by C. C. Wiley
James tipped her backward. Lifting her hips, he slid the gown off of her waist and stripped it away. His legs braced, he knelt and left a trail of kisses along her ribcage. Her body bucked involuntarily when he dipped his fingers into her core. Her muscles contracted from his touch. She pulled him.
“Now,” she cried. “Now.”
Denying her request, he knelt between her legs and brought his lips to the pink tongue of her apex. His lapped at the dew forming on her nether lips until Terrwyn cried for more.
He released her long enough to strip off his clothing. She smiled up at him and wrapped her thighs around his waist. He lifted her onto his primed flesh and plunged until they could no longer hold control.
James awoke with a start. Terrwyn’s shoulder quivered against his chest, her breasts brushing his ribcage. “Terrwyn?” His concern mounted when she did not respond but kept her face buried in his neck.
“What is it, love? Are you ill?”
She lifted her head. Her eyes sparking, she grinned and a chuckle escaped. “Nay, I realized that had we traveled together in the first place, I would not have been sick at all.”
James looked at her warily. He glanced at her hands to ensure they did not contain a weapon of some sort. Instead, his silver band lay in her palm. He read the word engraved inside. Brotherhood.
“You don’t have to look at me like that.” She poked him in the ribs. When his expression did not change she added, “All I mean is that you fill me with more than thoughts of the rocking of the ship. I cannot feel it moving when you are filling me.” She licked at the place where she’d poked him. “Have you nothing to say?”
“Aye, I’ve much to say about you and my mother conspiring against me.” He slid his hand over her head, playing with her silken hair. “But I can’t speak of my mother while I’m lying here naked. ’Tis not fitting and you are too distracting.”
Grinning like a barn cat after a go in the dairy byre, Terrwyn straddled his waist. James grabbed the hair draped over her shoulder, his fingers digging into her scalp as she bent over him. She rubbed her breasts over his chest as she climbed forward. Teasing him, her nipples swung just out of reach of his mouth.
He growled under his breath and brought her near. She chuckled again when he gained access to her nipples. While he suckled her breast, she moved her hand down his flat stomach. His cock bounced as if looking for her. She reached back farther to gather him close. She caressed him, then slid him inside.
“Ah, I love you.” She sighed, her head tilted up to the ceiling.
James stilled. His body stiffened and then he grabbed her waist. Terrwyn sat up. Bracing her palms on his chest, she rocked with the ship. She rolled her hips in time with each pitch and roll. Their passion continued to climax as wave after wave slammed into the hull.
Spent, Terrwyn collapsed on top of him. He lay within her, never wanting to move.
The storm outside their cabin renewed and they slept through it until a wooden box crashed to the floor.
James sat up and rested his shoulders against the bulkhead. He drew Terrwyn into his arms and held her tenderly. “We must speak.”
Terrwyn curled up on her side. “Oh?”
James leaned over and kissed the edge of her exposed breast. “I suppose we should marry as soon as we are able. ’Tis certain my mother and father would want to be there, but I think sooner rather than later is best.”
“You suppose, if you have to, that you should wed me in a hurry.” Terrwyn rolled over and off the bed. She gathered her gown and slid it over her head. Confused, he watched her. “Aye,” she said, “if you have to.”
James grinned and sat up. “I knew you’d agree ’tis the right thing to do.”
“Nay, James, I won’t be a bride that you think of as a millstone around your neck, weighing you down until you cannot breathe.”
Frowning, he leaped from the bed. “I didn’t say you were.”
“But you intimated it. I won’t speak of this until you no longer think of me as an obligation.” Defiant anger glittered from her eyes. She lifted her bow and arrow and pointed them at him. “When you think of me as friend, wife and helpmate, then and only then will I discuss our marriage.”
Speechless, James stared at her, at the weapon gripped in her petite hand. His brain worked feverishly, trying to understand what he had said wrong. He had asked her to become his wife. Who in their right mind would consider it an affront? The more he thought of it the angrier he became.
