Page 259 of Historical Hotties
“What?”
“I really have not taken nineteen women to my bed.”
“Then how many?”
His eyebrows lifted. “Do you really want to talk about now?”
She cocked her head curiously. “Why?” she said. “Are you ashamed?”
He shook his head. “Nay,” he said honestly. “But I shouldn’t think the subject of my past lovers would be of any interest to you.”
Caledonia pondered that statement for a moment. “I suppose it is not,” she said. “But I do want to know one thing.”
“What is that?”
“Will I be competing with a memory of a former love? Someone who has marked your heart?”
“Will I be competing with the same?”
“I asked you first.”
Thoughtfully, he sat down on the bed. “WhenEl Martillowas in Zaragoza, he met a woman named Lenore,” he said, speaking of his alter ego. “Lenore was the daughter of the man who had paid us a good deal of money to destroy a neighbor. Lenore was fiery and lovely and, in fact, reminds me of you a little. She was strong, like you. I admired that. But she was meant for another and that was disappointing. Did she mark my heart? She did. But I did not give it to her. I’ve not given it to anyone.”
Caledonia appreciated the honest answer. “Thank you for telling me,” she said. “I can truthfully tell you that there was one man in my life that I loved madly when I was fostering, but I was only eleven years of age and he was at least forty years, with a wife and sons and grandchildren, so there was no hope for me. I had so little love from my own father, and Sir Roland was so free with his hugs and kindness that it was natural I should love the man. I imagined we would marry someday in spite of his already having a wife, but his life was cut short when I was about thirteen years of age in a skirmish with some outlaws. It was an inglorious ending to a glorious man. It still makes me sad to think of it sometimes.”
Thor had a gentle smile on his lips. “But you honor him every time you think of him,” he said. “I promise you, a man who is well remembered will never die. He lives on as long as you speak of him.”
“Then he will live as long as I have breath in my body.”
Thor grinned. “That is a fine tribute,” he said. “But I must say I am glad he did not marry you. If he had, you would not be here now.”
“True,” Caledonia said, watching him pull both boots off and set them by the bed. “Should I undress now, too?”
He looked at her. “Would you like me to help you?” he said, indicating the garment she wore. “The ties are in the back.”
She nodded and turned around. He stood up from the bed and came up behind her, unlacing all of the careful ties his sister had put in place. He could see the elegant nape of her neck, her alabaster skin, and his attraction to her was nearly overwhelming. He didn’t want to seem overeager and scare her, not when she was already spooked, so he gently untied the back of her gown when he really wanted to yank it off her and explore what he had before him.
Damn, but the woman was fine.
“Would you like me to take the lead?” he said softly. “If you simply want to experience this moment and not do any of the work, I am happy to do what needs to be done. If you are comfortable with that.”
She turned around to look at him, the dress coming loose as she did. “I know you are trying to be considerate,” she said, appearing a little nervous now that her clothes were coming off. “I appreciate it, truly, but I have done this before. But I will be honest when I tell you that I took no pleasure with it.”
“Would you like me to show you pleasure?”
“Canyou?”
His lips twitched with a smile. “I can,” he said. “I will if you will let me.”
She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Very well,” she said. “What do I need to do?”
His smile broke through and he moved so that he was standing in front of her, gazing down at her. “You need to promise me that whatever I do, you’ll simply let me do it,” he said. “I promise that I will not hurt you and if you areuncomfortable, you can tell me to stop, but if you are brave—and willing—just let me do what I want to do.”
It didn’t seem unreasonable. Considering this had been a dreaded duty her entire married life with Robert, she wasn’t entirely sure that Thor could show her any pleasure, but she was willing to let him try. He’d not lied to her yet, but more than that, she was quite attracted to him. His close proximity made her cheeks heat up and her heart race. That had never happened with Robert, so perhaps this would be different.
It was yet one more chance she was willing to take with him.
With resignation, she nodded.
