The Bewitching Twin, page 21
The thought suddenly appealed to her. She had so enjoyed making love with him when she believed they loved each other. She had continued to lust for him but it meant nothing without love and so she had denied him her passion. Now she knew he loved her and she had never stopped loving him, so why not—
She smiled softly, feeling the weight of the heaviest of barriers drift away. Her body sprang to life, her skin tingled, and her nipples hardened.
“You are quiet,” he said as they climbed the stairs.
“I grow tired,” she said, bed suddenly appealing to her.
“We will eat and rest.” He pushed the door to their bedchamber open with his shoulder, entered and nudged it closed with his foot. “Then we can go to bed.”
Chapter 31
Aliss sat at the table spread with platters of food and found her appetite waning. Her thoughts were on a completely different type of nourishment.
“Is something on your mind, Aliss?” Rogan asked with concern.
“No.”
He laughed. “You sit there chewing on your lower lip when there is much more appetizing food on the table.”
“I can’t decide what I want.” That was no lie. Did she start with his appetizing lips or go straight for the main dish?
“I know what you like, I’ll choose it for you,” he offered and reached out to spear a slice of meat.
He certainly did know what she liked and she almost shivered with the memories of their lovemaking.
She picked at the food he had piled on her plate, not at all interested in it.
Rogan leaned back in his chair. “What’s wrong? You sit silently, moving your food around, not eating a thing. Something is obviously on your mind.”
He was right about that.
“Want to share it with me?”
She did, but it would make no sense that all of a sudden she was willing to make love with him. It didn’t even make sense to her, but then her desire for him had never waned. Love had been the missing ingredient.
However, she wasn’t ready to forgive him so easily. Besides, she liked the way he had courted her and wouldn’t mind it continuing for a while.
“You’re still upset over our talk in the woods, aren’t you?”
She had been, but no more. “I admit it has been on my mind.”
“Is there anything I can do to ease those concerns?”
Make love to me.
She shook her head. The thought was crazy. She couldn’t just jump into bed with him—and what? Forgive him? Start fresh? Begin to love again?
Or forget everything just for one night and love?
She pushed her plate aside and leaned her arms on the table. “Tell me why you fell in love with me.”
He stared at her a moment, rubbed the back of his neck then shook his head. “I’ve asked myself the same question over and over, and over and over I get different answers.”
“Do you now? Why is that?”
“Because I find more reasons to fall in love with you each day.”
Her heart fluttered, her breath caught, and she sighed softly. “You are good at wooing a woman.”
“I am good at wooing the woman I love,” he corrected.
“Woo me some more,” she said, aware that the more he professed his love the more she desired him.
“You are easy to love.”
That surprised her. “I sometimes think myself selfish, always involved in my work.”
“Your work is important to you. A husband who truly loves his wife would understand and allow her to be who she is. I love who you are, and your work makes you even more appealing. I love the way you become excited over the simplest things, like discovering the fern earlier. I will never grow tired of exploring the woods with you.”
Her heart melted with every word.
“I also admired tremendously your attempt to escape my men when first they captured you. You dared to take a chance in the dark of night, in unfamiliar terrain, your wrists bound and your mouth gagged.”
“I was terrified.”
“I would not have known it. When I tossed you over my shoulder I sensed only your resolve to escape and I knew if I let you go, you would attempt to flee again. So I held on to you, as I continue to do.”
“You make me think that perhaps that gap between us should be bridged, at least a little.”
“I will settle for a little, for now.”
“You don’t intend to give up, do you?” she asked.
“Never,” he said, pounding the table once. “I will make certain you know that I love you every day of my life, now and always.”
Her defenses vanished completely.
“You make it easy for a woman to love you,” she said, and hurried from the table to stand in front of the cold hearth.
He came up behind her as she hoped he would and slipped his arm around her waist to ease her back against him.
“I know that you love me; believe that I love you, if only for tonight,” he whispered near her ear and kissed her temple.
She turned in his arms and brushed her fingers faintly over his lips. “Tonight, I believe,” she confessed in a murmur.
She touched his lips again, lingering along the bottom one before she nibbled it gently then pleaded in a whisper, “Love me.”
“Always,” he said, and captured her lips.
She liked that he took his time tasting and savoring. It seemed forever since they had lingered in a kiss. He teased her bottom lip with nibbles and bites then devoured her lips once again.
“Damn, but I love you,” he whispered against her mouth, scooped her up in his arms and carried her to bed.
He deposited her on the bed, and she smiled as she watched him disrobe. He had a splendid body, all taut, sleek muscles, and his movements were like those of a stalking wolf, slow and determined.
But this time she wasn’t his prey; she was his mate.
She smiled and stretched her arms out to him.
He returned to the bed, kneeling beside her to undo her leather belt and toss it to the floor. She relished the feel of his warm fingers pulling her blouse free of her skirt and working their way beneath to gently fondle her flesh. He pushed the blouse up to expose her breasts to his eager mouth.
