Christina remained strangely quiet. Hoping to cheer her, Richard decided to give her the gift he’d intended to celebrate his homecoming.
“I’ve brought you something.” He picked up his saddlebags and dug through one side, discarding a small velvet box in favor of a tiny carved one.
Christina took it from him, tentatively fingering the intricate pattern of flowers worked into the dark wood. She lifted the hinged lid and shook the contents out into her hand. It was a delicate filigree locket made of silver on an unusual twisted chain. She stretched the chain over her fingers, holding it up in the flickering firelight.
“Not even a little smile?” Richard said as he lifted her chin.
Her eyes brimmed with tears again. He stood up, frowning down at her. Why was she so upset? Surely she knew they would never be separated.
“Oh, Richard, what are we going to do?”
He lifted her by the elbows, taking the necklace from her hand and carefully fastening it around her bare neck.
“Well,” he said as he pushed her still damp hair out of the way, “I suppose there’s always marriage-by-capture.”
Christina looked at him in confusion. Was he seriously suggesting they attempt to foil her father’s plan by indulging in the ancient peasant custom? Of course, it would solve the problem. If Richard took her in front of witnesses and kept her away overnight, then her father would have to relent, but it would certainly create a scandal in their social circle.
He laughed. “I have a better idea,” he said. “Why don’t we wait for the weather to improve, and then we can announce our betrothal?”
“But …”
As Richard’s strong hands encircled her waist, Christina’s moved lightly across his chest. She caressed the hard muscles under his dark skin. Suddenly she felt very small, and very nearly naked. She reached up to touch the links of gold around his neck—her mother’s chain, the one she’d given him two Christmases before.
“Chrissa…I told you nothing would ever separate us…nothing. I always thought you believed me.” He stroked her cheek tenderly, looking at her for what seemed a very long time. He had waited a lifetime for this moment and he had no intention of hurrying it. As his thumb moved slowly across her lips, they parted. Hesitantly, he accepted the invitation and kissed her.
Christina was still holding the coverlet tightly around herself when their lips met. In that instant she realized the full depth of her commitment to Richard. She was ready. The day that she’d longed for all her life had unequivocally become
now
. She released her hold on the coverlet and her arms slid around his neck. As the fabric slipped to the floor, she pressed herself tightly against him, suddenly breathless at the warmth and hardness of his body, the sensation of his bare skin against her own.
Through a crack in the narrow wooden door to Henri’s room, Guy watched them. Enraged with a jealousy he didn’t fully understand, he was ready to tear the narrow barrier from its hinges and go after them, to stop the loathsome display he’d been spying on, to tear Christina away from Richard. It was disgusting. With that dark skin and those muscles the man looked like a common laborer. But at the same time, Guy found the contrast of Richard’s strength against Christina’s softness unbelievably exciting. He hesitated a moment, watching them together, longing to share those caresses.
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. How could Christina stand to have Richard’s dark hands on her beautiful ivory skin, to debase herself that way? She wasn’t one of those stupid whores and he couldn’t let her be seduced into behaving like one. He knew Richard was capable of it, it had all happened before—women fawning over his body—even that simpering child at Madame Dijol’s. But this time Guy knew he couldn’t just stand by and watch.
This
time he was going to do something about it.
He turned around, looking frantically for something—a weapon, a club—anything that would stop Richard. He saw the pistol hanging above Richard’s cape. He started to reach for it, but reconsidered. Too noisy. It would wake the servants and he’d be caught. Something more subtle was in order.
The dim light from the lanterns flickered along the metal blades and tines of the tools on the opposite wall. As Guy took a step toward them, his foot struck something solid on the floor. He looked down, seeing the silvery gleam of metal in the straw. He picked up Richard’s dagger.
How fitting, he thought, that Richard should die with a dagger that symbolized eternal life. Guy almost laughed out loud, but caught himself, drunkenly putting a finger to his own lips as he crept back to the door. Peeking through the crack he saw Richard’s dark hands slide down Christina’s back and cup the swell of her buttocks.
