He lowered his head and rubbed the back of his neck. He looked so dejected she wanted to go to him and wrap her arms around him. She’d already taken several steps before she stopped herself. The chair was in front of her so she clung to the top of it, digging her fingers into the wood.
“Yes. In three days the tapestry will return and you can make your choice.” His head came up and he stared intently at her as if he was trying to see into her very soul. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling.
He began to move toward her then, his large body fluid and silent. She took a step away but he kept coming. Like an animal on the prowl he tracked her every moment. His nostrils flared and his lips parted.
“But I will use that time to convince you to stay.” His words were so soft she almost didn’t hear them. She wasn’t certain if he was talking to her or to himself. Not that it mattered. His intentions were more than clear. He intended to have sex with her.
The oddest part was she wasn’t certain she’d mind it at all. He’d touched her skin, stroked her breasts and had his fingers inside her last night. What would it feel like to make love with him? No, it wasn’t love—it was sex. She couldn’t confuse the two. He didn’t know her any better than she knew him.
She licked her lips and stood her ground as he got closer and closer until he was standing right in front of her. She was shivering now but not from the cold. Her body was alive, every nerve ending in her body singing, yearning for Abrah.
What would it hurt? They were both adults. This was a time out of time. She was already on vacation from work. No one would miss her for three days. She could have great sex with him and then go home.
“You promise you’ll let me go in three days?” He flinched at her question and she wished she could call it back. He’d brought her to this strange place after all, why should she believe him about anything? Yet, oddly enough, she did.
“Yes. If that is what you want.” He cupped her face and lowered his head. The time for talking was over. She went up on to her toes, drawn to the overwhelming need she felt coming from deep within him.
Their lips met. She’d expected a more forceful kiss but his mouth was gentle against hers, coaxing her to part and accept him. She could do nothing less. Driven by a primitive urge she truly didn’t understand, Audrey let his tongue slide between her lips and welcomed him into her embrace.
Chapter Seven
Abrah knew he should walk away from Audrey. She’d made it clear she planned to leave when the tapestry returned. He’d explained everything to her but didn’t think she truly believed him. His word was his bond, his honor, and yet she doubted him. Never in his life would he have expected this turn of events.
And to have her offer him money to let her go had been like a sword thrust to his heart and his pride. He might not be rich but he would never be poor enough to take money from his woman. He could hunt and had a strong back. She would never be cold, never go hungry as long as he lived.
Which was a moot point since she had no plans to stay.
He knew she was having a difficult time coming to grips with the reality of the situation. From what he’d heard over the years, most tapestry brides did. Some accepted the situation more easily than others. Others never did and fled back to their homes as soon as the tapestry returned. Abrah honestly didn’t know what to do to convince Audrey his world was as real as hers. She’d seen the countryside. Gods, she’d been lost in the storm. What else was there to convince her that this was not a dream?
Then he’d understood there was no need to even try. She’d already made up her mind. But the tapestry had brought her to him and Heroc and they owed it to themselves to try to convince her to stay. Abrah had the feeling this was their one and only chance to have a woman of their own. If Audrey left them they would be alone forever.
He poured all his pent-up loneliness into the kiss he gave Audrey. He would not beg, would not plead with her to stay, but she would remember him long after she’d gone. She would go to her deathbed as an old woman with the taste of his kiss on her lips. It was only fair as he knew he would never forget it or her.
Her fingers dug into his scalp, holding him to her. The blanket slipped from her body and fell to the floor, tangling around her bare feet. Abrah scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed.
He wanted her and she was willing. There was no need for him to hold back any longer.
Her eyes were closed, the dark sweep of her lashes resting on her cheekbones. Gods, she was beautiful with her rosy skin and full, moist lips. She looked at him then, her blue eyes as brilliant as a summer sky.
Abrah stripped off his tunic and tossed it to the floor. Her gaze ran the length of his torso and stopped at his waist. He loosened the laces of his pants and slid them down his legs. His cock was standing erect, hard and firm, leaving her no doubt he was ready and willing to take her.
She licked her lips and his cock jerked toward her. He closed his eyes, knowing he’d lose control if he didn’t. He wanted her too much.
He bent down and yanked off his boots and pants. There was a rustling of bedclothes. His eyes snapped open as her hand stroked his hard length. He hissed out a breath but didn’t stop her. He wanted her hands on his cock, his heavy sac. He wanted her questing fingers everywhere on his body, wherever she wanted to touch him.
Her skin was soft and warm against his. His cock was close to exploding.
And then she scooted off the bed and knelt on the pile of his clothing, bringing her mouth incredibly close to his cock. Her breath was warm against his engorged flesh. He tangled his fingers in her curly hair. The stuff was soft, almost alive in the way it wrapped around his fingers.
She laughed and licked the head of his cock, twining her tongue around the wide crown. Abrah groaned and barely managed to keep from coming. Liquid seeped from the slit and she lapped at it with her clever pink tongue.
He anchored her to him, using his grip on her hair to tether her to him. He didn’t know how much he could take but he wanted everything she was willing to give him. She didn’t disappoint.
Audrey parted her lips and took his cock head into her mouth. Warm, wet heat surrounded him. He gritted his teeth and barely held on to his control. One of her hands cupped his sac, gently rolling it between her fingers. The other hand closed around his shaft.
It was too much. He wanted to be inside her. Had to feel the hot grasp of her pussy milking his cock as he came. Nothing else would do.
Without any warning, he plucked her from the floor and tossed her onto the bed. Her mouth gave a wet, popping sound as it released his cock. Abrah growled as he flung himself onto the bed bedside her.
He didn’t hesitate. There was no time. She had to be ready to take him. He positioned himself between her thighs, spreading them wide with his broad shoulders. Her pussy was pink and wet and welcoming. He inhaled her sultry scent and his cock jerked against the blankets. His balls were so tight they threatened to climb into his body.
He parted her slick folds with his thumbs and licked her pussy, lapping at the sensitive skin. She made tiny, whimpering sounds of pleasure that threatened to unman him. Her hands gripped his shoulders and she shifted her legs wider, welcoming him.
The hard nub of her clit was exposed, pushed back from its protective hood. He tongued the bud of nerves and Audrey cried out his name.
Audrey had never experienced anything like this in her life. Everything was too authentic to be a dream—this room, the crackling fire, the stone walls, but especially the man settled between her spread thighs.
She wasn’t asleep, wasn’t disoriented or hurt or cold. Was this real?