She nodded, her gaze wandering over his broad shoulders and chest. She stared so intently that he began to wonder if she was trying to count the scars that covered his body. He"d never given them much thought in the past, but he was suddenly aware of each ugly mark.
" "Twas forward of me to make suggestions, milord," she said a little breathlessly. "You must not wear a robe simply for my sake."
Kenric hid his smile behind the mug and downed its contents, his confidence in his ability to seduce his wife reinforced. She was practically devouring him with her eyes. The tray was pushed aside when the last servant departed, and he stood by the bed, watching Tess expectantly.
"Milord?" she questioned.
"I am waiting for your offer to a.s.sist with my bath."
"Oh!" Tess slipped from the bed and walked hesitantly toward the trunk where soap and bath linens were laid out. Her gaze lowered to study the carpet pattern while Kenric stripped off his loincloth and stepped into the water.
"Have you done this before?" he asked.
"Nay," she admitted. She was trying hard not to look below his chest. His big body nearly filled the tub that had looked so huge just a moment ago.
"Good," he replied smugly. "I would not like to think of you bathing those Scots."
He gripped the sides of the tub, closed his eyes, and leaned back to dunk his head under the water. He lifted his head a moment later and smoothed the wet hair back with his hands. Tess stood rooted to the spot, those simple movements more erotic than anything she"d ever seen in her life. The water made Kenric"s skin glisten like molten bronze and the unstudied gestures displayed his physique to perfection. The warmth in her cheeks spread down her arms and into her belly.
Unaware of the effect on his bride, Kenric motioned her forward with one hand. "Start by washing my hair."
She stepped closer and began working the soap into his dark hair, enjoying the feel of the thick mane slipping through her fingers. He wore his hair longer than most knights, cut away into shorter lengths in front but flowing well past his shoulders in the back. She twisted her fingers through the longer strands, liking the way the ends curled around her fingertips.
Now would be a good time to apologize, a silent voice reminded her, now while he is not scowling at you. A seduction was surely planned tonight, but would the punishment come later? The thought made her hands still abruptly in his hair.
"I would like to apologize for what happened before I fell ill," she said hesitantly, forcing her hands to continue their work.
"As well you should. You would do well to remind me of that later. There will be a better time."
"Aye," she whispered, feeling the fear snake its way around her heart.
Kenric patiently allowed her to play with his hair, thinking this would surely be the longest bath on record. He finally leaned back to duck under the water again when it became obvious that she would happily ma.s.sage his head all day.
"I"ve had seven long days to dwell on what punishment I will receive," she began, when his head emerged from the water. "Though you may wish to hear my apology at another time, milord, I wish to learn my punishment now."
Since she was standing behind him, Kenric knew she couldn"t see his smile. Lord, she was bold. After he"d left for Greshan, it had occurred to him that she would spend every day of his absence worrying over what his return would bring. He"d even laughed aloud on occasion at the image it brought to mind. Served her right for putting him to such trouble. He"d lost four precious days of training with his soldiers while he played sickmaid. Her escape had simply made him look foolish. Aye, she deserved every single moment that she"d terrorized herself. "So you want to know what punishment I deem fitting for trying to escape me?"
"Aye," she said firmly.
Kenric took his time wiping the water from his face. "You want to learn the payment I will exact for returning to my chamber, only to discover that my new bride had fled? For rousing an entire castle at dawn to search every square inch of the place? For inconveniencing myself and fifty other men who rode after you? And for refusing to return with your husband after you were found?" He shook stray drops of water off his hand with a flick of his wrist. "At the point of an arrow, I might add. Is that about the whole of it?"
"Aye," she answered, hesitantly this time.
"I would imagine you had many long hours to think over your foolishness this past week," he mused. "Have you come to regret your actions, Tess?"
"I have." This answer was firm again.
"And do I have your promise that you will never attempt to escape me again, no matter what you think I might have planned for you?"
