But Thyra is different. I want her to see me for me. And to some people, I am frightening.
“Open your eyes,” she whispers, running her nails down my chest.
I take a deep breath through my nose and let it out through my mouth. Slowly, I flutter my eyes open, readying myself to realize this moment is all in my head, but when my vision clears, there she is. Red cheeks, red hair spread across the pillow, stark against the light blankets. I’ve never seen someone so beautiful.
Reaching out my hand, I run my knuckles down her face. “You are heaven sent.”
She leans her cheek against my palm, nestling further into my touch. No one has ever wanted my touch like she has.
If this is a dream, I never want to wake up. I wish to live in this moment forever, relive it over and over again until time takes my soul from this earth.
I lean down, taking her lips in a slow, kiss. If we are going to do this, I want to take my time. I want to explore every inch of her. Taste every part of her skin. I want to keep going and never stop. I want this feeling, this mind-numbing, heart-throbbing, cock-hardening feeling, to never go away. I want it to consume me.
When I pull back to get my first look at her breasts, I nearly come right then and there. Fucking perfect. They are big, round, perky, and the nipple is a light pink, hard, and waiting for attention. Her stomach is next; the beautiful curves finally revealed to me.
My one is naked before me.
My eyes take her in. All of her. I roam up her legs that are slowly twisting together. Nerves, perhaps. If she could feel my heart, she would be able to sense that I, too, am nervous. My hands tremble. I reach out and touch the soft skin of her legs and skim up until her thick, wild, red bush is in my sight.
A target.
A bullseye.
I run my nose over the soft hairs and inhale her scent like a mad man. I suppose I am. Madness infects me like a disease when it comes to her.
“You smell divine,” I mutter. The scent of her makes my cock twitch drastically. I squeeze the shaft tight with my fist, stopping the impending orgasm. It’s been so long. I need to get inside her soon, or I won’t be able to last much longer.
That’s how much she affects me.
I flick out my tongue. I must have a taste of her nectar. She whimpers, as I slowly circle my tongue up her wet folds. A tight hold grips the hair on top of my head while the other hand caresses the tattoo on the side. A sting of pain shoots through my scalp, traveling down to the tip of my cock. It’s a good thing I have not let go of my cock, or I would have come right then and there. And my seed, if it shall be anywhere, shall be deep inside of Thyra.
Planting itself in her womb, hopefully to bear my children.
Removing myself from her sweet strawberry field feels just like having an arrow yanked from my gut. It’s painful but needed if I want to make this good for her. Come is oozing from my slit, threatening to explode at any moment. But I can’t. Not yet. Every touch seems to take me into a frenzy. I need to calm myself in some way.
Licking my tongue up her torso does not seem to help matters. My cock is still dripping, but at this point, I decide to hell with it. Even if I come once, I doubt it will be enough to get me soft.
I lean to the right, running my tongue up the swell of her breast until I suck that tasty pink nipple into my mouth and whip my tongue over it.
“Einarr,” she whispers my name.
I move to the other breast, making sure to give it the same amount of attention. While I kiss her tight teat, my hand journeys down her soft abdomen until my fingertips are tickled by her bush. I open her core, sliding two fingers in her sheath, and building up speed until I am thrusting in and out of her in a steady rhythm. My eyes are locked on her face, to see how she reacts to my touch.
She’s tossing her head back and forth. Her hands rake down my back, using her nails as weapons to inflict her passion onto my back. I growl, arching my body closer to hers. It’s time. My cock bobs heavily, slapping her against the stomach.
“Oh,” she gasps, with wide eyes and a lick of her lips, as she gazes up and down my thick cock. “Einarr… I’ve never been with a man before. I don’t know if you will fit.”
If I’m not mistaken, I see tears forming in her eyes. That just won’t do. I kiss her sweet lips and smile. “I know, my darling love. You have no idea what it does to me that I’m your first. I’ll fit. It’s why I’m doing this—” I shove my fingers in deeper until I can feel her barrier. The one I will own with my cock soon.
