“Sir Derrik!” Amelie called. When he didn’t turn around, she made an irritated sound with her tongue.
During their ride back to the castle, she had wanted to discuss how he planned to keep her father safe at the farmhouse, but the presence of the servant and the Healer kept her silent; it was better that only a few people knew about the details. So she allowed Derrik to set a rapid pace while her mind became preoccupied with worry and fear for her parents. Did her mother’s convulsing stop, and would she survive? And would her father make it to the farmhouse on his own, despite his injuries? These were questions that were impossible to answer but nagged at her mind. And in both circumstances, she had little or no control over the outcome.
Halfway through the journey, the Healer veered off to her cottage to get her herbal supplies, while she, Derrik and the servant continued onward to the stronghold. Fortunately or unfortunately they made it back to the fortress swiftly and in record time.
When they arrived at Stanbury Castle, she fully intended to question him on his scheme, but the stable master wasn’t even finished helping her off her horse when Derrik had already exited from the stable.
She would have immediately gone after Derrik, however at that moment Mistress May entered the stable with her palfrey. Having a quick word with the Healer, and witnessing her calm and confident manners, Amelie felt assured that her mother would be in capable hands.
With at least one fear put to rest, she felt a need to speak to Derrik, and put her mind at ease regarding her father’s welfare. Because the more she thought about things, it occurred to her that she knew little about the Hawk’s former commander other than the stories she heard as a child. Her father might temporarily be safe from Roldan, but was he safe from the man who lived in the secluded farmhouse?
Recalling the map that Derrik drew on the ground, Amelie knew that the area that he pointed to was remote and few men dared to go there. The region was considered wild and uninhabited, more so than the spot where the Healer’s cave was located. She could only imagine that there was a reason for a person to live so far from society, and that reason was probably not a good one. Sir Gareth, for all she knew, could be a criminal, crazy or both.
And with the worrying thoughts fixed in her mind, she felt an urgency to somehow guarantee her father’s safety. It would be ridiculous to finally find him, and then have him butchered by an insane knight.
“Sir Derrik,” she called again.
But Derrik still didn’t hear her. His long legs continued to stride across the courtyard and then up the stairs that led into the great hall. She chewed at her lip, in doubt about whether she should follow him, or wait until supper.
He would be out of sight soon if she didn’t decide. Then making up her mind, she picked up her pace and chased after him. It was only when he headed toward the private apartments that she hesitated again. Whether or not Margery was at her side, she knew it was improper to seek him out in his bedchamber.
Nevertheless she needed to speak to him about Lord Stanbury, a voice inside her insisted. It was her duty as a chatelaine to do so, and it wouldn’t take long to have a word with him. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that no one paid attention to her. Then keeping her head high and her steps firm, she hurried to the spiral staircase.
When she finally stood in front of Derrik’s door, her resolve wavered. She rubbed at the side of her neck. If Margery ever discovered her here, Amelie would be in so much trouble. But her nursemaid was nowhere to be found, and this was an urgent matter.
Amelie knocked on the door before she had a chance to change her mind. A movement sounded at the other side, and after what seemed like an eternity, the door opened.
“I don’t need another bucket of water —” Derrik stopped, a startled expression on his face. “What are you doing here, my lady?”
She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Derrik stood at the door without his tunic. She stared at his muscular chest, mesmerized once again by his sheer size and sculpted planes.
“I — I think I might have come at the wrong time,” she said, her voice sounding breathless. Her eyes flew to his and she swallowed, trying to moisten her mouth that had suddenly gone as dry as parchment. She forced herself not to look at his half-naked body. “I should leave.” Taking a step back, she felt the tell-tale flush creeping up her cheeks.
“Wait,” he said, grabbing her hand just as she turned to flee. His deep voice caused a small tremor to run through her body, and she allowed him to pull her into his chamber. He peered briefly down the hallway. “You came alone,” he added, before closing the door.
“I did not have time to search for my nursemaid,” Amelie nodded and reluctantly faced him. “And I thought we should…” Her voice trailed off as she saw something flicker in his eyes. Licking her lips, she suddenly felt nervous and only too aware that she was in his domain.
“You thought?” His eyes darkened as he watched her tongue dart across her lips. He stood in front of the door, his large hand still gripping hers. “You’re here already. Speak whatever ‘tis on your mind.”
“You can release me now. I have decided that I can wait until supper to ask you about Sir Gareth.”
“Oh,” he said as one blond eyebrow shot up, but he loosened his grip and dropped her hand. Looking thoughtfully at her, he asked, “What is it that you want to know about him?”
