couldn't keep his groan contained when she shifted her hips and snuggled closer to his warmth. She was arousing him enough to make the ride painful. He pulled the horse back to a walk and took several deep, cleansing breaths in an effort to ease his discomfort.
"Is something amiss?" Fitz Alan questioned, pulling up to his side.
"Nay," Kenric answered, harsher than intended.
"Are we there?" Tess asked sleepily.
"The horses need to walk for a while," Kenric lied in a clipped voice. "Go back to sleep."
Kenric tightened his grip on Tess and pulled her back against his chest, wanting nothing more than to lead her into the deep woods and ease the incredible lust she stirred in him. The reasonable side of his mind said the idea was foolish. The sun was well in evidence and they could encounter MacLeith's men at any time. Besides which, it was too damned cold. Still, the thought was distracting.
"I did not think I would fall asleep so easily." She stretched and wiggled around until Kenric placed a firm hand on her hip to stop the maddening action. "You are amazingly warm, milord."
Tess couldn't see Kenric's grimace until she turned slightly in the saddle.
"Would now be a poor time to ask a question?" She raised her eyebrows hopefully, but the baron's forbidding expression didn't change. Nor did he answer. Rudeness seemed to be his most dominant trait. Unable to meet his intimidating gaze a moment longer, she casually turned her attention to the road, ignoring his silence. "I was wondering what name I should call you by."
"I am your lord and master, Lady. You may address me as 'milord,' or 'Baron,' or… ' husband .'"
The man's arrogance left Tess speechless. She considered thanking him for allowing her to speak at all, but thought better of the idea. She would behave civilly for the duration of this farce, even if he did not. "What I meant to ask was your given name,
husband. I
know your titles, Baron Montague, but I do not know your Christian name."
He had the audacity to smile at her. Tess quickly dropped her gaze back to the road, half afraid she would betray her anger and smile back.
"My name is Kenric."
Though her hood was between them, Tess could almost feel his lips against her ear and his breath against her cheek. She marveled at the way his deep voice seemed to steal her breath away.
"You may call me by such whenever we are alone,
wife
."
After a moment of silence, he pulled her hood aside.
"You find some humor in my name?"
"Hm?" she inquired absently.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Your voice," Tess answered dreamily. "I can feel it. Right here." She placed her palm between her breasts, a soft laugh in her voice. "It tickles."
Kenric stared at her small hand until his body told him it was time to breathe again and he had to look away. He closed his eyes and a thousand images flashed before them. Most contained his very naked wife. He snapped his eyes open and scowled, disgusted with himself and his lack of control. This was too much. The girl was either an expert in seduction or the sweetest innocent alive. But he was determined to be safely inside Montague Castle before finding out the truth of her charms.
"You appear to enjoy my company well enough for a woman who wanted to be a nun." The guilty look on his wife's face reminded him of her reluctance at the altar. That helped cool his blood.
"I have a confession to make," she said quietly, sounding remorseful. "I have thought long on this matter and feel it best to inform you of my sin."
That
announcement caught Kenric off guard. He could almost feel the blood in his veins turn to ice.
She's had a lover
, he thought grimly. How thoughtful of her to unburden her pious little soul before he discovered the truth for himself. His face became hard, his expression meant to prepare her for the rage that would follow. If she thought he would find this confession noble, she was wrong. Though he was bound to keep her even if she'd had a score of lovers, he didn't have
"Is something amiss?" Fitz Alan questioned, pulling up to his side.
"Nay," Kenric answered, harsher than intended.
"Are we there?" Tess asked sleepily.
"The horses need to walk for a while," Kenric lied in a clipped voice. "Go back to sleep."
Kenric tightened his grip on Tess and pulled her back against his chest, wanting nothing more than to lead her into the deep woods and ease the incredible lust she stirred in him. The reasonable side of his mind said the idea was foolish. The sun was well in evidence and they could encounter MacLeith's men at any time. Besides which, it was too damned cold. Still, the thought was distracting.
"I did not think I would fall asleep so easily." She stretched and wiggled around until Kenric placed a firm hand on her hip to stop the maddening action. "You are amazingly warm, milord."
Tess couldn't see Kenric's grimace until she turned slightly in the saddle.
"Would now be a poor time to ask a question?" She raised her eyebrows hopefully, but the baron's forbidding expression didn't change. Nor did he answer. Rudeness seemed to be his most dominant trait. Unable to meet his intimidating gaze a moment longer, she casually turned her attention to the road, ignoring his silence. "I was wondering what name I should call you by."
"I am your lord and master, Lady. You may address me as 'milord,' or 'Baron,' or… ' husband .'"
The man's arrogance left Tess speechless. She considered thanking him for allowing her to speak at all, but thought better of the idea. She would behave civilly for the duration of this farce, even if he did not. "What I meant to ask was your given name,
husband. I
know your titles, Baron Montague, but I do not know your Christian name."
He had the audacity to smile at her. Tess quickly dropped her gaze back to the road, half afraid she would betray her anger and smile back.
"My name is Kenric."
Though her hood was between them, Tess could almost feel his lips against her ear and his breath against her cheek. She marveled at the way his deep voice seemed to steal her breath away.
"You may call me by such whenever we are alone,
wife
."
After a moment of silence, he pulled her hood aside.
"You find some humor in my name?"
"Hm?" she inquired absently.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Your voice," Tess answered dreamily. "I can feel it. Right here." She placed her palm between her breasts, a soft laugh in her voice. "It tickles."
Kenric stared at her small hand until his body told him it was time to breathe again and he had to look away. He closed his eyes and a thousand images flashed before them. Most contained his very naked wife. He snapped his eyes open and scowled, disgusted with himself and his lack of control. This was too much. The girl was either an expert in seduction or the sweetest innocent alive. But he was determined to be safely inside Montague Castle before finding out the truth of her charms.
"You appear to enjoy my company well enough for a woman who wanted to be a nun." The guilty look on his wife's face reminded him of her reluctance at the altar. That helped cool his blood.
"I have a confession to make," she said quietly, sounding remorseful. "I have thought long on this matter and feel it best to inform you of my sin."
That
announcement caught Kenric off guard. He could almost feel the blood in his veins turn to ice.
She's had a lover
, he thought grimly. How thoughtful of her to unburden her pious little soul before he discovered the truth for himself. His face became hard, his expression meant to prepare her for the rage that would follow. If she thought he would find this confession noble, she was wrong. Though he was bound to keep her even if she'd had a score of lovers, he didn't have
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