Gem of Gravane (The Northern Knights) (7 page)

Danielle wanted to scream as his
fingers worked their sweet magic and the intense pleasure built inside
her.  She was reaching, her body wanted something and she cried out.
 “Milord…Oh- please.” 

 He gave her a wickedly
delicious smile and kissed her. 

Danielle opened her mouth and
screamed as her body exploded into a million beautiful and wondrous pieces. 
The pleasure so powerful, she swore that she stopped breathing.  Aric’s
kisses brought her back to him and she felt something big probing against her,
entering her, stretching her.

“Sweetness. Oh, you are so
tight.”  He paused as though in pain.  Danielle reached up and cupped
his handsome face.  His gentle manner touched her even more and her heart
bloomed.  She leaned up and kissed him. 

It was all the urging Aric needed
and he surged forth in one single thrust past her maidenhead and held himself
still as her cry shattered the quiet in the room. 

“Are you well?” 

Worry laced his tone as his warm
breath bathed her face. Danielle let out a deep breath. The pain had dulled to
a throb and something else had taken its place. He felt heavy and thick inside
her. Their bodies so deeply connected amazed her and she replied, hesitantly
hearing the uncertainty and wonder in her voice.  “Yea. Yea, I believe
so.”

His passion filled gaze locked on
hers. “Call me Aric.  I want to hear you say it.”  He pulled out
and thrust into her again. 

Exquisite pleasure shook her and
breathlessly, she whispered   “Aric.”

He growled and thrust slowly in and
out of her tight sheath. He asked her to say it again and Danielle did,
liking the sound of his name on her tongue.  She felt emboldened and
reaching up, pressed her hand to his cheek and demanded in turn.  “Say my
name, Aric. Say my name.” 

He thrust deep as his heated gaze
held hers and he ground out. “Danielle.  My sweet, Danielle, I cannot
wait any longer.”

Danielle smiled and kissed him
again, not exactly sure what he meant, but she clung to his shoulders with all
her might.  

Heaviness and pressure filled her
with each delightful thrust.  She lost herself in the new sensations he
was drawing from her.

When he told her to wrap her legs
around his waist, she did and cried out at the friction the new position
caused. ‘Twas heaven.  Tightening her legs around his strong back, she
tried to return his thrusts, but it was too much and Danielle heard herself
crying out her pleasure once more as she convulsed in wonderment around
him. 

Aric groaned in satisfaction as he
felt her find pleasure again.  In two more thrusts, his release tore from
him and into her womb leaving him breathless and caught up in a vortex of
fulfillment like he’d never experienced before. 

Chapter 5

Danielle stretched
under the coverlets as morning light blazed through the window.  A
satisfied moan escaped her lips and she reached out for Aric but his side
of the bed was empty.  Disappointment came to her.  None of his
warmth clung to his pillow. 

Oh well, she sighed.  Did she
think that he would lay abed all day with her as he had last night?  

Nay, as beautiful as her wedding
night had been, her new husband had not been a virgin.  Danielle knew it
and even felt a pang of jealousy that what they had shared was probably no
different than what he’d probably shared with other women before her.  He
was an experienced lover.  It was not as special for him as it had been
for her of that she was sure. 

No matter, she would still keep
that feeling to herself. 

The gentleness and the desire he’d
shown for her last night had opened her eyes a little. She knew he could have
taken her without a word or been cruel even, but he hadn’t and for that
Danielle was grateful. He had called her sweetness many times throughout the
night.

 Her heart swelled and she
knew she was naïve in her way of thinking. But she did not care. She was
floating and full of many new emotions as her thoughts returned to last night.

Soreness between her thighs caused
her to groan as she moved to get out of bed.  Aric had done his husbandly
duty three times in the long night and for her, each time had been better than
the next.  But, that was impossible she chided herself.  ‘Twas just
that she could not get enough of him and hoped they’d be sharing the wondrous
experience again soon. The things he’d said and done to her during their
lovemaking, she flushed with the memory feeling the fingers of want tingle her
center. 

She walked across the room. 

