The Angel's Assassin (13 page)

***

The sound of cracking branches
made Annabel jump. Unable to see who was approaching in the darkness of the
night, she pulled herself tightly against the wall, the thump of her heart
hammering in her ears.

The meagre light of
the night was blocked by a shadow in the doorway and Annabel gulped, her mouth
going dry.

“Annabel?”

Her legs almost
gave way with relief and she hurtled towards Nicholas, flinging her arms around
his neck.

Nicholas gave a
sound of surprise before cautiously wrapping his arms around her waist.

“I feared you would
not come back for me.”

“I would not leave
you, Annabel,” he told her sincerely into her hair.

“I know,” she said
breathlessly. “But I was worried for you. What if you had been hurt or...or
worse?”

He drew back,
hooking a finger under her chin and sweeping her hair from her face with his
other hand. “You need not fear for me, sweet one.”

She smiled,
realising how silly she had sounded. Here was a brave, strong warrior who had
survived many years without a woman worrying for him.

Nicholas dropped
his gaze as he drew a package from his belt. Handing it awkwardly to her, she
stared at it for a moment before untying it.

A flutter of gold
fabric escaped and Annabel gasped as she drew out the silk gown. Though it was
dark, it shimmered under the moonlight that slipped in through the gaps in the
roof and Annabel fingered the expensive fabric with delight.

“‘Tis beautiful,
Nicholas.” She gave him a skewed smile. “You have good taste for a battle
hardened knight.”

Even in the dark,
Annabel could tell his face had likely reddened. His thoughtfulness touched
her. She was keen to be rid of the smoke saturated chemise and the gown was
truly stunning. Fit for far more than a night in the woods, the delicate
embroidery spoke of a great deal of expense.

It was not the coin
he must have spent that really touched her though; it was that he must have
paid a great deal of attention to her taste and wants. Annabel could have very
easily chosen something like this herself and she was gratified that he already
seemed to understand her so well.

“Will you give me a
moment to put it on?”

Nicholas nodded brusquely,
retreating out of the hut quickly in an effort to hide his embarrassment. He
had never given a woman a gift before and he had felt apprehensive when giving
it to her, but her look of delight had brought a warmth into his heart that he
had never experienced before. He had only intended to get her something simple
and warm but the gown had reminded him of Annabel, gold and sparkling. It had
cost him plenty of coin, mayhap more than it was really worth, but he knew if
he had the chance he would happily spend his entire fortune on pretty gowns if
it garnered the same reaction.

But it wouldn’t be
up to him. Nicholas had to remind himself of that. He was to protect her,
naught more.

“Nicholas?”
Annabel’s voice beckoned to him, curling around his heart.

He took a deep
breath, sucking in the cool, crisp air, hoping it would provide him with the
necessary courage to face her. Each moment in her presence was making it harder
and harder to fight the sweet temptation of her beguiling kisses. His strength
to resist was steadily waning, but he knew he had to be strong. It was not
intended for someone like him to receive the honour of her affections. They
were undoubtedly misplaced and she would realise that if she understood his
true nature. But he could not reveal it to her, for she would surely send him
away and then how would he fulfil his duty to protect her?

Turning around, he
dipped his head to enter through the small doorway of the hut. Though it was
dark, Annabel seemed to shine through the gloom, all available light glinting
off her flaxen hair and golden gown. As she heard his footfalls, she turned her
head, looking at him over her shoulder.

“Will you help me
with the laces?”

As if he could say
nay.
“Aye.”

Moving to her side,
she lifted her arm as he twisted the laces up her side with trembling hands. Annabel
watched him as he did so, her bright eyes never leaving his face.

“Stop.” she said
softly.

He halted, his jaw
ticking as he clenched it. Unable to meet her doe-eyed gaze, he stared at the
ties in his hands.
Annabel twisted around to face him and he let the
laces fall from his grasp. Her hand reached up and grazed across his jaw,
drawing his eyes to hers. The milky expanse of one shoulder was just visible
and his gaze darted down, drawn to the enchanting sight of bare skin.

Nicholas’ hand shot
out before he had even realised was he was doing and it hovered above her
shoulder, itching to touch it. The heat of her skin seemed to penetrate the gap
and his hand shook with restraint.

“Am I so repellent
that you cannot even touch me?”

He looked at her in
surprise and noticed a hint of vulnerability dancing in her expression. “God,
nay,” he rasped.

His hand closed the
gap in a sudden rush of movement, pulling a gasp from her while he groaned at
the feel of soft flesh under his hand.

Shifting her
shoulder slightly, her gown slipped further down one side, suspended just over
her breast. The rosy edge of her nipple was just visible and he trembled from
head to toe at the sight, unable to tear his gaze away. Her breaths came
rapidly as she moved closer to him, causing his hand to drop. His thumb dipped
underneath her gown and rubbed unsteadily over her hardened nipple.

Annabel sighed and closed her
eyes as he caressed over her aching breast. When he made no efforts to go any
further, she opened her eyes to find him staring at her in reverence. She knew
he felt the same way, she could feel it in her heart. She was determined to
conquer whatever it was that prevented him from revealing his feelings to her
tonight.

With a slight shrug
of her shoulder, her bliaut slipped completely off her breast and Nicholas
stared in awe, his dark hand still covering the unsteady beat of her heart.
Ever so slowly, he moved to cup at it and Annabel felt the thrill of victory
thunder through her.

A growl quaked
through the small hut and she realised it had resonated from Nicholas as his
face took on an expression of wild anguish. She thought he would stop then, and
turn her away once more, but he didn’t. He just gulped and shook with tension
as his hand remained cupped around her bared breast.

