Page 24 of Surrender

He took her hand. Raised it to his lips. “Signe cannot stop singing your praises. Nor can Irna. She confided in Haldor, told him you saved her from a harsh punishment by taking it on yourself. I had no idea I was in the company of a hero last night.”

“I assure you their stories are exaggerated. Besides, would you have acted any differently if you had heard their tall tales?”

“Most certainly.” He leaned forward, murmured in her ear. “I’d have been a much better sovereign, taking command and rewarding you with sweet pleasure again and again for your service to my kingdom.”

He still had her hand in his. The heat of it poured through her body. “You look stunning. Blue suits you. It brings out the color of your eyes.” He ran his gaze down her body. “Although I miss the sight of you in my shirt.”

“My eyes are hazel. And I thank you for the use of your shirt but I won’t need it any longer. Astrid has assured me it will be cleaned and returned to you.”

“Please. Keep it.” He bent toward her again, his voice pitched low so only she could hear. “I may require you to wear it when I call upon you to collect our wager.”

Astrid bustled over. “You may be the prince, but I’m taking this woman out of your clutches, brother. She needs to eat, and the way your warriors are attacking the roast boar, there’ll be nothing but bones for her to gnaw on by the time you’re through flirting with her.”

Talia found herself the center of conversation among the women seated near her at the table. She made light of questions about her capture and limited her references to the auction to a few anecdotes about some of the bizarre interactions she’d witnessed between nonhuman beings from other worlds. The truth was far too painful to admit.

A nursemaid approached the table, bowed then exchanged a few words with Astrid. She rose immediately. “I must take my leave. Princess though I may be, I’m still at the beck and call of every male in my family. This time it’s my son who demands my presence. It seems he’s ready for his own banquet.”

“May I walk back with you? I’m afraid I’ll lose my way to my room with the maze of corridors in this fortress.”

Astrid reached for her hand and tucked it into the crook of her elbow. “Please do. I’d love to introduce you to the new man in my life.” She blew a kiss to Thane at the other end of the table, deep in conversation with Kylar and a handful of other warriors, and led Talia out of the room.

The baby’s lusty cries echoed down the stone walls of the corridor long before they reached the door to the nursery. He bawled even harder when he caught sight of his mother, reaching out with both hands and trying to squirm out of the grasp of the young woman who held him.

Astrid took the child in her arms, cooing, and sank into a chair in front of one of the narrow windows. She slid her gown off one shoulder and bared her breast. The little one latched onto it, sucking madly, though he uttered a few last whimpers to thoroughly express his dissatisfaction at the delay in his meal.

Talia had never seen a child nurse. She watched, fascinated then realized she’d seen so many people in varying stages of undress since she came to Gadolinium she no longer felt embarrassed when Astrid bared her breast.

Instead, all she saw was the tenderness with which Astrid held her child, stroking his tiny head, cuddling him close.

Astrid looked up at her, beaming with pride. “This is Prince Gregor. Second in line to the throne – if my brother doesn’t get busy and produce an heir.” Her face grew solemn. “I pray that my son never has to take up that burden. I’ve seen the toll it’s taken on my father and now my brother. I only hope Gregor finds a good wife some day and has the happiness in his life that I’ve found with his father.”

Gregor’s nursemaid escorted Talia back to the room she’d been assigned in the fortress. Not just a room, it was a suite, befitting her position as a visiting dignitary and honored guest. Talia threw herself on the huge bed with its ornate headboard sporting carved Viking ships battling sea monsters. Placed near the one narrow window, it overlooked the heavily forested foothills. Through the gathering dusk, she glimpsed the outline of stone buildings far below, houses on the outskirts of Trondheim.

She fell into a fitful sleep, awakened hours later. The room was pitch black. For a moment, she thought she was back in the dank cell below the palace. She scrabbled to her knees. Her fingers sank into the soft covers on the bed and she sighed in relief.

The jolt of fear had left her heart racing and her mind wide awake. She tossed and turned then decided to go for a walk. She’d fallen asleep fully clothed, so all she needed to do was straighten her skirts and adjust her bodice to cover the edge of a nipple threatening to pop out.

When she touched it, her nipple hardened. She ran a finger over the tight pucker, tried to imagine how it would feel to have a baby suck on it. Astrid seemed to enjoy the experience. Her face had been serene, content, a little smile on her lips.

Talia forgot about the walk, idly stroking her nipple as she recalled a strange dream she’d had before coming to Gadolinium. She’d dreamt about a chubby toddler, older than Astrid’s baby. In the dream, she’d crooned a lullaby to the child. Then a man whose face she couldn’t make out had taken her hand and led her away into the darkness. His voice was familiar, low and persuasive. As was his touch. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift.

In the dream, he’d begun to undress her just as she awoke. Talia went back to the scene and let her imagination run wild. The face became Kylar’s face, the hands his hands. The pad of his thumb circled the tight bud of her nipple, sent shivers rippling through her belly.

When he pulled up the skirt of her gown, bent his head, and ran his tongue over her throbbing center of pleasure, Talia gasped.

“I thought you’d never wake.” The voice was low and warm, with a hint of amusement.

Her eyes popped open.

Chapter Seventeen

“What are you doing here?”

Kylar grinned. “I’m doing what I said I would. Rewarding you for your service to my country. It was brave of you to stand between Irna and the trainer Balam hired. Taking the whipping meant for her. I admire your courage.” He nuzzled his head between her thighs. “Now pretend you’re sleeping again. I like this game.”

“It wasn’t a game. Iwassleeping.”

“Even better. Go back to sleep and you’ll wake screaming with pleasure.”

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