 How would he treat her this
morning? she wondered.  Could she face him?  Yea, she smiled as she
freshened up with the water from the basin that surely Edie had seen to and
brought in. He’d instilled some confidence in her last night even if he’d
not meant all he’d said. But she wanted to believe he had. 

Dressed and ready to go below
stairs, Danielle paused and checked herself again.  She had on a bright
gold colored gown with a matching belt tied at her waist.  She felt alive,
bold and just as she was sure Aric was no doubt seeing to the way of the manor,
she had to see to some things she’d not had time to attend since he’d
arrived. 

But see him first was her
goal. 

She needed to see him. Needed to
see his reaction to her outside their chamber.  

Danielle smiled, opened the door
and stepped out into the hall.  

 The soldier posted
outside the chamber door bowed and trailed behind her down the steps and
around the manor’s interior as she searched for Aric.
With
no signs of him inside, Danielle headed for the manor doors.  Just as
she approached, she heard voices and paused, turning towards the hall.  

She glimpsed Edie out of the corner
of her eye coming from the kitchens, her arms full of fresh linens. 

“Edie.”

“Morning Milady.” Edie gave
her a big smile. “You may not be wanting to go in the hall just
yet. Those two evil ones have not yet completed their morning meal.” 

Danielle knew she spoke of Thomas
and Rose.  Unease almost caused her shoulders to sag, but she straightened
her back.  She would not let those two ruin the euphoria she was feeling
today. She’d not felt this way ever. Instead she turned her attention
elsewhere.

She gave her maid a smile.
 “Edie, thank you for leaving fresh water for me this morn.” 

“‘Twas not me, milady, ‘twas milord
that carried it in himself. He didn’t want anyone to disturb you.”  Edie
said with a wink.

“Oh.” Danielle said, knowing
her cheeks burned. “Edie, have you seen him?” 

“Aye, milady.  He and his man,
Balwain and a few soldiers headed out just before the sun rose.”

Disappointment rose in Danielle and
she frowned.  Oh well, what had she expected?  Him to be waiting down
in the hall ready to bless her with a smile and more kind words?  

The man had more important things
to attend to.  Danielle said nothing for a moment.  She felt herself
nodding as she turned away. The soldier stood in the shadows, but she knew he
was there.  Why he trailed after her, she did not know nor care at the
moment.

Just then, Balwain and her husband
came striding from the opposite side of the hall.  Her heart
skipped a beat.  They had returned.  

At first it seemed as though they
would walk right past her without acknowledgement.  But, then Balwain
looked at her and nodded.  Aric, on the other hand, barely nodded.
 His fierce gaze pinned her for a moment where she stood and it took
her breath away. 

His tone was gruff when he
spoke.  “Milady.” 

Danielle’s bubble of euphoria
burst. The two large men continued on past them into the hall.  Milady?
Where was his concern for her well-being this morning?  His angry and
distant expression stung and Danielle knew it was her pride that suffered. She
blinked back the tears that sprung quickly to her eyes.  She was not going
to let the soldier that stood gawking at her see how much her husband’s words
or lack of them had hurt her.   

“Edie, I need to speak with you
straight away.”  Danielle said.  A spark of anger shot through her
and turning to the soldier, she told him.  “Without you!” 

She was so mad she didn’t even
bother to see if Edie followed her out of the manor.  Danielle’s limp,
more pronounced as it always was when she was either upset or angry, did not
hamper her swift steps. Edie quickened her pace to catch up to her lady as they
walked around to the gardens.  

Aric emptied the last of the warm
ale from his cup as he sat at the lord's table in the hall with
Balwain.  They had just finished their lengthy conversation of
business in regards to Gravane manor from the current steward and Aric’s
seneschal before they had come upon his wife in the foyer. 

The old man, half a decade past
death had surprised them both with his knowledge of the manor and the daily
going-ons.   Aric’s fierce visage almost softened when he’d seen the
accuracy of the books and to hear that they were actually maintained by
Danielle.  Balwain had smiled when he had not.  

