Page 71 of The Champion

He looked away and she had her answer.

“‘Tis as I thought.” She let her hand fall away from the softness of his mouth, a mouth she could remember tasting all too well. If marriage ever did appeal to her, she couldn’t imagine having it with anyone more handsome or gentle than Stryder of Blackmoor.

His taste and feel would haunt her forever.

But that was no reason to rush headlong into a lifetime commitment that could destroy the fragile friendship they shared. Eleanor had once loved Henry and now look at them. They were both miserable in their marriage.

Rowena desired more than that in her life. The last thing she wanted was to come to hate the man she tied herself to. As insane a notion as it was, she wanted a man she could love for all her life. One who respected her and who took her wishes into account whenever he made a decision that regarded her, her children, and their life together.

“You wouldn’t be happy married to me, Stryder,” she said gently. “Any more than I would be happy married to you. What we shared today was wonderful. Incredible even, and I thank you for being my first and for being so considerate with my body. But it shouldn’t make either one of us do something we will both regret one day. I want to be a troubadour, and you are on a quest to save the world. What kind of marriage could we have?”

Still lying on his back while he watched her, Stryder took her hand into his and held it over the center of his chest, where she felt his heart beat a slow and steady rhythm. His grip was firm and binding, her hand pale against the darker tone of his skin. His hard, muscled body was taut with his masculine strength and power. Even naked, he was a force to be reckoned with. One she found almost impossible to deny.

But she must for both their sakes.

“And if you carry my child?”

“We will deal with that when the time comes. There are plenty of women who have survived the birth of illegitimate children and, when a lady has as much standing as I do, the scandal is far from debilitating. For now, let’s not rush headlong into disaster.”

Stryder was amazed by her as he watched her honest and open stare. Never in his life had he met her equal when it came to courage and conviction. He kept her hand in his and reached with his other hand to tease a lock of her hair that was nestled in her lap. “You are truly remarkable.”

Her light green eyes teased him with mirth. “You say that only because you are drunk.”

“Nay, I think I’m rather sober now.”

Her smile dazzled him.

Not once in his life had he thought to meet a woman who could tempt him to marriage. Yet he felt that temptation now.

What would it be like to have a wife this strong at his side? Someone who wouldn’t just submit docilely, but who would question and speak her mind regardless of consequence?

Unlike the others of her species, she wasn’t turned by his looks. While other women crawled naked into his bed just to boast later that they had been with him, he knew Rowena would never tell anyone else of what they had shared.

And it was a sharing. Unlike anything he’d ever experienced before.

He felt his body stirring again at the memory of what she had been like under him.

Rowena’s eyes widened as she noticed it herself. “Does it do that a lot?”

He shook his head and pulled her closer to him. “Only when I think of you.”

Rowena moaned as he captured her lips. He released her hand so that he could bury his hand in her hair. She felt his fingers splay against her scalp as he held her tightly to him.

Oh, this was heaven. She inhaled the crisp, manly scent of him. Let the warmth of his body seep into every part of hers. She could just melt into him.

Skimming her hand down his lean, hard body, she delighted in the rugged male terrain. She loved the sensation of his short hair that dusted every part of him, especially the thick thatch of hair that nestled his maleness.

He growled and deepened their kiss as she raked her fingers through that most private area until she could cup him in her hand. His shaft turned rigid once more as she explored it from the very bottom to the tip.

Stryder hissed as he pulled away from her. “Oh, how you tempt me, Rowena.” He covered her hand with his and showed her how to stroke him before he pulled her hand away.

“You’d best stop doing that.”

“Why?”

“Because if you don’t, I shall make love to you again and you’re far too new at this to take me into you again so soon. It’ll make you even more sore.”

She didn’t feel sore, but then as he said, she knew very little about this physical side of love. “Have you taken many virgins?” she asked before she lost her courage. “You seem to know much about us.”