The Intended by May McGoldrick Page B

pulsing rhythm in his head and the blinding
desire to bury himself deeply within her, the knight rode
her—holding her hair like a mane and thrusting again and
again—until, with a mighty shudder, his body arched and he released
his seed into her.
    In a few moments, the knight—still breathing
heavily from his exertion—began to extricate himself. As he stood
up, he immediately laced his codpiece, and gazed down at the
voluptuous beauty, who rolled lazily onto her back. One of
Catherine’s hands lay on her chest and as he watched, her fingers
sensuously traced the curves of her exposed breast. Her mouth was
set in a half smile that conveyed a hint of mockery. He’d seen that
look many times before and felt his lips curl into a similar look.
The sound of horses and shouting could be heard outside the palace
gate, and the knight nodded his head at the window.
    “You’d best make yourself presentable for the
king, my sweet slut.”
    “Don’t you find me presentable now, my buck?”
she asked alluringly, her finger circling her erect nipple.
    “Aye, for me, you are. But I don’t know that
the old boar’s heart will hold out, if you don’t take some care.”
The knight turned and headed for the door.
    “I know how to manage him,” Catherine called
softly, rising slightly as he pulled open the thick oak door. He
paused to cast one last look back at her. Her face was wearing the
same mocking smile. “But, Edward, do try to ride ahead of the party
a bit earlier tomorrow.”

    “You are being unfaithful and you know
it.”
    Jaime rolled her eyes and gestured helplessly
with her hands as she paced the room. “Unfaithful to whom,
Mary?”
    “You know who as well as I, Jaime Macpherson.
To Edward.”
    Jaime made an elaborate show of choking back
her laughter, trying to make her cousin’s words seem ridiculous.
But Mary simply stood with her hands on her hips and frowned.
    Jaime decided that Mary was not about to be
laughed off. “Then perhaps you would be kind enough to tell me what
I have done that could possibly be construed as unfaithful ?”
    “Very well! Where have you spent the past two
nights? I’ll tell you. You’ve spent them— two full nights —in
that man’s room. And that was only after wearing a path to the
surgery every hour the first night Edward was gone. Just how do you
think Edward would feel—how do you expect anyone in the family to
feel—when his beloved, his intended , will happily spend the
night in another man’s room, but resolutely avoids spending so much
as a moment alone in his company? Have you thought of Edward’s
feelings, Jaime? He is a sweet, loving man—heartsick at having to
leave you—and yet you...you...”
    Jaime pressed her hands to her temples and
gazed in wide-eyed disbelief at the younger woman’s expression of
righteous anger on her cousin’s behalf. If it wasn’t bad enough
that she’d had nothing better than a hard chair for a bed these
past three nights, that she’d barely been able to close her eyes
for more than a few moments—now, to come back to her room and be
subjected to this ! She shook her aching head incredulously.
“Mary, I find it terribly difficult to believe you feel this way.
You aren’t serious, are you?” Seeing no change in her cousin’s
demeanor, Jaime approached her. “Please tell me this is all in
jest.”
    “Nay, Jaime. I am totally in earnest in my
feelings on this!” she answered. “What you have been doing is
extremely inappropriate—considering Edward’s intentions regarding
you. And since I am the only one who has been witness to behavior
entirely unbefitting your situation, I see no alternative...”
    “You see not alternative to what, Mary?”
Jaime asked, a note of challenge creeping into her tone. “Do you
intend to run to Edward and inform him of my...inappropriate
behavior?”
    Mary’s eyes flickered away for a moment. “You
don’t understand the Howards, Jaime. In this family, well,