Great Protector (41 page)

All
of the color drained from Arissa's face, not merely from the not-too-surprising
revelation that Regine had betrayed her word, but from the mere fact that
Richmond would not allow Regine's breach to go unpunished. She looked to
Richmond, her eyes wide with apprehension and horror.

"I
told you I did not trust her, Richmond," she said, her voice hoarse with
emotion.

Richmond
met her gaze evenly. "And what would you have me do, Riss? Kill her to
keep her silent?"

Arissa
lowered her gaze and turned away, shaken and nauseous. Richmond returned his
attention to Emma, who was visibly losing her courage under his piercing stare.
Brave not a moment before, it was becoming obvious that her attempt at
blackmail had been a mistake.

"Do
as you must," Richmond said quietly. "Tomorrow, Gavan will return you
to Lambourn."

Emma
went from bright red to a sickly gray. "Oh, Richmond, I am sorry. I should
not have said that. It's just.... I cannot bear to be away from Riss. She was
the only bit of life at Lambourn and with her gone, it will be a colorless
place."

Richmond
merely turned away from her. Emma began to shake, knowing he had effectively
shut her out. Slowly, she turned to Arissa. "I will apologize to you too,
Riss," she moved toward her shaken friend, tears in her eyes. "You
are my very best friend. I do not know what I shall do without you."

Arissa
suddenly let out a choked sob and turned to Emma, throwing her arms around the
young woman and weeping. Emma's sobs filled the room also as the two ladies
wept and consoled one another.

Richmond
passed a glance at the two of them, shaking his head faintly when he realized
that, more than likely, Emma would be accompanying them to Whitby. He knew the
question before Arissa even asked and as he tried to formulate a refusal, he
knew with resignation that a denial would be fruitless. As always, he would do
as she asked.

Irritated
with himself but resigned to the inevitable, he moved toward the two women.

"There,
now, stop weeping," he put his hands on Arissa shoulders. "You are
going to make yourself ill. Gavan, seat Lady Emma. Our meal should be here
shortly."

As
if on cue, a loud knock rattled the door and Gavan opened it to the innkeeper
and two serving wenches. They whisked into the room silently and efficiently,
depositing the ordered faire and leaving the room with equal rapidity. The food
steaming upon the table was pungent and appetizing and Richmond seated Arissa,
serving her himself and then hovering over her to make sure she ate.

It
had always been the same with her; Arissa could go for days without food and
would have probably died of starvation had someone not forced her to consume
nourishment once in a while. Richmond couldn't count the times he had literally
spoon fed the defiant young girl, sputtering and crying throughout the meal as
if he were torturing her.

Tonight,
however, she was hungry and ate every bite. Between her and Emma, they managed
to devour a good portion of the meal, leaving the more chivalrous men to
consume the leftovers. But it was not nearly enough to sustain them and
Richmond ended up ordering more food when Arissa and Emma left the table to
throw themselves on the large bed in over-stuffed misery.

"You
naughty gluttons," he scolded, although he was pleased with Arissa's
ravenous appetite. "I hope you both explode."

Arissa,
flat on her back in the great bed, frowned. "I am very close to achieving
your desire," she rolled over, causing Emma to shriek in protest as the
mattress jostled. "I could sleep forever."

Richmond
and Gavan, two huge knuckles of beef between them, passed glances. Gavan
snorted into his food as he read Richmond's thoughts, knowing that Lady Arissa
would be claiming very little sleep this night.

As
the ladies quieted, Richmond and Gavan devoured a meal fit for several men,
listening to the rain outside as it pelted the windowsill. All suddenly seemed
peaceful, serene, as if the battle for Lambourn that had constituted their day
was a million miles away. As if the threat to Arissa's life had only been a
bitter dream, easily forgotten.

The
conversation between them was quiet and light. Even after the food was gone,
they continued to talk and drink the remainder of the ale. But the longer they
sat, the more fatigued they became until Richmond finally rose stiffly to his
feet.

