He put a big hand on her head, smoothing back her dark hair as he gazed into her eyes. “But not alone,” he said softly. “Never alone, Cissy. As long as I have breath in my body, you will never be alone.”
“Nor will you,” she said. “I can only imagine that must feel strange for a man like you. You told me that you preferred to work alone.”
He smiled faintly as he pinched her chin gently. “Not anymore.”
She reached out, touching his face, and he closed his eyes to the flutter of her fingers. Both hands came up and she gently clasped his face, her fingers in his hair. Their warm, gentle conversation turned into something else. The passion that ignited so easily between them flared. Eyes still closed, Alexander leaned forward and kissed her.
There was nothing more to say.
His lips were soft and warm, his tongue licking at her lips until she opened them. She responded to him quickly, comfortable and titillated with his attention. Alexander lay her back against the small bed, covering her with his big body as their kisses became more heated. With no one to interrupt them, he could take his time with her.
But he didn’t want to.
Something about the woman inflamed him. He wore full armor, putting him in a logistically difficult position for what he wanted to accomplish. But that didn’t stop him. He continued to kiss her as he went to work on his mail.
His belt, his sword, and his tunic were the first things to come off. Christin, swept up by the fervor that was brewing between them, began to help him with his pieces of protection. She pulled the hauberk off, followed by the mail coat. Then it was a matter of stripping off the under tunic and breeches. All the while, she never said a word, a more than willing participant to what they intended to do.
The power of attraction between them was overwhelming.
With his armor and tunics off, he went to work on Christin’s shift, pulling it right over her head. She was nude beneath it and, for a moment, he simply looked at her, feasting on her gorgeous form. There was something so surreal and magical about her beauty. Once again, his lips fused to hers, his heated touch speaking more than words ever could.
The more he touched, the more he had to have her. Alexander was so consumed by his passion that he was blinded it by it. Taking her in his arms, he continued to kiss her as he wedged himself between her legs. With one hand, he managed to guide his erection into her warm, wet core.
Christin groaned as he invaded her body. She was tender from earlier in the day, but the pain of his entry only served to enhance the sensations he was creating within her. Alexander tried to be gentle, but his need for the woman was overpowering. He slid into her, with a few tender thrusts, until he was seated. Then, he began to move.
The thrusts were gentle at first, erotic and slow. She was slick and welcoming. But his passion dictated his movements, and they became faster. A hand moved to her full breasts, gently fondling the soft skin as her legs wrapped around him, holding him tightly.
That only wanted to make him thrust harder.
Her soft gasps in his ear threw him over the edge. He could feel himself peaking faster than he ever thought possible. Harder and faster he went, feeling her body stiffen beneath him until she began to twitch and her soft cries filled the chamber. Feeling her release draw at him, demanding his seed, he didn’t do what he’d done earlier – he didn’t withdraw and spill himself elsewhere. This time, he spilled his seed deep inside her delicious body. He shouldn’t have done it, but he didn’t much care.
It was the most satisfying thing he’d ever done.
But he was still moving within her. He could not seem to stop moving, making their passion last until it could last no more. Beneath him, he felt her release at least twice more, her body shuddering with delight and her legs trembling uncontrollably. In fact, her entire body was trembling uncontrollably, which excited him beyond reason.
But when the movements finally slowed, he fell forward on her, drawing her into his protective embrace as if to never let her go. He couldn’t even fathom the thought of what was to come, where he would have to turn her over to another man and put her in such great danger.
And he would be helpless.
When next he realized, someone was pounding on the chamber door.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Alexander was out of bed in a flash.
“Who comes?” he demanded.
“Open the door, Sherry.”
It was Sean, muffled on the other side of the door. Alexander glanced at Christin, who was sitting up in bed, wide-eyed at being caught with Alexander in her bed. It didn’t even occur to her that Sean wouldn’t care because he was the one who told Alexander where to find her.
“A moment,” Alexander said through the door. Quickly, he pulled his breeches on from the pile on the floor, tossing Christin the shift he’d snatched off her. “Quickly, sweetheart. Put it on.”
She did, yanking it over her head as Alexander went to the door. He made sure she was properly covered up before unbolting it.
Sean appeared. He was dressed in full armor, as if he were going to battle, and he didn’t even look at Christin. He was singularly focused on Alexander.
“De Lohr’s army has been sighted,” he murmured. “They are just coming into the edge of town, so get her dressed and to the livery immediately. We must leave.”
“My father is here?” Christin blurted.
Sean looked at her, nodding his head. “They marched through the night to reach the king’s soldiers and engage them,” he said. “Very smart, actually. There was no way he could catch up with us if he rested the men for the night, so he didn’t. He pushed them straight through.”
Alexander nodded with approval. “Good man,” he said. “He will keep the soldiers busy while we ride on.”
“Exactly,” Sean said. Then, he looked at the two of them. “Even though he will more than likely not make it to the inn, I would get dressed and get down to the livery. We must leave immediately while the king’s army is occupied.”
Alexander began grabbing his clothing and mail, putting it on the bed as Christin leapt out of it. Sean closed the door, heading down into the pre-dawn street, as Christin and Alexander quickly dressed.
In fact, there was a bit of a frenzy to Christin’s movements. As Alexander put on his own clothing and mail, he could see that she was close to hysteria. It was rather comical the way she was tossing on clothing and frantically running a comb through her hair, but when she tried to put her shoes on and nearly fell in her haste, he put out a hand to steady her.
“Dressing should not be a hazardous sport,” he said. “Slow down, sweetheart. We’ll make it to the livery in plenty of time.”
Christin looked at him, her eyes wide. “Did you not hear him?” she said. “My father is entering the town. Do you know what will happen if he sees us leaving the inn together? Or, worse, comes looking for me and finds us leaving the chamber together? My God, Sherry, he’ll cut your head off!”
Alexander bit his lip to keep from smiling. “That is not what he would cut off,” he muttered, watching her flush violently. Then, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not to worry. If I thought that might happen, I would climb back out the window and he would be none the wiser.”