until she gave him the key,
butDuncanhad always despised men who were violent to those weaker than themselves, and
could not justify such behavior to himself. His threat to beat her should she
leaveDunbarunattended again had been an empty one, made out of fear for her safety. He had
not overstated the peril she faced by such foolish behavior.
It was foolish of him to feel the way he did, he supposed, but he could not seem to help
himself. Once the worst of his anger over her refusal had passed,Duncanhad found he
actually admired her spirit in doing so. Few women would have dared to say nay to their
husbands, especially since husbands had every legal right and were even encouraged by the
church to beat their wives for lesser crimes. But despite her fear and he had seen it
plain on her face as she had stated her decisions on the matter she had stuck to her guns.
Aye, she had spirit. Her refusal of him, as well as her activities today, were evidence of
that. Unfortunately, they also demonstrated her complete ignorance in the matter of how a
wife should behave. She had many lessons to learn. He only hoped he could find the
patience to teach her properly, for he had found himself unusually shorttempered since his
unsuccessful wedding night. So far he had taken the worst of it out on the men, driving
them, as well as himself, to work to the point of exhaustion on the wall they were
constructing. Even so, when he dragged his exhausted body to bed at night, he could only
sleep fitfully.
Successfully bedding his wife would no doubt go a long way toward curing this sudden bout
of insomnia he was suffering, and he had even considered bathing a bit early to gain the
pleasure that would be his once the belt was gone. ButDuncanfelt sure that if he gave way
in this matter it would begin a dangerous pattern. Nay. Unless he came up with another way
to remove the belt, he very much feared he would have a long wait ere finally managing to
bed his wife. That realization was not one that pleased a man used to getting his own way.
Iliana winced as her husband's sword crashed noisily to the floor. She scowled at his
back, then blinked as his plaid suddenly dropped to the floor as well. Now he stood with
his back to her, the shirt he wore beneath his plaid hanging just to the top of his
behind, and Iliana found her eyes drawn involuntarily to those chiseled curves, and
following the lines of his buttocks to the hard muscled length of his legs. Oddly enough,
she found herself having a bit of difficulty' breathing as she examined him so.
Disturbed by her booty's reaction to her husband's physique, Iliana started to turn away,
only to pause, her eyes instinctively rising to his wide, strong back and arms as he
jerked his shirt upward and tugged it off over his head. She drank in the sight of his
muscles shifting and rippling as he moved, reminded that, for all his odor and irritating
manner, her husband was a very fine figure of a man. Every muscle in his body seemed to
swell and undulate as he bent to tug back the rumpled bed linens, then crawl between them.
That was when Iliana snapped out of her almost mesmerized state. Moved to action, she
hurried forward and snatched at the top linen, trying to whip it off as her husband
crawled beneath it.Duncanwas quicker than she had expected. Catching the tail end, he
tugged back, nearly toppling her onto him. But Iliana caught herself in time, and glared
at him.
“I told you, you shall not sleep on my mother's linens until you take a bath. You will not
stink them up with your filth.”
Duncanwent still, then released the linen abruptly, nearly sending Iliana tumbling to the
floor.
Catching herself, she stared in amazement as he suddenly stood, gloriously naked, before
her. Reaching down, he grabbed the bottom linen that Ebba had used to replace the original
and ripped it from the bed.
butDuncanhad always despised men who were violent to those weaker than themselves, and
could not justify such behavior to himself. His threat to beat her should she
leaveDunbarunattended again had been an empty one, made out of fear for her safety. He had
not overstated the peril she faced by such foolish behavior.
It was foolish of him to feel the way he did, he supposed, but he could not seem to help
himself. Once the worst of his anger over her refusal had passed,Duncanhad found he
actually admired her spirit in doing so. Few women would have dared to say nay to their
husbands, especially since husbands had every legal right and were even encouraged by the
church to beat their wives for lesser crimes. But despite her fear and he had seen it
plain on her face as she had stated her decisions on the matter she had stuck to her guns.
Aye, she had spirit. Her refusal of him, as well as her activities today, were evidence of
that. Unfortunately, they also demonstrated her complete ignorance in the matter of how a
wife should behave. She had many lessons to learn. He only hoped he could find the
patience to teach her properly, for he had found himself unusually shorttempered since his
unsuccessful wedding night. So far he had taken the worst of it out on the men, driving
them, as well as himself, to work to the point of exhaustion on the wall they were
constructing. Even so, when he dragged his exhausted body to bed at night, he could only
sleep fitfully.
Successfully bedding his wife would no doubt go a long way toward curing this sudden bout
of insomnia he was suffering, and he had even considered bathing a bit early to gain the
pleasure that would be his once the belt was gone. ButDuncanfelt sure that if he gave way
in this matter it would begin a dangerous pattern. Nay. Unless he came up with another way
to remove the belt, he very much feared he would have a long wait ere finally managing to
bed his wife. That realization was not one that pleased a man used to getting his own way.
Iliana winced as her husband's sword crashed noisily to the floor. She scowled at his
back, then blinked as his plaid suddenly dropped to the floor as well. Now he stood with
his back to her, the shirt he wore beneath his plaid hanging just to the top of his
behind, and Iliana found her eyes drawn involuntarily to those chiseled curves, and
following the lines of his buttocks to the hard muscled length of his legs. Oddly enough,
she found herself having a bit of difficulty' breathing as she examined him so.
Disturbed by her booty's reaction to her husband's physique, Iliana started to turn away,
only to pause, her eyes instinctively rising to his wide, strong back and arms as he
jerked his shirt upward and tugged it off over his head. She drank in the sight of his
muscles shifting and rippling as he moved, reminded that, for all his odor and irritating
manner, her husband was a very fine figure of a man. Every muscle in his body seemed to
swell and undulate as he bent to tug back the rumpled bed linens, then crawl between them.
That was when Iliana snapped out of her almost mesmerized state. Moved to action, she
hurried forward and snatched at the top linen, trying to whip it off as her husband
crawled beneath it.Duncanwas quicker than she had expected. Catching the tail end, he
tugged back, nearly toppling her onto him. But Iliana caught herself in time, and glared
at him.
“I told you, you shall not sleep on my mother's linens until you take a bath. You will not
stink them up with your filth.”
Duncanwent still, then released the linen abruptly, nearly sending Iliana tumbling to the
floor.
Catching herself, she stared in amazement as he suddenly stood, gloriously naked, before
her. Reaching down, he grabbed the bottom linen that Ebba had used to replace the original
and ripped it from the bed.
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