Page 40 of Knight of Havoc
Once she was clean, she tossed him a wicked smile and bent forward. His hungry eyes peered at her in the light of the hearth whilst her own seemed to be glazed in need. She reached out and ran the soapy cloth over his shoulders and arms, over the top of his chest. But she hesitated when she took a glance downward. His eyes silently urged her on and every muscle in his body tensed in anticipation of her touch. He thought he could handle it but he was so wrong.
The moment her delicate hands wrapped around his manhood, he was forced to strain to hold himself in check. How could such an innocent exploration become his undoing? But the pleasure was overwhelming as she ran her fingertips up and down his shaft until he could stand her tender, tentative ministration no further. He took hold of her hand even though such an action about killed him.
“If you do not stop, I will unman myself here and now, my lady,” he explained through clenched teeth.
“Does it hurt?” she said appearing worried that she was causing him some sort of injury.
“Hurt?” he said in a strained tone. “God’s blood, nay.”
“Hmmm,” she murmured before she tilted her head to gaze upon him. “I do not wish you to be in pain, Reynard.”
“Far from it.”
She raised herself on her knees before coming to some decision. The next thing he knew he had his hands full of thewoman as she settled herself directly in his lap. The fit was tight given the confines of the tub but she managed to sit there as though she had done this a hundred times.
She bent forward and kissed his lips. “Make me yours in every way, Reynard. Here. Now.”
He would not question her demands. He took hold of her bottom to raise her up until his manhood was at the entrance to her core. “I am sorry this will hurt,” he said before plunging past the barrier that proved her innocence.
She cried out, wrapping her arms around his neck, and he waited to move until he could see from her expression that the pain had subsided and she had grown accustomed to his size. She at last took hold of his face and began to kiss him, stealing his breath away as only Elysande could.
Reynard became lost in their play as they began to move in unison in a rhythm known to lovers throughout the ages. But he soon felt the restrictions of their bath and halted their lovemaking. She tossed him a frown before he told her to stand. He followed her as they exited the tub. Before she could lift a foot over the rim, he lifted her up in his arms, carrying her to their bed and not caring that water dripped from their wet bodies. He laid her on top of the coverlets and gazed upon her perfections.
Aye… she was perfect in every way in his mind’s eye and he devoured the sight of every inch of her exposed silky skin. She held out her arms to him and he settled himself once more between her legs, taking her own and wrapping them around his waist. Together they moved as though they had been made for one another. Two souls that became one the higher they flew toward the heavens. And when Elysande reached her release calling out his name, he shattered alongside her filling her with his seed. Their breaths were ragged until they both slowed to normal. He rolled over not wanting to crush her with his weightand she settled into his side. Her head lay on his chest and she ran her fingertips over the muscles of his stomach.
He kissed the top of her head. “Next time, we shall start in the bed and ’twill be a perfect coupling.”
She gave a contented sigh. “I do not know how our lovemaking could be any more perfect that what we just did.”
“We have a lifetime together to find out,” he said whilst she continued her play.
“We could find out now,” she declared playfully. She raised her head to gaze upon him whilst her hand reached lower.
“You tempt me but this is new to you and I do not wish you to be in any more pain than I already caused you this eve,” he murmured, taking hold of her hand that continued to reach toward his manhood.
“Let me be the judge of that,” she said with a laugh. “I am most certain there is more to learn with this lovemaking business and you are just the man to teach me.”
A growl left him as he quickly turned so she was once more beneath him. “I am theonlyman who will teach you.”
“Then teach me, my love.”
He could not refuse such a tempting offer. “As my lady commands…”
Reynard resumed his exploration of his lovely lady and undertook to teach her what he enjoyed far into the night. With the breaking of the dawn, they would both be sleepy eyed but quite well satisfied when they began to ride the remainder of the way to Oxford.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Elysande and Reynardstood before their empress in her solar. The only other people in the room were Richard and his sister Beatrix. It worried Elysande. How severe would the set down be for the empress to feel it should not have an audience? Elysande hung her head whilst the empress bellowed her outrage.
“You ruined her, Norwood. I expected better from you,” the empress bellowed.
“She is to be my wife,” Reynard declared only to snap his lips shut when the empress pounded on the table next to her with her fist.
“The outcome was formeto decide, not for you,” she yelled in displeasure.
“You, yourself, declared that the man who rescued Lady Elysande would be allowed to wed her. I was the first to come to her aid. I then announced her publicly to be my wife for her protection when the late hour required us to take shelter in an inn, given that we were unable to reach the castle before the gates closed,” Reynard answered, standing tall.
The empress pursed her lips and then inspected Elysande. “Did he take you against your will?”