"I
do believe I am going to retire," he passed a glance at the bed, noting
that the two female occupants had suddenly grown very still. "Oh....
damn."

As
if in response, Emma snored softly. Gavan laughed as Richmond shook his head
grimly. "You should have never let them lie on the bed," Gavan said.

"What
was I supposed to do?" Richmond went over to the overstuffed mattress;
Arissa was sound asleep, her angelic face serene. Emma was rolled up in a ball
like an opossum. Richmond shook his head again. "I will not be tossed from
my own bed by a fugitive."

"Let
them alone," Gavan said quietly, still smiling. "I would wager the
inn isn't full. There is another bed for you to sleep in."

"I
do not want another bed," Richmond gestured to Gavan. "Take Emma with
you."

Gavan's
smile vanished. "I do not want her. God's Teeth, Richmond, that girl is
worse than my shadow. I can't get rid of her. Do you realize what could happen
if she sleeps in the same room with me?"

"I
care not of the sleeping arrangements. But she will leave this bed and this
room, and I expect you to watch over her until morning. Am I understood?"

Gavan
gritted his teeth. "Aye, I understand you. But you, apparently, have no
comprehension of her infatuation with me. Last eve, she followed me as I went
along my rounds, distracting me from my duties with her foolish chatter. And do
you know that I caught her spying on me when I went to relieve myself? She’s a
damn nuisance, I tell you!"

Richmond
fought off a grin. "God only knows what she sees in you. But the fact
remains that I have ordered you to take charge of her. And you will."

There
was no point in arguing with a direct order. Sighing heavily, Gavan cast
Richmond a baleful glance as he moved around the bed toward Emma's huddled
form. He shook her gently once, twice, but she refused to awaken. By the third
and fourth jarring, she simply rolled over in an attempt to ignore him and he
sighed again.

With
a grunt, Gavan scooped Emma effortlessly into his arms. Immediately, she
burrowed against him in her sleep and he shot Richmond a completely hostile
glare. Struggling against a wicked smirk, Richmond waved them from his room.

He
bolted the door behind them, moving to stoke the fire before retiring. It was
completely silent but for the patter of rain and he took a moment to breathe in
the silence, feeling the tension drain from his body as the food and wine coursed
through his veins. Silently, he moved toward the bed and doused the fish-oil
lamp by Arissa's head.

The
room was dark but for dancing fingers of light cast by the crackling hearth.
Richmond stood over Arissa a moment, touching her raven-hued locks, feeling the
warmth of her skin beneath his fingertips. Quietly, he removed his clothing and
slipped onto the bed beside her.

"Did
you take all of your clothes off this time?" she mumbled, her face
half-buried in the pillow. She opened her eyes to find him smiling at her, his
face a few inches from her own. She returned his smile sleepily. "We're
lying atop the bedrug."

"So
we are. I suppose we should get up and pull back the covers."

She
raised her head, watching the firelight reflecting in his blue eyes. "I suppose
so. You must be chilled lying atop the bed without a stitch of clothing
on."

"Not
at all. Are you cold?"

She
shook her head faintly, her eyes raking over his magnificent chest, his narrow
waist, his groin. Already fully aroused, he was absolutely enormous and her
gaze lingered on him for a lengthy moment.

"You
are curious," he said softly.

She
nodded vaguely. "I have.... I have never seen.... well, of course I saw
you briefly yesterday, but I have never...."

"You
have never seen a naked man in your life and you are understandably
curious," he could see her blush in the firelight and laughed softly.
"There is nothing to be ashamed of, Riss. 'Tis very normal to be
inquisitive."

"Regine
is inquisitive."

He
cocked an eyebrow. "Then I make an exception. Regine is not normal in the
least."