Tess hesitated as one hand reached for her braid, the silence just long enough for Kenric"s suspicions to be aroused. "Aye, you have my promise."
She was lying and Kenric knew it. She didn"t trust him, no more than he trusted her. Still, he could ensure that she kept her promise even if she didn"t want to. If Tess needed a keeper, then she"d have one.
"I have little doubt that the tortures you dreamed up for yourself this past week were quite colorful. It pleases me that you dwelt on them often, for you surely deserved one of them. Yet I am willing to consider that your fevered state contributed greatly to your folly. No woman in her right mind would have attempted such a foolhardy venture, knowing there could be naught but dire consequences with success or failure. Therefore I have decided that the week"s confinement will suffice for this offense." Kenric watched her face closely; he looked for some sign of gratefulness. He supposed she was too overcome with grat.i.tude to express her feelings. She simply stared at him, her face blank with shock. "Do not mistake me, Tess. If you do anything so foolish again, the punishment will be carried out. It will be one you remember not for a week, but forever. Something so vile that no gently bred lady could conjure it up in her wildest imaginings. Remember that if you ever again consider defying me."
Satisfied with his speech, Kenric began to splash water on his arms and shoulders, eager to finish a much more pleasant task.
"That"s it? I am to be punished no further?"
"You have some wish to change my mind?" he asked mildly.
"Nay," she answered quickly, looking bewildered.
"You may proceed with my back," he said, when she made no move to continue the bath. She picked up a linen cloth, but he s.n.a.t.c.hed it away and casually tossed it aside. "I want you to use your hands to bathe me."
Tess didn"t reply, but he felt her soapy fingers glide across his shoulders. She was soon doing just as thorough a job as she"d done with his hair, working her way down his back muscle by muscle. The smooth, erotic strokes made his breath quicken and his heart beat harder. A shadow of doubt began to form in Kenric"s mind about the wisdom of this bath.
Tess was too caught up in her own thoughts to realize the effect of her ministrations. Kenric was a puzzle, to be sure, a man known for cruelty who could kiss her with such sweet poignancy that she could scarce remember her name, a man who didn"t want a wife yet spent four days nursing her back to health. Even when she betrayed him, he seemed to forgive her without so much as a slap. How on earth had this man ever gained a reputation for being the most bloodthirsty warlord in England? Was the Butcher of Wales truly capable of justice tempered by compa.s.sion? That was something to think about.
The longer Tess smoothed the soap over Kenric"s back, the less she feared him. He truly intended her no harm. Not now, anyway. But he did intend to bed her. She was not so naive to be fooled by this bath business for an instant. This was surely his means of working up to a seduction. Yet she was the one doing all the caressing. She stared at his back with new awareness, watching his shoulders and muscles flex to follow the path of her hands. He was enjoying this. Thoroughly.
"Will you want me to do this for your other knights?" she asked, absently experimenting with a circular stroke.
"Nay!" Kenric growled. "If you are ever asked to a.s.sist a knight at his bath, you will politely refuse. Tell them your husband forbids such and they must gain permission from me." The thought of his wife"s hands on another man"s body resulted in a scowl. "I will not give it."
"Oh, good. "Tis not that I mind a.s.sisting you, milord. I just don"t think I would like to touch another man so..." Tess glanced down at her hands. They looked so small against his broad shoulders. His skin was much darker than hers, tanned by the sun, golden brown even now in the dead of winter. She wondered if he took his tunic off in the summertime on the practice field. What would he look like then? How would she react to seeing him bare-chested in public, knowing she"d caressed him so intimately in private? "So..."
"I know what you mean," he said, and urged her on to his arms. His muscles seemed to contract wherever she touched him. Tess was soon fascinated by the reaction. Her fingers traced each ridge and contour. She became enthralled when she washed his chest, swirling her ringers around the light covering of hair, tracing small circles around his hardened nipples. She spread her fingers wide across his chest and drew her hands down until they reached the water that lapped against his flat stomach, too caught up in her exploration of his body to notice her husband"s gasp.