“My father is in poor health, as you know,” she said, her voice sounding a little anxious. “And I fear that if Sir Gareth is not of sound mind, my father —”
“Are you here to ask me if Sir Gareth has all his faculties?” he asked.
“Aye.” She noted the twinkle in his eyes, but nodded gravely, unsure what he found so amusing. “I do wonder about that. Not once have you expanded on his character, and I know that no sane man would live alone in the wilderness, and so far away from civilization.”
“You sound very sure of this.”
“There is nothing but forest in the region,” she said, ignoring the slight quirk of his lips. “As far as I know there is no town or village close by either. I want your assurance that my father will be safe from a — a lunatic.”
“Whether or not Sir Gareth is of sound mind, I don’t know. What I do know is that your father will be safe with him.”
“You have your opinions, of course,” she said, taking in a deep breath. Her throat felt tight, and she found it impossible to disregard his half-dressed state. Not wanting to look into his compelling blue eyes, she fixed her gaze on his collarbone. “But your words concerning your friend is not very reassuring, I am afraid.” She paused for a second, and the question that was foremost on her mind burst out, “Will you tell me the details of your plan? I know that when you reveal to King Edward about my father’s innocence —”
“I have no plan,” he interrupted.
“No plan?” she repeated, staring at him blankly. “But you said back at the cave… that you have a plan…”
“I lied. Everyone was in a panic, and I thought to defuse the situation before it got out of control. My thought was to send your father to Sir Gareth so he would be out of harm’s way. I have yet to come up with a strategy.”
Amelie gasped and then turned on him. “You told me that you would help me,” she said, frowning fiercely at him. “This is not helping at all!” She clenched both of her fists. “Are you telling me that all you have thought to do is to hide my father in the wilderness, while his name continues to be trodden upon? Is that what I am hearing?”
When he didn’t immediately respond to her question, a sudden rage rose within her. She put her hands to her hips, her eyes flashing. Then in a voice shaking with barely suppressed wrath, she asked, “And what do you intend to do about my uncle?”
“I have yet to work out a scheme for that as well.”
“What?” she asked vehemently. “You will allow my uncle to roam free while my father continues to face peril at his hands? What kind of knight are you?” She made a sound of disgust. “’Twas a waste of time to come to you. I would have been better off without your help.”
She moved to push him from the door. But he didn’t budge from his spot. As soon as she touched his arms, one hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist. He dragged her to him, her chest heaving against his. Looking up at him, she saw that his eyelids were hooded and his gaze was indecipherable.
“I hope that you have not come here just to insult me,” he said quietly.
Amelie swallowed, fighting the urge to untangle herself from his grasp and step far, far away. She had forgotten how large Derrik was. And, most crucial of all, she failed to remember that he wasn’t a subject of Stanbury and under her rule. If anything, he had every right to take offense to her criticisms.
“Derrik,” she said. “I —” she started again but then stopped.
The glint in his eyes slowly faded and the tension around his eyes softened. His grip on her was firm, and although she knew she should get out of the intimate embrace, she was helpless to leave the warmth of his arms.
“Say my name again, Amelie,” he said softly. “It sounds so lovely on your lips.”
“I — I made a mistake. ‘Twas wrong of me to come here,” she said, helplessness and desperation sounding in her voice.
“Nay, you shouldn’t have come,” he agreed, his gaze lingering on her mouth. “But nevertheless you’re here.”
Her dark eyes shimmered with uncertainty. “This is not proper…” she tried again.
Derrik drew her forward and placed one finger on her lips, effectively silencing her.
Initially, he thought that she had followed him to discuss her father, but now that she was here, looking up at him with her big, round eyes, it seemed that she had a different agenda on her mind. An agenda that he didn’t mind taking her up on.
As he remembered their passionate kiss, he began to think that perhaps he had misjudged her, and that she was more experienced than he had thought.
“The fact that you’re in my room is improper,” he reminded her gently. “If you wanted to ask me about your father, you had every opportunity to do so when we made our journey back to the castle. Yet you didn’t.”
Raising a finger, he caressed the soft curve of her cheek. “Why are you really here, Amelie? Is it because you want to tempt me again?” His eyes fell to her lips. He wanted just one kiss. What harm would it do? “Because if that’s your plan, ‘tis working.”
He watched as she nervously licked her lips once more.
Amelie had seen that look many times before, although she had never allowed any suitor close enough to kiss her. But now she felt an overwhelming urge to press her lips to his. Every time she was near him, she felt that magnetic pull. And this time the pull was even more powerful because it contained something more, something indescribable and wicked.
Raising her eyes, she saw that his eyes were dark with desire, a veritable reflection of her own. The blood pounded in her head, her body tingled as if every part of her body was now roused from a long, slumberous sleep.
