Page 42 of The Mercenary

Removing his clothing, piece by piece, he thought of the ride here. More torturous than being captured by a bloodthirsty earl’s retinue or having his arm sliced nearly in two—both of which Guy had experienced.

More than once he’d considered dismounting and tossing caution aside to take Sabine right alongside the road. From the moment she had acquiesced, he could think of nothing other than slipping into her, claiming her as his.

A dangerous thought.

“What are you about?”

He didn’t answer. She would guess in due time.

“There’s no need to cover yourself, Sabine. I am your husband.”

“For a time.” She did not remove her hands.

Again, he didn’t answer.

Instead, Guy stayed his hand on the waist of his braies, the last vestige of any sort of modesty between them.

“Have you changed your mind, then?”

Guy willed her to say no, although he would of course honor her decision had she changed her mind.

“I have not.”

Sabine had once accused him of being many people—she’d told him that she struggled to understand which Guy Lavallais was the “real” one. He often felt the same about his wife. Fearless at times. Modest at others. Which Sabine would greet him now?

Guy would soon find out.

“Oh my!” she said as he slipped free of his braies.

He could do with such a reaction. Smiling, Guy moved to the tub.

“Surely you don’t mean to . . .”

She sat up to accommodate him, knowing exactly what he meant to do. But he mistook her meaning apurpose.

“To make you as wet as the water in which we sit?”

He straddled her legs, settling in quite nicely. The tub made for a tight fit, but it held both of them.

“To make love to you until the sun rises? Aye, I mean to do both and more.”

With her hair wet around her shoulders, a drip of water on her nose, she was like a water nymph, something so beautiful it belonged in another world.

I do not deserve her.

His extremely hard cock brushed against her stomach, and Guy knew it would take tremendous effort not to enter her too soon. Clenching his jaw, he gripped both sides of the tub.

When two delicate hands tentatively lay on his back, Guy sucked in a breath.

Slow and easy.

He leaned down and kissed her. It was so different from their earlier kiss, the gentleness of it seeming to startle her. Coaxing her mouth open, his tongue stroked and teased until he grew even harder, the need to be inside her so very strong.

Slanting his mouth across hers, Guy deepened their kiss, allowing his chest to press against hers. He wanted to feel the two mounds with his hands and cursed the decision to make love to her in the tub.

He’d not wanted to wait, but neither could he fully indulge as he would later when they lay in the bed. For now, he relished the feel of her lips against his. Her hands against his neck and head, pressing him more firmly against her.

Shifting all of his weight to one hand, Guy reached under the water, the small splash tossing droplets of water over them. Finding the underwater treasure, Guy slipped his fingers inside, making Sabine flinch.