Highlander Lord of Fire Page 23

Tarass chuckled purposely, since she couldn’t see his smile. “How will you do that?”

  Snow brushed her lips over his. “I will shield you with my never-ending love.”

  “Then I will feel safer than I ever have,” Tarass said and kissed her, his hands going to her tunic to tug it up, not wanting to wait any longer to make love to his wife. He moved his lips off hers long enough to pull the tunic over her head and toss it aside.

  He worked her shift up, his hands going to caress her backside, giving it a playful squeeze. He was surprised when she pulled away from him.

  “It’s my turn,” she said in a soft whisper and reached out, her hands feeling along his plaid until connecting with his belt and releasing it, then working to unravel the cloth that wound around him.

  Tarass stood still, only moving his arms when necessary and keeping his lips locked to prevent the enjoyable moans from escaping when her hands lingered in intimate places. What proved the most difficult for him was when his plaid dropped to the floor and her hand found his manhood and her fingers closed around it.

  “There’s still my shirt,” he reminded, fearful if she continued to stroke and tug his already stiff manhood that he’d come right there in her hand.

  “I’ll get to that,” she said softly as her hand slid along his manhood to slip underneath and cup his sac gently. “It’s so pleasing to know that this all belongs to me.”

  “Every bit of it, wife,” Tarass agreed.

  Her hand returned to his engorged manhood, to tease it senseless, and he had difficulty keeping from dropping his head back and moaning in endless pleasure. Her touch had gone from innocent to experienced more quickly than he imagined, but then she enjoyed exploring him, finding out what pleased him and herself. And he had encouraged her every touch, exploring her with equal enthusiasm and pleasure.

  He gasped when she hunched down and took him in her mouth. He was too close to the edge, too close to falling off into the abyss of pleasure, but she had tasted him once before and enjoyed it, and he didn’t want to spoil her fun or his.

  He dropped his head back and groaned as she hungrily feasted on him. He silently warned himself not to let it go on too long. To stop her. Stop her before it was too late. Her mouth suddenly left him as if she heard his silent warnings.

  “I’m going to come. I need you inside me. Your seed must be inside me,” she cried out anxiously.

  Tarass whipped off his shirt, then her shift, lifted her, dropped her on the bed, spread her legs and entered her with such a hard thrust that she cried out.

  “Tarass!” she screamed, her fingers gripping the blanket beneath her as she felt herself explode with pleasure.

  A few good, hard thrusts and he exploded himself and made sure she came a second time as they spiraled and spun in a whirlwind of pleasure that left them completely breathless and satiated.

  Tarass dropped down over her. “Good God, wife, I never expected you to be so generous in bed.”

  “I am too demanding for you?” she asked with worry.

  Tarass rolled off her, snagging her around the waist to pull her to rest against his side. “Look at me, wife,” he demanded softly when she kept her face averted from his.

  “It doesn’t matter. I can’t see you.”

  He gently took hold of her chin and turned her head to face him. “It does matter. You matter and I love that you are generous when it comes to making love and I love that you’re demanding when it comes to making love. Mostly, I love that you enjoy making love with me as much as I do with you.”

  “Always, husband. Always,” she said a soft smile surfacing.

  He kissed her and they lay there content until he felt her skin begin to cool, then he pulled the blanket out from under them and tucked it around them.

  “Tarass,” Snow said after a few minutes of silence.

  “Aye, wife?”

  “You know what this incidence with the dwarf means, don’t you?” she asked.

  “Aye. You think the same?” he asked, tucking her tighter against him as though he suddenly needed to shield her.

  “I do. The dwarf is someone in the clan.”

  Chapter 25

  It took more than a week before paths were cleared through the village, making it maneuverable, and Snow was eager to take advantage of it.

  “You are to remain with Nettle at all times,” Tarass ordered, adjusting his wife’s fur-lined cloak on her shoulders.

  Snow rolled her eyes, having heard it several times all morning. “How many times must you remind me of that?”