I slide my hand in and out until she is squirming, moaning, and trying to fuck my fingers, gasping in pleasure. I grab the heavy meat of my cock and lean back on my legs, staring down at the vision in front of me. I keep my fingers inside her hot pussy and stroke my cock at the same time. I use my own come as lubricant and touch myself, the red tip gleaming in the low light of the sun peeking through the windows.
“I want you. Don’t make me wait longer,” she begs, groping her own breasts.
“Whatever the lady wants, she gets,” I say, pulling my fingers free of her virgin hole.
I suck them into my mouth, moaning around the flavor that bursts across my tongue. Strawberries. My favorite.
I guide my shaft to her entrance and curl myself over her until both of my arms are bracing her head. But then I wait.
“We can stop. We can wait until you are my wife, if you wish.”
“I only wish for you,” she cries out, grabbing my arse and yanking me close. My cock slides between her tight folds, penetrating her hole, and ripping through her virginity harsher than I wanted to. Her face is pinched with pain, while I know mine is covered in pleasure.
I hate that she is in pain, but I hope I can alleviate it. “I’m sorry, my darling. Tell me what to do to make it up to you.”
“Love me,” she moans, before taking my mouth in a heated kiss.
She doesn’t have to ask twice. I start moving my hips, slow, making sure I do not hurt her more than I already have. I want her pain to turn into pleasure, and if it doesn’t, it means I’m not doing my job right.
She’s so wet. The only sounds in the room are our skin sliding together and our breaths mingling with every harsh exhale and groan. My hand cups her jaw, controlling the kiss as my desire and lust fuel me. It gets the best of me.
I start to speed up, moving in and out of her quicker and quicker until the bed starts to hit the wall. I curl my lip. A frustrated growl leaves my throat, and I grip onto the wall, pushing against it for leverage and to silence the bed. The extra stabilization allows my cock to slide in a bit deeper. I toss my head back, grunting as her pussy tightens around my cock. It’s taken all I have to hold back. I need to come.
But she must be first.
“Einarr,” she gasps as she wraps her legs around me. “Harder, faster!” Thyra cries.
I change positions and wrap my arms around her waist, manhandling Thyra until she is on her hands and knees. I have to take a moment to appreciate the view in front of me. Her wide hips, perfect for carrying children. The dimples above her arse are perfect for my thumbs to grasp as I hold onto her.
I ram into her, lifting her up until her back is aligned with my chest. I lick, kiss, and suck down her neck, and she’s whimpering. Her breasts are bouncing with every hard thrust I give her.
“Come with me,” I rasp through the thick of her hair, hoping she hears me. “Come with me now, now, Thyra.”
Her arms wrap around my neck, and our tongues meet and twist. The kiss is messy but full of love and passion.
Love.
Something I never thought I would have in my life.
“Einarr!” she moans loudly.
I slap my hand over her mouth, so we don’t give away our position to others. Her whimpers set me off, and to stop me from shouting, I bite into the flesh on her shoulder. The final slap from our skin echoes in the room. My eyes roll to the back of my head as I release every drop of seed I have to give.
When we finally
release, I growl like I’m some type of animal. Careful not to slide out of her because I want to stay locked inside as long as I can, I maneuver us to the side, wrap my arms around her, and kiss her shoulder.
“Wow,” she says with a blissful chuckle. “Why did I wait so long to do that?”
A deep rumble escapes my lips, “Mine.” I do not like talking about her wishes to be with other men sooner. She is meant to be mine.
Thyra slaps my chest. “Oh, stop. You know what I mean. I just meant, with you. I wish we found each other sooner. I wouldn’t want to share this experience with anyone else.”
Tightening my arms around her, she slides her fingers up and down my marred arms. I find it hard to believe that someone like me has a goddess such as Thyra. I shall never take it for granted. I shall work harder every day to prove my worth to her. I shall never stop the need to love her. Ever.
