“You are so very beautiful, wife,” he whispered and lowered his mouth to hers.
He did not demand, but rather invited her to join him in the kiss, encouraging her tongue to matewith his and she did. His one hand went to her backside and eased her up against him, while his other hand settled on her breast to squeeze it lightly.
He felt her slight surrender, her body resting less rigid against him. He let his hands roam more freely over her, though kept control of them. If he allowed his rugged passion to rule, she would be stripped bare by now, his mouth devouring every inch of her, not to mention what his hands would be doing. He did not want to frighten her from their bed, though he feared that it might be inevitable.
He eased his hand down to dip into her bodice and release one of her plump breasts and as she gasped, he bent his head and took the tightening bud in his mouth.
Heather gasped again, the sensation so new and pleasing that she startled and pulled away from him. He stopped her, his hand at her backside moving up to press against her back and hold her still. And as he continued to tease and suckle, her body began to awake as if from a long sleep. Sensations suddenly sharpened and she felt things like she never did before. And oh, how she enjoyed his tongue at her breast, his hand at her back, and his manhood hard against her. This night would not be the night of horror that she had once feared and that thought had her relaxing in his arms.
The next thing she knew, he gave her a hard shove backwards. So hard that she felt herself sail through the air, her hands flailing and when shelanded, the back of her head smacked against something hard, and everything went black.
CHAPTER 13
Rhys rounded on the man he heard approach from behind. He had no time to give thought to how the culprit had gotten into their bedchamber. The man’s face was smeared with grime so as to be undistinguishable and to create fear. To anyone else he would appear a demon born of the earth, but to Rhys he was a man who had entered his private chambers and was about to suffer for it. The culprit danced like a stringless puppet in front of him, taunting as he skillfully tossed a small dagger back and forth in his hands.
Rhys understood he would get no information out of the man even if tortured. He would suffer whatever pain necessary before betraying his master. So, he decided to send a message of his own. He waited, watching how much the man was enjoying his little act and when the man least expected it—Rhys’ hand shot out and grabbed the dagger and with one swift blow sent it through the man’s throat.
As the man’s body dropped to the floor, Rhys turned and ran to his wife’s lifeless body and went down on one knee beside her, frightened to death that he had killed her. Carefully, he reached down and lifted her gently into his arms and just as gently laid her on the bed. To his great relief shewas breathing, but when he ran his hand faintly along the back of her head, he felt a large bump and fear took hold of him again. He had seen too many warriors never wake up from such a bump and he would not have that with his wife... he would not lose her.
* * *
“Heather! Heather! Do you hear me?”
“Quinn!” Heather thought her heart would burst from her chest. Quinn had returned to her. “Quinn! Where are you?”
“Here.”
She turned to find Quinn standing in front of her and she threw herself into his arms. He caught her and held her tight. She looked up at him. He was no longer the young lad that had left her. He was now a strong strapping man, though his smile was the same. She would never forget his smile. It always warmed her heart.
“You came back,” she said, tears gathering in her eyes.
“I gave you my word I would return for you. Nothing. Absolutely nothing would stop me from coming back to you. Nothing will stop me from keeping you safe.”
“My heart has ached for you; I have missed you so very much.”
“And I you and I give you my word once more...we will never be parted again.”
Heather let her tears fall. Quinn was home. He had come back to her and nothing else mattered. “I love you, Quinn. I love you so very much.”
“And I love you, Heather, Now and alw...”
A strange sound vibrated in her head as his words faded along with him and with tears falling, Heather cried out, “Quinn, do not leave, not again. Quinn!”
“Heather! Heather, wake up!”
Heather fought to open her eyes, but it seemed with each flutter of her eyelids, the more her head pounded with pain. Finally, she managed to open them a sliver and she winced with pain.
“Open your eyes, Heather, now!”
She forced her eyes open, wanting desperately to see Quinn and know he was safe and had returned to her. She blinked several times to clear her vision, though it did little good, for her tears continued to fall and blur everything. Finally, when she could see clearly, it took a moment for her to realize that it was the Dark Dragon sitting beside her on the bed and all she could do was stare at him.
Fury gripped Rhys with vengeance. It was his fault she shed tears and that was unacceptable to him.
Slowly Heather began to recall what had happened and her tears began to subside. “You shoved me away.”
Rhys’ explanation was brief. “We had an intruder.”
Heather nodded, the movement bringing her pain and she scrunched her face against it.
