs intensified.
Kendrick switched, paying the other breast the same attention. Her hands intertwined in the silky black tresses, arching against his mouth so that her breast completely filled it. Small gasps of pleasure escaped her throat, sounding foreign as though another woman made them. Did that voice belong to her? Isabeau’s hand slipped to her mouth. Her soul was damned for what she was about to do as well as the abandonment of her crown.
With all the effort that was in her, Isabeau pushed Kendrick away. His eyes snapped open. "Why are you stopping me this time?"
Her tears returned but she refused to shed them. "This is not right. You do not even care for me. I am nothing but a trophy to you."
"That is where you are wrong, Isabeau. I care for you more than you realize," he murmured as he toyed with her hardened nipples.
The whirling sea of emotion battered her senses. "But what about my soul? If I make love with you tonight, I will be damned forever."
"If someone’s soul goes to hell, let it be mine. I cannot go one another day without tasting your fruit," he whispered. With that, he released the thin leather lacings on his tunic and drew it over his head. His tanned skin created an ethereal glow against the light as every muscle twitched with a life of its own.
He removed his boots and laid them aside. The leather strings snaked out like tentacles next to the dark fabric of his tunic. With that, Kendrick stood and towered over her at his full height. His eyes glimmered with a fathomless depth as he unlaced the strap holding his braes releasing it to the floor. Without a word, he grasped her hands and placed them on his narrow hips, helping her push his breeches slowly to his feet. He stepped out of them and took her hand in a gentle grip.
Isabeau felt the shivers of anticipation thrum along her veins as her hungry eyes feasted on him. Long legs, well muscled, met at his hips. From his small waist, his body widened to broad shoulders and thick arms. Her gaze fell downward. Around his navel was a sprinkling of black hairs creating a dark shadow plunging downward. Her stare followed the trail of the shadow. Ebony curls created a veritable forest of hair keeping his manhood, aroused and eager, within. Isabeau gasped. She had seen him naked before but not in this state.
She could not do this.
Her lips parted to form protest but his finger fell on them again. With a swift motion, Kendrick pushed the remainder of her gown to her feet. "Now we are as we should be," he murmured as he pulled her against his naked form, stroking her head with the softest of caresses. "Do not be afraid, Isabeau. I will never hurt you."
She trembled against him. "I cannot help but be afraid," she whispered against his chest as his arms tightened around her.
Kendrick tilted her head up, peering into her eyes with a fierce determination. "With me, you will never have to be afraid. Nothing will ever harm you while you are at my side."
"But...."
The swift descent of his lips halted the flow of words from her mouth. His tongue danced around the inside of her mouth, encouraging hers to do the same. With slow and unsure motions, she followed his lead. The rhythm of her heart found a new pace, hammering at the inside of her chest. Her limbs felt full of fire. Those flames would consume her before she had a chance to stop what was about to happen.
With a quiet urgency, Kendrick encouraged her to the floor. The furs felt soft and warm against her back, as she moved over them. She nestled into them for warmth but realized she did not need to. The heat from Kendrick’s body was all she would require.
His lips moved from her mouth to her neck where his tongue danced in the hollow of her throat. Tiny cries of pleasure escaped her mouth as he moved. Is this what the servant girls talked about when the gossiped about lovemaking? She had overheard many conversations and listened intently. Several times afterward, she would try to imagine what lovemaking was like. What she dreamed of was nothing like Kendrick’s ministrations. Her idea was of a man only pleasuring himself then leaving her feeling used. Was Kendrick different than most men?
His hands caressed her legs, cupping her buttocks in order to hold her in a hard line to his body. Those sensuously full lips burned a searing trail of kisses down to her breasts where he toyed with them again in order to bring them to ripened fullness.
Waves of ecstasy washed over her again and again, enveloping her in a plethora of the most wonderful feelings. Kendrick caressed her body with endless motion, lifting her senses to the highest of heights.
Without warning, he shifted in a slight motion, moving his lips back to hers. His large hand brought her right leg up to wrap around his waist while her left was encouraged to do the same. She obliged as the water of passion drew her deeper below its rippled surface, a place she did not care if she ever returned from.
He entered her with a slow, easy thrust. She stiffened as the pain burst through her body, exploding in her brain. Kendrick slowed his strokes to keep from tearing her delicate tissues, his hands holding his body up so that his full weight was not on her. With each successive stroke the pain lessened. Isabeau’s hips bucked each time before slipping into a natural rhythm all her own. Gasps of unbridled ecstasy rose, mingled with Kendrick’s desire. Suddenly, she felt a paroxysm of heat wash over her, making her shudder uncontrollably.
What was wrong with her?
Kendrick jerked, thrusting violently into her. Isabeau felt a wash of liquid warmth deep inside her passage. He thrust one last time then fell to her side, limp and sweaty but well sated. He took a deep breath, laying a callused hand on her perspiration-slicked shoulder. "Are you ... all ... right ... Isabeau?" he gasped as his lips laid a light, feathery kiss on her skin.
