Twin Passions (46 page)

Hakon could hold back the torrent of his raging desire
no longer. Her kiss had unleashed in him the driving need to possess her
completely, to find the aching release that only her soft, yielding body could
afford him. His strong hands began to caress her silky skin, but he stopped
when they came up against the linen material of her trousers.

"These must go." He grinned wickedly. His
warm mouth moved lingeringly from the rapidly beating pulse point at her neck
to between her breasts, then down the center of her ribs to her navel. He
tickled the small hollow with his tongue, then grabbed the leather drawstring
with his teeth and slowly pulled it loose. He easily slid the trousers from her
slender hips and cast them aside.

Hakon groaned at the sight of her beautiful body, now
fully bared to his gaze. She seemed slightly more rounded, more curved than he
remembered. No matter, it only made her all the more lovely in his eyes. He
covered her with his massive body, taking care not to crush her with his
weight. His lips captured hers as his fingers found her most sensitive point,
and he was not surprised to find she was ready for him.

Gwendolyn arched her back at the tempestuous waves of
liquid passion coursing through her. She moved instinctively against his hand,
moaning, pleading for him to take her, but he stifled her cries with the
fierceness of his kiss. Suddenly he rolled over onto his back and pulled her
along with him. She gasped in surprise to find herself astride him.

Hakon gently caressed her breasts, teasing first one,
then the other with his tongue. "I want to watch you, Gwendolyn," he
said hoarsely, his eyes burning with hungry desire. His hands encircled the
narrow span of her waist and lifted her up, then eased her down on the
pulsating shaft of his erect manhood.

Gwendolyn cried out as he entered her and began to move
within her, slowly at first, but then with greater urgency. She stretched her
arms above her head with unbridled ecstasy, closing her eyes,
then
leaned far back, her hands grabbing the sinewy sides of
his legs as he held her hips. Matching his sensuous movements with her own, she
cried out when his expert fingers found the swelling bud of her womanhood. She
trembled uncontrollably, her body racked by such incredibly delightful
sensations that she did not think she could take much more.

"Come with me . . . now, Gwendolyn, now,"
Hakon murmured thickly, pulling her to him, seizing her mouth with his own. His
tongue thrust into her mouth, delving, searching, even as his throbbing manhood
surged powerfully within her. She arched against him, driving him deeper and
deeper within her. She felt as if she were spinning toward an unbelievable
height of piercing, exploding sensation, until at last she shuddered against
him, wave after molten wave of blinding ecstasy washing over her.

"Hakon!" she cried out, collapsing upon his
chest in utter exhaustion, her head on his broad shoulder. He wrapped his arms
about her and held her tenderly, stroking her silken, tousled curls as their
breathing slowly returned to normal.

They lay there together for a long time, joined as one.
Gwendolyn sighed contentedly. How she wished she could stay like that forever.
It was so peaceful under the leafy shade of the rustling trees. The spring
breezes wafted over her, cooling her skin. She stretched luxuriously, smiling,
and looked at Hakon. But her smile quickly faded, a puzzled frown creasing her
forehead. His head was turned to the side and he was staring far off into the
distance, his expression grim.

"What is the matter, Hakon?" she asked
softly, alarmed.

He seemed not to hear her. "I shall defy him,"
he whispered fiercely under his breath.

"Defy who?" Gwendolyn queried, but still he
did not answer her. Why did she have this strange, unsettled feeling? She
reached up and gently turned his head so he was facing her. He started at her
touch, his blue eyes meeting hers. "Defy who, Hakon? Who are you speaking
of?"

"Haarek Jarl," he replied, his voice low,
determined. He suddenly lifted her from him and rolled over onto his side,
holding her close within his arms. He then raised himself on one elbow and
looked down at her, his eyes reflecting his serious intent. Though he had tried
during the past two weeks to convince himself otherwise, Hakon knew now he
could not live without her. But before he acted on his plan, he had to know for
sure that it was her desire to stay with him.

"But why must you defy him?" Gwendolyn
whispered.

Hakon
lay
a finger across her
lips. "First answer me this, Gwendolyn," he murmured. "Is it
your wish to forsake your homeland, and remain with me . . . as my wife?"

