Lady Thief (11 page)

“You’re naked!”

“Yes, I am preparing for bed.”

“But, but—”

“We are husband and wife, and I am growing
weary of sleeping in my night clothes.
Stop being cowardly and look
at me.”

With a spine so stiff she thought it would
crack, Marianne turned around and did look.
She would not allow him
to call her a coward.

She refused to look below his neck and kept
her eyes on his face, however.
The swine was smirking again, but he
didn’t move.

He was waiting.

Without meaning to or with her consent, her
eyes traveled downwards.

The light of the fire, the only source of
light, danced across his body and bathed him in an orange glow.
She
could see every ripple of muscle and every light colored hair
curling on his chest.
Thin, faded scars from past battles and
training games crisscrossed in random places along his naked skin,
and the water that seeped through his clothes now glistened against
his chest in the firelight.

The sight made her smile with the simplicity
of it.
‘Twas nothing horrifying hidden under his clothes, nothing
that should cause her to fear.

Aside from the organ between his legs—which
she refused to look at—and the lack of large breasts, he was rather
similar to herself.
Arms, legs, knees, and toes.
Nothing
frightening.

Marianne relaxed her body.
There was no sin
in this.
She was simply looking at the chest of a man who happened
to be her husband.
No sin at all.

The golden hair on his chest circled his dark
nipples before traveling down into a fine trail that led to
his—

Marianne looked away again, heat flooding her
face to the point that she thought she would sweat blood.
At his
amused chuckle she returned her eyes to their former position,
though the heat still assaulted her face.

Not a coward.
She was not a coward.

The blond hairs became darker, though not as
dark as she was down there, and within them nestled his … Marianne
was unsure of how to describe it.
It was simply
there
.
Never
before had she seen that area of a man, or any naked area of a man.
Even when she walked in on the servants loving they were always
fully clothed, and while her inexperience prevented her from
deciding whether or not she liked what she saw, she knew that she
would have to get used to that part of him as well, and soon.

The hair became light again as it traveled
down his legs, legs that were so much larger than hers, skin
stretched with muscle, his feet alone were frightening in their
size.

Her eyes traveled over him again, quicker
this time, and suddenly she felt as though she were not getting the
entire portrait.

“Turn around,”

He raised a brow.
“You wish me to bare my
back to you?”

“Aye,”

“May I ask why?”

The heat that had fled her face when she
accustomed herself to his body returned with fever.
She could not
explain why she wanted to see his other side, but ‘twas an urge
that would not be ignored.

Her spine stiffened as she fought back the
irritation that threatened to bubble to the surface.
If he was so
eager for her to see him naked then what was his business in making
her feel awkward for wishing to see all of him?

She was at a loss for words when William
shook his head and did as she bid.
“Very well, I never knew women
to be interested in that part of a man’s anatomy.”

“Perhaps you have as much to learn as I.”

She meant naught by the words, but his curt
reply awoke her curiosity.

“Perhaps,”

She ignored him.
The sight of his bare back
and bottom made her salivate and forget any previous indignation.
Oh yes, she enjoyed this part of his anatomy very much.

“Do you like it?”

“Aye,” She immediately said, unable to keep
herself from staring.

“Good,” abruptly he turned and Marianne was
unable to fight back her gasp of horror.
She had yet to finish with
him!

“Because ‘tis now my turn to see you,”

She clutched her robe tighter to herself.
“Me?
But you have already seen all there is to see.”

He shook his head, invaded her by standing so
close for what seemed to be the one hundredth time that day and
pulled her close.
“Nay, I have only
felt
you, and not all of
you at that.
I would like to see what I have been touching under
your robe and through your gown all this time.”

Chapter Seven

William hardly knew
how he survived
the night without losing control and grabbing her, pulling her to
him and taking her like his desperation demanded.
Though he held
himself back for a reason he hardly recalled, today he kept a close
eye on the hips of his wife as she walked around the gardens.

He promised her this time and he would make
good on his word, no matter how wonderfully difficult the sizzling
between his legs made it.

He acknowledged the improvements in the herbs
and vegetables but they remained behind his current thoughts,
visions of her standing naked before him dominated him.

She had turned red last night while he
watched.
He kept one hand on his chin as if he studied some piece
of art to be purchased.
To her credit, she did not flinch from his
eyes or shriek at him when he commanded her to turn around so that
he might see her backside like she had commanded him.

When he saw her rounded bottom, he knew what
it was that she had been so fixated on when she looked at him,
though he doubted he was as pleasing to the eye.

