Strangclyf Secret (23 page)

“
Nay,” he said and saw the
fear intensify in her eyes.

“
Am I too small, do you
suppose? Is that why you stopped?”

He caressed her derriere.
“I paused only because I wanted you to get used to feeling me
inside you this far. I am about to hurt you worse.”

“
Can I talk you out of
this, please?” she pleaded politely in a tiny voice.

“
Not a chance.”

“
Does it not hurt you to
have that big thing crammed up me?”

“
Oh nay.” He closed his
eyes against her pain and gritted his teeth. “Your body clamps
around me just right.”

“
And you will like it
better if you hurt me more? ‘Twill please you?”

He opened his eyes and
gazed at her, caressing a knuckle down the length of her back. “I
do not want to hurt you at all, but ‘twill please my body greatly
to be inside yours. Do you still trust me?”

She gave him a hesitant
nod.

“
Then do not fight me. I’m
going to push the rest of the way inside you, then I want you to
hold still and not move, so your body can adjust to my
size.”

“
Will you kiss me first,
please?” she begged, resignation in her tone.

He lowered his mouth and
coaxingly kissed her until her lips parted. He slanted his mouth,
thrusting his tongue within to mate with hers. Her trembling limbs
clung to him and he knew that she was giving herself to him without
a fight despite her fear and pain. Truly, she pleased him, and if
that wasn’t magic, he didn’t know what was.

He stroked her back in a
gentle caress then settled his hands on her waist. He tightened his
grip as his kiss became more demanding, more masterful. Then he
pulled her downward as he lunged upward with his hips, burying his
pulsating flesh deep within her. She sobbed in her throat and tried
pulling her mouth away, while at the same time, she locked her arms
around his neck, as if seeking reassurance that he would soon stop
this terrible torture.

Bernon took his mouth from
hers and hissed in a harsh breath as she buried her face against
the base of his throat. Her tears hit his chest and he tightened
his embrace, holding himself rigid, savoring her tight, slick heat
molding around him. He fought the urge to pull out and ram back
into her. Her trembling seemed to increase and he gently massaged
her lower back and kissed the top of her head. “You are doing well.
Just try to relax and do not move.”

“
Has anyone ever died from
this?” she whispered.

“
Not that I know of,” he
replied, thinking he might if he didn’t move soon.

“
I do not want ten children
anymore, Bernon,” she said in the most pathetic voice he’d ever
heard in his life.

He groaned.

“
Are you hurting
too?”

“’
Tis an exquisite agony.”
He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

“
Can we stop
then?”

Why did that hopeful note
in her tone make him feel lower than moat scum? He noticed her
tears had slowed. Mayhap she was beyond the worst of it. “Does it
still hurt?”

She nodded, sensing the
control he exerted over his passion. She felt strangely happy,
because he was being so patient with her. His neck’s bounding pulse
throbbed against her cheek, and she squeezed his shoulders. “The
slicing sting is not as bad though. Will the rest go away soon, do
you suppose?”

“
Look at me.” He placed a
hand at the base of her neck and tilted her head back. She opened
her eyes. Bernon gazed into the emerald depths. A fierce need to
see her fired with passion and finding her own release seized him.
He decided no matter what else he did in life, he would earn
sanctity tonight for the trial he was putting himself through to
ensure his wife felt pleasure. “The pain has to go away or ‘twould
not be called magic.”

He brushed a kiss across
her forehead. “You are valuable.” He kissed her eyelids. “You are
rare.” He kissed her nose. “You are precious.”

She breathed a sigh
through parted lips and instinctively raised her mouth to
his.

“
You are mine.” His mouth
seized her parted lips and his tongue plunged inside, fondling
hers. He set upon a masterful conquering of her senses.

His hands roamed, touched
every speck of her body. Jolting charges sparked from his
fingertips, racing to her womb. ‘Twas as if he was sending his
power into her in a glorious rush of pleasure. She whimpered into
his mouth, begging for more.

Bernon felt ready to erupt
but continued his unyielding seduction. Slipping an arm around her
waist, he released her mouth and blazed a trail to her taut nipples
and sucked her delectable flesh. Moving one hand between their
bodies, he dipped his fingers between her silken folds and stroked
her until her desire excited for him. Her erotic moans filled the
chamber and she surged her pelvis against his fingers then
stiffened. “Bernon, please. What is happening to me?”

“
Relax,” he ordered then
moved his mouth to her other breast, increasing the pressure of his
stroking fingers.

A fire was incinerating
her insides. She needed him to douse the flames. Burying her
fingers in his hair, she pulled his mouth back to her. Her kiss was
a carnal command and she wriggled her pelvis against
him.

Her lusty response snapped
his control. All thoughts of being gentle fled. Firming his grip at
her hips, he raised her then forcefully pulled her back down on
him, delighting in the feel of her feminine core entrapping him.
She felt like paradise and no other woman had ever fit him so
perfectly.

He raised her again and
she tightened her hold, forcing herself back down as he surged
inside her. She soon caught his rhythm and met his thrusts in an
effort to quench the fire burning inside her. Her need became so
consuming that she couldn’t get air into her lungs. She whimpered
into his mouth and broke their kiss, panting for breath. Her head
fell backward with her eyes closed as she savored the tumult of
feelings coursing in and around her. No wonder ‘twas called magic.
She’d never felt so enchanted and cherished in her life. She wanted
to give him everything for making her feel this way.

Warm water lapping over
them with each thrust and the swirling currents heightened Bernon’s
stimulation. Knowing he couldn’t hold off much longer, he slipped a
hand down between them and urgently stroked her, enticing her
feminine muscles until they spasmed around his throbbing
shaft.