A separate book had been made up
for Thomas and his greed by Danielle.  Aric had tucked that bit of gleaned
information aside and had barely been able to  reign in his fury when he saw
the differences in the numbers of what the peacock believed he was pilfering
from Gravane and getting away with.  That same fury which had caused him
to glare at her just moments ago.  He’d seen the stricken look on her
face, but he could not address it now.   

“Milady keeps surprising us with
her talents, milord.”  Balwain’s deep voice of praise cut into his
thoughts. 

“Aye.”  Aric rolled his stiff
shoulders.  “’Twould seem that she does and then some, Balwain.”  He
tried to keep his thoughts centered, but they kept wandering off to images
of Danielle and last eve.  Annoyance filled him over the distraction.
 

A young knight entered the hall
just then.  Aric waved him forward and gave him permission to speak.

“A messenger has arrived from
Egway, milord.” The young knight blurted.

“Send him in.”  Aric looked to
Balwain and both men stood as the messenger was brought in.  The messenger
was covered from head to toe in dirt and dust.   He obviously had
ridden hard and fast, Aric deduced.  

His warrior instinct took over and
he took the missive reading over it quickly and said to the messenger. “Tell
Roger, in a sennight.” 

Then he dismissed the man. 

Crushing the missive in his fist,
he turned to Balwain and said his tone a bit loud. “It appears that we
will not be sending Thomas and his sister away today after all.  Come,
Balwain, we need to make changes to our plan.  Walk with me.” 

The two warriors quit the
hall. 

Thomas
appeared from an alcove on the other side of the raised dais
near the lord's table and watched the two giants walk out
the manor doors.  Dressed in his usual bright patterns, anxiety and
anger riding his tall, thin frame, he stared murder after their receding
forms.

“Think you he knew we were aware of
his presence, milord?”  Balwain asked Aric as they walked at a brisk pace
along the stream behind the manor.  

 Aric had known that his
wife’s cousin was in the alcove, for his offensive and unpleasant odor had
filled his nose and Thomas’s heavy breathing, surely could have been heard from
any room in the manor.  The man disgusted him.  The missive the
sentry had brought him had carried a simple message from Roger that he wished
to marry a maiden he’d fallen for at Egway.

 “Nay.  That man is too
stupid and too full of himself to think otherwise. He is a sorry lot.”

As though on cue, they spotted
Thomas strutting across the courtyard towards the stables. 

“He couldn’t even wait till he was
sure that we were out of sight.  What a fool.” Balwain scoffed with a
shake of his head.

Aric’s dark gaze followed Thomas’s
form until he disappeared inside the stables to reappear within moments
with Harvey at his side.  The two men glanced around the courtyard to see
if they were being watched. 

From where he stood with Balwain
behind the manor, they had the vantage point and the pair could not see
them.  Fury raged in Aric as he stared at the conspiring pair. 

“His quest for power and greed has
blinded him.  What he overheard will cause him to move without care and
his next actions will only confirm what we already know. Then we will have
him." 

Balwain nodded in
agreement.  

Something caught Aric’s eye and he
saw Danielle’s form at the rear of the manor. Her gold gown seemed to shimmer
brightly from this distance under the sun’s high glare and she was headed for
the secluded garden where they’d first kissed. 

The memory brought back memories of
last night and Aric’s blood heated. Her maid was with her.  His feet
turned in that direction.

Balwain noted his lord’s
distraction upon seeing his wife. Clearing his throat, he clasped his
hands behind his back and looked straight ahead and stated with a casual
flair.  “Women like to see a bit of tendre or hear sweet words from a man
after a night of loving, milord.  Especially wives.”  He could feel
his lord’s dark eyes burning into the side of his face, but he continued to
look straight ahead. 

“You seem to know an awful lot for
a man that has not yet taken a wife.  My wedding night, you tell me
be
gentle.
 Today you spout tendre and sweet words.  I think it be
your lust for my wife’s maid that has you so enamored of
late.  Next you’ll be spouting sonnets” 

Balwain flushed and
responded.  “Mayhap. But, it seems to be the  way of
it.  I have seen and watched your sister with her husband Rian just as
much as you, milord.”

“Aye."  His sister
Liza and her Saxon lord were besotted with one another.