“You’re even more beautiful when you blush,” he said, laying down next to her.
A thrill raced through her, and her body began to throb deep inside again, so she reached up and pulled his head down and kissed him.
Chapter Fourteen
***Colin***
Colin was throbbing with need, both physically and in his soul, and he knew that only Darby could satisfy that need. Her body was soft and warm, his to do with as he pleased, and he was more than ready to delve into the bounty she had to offer, but first, he wanted to take her to the heights of passion.
“Spread your legs for me, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear.
He heard her suck in a quick breath, then she slid her legs apart, moaning when he teased first one nipple then the other while nibbling on her neck. Sliding his hand between her parted legs, he couldn’t help but moan when he felt her slick and moist, imagining the moment when he could finally bury himself inside her.
When his finger brushed across her pleasure center, she gasped and opened her legs to him further, and he couldn’t resist sliding between them. Still stroking her, he positioned himself at the opening of her throbbing core, then slowly slid inside her. As he filled her inch by inch, her hips came up to meet his, and with one hard thrust, he filled her, the delicious feeling of her body accepting his making him moan her name.
Darby wrapped her legs around him, drawing him deeper inside her, and thrust her hips up, a cry of pleasure escaping her lips. Unable to control himself any longer, he drove himself into her over and over, until she was digging her nails into his back and crying out his name. When her muscles clenched around him, and her body began to tremble, he drove himself into her with one final thrust and let oblivion take them both.
He collapsed on top of her, unwilling to move until he had to, the feeling of her body still cradling him keeping him suspended in a cloud of pleasure. A huge sigh from Darby made him realize that he was probably crushing her, so he rolled off her and gathered her in his arms. She shivered a little, and goosebumps immediately appeared on her skin, so he covered them with the blanket he’d left behind earlier.
She snuggled into his arms, then looked up at him. “You left this here on purpose,” she said, pulling on the blanket.
Colin grinned down at her. “Well, it never hurts to be prepared,” he said.
She slapped him. “You have just a little too much confidence for your own good,” she said but settled down into his arms again.
He watched the storm rage outside the barn window and wondered what felt so different about being with Darby, then understood that she’d found her way into his heart. Gathering her closer to him, he sighed, truly happy for the first time in a long time, then closed his eyes and let the exhaustion of the day sweep him into a deep sleep.
The sun shining through the barn window woke him the next morning, and for a second, he couldn’t remember where he was, but then Darby sighed, and it all came back to him. A flood of affection washed over him when he looked over at her still sleeping, and he wondered if he’d ever be able to leave her. That thought brought a strange ache to his chest, so he buried it and concentrated on the woman lying naked next to him.
When they finally emerged from the barn an hour later and stumbled over to the farmhouse, both wrapped in blankets and carrying their clothes, they were still grinning. But the sight of a wagon coming down the road wiped the smiles off both their faces, and after a quick glance at each other, they raced for the house.
“It’s probably just Eli, but I’d just as soon not get caught this way,” Darby said, slamming the front door and heading for her room.
He grabbed her before she could get far, and kissed her until she melted in her arms, then let her go. “I’ll start the coffee,” he said, grinning at her.
She stood wobbling there for a second, then turned and ran for her bedroom, her face pink. He laughed and thought about following her but went to his room instead and got dressed. The clothes didn’t feel quite as strange today, and the boots not quite as heavy, and he smiled when he saw his reflection in the mirror.
Darby was coming down the hallway when he came out of his room, dressed for a day of work, and he wanted to push her back into the bedroom. But the sound of a forceful knock on the door stopped him, and instead, he followed her to the front door. She peered through the little peep-hole in the door, then frowned.
“I thought it was Eli,” she said, “but it’s one of the guards. I know him, but he’s not due to come up here for a few more weeks. Do you think he’s looking for you?”
He shook his head. “They’d send guards from the castle.”
She turned back to the door, and squared her shoulders, put a big smile on her face, and opened the door. “Michael, I didn’t expect to see you today,” she said, holding the door open.
“Hi, Darby,” the older man said. “I’m sorry to bother you so early, but I’ve got a lot of places to visit today.”
“Won’t you come in for some coffee?” she asked when he didn’t come inside.
He shook his head. “Can’t today. I’m here on official business. Will you come outside with me?”
Colin didn’t like the way this was going, so he stepped up. “What kind of business?”
Darby shot him a dirty look, but he stood his ground. The man looked him up and down. “I didn’t know you had company,” he said to Darby, then turned back to Colin. “You look very familiar; have we met before?”
***Darby***
Darby wanted to shove Colin back into the bedroom and lock him inside; she wasn’t ready to give him up and if Michael recognized him, it would all be over. Although it might already be over, she thought, watching him transform into the royal he really was. But then to her shock, he relaxed his shoulders and slouched a little.
“I’m here visiting from out of town,” Colin said. “I lived here when I was a kid, so maybe we met way back then.”
Michael studied him for a few more seconds, then shrugged. “It’ll come to me eventually,” he said.
“How can I help you, Michael?” she asked, hoping to get the focus off of Colin since that what he seemed to want.
“Have you seen the damage from the storm?” he asked, indicating that she should come outside.
When she looked down at the harbor, she could only stare at what she saw, not sure she was looking at the same view she’d seen every day of her life. “Oh no, the pier is completely gone,” she said, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Probably miles out to sea with the rest of the docks,” Michael said, shaking his head. “There’s also a ship out there, the one carrying the entire food supply for the guards.”
Darby turned and looked at him, knowing what that meant, but worried about the store. “What happened to Main Street? My store?”
“It’s all fine,” Michael said. “The waves didn’t get up that far.”
She sighed with relief, again glad that she’d gotten a place higher up in town. But then Michael said, “Darby, I’m going to need your chickens. I know you have a bunch, and the king and queen have ordered that everyone contribute to feed the guards.”