She turned over as her mind screamed those dreaded words to her. Harlot, wanton woman and a host of others came to the forefront. Why could she not care more about her own people that the rising needs of her body? Right now, the Castilian people could be under siege and there was nothing she could do about it. She selfishly enjoyed the comfort of Kendrick’s arms while people who needed her may be dying. What was wrong with her?
She nodded. "Aye, that I am."
"Nay, you are not, Isabeau. Are you torn? I tried to be as gentle as possible with you."
Tears of shame and regret filled her eyes, spilling down the corners. "No," she sniffed and wiped the tears away. The last thing she wanted him to see was her weakness.
His dark brows knitted together in a frown as he drew her reluctant body into his arms "Then what is it? Come tell me what ails you. It will make you feel better."
Her resolve nearly weakened. She wanted to tell him all that troubled her but she could not. Doing so would open the doorway of her heart a crack. That structure must stay closed forever. "Nay, milord. I cannot. Please let me be." The smell rising from his skin spoke of his masculinity, arousing her senses even more but she could not give into the temptation again no matter what it took.
"Never," he whispered into the damp tendrils of her hair. His hand caressed her shoulder, inflaming her senses completely. How could it be that one man’s touch could arouse a woman to the highest peaks?
Outside, the wind whispered through the grove of trees, rustling the dry leaves. Animals called to each other in the depths of the night and begged for companionship. Then, deep within the living forest, came the cry of the wolf. It was a call to his mate-- akin to Kendrick’s calling to her. Could she resist that call before it was too late?
"You must send me back, milord. My people need me. They have no Queen...."
"They have my father as their King."
Her anger boiled over the edge. "I am their Queen! I demand that you send me back!"
Kendrick’s lips descended on her shoulder, slowly working their way up to her neck and re-igniting the wanton flame. "Nay, you will not go," he murmured against her neck. His warm breath touched the skin as surely as his hand did. "You will remain at my side where you belong."
Her body started to move its own volition as his hands traveled to all the sensitive regions. "I ... do ... not ... belong ... to ... you," she gasped as her sex burned with renewed desire. "I must return."
Kendrick shifted his damp body over hers again and she felt the tip of his insistently hard manhood against her inner thigh. Surely, he did not mean to take her again? "You speak too much, Isabeau," he whispered in a low, sexually provocative voice, "In a few moments, Castile will be the furthest thing from your mind."
* * * *
Sweet chirps of the birds brought her out of the fathom of sleep as they welcomed the new sun. Isabeau opened her eyes. Brilliant light seeped in through the open tent flap and chased away the dark shadows. Luscious air filled the room, a heady mixture of nature and the scent of lovemaking. She blinked several times in an effort to clear away the sleep. She was a virgin no longer. At first, she thought last night to be a dream but the dull ache between her legs assured her it was not.
Isabeau, reluctant to pull herself from the warm, soft brown furs, sat up and sighed. Today she was a new woman, instructed in the way of love. She frowned. It was not love. It was lust, pure and simple. How could she return to her people and be a trusted ruler when her body swayed with the simplest of emotions?
She glanced to her left side. Kendrick was gone. Where did he go? Isabeau sighed and pushed the wild tendrils of hair from her face. She knew why he had left. Kendrick was displeased about her inexperience and sulked about it in the glen. More than likely, he could come in later and tell her that it was all a mistake. Her heart sank. Why did she commit such a grievous sin?
Before she could pray to God about her sin, the smell of roasting meat drifted through the flap of the tent. Her belly growled in response. What smelled so good?
Wrapping one of the heavier bear furs around her, she peered out of the tent. Tall grasses swayed with the breeze, the leaves riffling with the same whispers. Soft rustles pierced the quiet air, adding to the relaxed ambiance.
Kendrick sat with his broad, tanned back to her, dressed in only his boots and braes before the roaring flame. His jet colored hair streamed down his shoulders in wet tendrils, lying flat against his skin and outlining the size of his muscles. He had his left leg drawn up so that he could rest his elbow on it. Extended from his hand was a gnarled stick. At the end was a rabbit roasting nicely over the fire.
A smile curled her lips. He was truly magnificent to look at. Isabeau took a deep breath, letting out a long sigh. Despite his haunting dark beauty, she must keep her ardor locked away.
Kendrick turned as if he sensed her presence then gave her a boyish grin. "I see you are up. Are you hungry?"
Ribbons of steam and aroma drifted from the cooking carcass. The delicious smell tantalized her nostrils and encouraged her belly to growl in agreement. "Aye, Kendrick. When did you go hunting?" She stepped beyond the safety of the tent settling next to the green expanse beside him but remaining as distant as possible. She could not risk the desire his proximity caused.
"When I went to the spring," he remarked in a satisfied tone as he shook his wet head to demonstrate its dampness, "I knew I was hungry. I assumed you would be too so I brought it back."
Kendrick seemed so sincere with his regard for her welfare that she was forced to smile. "Much thanks, milord, for thinking of me."
Strange lights twinkled at the depths of his dark eyes. "How could I not think of you?" His dark brows arched upwards. "You are a most unforgettably sensuous woman."