“Dinner,” the first mate yelled, slamming his fist against the outside of the cabin door. They both jumped and Terrwyn’s hold slipped. The arrow went sizzling through the air and impaled the wooden panel of the door.
James shoved his feet through his leggings, then bowed in Terrwyn’s direction. “Does this mean our moment for marital bliss is over?” He drew the jerkin over his head, tugging on the hem to straighten it. “Come in,” he shouted at the first mate and yanked the door open.
The first mate’s knowing leer slipped as he entered and saw the still-quivering arrow. He quickly placed the simple fare on the side table. Bobbing his head, he mumbled that he thought he heard Captain Russo yelling for him and slipped out as if fire was on his tail.
“Now look what you’ve done,” Terrwyn said. “He won’t be able to look me in the face for the rest of the journey.”
“Sit down and calm yourself.”
Terrwyn flounced over and plopped down on the bed. She folded her arms and glared.
James held out a thick crust of bread, loaded with creamy butter. He lifted a bottle of wine and poured healthy portions of the red nectar into the two mugs. “Peace, my love. Come keep me company. We’ve a bit longer before we dock in Southampton.”
When Terrwyn licked her lips, he knew she’d forgiven him for being a horse’s arse. He should have asked her to wed him when he was inside her. He held out a mug and watched her drain it dry. He raised an eyebrow when she motioned for him to refill it.
He realized their situation remained unresolved. He had to protect Henry and stop the threat against the throne. How was he to do that without losing his woman in the process? He feared his heart could not take the loss of her love.
Terrwyn ran her fingernail over the rim of her mug. She stuck her finger in her mouth to suck it off. “You haven’t asked me how I came to be here.”
“Ah.” James opened his arms wide, giving her a space to sit upon his lap. “I’m all ears.”
Terrwyn held the same position for what seemed like an eternity. Not that the view was lacking. She just would rather have been close enough to touch him now and again. She realized her impatience must have been easy for James to read.
“Just a moment longer, my love.” He sighed and put down the charcoal. “Pouting will not help.”
“What will you do, Sir Knight? Thrash my backside?” She shifted so that her form was more exposed.
“I surrender,” James said. “You may have your break.”
Leaping up from the bed, she ran to him and draped her arms around his shoulders. “Do you think ill of me?” She fluttered her lashes at him. “’Tis certain my heart would break if you did so.”
He laughed at her jest and pulled her into his lap.
She laid her head upon his shoulder and stroked sweeping circles over his chest with her fingertips. She paused over the ring he kept hidden under his jerkin. “Tell me something about yourself that I do not know.”
James stiffened under her hand. “What more do you need to know?”
She released the breath she held and shut her eyes. “Did your mother tell you nighttime stories to get you to bed?”
His chuckle reverberated under her palm. “Aye, she had a tale to suit most any reason. She loved to tell us of faeries and the like.”
She smiled into his neck. “And what was your favorite?”
“Dragons. I especially liked to pretend I was a dragon tamer.”
She lifted her head to look at him. “Tamer? Don’
t you mean slayer?”
“Never. I wanted to fly across the sky on their backs. Train them to eat out of my hand.”
“And why would you do that?”
There was wicked gleam in his gaze. “To rescue the damsel from the evil tyrant.”
“Aye, of course. And what would you do with her then?”
James ran his hand up the length of her ribcage, cupped her breast. “I’d make love to her until all the bad memories were replaced with good ones.”
“Ah,” she sighed into his neck. “A true knight indeed. I believe you should have an emblem to show your allegiance.” She touched the circle of silver lying over his heart. “Like this.”
James trapped her hand with his. He shifted so that her face was in clear view. “What are you about, my love?”
