Gem of Gravane (The Northern Knights) (30 page)

He thought she had blossomed
before, but after Thomas’s death, she had truly opened up and he liked it a
great deal.  His hair had begun to grow back and he was pleased.

He shifted his weight to the other
foot now as he stood before the great doors, waiting.  The midday meal
would soon be served.  Aric thought of what he would do to her tonight.
They had been so busy with all that had happened over the past couple of weeks
that he’d been lucky to get a chaste kiss in passing as she went about seeing
his good health restored with no interference or unnecessary exertion. One of
the reasons he was glad to get back to training his men.   He needed
that too.

A small voice drew him from his
inner thoughts and Aric looked down to see Little Jacob holding his wooden
sword that the two of them had just carved earlier this morning. This one
slightly larger than the last as the boy had gained much skill working with the
other knights.  Tousling the top of the little guy’s head, Aric returned
the huge grin with one of his own.

Danielle watched the pair from the
hall’s entrance.

He claimed to all he’d suffered
worse than Little Jacob at the hands of her touch that he remain abed. She had
not seen him smile this much in the entire time since they had married. Yea, he
had scowled at her plenty during his healing, yet she noted the teasing glint
in his dark heated gazes.  Danielle had known that Aric had obliged her
when he took to the bed to heal fully and she was glad that he had. 

She was coming to know his way of
thinking pretty well. Like now, as her fierce warrior went through the great
doors, his dark head swung back around and his hot gaze riveted her to the
spot. The look in them sent a tingling of heat to her belly with the promise of
his intent in that smoldering gaze. Danielle caught her breath.

She ached for this touch.

It had been hard to watch over him,
bathe him in their bed, see his arousal and not do anything about it. He turned
and walked out with Little Jacob at his side.

Danielle resumed her task of seeing
to the manor with Edie following behind her. All Hallows Eve would soon be upon
them in the coming sennight. 

She had come to learn so much about
Aric over the past several days.

His father, had been a great and
loyal vassal to the king’s father and then to King William himself during his
dukedom and had lost his life on the battlefield. His mother had followed soon
after from a broken heart, leaving him and his sister, Liza alone. 
William had taken the orphans in.

Afterwards, Aric had worked his way
up under William, and trained and fought to gain what he was rewarded. Liza had
been married off to the English lord she’d fallen in love with and the couple
had identical twin boys, whom Aric longed to see again soon. They planned to do
so in the coming weeks on their journey to visit Egway and Gent.

 The perfect time to tell him
her news. She carried the babe well and her body had not changed yet too much.
But her breasts had and she knew he’d soon notice. Danielle entered the hall
just as the servants prepped for the mid-day meal, setting up the trestle
tables and linens. 

Danielle waited for Aric to return
from the practice field. The hot water of her bath had cooled and she was
reluctant to climb out. She reached for the cloth on the chest next to the tub
and found the material in front of her face. She gasped. 

Aric grinned down at her. “Is this
what you seek?”

She stood and snatched the cloth
from him. Would she ever get used to him sneaking up on her? 

“Probably not.” Came his teasing
response.

“Oh!” Danielle exclaimed.

His smile widened and his eyes took
in her nakedness as she stepped from the tub.  “Your outspoken quirks are
endearing to me, Danielle. Never lose that.”

She shot him a wide eyed look,
flushing before ducking her head to take the towel from him.  “Thank
you.”  

His large chest was bare and he was
already absent his scabbard and sword.  Danielle frowned as she stood
before him and wound the cloth tightly around her wet body. 

‘How long were you here?”

His words caused molten heat to
flood her core. She was nigh shaking with her rising desire for him.

“Long enough to know you tarry too
long for this ravenous man’s appetite.”  He told her and pulled her
against his bare chest. 

Danielle squealed in surprise, her
hand pressed to his sweaty chest. “You have no patience, Aric.” 

Aric laughed and carried her to
their bed and sat down on the edge of it, pulling her onto his lap.  “One
would have to be made of stone to wait much longer with a luscious body as this
so close, Danielle.” 

