He grinned at her and winked. “’Tis about …” He found her fingers and entwined them with his.
“This. The sharing. The sealing of one’s fate. ’Tis about opening up the most private part of yourself and allowing another to explore it. ’Tis about my soul touching yours in that one moment when earth shatters and disappears, and we travel up into the stars, melding as one being. That moment when nothing else matters but the person in your arms.”
“Ye make it sound so… Wonderful.”
“It can be.”
She swallowed, her throat bobbing as she did so, and the weariness in her eyes had not yet fully melted away.
“I promise, lass, that when we finish, I will take ye away from here. And I willna touch ye again, unless ye ask me to.”
At that promise, there was a tiny melting in her gaze. “How do I know ye mean what ye say?”
“I ask ye to trust me, but I know ye have no reason to.”
“Aye.”
Wraith brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently. “I’m sorry for taking ye away from your home.”
“Why?”
God’s bones, this was difficult. There were a number of reasons why, but most of them didn’t make sense even to him, so how was he supposed to make sense of them to her?
“Because, for one thing, we wouldna be in this situation.” He smiled wryly. “But for another, I admit a touch of worry over your betrothed and the supposed holy hell I am to be subjected to.”
“Ah, aye, ye will be sorry for it.”
“My men are not supposed to take ladies.”
“Someone made a mistake then?”
“Aye. And I will see them punished for it.”
“Ye would do that? For me?”
“Aye.”
“Might I impart some advice, Captain Noir?”
“Ye can try.”
She wrinkled her nose. “If your men knew ye were so willing to punish them over me, a mere slip of a lass, they might not respect ye as much as a pirate of your station deserves.”
“A pirate of my station? Have ye heard of me afore now?”
She smiled brilliantly, and for a moment, it might have been that they were not here on this bed, but in another place. “Nay,” she laughed. “But I do know pirates are supposed to be ruthless.”
Wraith ran his knuckles gently up her arm. “I am only ruthless when it comes to battle, lass, and generous when it comes to the lassies.”
He wasn’t sure which part of what he said exactly made her smile, made the fear slowly ebb, but he was exceedingly happy to see.
“What would ye consider generous?” There was a twinkle in her eye. “Swaths of gold silk, or sharing your best champagne?”
Wraith grinned at her choice of pleasures. “Both, lass, and a satisfied smile to go with them.”
“What would make a lass smile like that?” A spark in her eye showed she had an idea, even if only introduced in the last few hours to it.
He wasn’t certain, what had changed, but knew she was nearly ready. Her muscles had relaxed, her eyes widened, curiously.
“Do ye want me to show ye? Before they return?”
“Aye,” she whispered. Her lips glistened where she licked them.
Wraith could stand it no longer. He didn’t care if one hour had been reached or not. He was going to kiss her. He was going to make her want him and he was doing it now. To hell with the queen. The way to make this performance a success was to go at their own pace, to make Faryn comfortable, and he knew that would be anything but the case if they were surrounded by everyone.
Besides, he had a feeling that Orelia would like very much to walk in on their lovemaking, to be a voyeur.
He leaned forward, one arm bracing beside Faryn to hold him up, and brushed his lips over hers, feeling the warmth of her breath on his mouth as she sighed. She leaned her head up into him, not fighting his kiss at all, and he pressed his lips more firmly on hers. He stayed like that for a moment, breathing in her womanly essence, reveling in the sensation of such a sweet kiss. Taking a deep male
satisfaction in that this was probably her first.
He nibbled her lower lip. Licked the crease between her lips. Slanted his mouth over hers, nuzzling and encouraging her to kiss him back. Her lips parted and her soft, warm tongue shyly came out to touch his. He let her explore his lips with her tongue as he had before touching his own tongue to hers.
She gasped when their tongues collided, and shuddered beneath him. Or was it he who shuddered? Perhaps they both had.
He moved to lay atop her, settling his hips between her spread legs, his bare belly to her sheet-clad stomach and his chest pressed against her breasts. The warmth of her seeped through the thin cloth and his shirt, igniting against his flesh, making him burn to tear the thin sheet from her body and feel the delicacy that would be skin on skin. She rubbed her breasts against him, tugged at her restraints. Should he untie her? He wanted to feel her legs wrapped around his hips. He wanted to feel her hands stroke over his back, run through his hair. Aye, he would untie her. And he wouldn’t have to worry about her escape, for she knew what was at stake, and her freedom was important but even more so…the sexy little mewls she was making showed that she too was enjoying his kisses and wouldn’t be so quick to up and run from his touch.
Perhaps for now he would only untie her arms…
Wraith continued to kiss Faryn, deeply, carnally, his tongue sinking into the depths of her mouth.
Giving her what he’d promised, metaphorical golden silk and champagne. She eagerly returned his kiss, startling him for a moment. She was a natural kisser. No virgin’s kiss was this. Once again, she’d pleasantly surprised him with her inner fire, her spirit. She would be a passionate lover.
He slid his hands up her arms until he reached the knots that restrained her. Keeping his lips on hers, he untied the bonds that held her, tossing the silky ribbons to the floor.
Immediately her arms came around him, rubbing over his shoulders, exploring the expanse of his back. He let her touch him, get used to the feel of his body while he trailed kisses from her lips to her neck, nipping at the lobe of her ear.
Her head tilted back, eyes closed, Faryn was completely unaware when the air around them grew charged with wanton energy. Orelia had returned and with her the nearly one hundred slaves and servants of the hedonistic castle. They stood ’round the bed and beyond, watching, some pushing for greater view, greed and desire in their eyes. Wraith gave them only a moment’s notice before returning to the task of deflowering sweet Faryn.
Tenderly he stroked over her ribs, tugging the sheet down and over her breasts. She clutched his shoulders with both hands. He trailed his tongue from the nape of her neck down her chest to the valley between her breasts. He cupped a breast in each hand, massaging the pink tips with the pads of his thumbs.
“Oh,” she murmured, pushing her chest further into him, her breasts filling his hands.
“Aye, Faryn, tell me ye like it.”
“Aye…”
“Aye, what?” he teased, his tongue snaking out to flick over a turgid nipple.
She sucked in her breath and crooned her pleasure.
Wraith flicked her nipple again with his tongue and then flicked the other, back and forth, massaging her breasts with his hands until she panted with pleasure.
“Please,” she begged.
He knew what she wanted, but did she know? “Please what?”
She bit her lip and opened her eyes a fraction, the once-clear depths now cloudy with desire.
He’d never wanted a woman more than he did now. And he didn’t think he’d ever seen a woman show so much desire and truth in lovemaking before. All his worries about whether or not she’d be able to pull of this little ruse evaporated. She was a good actress, and she must have realized that the crowd had pushed in.