Licking at her
lips, her voice trembled. “Will you deny me now?”

He shook his head
rapidly. “I can deny you naught. But you should not offer me this; I am too
weak a man to say nay.”

Annabel reached up
to cup his jaw, forcing him to look upon her. “You are not weak. You have a
strong heart.”

Nicholas cursed and
buried his fingers in her hair, pulling her to him for a kiss. His lips skimmed
across hers, nibbling and sucking as if she were some rare delicacy and her
legs quivered at the intensity of it. Her bared nipple chafed against his shirt
and she moaned at the exquisite sensation. He absorbed her moan, probing his
tongue into her mouth and she met it with relish.

Her hands skimmed
down to his belt and she undid it slowly, unwilling to rush a single moment. It
dropped to the floor with a thud and he drew back to allow her access to his
shirt. Carefully, she loosened the laces at the neck, all the while never
leaving his glittering black gaze. As she leant forwards, he brushed a kiss
across her forehead, sweeping his thumb across her cheek. Together, they yanked
his shirt over his head and she smiled at the rumpled image he made, with his
short hair in disarray and a helpless expression stamped on his face.

She stared at him
as he straightened, his muscular chest flexing with every breath. It seemed
daunting now, in spite of the thick darkness that cloaked them, and though she
longed to reach out and run her fingers through the dark hair that was
scattered across the broadness, Annabel found herself hesitating. There would
be no going back after this.

A glance to his
face bolstered her resolve. She wanted this man. As confusing and as guarded as
he was, she knew what her heart told her, and it told her that he was her fate.
His determination and focus drew her to him and his devotion to her safety
revealed all she needed to know.

Extending her hand
out, her fingers played in the coarse hair, tracing it down the ridges of his
stomach. Nicholas’ muscles contracted under her touch and she could hear the
harsh rasp of his breath, but he remained motionless, allowing her exploration
of him. Her other hand joined in now, skimming over his collar bone until she
flattened both palms over his chest.

His throat worked
as she traced her finger down it before placing a kiss at the base of his neck,
where his pulse flickered erratically. Bringing his hands up to clutch her head
to him, she nuzzled into his smooth skin, inhaling the musky scent of him, and
he dipped his head to nip at her ear, his hot breath sending shivers coursing
through her.

Nicholas yearned to pull down her
gown and reveal her full beauty but he couldn’t bring himself to. Mayhap he
thought he could absolve himself of any responsibility if he did not. He mocked
himself inwardly, he knew full well where this was heading and didn’t doubt it
would damn his soul to hell for certain. But how was he meant to resist an
angel and the heavenly pleasure she offered him? How could he resist the woman
that had carved herself into his heart without even trying?

She must have
sensed his uncertainty because she gently drew his hand towards the neckline of
her gown, urging him to pull it the rest of the way down. His resistance
crumbled and he tugged it down revealing her other breast. His brow beaded at
the sight - she was more beautiful than he had remembered. His brief glance at
her hadn’t done her sweet curves justice and he wondered how he would ever
sleep again. The wild imaginings that had tormented since the day by the river
would now only be exacerbated.

With a mere flick
of a finger, the fabric slid from her hips and crumpled onto the floor.
Nicholas’ knees nearly buckled at the sight, her long limbs and shapely hips
seemed made for the touch of a man’s hands. For the touch of
his
hands.
The last of his restraint dissipated then - no mere mortal could resist such
temptation - and he bundled her to him, savouring the feel of her smooth skin
against his. Annabel wriggled so that his coarse chest hair scraped over her
nipples as he skewed his mouth across hers, and his fingers pressed into her
back.

Annabel whimpered
at the friction and he hissed as her hips shifted to meet his, pushing against
his rigid manhood. Nicholas felt as though he may explode at any moment, so
exquisite was the sensation of her skin upon his. Dying to feel her against him
in her entirety, he dragged his hands from her hair and quickly yanked down his
braies and hose. He heard her breath catch and he wondered if he had scared
her. Seeking out her eyes in the gloom, she stared at him with wide-eyed awe.
It humbled him to be on the receiving end of such a look.

Tentatively, she
reached out and carefully explored the length of him. There was no
embarrassment in her movements, just a chaste fascination. Nicholas restrained
himself from thrusting into her hand but she could never know how much
willpower it took. He dare not frighten her away for he was sure it would be
the undoing of him, having reached this point.

Her hand curled
around him. “Did I do this to you?”

“Aye.” he grated
out.

Ever so slowly she
released him, drawing her eyes back to his. “Touch me, Nicholas. Make me
yours.”

“Aye,” he growled
and he swept her into his arms.

She buried her face
into his neck, curling her fingers into his chest hair as he carried her over
to the damp straw that had collected in one corner. He cursed that he could not
take her in a better setting, though, in his mind, the only place that would be
good enough for his Annabel would be the heavens. And Lord knows he would never
see them.

As he laid her down
gently, she seemed oblivious to the scratchy straw and was focused entirely on
him. What he had done to deserve such a look he would never understand but he
was too far gone now to question it.

In spite of the
agonising ache of his manhood, he was determined to savour every precious
moment with Annabel and he positioned himself next to her, propping himself up
on his elbow so he could take in the full glory of her.

Spreading her
silken hair about her, he fingered the waves as they fell over her breasts and
hips. She rose to meet his touch, her eyes flickering shut and her lips parting
in a quiet moan. Silently he traced his finger down her profile, pausing to dip
into her parted mouth. Her tongue instinctively darted out to meet his
fingertip and he groaned at her unknowing invitation. Nicholas’ shaking fingers
continued down the delicate arch of her neck before dipping between her breasts
and circling around each nipple.

“Nicholas,” she
whimpered.