Medieval 03 - Enchanted

sensuality.
    And his own.
    Ariane gave up trying to speak, for she no longer
knew her own body. A sweet fire was sweeping through her,
transforming her. She shivered in wild culmination and clung to the
hard warrior who filled her so completely.
    The smile Simon gave Ariane was as primitive as the
caress of his teeth against her neck, her breasts, her ears. And
with each careful bite he drove into her again, rocked against her,
fitting himself deeply to her and then deeper still, drinking her
cries as fire blazed through her again.
    And still he thrust into her, taking her higher,
going with her, sweat gleaming on their bodies like the fire that
was consuming her, burning her beyond bearing.
    Simon bent down, drinking Ariane’s moans even
as his powerful, driving body drew more sweet sounds from her.
    With a cry Ariane arched up to Simon, her head
thrown back, her hair an untamed cloud. He caught her there, held
her arched and wild, his body motionless, poised over hers,
waiting, shivering with a hunger that was as great as his
restraint.
    Then Simon felt unspeakable ecstasy ravish Ariane,
heard it in her shattered cry. He thrust into her once more and let
go all restraint, fusing himself to her with each savage, ecstatic
pulse of his release, pouring himself into her until there was no
past, no present, no lies, only the truth of a pleasure so great he
thought he would die of it.
    And it was just beginning.
    He was as sure of that as he was of his own
strength.
    Slowly, tenderly, relentlessly, Simon began to
arouse Ariane all over again.
     
    A long time later, in the darkness
when even the moon slept, Simon shuddered in the aftermath of an
ecstasy so violent that it had left Ariane weeping in his arms,
calling his name with each broken breath she took. He kissed her
wet eyelashes, pulled her closer, and drew the mantle over both of
them.
    “Whatever came before this night does not
matter,” Simon said against Ariane’s mouth. “But
henceforth you will sing your sensual songs only for me,
nightingale. Only for me.”
    The huskiness of Simon’s voice didn’t
hide the steel will beneath it any more than his intense sensuality
had concealed the sheer power and discipline of his body.
    “I could never bear another man’s
touch,” Ariane whispered. “I love you, Simon.
’Tis why I overcame my fear of a man’s
strength.”
    Simon closed his eyes. “Do not speak of the
past again. It can only cause pain.”
    “But—”
    He kissed Ariane’s lips with great
gentleness.
    “You are everything I ever dreamed of having
in my arms,” Simon whispered against her mouth.
    Simon tucked Ariane along his side and surrendered
himself to sleep as completely as he had given himself to the
shared body of their passion.
    Ariane did not sleep as quickly. She lay awake for
a long time, her breath catching, her passion spent, her heart
aching with all that had been said.
    And not said.
    I seduced Simon all too
well , Ariane thought despairingly. He
will accept his unmaidenly wife without complaint, for we burn too
well together ever to burn separately again .
    But he does not believe
me .
    He believes
Geoffrey .
    No wonder Simon doesn’t
love me as I love him. He doesn’t trust me .
    Numbly Ariane wondered if she would ever escape
from the nightmare of the past.

27
    “H orsemen!” cried the
sentry.
    The urgent voice carried into the lord’s
solar, for the sentry was right overhead.
    “Two leagues distant, at the entrance to the
wildwood! I couldn’t count them! They were gone too
quickly!”
    Simon and Dominic traded swift looks across the
harvest tally books that were piled between them on a trestle
table. The table had been used for breakfast and for working on the
accounts as well, because there was no warmer room in the keep than
the lord’s solar.
    “The wildwood?” Dominic muttered.

“’Tis not the commonly used approach.”
    “But ’tis the one that is hardest to
see from the battlements,” Simon said. “’Tis also
the quickest way from Stone Ring Keep. Were you expecting
Duncan?”
    “Not unless there were a dire emergency at
his keep. There is snow on the peaks and ice in the highest fells.
’Tis no time to be traveling.”
    Dominic turned to one of the three squires who was
mending leather garments for use under chain mail tunics.
    “Bobbie, tell Sir Thomas to sound the
alarm.”
    “Aye, lord!”
    The young squire set aside his leather work and ran
from the solar.
    “Edward,” Simon said.