The Dark Lady (27 page)

She stiffened. He smiled.

He spoke calming words of support to Jackal until the big horse was once more relaxed. He kicked him gently in the sides and guided him away from the snickering men. They would pay when he returned. He would work them extra hard this afternoon, he thought with a grin as they fell out of sight.

He pulled her deeper into his embrace and rocked his hips. Pressing his hard shaft against her bottom, he reveled in the sensations as she rocked against him. He groaned, but ignored it. Her heady scent swarmed his nose and invaded his brain like the swooping troops of an army. This time he didn’t fight it.

Vanessa groaned in response and pressed harder against him. With one arm still holding tightly onto her waist, he ran his other hand up the bodice of her dress. He gently cupped her breast, running his thumb across her nipple until it budded enticingly beneath the silk. He had an urge to feel it between his teeth. He smiled as her head fell back against his shoulder.

He turned Jackal toward a thick line of trees as he ran his tongue across her neck. She moaned softly and pushed her throat into his lips. He ran kisses along her neck from her shoulder to her ear, closing his teeth around her earlobe and sucking gently before returning to her shoulder. He made his way back to her ear, stopping every so often to bite gently. Every time his teeth pressed into her flesh she shivered and his body jumped in response as if the shudder had run through him.

Once they were hidden in the shadowed confines of the forest, his hand left her waist. He curled his fingers around the soft material of her skirts and slid them up baring her left thigh.

Vanessa gasped and turned toward him, trying to re-cover herself. She opened her mouth to protest, but he quickly dipped his tongue between her warm, waiting lips. Need exploded through his loins, pushing his control and his sanity to the edge. His mouth caressed hers and he gently sucked her full bottom lip.

She was rigid in his arms at first, but soon began to relax. He pressed the kiss deeper running his tongue along hers, encouraging her to respond. She released her skirts in surrender and turned deeper into his embrace.

Peter knew he was standing on the rim of a dark chasm. Passion and desire called to him from the black swirling depths. He closed his eyes, took a step, and allowed himself to fall.

He ran his tongue along her trembling lips and placed kisses across her cheek, her ears, and her neck. She tasted of warm moist heaven. Her scent, her movement, the soft way her skin slid beneath his fingers and lips, all tore at him, urging him to pull her from the horse and take her.

Her body began to quiver, and her hot breath kissed his cheek as she moaned against him. Her head fell back. He kissed the tender hollow at the base of her neck.

He ran his left hand along her bared thigh as his lips found hers. He cupped her bouncing breast with his right as he guided Jackal along with his legs. Following the rhythmic stride of the horse, he trailed his fingers beneath the bunched up skirt until it came to the soft damp folds of her womanhood. He groaned in ecstasy. She felt like satin.

Her hand flew to his wrist, her tongue stilled, and she began to pull away. He hit the small nodule within her folds. She froze. He pushed harder against it. Her grip tightened on his arm and she leaned back into his kiss.

Peter needed to last just a bit longer, and on the horse was the best place to do it. To keep him from throwing her to the ground, he had kept the horse moving, plus he enjoyed the rocking of the horse as it pressed her tightly against him.

Vanessa kissed him hard and rocked her hips gently forward into his roving fingers. He massaged her breast gently, carefully, but when she pressed herself into his hand he asserted more pressure.

He pinched her hardened nipple and pulled firmly on it. She cried out and bit gently on his lips. Pain flowed through his hardened shaft and pressure screamed to be released.

Her hand tightened almost painfully on his wrist, pulling his thoughts from his own need. He slid his fingers across her folds, caressed the entrance that he most wanted to explore, and forced himself back to the magic nodule. Her breath stopped momentarily as he began to gently manipulate her, moving his fingers slowly at first, increasing speed with her breathing.

“
I cannot allow this—” Her breathing came in hot, hard pants and her words were soft and frightened, but she made no move to stop him. His fingers slowed.

“
Do you like to kiss me?” He hadn’t realized his breath was as ragged as hers until he heard the words tearing from his raw throat.

“
Aye.”

His heart jumped at her breathy answer. “Then kiss me. Kiss me and think of nothing else. You have no idea how badly I need you now. How much I want you, desire you. You are so beautiful. Kiss me.” He waited for her to lean forward, to open her mouth to him. His fingers resumed their frantic pace as she came closer and closer. He pressed his fingers into her breast and she arched toward his hand. He tightened his grip.

Her body tightened suddenly and she cried out, digging her fingers into his wrist as she came to pleasure. Her warmth coated his fingers as he plunged two fingers into her. He pressed deep, rocking his fingers within her, urging her onto more pleasure. It did not take much to bring her forth once more. Clinging desperately to him, she smiled weakly.

He urgently brought Jackal to a stop on a grassy hill, beneath a large oak tree.

“
If that is how you feel when you are above me, I understand why it is you lose control so easily,” she said breathlessly.

Without a word, he swung himself to the ground and pulled her from the horse. Feeling good about finally holding his control long enough to bring her to pleasure, he pushed her into the tall grass. “I am not through yet. I am hoping my control will last just a little longer. Then we will see who loses control.”

Van ignored the challenge, managed to pull the sheath free from her thigh, and hide the dagger within the folds of her dress as Peter kissed her deeply. Her breath came in hard painful gasps but her body purred with the afterglow of pleasure.

He pulled off her suddenly. To her surprise she reached for him without conscious thought to do so. He smiled, yanked her up against him, and began to remove the laces of her dress.

She held her unease at bay and allowed him to pull the dress over her head. Keeping hold of the dagger, she hoped it appeared as if she were just assisting him.