She moaned when he rolled his tongue repeatedly over one nipple then the other, turning them so hard they ached. Then he went back and suckled each one until she panted breathless beneath him.
His hands drifted to her waistband and he inched her skirt down over her hips, his lips nibbling along her tingling flesh. It felt good, so very good, and she didn’t want him to stop. She knew his intentions, and when he discarded her skirt, she spread her legs in welcome.
She gasped when his hands captured her bottom and brought her up to meet his mouth. No sooner had he run his tongue intimately over her than she felt her passion soar beyond reason and her senses explode.
She was lost in the labyrinth of their lovemaking, neither able to find her way out nor wanting to.
She could taste the sweat of her passion thick and salty on her lips. She reached down and stroked the silky length of him and then grabbed hold and squeezed, feeling his desire pulsate in her hand. He was her husband and she wanted him more than she ever thought possible.
She arched up to accept him and guide him into her, but he moved her hand off him. Then he swung her legs up to rest against his chest, grabbed hold of her backside and inched himself slowly inside her.
She sighed when he finally settled fully within her then shocked her when he swiftly withdrew only to begin again. She grasped hold of his taut arms, the muscles bulging from the exertion of his position, but he didn’t budge. He held firm and worked his way in and out of her, sending her into a frenzy of mad desire.
She cried out his name, she cried out for him to stop, and then she cried out for him to never stop. Her body was being battered with lovemaking and she ached for every pleasurable plunge.
Her eyes widened when he suddenly stopped, moved them both down in the bed, and with one hand lifted her head to place a pillow beneath it.
She hadn’t realized her head had been hitting the wall, but he had.
She reached out to him and urged him down on top of her.
“I am so very lucky to have found you,” he whispered.
“I agree,” she said, and as she claimed his lips, he claimed her.
She arched and he pulled back and soon the rhythm was set, their tempo fast and furious. Time stood still as Aliss felt the force of first one climax then another hit her and ripple repeatedly throughout her body.
She had barely regained her senses when she felt Rogan groan and knew his pleasure was close at hand. She thrust her hips against him, keeping their rhythm strong, and before she knew it, she felt her own passion return and build uncontrollably deep inside her.
She never expected to—
The climax hit them like a rushing wave, knocking them completely senseless. They held on to each other until the very last ripple of their lovemaking had faded.
Rogan collapsed alongside Aliss and she reached out and took hold of his hand.
Speech wasn’t possible—their breathing was still labored from their lovemaking—so silence reigned. That was all right with Aliss. She enjoyed lingering in the afterglow of their passion.
He finally turned on his side and, with a smile, reached out and pushed her damp hair off her face. “I love you.”
She sighed. I know.
Chapter 32
Aliss had just administered a salve and bandage to Tara’s minor burn when Rogan appeared at the open door of the cottage.
“I interrupt?”
Aliss shook her head and waved him in. “All finished.”
He wore his dark plaid and tan shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The summer sun had lightened the blond strands that ran through his long hair and tanned his skin to a healthy bronze. It delighted her to see that she had such a handsome husband.
Tara stood to leave, drawing her attention. “Daniel does well?”
Her smile spread generously across her pretty face. “He runs around without a limp or complaint. He tires me out just watching him.”
“Good, I am glad that his broken bone healed so well.”
Tara hugged her. “Thanks to you and your skills. I do not know what we would do without you. The clan is so very grateful to you.” She hurried out the door with a wave.
“The chieftain is also grateful for your skills.”
Aliss laughed and walked around the table to step into his open arms.
“I’ve missed you,” he said.
“You just saw me at breakfast a couple of hours ago.”
“Much too long, don’t you agree?”
She did, actually, having thought of him all morning. Soon they would need to talk and settle things between them, but not just yet. For now, she needed time to heal her wounds and love him.
“Aye, I do agree, perhaps we can find time today and slip away together.”
“I already have it planned,” he whispered.
A gruff cough at the door had them both turning around.
“Sorry to interrupt,” John said apologetically. “You are needed at the keep. A foolish dispute.”
Aliss sighed and whispered, “When and where?”
He bent and nibbled at her ear. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Gooseflesh ran over her skin and she shivered as she watched him walk off.
“A brisk walk,” she ordered, needing to stem her passion. She left the cottage and headed for the woods. She wanted to be alone, solitude her only companion for now. She wanted to find a place to sit, relax, and enjoy the beauty of the last days of summer. Soon she would journey with Rogan to await the birth of Fiona’s babe. She looked forward to seeing her sister. She missed her and wished to talk with her.
It had been too long since they had shared walks together, talking and laughing and offering each other advice. Aliss’s advice had always been the more logical of the two.
She heard a rustle and looked around, hoping to spy friendly animals at play. She loved to watch their antics. They always made her laugh.
