She nodded slowly. “Aye.”
“And that reason was to not only provide you with a suitable husband, but to prevent your grandmother from awarding you to the highest bidder. Are you with me so far?”
She nodded again, curiously, and he continued. “Even though we are married, this union will not be truly binding until we consummate it. I should have done it last night but I felt strongly that it was not the right time. However, with our party returning to Castle Erith, I cannot delay. We already know that de Clare is at Erith at your grandmother’s invitation. We must make sure that our marriage is secure.”
By this time, she was looking at him fearfully. “Then we… we must.…”
He nodded faintly, looking into her wide blue eyes. “Aye, we must. And I swear to you that I will be as gentle as possible. But it must be done.”
Brooke blinked, averting her gaze as she thought about what was to come. She was naturally frightened, but she was also naturally curious. Last night, she had slept next to Dallas and had felt such comfort and security as she had never known. She was coming to feel comfortable with him as much as their short marriage would allow, but he was still a stranger. Hesitantly, she met his gaze again.
“My mother has explained to me the way of men and women,” she said quietly. “And I have seen animals couple. We had a dog once that had a litter of puppies twice a year. Every time I saw her, she was being mounted by another dog. But as for people coupling….”
He smiled at her innocence; he couldn’t help it. “It is different than dogs.”
She saw his grin and thought he was laughing at her. “I know that,” she snapped softly, immediately cooling when she realized that he was not mocking her. Dallas didn’t seem the type. “But… but I have never even had a suitor and the first time a man kissed me was last night when you did. I do not know what to do. What if I do the wrong thing? You will be sorry that you married me.”
His smile grew; fortunately, he had not taken offense to her snappish reply. “I would never be sorry, Brooke. And you cannot possibly do the wrong thing. Just listen to what I tell you and I promise you will gain some enjoyment from it.”
She regarded him carefully. “You have done this before.”
He cleared his throat and averted his gaze a moment, shifting his seat. “I have.”
“With whom?”
He lifted an eyebrow at her. “It does not matter. Suffice it to say that I believe I can navigate my way through this.”
She cocked her head. “But why is it expected that I am a virgin and acceptable that you are not?”
His gaze was steady on her. “Because one of us must know something or both of us will be making fools of ourselves. Therefore, in preparation of this moment, I have had to learn so that I can teach you.”
She cast him a long glance, suggesting that she thought his answer was ridiculous. Then she actually laughed. “You are good at thinking of answers that make sense. But I know it is a preposterous answer you give me.”
“Why?”
“Because it is,” she insisted. “I want to know why I must remain pure, yet you did not have the courtesy to remain pure for me. Well?”
She was a spitfire, spoiled and selfish, but she was also intelligent and quite pretty. He reached out and grasped her face gently with one hand.
“If it is any consolation to you, no one has marked my heart,” he said quietly, watching her fire cool. “That, my lady, I have indeed saved for my wife. For you.”
Her fire banked completely and she took on the wide-eyed innocent look again. “How do you know?”
“How do I know what?”
“That you will give me your heart?”
He wriggled his eyebrows and dropped his hand. But he was smiling. “I do not, for certain. But I can hope.”
Brooke simply nodded. There wasn’t much more to say on the subject. Now the reality of what they must do began to weigh heavily on her and her cheeks began to grow warm again. She kept her head down, looking at her bag. Without another word, Dallas reached over and put a hand on her neck, pulling her to him. He very gently kissed her cheek.
“Trust me, Brooke,” he murmured against her flesh. “I promise I will be gentle.”
She had no choice but to comply, her eyes closing as he kissed her cheek again. His mouth moved across her face, to her chin, before finally claiming her lips.
It was as he had remembered it the night before; she was sweet and warm and soft. Although he was performing a duty, it quickly became a genuine want. He knew he must go slowly with her, but he found that the feel and smell of her ignited a flame deep within him. Before he realized it, both arms were around her slender body and he was pulling her onto the pallet beside him.
