Page 69 of Storm of Desire
"I didn't go anywhere near them." The stupid creatures panicked within their wickeryard.
"Stay right where you are," he said. "I've spent half the morning hunting themdown."
Haakon was forced to come to her, his long strides eating up the ground. Árdís bit her lip, exploring every inch of him with unabashed interest. Lean hard muscle gleamed with sweat, the ridge of his rippled abdominals sinking into the edge of his trousers. By the time he reached her that familiar twinkle was in his eyes, and he simply grabbed her by the back of the neck and jerked her against hischest.
Yes, please. Árdís moaned as their mouths met. The basket with his lunch pressed between them, and Haakon growled, tugging it from her fingers and setting it aside without breaking the kiss. Both hands tore through her hair, and she bit his lower lip as the tension between them began toshift.
She kissed him hungrily, her legs lifting to wrap around his waist. The playfulness evaporated, and Haakon's hands began to map her body, slow, gentle strokes down her sides that tormented her. Then they stilled on herwaist.
"Árja—" He groaned as she captured his words on herlips.
A tongue lashed against her own, and a shiver ran through him. He set her down, and pushed her away, his lips breaking from hers at the last moment. "I thought you were here to bring me lunch. Notbelunch."
"Can't I doboth?"
He cupped his hands behind his head, as if to remove temptation, his pectorals tensing as he looked at her with faint amusement. "You are going to be the death of me,woman."
A shiver of trepidation went through her, and she pressed her hand over his mouth. "Please don't ever say thatagain."
Haakon bit her palm, missing the shiver that ran through her. He winked, then turned and made his way back to the last goat, bending to throw it over his shoulders. It bleated as he wrapped his hands around both sets of its bound legs. "Come on. As much as I'd like to oblige you, there's a storm coming. We'll eat back at thehouse."
A storm. Her eyes shifted to the horizon swiftly. How had she notnoticed?
Thick white thunderheads brewed, growing darker with everysecond.
"Are you coming?" Haakoncalled.
The storm rolled closer. Boiling thunderheads darkened the skies. Árdís looked up, feeling something unnatural on the horizon. Pressure pushed inside her head, as if something was trying to force its wayinside.
"Aye, little dreki, the storm is coming,"something whispered, running its mental fingers all through hermemories.
Árdís blinked. The storm vanished, though she could hear it in the distance, and Haakon was swept away. There was only darknessnow.
Where washe?
"Haakon?" No matter where she looked, he was gone. "Haakon!"
"You dare walk my dreams?"said thatvoice.
"I'm not in yourdreams."
A husky chuckle shivered over her skin."No, but you're in my lands. There is a price to pay for those whotrespass."
The pressure started to push harder. Árdís cried out, grinding her hands against her forehead to try and easeit.
"Árja? Wake up," said a low, sharp voice in her ear. "Wakeup!"
Árdís came awake with a gasp, feeling a hand curl over her shoulder. Her ears popped as the pressure vanished. For a moment she didn't quite know where she was, still feeling the warmth of sunlight on her skin.... No. Not sunlight. The heat of a male body againsthers.
She was in a cave that smelt strongly of horse, curled snugly in blankets that still held the warmth of her husband. She'd been dreaming, but not about everything, it seemed. Some of it had beenreal.
"What is it?" she whispered, holding the blankets to cover herself as lightning flickered outside thecave.
Haakon knelt by the bedroll, clad in his leather trousers and nothing else. The sight of his bare chest seared its way into her memory, but her heart was rabbiting in her chest. Unease spilled throughher.
"There's something moving out there in thenight."
"Dreki?" shebreathed.