She saw nothing and assumed they were scurrying about out of sight.
She continued walking. A cloud slowly sneaked across the sky and covered the late afternoon sun, robbing the woods of sunlight. A chill breeze rustled the trees, shedding leaves and sending a shiver through Aliss.
She had not thought to bring a shawl. The last days of summer lingered, with only the occasional hint of autumn in the air.
With a rough rubbing of her arms, Aliss kept up her unhurried pace.
A noise that sounded like rushing footsteps had her swerving around.
She stared at the dense woods and heard nothing but her rapid heartbeat. Was she being followed? Was someone playing a trick on her?
“Rogan?” she called out, her own voice returning in an echo.
She suddenly felt uneasy. It seemed as if the forest had grown darker, though the cloud covering had not grown heavier. The urge to flee took hold of her and she tried to calm herself.
It did not work and finally she decided her best course of action was to satisfy her irrationality and return home.
Aliss turned, and staring at her through a grove of trees was a pair of brilliant green eyes.
Rogan listened to the two squabbling women from his perch atop the long table that sat in front of the cold fireplace in the great hall. The two were bickering over the ownership of a fine piece of a recently woven plaid.
He knew it was an important matter for both women, but he would have much preferred to be with Aliss. Last night he had realized that he loved his wife even more than he thought possible and he knew she loved him. He hoped soon, very soon, he would hear her say “I love you” to him as easily as he said it to her.
For now his attention was needed here in the hall, but as soon as he finished he intended to return to Aliss and whisk her away to a very special place, and share a part of his past with her.
Both women claimed their skilled hands had weaved the cloth, and they expected him to settle the dispute. But it was impossible to settle. He would have to designate one of them as the better weaver and thereby animosity would grow between friends.
“Let me see the cloth,” Rogan said.
John handed it to him while the two women looked on and several other women watched from the surrounding tables. No men took interest in the debate, though Raynor had wandered in and sat to the side watching with interest.
Rogan weighed the cloth in his hand and saw that it was a fine weave made by skilled hands. He also knew that one of the women would suffer because of his verdict. He gave it thought, studying the cloth, bringing it up to examine it closely.
“You both claim to have weaved this, you say?”
Both women nodded and affirmed, “Yes!”
“There is a knot here in the weave.”
Both women stepped forward and stopped when Rogan turned the cloth over and back again.
“A loose weave in spots,” he said, once again bringing it up for a closer look.
One woman took a step back.
The other noticed and joined her.
“This looks to be the work of a beginner,” he said.
Both women gasped at the insult.
“You both teach the young ones to weave, do you not?”
“Yes, yes, we do,” said one.
“Could you have made a mistake and this cloth may be the work of one of the young women you have taught?” he asked.
“I think he is right, Agnes,” one said.
“I believe you are right, Cara,” the other agreed.
“The cloth?” he asked, holding it out to them.
“Keep it,” both said, and turned and walked off together.
The other women followed, smiling broadly. There would be no hard feelings this day.
Raynor walked over to him, shaking his head. “You handled that well.”
“What choice did I have?” Rogan asked with a laugh. “The other women would have had my head if I had caused a rift between the two women who weaved the cloth for the clan.”
Raynor grinned and slapped him on the back. “Your meals may have also suffered. I spied one of the women who cook for you lurking in the shadows.”
Rogan gave a quick glance around the hall.
“Don’t worry, she left with a smile.”
“I tell you, settling disputes between women is worse than going into battle without a weapon,” Rogan said.
“Amen to that.”
“Did something bring you to the hall?” Rogan asked. “Since I do not think a woman’s quarrel would bring you here.”
“I wondered if Giann was visiting you. She visits with my family on occasion and I thought I saw her wandering the woods,” Raynor said.
“She has made her presence known.”
“Does she intend to speak with Aliss?”
“She has not made mention of it,” Rogan said. “Why?”
“I saw Aliss walk into the woods and wondered.”
“Wondered what?”
“If Giann had summoned her?”
Aliss stood perfectly still, not sure who the glaring green eyes belonged to, animal or human. Her urge to flee dissipated and her heartbeat calmed. She instinctively realized she had nothing to fear, though much to say.
“I am glad we finally meet.”
Aliss stared as sunlight spotlighted the woman who emerged from the woods, the cloud having drifted away from the sun. She was stunning, with blond hair and green eyes that claimed the color of the forest. Her garments blended with nature’s own colors so that her tall, graceful body could move within the woods undetected. She carried a gnarled walking stick that was topped with a claw that held a clear stone.
“You are Giann,” Aliss said.
“And you are Aliss, one of the twins.”
She drifted closer to Aliss, and that is exactly how it appeared—as if she drifted, not walked, toward her.
“Whose life you have interfered with much too long.”
“Not I, fate,” Giann said gently, and led her to a thick, flat stone.