“We have shared so much together. Yet you keep secrets from me even now. I am not blind. I see that a swan is engraved on the outside. More than once, I’ve read what is engraved on the inside of your ring. ’Tis a beautiful ring, yet you keep it hidden. I ask only that you trust me enough to explain it.” She took a deep breath. “Does it belong to someone who has your heart? If so, I would know her name so that my aim is sure and true when I let the arrow fly.”
Incredulous, his eyes widened. Then he erupted into a chuckle.
Heat rose to her cheeks. “’Tis not funny.” She tried to pull away and found he would not let her go.
“Nay, my love, ’tis not another woman.”
Life ebbed back into her heart. Then her breath caught. “I don’t understand. It cannot be a man who—”
Anger slowly bubbled as she waited for his laughter to subside. It was only when he wrapped his arms around her middle that she allowed her back to lean against him. Her anger dissipated when he finally caught his breath, turned her and pressed his forehead to her cheek.
“I think ’tis time for a bedtime tale,” he said into her temple. “When I am through, you are to remember that it is nothing more than a boy’s dream to be a knight, train dragons and protect their king.”
“The swan and the brotherhood,” Terrwyn urged impatiently.
He kissed her temple. The caress of his hand against her ribcage and across her belly followed the rhythm of his words. “A long time ago, a mother wished to see her young son safe from evildoers. She gathered his young playmates together and asked for their vow of protection. In so doing, she created a secret brotherhood she named the Knights of the Swan. To this day, they watch over her son.”
Terrwyn sighed, melting into his touch. “And you are one of those…knights?”
“Aye, whether I may agree or at times disagree with my friend’s decisions, it is always my duty to see him safe.”
She stroked his jaw to soothe the tension in his face. “You do this in secret? Without recognition?”
James turned his head to press a kiss into her palm. His gaze caught and held hers. “I will do all that I must to protect my friend and liege. Even if it requires my life.”
“You are a dragon slayer? I thought you wished to save the damsel?”
“I’ve decided I must love her body until only good memories are present.” Grinning, he captured her lips and plundered her mouth with his tongue.
Pliant, breathless, she nodded in understanding. “I will not share your secret with anyone. However, to keep my mind clear of worry for your safety, you shall have to kiss me like this on a daily basis.”
“Oh, I vow to do much more.”
Terrwyn stood beside the table built into the cabin wall and fingered through the parchments spread out on the wooden planks. She singled one out. “Where did you draw this?”
James examined the drawing she tapped. “A meeting. Why do you ask?”
“I believe that is my brother. He’s older here. Older than the first drawing I saw of him.”
James reared back in the chair.
“You knew all this time where to find him?” Terrwyn stared into his face, searching for the answer she desperately did not want to hear. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You know there are things I cannot and will not discuss.” James lifted her hand and licked the palm, nipping at the tender flesh between thumb and index. His hand stole up on her breast in an effort to distract her attention. He pulled her to his lap and kissed her neck, nuzzling behind her ear. “Not even with you, my sweet.”
“Again you choose your king over me?”
The need to put space between them grew with each heartbeat. She pushed away and stepped out of reach. “What future do we have if we cannot trust each other with our secrets?”
He locked her with a stormy gaze. His chest rose and fell, shuddering with emotions he would not reveal. He touched the silver band hanging on the leather thong around his neck.
Terrwyn knew its significance, what it represented. It mocked their love. James’s loyalty to King Henry would come before her. Mayhap it would forever be a wall between them.
Without a word, he gathered his drawings, stuffing them back into the leather pouch. He hesitated before opening the door. “We will dock soon. I’ll send word when it is time for us to disembark.”
Terrwyn did not notice when the ship rolled and shuddered underfoot. She hugged herself tight, her arms empty of James’s heat. Through the porthole she watched England’s shoreline draw nearer and did her best to ignore the heartache threatening to swallow her whole. Her mind raced to recall all the sketches laid out on the table. Visions danced and wove their way through her blood. By the time Captain Russo gave the order to drop anchor, her plan to follow James was in place.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
James walked down the plank, leaving Terrwyn and the Genoese Queen behind. He searched the docks and made a point to avoid touching the note hidden in the folds of his cloak. The means of delivery was suspect. The brotherhood made every effort to avoid putting anything in writing. Mayhap it was best hidden in plain sight. He nodded at Captain Russo.