A fiery explosion inside
her womb shattered her mind. She knew only the pure pleasure of
rapture. She cried out his name in a shout of ecstasy and abandoned
herself to the erotic bliss consuming her.

Bernon surrendered to his
own release and poured his seed into her womb. His own cry mingled
with hers, echoing from the ancient stones.

Moments later he marveled
over the intensity of his release with his untried wife. Experience
obviously wasn’t all that necessary. She had taken him to Eden and
back. He smiled and pulled her limp body against his chest,
deciding she fit quite well into his contours.

As her last ripple passed
away, she trembled and hot tears hit his flesh. Hell, he should
have been gentler with her. He was naught but a rutting centaur to
have taken her so savagely. “Did I hurt you too badly? I did not
mean to be so rough your first time.”

“
Oh, Bernon, please do not
be angry with me,” she mumbled against his neck. “I tried, but I
couldn’t help myself.”

He frowned and stroked her
back. “What are you talking about?”

“
I did not mean to move,
but my body wouldn’t stop. I will try to do better next time, but
I’m afraid I will not. My body does not listen to me much when you
are around.”

She was so serious that he
had to force himself not to laugh. “If you do any better next time,
you will kill me.” Her sobs increased with that remark, so he
kissed her forehead and whispered, “I wanted you to move, and I’ll
be displeased if you do not next time. I just told you to hold
still so you could get used to my size.”

“
Did you like it then?” she
asked, apprehension thick in her tone. “I know you’re used to women
who know what they are doing, but I promise I will get better. You
must teach me what you want, so I can please you.”

He smiled over her head,
hearing a touch of command enter her speech. “What you just did
pleased me.”

“
Thank you, Bernon. You
pleased me too.” She smothered a yawn against his neck and patted
his shoulder. “I didn’t know magic was so exhausting.”

“
Let’s dry off and get to
bed. You have had a grueling day and need rest.” Of course she had
damn near worn him out too, but he would never admit it. She
snuggled against his neck, so he pulled her back and kissed her
forehead. “Come.”

“
You are through then?” She
pushed out her lower lip.

“
For now.” He frowned at
her disappointment. She had damn near fallen apart in his arms from
the magnitude of her release. She couldn’t have any complaints.
“Why?”

“
I was rather hoping we
could do it again.” She wouldn’t look him in the eye, and her
finger absently rubbed along his clavicle.

An arrogant grunt escaped
him. “We will do it again. A lot. But not now.”

“
Oh.” Her lower lip sulked
out again. He was strongly tempted to draw the succulent morsel
into his mouth.

“
Let your body recover from
this first time, or you’ll not be able to walk for a week. I
promise next time I will keep you awake for an entire night of
magic.” He lifted her from his lap. A moan caught in her throat as
his shaft left her body. He turned and carefully set her on the
edge of the pool. “Are you all right?”

“
I feel a mite sore where
you poked me.” She blushed and raked her fingers through her hair,
still refusing to meet his gaze. “Bernon, I liked that magic part,
but will I hurt this way every time?”

“
The pain only comes with
the first time. From now on ‘twill all be magic.” He kissed her
nose and got out of the water. Crossing to the bench, he grabbed a
bath sheet and began drying off.

“
Do you suppose you could
help me with something, Bernon?” she asked in a forlorn
tone.

He noticed she still sat
where he left her and hadn’t turned to face him. “You’ll have to
tell me what you need help with before I can answer.”

Her head dipped lower and
her whisper barely reached him. “My legs feel like calves’ foot
jelly and I need help getting up.”

An arrogant grin crossed
his face. He swaggered over and scooped her up. She yelped and
threw her arms around his neck. “After the magic we just shared, my
dear, I will do more than help you stand. I will carry
you.”

“
But I’m supposed to tend
you.”

“
Not after your first
encounter with magic. Tonight ‘tis my duty to tend you.” He placed
her on the linen draped bench where she had undressed him and
picked up a bath sheet from the opposite end of the
bench.

The linen slid over her
breasts and she hissed in air. Her breath blew out on a groan. She
grabbed his arm and squeezed until he stopped and noticed her
struggle. “Bernon, do you suppose I could finish drying me, please?
My body doesn’t realize how exhausted it is and it is starting to
want magic again.”

He handed her the bath
sheet with a smug grin and folded his arms across his chest.
Standing nude before her, he watched her continue wiping the
moisture from her body. She took peeks at him from under her
lashes, and a rosy hue swept her head to toe. If he didn’t give her
a moment of privacy, she’d never finish because he would take her
again. “Where is your robe?”

“
My what?” she asked in a
dazed voice.

“
Your night
wrap.”

“
I do not have any night
cloths.” She didn’t notice his frown and added, “I was going to
wear my shift.”

“
Where is your
shift?”

“
With my clothes on the
other side of that screen. Please do not be upset with Ardith. She
said you wanted my things moved to your chamber, but she couldn’t
take them there, because they are all down here. I’ll take them up
tomorrow if you still wish it so.”

“
Of
course I want your things in
our
chamber. ‘Tis where you
belong.”

Bernon went behind the
screen and saw several pegs on the wall. The tattered gown she had
worn earlier hung on one and the priest frock hung on another. A
black gown with gold trim and a matching shift hung on a third peg.
He noticed a frayed dingy shift lying across a small pallet against
the far wall. Picking up the garment, he saw at least a dozen
mended rents. To hell and perdition with him if he would allow his
wife to wear the garment!

Hearing a moan from the
other side of the screen, he tossed down the shift and hurried
around the partition. “Are you all right?”

“
Stay away!” She clutched
the bath sheet to her breast with one hand while her other hand
fisted over her lap.