She blushed further and Aric was
pleased. His thumb touched the beauty mole next to her mouth before caressing
the soft skin under her chin. “I fear I must admit I was jealous of your wash
cloth and soap.” 

Danielle laughed at the scowl on
his handsome face. Then stopped as his movement over the towel slid over the
sensitive tips of her breasts.  With a sharp intake of breath she asked,
“Just what are you doing?”

His hot breath fanned her face as
his hands continued to move the soft cloth over her body.  “Drying you
off.”

Danielle closed her eyes to the
exquisite feel of his hands and the soft cloth against her wet flesh.  Her
hands rested on his shoulders.  “You pleased me with Edie and I wish to
thank you, Aric.” 

He slid the cloth lower, to her
thighs.  He knew what her aim was.  To distract him but he would have
none of it.  It had been too long since he’d felt her heat wrapped around
him. His bath could wait. They would take one together after he finished
pleasing them both.  With his lips just above her left nipple, he
responded. “You are welcome. ‘Tis a good match. Your Edie pleases my
Balwain.  Had I not been in favor of the union, I fear he would have run
off with your pretty maid.”

Danielle smiled with the memory of
Balwain standing before them. She had been as elated as her maid and friend
when Edie had stood there blushing crimson until Aric had given his permission
and their blessing of the union. She was happy that the two would build their
home on the ridge.  Aric’s fingers brushing lightly over her stiff peaks
drew her back.  Balwain’s love for her maid had shimmered in his eyes and
Edie’s had shone the same emotion right back.

Danielle felt tightness in her
heart and sucked in a breath when Aric’s tongue licked her between the valley
of her breasts. 

Aric cared for her, this she’d
known on the day of Thomas’s death and even more so now over the past few
weeks. 

But love her? 

Nay.

She told herself that even if he
never came to do so, the fact that he cared for her ought to be enough. But it
wasn’t and Danielle could not stop the pained gasp that escaped her lips. She
felt him stiffen against her.

He lifted his head and met her
gaze. “Did I hurt you?”

“Nay.”

Aric frowned seeing tenderness and
sadness in her eyes. He caressed her cheek. “What bothers you, sweet Danielle?”
Embarrassed over her silly wishes, Danielle moved to kiss him. But his hold
held her. She knew by the look in his eyes he would not relent until she said
something satisfactory. 

“’Tis just that I missed you,
Aric.”  she told him with a smile and his hold softened.

“Aye, I missed you too.” 
Something was not right, yet he gave her a lopsided grin and with practiced
seduction continued to dry her between her thighs. 

Danielle closed her eyes and let
her thoughts return to the delicious feelings his hands were strumming across
her flesh. Her heart bled, but her body hummed. She loved him to her very soul
and welcomed the day he returned her love.   

Aric removed her from his lap and
laid her back on the bed. Her eyes were still closed, her dark long lashes
fanned above her high cheeks. He reached out to the curve of her belly and she
quivered under his light touch. 

She responded to his touch, but he
could still feel the tension that remained. Something was wrong and it bothered
him.  Aric lay on the bed next to her, the cloth under them both and
traced lazy circles around her right distended nipple, he kissed her ear and
asked tenderly,  “Are you sure you are well?”

His hot breath in her ear sent
every nerve in her on a hot path straight to her center seeking the fulfillment
only he could provide. Danielle’s eyes flew open.  “Yea. I am well.”

Aric pinched her nipple and was
pleased to see the passion flame again in her eyes. Still something was
missing. 

Danielle bit her lip as his hand
smoothed down to her belly, and back up to cup her breast. Heat radiated
through her, the ache nigh unbearable and she wanted him inside her.  She
slid a hand down in between them and started to untie his braies. His hand
stopped her.  She cupped his face and leaned up to kiss him, but his hand
on her shoulder stopped her. She gave him a quizzical look.

“Do you not wish for my kiss?”
Danielle tried to affect a stern tone.  If he did not hurry, she did not
know how much longer she would be able to keep her emotions at bay.
  

“I will always want your kisses.”

Aric knew something was wrong and
he would know what it was. She was holding back. He wanted all of her. He
needed all of her and he would have no less. 

