failing.
She laughed, too, a soft, pleasant sound that made his heart pound even harder. “My mother’s first bird was called Beatrice, and she loved it so, that I told her when the day came I could fly my own, I would call her Beatrice in memory.”
“I am sure she would be most honored to know you have done so.”
The laughter stilled on her lips. “Aye, she would.”
“I like your attire.”
She lifted a tawny brow. “Do ye really?”
He nodded. “Very much.”
“Adelstan…”
“Yes?”
She pressed her moist lips together, her gaze searching his. “I wish it were ye.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
She released the bird a second later and, with her free hand, captured his hand, holding it between them so that no one could see, her fingers squeezing tight around his. “I wish it were ye I was marrying. I wish it were ye who would take me to my bridal chamber. I wish it were ye who would take my maidenhead.”
Adelstan’s heart roared in his ears. The air around them seemed to crackle. God help him, he wanted this woman in a way that terrified him. All his life he had lived by the sword and put his duty and honor above all else.
Until now. He felt his control, which he’d always called on, slipping as he looked into violet eyes that pleaded with him. He had to remember that he had been asked among all of Renaud’s men to personally escort Rhiannon to Castle Almeron for her marriage to de Cion, his peer and fellow soldier.
God, strike me dead at this moment for my wicked thoughts.
“Ye are not saying anything, Adelstan.”
Her throat convulsed as she swallowed hard. “Do ye not feel the same?”
The soldier in him yearned to scan the meadow and the castle walls to be sure no one watched or guessed at the nature of the conversation taking place. Yet the man in him refrained.
The woman he desired above all others was telling him she wished he would take her maidenhead, that she wished he would be her husband. And yet he stood silent, saying nothing.
She released his hand, took a small step back, and dropped her gaze between them.
“Rhiannon, look at me.”
She shook her head.
“I would lift your chin with my fingers if I could, for I want you looking at me when I tell you this.”
She took a deep breath, then looked up, and it was then he saw a shimmer of tears in her eyes.
It was nearly his undoing.
He took the small step that separated them. “Rhiannon, I desire you more than you will ever know, and yet, this cannot be. I was sent here on a mission, and I will do my duty to my liege. I will bring you safely to Almeron and to de Cion…with your maidenhead intact.”
She brushed away a tear with the back of her hand before looking at him again. What he saw in her eyes now concerned him more than the tears moments before.
Firm resolve.
“I understand your duty, and while I commend ye for your loyalty to your liege, will ye ignore your heart?”
“Aye, I must.”
Her mouth opened and she crossed her arms beneath her breasts, pushing them up, nearly to her chin.
His mouth went dry.
“Ye are so stubborn, Adelstan. Ye would deny yourself what ye want when it’s right in front of you, and for what—for the sake of honor and duty? Will honor and duty keep ye warm at night?”
He said nothing until he saw the falcon returning. “Beatrice,” he said.
Rhiannon turned so quickly, she lost her footing and stumbled.
Steadying her, he regained his position behind her, his hand sliding beneath her slender arm, cupping her hand.
She leaned back even more, so that no space at all separated them. Indeed, the heat from her body made him sweat.
“Rhiannon,” he said in warning.
He could not see her face, but he could imagine the smile there, the violet eyes that had been shimmering with tears seconds before now twinkling with glee. Her buttocks brushed against his cock, again and again, until he was gritting his teeth.
Would the fucking bird land already?
“Come to the
She laughed, too, a soft, pleasant sound that made his heart pound even harder. “My mother’s first bird was called Beatrice, and she loved it so, that I told her when the day came I could fly my own, I would call her Beatrice in memory.”
“I am sure she would be most honored to know you have done so.”
The laughter stilled on her lips. “Aye, she would.”
“I like your attire.”
She lifted a tawny brow. “Do ye really?”
He nodded. “Very much.”
“Adelstan…”
“Yes?”
She pressed her moist lips together, her gaze searching his. “I wish it were ye.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
She released the bird a second later and, with her free hand, captured his hand, holding it between them so that no one could see, her fingers squeezing tight around his. “I wish it were ye I was marrying. I wish it were ye who would take me to my bridal chamber. I wish it were ye who would take my maidenhead.”
Adelstan’s heart roared in his ears. The air around them seemed to crackle. God help him, he wanted this woman in a way that terrified him. All his life he had lived by the sword and put his duty and honor above all else.
Until now. He felt his control, which he’d always called on, slipping as he looked into violet eyes that pleaded with him. He had to remember that he had been asked among all of Renaud’s men to personally escort Rhiannon to Castle Almeron for her marriage to de Cion, his peer and fellow soldier.
God, strike me dead at this moment for my wicked thoughts.
“Ye are not saying anything, Adelstan.”
Her throat convulsed as she swallowed hard. “Do ye not feel the same?”
The soldier in him yearned to scan the meadow and the castle walls to be sure no one watched or guessed at the nature of the conversation taking place. Yet the man in him refrained.
The woman he desired above all others was telling him she wished he would take her maidenhead, that she wished he would be her husband. And yet he stood silent, saying nothing.
She released his hand, took a small step back, and dropped her gaze between them.
“Rhiannon, look at me.”
She shook her head.
“I would lift your chin with my fingers if I could, for I want you looking at me when I tell you this.”
She took a deep breath, then looked up, and it was then he saw a shimmer of tears in her eyes.
It was nearly his undoing.
He took the small step that separated them. “Rhiannon, I desire you more than you will ever know, and yet, this cannot be. I was sent here on a mission, and I will do my duty to my liege. I will bring you safely to Almeron and to de Cion…with your maidenhead intact.”
She brushed away a tear with the back of her hand before looking at him again. What he saw in her eyes now concerned him more than the tears moments before.
Firm resolve.
“I understand your duty, and while I commend ye for your loyalty to your liege, will ye ignore your heart?”
“Aye, I must.”
Her mouth opened and she crossed her arms beneath her breasts, pushing them up, nearly to her chin.
His mouth went dry.
“Ye are so stubborn, Adelstan. Ye would deny yourself what ye want when it’s right in front of you, and for what—for the sake of honor and duty? Will honor and duty keep ye warm at night?”
He said nothing until he saw the falcon returning. “Beatrice,” he said.
Rhiannon turned so quickly, she lost her footing and stumbled.
Steadying her, he regained his position behind her, his hand sliding beneath her slender arm, cupping her hand.
She leaned back even more, so that no space at all separated them. Indeed, the heat from her body made him sweat.
“Rhiannon,” he said in warning.
He could not see her face, but he could imagine the smile there, the violet eyes that had been shimmering with tears seconds before now twinkling with glee. Her buttocks brushed against his cock, again and again, until he was gritting his teeth.
Would the fucking bird land already?
“Come to the
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