  “How many times will it take for you to obey me?” Tarass countered.

  Snow laughed.

  “That’s what I thought, hence the constant reminders, which do no good anyway, and yet I keep trying.”

  Snow bounced up on her toes to give him a quick kiss. “Because you love me and want to keep me safe.”

  His arm snagged her waist and lifted her to press his nose to hers. “Then take pity on your husband, for he loves you beyond measure and couldn’t live without you.”

  She kissed him again, more slowly this time and he responded, demanding a bit more from her, which she eagerly gave.

  Snow rested her nose to his, this time, after the kiss ended. “My word that I will do as you say, husband, while I wait impatiently for you to join me.”

  “Then I rest easy and will hurry to join you,” he said, reluctantly placing her on her feet and letting go of her. “I have a few things to discuss with Rannock. I won’t be long.”

  Snow watched him leave the Great Hall, her heart pounding in her chest, not just from the kiss. She could see a distinct shape to him, but what had gotten her heart pounding madly had been the shock of seeing a hint of the bold blue color of his eyes.

  It had been her second sight of color, though still blurred some, since the accident, and she was ever so grateful it was the blue of her husband’s eyes that she saw. Still, though, she had to be sure this was permanent before she told anyone. She didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, least of all her own hopes.

  “Are you all right, m’lady?” Nettle asked. “Your eyes pool with tears.”

  Snow smiled and wiped at her eyes before any tears could fall and spoke the truth. “A joyful thought.”

  “That is good to know, m’lady, since many in the keep are joyful themselves with Fasta not here since the incident. None look forward to her return.”

  “I noticed a lightheartedness in the keep myself,” Snow admitted. “Perhaps it is time to make the change permanent.”

  “Maude has done wonderful in Fasta’s absence,” Nettle said excited, “and everyone here does their tasks with little prodding, since Maude speaks kindly to them and treats them well. Though, it has helped that you ordered extra food to be given to them.”

  Snow had taken advantage of the days the snowstorm had forced her to remain in the keep. While she loved spending time with her husband, he had matters to see to and she did as well. She had talked with Maude after appointing her to Fasta’s position while Fasta recovered, and she had discovered several things she didn’t like about the running of the keep. The way servants were fed had been one. If Fasta returned to her position, she would return to a much different keep, and Snow didn’t think it would work well for anyone.

  “You will not scrub down the tables after every meal. It is a waste of time.”

  “Speak of the devil,” Nettle mumbled and watched as Fasta entered the Great Hall with Maude following behind her.

  “I am in charge here and you will follow my orders or else,” Fasta threatened.

  Nettle cringed, seeing Maude do the same, and she kept her voice low as she said, “There is fear on Maude’s face, m’lady.”

  Snow was glad Nettle made her aware of that, though she sensed it herself, Fasta’s tone far too threatening.

  “You have not been given orders to return here yet, Fasta,” Snow called out.

  Fasta approached Snow. “I am well, my lady, and will see to
my duties.”

  “Your duties have changed, Fasta,” Snow said. “You will no longer be working in the keep.”

  “You can’t do that. Only Lord Tarass can order me gone from the keep,” Fasta said, her chin going up.

  “You question my authority?” Snow snapped.

  “Who dares to do that?” Tarass shouted, standing in the doorway.

  Snow made out her husband’s shape and that of Thaw’s. The pup had gone and fetched him of his own accord. Thaw definitely didn’t like Fasta.

  “Lady Snow has informed me that I am no longer in charge of the keep’s servants, nor am I to work in the keep, my lord,” Fasta said with a tearful sniffle. “I did nothing to deserve this dismissal.”

  “Lady Snow owes you no explanation for her decision. You will do whatever chore she appoints you without comment,” Tarass ordered.

  Fasta’s eyes shot wide and she appeared ready to protest, though thought better of it and bowed her head. “Aye, my lord.”

  Tarass turned and left the room, Thaw plopping himself down to lean against Snow’s leg.