"My legs," he said hoa.r.s.ely, raising one and propping it on the edge of the tub.
Tess washed his leg in long, languorous strokes. She couldn"t resist wrapping her hands around his ankle then pushing her hands upward, unconsciously ma.s.saging rather than washing, finally stopping where the water met his upper thigh. She had the strangest desire to press her lips against the places her hands touched, to see what his skin would taste like.
Kenric wasn"t at all sure he had the control required to carry out this plan. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore what she was doing to him, but he was aroused beyond belief. The feel of her hands on his body was fast becoming unbearable. She made his skin burn and his body ache to touch her in the same delightfully tormenting ways. It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to remain still. He tried to brace himself for the most exquisite torture yet to come.
"Now the rest," he said abruptly. He gripped the sides of the tub and stood up, closing his eyes when he heard Tess draw in her breath. He could almost feel her gaze travel boldly over his body.
Patience, Kenric told himself, repeating the litany over and over again in his mind.
Tess stared at her husband in wonder, her gaze drawn unwillingly to the hard proof of his desire for her. She was mesmerized by the sight of his manhood, unable to stop herself from thoroughly exploring that part of him with her eyes. His hardness uncoiled the knot of heat in her belly and it spread like a fire through her body.
She raised her eyes reluctantly, embarra.s.sed at having stared so openly for so long, but was relieved to realize that Kenric probably didn"t know. His eyes were squeezed shut, the expression on his face one of pain. His whole body was tensed, hard, each muscle standing out in rigid relief, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
"You are in pain?" she asked, amazed by the possibility.
"Aye." His answer was half groan, half laugh.
"Am I doing something wrong?"
He opened his eyes to look down at her. The fierce, raw desire in his gaze made her retreat a step. "You are doing something very right."
He took another deep breath. "I want you to know my body, Tess. I would not have your fear just now."
Tess let her gaze rake boldly over Kenric"s body again. He was a giant, his chest at least twice the width of hers, arms bulging with muscles that could crush her in their grip. His legs were as st.u.r.dy as tree trunks and just as solidly muscled as the rest of his body. The sight of so much naked strength and power was nearly overwhelming. And there was still a trace of fear, uncertainty in not knowing if he would ever use his great strength against her.
This is my husband, she tried telling herself. This magnificent male animal was hers to touch, to kiss, to caress...
Her eyes returned to the forgotten soap still clutched in one hand. She moved to his back and slid her hands over his b.u.t.tocks, certain the smooth, firm skin encased steel. Her hands trembled, lingering at the sides of his hips, trying to work up enough courage to discover him completely.
"Enough," he said hoa.r.s.ely, pushing her hands away as he turned to face her. "I can stand no more, Tess. Take off your chemise."
Tess"s fingers trembled as she worked at the laces, her eyes locked with Kenric"s as the garment fell in a soft pool at her feet. She didn"t start to blush until his gaze slid downward. Her skin seemed to catch fire wherever his eyes rested. He lingered over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and she felt her nipples tighten in response to the fiery look. He studied her legs and her knees began to tremble.
My body belongs to Kenric now, she told herself, determined to please him by being as open about her body as he was about his. She forced her arms to stay at her sides, fighting the urge to drape them across her body to shield her nudity.
He stepped from the tub and lifted her into his arms. They both gasped at the feel of so much warm, damp skin touching together. There wasn"t time to savor the feeling. He carried her to the bed and lowered her slowly to the floor, sliding her intimately against the length of his body. With one hand braced against the bed, he laid her down and covered her body with his own.
"I don"t... I don"t know..."
Tess tried to tell him between drugging kisses that she didn"t know what to do. She gave up when his lips slid to her ear, his hot breath heating her senses to the boiling point.
"I know, sweet," he murmured. His mouth burned a trail down her neck and across her chest. "I want to touch you everywhere, Tess."
