Her Viking Lovers (5 page)

“You
have no need for that, but please, you must return.”

“Will
you not tell me what is going on?” Yrsa audibly gulped and it was only then
that Esa noticed many of the villagers were awake and scurrying back and forth
in preparation for something. “Are we in danger?”

“
Neinn
,
but you cannot stay here. It… it is some of the men from the expedition. They
have returned.”

Esa’s
heart bounded against her chest. Sickness churned in her stomach. The day for
which she had been praying for so long was upon them. The same day she had
taken a new lover and admitted her devotion to another.

“Anlaf?”

Yrsa
shook her head. “
Neinn
, he was not with them.”

“A-and
Rennir?”

“
Já
.”

Her
head swam. Rennir was alive? What had kept him away for so long? And what could
she do about Alrek? Tears threatened to close her throat. She loved him. How
could she return to Rennir now? But the love she held for her husband beat
heavily in her chest still and she was bound to him. She would have to do her
duty and return.

“Thank
you, Yrsa,” she murmured huskily.

“Hurry
now, Esa. They are in the hall but he shall return in a moment and be expecting
you in his bed.”

Esa
nodded and closed the door gently. She dressed and stole one last look at the
sleeping man, sorrow trapped deep in her breast. He would understand why she
had to return but this would open up all his wounds once more. No matter how
much she had convinced him he was worthy, it would all be undone with Rennir’s
return.

She
finger combed her hair and tried to tie it neatly. Tears threatened to spill
out but she kept them in check. Crying would do her no good. Though her own
heart hurt at the thought of never lying or loving with Alrek again, it was the
pain it might cause him that truly crippled her.

“I
love you, Alrek,” she whispered before she left.

She
hurried back to her hut, relieved to find Rennir had not returned home yet. She
crawled into bed, nerves eating into her. He might question her state of dress
but her fingers shook too much to remove them. What would he look like? Would
he be the same man? And why had he left her alone all these years? Indignation
filled her. If it had not been for him, she would never have considered loving
Alrek. Rennir’s disappearance had forced them together and now she had been
unfaithful to her husband and had hurt her lover.

The
door creaked open and Esa feigned sleep, unwilling to face him yet. Would he
see the truth? Know her for the woman she was now? If he found out about Alrek,
he too would suffer if he still loved her as he had done.

Furs
rustled and the bed shifted. A familiar smell surrounded her and a strong body
slid in beside her. She sobbed, unable to hold it back, as arms wrapped around
her stomach and drew her into him.

“You’re
back.”

“
Já
,
my Esa. I am back.”

She
rolled and gazed up at the man she thought she’d never see again. Creases lined
his eyes and tiny silver threads twined through his beard but it was definitely
Rennir. The twinkle of mirth remained in his eyes, that bright spark that
attracted everyone to him. Another sob bubbled out of her.

“Do
not cry,” he soothed and stroked a hand across her cheek.

“I
thought you were dead.”

“As
did I. Without you, I might as well have been. For too long my heart has been
empty. To think of you alone crushed me.”

“W-what
happened?”

“Our
ship wrecked on a small island. No one lived there save from a few wolves. We
awaited rescue but none came.”

She
shook her head. “We sent out ships but found no sign of you.”

“I
know. The elders said as much. We were taken far off course by a heavy storm.
We survived some time living off the land but the island was barren and difficult
to live on. Hunger and disease killed many of us. When wood washed ashore from
another wreck, we decided to risk a journey across sea. It took us many weeks
and we barely knew where we were going. But I had to try. I had to return to
you.”

“I
cannot believe you are here. For so long I hoped you would return but I lost
all hope and could only grieve.”

He
kissed her lips. “I am sorry for making you grieve. I am here now, Esa, and I
do not intend to leave your side again. This journey has aged me and my time of
adventures is over. I wish to give you the sons you always wanted and watch
them grow.”

Unable
to form a response, she nodded. How could she feel so elated yet in such agony?
Alrek would have to watch them from afar, seeing their love and family grow.
And would Rennir still love her when he discovered who she was now? She had
been a different woman before he left—wild, adventurous. Now the quiet village
life gave her all she needed. Once she had children, she knew any need for
excitement would be fully quelled.

But
it seemed Rennir too had lost his adventurous spirit. Only time would tell if
he meant what he said.

He
nuzzled her neck. “My sweet woman, I have missed you so.”

She
clutched his head and sighed. In the arms of her Viking warrior, her heart felt
whole again, but only because it was now filled with love for two men. She
suspected her love for Alrek would never wane. She had to decide whether to
confess the truth to Rennir and hurt him or bury her love and hope Alrek did
the same.

The
days went by in a haze. Alrek stayed away. Esa could only imagine the hurt he
suffered. In spite of Rennir’s attentions, a deep ache sat in her chest. She
missed her friend and lover. While the village rejoiced in the return of some
of their strongest warriors, Esa found herself drawn into melancholy and no
matter how hard she tried to hide it, Rennir picked up on her mood.

“What
plagues you, Esa?” he asked as she settled into bed together. Knowing fingers
slipped between her legs. Rennir was always able to read her body perfectly. He
toyed with her nub so that in spite of her worry for Alrek, she grew wet.

“Nothing,”
she replied on a sigh.

“You
are distant. Is it my return? Sibba tells me you grieved much and it pains me
that I have put you through such hurt. I know it shall take time for you to
become accustomed to my company again.”

“You
are a good and considerate man, Rennir.” It made it worse really. Rennir had
learned patience in his time away, something she had not thought him capable of
before. It made her love for him stronger and her betrayal all the more bitter.
Should she have stayed alone and waited rather than given herself to Alrek?