“Kiss me, Derrik,” she whispered achingly.
Slowly, he bent his head, descending closer. His lips barely brushed against hers, although the small pressure caused her body to become motionless. A moment ago, she had a reason to visit him, a reason that made perfect sense, but now her logic fled her, and she was acutely aware of the perilous situation that she had placed herself. Still, a jumble of emotions ripped through her — anticipation, curiosity, panic and fear. Even her heart felt as if it galloped away and left her body behind.
Derrik backed off slightly. Without being fully conscious of what she was doing, Amelie twined her arms around his neck, stopping his movement. Then sliding her hands up, she placed them at the side of his head, bringing it back down toward her. Leaning in, she kissed him back.
Vaguely she could hear and feel his groan rumbling against her own chest.
Her body seemed to sing in answer to the erotic music, bringing new tingling awareness, showing her that, all along, this was what she craved. A flood of warm energy whirled around in her body and flitted down to her core, making her wet and aching. She turned her body squarely, pressing her soft curves into his hard, sculpted planes, wanting to get as close as possible, wanting to become one with him.
Her fingers slid through his golden mane as he deepened the kiss, matching his passion with her own.
Small, desperate whimpers formed in the back of her throat. He pried her lips apart with his tongue. Then with that same tongue, he stuck it into her mouth, drinking in her essence as if she was made of honey and everything sweet.
The first kiss he had given her at the inn had taken her by surprised, and this kiss re-awoken those feelings that had been latent. The feeling was insistent, a throbbing in the center of her being, a void that could be satisfied in only one way. She couldn’t quite describe it. It was a sensation, a raw heat, a hunger that started in her heart and spread throughout her body and settled between her thighs.
What was happening to her? She had never experienced these feelings until she met Derrik. And now that her body tasted the dark promise, it demanded more. It demanded that she continue to play this risky and dangerous game. It demanded that she surrender everything to him, including her heart.
Derrik broke away from the kiss, his breath coming out in harsh rasps. This needed to stop. Of all things, he was a knight, and he knew better than to ravish a maiden like this.
A soft sigh escaped her. And he groaned out loud. He had trained for many years to become a strong knight. Sir Jared, his uncle and mentor, had drilled in his head about duty and loyalty. Even now his voice echoed in Derrik’s head, telling him to cease this madness. And he knew he should have the ability to stop. Over the years he had honed his control until it was as robust and unbreakable as iron chains. Except his chain of control was falling apart. And when his lips touched hers, he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t draw back. He wanted all of her.
Once again, he became aware of that vague, strange feeling, the feeling that he experience only with Amelie… And he knew as surely as his heart was beating that he had gone and fallen in love with her.
He closed his eyes. How did this happen? He had locked up his heart ever since his childhood love rejected him. How did this small woman in his arms unlock that heavy pad surrounding his heart, and make him desire only her? He didn’t know why he did it; he had a duty to the king. There were unknown dangers that lurked beyond the bedchamber door. But Amelie’s innocent kiss ignited the passion that he had kept so carefully under wraps. And now that it was unleashed, his body desperately wanted to take over, to have his way with her.
“Derrik?” Amelie said, her voice sounding like a sigh.
“I think that this kiss is more than what is proper,” he said, his voice sounding thin and distant to his own ears. “We need to stop.”
Her large brown eyes looked up at him in surprise, and he saw it quickly turned to disappointment.
“You should leave now before ‘tis too late.”
She stared at him as if he spoke a foreign language. “Nay,” she said finally. There was something about Derrik that was different from all the men who had ever tried to vie for her attention. With them she felt nothing. But with Derrik, she felt something deeper. She tried to deny her feelings for him. But whenever he was near, it was impossible to ignore her attraction to him. She should have been content with this one kiss, since it was clear that the kiss had affected him as much it had affected her. But her body demanded that they finished what they started. And all the years of having what she wanted without anyone questioning her, came to the forefront.
“I desire more,” she said, her voice husky. “I desire you, Derrik.”
Her soft voice was his undoing and he drew in a sharp breath.
From the moment he set eyes on her, he experienced a curiosity that had grown to an all-consuming obsession. The fire inside him burst into feverish heights, surprising him in its intensity. He pulled her back into his arms. Dropping his mouth to hers, he kissed her with an unbridled, hungry passion. His arms tightened, drawing the small of her back toward him, allowing her to feel how much he wanted her.
And when he felt her body yield, a groan rumbled in his chest, and he deepened the kiss once again. Lifting her up, he brought her over to the bed, settling her on the firm mattress. He knew full well that it was a mistake. But he was unable to resist the temptation. All he could think to do was to quickly pull off his braies.