Gwendolyn gasped, but her emerald gaze was unflinching.
"Aye," she said simply.

Hakon let out his breath, unaware that he had been
holding it. A flood of joyful relief surged through him. "Now I shall
answer your question. I must defy Haarek Jarl, for 'tis the only way that you
and I may remain together." He drew her closer, his strong arm encircling
her possessively. "I have sworn to him that I will return both you and
Anora to England. But I must have given him reason to doubt me while I was in
Trondheim, for he has sent two warships to accompany us on this journey to see
that I do not disobey his orders. Even now they await us at the mouth of the
Sogn."

He paused, a flash of defiance in his eyes. "But I
do not intend to carry out those orders," he said vehemently. "We shall
sail on the morrow as planned, and give Haarek's men the impression that all is
as it should be. But only Anora will disembark from my ship when we reach your
homeland. You will stay on board with me. Perhaps once Wulfgar Ragnarson sees
that she is safe, it will dissuade him from any thoughts of war." His
brows knitted with concern. "Do you think your sister would be willing to
explain to Wulfgar and your father that you have decided to stay with me . . .
that it is by your own free choice?"

Gwendolyn nodded, a smile curving her lips. "Aye,
she would. She knows already of my love for you. I cannot wait to tell her of
my happiness!"

Hakon stared in awe at her radiant beauty. Thor, to
think that she was to be his, at last! "Perhaps one day we will be able to
return to England, and make amends to your family for our hasty departure,"
he said softly. Then his expression darkened. "If we can outsail the two
warships Haarek Jarl has sent to accompany us on this journey, we will head for
Dublin, or perhaps Normandy."

Gwendolyn's smile faded, her eyes clouding with
confusion. "We would not sail for Norge? But you are the Jarl of Sogn,
Hakon!"

"Nay," Hakon replied grimly. "If I break
my vow to Haarek, I shall be Jarl of Sogn no longer. I shall never be able to
return to my homeland again. To do so would be the cruelest folly. I would
bring his vengeful wrath upon not only myself, but also upon my clan. I cannot
risk their lives for the sake of my own happiness. If I do not return, they
will be safe." He bent his head and brushed his lips against hers. "Yet
I would not mind my exile so much knowing you were by my side."

So, that was why Hakon had denied her love, Gwendolyn
thought. Suddenly it was all becoming very clear to her, horribly clear. Berta
had once told her that a Viking's vow to his liege lord could not be broken
without facing the fiercest consequences. Now Hakon was willing to do just that
. . . and all because he loved her!

An awful thought struck Gwendolyn. "But what will
happen if we cannot outsail the warships?"

"That is unlikely, for my longship is far more
seaworthy than those larger vessels," Hakon tried to reassure her. Indeed,
it was unlikely, he thought, but there was a chance that it could happen. He
had hoped she would not ask him this, but he decided it was best she knew the
truth. "If we were caught and we could not fight off Haarek's warriors, we
would be taken prisoner. You, of course, would be returned to your family in
England."

"And you, my lord?" Gwendolyn whispered
fearfully, though she could already sense his answer. "What would happen
to you?"

"I would be taken back to Norge, and tried at
Haarek Jarl's court as a traitor to my people. There is only one sentence for
that crime: death."

Gwendolyn shuddered in his arms. The thought that there
was the slightest chance that he might die was more than she could bear. "Nay,
Hakon, surely there must be another way!" she cried out, her mind racing.

But Hakon shook his head. "I can think of no
other, little one," he said softly. He traced a finger tenderly down the
side of her face, entwining it in a silken curl. "I have almost lost you
too many times already. Do not try to spare me from what may happen by
insisting I return you to your homeland. I will not do it. I cannot live
without you, Gwendolyn, nor can I believe the gods have brought us through so
much only to tear us apart again. If I must face the possibility of death, then
so be it." He sealed his words with a searing kiss that took Gwendolyn's
breath away

 
Hakon lifted his
head, a rakish grin on his handsome face. All seriousness was forgotten, at
least for a while. "I would that we remain in this shady bower, my love. If
I had known there were such beautiful forest nymphs running about half clothed,
I would have made this my bed every night! But we must make our way back to the
settlement. If we linger any longer, no doubt they will sound an alarm and come
looking for us." He laughed as he thought of the look on Olav's face if
his helmsman found them beneath this tree! He rose to his feet and held out his
hand to her.