Then, despite his fury, he realized he couldn’t kill Richard, not when Christina would know he did it. No, there had to be another way. He rubbed his hand nervously across his mouth. Suddenly, it came to him. Convinced he had the solution, he rushed out of the stable, unaware he was still clutching the shining dagger in his hand.
Marco had almost reached the stableyard again when he saw Guy staggering toward him through the rain. Guy stared at him, a hazy look of recognition fluttering across his face.
“Where’er you going? Ha! To tell your sister’s sad tale to Richard, I suppose?”
Marco was preoccupied with thoughts of Christina and not interested in discussing anything with Guy.
“Get some sleep, Guy. You’ve had too much to drink.” Then he looked at him more closely, trying to decide how far gone he was. “Have you seen Christina?”
“Seen her?” Guy let out a howl. “
SEEN HER
? I’ve seen her all right.” The image of Richard’s powerful arms around Christina’s slim body filled his mind and he stood stock still, staring at nothing, enraged and at the same time helpless with a feeling he was unwilling to acknowledge.
“Guy…”
His attention returned to Marco. He laughed. “I’ve seen quite a bit of her, actually…but not as much as she’s showing him right now…the slut!”
“You stinking sot…drunk or not, you’ll take that back!” Marco yelled as he reached out and grabbed the front of Guy’s shirt.
It was the wrong thing to do.
Automatically, Guy raised his arm to defend himself and planted the dagger deep in Marco’s stomach. Both of them were surprised and for a moment neither moved. Wide eyed, Marco slumped slowly to the ground. As he fell forward, face down into the mud, he reached out and caught Guy by the leg.
Guy was terrified, and the rush of adrenaline sobered him a little. What had happened? He hadn’t meant to hurt Marco. In a panic, he pulled away from the young man’s grasping fingers and ran toward the house.
Marco remained where he’d fallen, his life slowly ebbing out into the rain-soaked ground, unable to move or find the strength to pull the blade from his body.
“Oh, Chrissa,” Richard whispered as he reluctantly released her.
He brushed strands of her hair back from her face gently, conscious of the roughness of his work-hardened hands. The sensation of her breasts against his bare chest was almost more than he could bear and he knew that if he didn’t stop soon, it would be too late. He knew, too, that he had waited so long for her that a few months more really didn’t matter.
“Richard?” she breathed against his chest. “What’s wrong?” Why had he stopped kissing her?
He laughed softly. “Nothing’s wrong, Beloved, but I think it’s time we got you back to the house.”
“No…please…” There was a note of panic in her voice.
Saying nothing, Richard bent down and picked up the fallen coverlet.
“Don’t you want me?” she asked in a small voice, her eyes still rimmed with red and once again starting to fill with tears.
Richard slid the coverlet around her shoulders and looked down at her. “How can you ask me that? You know how much I love you,” he said patiently. She had absolutely no idea how difficult this was for him.
“Then why…?”
“Chrissa, we’ll be married soon. I don’t want to spoil that for you.”
Christina’s disappointment was clearly written across her face.
“Richard, I’ve loved you all my life. Let this be our wedding night…now…please…”
For a moment he lost himself in her eyes. They were no longer the eyes of a child. Putting his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close as she, in turn slipped one arm around his waist and placed her other hand on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.
Richard was torn. She might think this was what she wanted, but how could it possibly be all he wanted for her? His fingers tenderly traced the line of her throat. The loving caress moved on until his hand cupped her breast, his thumb moving lightly over her nipple.
She lay her head against his chest and closed her eyes, lost in the feeling of his gentle fingers against her skin, the security and warmth of his body. He did want her. She could feel it.
His hand moved on, tracing the line of her belly, his eyes following his fingers as he marveled at the beauty and perfection of her body. When he reached her navel, Christina looked up at him as she lifted her hips toward his hand. He grasped the curve of her hip and pulled her to him as his mouth found hers. He kissed her deeply. There was no longer any doubt in his mind. It was their time and regardless of where they were, the only thing that mattered was that they were together.