With one hand splayed across her slender shoulders, it slid down her back until it cradled her backside. He squeezed her briefly before making his way to her smooth leg. Then sliding underneath her gown, his hand skimmed over to the front. It slowed down, stroking, caressing her velvety skin, moving ever closer to her secret entrance. And when his questing fingers slipped inside her, he found her wet, slick, and ready for him.
He groaned as if he was in mortal pain.
Suddenly the clothes on her body were too much of a barrier. Still kissing her, his breath mingling heavily with hers, he fumbled with the buttons and ties of her gowns and underclothes. And when the clothes pooled at her feet, he paused to look at her glorious body. A deep flush crept over her, and Amelie reached for the blanket to cover herself.
“Nay,” he said, grabbing her hand. “I want to see…taste…all of you.”
Then to prove that he meant it, he bent over one taut nipple.
“What are you doing?” she gasped.
Involuntarily, her hands reached up and dug into his straw-colored hair. His hot mouth covered her breast while his rough tongue began licking, caressing her fully aroused nipple. And when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, he moved to the other breast and paid it equal homage.
His tongue trailed across her rosy skin, gliding across her flat stomach. She thought she had experienced it all, but then his searing tongue found a new path along the inside of her thigh.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked hoarsely. He lifted his head, his eyes filled with tortured tenderness and restraint. “Because if you do, you must tell me now — while I still have the ability to end this.”
Amelie whimpered. Her capacity to speak was lost long ago. The reason why she sought him in his bedchamber was a distant memory. All she could do was shake her head.
And that was all the answer he needed.
He brought his fiery tongue back to her thigh, licking upward until the flaming heat touched her delicate folds. She sat up abruptly, trying to move away from the burning heat. But Derrik simply pulled her back down, and continued with his tender onslaught. It was then that she surrendered to his erotic ministrations. Leaning on her elbows, she threw back her head, her breath coming out in short gasps and moans.
With each stroke of his tongue, her breath came out faster and faster until a sudden wave of bliss hit her. She screamed as her world shattered. Blindly, she reached over and grasped his shoulders.
When the pulsating slowed, her grip on his shoulders loosened. And then he rolled on top of her, kissing her neck, shoulders and breasts as if he couldn’t get enough of her. Burying her fingers into his hair, she lifted his head and brought his lips back to her own. She then kissed him with a renewed energy and passion that radiated from her core. And once again her body was set aflame, causing her to rock to the frenzied rhythm that he set.
And when she thought she reached the pinnacle of exquisite pleasure, she felt his arousal between her thighs, poised at her entrance. She threw her head back and moaned, feeling the sensation, feeling his hardness lightly touching her, making her drip.
“I need you,” he said, gritting his teeth.
And then as if to prove how much he needed her, he rubbed the tip of his erection against her mound, making her fully aware of his rigid length.
“Look at me,” he commanded. Then when her eyes locked with his, he slowly entered her. She saw his pupils enlarge and darken before she became lost in the rapturous sensation.
“I’m sorry, Amelie…” he said, his voice breaking. Small beads of sweat formed on his forehead. “I cannot hold on any longer.” And with that, he thrust his hips one final time until he was fully sheathed inside of her.
Her eyes closed abruptly as she gasped at the sudden passionate invasion, her fingers digging into his shoulders.
He held still, giving her a chance to become accustomed to having him inside her. And when her body softened, he began to slowly rock back and forth, circling one way and then the other until all her thoughts fled once again. A pressure built from within her, and the sharp pain that she experienced a moment ago became a dull memory. It felt as if he caressed her from the inside, and she couldn’t help but moan at the tortured pleasure he evoked. Then he quickened his movements, thrusting in and out, in and out, the sound of their frantic breaths merging and becoming one.
Amelie let out a startled cry just as she felt an explosive wave of ecstasy. In response to her scream, Derrik’s body tensed. And as he held still, she felt the powerful pulsation as he released his seed into her. Then in one smooth motion, he came off of her, and rolling to the side, he brought her up to a seated position.
“I hope that I didn’t hurt you,” he said, his tone serious and slightly apologetic.
“There was a bit of pain,” she said, looking at his neck, now feeling shy. “However it did not last very long.”
Derrik winced. “I suppose that I should apologize, but I would be lying if I told you I regret this.” He put a finger under her chin, tilting her face up. “The next time won’t hurt, I promise you.”
She stared at him, not believing what she was hearing. She had expected him to tell her that he, at the very least, cared for her. But from his casual words, it appeared that she was just another woman to romp with. The next time.
“There will not be a next time,” she said, shaking her head, and pushing away from him. “We both know that this was a mistake. I would appreciate it if we do not speak of this ever again.”