“Do
you love me?” He dipped a finger into her heat, spreading her for him.

“
Já
,
very much so.”

“I
love you, Esa. I would do anything to see you happy. Tell me, I have seen
little of Alrek, yet Sibba tells me he was of great comfort to you.”

“He
carried out his duties as any man would,” she responded stiffly.

“You
are very wet, my sweet woman,” he commented. “Three seasons is quite some time.
Did you take a lover in that time?”

“I—”
Esa gulped. How could she lie to the man she loved? “I did not wish to.”

“But
you did.”

“Only
very recently. Please forgive me. If I had known—”

“Shhh,
do not fret. You thought me dead and you are a flesh and blood woman with
needs. I’ll confess the thought of someone lying with you makes me hard.”

“It
does?” Esa reached down and clasped his pulsing erection, proof of the truth
behind his words.

“
Já
.
Another man’s cock spearing my wife’s hot cunt is certainly one of the many
lustful imaginings that kept up my determination to see you again.” He plunged
his fingers into her to punctuate his words and she gasped. “Will you tell me
who I must thank for pleasuring me wife while I was gone?”

She
tensed. Did he truly mean it or did he intend to seek revenge on Alrek? “I fear
you shall be angry.”

“Not
at all.” Rennir kissed her cheek and down her neck. “I love you, Esa, and I am
glad you decided to grieve no longer. When Sibba told me of such things, I knew
the heart of my warrior woman still beat in your chest. So will you tell me,
who am I to thank?”

Had Sibba
told him everything? She suspected he was testing her. “It was Alrek.” The
words came out in a rushed whisper.

Rennir
stilled his hand. “Alrek?”

“
Já
.”
She bit her lip.

“My
good friend and my wife.” Rennir rubbed along her folds. “His name makes you
wet.”

Esa
merely gulped.

“And
he was a good lover?”

“
Já
.”

“Good.
I shall thank him on the morrow and you can tell me how it felt to have his
cock deep inside you.” Two fingers thrust into her now and she cried out.

His
words and skilled hands had her writhing. Flashes of Alrek slamming his shaft
into her mingled with Rennir’s face hovering in front of her—the two men she
loved. Sweet sensation gathered between her things and Rennir slid down,
parting her legs for him. He gazed at her sex before sweeping his tongue over
her folds in one long stroke. Esa moaned and tangled her hand in his hair. She
felt him grin against her leg and then he repeated the motion before thrusting
his tongue inside her.

With
several presses of his tongue he had her arching up to meet him. He replaced
his tongue with two fingers and continued to suckle on her clit until it became
too much.

“
Neinn
,”
she protested, but Rennir ignored the tugs on his hair.

“Come
for me,” he murmured, delivering several hard lunges in her pussy.

He
curled those fingers and brought his tongue back to her clit. When he circled
it, she bucked and clenched her eyes shut. She pressed his face down with the
hand in her hair and rode out her orgasm, rocking into his mouth and nose. As
the pleasure dispersed, leaving a warm buzz in her body, Rennir eased his
fingers out, swiped a hand across his face and raised his head.

“I
love you, my Esa.”

“And
I you.” She smiled and tried to ignore the ache in her heart that told her
something was missing—Alrek.

***

Before
the sun full rose, Rennir sought out Alrek. He had slept little. Images of
Alrek and Esa together plagued his mind. He had spoken the truth to Esa the
previous day. A small spark of jealousy lit in his gut but he did not blame
her. She had thought him dead and the lively Esa he had known needed a lusty
Viking between her thighs. It surprised him really that she had waited so long.
Apparently grief had taken its toll. This Esa was quieter, more submissive. Not
that he loved her any less but he longed to see some of the woman he had married.

Pausing
before the door of Alrek’s hut, he drew in a breath. Of course, his jealousy
had also been lessened by the fact he became unbelievably aroused at the
thought of Esa being pleasured by Alrek. He had never considered it before but
it seemed the idea was more appealing than he thought possible.

He
knocked on the door and wondered how he might approach this. His friend had
been avoiding him, no doubt fearful of Rennir’s reaction to the news. While he
appreciated Alrek’s thoughtfulness he also needed an insight into his wife’s
mind. Esa thought she hid her moments of melancholy but Rennir often noticed
the sadness in her eyes. If he could prove to her that these past years
mattered little to him, he felt sure he could bring back his warrior woman.

Alrek
eased open the door. The years had aged his friend.

“Rennir,”
he greeted quietly before stepping aside and allowing him in.

“How
goes it, Alrek? Is that any way to greet an old friend? You have been keeping
your distance.”

“Forgive
me, Rennir. I thought it best to allow you time with Esa.”

“Esa
has had a grave shock. It shall take her time to adjust to my return I
imagine.”

Alrek
handed Rennir a beaker of ale and nodded. “It shall take time for us all. We
have spent much time without our strongest men.”

“Thanks
the gods you were here to protect our women and elderly. We owe you much.”

Alrek
sighed, threw back his own beaker of ale and swiped an arm across his mouth.
“You owe me nothing. None of you do.”

“You
took care of Esa too…” Rennir mused, eyeing his friend.

A
flicker of something echoed in the depths of Alrek’s eyes. Once he would have
known exactly what his friend was thinking but the years had changed him too.
Both Esa and Alrek shared a deep sadness. Maybe it had been brought on by his
disappearance. Rennir regretted bitterly he had put them through such grief and
intended to all he could to erase the painful memories.

“Esa
has grown into a valuable member of our settlement, Rennir. You should be proud
of how she coped when you did not return.”