“Ahhh. My faithful squire, who failed the test of chivalry and did not coax you in out of the rain.”
“He tried to, but I wouldn’t budge.” Beth tightened her hold on him and looked up. “I know you’re supposed to be this big, bad, unconquerable warrior. And I believe you when you say you’re good, but I’m just not used to this sort of thing, Robert. Sword fights and mangled bodies and…” She shook her head. “It’s all new to me.”
His gaze sharpened. “Why is that, Beth? Whence came you?”
She closed her eyes. “I’m afraid to tell you.”
“You need not be. You can trust me, Beth.”
Sighing, she met his gaze. “I know.” He had proven as much again and again.
He waited quietly. “Well?”
She pursed her lips. “You want me to tell you now?”
“Aye.”
“But we’re…” His large warm body, still pressed to hers, left no doubt that he was still very aroused. “I mean, I thought we were going to…” Heat crept up her neck into her cheeks.
Damn it, why did she feel so shy all of a sudden?
Robert grinned. “’Tis not that I do not wish to, Beth, as I know you are well aware.”
Though her blush deepened, she returned his grin. “Soooo, what are we waiting for?”
He laughed. “You to tell me what has been preying upon my mind night and day since I found you.”
Lowering her head, she plucked at the front of his shirt. “I think we should get out of these wet clothes first.” And she would do just about anything to postpone telling him the truth.
“I agree.”
“Okay. See ya later.” Spinning around, she lunged for the door.
Robert caught her around the waist and pulled her back against him. “Ohhh, nay,” he said, laughter in his voice. “I know you too well. If I allow you to leave this chamber without telling me what I wish to know, you will spend the next sennight avoiding me.”
He was only half right on that one.
Melting back into him, she reached up and cupped the back of his neck, tilting his head down so she could look into his eyes. “Only during the day,” she promised, a little bit surprised by the sultry quality of her voice.
It was the first time she had mentioned spending the night in his bed.
Only now she had little interest in sleeping.
Those eyes of his dropped to her breasts. His arms tightened. Groaning, he buried his face in the hollow of her shoulder. “What a temptress you are.”
“Only for you,” she admitted softly. “I’ve never been this way with a man before.” She pressed a kiss to his temple, his wet hair cool against her flushed skin. “I’ve never been with a man before. Only you make me want more, Robert. Only you.”
“Ah, Beth.” Every muscle in the big body pressed to hers seemed to go taut as his arms tightened even more. He turned his head, pressed a heated kiss to the base of her neck.
Her pulse leapt madly.
His arms loosened as he shifted his hands to her ribcage and slid them up until his fingers almost touched her breasts.
Fire raced through her veins. Her breath shortened. Anticipation rose.
Then he took a deep breath and gently set her away from him. “Remove your gown, don my robe, and tell me what you seek to avoid telling me so we can move on to better things.”
Barely able to hear him over the heartbeat pounding in her ears, she turned around and blinked up at him. “You… I… What did you want me to do again?”
His lips twitched, though desire blazed brightly in his eyes. He took a step toward her. Halted. And swore. Crossing to the bed, he picked up his robe and tossed it to her. “You’d best remove those wet clothes, sweetling. Your lips are turning blue.”
As much as she hated to admit it, now that he no longer touched her, she was cold as hell. “Spoilsport,” she muttered and began tugging at the laces of the gown she wore with fingers that trembled. She would much rather he keep her warm but understood his desire to know her story. She had promised she would tell him two weeks ago and had yet to deliver.
“I did not mention it earlier, Beth, but you look lovely in that kirtle,” he murmured.
“Thank you,” she said. Twisting this way and that, she tried to figure out the tangled laces. “I feel like an idiot. I’m not used to wearing dresses. Particularly dresses like this one. It’s so cumbersome and restricting. You have no idea how relieved I was when Adam cut the sleeves off.”
“Adam cut your sleeves off? Why would he do that?”
Damn it. The material clung to her like a second skin, heavy from the gallons and gallons of rainwater it had absorbed. “Because I asked him to.” Why couldn’t this dress have a nice convenient zipper? Or maybe some massive buttons. Or Velcro. Anything that would make it easier to take off.