Page 28 of The Shipwreck
His soft groan, deep in his throat, was like the purr of a great wild animal, and it sent a frisson of strange current through her, as if he’d called to her.Lightning coursed through her body and struck at the place she most longed to be touched—that burning ember between her thighs.
He seemed to know instantly what she needed.His hand found her, even through her skirts, cupping her with a firm precision that made her gasp.She shivered as he rubbed slowly against her, easing and provoking her at the same time.
She squeezed her eyes tightly.This was mad.It was wrong.And yet it felt so right.She couldn’t seem to stop.His body was a strong lodestone, and she was drawn to him like a powerless scrap of iron.
He opened her mouth wider with his, thrusting his tongue inside, devouring her, and she feasted equally on him.Her nipples stung where they brushed across his chest.And where his fingers now delved with more intense finesse, she began to swell with longing.
Desire rose like an incoming tide, too swift to escape, and soon she was swept off her feet.Higher and higher she was carried on a wave of lust, out of control, unsure of her destiny, led by a stranger.And yet she was helpless to resist.
Brandr was past thought.Otherwise, he’d never have put himself in this situation.This was the woman who had knocked him out and tied him up, and what was he doing?Pleasuring her.
Of course, she wasn’t the only one receiving pleasure.It had been a long while since he’d enjoyed the attentions of a woman so enthusiastic and forthright, a woman who lustily took what she wanted.But his body hadn’t forgotten how to respond to such enthusiasm.
He naturally let her have her way.
He let her kiss him like a greedy suckling lamb.He let her explore his body, run her fingers over his chest and through his hair.He let her press the supple pillows of her breasts against him.He let her arch against his hand, begging wordlessly for his touch.
And he answered her onslaught with the instinctive cravings of his love-starved body.
Blood rushed through his veins and roared in his ears as their tongues entwined and their breath mingled.Even through the layers of linen, the tempting crevice between her legs was impossibly hot, and he ached to plunge there with more than just his fingers.
Indeed, the lusty beast in his trousers was rousing, growing more demanding and frustrated by the moment.And the fact that satisfaction was so close, yet unattainable, drove him even more mad.
What made him open his eyes, he didn’t know—maybe a warrior’s innate sense of his surroundings.But the flicker of peripheral movement made him freeze.
The sudden tension in his body instantly alerted her as well.She stiffened, her lips still clinging to his.
“Mama!”came the little girl’s scolding voice from the doorway.“I told you a hundred times, don’t go near that bad man!”
Avril’s eyes went wide, and she pulled away in horror, struggling to her feet and stammering.“I…I…I…”
Since she seemed too tongue-tied to come up with a reasonable explanation, Brandr offered one.“Your mama fell,” he said, which was true.
“Aye,” Avril choked out, straightening her garments.“I fell.”
The little girl eyed them uncertainly, and Brandr held his breath, waiting.Then Kimbery shrugged and skipped off to the kitchen, plopped down on her stool and began chattering to her doll.
The air was heavy with unrequited desire, and the tension between Avril and him was as taut as a drawn bowstring.He didn’t dare speak or even glance at her for fear of rekindling the volatile spark between them.It seemed like an eternity before his hunger subsided and he could draw an even breath.
Avril couldn’t look at the Northman.She pressed her fingertips into her brow, hiding her eyes behind her hands in shame.
What had she done?
Hell, she’d let him kiss her, hold her, touch her.She’d shown weakness to her enemy, let him gain the upper hand, surrendered to his seduction.But she couldn’t let him believe that he’d won some victory over her, that she was somehow vulnerable to him.
Making sure Kimbery was occupied and avoiding Brandr’s gaze, she hunkered down to poke at the fire and whispered sharply, “Never do that again.”
He barked out an incredulous chuckle, then whispered back, “What—save you from falling into the fire?”
Her lips thinned.“Kiss me,” she whispered.“Never kiss me again.”
He scoffed, then whispered, “I believe it wasyouwho kissedme.”
Her face grew hot at the truth of his words, but she didn’t dare back down.“An honorable man would never make such…” The words stuck in her throat as she remembered the glorious sensation of his hand between her legs.“Such bold advances toward an unwilling woman.”
He murmured, “I don’t recall you being unwilling at all.”
She gasped, casting an anxious glance at Kimbery.