She faced him again, her eyes widening
comically at his cockstand.
He did not try to hide it.
Like always,
she raised her nose to greet the air at their silent challenge.

Delight burst brightly inside him, like the
sun shooting through an open window when she did not leap away when
he touched her smooth shoulder.
The same shoulder he’d kissed on
her first night in his chamber.
He kissed her mouth and her
shoulder twice since that incident, and decided then that she was
no longer at risk of flying off her feet when he touched her.

His fingers slid down to her breast and
touched her budding nipple.
He had sighed his pleasure with her
small gasp.
Heat radiated from her body and towards his, feeding a
carnal desire that only grew hungrier.
His fingers cupped her chin,
traveled up the smooth flesh of her cheek and threaded her hair.
Her hands braved their way up his chest, her own smaller fingers
curiously tangling into the rough hair of his chest.

He was rock hard, had not realized his
breathing had become labored until he tried to calm it.
His eyes
left her fingers and found her grey orbs.
Standing so close, he
found flecks of blue hidden within, like sky trying to break free
from the storm clouds.

He smirked at the fitting description.
She
too tried had to break free.
Indeed, she’d staged his kidnapping to
break her father and Ferdinand.

He looked at her face, which glowed with
building lust under his touch.
No trace foreshadowed the passion he
wanted her to feel.
Passion for him.

He’d just admitted to not loving her, and he
knew where she stood on that subject.
If he were to build her lust
higher and higher only to take her, she would surely hate him when
her wits returned from their holiday between her legs.
He did not
want that, the very thought brought a sinking feeling into his
chest.

William was going to have her.
Soon.
That had
already been decided for the both of them the day he first laid
eyes on his infuriated wife.
Yet, he was a knight, and he would
honor his word.
Ah, but when he did have her, she would purr in
contentment when the loving was over.

Anger flared from within, directed at
himself.
Any man could touch her like that and the reaction would
be exactly the same.
She did not want him, and when he stepped away
from her, reached for his clothes and dressed, her face twisted in
horror.

As if suddenly aware of her nudity, she
covered her breasts with her hands, searched for her robe on the
floor and snatched it to cover the rest of her.
“What are you
doing?”

He could not bring himself to look at her.
He
had believed that if he so much as glanced in her direction he
would abandon his wits and do something they would later
regret.

He dressed with little concern for his
appearance and thought of a lie.
“‘Tis late, and there is still
much work to be done.
Tomorrow you will show me these improvements
you have made and, as promised, we shall spend time together.”

“Oh.”

The small sound startled him, and despite
himself he looked at her, though she refused to look back.
“Are you
displeased?”

She shook her head, clutching her robe around
herself with both hands.
“Nay, ‘tis just that…”

He waited, but she seemed unable to say
anything.
He left her so that he might sleep painfully in his
solar.
As sleepless hours crept by, he reminded himself that if he
was patient, their loving would be so much more than a night of
lust.
She would be his forever, just as she had made him hers on
their wedding day.

“My lord?”

William shook his head, clearing his thoughts
and returning to the garden.
How could she keep her reactions so
polite and calm when he could think of naught else but her pliant
skin?
He envied her.

“Forgive me, you were saying?”

“I asked you of your morning meal.” She
huffed, her arms crossed.

The sight brought a twitch to his lips, and
he crossed his own arms in mocking fun.
“It was served on time and
hot.
You are a much better chatelaine than I would have
thought.”

“You thought I would not be?”

He shook his head.
“Again, forgive me, but on
the day you vowed to see to the affairs of my household, ‘twas
difficult to…” He thought of the proper words to use without
harming her feelings, but none would come.

Her arms clenching tighter around her bosom,
narrowed eyes told him that she had supplied words of her own.
“Take my claim seriously?”

He chuckled.
“With your temper ‘tis not easy
to take any part of you seriously.”

Her body shook, face set in a deep scowl,
like she would burst with rage, and he waited eagerly to see if
such a thing were possible.
To his surprise, she laughed.

He stood as rigid as a tree, unsure of how to
react until she turned her back and walked to the stables.

He followed, irritated that she could turn
her back on him and curious all the same.
He caught up to her and
turned so that he was at a backwards trot ahead of her.
“What do
you find so amusing?”

Her bright smile nearly turned his foul mood
around.
Nearly.
How had she managed to twist things about like
this?

“Do you really think me such a fool that I
cannot see when you enjoy my torment?”