As the warm swell of sensuality washed over her, Isabeau felt a wall of comforting trust slowly re-build. Her cheeks heated up. Would she be able to give her heart to him without fear of its destruction?
Kendrick pulled the rabbit away from the fire and removed several small cooked pieces, handing the steaming meat to her. "Here, I want you to eat."
Isabeau took them and slipped the hot, savory morsels in her mouth. The salty tang of the meat satisfied the hunger in her belly.
Kendrick leaned back and stretched his legs out, the soft rustle of leather against leather filling the air. His hand sank into the green, dewy grass for support while the other held the stick over the fire. He cast her a lusty look. "Are you all right, Isabeau?"
She nodded. "Aye, milord, though I am a little tired."
"’Tis to be expected. Once you get used to me, you will find the pain will disappear and bliss will replace it."
"But how do you know...?" Her words trailed off and she clamped her mouth shut. Of course he knew. Hers must not have been the only innocence he had taken over his life.
A slight chuckle escaped his throat. "That is my little secret, Isabeau. However, you will find my words to be true."
Isabeau turned her face toward the fire and watched the flames dance higher. Did she mean nothing to him, another faceless body he would use from time to time only to be tossed aside for another? Nay she would not let it be this way! For all the wantonness of her body, she must escape his arms, no matter how reluctant her flesh may be.
* * * *
The sun sank low behind the lazy white cloud like a bright orange ball. Honeysuckle perfumed air wafted through the rocky ridge and lifted stray, golden tendrils from her neck. Isabeau sighed deeply as she stared at the setting sun. Could anything be better than this?
Kendrick’s soft caress at the hollow of her neck brought her back to reality. "How are you feeling, Isabeau?"
His lips descended onto her neck where he teased the flesh with his tongue, encouraging feelings of desire to course through her veins again. "I am a little sore," she confessed and sighed, "but as you said, it will go away in time."
Strong arms came around, encircling her tight. The cool leather felt soft against her skin, full of his deep masculine scent. She turned to face him. Her arms went around his waist, trailing up his back as he hugged her in a tight embrace. "Aye, it will, Isabeau. You will find lovemaking becomes easier and sweeter each time."
Isabeau remained silent as the determined echo of his voice died on her ears. How could she continue to share his bed when she did not love him nor was she his wife? Worst of all, her people could be suffering at this very moment while she spent her lust in Kendrick’s arms. If she were any kind of monarch at all, she would disregard the feelings of her own body and find away to escape to Castile.
* * * *
Little remained of the night as the darkness lightened and gave way to early morning. She lay next to Kendrick in the soft depths of the furs, the little hairs brushing her back with a gentle touch. They had made love twice with an almost fierce abandon, as though he could not get enough of her body. He took special care not to injure her aching flesh and took her to the heights of heaven.
You are growing fond of him, almost too fond.
Isabeau turned on her side and put a hand on his warm, taut shoulder. The golden skin under her fingers felt alive and warm, exciting her beyond all measure. Was there a name to these stirrings?
Kendrick’s dark eyes opened, his ebony lashed lids blinking quickly several times. "What ‘tis the matter?" he mumbled as his strong arm went around her, drawing her closer to the welcome warmth of his body. "
Did I hurt you?" he murmured in a sleep filled tone as his eyes closed.
Isabeau shook her head a little. "Nothing, milord," she lied. Her fingers traced lazy patterns over his smooth chest. Under her touch, the skin broke out in gooseflesh, almost as if it quivered from her caresses.
His hand stroked her back in lazy swirls. "You cannot fool me, Isabeau. I can hear it in your voice. Something still troubles you."
The inner struggle brewed hotter. "I cannot do this! I cannot let you enjoy my body without benefit of marriage. ‘Tis a sin!" She felt her heart thunder against her ribcage as those words fell from her lips. Her body cried out for his touch. No, it demanded his caress or else it would not rest. Why did he have to awaken that slumbering beast of desire?
Kendrick sat up and drew her closer to the hard line of his body. Underneath the magnificence of his chest, she heard the fast pounding of his heart. "Isabeau, there is nothing wrong with what we are doing. You belong to me and have since the moment our eyes met. You knew it then as you do now. If this truly bothers you, then agree to marry me."
Isabeau pushed away from him and wiped the tears away with the heels of her hands. The brown fur pelt around her breasts fell, exposing the globes to his sight. His gaze fell and from the look in his eye, he desired to touch them again. Nay, he could not! With a quick hand, she snatched the natural fabric over the top part of her body. "I cannot!" she cried, "Even if I wanted to, I could not. My people would not take lightly to having an English Prince Consort."
"They will accept whomever you choose as your husband."
She shrugged his strong hands away from her shoulders as they kneaded the soreness out of her tired muscles. "’Tis not as simple as that! There is much more to consider…."
His voice softened as it rang out in the darkness. "Like what?"
"There … there … I do not know!" she screamed as the unspent tears behind her eyes flowed down her face in a torrent. All of her mixed emotions came out in one spurt causing her body to rack in a violent motion.
Desires Promise Page 16