He smiled and she relaxed the best she could. She placed the dress beside her as he laid her back and resumed his caresses. He took time to lather each breast with kisses, sucking the nipples into his mouth and biting them gently before working down her tight, muscular stomach. Her body quivered and shook each time his lips scorched across her skin. She didn’t understand what had happened within her on the horse but she wanted it to happen again.

When he didn’t stop at her stomach and placed a kiss between her open thighs she gasped. She sat up and put her hands down to cover herself. “Are you sure you should do that?”

“
Trust me.”

She had a moment’s doubt, before allowing him to push her back down. Her breath caught and she held herself very still as his tongue gently opened her folds.

Her breath came in short gasps and she began to see the same swirling stars behind her closed eyes that she had on the horse. She rocked her hips into his face and wrapped her hands through his wind tangled hair.

He drove his tongue into her again and again, faster and harder causing her to cry out. He nibbled and sucked until her breaths were tight and she thought she could not stand anymore. He licked and nibbled until the trembling in the legs could not be controlled. Then he stopped. She moaned as he pulled away.

Peter smiled and removed his shirt, then started again. Once again he took her to the trembling edge of bliss and stopped. This time she growled and tried to hold his head as he sat back. He looked at her for a moment, as she wiggled impatiently, then removed his boots and hose. Then he dropped his head to her again.

His tongue and teeth teased her until her muscles ached and she wanted to cry. The pleasure started to build, throbbing within her and keeping time with the pounding of her racing heart. Her muscles tightened and then he was gone. Her eyes flew open.

He left her as the pressure became painful, wonderful, and she had thought she would soon have a release to this sweet torture. As he pulled away she grabbed his hair. “Wait.” Her voice was barely heard.

He removed her shaking hand and smiled. “Trust me.” He gently tweaked her hardened nipples, covered her with his body and kissed her deeply. He pulled his face from hers, looked down at her and asked, “Do you want me? Tell me to take you and I will bring you great pleasure.”

Van just shook her head. She didn’t know what she wanted, but she did know that his voice sounded just as tortured as she felt.

“
Tell me, please. I cannot last much longer. I will not take you until you tell me I can, until you tell me you want me. I have already hurt you too much. Please.” His voice sounded pained and his deep blue eyes were clouded and dark. “I promised myself I would not hurt you again. I will spill my seed on the ground between your sweet thighs, but I will not take you until you are ready.” His voice cracked with strain and his body shook with effort. She looked up at his sweat glistened face and shook her head in confusion.

She didn’t know how to ask for what she wanted because she didn’t understand what she wanted. Her eyes stung with tears and her body ached with need. She shook violently and her hips rocked it seemed of their own accord.

Peter smiled ruefully and shook his head. Small patters of sweat dripped upon her upturned face. He put his hand between their bodies and gently rubbed the swollen button.

She cried out. She needed release. She needed...her head rocked back and forth and she pressed her hips hard into his hand. She trembled and panted, her hot breath tearing from her in painful gasps. Grasping his thick blond hair in fingers that didn’t seem to be her own, she yanked him down to her face and kissed him, hard. Again and again she kissed him. She pulled her head back long enough to utter tortured words. “Take me. Now. I need you.”

Grasping her hips, tilting them upwards, he plunged deep into her wet well, driving in hard and kissing her as he did. He pounded into her again and again, until they reached the peak together, both plunging into the abyss of ecstasy and pleasure as one. Matching screams echoed against the trees. Two sweating bodies clung to each other as the world around them, all too soon, came back into focus.

“
You need to let go, love. I can’t breathe.”

Laughing she relaxed the grip around his neck, but didn’t let go.

“
Are you all right?” His eyes scanned her face.

She self-consciously thought of the powder. He smiled and she relaxed.

“
I think so,” she said. “I think I am better than all right. Although I am angry with you,” she said, managing to keep a straight face.

Peter pulled off of her enough to see her face. “Angry?”

Pushing him off, she grabbed her dress careful not to let the dagger slip out. She smiled. “Yes, angry. If you knew how to do that, you should have done it yesterday.”

“
Very funny. You are lucky I do not have the strength right now to take you over my knee and give you the thrashing you deserve.”

CHAPTER 12

Back at the castle Van went to check on Joseph. She was sure that Amy had taken good care of him, but she needed to make certain. She laughed gently as Richard’s long ago words came to memory. “You, my son, have control issues. Everything does not have to be your way.”

Van walked through the halls with a smile that just didn’t want to go away. Amy turned a corner not far from her and the young girl’s face lit with obvious relief.

“
Where have you been? I have been looking all over for you,” Amy said franticly. “I was beginning to think you had ran away”

Van grinned. She had definitely considered it, but she wouldn’t tell that to the nervous girl. “I was with my men. Watching them train.” Van had to fight a laugh thinking that probably was worse than telling her she had thought of leaving.

“
You were
what
, Lady Vanessa?” Amy’s voice echoed through the empty hall.

Van’s grin fell away and she scowled at her young caretaker. She hated that name. Amy either didn’t notice the evil look or chose to ignore it. Van thought it was probably the latter.

Amy lowered her voice conspiratorially. “I cannot really help you if you insist on putting yourself in a position like that. You are the one who insisted on this act, with the makeup and the help from me.” Amy shook her head and grabbed Van by the sleeve.

Van was impressed with the fortitude Amy showed. Guilt flowed through her as she thought of what she was putting the girl through.

Amy gave her arm a gentle shake. “If you really want this to work, it can only happen if you try. If you don’t want it to work, then you are wasting your time with all the face powder and irritating everyone with that horrid voice for nothing.”

Van knew Amy was right even though she didn’t want to admit it. Self-doubt tried to assert itself within her mind, but Van shoved it away. “Amy—” She began, but Amy tugged on her sleeve harder and shook her head.