Brooke’s heart was thumping so loudly that she was positive he could hear it. His mouth was warm and gentle, his touch strong and tender. Having never experienced an embrace of any kind, the newness was disorienting. But the disorientation quickly evaporated in favor of giddy warmth that bloomed deep in her belly. When his mouth clamped down over hers, the warmth grew in size and breadth and spread through her torso. Hesitantly, her arms went around his neck. It was all the encouragement Dallas needed to pull her fiercely against him.
Brooke was lost in a haze of passion and curiosity. She was aware when he laid her back on the pallet, aware when his tongue licked at her lips. Not knowing how to respond, she opened her mouth to ask him for instructions and his tongue snaked inside her pink orifice. Momentarily shocked, she very quickly realized she liked it. His kiss was bold, intimate, heated. Aye, she liked it very much.
Dallas unwound one of his arms. His hand drifted over her belly, touching her arm, shoulder, her hair. Then it moved down her chest, finally coming to rest on a pert breast. He gently squeezed and she yelped.
“What are you doing?” she demanded breathlessly.
He was fairly breathless himself. “Touching you.”
Her eyes were wide on him. “But… you are putting your hand on my.…”
He squeezed her gently again, watching her mouth pop open in outrage and, possibly, some semblance of pleasure. He laughed softly and caressed her breast again.
“I am your husband,” he whispered. “I may touch you anywhere I please. Does this disturb you?”
She wasn’t sure. “But… but what if I don’t want you to?”
“Then I will stop. Do you want me to stop?”
Her cheeks flushed and she tried to avert her gaze, but he was so close that she could not reasonably look away from him. “I… I suppose not.”
He squeezed her again, feeling a hard nipple against his palm. His mouth descended on her once again as he spoke. “Good.”
Brooke lay there with her eyes open, responding to his bold kiss and evaluating the feel of his hand against her breast. It was shocking and new, but the more he caressed and teased, the more she liked it. Her young body began to twitch with pleasure and she was not even aware. But Dallas was acutely aware; he’d never been more aware of anything in his life.
He abruptly sat up, pulling her with him. His arms were around her, untying the stays on her back. Brooke didn’t protest but she didn’t help either; she wasn’t entirely sure what to do. When he pulled the surcoat over her head, she sat dumbly as he had her lift her arms and yanked the shift off as well. Clad only in her pantalets, she crossed her arms over her bare chest as Dallas quickly removed his tunic.
He turned back around to see her trying to cover herself with great embarrassment. In fact, she was trying not to cry. He put his arms around her and lay back down on the pallet, covering up her nakedness with his big body.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured, his lips against her temple. “You do not need to be embarrassed.”
She sniffled, trying hard to stifle the tears. “I am not,” she lied.
He smiled, kissing her again. Very gently, he unwound her arms from her breasts. She was small-breasted, but they were pert and perfect. His big hand covered one completely and
then some, but it did not take away from his pleasure. In fact, he was wildly aroused by them.
Brooke felt his hot hand close over her breast and she shuddered, her embarrassment quickly fading as he gently touched her. He was very careful with her and his patience helped immensely. He continued to knead and caress, his lips against her forehead, allowing her to become accustomed to his touch. Brooke concentrated on the encounter, gradually relaxing enough so that he was able to shift his body. When he put his heated mouth on her hard nipple, she gasped again.
“What are you doing?”
His reply was to suck harder and she gasped and groaned, twitching beneath him. His mouth on her body was causing lightning to course through her limbs, heat that she could not control. Though she was young and innocent, her body was all woman. Hormones and desires raged. As Brooke lay panting beneath Dallas, he deftly removed her pantalets and settled himself between her legs.
She lifted her head to watch him as he lay between her legs. His mouth was still on her breast, his hands around her waist. Brooke’s heart was pumping so hard that she felt faint. She lay her head back down, staring at the tent ceiling and experiencing every new sensation that Dallas brought upon her. She liked his mouth on her and she liked his big hands on her slender body. She liked everything about this so far. But when he lowered his breeches and put his manhood against her virginal lips, she grew worried all over again.