“Look at me.” He commanded.

Danielle did not wish to for she
did not want him to see her tears and she silently cursed herself.  She
would not allow her silly wishful thinking to ruin this beautiful moment. She
opened her eyes and tried to kiss him again. Tears burned her eyes when he
stopped her yet again.  

“I would have all of you here with
me when I make love to you, Danielle.”  Aric insisted and what he saw in
her gaze clenched his heart.  

“I am here with you,” she said on a
breathless pant and reached for him again.   

He pinned her with a direct
unreadable stare and she inhaled sharply.  His fingers slid along her jaw
in a soft caress before taking her chin softly in his hand to hold her there
while he leaned down and planted the most gentle of kisses upon her mouth.

When she was able to catch her
breath from the soul rendering invasion of his mouth and tongue, she stiffened
when he said softly against the side of her mouth. “I told you once before. You
do not lie well, Danielle.”

Danielle’s eyes shot to his. 

Aric sucked in a breath seeing her
eyes fill with tears.  Something twisted painfully in his chest.  He
would see her happy. He felt the tension leave his body the moment he made up
his mind to do just that. Sliding his tongue up the side of her neck to her
ear, he said hotly against her lobe.

“You please me so much that it
drives me mad at times and I find I cannot keep a sane thought in my head. When
I am away from your side, I can only think of how quickly I can rush back. No
matter what it is that I am doing.  I love you, Danielle.”

 He felt her gasp and stiffen
next to him and he pulled back to search her face for a reaction. 

Danielle felt as if her heart would
leap right out of her chest.  She could hear the loud roar of it in her
ears. 

“Wh-what did you say?”

“I said you plea-“

She cut him off hurriedly. “Nay,
after that.”

Aric smiled. Her wide, water filled
eyes searched his face.

“I said,
I love you
,
Danielle. I think I have loved you since that day we kissed in the garden.”

She did cry then, hard. She sobbed
heartily and for a moment Aric thought he’d not said the right thing after all.

“I say I love you and you cry? Are
these your happy tears?”  he queried, although his tone was light.

Danielle smiled and cupping his
cheek in her hand, she said as her body shook with joy. “Beyond happy. These
are joyful tears, Aric. Oh, very joyful tears.”

“Then I am glad my words
brought you joy and
back
to me.” He went to duck his head to capture her
rosy mouth, but she pulled back.

“Aric.”  

He met her gaze. What he saw in
them stole his breath away. Her husky voice was full of raw emotion as she
gazed longingly up at him.

“I will always love you.”

He kissed her then, long. She
whispered something against his mouth when he let her breathe and so lost in
the passion she fired in him, it took a moment for him to hear her words. 
She repeated them again in the crook of his neck. Aric stiffened. He pulled
back, his eyes dark and stormy.

“What was that?”

Danielle smiled at him; he looked
so incredibly handsome and afraid. She had thought to wait, but after his
words, she could not.  She took one of his large trembling hands in hers
and placed it over her curved stomach. “I am with child.”

She was not prepared for his
excited cry or his sudden movement as he hauled her up and over his body to lie
on top of him. 

“My God, Danielle.  A baby?”

“Our baby, Aric.”

Danielle was shocked to see his
dark eyes fill with moisture and her heart bloomed even more if that was at all
possible. She caressed his cheek. 

“I love you, Danielle. I love you.”
Aric said, his eyes locked on hers.

 “And I love you right back,
Aric, my Norman lord.” Danielle spoke clearly against his mouth before she
kissed him.

EPILOGUE 

“Oh Aric, it’s
going to be a magnificent celebration.”  Danielle exclaimed as she watched
the scenery pass them by through the slits of the heavy cloth of the hooded
carriage. Aric leaned across the velvet cushioned seat and pulled her from the
window. He kissed her cheek and pressed her head gently against his chest.

“Indeed it will, Danielle. Indeed
it will.” 

Danielle was ready to burst. She
was so excited and tired at the same time. The sound of the men and horse’s
riding alongside them was pulling her into a slumber like mood. She yawned
against Aric’s chest. It was just mid-day and they were en route to visit his
sister Liza.