She
smiled, a grin to alleviate her natural embarrassment. She hadn't been prone to
a maiden's modesty yesterday because the heat of passion had taken the edge off
her concerns. But now, with a slower, gentler pace, she was provided with the
opportunity to realize that, indeed, she had never before seen a naked man.

In
faith, her chagrin was short lived. Richmond had the most magnificent body she
had ever seen, perfect and sculpted. He was not as bulky as Gavan, but his muscles
were thick and well-developed and she found herself touching his chest,
marveling at the power beneath the flesh.

Her
fingers moved to his stomach, dancing over the rock-hard muscles. He rolled
onto his back, his abdominals rippling with the motion and she watched with
fascination as his body moved with fluid ease. She'd never seen any man
function with such grace and it excited her terribly. To think of his
magnificent body against hers, flesh upon flesh and heat upon heat, brought
warmth to her cheeks.

In
her wonder, she had stopped her exploration and he watched her expression as
she studied him.

"What's
wrong, kitten?"

She
smiled, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "Nothing."

He
propped himself up on an elbow. "Then why are you...?"

His
words were cut off mid-sentence as she unfastened her golden belt and let it
slide to the floor. All previous signs of humiliation and shame had fled,
replaced by a sensual confidence that made his blood boil. As the light from
the hearth illuminated her beautiful figure, he bit his lip with great anticipation.

Innocent
or not, Arissa knew instinctively how to make a man want her. God's Teeth,
she'd been causing him to want her for the past two years and not even aware of
her charms. But now, in the privacy of the chamber, she knew well how to tempt
him mindless. She was about to treat him to an extraordinary event.

Arissa
smiled, moving her hands behind her back to undo the stays of her surcoat. As
he watched with surging anticipation, the shoulders of her surcoat fell away,
followed by the bodice. He licked his lips unconsciously as the entire surcoat
slithered to the floor, leaving her clad in only her shift, stockings, and
slippers.

His
heart was thumping madly against his ribs as she moved to dislodge her shift.
He thought he would be content to watch the unfurling, but he quickly realized
that he had been mistaken. He could no more remain idle than he could control
his emotions.

His
hands ached to touch her, his body cried to have her. Mayhap next time, he
would allow her to set a slow, erotic pace. But not tonight.

One
moment, he was on the bed gazing at her. In the next second, he was upon her,
towering over her as his lips descended hungrily on her luscious mouth. Arissa
was aware of one hand wrapped in her hair, yanking her head back as his lips
consumed her ravenously, while the other hand clutched her breast possessively.
She could hear her own gasps as if they belonged to someone else.

Richmond
could barely comprehend anything beyond the feel of Arissa in his hands, the
smell of her in his nostrils. He was gripping her hair savagely as if afraid
she would attempt to escape him, while his free hand roved her breasts and
torso selfishly, silently claiming her body as his personal possession. Under
his fingers, he could feel the neckline of her shift; grasping it tightly, he
tore it straight down the middle.

Arissa
gasped with surprise, giggles filling her throat at his eager action. He smiled
in response, kissing and suckling every inch of her throat, lips, and shoulders.
As the shift fell away and her large, firm breasts were revealed, he knew he
was close to losing his control. He had to have her.

A
burst of lightning illuminated the room, casting their undulating bodies in a
flash of white light. Another bolt cut across the sky, and still another.
Richmond tore his mouth away from her lips long enough to gaze at her
desire-hazed expression in the brief glimmers of light; it was by far the most
erotic vision he had ever beheld. Her lips were parted with lust, her eyes
half-closed, wordlessly commanding his attention within their pale green
depths. 'Twas a command he would readily obey.

Another
burst of light filled the room as he slipped into the world of mindless abandonment,
lifting Arissa into his arms and swinging her onto the bed. His weight
descended upon her and he heard her cry out softly, her fingers in his hair as
his hot, wet mouth clamped down on a tender nipple. Hands as large as her head
gripped her buttocks, kneaded her flat belly. Beneath him, she whimpered like a
child.