He was back in her face, his big body lying on top of her. He wasn’t heavy, but the intimacy was overwhelming. She began to tear up again and he kissed her eyes tenderly.
“No tears, sweetheart,” he said softly. “Relax and accept me. It will make things easier.”
“But I am afraid.”
“I know,” he kissed her again. “But you must trust me. I would never intentionally hurt you.”
She began to sob softly and he kissed her strongly at the same time he thrust into her. She yelped at the first thrust, gasping slightly at the second. By the third and final thrust, her tears had faded and she simply groaned. She could hear Dallas breathing heavily, his lips on her cheek. When he withdrew completely, she felt a distinct sense of relief. But he was suddenly thrusting into her again and she sucked in her breath sharply as he began to move deep within her.
There was no real pain, only a sense of fullness. Within the first several thrusts, she forgot her fear and embarrassment completely. Whatever he was doing sent wild sensations throughout her body, sensations that caused her to writhe and spasm. She was vaguely aware of her arms around his neck, holding on to him as he beat a sensual rhythm against her hips. Somewhere in the movement, she began to move with him. It felt better when she did. Some exquisite sensation was blossoming in her loins and she liked the sparks she felt when she ground her pelvis against his. When she figured out that the more she rubbed against him, the more sparks flew, she began to grind her hips madly against his body.
Dallas had one arm round her, one hand on her left breast. Brooke was concentrating on making sparks fly as she rubbed herself against him in rhythm to his thrusting. Suddenly, her entire body tightened and a burst sensation rippled through her loins. It was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced. As she gasped with her first climax, Dallas released himself deep within her beckoning body. Brooke felt him shudder. But he continued to move, continued to touch her, not wanting the experience to end. Truth be told, Brooke didn’t want it to end, either.
What had started out as a totally fearful concept had become the most miraculous experience of her young life. Brooke laid there, her arms around her husband, staring up at the ceiling and struggling to absorb what had just happened. She could not seem to wrap her mind around it. All she knew was that it was nothing as she had feared.
“Are you well?” Dallas’ soft question filled the air.
Her gaze moved to his handsome face as he loomed over her. He has such nice eyes, she thought. “Aye,” she replied.
“I did not hurt you?”
She shook her head. “Nay.”
“Good.”
He gazed at her, his eyes drifting over the delicate shape of her eyes and the way her blond hair brushed across her face. He would have liked to have lain with her all day but he knew that time was growing short. They had accomplished their task, which had turned out to be far less of a task and far more of a pleasure. He pushed a stray lock of hair from her eyes.
“We should get dressed and finish packing.”
He started to move but she tightened her arms and legs about him; he was still embedded in her. “Do we have to?”
He looked at her, surprised. Then he burst out in soft laughter. “You would rather stay here?”
Her cheeks flushed scarlet and she unwound her arms, her legs. He could see that he had offended her and his grip on her tightened as she tried to squirm away from him.
“Lady Aston,” he murmured against her flushed, angry cheek. “I would give all that I have to remain here with you for the day. But I fear your step father and mother will become impatience awaiting us.”
She eyed him, somewhat appeased. “You will stop laughing at me every time I ask a question.”
He shook his head, his lips nuzzling her jaw line. “It was laughter of pleasure, I assure you. I am pleased that you thought so much of our experience that you would not want to end it.”
Her anger fled in lieu of shy eagerness. “Can we do it again sometime? I mean, if you wish it?”
His eyebrows drew together in feigned outrage. “Good lord, lass, I will wish it every day for the rest of my life. Sometimes more than once a day. Was it that good for you?”
She nodded once, too embarrassed to elaborate. He laughed softly again and kissed her on the cheek. “Very well, Lady Aston. We will do it as much as you wish, whenever you wish. I will not protest in the least.”
