Page 84 of Warrior’s Lady

"Please." It was all she could say as an all-consuming heat moved through her.

He settled between her thighs. "Are you well enough for this?" he asked, his voice raw, his eyes as dark as midnight.

"Oh, yes." Her voice broke with emotion.

He plunged deep, reaching the quick of her.

Instead of stroking her need, he remained still, as he lavished her neck, her ears, her collarbone with a volley of tender erotic kisses.

She clutched his shoulders, feeling the sweet frustration and tension mounting within her as he manipulated her body to a fever pitch. She felt as though she had to move or she would shatter into pieces. She began to shake as tremor after tremor pulsed through her with unfulfilled need. "Camden." His name was a cry of desperation that set him into motion.

His rhythm was hard, wild, swift and tumultuous as he filled her again and again with a desperate hunger that was as out of control as her own.

Her head thrashed back and forth on the pillow as she tried to keep from crying out at the intensity of the passion shuddering through every muscle, every nerve of her body. He was shaking too, she realized dimly, as she brought her hands down to his hips and met each thrust with an eagerness she did not know she possessed.

His breathing was harsh, he shivered and quaked uncontrollably as an urgency born of blood and fire overtook them both. He moved hard, faster, deeper until he cried out and threw his head back, his neck arching, his body going rigid.

In that moment their pleasure peaked, exploded in a fiery release that robbed her of both reason and sanity. He plunged once more, as deep as life and breath itself as they soared together into a place of sheer ecstasy.

They lay there limp, unable to move even the tiniest muscle, entwined in each other's arms for several silent moments, until their breathing steadied and the cool moisture of the room caressed their heated flesh.

"I love you," he whispered as he placed a kiss upon her temple.

"Why?" she asked with a touch of wonderment. "After everything my family put you through, how could you—"

He put a finger to her lips. "The past is just that. Let's leave it behind and start anew."

She nodded. A warm glow rippled through her at the thought of a new beginning.

He met her gaze, his eyes warm and sincere. "Marry me? Stay with Violet and me forever."

"Violet?" She startled. "Is she well? She didn't—"

"Violet is fine. She is eager to see you when you feel up to it."

Relieved, Rhiannon reached out and took his hands. She laced her fingers through his. "Will Violet agree to our marriage?"

He nodded. "She is very much in favor of your remaining here."

"Then, yes. I will marry you."

"On the morrow. I would claim you today, but this day must be for the dead."

She searched his taut gaze. "Why such haste?"

"I love you, isn't that reason enough?"

The past day and many hours of pain had shown her over and over again to embrace the moment. Life was too precious to waste when one never knew when it would end. "Aye, love is reason enough. But where will we find a priest? I sent a summons to Glasgow, but no one has come. And I would not trust the bishop to help us."

A smile returned to his face. "Hush, my love. We will work it all out, you'll see."

"But—"

He silenced her with a kiss. "Is that the only way I can keep you quiet?"

She ceased her anxious questioning and smiled. "I can think of less pleasurable ways to spend our time."

"Agreed." He stood and gazed down at her ragged clothes. "We should burn all the clothing, bedding, and blankets that anyone who was sickened by the plague used. That includes your dress. Just to be safe."