~~~
Cree sat alone at a table in front of the hearth in the Great Hall his legs stretched out in front of him staring at the flames. He was only slightly wet, the rain having turned light. It was late and everyone was tucked in bed, if not asleep. He was sure that Sloan had found some willing woman, he always did.
He had thought of spending the night with Dawn, he had actually wanted to but it would not have been a wise thing to do. He would have made love to her again and probably again before sunrise, he had enjoyed her that much. He had come so hard that he swore it shivered him down to his soul. And still he had thought about taking her again. He had silently cursed himself for pulling out of her as he came but what choice did he have. He could not risk her carrying his child. His bride would arrive soon and hopefully soon after the wedding she would be with child and he would have a legitimate heir.
He wondered if he would enjoy his wife in bed as much as he enjoyed Dawn. It didn’t matter though. He would have no love for his wife. She would be there to serve a purpose, as Dawn served a purpose.
Then why did he want nothing more than to return to Dawn, make love to her again, and afterwards curl around her and sleep beside her until morning?
Damn. Damn. Damn.
He stood and warned himself to go to his bedchamber and go to sleep. He did not need to complicate the situation any further. It would do no good. His thoughts of her had already aroused him and he knew he wanted her at least one more time tonight or maybe two more times. With thoughts of different ways he could have Dawn, he left the Great Hall and headed for her cottage.
He opened the door as quietly as possible not wanting to wake her if she should be asleep, though he intended to do just that. He grinned at the thought of raining kisses all over her lovely naked body. He disposed of his clothes before entering the bedchamber and stopped abruptly when he saw her sitting in front of the fire. The way her shoulders shook he knew that she was crying.
Seeing her sitting alone crying silent tears tore at his heart so badly that he wanted to pummel someone with his fists but then it would be him who deserved the beating for no doubt he was the cause of her tears. He was at a loss at what to do. He rarely dealt with crying women. They were usually pleasurably satiated when he left them, but then he had never taken a woman’s virginity.
Was she upset that she had lost it to him? But she had given it willingly. What then could have brought on her tears? The sudden thought was like a punch to his gut. Could he not have pleased her? Had he left her wanting? He had to know.
He called out her name and she turned wide, shocked, and wet eyes on him.
He immediately went to her, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her to the bed and sat keeping her on his lap, his arms firmly around her. And damn if he didn’t like the way her bottom nestled so perfectly against the hard length of him, growing him even harder.
“What’s wrong?’ he asked and kissed her gently.
She shook her head.
“That will not do,” he said wiping away her tears. “You must tell me.”
She swallowed hard and again shook her head.
He burrowed his nose in her hair. “Have I told you how I love the scent of you?”
Love. He loved the scent of her. Was his heart attempting to speak to her?
“I enjoyed making love to you,” he whispered and nibbled along her ear. “Did you enjoy it?”
Making love. Was his heart opening? Trying to be heard? She did not need to think on his question and so she nodded, for she truly had enjoyed making love with him that was until...
“I came hard, harder than I ever have. And you?” he gently kissed her bruised eye.
She nodded slowly.
He stared at her and his eyes narrowed. “You nod and yet your finger taps my arm twice.”
She turned rigid in his arms. Had she done that? She hadn’t realized she did and she lowered her chin not wanting to look at him, not wanting him to see the truth.
He lifted her chin gently. “You didn’t come did you?”
There was no point in lying to him, though she had no intentions of explaining why she hadn’t come. She simply shook her head.
“I pulled out of you before you could come, didn’t I?”
Her cheeks flushed red and she wanted to fade away. He shouldn’t be talking to her this way. They were not husband and wife. And did husbands and wives even dare to speak so intimately?
“Listen to me, Dawn,” he ordered firmly. “Your pleasure is my pleasure and I will not have you robbing either one of us of it. We must establish a signal that lets me know when you are coming. I had thought by how hard you squeezed my arm that you were in the throes of coming.”
He wanted a signal so that he would have time to make sure she climaxed before he pulled out of her. She couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel for them to climax together.