His hands caressed her hips, moving closer to her heat until his fingers slipped between the hot, slick petals. His finger slipped inside her tight sheath, and he captured her moan with his mouth, matching it with his own. The kiss was long, demanding, his tongue mimicking the action of his fingers as he began to move inside her, stroking, caressing, preparing her for what would come.
"I will be inside you soon," he told her, raining kisses across her face, his words coming in short, harsh gasps. "But I have to hurt you once before I can give you pleasure. More pleasure than you"ve ever dreamed of, little one."
Tess didn"t think such was possible. How much more pleasure could exist? His mouth burned another fiery trail to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s where he used his tongue to caress sensitive, swollen nipples. His hands searched hers out, insistently encouraging them to explore. Caught up in her own desire, Tess had almost forgotten the pleasure that could be gained by touching him. She let her hands roam where they would, delighted by the feel of him, the warmth, the strength, the need that had his body as taut with antic.i.p.ation as he was making hers.
Kenric accustomed Tess slowly to his touch and the fierceness of his desire. The more he aroused her pa.s.sion, the stronger his own grew, the raw sensuality of her response a potent drug to his senses as she writhed beneath him, her hips arching to meet his caresses. Finally he found her lips at the same time he positioned himself to enter her.
"Easy, love." He gripped Tess"s hips to keep her still, then pushed forward carefully. He was trying his d.a.m.nedest to go slowly, to open her to his desire as gently as possible. He kept her head tucked under his chin, every part of his body straining to keep her pinned beneath him and motionless. The urge to let go, to abandon his precious control and take her with all the sweet savagery he felt was an incredible temptation.
He drew back, but Tess urged him to return, drawing him closer. "Please. Don"t stop."
Her whispered plea drove Kenric forward, shuddering as he sank deeper into her body. The proof of her virginity slowed his progress and he hesitated to savor the feeling, the final moment before complete possession. Until that instant there had been the small but lingering doubt that no virgin could possibly respond so openly, so l.u.s.tily. He could only wonder what she would be like with experience. A wave of molten heat ran through his blood, and he squeezed his eyes closed, trying to shut out that thought in a desperate battle to maintain his control.
He lost.
Kenric drew back and thrust forward into her soft body, powerfully, forcefully, unable to stop until he was completely buried in her tight sheath, his growl of pleasure m.u.f.fled by Tess"s cry of pain. He groaned in defeat and stilled his body immediately, hoping he could allow her time to recover from the shock of his invasion.
"Hush, love," he said, frowning over the ragged sound of his voice. The blood surged wildly through his body, pounding an urgent message in his ears to complete the act. "The hurting part is over, sweet."
She trembled violently beneath him, and he felt hot tears mar her cheeks. He lifted his head to place light kisses across her face, whispering comforting words, trying to be gentle as he stroked her face and hair. But she gripped his throbbing shaft in convulsive waves, the sensation too powerful to ignore. His hips moved instinctively against her. Tess whimpered and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.
Kenric summoned forth the dwindling reserves of his willpower, steeling himself against the fantastic sensation of being buried deep within her body, of holding her so close that she felt a part of him. He took a ragged breath and turned his attention to arousing her again, praying her pain would fade quickly. "You will know only pleasure from now on, sweetheart."
"S-something is wrong," she gasped, turning her head to avoid his lips. "Please let me up. I want to stop now."
"Hush, sweet. It"s too late to stop."
Her body stiffened and she pushed against him until he raised up on his elbows. Her voice was edged with fear and the frightened, trapped look in her eyes made Kenric hesitate. "Something is wrong with me. I can"t do this!"
Urgency was swiftly replaced by a strange desire to comfort. He cupped her face in his hands and brushed the tears away with his thumbs, annoyed to realize his hands were trembling. He"d never trembled in his life.
"There is nothing wrong with you, Tess." His voice didn"t sound as calm or steady as he"d like, but Tess seemed to hear him. "A virgin"s maidenhead can be breached only once. I will not hurt you again."
