Page 24 of A Shield Maiden's Earl
“Though a good warrior, I was without my blade and caught unaware and…” She trailed off, clearly struggling with what had happened. “’Twas terrifying and fast, and he would have taken my virtue against that wall had my sister, Astrid, not appeared and whipped a dagger into his leg.” Releasing a strained chuckle, she shook her head. “The sister who, while a warrior, would choose words over violence, saved me in ways she will never truly understand because he staggered off without accomplishing what he hoped.”
Wishing I could strangle this stranger with my bare hands, I clenched my fists. “And what happened to this man?”
“He left shortly thereafter with his fellow warriors and died months later in battle,” she managed, her gaze on the flames. “So, I never had my revenge, yet I walked away unscathed.”
Not nearly, but I didn’t point that out right now. “Did you not tell your father? Surely Bjorn would have sought justice.”
“I was going to, but the bear attacked him whilst he was away, and when he returned the next day…” She shook her head. “’Twas no time to tell him such a thing, for his recovery was long and difficult, and his disposition much changed. Even if I had wanted to pursue my attacker with a blade in hand and cut offhis ballocks, I had to stay. Had to help my father back to health and then become the daughter he insisted I be after that.”
Sad for the path the Norns had led her down, I set aside my quiet rage and need for revenge on a man who was no more and did all I could for now. I crouched in front of her, wrapped my fingers with hers, and gazed into her eyes with all the tenderness I felt for her. “I cannot tell you how sorry I am for what you suffered, Freya. Even though you kept your virtue, ’twas undoubtedly terrifying and you deserved your revenge,” I said solemnly, understanding her warrior’s soul enough to know how crucial that was. How helpless that man had made her feel when she was the most capable woman I had ever met. “What I can vow, however, is that I will never make you feel that way. Your virtue is yours until you willingly give it, and no sooner,ja?”
“Ja,” Freya whispered, her eyes welling with tears. “And for that, I thank you, Soren.” She cupped my cheek. “More than you could ever know.”
Leaning my cheek into her soft touch, I was about to say more when a soft rap came at the door.
“’Tis food,” I murmured. “But it can wait if—”
“No, answer it.” She pulled her hand away. “Please. They prepared it and delivered it, so we should be grateful.”
Loving her for not just her fierce but soft heart, I nodded and went to the door, allowing the food to be brought in before sitting to eat, only for Freya to surprise me once more. Instead of joining me, she stood, met my eyes, and began undressing not in an adjoining room as she had done thus far but right in front of me.
“I thought, mayhap, before we ate, we might bathe, husband,” she said softly, her gaze unafraid as it lingered on me. She removed her boots and trousers, then pulled her tunic off and tossed it aside.
Despite trying to keep my gaze locked on her face, I was helpless to resist taking in all she unveiled, because she was beautiful. Beyond tempting. From the plump roundness of her breasts to the cinch of her waist to the flair of her hips to her long, shapely legs. If that were not arousing enough, she turned and made her way to the tub, allowing me to appreciate her perfectly formed backside before glancing back at me.
“Are you joining me, then?”
Having never heard sweeter words, I followed, shedding my clothing as I went, while she sank into the tub and watched me, not with alarm but with what appeared to be appreciation. Although her cheeks pinkened and her gaze widened ever so slightly when she took in my cock, which was well on its way to being fully aroused, she scooted forward, allowing me to sink into the water behind her.
“Might you unbraid my hair?” she asked, her voice whisper-soft as if she struggled to breathe every bit as much as I did.
“Ja,” I said, eager to see her hair down once again. To run my fingers through its silky lengths. So, I made swift work of it, captivated by its heavy, vibrant weight in my hands before she dipped beneath the water, then surfaced. After I did the same, she settled back between my thighs and said words I had long wanted to hear.
“I’m not wary of your touch, Soren,” she murmured, meeting my eyes over her shoulder. “Not anymore.”
Chapter Eleven
Freya
It was hardto recall the last time I had such an exhilarating day, from battling with Soren, to being tasked to train his warriors, to finally undressing in front of him and inviting him to bathe with me. Yet we both knew I was inviting him to do much more, and my desire for him only grew when he removed his clothing, revealing an impressive arousal, and climbed into the basin behind me.
My heart pounded wildly as he unbraided my hair, my awareness of him only growing, until I did what I had come here to do. Making myself clear, I looked over my shoulder into his eyes and told him I was no longer afraid of his touch.
“I am ready to become your wife in every sense of the word,” I said plainly, if not a little breathlessly.
He searched my eyes. “Ja?”
“Ja,” I confirmed, unburdened by finally sharing with him the details of my attack years ago. Better still, pleased by his response that he would never do anything I didn’t want to do, or ever make me feel so helpless.
Needing no further prompting, he cupped my cheek and closed his lips over mine, kissing me with more passion this time. All the desire we felt for one another roared up, and our kiss deepened. Intensified. Desperate to taste him, our tongues tangled, and I groaned with a mix of approval and need.
Overly aware of his hot, hard length against my backside, a familiar ache blossomed between my thighs, causing me to squirm with want. Seeming to understand what I craved, he continued kissing me while touching me. First, he fondled my overly sensitive breast and pebbled a nipple between his fingers, causing the ache to grow sharper, then trailed his hand down my stomach.
Although I tensed for a moment when he delved into the soft folds between my thighs, I soon relaxed into the immense pleasure of having him touch me there. Rather than growing anxious, I became desperate when the ache intensified into a building sensation that made me move against him and moan.
Once again, seeming to understand what I needed, he trailed his lips down the side of my neck, rolled the pad of his thumb against the nub at the apex of my pleasure, and pushed me over an edge. Having never experienced anything so intensely pleasurable, I gasped and stiffened against him, only to tremble and give in to the waves of sensation crashing over me.
Awash in the ebbs and flows pulsing from my center, I was hardly aware he had lifted me out of the water until he laid me on the plush fur carpet beside the fire. I roused to awareness as his lips found mine again, and he kissed me deeply, touching and stroking me here and there. He kissed and flicked his tongue down my neck and over my breasts until he pulled one of my pebbled nipples into his mouth, making me arch into the vividly erotic sensation.
