Beth’s lips still tingled as the group approached the village that preceded the castle. She could not believe she had asked Robert to kiss her when she was on the brink of a mental breakdown. But for a moment, after that first tentative contact, her worries had deserted her.
Pure, sizzling heat had supplanted them, stealing her breath and robbing her of all reason. She had had no idea desire could consume her so swiftly.
It certainly never had in the past.
Granted, she wasn’t very experienced in that area. She hadn’t really dated much in high school.
Okay, she hadn’t dated at all in high school. She had been a late bloomer, something her blushing father had awkwardly assured her ran in the family when Beth had bemoaned the fact that she still hadn’t gotten her period by the time she had turned fourteen, even though her friends had all long since become women.
Her diminutive height combined with her flat chest and slim hips had made her appear several years younger than the other girls her age. Far too young, it seemed, to interest hormone-driven teenage boys who were too busy chasing girls with big boobs to even notice her.
By the time Beth had finally acquired some curves, she had been studying her ass off in college and forcing her way into the family business, which had left little time to socialize.
She had managed to go out with a few guys, though. Some more than once. She’d shared kisses. Touches. But nothing more. Not after what had happened with Josh.
When he was nineteen, Josh had received a phone call from a former girlfriend who had informed him she was HIV positive and advised him to get tested. Beth had found out quite by accident and had almost wept with relief when the test had come back negative. But the incident had scared them both so badly that neither Beth nor Josh even considered engaging in casual sex. Condoms didn’t offer one hundred percent protection, and neither one of them believed a moment’s pleasure with someone they didn’t love was worth the risk. So in the years since, Josh had only had two lovers.
And Beth had had none. Which hadn’t been that big a deal. None of the guys she had dated had knocked her socks off or fueled her desire. Not the way Robert had.
Whew! That man could kiss! She had been so stimulated that just having his arm looped around her waist now kept her heart pounding and left her breathless.
Until they reached the village.
Every once in a while, foul aromas would assail her. Beth didn’t know if the odors originated from the animals or poor sewer drainage or what. She didn’t think it came from the people, but more than one didn’t exactly appear to make good personal hygiene a high priority.
None of the men and women—or children for that matter—appeared slothful, though. Each seemed to have his or her own purpose and duty to perform. Each went about performing that duty diligently, pausing to greet Robert with friendly smiles full of respect and what appeared to be an almost overabundance of relief.
And to stare at Beth, of course.
What was it about her that made so many gape? Sure, her hair wasn’t braided and curled uncontrollably. Thanks to Robert’s plunging fingers, it was probably more messy than usual, too. But she didn’t exactly resemble Medusa.
Was it Robert’s shirt? It did hang on her like a flour sack, constantly slipping off one shoulder to reveal the dark tank top beneath.
She didn’t really mind the slippage, though, because Robert always dragged it back up with his big hand, leaving a wicked warmth behind that provided a welcome distraction.
“These are your people?” she inquired softly.
“Aye.”
Her knowledge of world history was fairly limited, so she wasn’t sure how the whole peasant/nobleman infrastructure worked. As she looked around her, though, she decided that here it appeared to work pretty well. These people seemed to bear true fondness for Robert. And, though she didn’t see many elderly men and women, the people she did see all seemed in good physical condition. Some were in need of a bath or missing a tooth here or there, but their bodies seemed healthy and strong and lacked the gauntness of the man and his son they had encountered earlier.
“You must be a good leader,” she commented.
Robert waved to the children who ran alongside their horses, teasing smiles and giggles from them. “What makes you say so?”
“Look at them. They all love you.”
“Nonsense,” he grumbled, dropping his hand and shifting slightly.
Beside them, Michael grinned. “He will swear he is a harsh taskmaster, severe and lacking leniency, beating subservience into them all. But in truth, he knows every one of these people by name and has earned their fierce loyalty through his kindness and generosity.”