She met his gaze and the naked desire there sent a flood of heat low in her belly. Giving him a hesitant smile, she let the tip of her tongue taste the salt of his skin. His eyes flared, but he made no move to touch her otherwise. Satisfied that he would cede her control for now, she let his hand fall to her hip while hers went back to his chest. Only this time, she let her curiosity take her downward, over the ridged planes of his stomach. He was as lean here as Grim had been, but somehow harder.
Her fingers found the waist of his trousers, but faltered in their exploration. She wanted to touch the part of him that made him a man, but it felt wrong somehow. He had been her enemy mere days ago. Her fingertips fluttered at the waist as she debated. They fell away, but he was fast and caught her hands with his.
‘Do you want to touch me there?’ His voice was rich with a husk she had never heard in it before. The vibration of it raked pleasantly across her skin and down her spine.
She nodded, her mouth suddenly gone too dry for words. Slowly, and with the lightest touch on her wrist, he brought one of her hands to that hard part of him hidden within the confines of his trousers. The shape of him was clearly outlined, a long, thick ridge that reached for his navel. She traced it experimentally with her fingertips, delighting in how it seemed to jerk. Then she shaped it to her palm, marvelling at how he was longer than her hand. She could not properly compare him to Grim in this area, because she had never once touched her husband like this.
How was it so easy to do with this man who was nearly a stranger? But to call him a stranger seemed terribly wrong. Some part deep within her knew him.
Her thoughts shuddered to a stop and corrected the sentiment. This man was now her husband. Not Grim. Not any more. She might have pulled away as the realisation washed over her, except a blast of cool air touched her breasts. Rurik had been busy loosening the drawstring that held her clothing together while she had been lost in her thoughts. His fingers gently and deliberately drew the linen down until it was beneath her breasts, framing them for his gaze.
His forefinger traced an invisible line from the hollow at her throat to the pink tip of one breast. Her breath caught as he circled the nipple, watched it draw tight and then pinched it lightly. She could not stop the gasp that escaped her as she watched him roll the tortured and eager nub between that finger and his thumb. When he tugged a bit, a bolt of heat travelled down to that hot place between her thighs. She watched eagerly as his other hand cupped the breast that had been neglected and gave it similar treatment. By the time he took them both in his hands, kneading a soft rhythm, her knees were ready to give way beneath her.
She sighed in genuine regret when one of his hands released her to roam down to her waist and curve around her back to draw her against him. His palm moved down to cup her bottom, making her stomach flutter in delicious anticipation. His short beard rasped her cheek as he sought her mouth, taking it in a deep kiss. She only had time to open for him before his tongue sought hers, invading her in a way that was reminiscent of how his body would join with hers very soon.
Want was quickly becoming need as she kissed him back, touching his tongue with hers as she sought to learn the taste of him. He growled softly deep in his throat at her response and the sound emboldened her. Her hands found their way to the nape of his neck where her fingers curled into his hair. When she tugged, he made another throaty sound and released her lips to drag his mouth down the column of her neck. He found a sensitive spot beneath her ear and touched it with his tongue, nearly making her jump out of her skin.
Grinding his manhood against her hip, he said in a broken voice, husky with need, ‘I want to be inside you, Wife.’ To emphasise the words, his teeth scraped her soft earlobe, the pain of it mixed with the pleasure coursing through her blood so it was impossible to distinguish the two.
She was surprised at how the words made her feel anticipation instead of anxiety. She also realised that he had said them as a sort of request, wanting her to give him permission. Drawing back slightly, she cupped his cheek, moved by the genuine tenderness in his eyes, though it was mixed with a healthy dose of lust. This could have been over in moments, but he was holding himself back for her.
‘Soon.’ She smiled at him and took his mouth in a brief kiss before moving back to put a breath of air between them. Her fingers went to the neckline of her clothing and tugged, letting it fall down her body to land in a heap at her feet.
His eyes went wide before narrowing in desire again as his gaze roved down her body at will. ‘You are beautiful.’
Her face burned with the compliment. She was bold, but not bold enough to stand before him naked for any length of time. Not yet. Her fingers trembled as she pulled down the coverlet and slipped underneath, quickly moving over to make room for him in the bed. ‘Now you,’ she said from the safety of the blankets. Her bravery in this extended only so far.
‘Do you