“Ah, Signore Frost, where is your bride?”
James held out his hand, passing him a small bag of coins. “I trust you will keep an eye on my wife while I arrange safe passage to our lodging.”
He ignored the questioning look the captain sent him and tipped his cap before setting off to the row of buildings lining the port. The tightening in his chest caused him to glance back. Captain Russo stood where he left him, staring at something he held in both hands.
James attempted to shrug off the gnawing tension. He hoped that when he completed his mission Terrwyn would forgive his ill treatment. Though he did his best to direct his mind on the task at hand, he had to jerk his thoughts from the lady posing as his wife.
Saints’ bones! He swore he saw her reflection everywhere he went. There was even a time or two he felt her nearby, heard her voice. Even the memory of her scent distracted him.
The suspicion that he had not gone mad after all began to grow. He dodged into an alley filled with refuse. His hand shot out, grabbing the front of his stalker’s jerkin. A surprised yelp followed.
He spun, slamming mouth on mouth, chest to chest, against the building. Feeling her resistance in the kiss, he lifted his head. Anger and relief boiled into a heady stew.
“I should beat you as the captain suggested.” He kissed the corner of her mouth, dodging her threatening teeth. “But I have the good sense to know it wouldn’t do a whit of good. Will it?”
“You won’t lay a hand on me again, English.”
James raised her off the ground when she kicked out at his shins. “Have we returned to that again?” He shook his head.
“You are not true to your word! You left me to fend for myself.”
“I paid Captain Russo good coin to care for you.”
“Aye, well he’s been paid doubly well. Even offered to set me off in the direction you took.”
James released his hold. “Probably feared I meant to burden him with your care forever.”
Terrwyn gripped his arm. “I don’t forg
ive you for lying, but I will protect you.”
Resigned to her presence, he stepped back and started for the lane leading down to the shadier side of the docks.
“Do you intend to make me follow you all day and night?” Terrwyn called out.
James jerked her to his side. “I had my reasons to leave you at the ship. If there were time, I would return you there myself. You will keep silent and stay out of the way. Do you understand?”
James sat at the trestle table in one of Southampton’s more questionable taverns. He watched as he always did, but this time he could not seem to manage the skill of remaining unnoticed. At least that was what he feared. Even though Terrwyn was dressed in men’s leggings and jerkin, her presence was not easily ignored.
Twice now the serving wench had delivered their ale and trenches. Twice she had propositioned Terrwyn for a tryst in the back rooms. The girl promised the pretty young man she would give him a turn he would forever remember.
James pushed Terrwyn’s wrist under the table. “Put that away.”
“She’ll mind her words when next time I flash my blade in her face. Did you hear that last one?”
He squelched the sudden urge to try some of the serving wench’s ideas. He leaned into her, the sudden need to kiss her foremost on his mind. “Aye, she has a streak of imagination.”
Thunderstruck, Terrwyn pulled away. “Imagination be damned. Even if she is a whore, I’m certain most of those feats are impossible.”
James fingered his mug of ale. Thanks to Terrwyn’s indignation, the nearest tavern patrons were casting covert glances in their direction. He wondered how he would get them out of the backstreet establishment without altercation. The docks were always a dangerous place. With the king’s army gathering for war, there were more than a few souls looking for a drunken fool to roll free of his coin. Robbery, assault and the business of whoring all could be found in a single night. He did not want to experience any of those this evening.
A tall, mountainous man stumbled through the door. Obviously almost too drunk to stand up, he knocked into tables and chairs, ricocheting off angry patrons’ backs. Shoved by a man dressed all in black, he fell onto the table where James and Terrwyn sat.