He stopped abruptly, then caught up to her
again.
His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“I enjoy no one’s
torment.”

She nodded in agreement.
“Nay, only mine.
I
have seen through you now and know that the only way to deny you
your pleasure is to pretend your taunts do not exist.”

His blood ran still before burning hot.
“I
refuse to allow you to ignore me!”

If his strange backwards movements had not
caught the attention of the working servants then his outburst had.
So he did the only thing a lord in his position could do to prevent
further humiliation: pretended they were not there and continued as
he was.

Then she put an end to his embarrassment,
stopped and smiled her sweetest smile.
William stopped and was
alert to her strange behavior.
Her lips made that same shape the
night of their marriage celebration, and he had not been sure of
what to make of it then either.

She came forth and touched his cheek with her
finger, just carefully sliding her nail across his flesh.

“Do not fear, dear husband of mine, I shan’t
deny you the pleasure of my company or conversation, but you must
know that from now on your words will have no affect on me.”

William’s face went cold.
He would have no
affect on her?
He would see about that, and tonight she would know
the foolishness of her words.

He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm
before she could move away, his gaze meeting hers and pleased with
the shock he found there.
“I must warn you that I adore
challenges.”

The heat in her cheeks was well worth the
effort, but she snatched her hand back and walked away.

They moved towards the stables, and Marianne
pointed to the servants who scurried to do their chores when she
came near.
“I’ll wager you saw no behavior like this in them
before.”

He shook his head, watching them with apt
fascination as women rounded corners with their laundry, the men
and boys cleaned and repaired blades, and herded chickens with a
dedication that bordered on fear.
Having had plenty of
opportunities to listen to his wife screeching at the lazier of the
servants, William knew what it was that they haunted them.

He had to admit that he did like the
improvement.

Marianne spoke before they entered the
stable.
“When was the last time you were here?”

His eyebrow raised at her.

She corrected herself with a flush on her
cheeks.
“I meant, before Blaise and I…before you and he…”

He couldn’t help the smirk tugging at his
lips.
“Perhaps you are correct when you say that my words will not
affect you.
It seems I do not have to say anything at all for you
to be at a loss for words of your own.”

***

Marianne envisioned throwing him into a large
pile of horse manure, but due to Archer’s hard work, none could be
found.

Her foot itched to stamp the ground, but she
held it in check.
“Forget about that!
Tell me of the last time you
were here!”

William shrugged.
“Sometime before you
arrived, I would say.
I still ride Benedict and check to ensure
that he is not sleeping in filth.”

She smiled.
Perfect, ‘twas perfect.
“Wonderful, because when Blaise was here you had no chance to
appreciate how clean the stalls have become.”

“And you knew of its condition before
hand?”

“Adam told me, now come see.” She grabbed his
arm and pulled him in.
He would see Archer’s hard work and praise
the poor man if it was the last thing he did.

The smell of horses, fresh earth, and hay was
stronger inside but not putrid.
A natural earthy scent wafted from
the clean stalls.
It took a moment for Marianne’s eyes to adjust to
the lighting, but when they did she could clearly see that Archer
was not to be found here today, as well as the approval on
William’s expression.
His eyes were wide and searching as though he
had never seen the inside of his own stables.

Her heart pounded, eager pleasure filling and
bubbling within.
“You are pleased?”

“Can you see me clutching my nose to hold off
the smell?
Of course I’m pleased.” He took a step forward and
laughed.
“I can move without stepping into horse manure!”

Her eager hope for praise for Archer was
replaced with a troubling curiosity.
Could such a simple thing be
the cause for William’s pleasure?
It should have been granted to
him without the need to ask.
‘Twas the reason he, and every other
lord, employed servants.
Yet there he was, reveling in the
cleanliness of the stables in a manner he had not shown when she
pointed out the gardens to him.

Again she wondered why he had neglected his
duties, and to ignore them to the point where his own animals were
kept in filth until he himself inspected their condition.

He went to a stall farther down the aisle,
passing the grooms who went about their own business, and found it
empty.

“Where is Benedict?”

“Who?
Ah, yes, your horse.”

William waved his hands in the space before
him.
“Aye.
This is his stall and he is not here.
Blaise knows I do
not wish him to ride my horse without my permission, where is
he?”

Marianne honestly did not know where his
horse had been placed, and Robert and Archer were nowhere to be
found to ask.

“You prize the animal?”

William nodded.
“Aye.”

“I imagine Archer is allowing some of the
horses to have their neglected exercise.”