Gem of Gravane (The Northern Knights) (27 page)

At those words, Aric found his gaze
turning back to Danielle. His heart beat wildly in his chest as he watched
her.  Fate, he thought as the word went over inside his head.

“Your wife is a bit unusual, is she
not, Aric.” Rourke’s deep voice pulled him back.

Aric turned to glare at him. “Your
meaning?”

Rourke’s eyes watched him with a
knowing intensity, and then the blonde giant flashed him a smile.  “You
are a very lucky man for having such a gem for a wife. I mean no disrespect or
insult when I say that she moves about the servants with ease and not like one
above them.  They look at her with adoration in their eyes. She has their
favor and it is evident in the prosperity of your home. Fate seems to have
turned out well for you, Aric.”

Aric stopped in front of the
manor’s great doors, his chest swelling with pride. “Aye. Mayhap.”

Rourke grinned. “In the short time
that I have been here. The camaraderie among your men is a feat I wish to gain
one day when I claim the rest of my lands.” Aric’s answer was a nod.  “We
go far back, Aric Claydon. I would stay longer if you need my men and me to
assist you in finding this man your wife calls cousin. You need only say the
word.”

Aric nodded. “Nay. Your offer is
acknowledged, but he is all mine.”  Rourke gave him a nod and Aric
continued, “Besides, we have detained you long enough. What you have done will
not be forgotten. ‘Tis I who owes you, Rourke. Let us not keep you from your
waiting betrothed any longer.”

The other men that had accompanied
the Dark Axe approached with their horses, ready to depart. 

Aric’s eyes slid over to Danielle.
She and Edie had moved closer to them and Aric saw that Rourke watched her, but
this time it did not anger him. 

“I could but only dream that your
wife had a twin and would that she was my betrothed that I hurry off to,
friend.”

Aric smiled. He knew from where she
stood that she had heard the blonde giant’s words for he saw her frame stiffen
as she continued to work and walk among the servants, pretending
indifference. 

Aye, Danielle’s beauty inside and
outside deserved to be lauded. It’d been hidden far too long.   

Clasping Rourke’s forearm in a
hearty grip of respect, Aric added, loudly.  “Perhaps the gods will shine
such favor upon you, my friend.”  He caught Danielle’s falter in step out
of the corner of his eye and he grinned. 

Danielle’s heart soared as the
great knight bade farewell. The Dark Axe and his man Goran mounted and exited
Gravane’s courtyard. 

Danielle practically ran to Aric’s
side. “What you just spoke, is it true?”

He took his time in turning to
acknowledge her. Danielle bit back the string of curses that bubbled forth. She
would not let him break her word, but she was ready to burst with a litany of
curses. Blast it!  Why did she not have any patience when it came to this
man?  Nor could she stay angry with him overlong.

Finally, he spoke. “Aye, Danielle.
I did.” 

Aric’s mouth fell open as she
jumped at him with her arms wrapping around his waist. She felt good.  He
didn’t care that all in the courtyard watched and he squeezed her to him with a
tight hug of his own. He was further delighted when she planted one of her
tempting and hot quick kisses on his mouth. 

“Aric, that pleases me very much.”
Danielle declared.

He grinned bigger then. “Oh?”

She flushed and dropped her arms
from his waist. “Yea.”

Aric pulled her near him again and
kissed the top of her head. With his lips pressed against her temple, he said.
“Do not be shy now. You please me, Danielle.
Very
much.” 

He released her and moved way,
joining Balwain as they saw to the rest of the business with the villagers,
leaving Danielle there gawking at his receding back.

Later that night after helping Aric
with his bath and prepare for bed, Danielle lay with her head now on his chest,
listening to the sound of his heart beating.  Lost deep in thought over
his words earlier in the courtyard, she smiled closing her eyes. She’d floated
the remainder of the day as she’d seen to the needs of the manor. 

Aric let out a thankful sigh as she
lay quiet next to him. He was glad she said naught of the long time he’d taken
in coming back to the manor. Thomas was close.  Aric not only knew it, but
felt it.  He would not be able to rest until he removed this threat so
near to her.