"You are hurting me now," she whispered tearfully.
d.a.m.n. Now he wished he"d paid more attention to his soldiers" bawdy talk of the best ways to bed a virgin. He"d probably done this all wrong. He hadn"t been very gentle, and really had no idea how long it took a woman to recover from her body"s first taste of a man. "Does it hurt as much as when I first entered you?"
She shook her head uncertainly.
"You see?" He smiled to cover his uncertainty. "Your body is adjusting to me already."
His smile disappeared when she instinctively tightened around him, as if to test his words. "You must trust me in this matter, Tess." His voice was ragged again, his desire returning full force. "I want to give you pleasure, make you forget the pain. Let me kiss you again, sweetheart."
She hesitated only a moment before raising her lips, returning his kiss. He didn"t force her pa.s.sion to return, but let her set the pace until she allowed her senses to surrender to his kisses. He knew the importance of this moment. Forcing her now would mean forcing her each time he took her to his bed. She would never trust him again. This she must finish willingly.
The tension in Tess"s body seemed to ease and she gave his kisses her full attention. She shifted restlessly beneath his hips, and moaned with pleasure at the simple movement.
"G.o.d, Tess," he gritted out between clenched teeth. "Don"t move if..." He couldn"t finish the thought. He buried his face against her neck, his body braced, struggling to remain still.
"You feel wonderful," Tess sighed.
Kenric withdrew until he felt her arch beneath him. Then he began to thrust within her. Wave after wave of pure, sensual pleasure washed through them both with each delicious, measured stroke he gave her. Her body moved, stretched in ways she seemed to have no control over. He knew where to touch her, to kiss, to move in just the right way to increase the sensations and make her strain for more.
Her low, breathless moans told Kenric how fully she was responding and he whispered seductive words of encouragement in her ear. His strokes became more powerful, driving them both to more primitive instincts.
He felt her tremors begin, saw the look of awe and wonder widen her eyes before they closed against the drowning waves of fulfillment that washed over her body for the first time. A roar of completion unleashed his own shattering climax.
Kenric was slow to return to reality, feeling as though Tess had drained every ounce of life from his muscles. He was probably crushing her, but he couldn"t seem to find the strength or inclination to move. He didn"t want to move until he was forced to let her breathe. This strange feeling of utter contentment was unique. He"d never experienced the like. His usual habit was to roll away from a woman once his need was satisfied, which made the desire to languish in his wife"s arms a completely new emotion. And an unsettling one.
He forced himself to shift his weight to his elbows, to see Tess"s reaction to this experience. Her violet eyes were soft and sultry, her hair, undone at some point by his hand, fanned in a bright golden wave across his pillows. Her steady gaze still reflected her innocence, her wonder.
Suddenly uncomfortable, he looked away. What they"d done had nothing to do with innocence, everything to do with l.u.s.t. He wanted her desire, her body, nothing more. His eyes drifted back to her, seeing several marks of his pa.s.sion, bruises that marred the creamy skin of her neck and b.r.e.a.s.t.s. The scowl on his face grew darker as he tried to recall when that had happened, disturbed that he couldn"t remember. He"d never lost control so completely. What had she done to him? When his eyes returned to her face, the sleepy, satisfied expression was gone. She looked worried.
"I did not please you?"
Kenric didn"t ease her fears. In fact, he didn"t even hear her question as he frowned over his reluctance to separate their bodies then forced himself to roll away. Locking his hands beneath his head, he stared sightlessly at the ceiling. So much for his well-vaunted control, he thought in disgust, his mighty vow to keep his l.u.s.t for her tightly reined. She"d turned him into a mindless beast.
Never again, he promised himself solemnly. He would never give her that much power over his body ever again. He would never give anyone that much of his control. The next time he would perform the duty as just that, a duty. She would not look at him again with eyes that made him feel all at once like a savage conqueror and the most tender of lovers.
Tess rolled away from Kenric, a cold knot of shame building in her heart. She flipped back the covers, intending to rise, but was stopped by his grip on her wrist.
"Where are you going?"