  “You will return to your cottage and rest, Fasta,” Snow ordered. “I will advise you of your new position in due time.”

  “Aye, m’lady,” Fasta said and turned and walked off mumbling beneath her breath.

  After informing a thrilled Maude that she now had Fasta’s position permanently, Snow finally got outside to walk through the village. Those out and about called out greetings and blessings to her. The dwarf had yet to return and many gave credit to Lady Snow for it.

  “Take me to Runa’s cottage, Nettle,” Snow said. “I wish to talk to her about Fasta.”

  “There is talk that Fasta bled as she did because she lost a bairn,” Nettle whispered as she led Snow along a cleared path. “Many also believe she took something to bring on the loss of the bairn.”

  “A good question to ask Runa,” Snow said, but she was unable to since the healer was busy delivering a bairn.

  She stopped and talked and laughed with several people and was walking around the corner of a cottage toward Twilla’s place when she was struck in a chest with a snowball.

  “I’m sorry, m’lady, so sorry. I didn’t see you,” said the small lad. “Please, please forgive me.”

  “He’s a young one,” Nettle whispered as Snow dusted the snow off herself.

  “There’s only one way I’ll forgive you, lad,” Snow warned.

  “What is that, m’lady?” the young lad asked, his limbs quaking.

  Snow smiled. “I get to join in the snowball fight.”

  Tarass sat by the hearth in his solar talking with Rannock. They had daily matters to go over and some issues that had yet to be resolved.

  “You’ve found no source of the last pool of blood?” Tarass asked after they had finished discussing the daily dealings.

  Rannock shook his head. “Nothing. It’s frustrating and confounding. No animals were slaughtered around that time and no one is missing from the clan, a blessing for sure.”

  “Cleric Norman?”

  “There was little time to see if he made it back to the monastery unharmed before the storm hit, but from what area we were able to cover we found no sign of him. I assume his faith saw him home safely.”

  Tarass hoped it was so, since he didn’t need any more issues the Abbot could fault him with and strengthen his claim that his barbarian ancestry voided his marriage to Snow.

  “No word yet from the warriors you sent on that mission? Though, no doubt the snowstorm has delayed any response. I wonder if they will be able to find out what Finn had learned. He was trusted among the many friends he had and people talked easily to him. Our warriors won’t be as trusted as Finn had been.”

  “Coins encourage the most unwilling man to speak,” Tarass said. “Though Finn was well liked, he was also liked for the generous coins he offered in exchange for information. I am more than curious to find out what news he had discovered. It had to have been of great value to me for him to want to meet me while he was escorting Snow home, and even of greater importance if he braved the snow to do so. All Highlanders know that a few snowflakes can turn into a blizzard in little time. So why did he take the chance?”

  “The news was worth the chance or the coins the news would bring him,” Rannock surmised.

  “How is it not one soul knows anything about my parents’ departure from my da’s ancestral home. And how is it that not a single tribe has heard a word on those responsible for the attack on the Sandrik tribe where my mum and da lost their lives. It was a small, inconsequential tribe slaughtered for no reason.”

  Rannock nodded. “You’re right. If another tribe wanted to conquer it, they wouldn’t have slaughtered everyone.”

  “If my parents were the target, why kill the whole tribe? That has baffled me the most.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t your parents the person was after.”

  “I considered that, but the tribe had no enemies. They traded with all the other tribes and battled no one. The only thing different the day of the attack was my parents’ presence in the tribe.” Tarass stood. “Enough with thoughts that go nowhere. It’s time I joined my wife.”

  Rannock also stood. “And time I see to the change in sentinels, that comes when least expected and leaves even the warriors wondering of their duties.”

  “Lady Snow can join us,” a lad called out.

  Snow recognized Roy’s voice, the lad she had helped with a snowball fight her last time here.

  “No, we want her,” another lad shouted and it took a few minutes and an argument before it was decided which team got Lady Snow, memories of her last successful snowball fight having her in demand.