Gwendolyn could not help but smile at his teasing, yet
her heart ached at the thought of what was to come. "Aye, my lord,"
she replied, as lightly as she could. She took his hand and he pulled her
gently to her feet,
then
drew her into his arms. She
rubbed her cheek against the soft golden hairs on his chest, breathing in the
warm, male scent of him. They stood together for a long moment, looking out
across the mirrored surface of the fjord, each lost in thought.

Hakon at last broke the silence between them. "We
must go," he murmured, brushing a light kiss against her fair forehead.
They drew on their clothes, and he wrapped his scarlet cloak about her delicate
shoulders. He then strode over to his stallion, which was munching contentedly
on some wild grasses not far away, and led it to where Gwendolyn was waiting.

Lifting her easily onto the saddle, Hakon put his foot
in the stirrup and hoisted himself up behind her. Holding one arm protectively
about her, he took the reins in his hands. He made a clicking noise to his
stallion and they were off, galloping like the wind across the grassy bank of
the fjord toward the settlement.

Chapter 42

Gwendolyn stared out across the sparkling waters of the
fjord, watching as the settlement receded farther into the distance with every
stroke of the oars. Most of the Viking warriors who had gathered near the docks
to see them off had already gone back to their longhouses, but she could still
see Berta's stout figure standing alone on the shore. "I will truly miss
her," she said softly to Anora, who stood beside her on the rear deck of
the longship.

"Aye." Anora nodded, wiping away the tears
that dimmed her eyes. "She was good to us."

Gwendolyn gently squeezed her sister's arm as both of
them fell silent once again. She found it hard to believe this would be the
last time she would ever see the settlement. It had become a part of her life,
women into the very fabric of her relationship with Hakon. She had experienced
not only the greatest sorrow and heartache there, but also the greatest joy she
had ever known.

She did not tear her eyes away until the longship had
rounded the bend in the fjord, hiding the cluster of logged buildings from her
view. She sighed,
then
squared her delicate shoulders.
Nay,
now was the time to look ahead to the future she
and Hakon would share. She left Anora's side and sat down on a vacant rowing bench
nearby, her hands absently smoothing the wrinkled pleats of her silken tunic.
She smiled to herself when she realized what she was doing,
then
shrugged. For some reason she had not minded donning women's clothing that
morning. Suddenly she chuckled.

"What is so amusing, little one?" Hakon
asked, walking up behind her. Gwendolyn started at the sound of his voice, her
emerald eyes wide as she looked up at him. He laughed and sat down beside her.
Now that the longship was well under way and the crew members were working hard
at their oars, he could afford a free moment. He took her small hand in his own
large one and brought it to his lips.

Gwendolyn felt a thrill course through her body at his
touch. He looked so handsome this morning with the bright sun glinting off his
white-blond hair, the long, thick waves tied back with a leather thong. The
snug-fitting, sleeveless tunic he was wearing was molded perfectly to his
broad, sculpted chest. His bronzed arms were bared and rippling with muscles.

She smiled and looked into his tender eyes. "I was
only thinking 'tis my first time on this ship that I am not rowing with the
others." She laughed gaily as he grimaced, though his eyes were full of
mirth.

"Aye, 'tis true, my love. But at least I know that
if I lose a crewman, there is someone who can ably take his place!" he
tossed out playfully. He brushed a quick kiss against her smiling lips, then
stood up from the bench and strode over to the helm to speak with Olav.

God's teeth, the very sight of him could take her
breath away!
she
marveled. And to think she was to
become his wife as soon as they reached Dublin! But suddenly her smile faded, a
twinge of apprehension prickling at her mind. Nay, she shook her head
defiantly. She would not allow herself to consider the possibility that all
would not go well for them. She had to believe that Hakon's plan would work!