No one can take her from me. For I fear, if anyone dares to, not only will the beast in me be unleashed and rake havoc on everything around me, but I will not be able to contain it again. I will be lost, to the bloodlust, to the anger, and to the agony of not having my love in my arms, like she is right now.
I move her hair out of the way and kiss the spot where I bit her. It’s red and swollen, perhaps painful. “I’m sorry. I promise never to hurt you again.”
“It didn’t hurt. It felt good,” she says.
I pinch my brows together, ready to ask her how she is so perfect for me, when there is a knock on the door. She gasps, trying to get away, but I hold her to me. I’m not ready to be disconnected from her.
“Lady Thyra? It is Prince Luuk Jansen of Poland. Your father said you were under the weather. I came with flowers to wish you well.”
Right. The other men. I put on a front for Thyra, but there is a part of me that worries she will find what they have to offer her better than what I can. I can offer her pure love, but the riches? I’m just a man living in the woods. That’s my home. Not the riches.
She covers her mouth with her hands to stifle a laugh. “Thank you, Prince Luuk, but I’m afraid I’m very ill and do not wish to make you sick.”
“Very well. Tomorrow, then. Get well, my lady.”
I nearly fly off the bed when I hear him call her that. She is not his lady. She is mine, and mine alone. His feet carry him down the corridor, and I relax.
“Who says ‘under the weather’? Too posh for me, if you don’t mind me saying,” she giggles. “I have my big, strong, Viking. I am set for life.”
I roll her over again to stare into her beautiful eyes. “You might be mad, settling for me.”
“Then call me mad, because I don’t feel like I’m settling at all.” Her soft hands on my face, loosen something inside me. I’m not so… angry.
“My heart only beats for you, Thyra. You’ve made this warrior fall to his knees.”
“And mine only beats for you, Einarr. It’s yours.”
I collapse onto her chest, wrap my arms around her body, and lay my ear against her heart.
Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.
For the first time in my life, I have something to live for.
Chapter Fifteen
Thyra
Oh, last night was the best night of my life. But feeling him leave in the middle of the night broke my heart. I never want to spend another night without Einarr’s touch. Everyone is so afraid of him because of how he looks, but truly, he just wants to be loved. The big bad warrior is just as affected by love like any other man, if not more so because he has lacked it his entire life.
But that means my night of fantasy is over and today is the party. Something I truly do not wish to be part of. Guilt eats away at me as I think about being in a room full of men that want to ask for my hand, when my hand and heart are already taken. It makes me feel as though I’m having an affair with all these other men. I feel nothing for them. Einarr knows it, and I know it, but the guilt is strong.
All I want is Einarr, and to live in peace with him for the rest of my days. I do not understand why my father must deny me of it.
“Happy Birthday! Who is ready for their big day?” Sassa sings, bursting through the door and waving my dress around.
It smells of lavender. She must have put it in the fields this morning. I give her a fake smile, trying my best to hide how uneasy I am. I take my brush by the old wooden handle and run the bristles through my hair as I sit at my vanity.
I don’t care about the men here. I only want Einarr. I can’t stop the heavy sigh that escapes me. Sassa throws the dress on the bed and puts her hands on her hips. “Right, out with it. What’s wrong with you?”
“What, nothing of the sort! Just nervous.”
She gasps, strolling over to me. She yanks the brush out of my hand and shakes it at me. “You’re lying. You do that thing with your lip when you do.”
I cover my mouth with my hand. Between her and Father, I’m not able to get away with anything. I shuck off my robe to start styling my hair when a loud screech leaves Sassa, nearly deafening me.
“What is it?” I say, glancing around the room to see if someone barged in announced.
“What is that on your shoulder?”
She turns me around until I’m looking in the mirror.
Oh, I had forgotten about Einarr’s bite. How wonderful it was, though. I cannot wait to feel it again. The area is a bit red, and the indentations from his teeth are still there. My cheeks heat, and I avert my eyes down to where my face powder is. We use natural ingredients from the earth to smooth the imperfections in our skin or make our lashes a bit darker.