  Nettle stepped back to keep a good watch on Lady Snow, but Thaw joined in, running and barking and letting Snow know where to aim snowballs. Complaints from the opposing team of the pup’s help got ignored by the winning team.

  Snow laughed every time a snowball struck her and was thrilled when she heard someone yell, “She got me!”

  Snowballs flew, Thaw continued barking, lads and lassies laughed and cried out with joy as snowballs flew, until…

  Tarass suddenly appeared and snowballs were already in flight. They hit him in the chest and back one right after the other. He stood, not moving, the scowl on his face deepening.

  Silence reigned, not even a breath was heard, and Thaw crept over to Snow to hide under her cloak.

  Snow could see her husband’s outline, having grown familiar with it lately. She scooped up a handful of snow. “Be ready to protect me,” she said and ran toward her husband, Thaw reluctantly following and stopping with her when she was a short distance from Tarass. She didn’t hesitate, she threw the snowball, aiming for his chest.

  It struck him directly in the face and gasps rang out in the cold air.

  Tarass wiped the snow from his face slowly. “Now you’re going to get it,” he warned and ran straight at his wife.

  Snow turned, Thaw turning with her and barking all the way as she ran and yelled out, “Get him! Get him!” When she caught no movement, she yelled. “Protect me! Protect me!”

  Snowballs flew and Tarass swatted several away while his body took several hits, not that it stopped him. He kept going, picking up speed, and reached out to grab his wife.

  They tumbled down on the snow together, Tarass protecting her from the fall as best he could and Snow laughing as she came to a rest on top of him.

  Snow raised her hand and yelled, “We won! We got him!”

  Her victory shout was met with dead silence, the lads and lassies realizing what they had done.

  Tarass heard the silence and saw the fright on the lad and lassies’ faces. He got himself and Snow to their feet.

  “Who is responsible for this?” Tarass demanded and all the children stared at him, though one lone lad stepped forward.

  Snow saw the outline of the lad and spoke up before he could, keeping a smile on her face as she did. “It’s my fault. I in
sisted on joining them and encouraged them to protect me against you.”

  Tarass’s voice carried out for all the children and the villagers who had begun to gather around to hear.

  “I didn’t counter-command Lady Snow’s command since I wanted to see what you would do. You made me proud when you followed Lady Snow’s order to protect her. You all are brave warriors.”

  “Yeah, we won!” Snow yelled, raising her arm in the air, and shouts and cheers joined her this time.

  Tarass took his wife in his arms and hugged her. “You win their hearts from the youngest to the oldest.”

  “I am glad since the clan finally feels like family to me,” she said and reached up to touch his face, the outline clear to her, and cringed when she felt it was wet. “I’m sorry. I was aiming for your chest.”

  “I preferred you struck me higher than lower.”

  Snow chuckled. “So am I, but,”—her hand went to rest on his chest— “I think we should go to our bedchamber and let me make sure not a single part of you suffered an injury or if you did, I would just have to kiss it and make it better.”

  “I ache all over, wife,” Tarass said quite seriously, though he smiled.

  “Then I will see to kissing you and easing your pain,” she whispered seductively.

  Tarass scooped her up in his arms and whispered near her ear, “You’ll not get very far, wife, since you turned me hard already.”

  Snow laughed softly and rested her head on his shoulder.

  “You’re free to do as you please, Nettle. Lady Snow and I will be busy for the next few hours,” Tarass said as he walked past her.

  Nettle smiled but had no chance to acknowledge him.

  “Lord Tarass,” Rannock called out.

  Tarass cursed beneath his breath, knowing Rannock was about to disrupt his plans and turned to face his friend. “Who dares disturb me now?”

  “Abbot Bennett and Lord Polwarth are a short distance away.”

  Chapter 26

  Snow stood beside her husband on the keep’s steps waiting for the Abbot and Lord Polwarth. Her heart pounded madly in her chest and her stomach roiled with fear. She told herself not to ask the question she already had the answer to, but she desperately needed her husband to confirm it.