Her hand moving down to his belly
drew him from his thoughts. He inhaled the fresh scent of her hair beneath his
nose. “You smell good, Danielle.”

She lifted her head to look at him.
Her fingers continued to massage the taut skin around his navel. The room was
cast in shadows as they had left a few tapers burning. The mood was calming.

“As do you.”  She smiled and
planted a kiss near his nipple.  She laughed softly against his skin when
he jerked beneath her touch and let out a groan.  Her thoughts had aroused
her and she could not help herself. She flicked out her tongue, touching the
erect bud again.

“Danielle!  What do you do?”
Aric let out hoarsely, his voice thick with passion from her stimulating touch.

She stopped. “Mayhap ‘tis best to
wait a few more days to sate my hunger. ‘Twould be unwise to engage in such a
strenuous act tonight after the long day you had. Do you not agree?”

Aric’s eyes blazed.

So, she was upset after all that
he’d pushed himself this day. He had to admit, he was weary and that blasted
headache was lurking at the base of his skull. But, ‘twas no matter now. Her
sensuous mouth had caused hot heat to shoot to his loins. Weary he may be, but
not too weary to sink into her heat. 

“I am not that weary, Danielle.”
His large hand cradled the back of her head. He wanted a taste of her sweet
lips. That beauty mark next to her mouth enticed him further. 

She taunted him more as her fingers
played with the hairs near his hard shaft. Aric had trouble breathing, almost
painful as he inhaled.

She gave him a smile and resisted
the pull of his hand at the back of her neck and said, “Think you ‘tis wise for
a man in your condition to be in such an aroused state?”

Aric scowled at her teasing and
taking her hand, he slid it further down and placed it where he ached for it to
be. He groaned. “There is strength there is it not?”

Danielle laughed. “Aye, ‘tis
strength enough.” 

He moved to pull her up to him
again but she ducked out of his touch. He could easily take control but he
wanted to see what game she wished to play tonight. The wicked gleam in her
unique depths told him she had a plan. 

She did. Aric exhaled loudly with a
groan he was sure all within the manor heard as her hot mouth engulfed
him.  Further words were impossible.

Chapter 28

Aric stared down
at Danielle’s sleeping form as he stood next to their bed. The sounds of the
dark night came through their window. He smiled, his heart warming as his gaze
slid over her.  She would not forgive him. She world be quite angry at
first when she found out what he’d done.  But after a bit, she would calm
and come around, he just knew it.  With that last thought, Aric quit their
chamber.

In the knight’s quarters, his
squire helped him pull the chain mail over his black tunic. The dark scowl of a
man going to battle was upon Aric’s face and halted any words of concern the
young squire may have had.

Danielle breathed fire as she
skipped another rock across the stream. She leaned down to search for another
flat stone. It was just breaking dawn now and Aric still was not back yet.

She was so angry with him. She knew
that he had gone yet again in search of Thomas. The man heeded his wound not at
all. 

Just this morn, she’d spotted a
drop of blood on his pillow.

Guilty heat burned her cheeks at
the thought. She was part the blame for that. After all, in her insatiable
desire for him, she’d played her part in their slow and long passionate loving
last night.  Had she known he would be out hunting for her blasted cousin
today, she would never have allowed it to happen.

Danielle laughed out loud. Allowed.
Bah! Aric allowed naught.  He just made her think that he did. The man was
a smooth manipulator, indeed. 

Danielle glanced over her shoulder
when a twig broke. The young soldier smiled at her as he stood among the thick
hedges. She turned back to the stream, her eyes moving over the water then to
the sky.  

The sun struggled to break through
the darkening clouds. ‘Twould not win. 

She could smell the rain.

The dark clouds moved toward
Gravane. Something crept up her spine and the sound of more twigs breaking
underfoot caused her to turn back to the guard.

He was not there.

Anxiety blossomed in her and she
walked to the spot he’d been last standing. Danielle opened her mouth to
scream.  But it never left her throat.

The young guard lay at her feet,
his throat slashed ear to ear with his surprised eyes staring empty up at the
dark clouds.

Danielle turned to run back toward
the manor, but her flight was stopped by the hand over her mouth and nose as
another snaked around her waist.  