Christina was swept away, her heart pounding as he picked her up and carried her to the bed. He lay her down gently and covered her, then leaned across her and kissed her before sitting down to pull off his boots and breeches. He stood, silhouetted for a moment against the flickering firelight, then slid under the coverlet beside her, enfolding her in his arms.
Christina caught her breath as she felt the hard length of his body against hers in the narrow bed. Slowly, he covered her face with kisses, running his tongue lightly across her eyes, her temples, the intricate curve of her ears, but always finding his way back to her eager mouth.
She pressed herself against him, fired by his kisses and wanting more. He slid his leg between hers, his mouth moving lightly over her throat. He tenderly held the swell of her hip as she began to move rhythmically against his leg. Slowly, his mouth slipped down to her breast.
Christina moaned softly and his lips again returned to hers. He untangled her arms from his neck and guided her hand to his own chest. She was thrilled as she felt his nipples stiffen under her touch. She wanted to know all of him, even as she wanted to give all of herself to him.
He lay back then, taking a deep breath, determined not to rush her. Christina, breathless from his caresses, and longing for more, nestled against his shoulder and tentatively began to explore his body. She ran her fingers over his chest and belly, feeling the astonishing hardness of the muscles beneath the smooth skin. Growing bolder, her hand moved on. When she found what she sought, Christina let out a gasp of surprise. Richard chuckled softly.
Suddenly, she became timid, painfully aware of her lack of both knowledge and experience. What must he think? She couldn’t bear the thought that she might disappoint him, but there was no way to make him think she knew what she didn’t.
“I don’t know…” she began breathlessly.
“I do,” he said, and he kissed her yet again. This time his kiss was tender, gentle, reassuring.
“But I want…I need…” she said helplessly. She felt the demands of her body, but didn’t know how to appease them.
“You need me…inside you, My Love…”
“But how? I…”
He stopped her with another kiss, but his hand answered her as it slowly slipped between her legs. Involuntarily, she stiffened at the intrusion, but he waited until she relaxed and began moving against his gently probing fingers.
Christina felt a flicker of surprise as his finger slipped inside her. She had never really understood how this thing between men and women was accomplished. Now that he’d shown her, she wanted him more than she’d ever imagined possible.
Instinctively, she spread her legs as Richard slid over to lie between them. His mouth moved down, kissing first her chin and then running his lips lightly over her throat. His tongue found one nipple and then the other, teasing, sucking until she cried out. She never knew it could be like this, never imagined the extent of the passion Richard had so skillfully ignited. She abandoned herself to pure sensation.
Her fingers twisted in his dark curls, unconsciously forcing his mouth lower. But he moved without haste, softly running his tongue over the underside of her breasts and covering her stomach with kisses before he pressed his face against the smooth curve of her belly. She began trembling as he moved still lower, his lips finding the soft brown curls between her legs. She arched against him, anticipating the feel of his mouth, but he teased her, spreading lingering kisses over the silken skin of her thighs.
When at last he tasted her, she was overcome by a wave of pleasure. He stayed with her a little longer until she began to move more urgently. And then he was back at her mouth, his tongue sharing the salty sweetness of her own body.
Christina was lost in the moment, her entire body quivering with need and desire as Richard rolled onto his back, pulling her over on top of him. He held her hips in his strong hands, pressing her against him.
“Richard…please, I need you…” she whispered, her body aching for his.
He pulled her knees up until she was astride him and very gently unclasped her arms from his neck. He pushed her up until she was sitting across him, looking down at him in confusion.
“This will be easier for you, Beloved,” he said softly as he urged her up onto her knees.
Christina was beyond caring, she only knew she needed him, wanted him,
now
. He held her by the hips and as she eased herself down on him she cried out, more startled by the exquisite sensation than by the pain. Within moments she was moving, instinctively seeking her satisfaction. Richard moved with her, carefully gauging her response as her breathing quickened and small soft sounds escaped her lips. At last she moaned, her body shuddering in one prolonged tremor of ecstasy as Richard’s hard-won restraint exploded, binding them together for one perfect moment.