She refused to look at him, making a face when his laughter grew stronger. Withdrawing himself from her tight little body, he made sure to kiss her face, both breasts, her belly, and the inside of her right thigh as he pushed himself off of her. There was a slight amount of blood on her skin but certainly nothing shattering. He didn’t mention it to Brooke, however; he simply collected her pantalets and shift for her. She took them in silence, pulling her clothing on swiftly while he pulled on his own clothing. By the time she had her shift and shoes on, he had on most of his mail. The entire time, they had dressed in silence. When their eyes finally met, they smiled at each other warmly. Brooke flushed to the roots of her hair.
“Do you need any help to finish packing up?” he asked.
She shook her head. He collected his armor from where he had set it down, took her chin in one hand, and kissed her on the cheek.
“I shall be outside if you need me,” he said quietly. “I will send Norman and Edgar to finish packing my things.”
“I can do it for you,” she said eagerly. “I mean, shouldn’t I? As your wife?”
He smiled faintly. “Of course you should. How stupid of me.”
She returned his smile, looking rather pleased, and he winked at her as he quit the tent.
Brooke stood there for several long moments after he had gone, reflecting on the past several minutes. Warmth filled her, making her limbs soft and mushy. She truly didn’t know if she could even walk, but walk she did. She had to. She had to pack her husband’s things so that they could return to Erith.
Her husband. Every time she thought of Dallas, she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.
True to his word, de Aughton returned by mid-day with a surgeon from Grange-on-Sands. The physic was a fairly young man, driving an old cart pulled by an old donkey. Even though in years, the man was not over thirty, he walked, acted and looked like someone much older. In his dirty gray robes and mussy brown hair, he pulled his donkey to a halt and looked curiously around the camp.
Graehm and Dallas helped the physic secure his beast and collect his bags while Niclas remained standing next to his charger. Although
he had fulfilled his promise, he wasn’t sure if he was welcome.
“How is d’Uberville?” he asked Dallas.
Dallas handed the bag he had collected to Graehm and instructed the man to take the physic to Geoff immediately. He waited until the two men were out of earshot before turning to the big black knight.
“Worse,” he said evenly. “His attempt to defend the lady from your abduction attempt worsened his injuries. He’s been coughing up blood all morning.”
Niclas didn’t show the guilt he was feeling. He remained quite unemotional. “I am sorry for that, then. But this physician comes highly recommended. He should be able to help.”
Dallas didn’t reply; his gaze lingered on the man a moment before turning back to camp. Niclas watched him walk away, knowing there was no longer any reason for him to be here. He had completed his task.
Consigning d’Uberville to his fate, he turned his steed for home.
*
On the road for the past hour, the mercenary army traveling back to Erith was moving slowly for Geoff’s sake; the physic that de Aughton had brought from Sands-on-Grange had recommended a very slow pace and Braxton took the man at his word. Gray sat on the wagon bed beside Geoff, monitoring his condition; the knight had responded to the surgeon’s treatment enough so that he was somewhat stable and it had been decided to move him back to Erith for a measure of permanent shelter and protection.
Gray sat beside the knight diligently, watching every move and listening carefully to every sound. She was sorry they hadn’t brought the physic with them, fearful that she wouldn’t be skilled enough to aid Geoff is something went horribly wrong. Oddly, Braxton didn’t travel with a surgeon and most of his men were surgeons unto themselves; they could all stitch wounds and repair broken bones to a certain degree, including Braxton himself. So Gray was, essentially, on her own.
Braxton rode beside the wagon, just a few feet from her. He was in full armor, his visor lowered, but every so often his helmed head would turn to her and she would catch his movement, turning to smile at him. She could not see his face beneath the visor but knew he was smiling back. It made her warm and giddy inside, but truth be told, it all still seemed like a dream. In a few short days she had met and married a man whom was very quickly becoming everything to her and at her age, she never imagined she would be so fortunate. But fortunate she was and she was deeply thankful.