“Until the end of all things, I do.”
He suddenly thrust forward, filling her with his fullness as she gasped at the sting of possession. But it was a small price to pay in comparison to the feeling of closeness and intimacy. Cam was atop her, filling her with his manhood, and Isadora never thought twice about what they were doing. Already, she loved the warm possessiveness of it, the feeling of being impaled by a man.
Already, she craved it.
Instinctively, her hands moved to his buttocks, her nails in his flesh, and Cam groaned with pleasure as he began to move.He thrust into her body, slowly and with measured force, lost in a world of warmth that revolved around the woman in his arms. Her hands on his buttocks were feeding his desire with a fervor he’d never before experienced, and for the first time in his life, he felt like a man.
A real man.
Nothing he’d ever done like this in the past even came close to this moment in time when he bedded the woman he loved. It was more than a physical need; it was an emotional one, a spiritual one, and a need that overwhelmed his entire being. He kissed her deeply as he thrust into her again and again, the kisses infused with everything he was feeling for her.
There was no Lindsay, no Keith. No enemy, no vengeance. Simply his love for her and hers for him.
It was an awakening.
Cam found his release quickly, unable to hold back. He spilled himself deep, listening to Isadora’s gasps of pleasure beneath him. Even when the movement stopped and their bodies cooled, he continued to hold her tightly, trying not to think of what the future would hold for them both. At the moment, he didn’t want to think about anything but Isadora.
At the moment, nothing else mattered.
Only the two of them.
But the night had to end at some point. Cam knew Isadora couldn’t stay with him until morning, so he helped her dress, the warmth back in his eyes now when he looked at her. But only briefly.
Only for the night.
Come the morning, that vengeance blackening his soul was back.
And he hated himself for it.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It was awinter’s morning with unseasonably mild weather as the day of the fights dawned.
Already, men were preparing themselves for the coming bouts and that included eachnoviciuswho had been selected to compete on this day. Cam was in the holding yard just outside of the great stone chamber where men were gathering, stretching out his body alongside Galan and a few other men from Milo’s troop.
The matches for the day hadn’t been announced yet, but they knew that was coming and they had to be prepared. Gamblers and others were already starting to fill the lists of the Fields of Mars and Cam was going to beg for a match today, up to and including bribery. It was very important that Isadora and her father see him fight today because he intended to win.
He had an enemy to impress.
He rotated his shoulders and stretched his muscles, keeping an eye out for Axel or Milo, or anyone else who was going to announce the matches. Men had a choice of what to fight or train in, but they were encouraged to wear as little as possible so potential lords could see their physiques. Cam wouldn’t strip down like some of them did, but he always removed his tunic because he could move easier without it. Even in this coldweather, he stripped down because once he began moving, he would quickly heat up.
As he limbered up his arms and thought on his plans for the future, men entered the holding yard. Immediately, Cam recognized Clegg, Axel, and Milo, and as Clegg continued on into the great stone chamber, Axel and Milo headed in Cam’s direction.
“Highlander,” Axel said. “Come with us.”
Cam obeyed, leaving Galan behind as he followed Axel and Milo into the stone chamber. In spite of the warm temperatures outside, it was relatively cold and damp inside the stone room, carved into the side of a hill to make a natural cold vault. There was no one in it except Clegg, Axel, Milo, and now Cam. As he entered, he noticed they were all standing just inside the door and he came to an immediate halt.
“M’lairds,” he greeted them respectfully.
Axel spoke first. “We have good news for you, Highlander.”
Cam was bordering on confusion. “M’laird?”
Axel continued. “Because you fought so well the last time we had scheduled fights, we have decided to elevate you in rank,” he said. “You have now been raised to the level of atiro.”
Surprise registered. “I have?” Cam said. “Does that mean I will fight more?”
Axel was bemused by Cam’s apparent eagerness. This coming from a man who, when he’d arrived at The Cal, hadn’t exactly been eager to enter combat.