The man pulled her so hard back
against his body that her scream came out in a strangled whoosh of muffled air
beneath his heavy hand.  A heavily whiskered cheek slid against hers,
scratching her as darkness swam before her eyes. His rank and pungent breath
caused her eyes to water but a moment before the darkness claimed her. 
The angry thought went down with her.

Thomas!

Aric could smell the rain.

He shook his dark head once again
to ward off the mallet sized fist at the base of his skull. The sense that
something was not right had plagued him since he’d left Gravane grounds and the
dark clouds moving over the horizon cinched it.

He turned back to face the handful
of rebel prisoners which were all that remained from the fifty or so of the
ones they had killed in quick battle just moments ago. 

Stepping through the littered
bodies, he walked over to where Balwain stood over a bound and kneeling Harvey.
The man was shaking uncontrollably and had already soiled himself thrice
over. 

Aric glared at him with disgust.
The former stable master’s eyes widened even more when Aric removed the small
object near his scabbard and held it up in front of the man’s snot covered
face.

Harvey’s wild eyes shot from the
dark lord’s to the heavy sword in his hand that rested at his side. Then his
gaze shot back up to meet Aric’s dark glower. 

Harvey knew he was good as dead.
Only someone as fierce as this man would survive such a fall as deep as that
ravine had been.  Straightening his shoulders back, Harvey mustered up the
last of his courage. He would not go out a weakling.

“Should have been you that died,
Norman.” Harvey’s words shot out with spittle and more snot. 

Aric grabbed him by the collar and
yanked him clear off the ground with one hand and held him inches from his
face. “I will ask you but once. Where is he?”
Harvey grinned, his rotten teeth flashing.  “He’s probably inside Gravane
Manor turning your cow wife’s brains to sauce right about now.” He knew from
the look of black rage that came over the lord’s face he’d said the words that
would end the rest of his pitiful life.

Aric wiped his blade clean across
Harvey’s lifeless body before giving orders to his men regarding the prisoners.
Within moments he mounted, and turned his horse back in the direction of
Gravane with Balwain at his back, just as the dark sky split and the drenching
storm fell.

Danielle had come to and found that
Thomas had dragged her inside the manor into the study.  She still did not
know how he had managed to get past all the guards and inside.  His beady
eyes gleamed with malice and as though he read her thoughts, a cruel smile came
to his lips.

“Ah, dear cousin, think you were
the only one to know of the tunnels within?”  Her wide eyes caused his
maniacal laugh to escape his wet lips.  “I know everything inside this
manor, Danielle. Everything! All of this should have been mine.”

The man was at the end of his rope
to even think to steal into Gravane.  He was a madman, Danielle thought as
she jerked against him. “What is wrong with you, Thomas? Do you actually think
you are going to get away with this? My home has never been yours and never
will be.”

“Aye, it will, dear cousin. ‘Twill
be as soon as I get rid of all that is in my way from making it so.”

Danielle froze. “England has and is
changing, Thomas. You cannot stop it. Your hatred will see you naught but more
ill will. My husband spared your life once before. Does that not mean anything
to you? Is that not enough?” Danielle knew she was stalling, but she had to do
something to distract or delay whatever plans he had.

“The
fact
that he is
Norman
is what is enough!  I cannot and will not live under his rule any more
than that bastard Conqueror’s.”

“Then you shall die.” Danielle told
him. Her anger mixed with her fear caused her lip to tremble. 

He shook her hard and she bit into
her lip, drawing blood. With his mouth a hairs breadth away from hers he
sneered. “I think not, dear cousin. You know, you have always disgusted me.
“Tis no wonder this Norman likes to plow between your cow thighs. They are,
after all quite savage and lusty animals.”

Danielle shoved hard against his
chest to no avail and yelled. “And you would love to know, wouldn’t you? Say
what you will Thomas, but know this, you will still die.”  Her chest
heaved with her pants.

Fisting his hand in her hair, he
twisted her neck back hard and his evil laugh sent a chill down her spine. “And
who do you think will take that to task? You? Your husband? That will be hard
to do with the surprise that awaits your filthy Norman bastard.”