“I got bit by something, apparently. It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt,” I bite my lip into my mouth.
“You’re doing it again!”
I cover my mouth with my hand and keep it shut.
“Something did not bite you. Someone did. And I bet it was a big man with red hair, tattoos, and a scar down his face.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I fiddle with the lace covering the wood of the vanity.
“You had sex with him!” she gasps.
“But I haven’t even said anything,” I try and defend myself. “I don’t want the entire kingdom to know, Sassa.”
“I’m hardly the entire kingdom. I’m your best friend.” She sits on the windowsill, folding her hands in her lap.
I look left and right, making sure no one is around. I run to the door, shut it, and slide the lock into place. I do not need my father overhearing anything about my sex life.
Oh, goddess! I have a sex life.
“The night before last, I came out of the medical wing.”
“Right, about Abigale. I’m so glad she is well. She is still recovering, correct?”
“Yes, and Einarr has visited her since she has been in there. She is adjusting.”
“Oh, has he?” she says with a smirk on her face.
I blush. “Yes.”
“I think someone is smitten with him.”
“Oh, Sassa. It is so much more than that.” I go to her and take her hands and sit next to her. “Let me tell you, the night she fell asleep, he came into the castle right as I walked out of the corridor—”
“—Yes, go on,” she interrupts with a big grin on her face.
“We kissed. My first real kiss. And Sassa, he was all.” I try to show her with hand movements, but it is useless. “He was all man. He pushed me against the wall, picked me up, and kissed me until I thought I was going to die. Oh, but it would have been worth it.” I pretend to faint against the window, hand to my forehead, but dreamy-eyed, nonetheless. “And then, he made me orgasm for the first time!”
“Did you have sex against the wall downstairs?” Her mouth drops open with shock.
“What? No, but last night, last night we had sex, in my bed. Of course.”
“Thyra.” She searches my eyes for regret or something… I’m not sure what. Not until she smiles and brings me in for a hug. “How was your first time? Was he careful?”
“He was wonderful. He was perfect. I’m completely in love with him.”
Her face falls a bit. “And that’s why you don’t want this party anymore because you finally have the man you wish for, but your father is making you do this.”
Tears brim my eyes. “I don’t know what to do. I hate it. I know this, Einarr loves me too, and he will stop at nothing to make sure I am his. He may be a big brute to many people, but he is far from it. He is kind, smart, handsome, and has such a big, caring heart. He loves so much, and it truly upsets me people fault him on it because of those scars.”
“It’s why he needs someone like you.” Sassa grabs my hands. “I’ve seen Einarr get those scars by becoming a man he does not like to be. He is a ruthless warrior. He will stop at nothing to protect the ones he loves, but he is a good man. That you are right about.”
“What am I to do?”
“Well.” She gets up and starts styling my hair. “We shall get you all pretty, and you shall go down there and play the cards your father has dealt. I do not understand his issue with Einarr. Your father is such a nice man and a loyal friend. I cannot understand his reasoning behind this.” She pins a piece of my hair back to get it out of my face.
“I don’t know either.”
“I know a part of it is because he thinks he is protecting you. He wants you to have a man with riches, but he is getting money and love mixed up, and he does not realize you can have that here. Einarr just comes off as scary, and I bet that is what your father is afraid of. Afraid for you.”
“He is anything but scary. If anything, he is shy.”
Sassa’s face is laughable. “Shy? Einarr?”
I nod, remembering my first few encounters with Einarr. He was bashful and always a little red-cheeked.
“Oh, your cheeks are turning red. You must really love him, don’t you?” Sassa lays down the brush on the vanity and grabs the face powder. She dabs a bit on my nose, forehead, and chin, then grabs the black mineral water we have and brushes it over my lashes with a small comb. “All done. And looking gorgeous. Let’s get you into that dress.”
Vikings' Brides Box Set Page 34