“And you love it.”
“Aye, I do. Doesn’t mean I won’t beat the shite out of the males she flirts with.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit unfair to those males?”
Brant shrugged. “Wrong place, wrong time. Not my problem.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. I had a feeling Allete and I would be constantly intervening where those two were concerned. Brant was like rolling thunder, and Dayna was a bolt of lightning. Put them together, and you’ve got the makings of a volatile storm.
We stood there in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts. The more time that passed without the appearance of Allete from her chambers, the more I fought the need to barge into her room and see her. I needed to know that nothing had changed in the light of day. I needed to know that she wasn’t panicking over what had taken place the night before. Just when I was about to lose my patience, the door opened, and Dayna stepped out.
“She’s asking to see you,” she said with a knowing smile.
“I suppose she filled you in?”
She nodded. “Just so you know, I was all for you being her beau.”
I smiled. “Well, thank you for your blessing.”
She stepped out of the way so I could walk past her. Before I closed the door behind me, I turned and looked at Brant. “Behave. That’s a direct order.”
As the door shut behind me, I heard Dayna say in a playful voice, “’Tis a good thing he can’t give me direct orders to behave.”
I chuckled as the door latched behind me. My eyes found her immediately. She stood across the room, looking out of her window. I’d noticed that this was a place she seemed to be when she was thinking. I walked over to her and stepped close behind her. My hands found her small waist and slipped around her sides until they rested on her stomach. She leaned back against me as though she’d done it a thousand times before.
“Did you get any rest?” I asked as I leaned my head down and buried my face in the place just behind her ear. Her hair was soft against my skin, and she smelled like home.
“A little,” she answered, and her voice ran over me like a warm summer rain. “I suppose you didn’t.”
I chuckled. “I’m used to it, princess.”
When she turned to face me, her brows drew together. “You still look like a Viking.”
“I suppose once you’ve seen past the magic, you won’t see the illusion any more. Or it could be our bond. I do not know.”
“But everyone else still sees you without the long hair and …” She motioned to my face which had grown a nearly full beard.
“Your sister didn’t notice, so I assume they still see me with the spell on me.”
Allete studied me for a few minutes and then reached up and ran her hand across my cheek. “It’s softer than it looks.”
“Did you prefer me before, without it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. Give me some time around you now, and then I’ll make my decision.”
I smiled down at her. “Bossy little thing.” As my eyes held hers, I finally gave in to what I’d been wanting to do since the previous night. “I can’t wait any longer.” I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. She felt so good against me, and the warmth of her mouth urged me to deepen the kiss. I wanted to be selfish with her. I wanted her to feign being sick so she could stay in her room with me, but I knew that wasn’t a possibility, not with the banquet happening the very next day.
When I pulled back, there was a small smile on her face. “That was nice.”
I shook my head. “If the only compliment I get from kissing you is that was nice, then I’m not doing it right.” I leaned down and put my hands beneath her thighs, hoisting her up into my arms. She gasped and then laughed. I walked her back until she was pressed against the stone wall. Her hands cupped my face and when she simply sat there staring at me, I closed the gap between us. Gentleness fled. Consumed by my passion and need for her, I took possession of her mouth and devoured her. My love’s hands ran through the strands of my hair, and it felt so good. Allete felt so very good.
I pulled back to let her take a quick breath. “Torben,” she gasped. But that was all I allowed her before I was on her again. Her small hands moved to my shoulders, and she pulled herself closer to me.
“How am I supposed to be around you all day and not touch you?” I asked her as we both attempted to slow the rising and falling of our chests.
“Consider it a game,” she said with a grin.
“And what do I get if I win?”
“Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
The flirty smile on her delectable lips had me groaning. The woman was going to be the death of me. I let her slide down from my arms and pressed a final kiss to her forehead.
“So no regrets?” I finally asked the question that had been burning a hole in my brain.
Allete shook her head. “None.”
I noticed an errant hair that had fallen loose from her braid, and I gently tucked it behind her ear. “Have you considered that we will be leaving your family, at least for a while?”
She nodded. “I was leaving anyway, but at least now the circumstances are much, much improved. I will have to conceive a way to let my father know that I left with you on my own volition. I don’t want him to think that you took me against my will.”
I had considered the very same thing. “After the banquet, we will talk to him, together.”
After several seconds, she nodded. “All right.”
“Will you be ready to go down for breakfast soon?”
“Yes, just give me a few more minutes.”
I gave her one last lingering kiss and then left her chambers. With every step, my gut clenched tighter. It was going to be a very long couple of days.
I stared down at my food as I listened to the forks and plates clinking around me. I was afraid if I looked up, I would seek out his eyes. The feelings welling up inside of my spirit seemed so strange to me. I wondered if it was some sort of reaction to the bonding, this driving need to be close to him, to touch him. But I knew that we must be careful not to exhibit any strange behavior. We didn’t want to draw any attention to ourselves. I had to pretend that he was just my guard, nothing more.
“Forgive my tardiness,” Cathal’s voice carried across the room.
My stomach hit the floor, and I had to swallow back the bile that threatened to make an unwelcome appearance. When I’d arrived in the dining hall to see that he wasn’t present, my anxiety was momentarily lessened, but the reprieve was short lived.
“Good morning, Allete,” he said as he took the empty chair next to me.
I took a small breath and steeled myself before looking up at him. I plastered a smile on my face and prayed it seemed genuine. “Good morning, my lord.”