Chapter Twenty #2
She was weeping so much that it was difficult to hear her, but Devlin understood much in those halting words.
God, it made so much sense now. He should have known her reasons, or at least sensed them, and her pain radiated outward, grabbing at him with icy fingers.
He could not avoid the pull. But it only added to the pain he was feeling himself, feeling so very barbaric and cruel.
He had once thrived on his reputation; all men feared the great Black Sword and his horrific rule.
But at this moment, watching Emllyn weep as if her heart was broken, all he could feel were daggers through his soul, like great shards of glass.
They were shredding him. He wasn’t used to emotion on this level, not by a far sight.
“But you were so clear with everything,” he said hoarsely. “You told me of Emllyn’s life down to the last detail. You made me believe that you were her.”
She nodded, not bothering to wipe the tears that were dripping off her chin and onto her yellow surcoat.
“Emllyn and I had been best friends since we were babies,” she whispered.
“I knew every detail of her life as she knew mine. We fostered together and knew the same people. It was not such a great stretch to tell you that I was her. Even the things about her brother I told you… he did not care for her at all. He let her die in that cold room in his cold castle. The poor woman deserved some happiness and he gave her none. I miss her every day.”
Devlin could hear the pain in her voice. “Then you will answer a question and you will not lie to me,” he said quietly. “When you told me you loved me… was it just to save yourself? Were you afraid I would kill you if you told me otherwise?”
She shook her head, so hard that her careful hairstyle began to come undone. “Never,” she hissed. “When I told you I loved you, it was because I did. I still do. I love you more than anything in this world, Devlin. Everything leads me to thee.”
Devlin felt tears sting his eyes as he watched the back of her head.
This time, he didn’t try and stop them; he let them come.
Slowly, and very quietly, he made his way over to Emllyn as she sat on the chair and sobbed.
He lowered his bulk beside the chair, on his knees before her, as he gently grasped her by the arms and turned her to face him.
“Look at me,” he whispered tightly, forcing her to open her eyes.
“Look at me, Emllyn. I am Devlin de Bermingham, a man who has had to fight and kill for everything he has ever achieved in life. You called yourself the daughter of a mere knight; the truth is that I am the bastard of a great earl, his great son whom he acknowledges but wants little to do with. I have no family. I have no one but you. I am sorry you were so terrified of me that you felt you had to lie in order to save your life; I truly am. It is true that the Lady Emllyn Fitzgerald was a great prize at first but she soon became the love of my life. I don’t care if you are someone else; to me, you are my Emllyn, my love and soon to be my wife.
Nothing else matters, do you hear? Nothing at all. ”
Emllyn gazed back at him, his words slowly dawning on her. Her tears came to an unsteady halt as she digested his meaning. “Nothing?” she repeated, surprised.
He shook his head firmly. “Nothing,” he whispered. “Everything leads me to thee.”
When Emllyn came to realize that Devlin didn’t hate her, that he still loved her as she loved him, she threw her arms around his neck and knocked him over backwards with the forced of the gesture.
Devlin ended up on his bum, holding Emllyn so tightly that he heard bones in her spine crack.
And still, he squeezed harder. He couldn’t begin to describe the joy in his heart at the moment.
All he knew was that it was brighter than the sun.
“My sweet love,” he crooned, kissing the side of her head. “All is well now, I swear it.”
Emllyn was weeping steadily, but this time from sheer joy. She had never been so happy in her entire life. “Oh, Devlin,” she breathed, releasing him from her embrace so that she could kiss him. Her kisses were fast and furious. “I adore you, my darling. I have missed you so very much.”
He returned her kisses, his big hands on her face, feeling her soft cheek in his grasp. “You are all I have thought of, day and night,” he murmured, suckling her lower lips and listening to her gasp. “You are all to me, now more than ever.”
Their clothes were coming off. The heat of passion, of joy, had overwhelmed them and all they could think of was joining their bodies, of completing an act that had once meant only fear and domination between them.
Now it meant adoration, fulfilling the need to touch and be touched.
Emllyn had hold of his rough tunic and she unfastened the belt that hung at his hips, tossing it aside as she grabbed the tunic and yanked it off his body, nearly yanking his head off with it.
“Your son, Dev,” she whispered as she ran her hands over his soft, smooth chest, rippling with muscles and covered with a soft matting of red hair. “You promised to give me your son. I will hold you to it.”
Devlin wrapped her up in his massive arms with a growl, picking her up and carrying her to the bed where Merradoc had so recently lain.
The pillows were everywhere because of him and Devlin kicked them aside, laying Emllyn down and covering her with his naked torso.
Kisses were heated and lusty, sensual and moist. Devlin managed to yank his shoes and breeches off, tossing everything haphazardly around the room in his haste.
Emllyn already had her surcoat nearly off and Devlin finished the job by pulling it down her body. That, too, landed somewhere on the floor as Devlin’s lips came to bear on a tender nipple, suckling firmly.
Emllyn gasped aloud with pure joy, writhing beneath him, daring to put her hand between their bodies and feel his erection against her thigh.
His manhood was warm and soft, stiff with desire, and she shifted so her legs were parted.
She could hear Devlin groan as she continued to touch him, and even as he buried himself deep into her wet and waiting flesh. The pleasure he felt went beyond words.
His weight was atop her, his maleness filling her, and Emllyn’s hands moved to his buttocks, digging her nails into his flesh as she drew him into her body.
Her legs, usually spread open to receive him, were now wrapped around him, holding the man fast against her.
As he thrust into her, she couldn’t remember when this wasn’t something she hadn’t loved, the sheer pleasure of their bodies becoming one.
The more he thrust into her, the more incoherent with need she became.
Swiftly, Devlin stopped thrusting and grasped her around the waist, flipping her over and laying her flat on her belly as he settled in and entered her from behind.
Emllyn had never experienced mating like this before and she gasped as he pushed his way into her body, sliding in with ease, and then resuming the familiar mating ritual.
His hands moved underneath her, fingers slipping in between her legs to touch her as he continued his thrusts.
He seemed to hit a spot that made her entire body tremble and soon enough, she was biting off screams of release in the nearest pillow.
It had been a wild and beautiful awakening.
But still, Devlin continued to move, his hands now moving to her breasts, holding them fast and toying with her nipples as he made love to her.
But Devlin couldn’t maintain his control much longer.
As much as he adored bedding her and as much as he had waited for this moment to be reunited with her, he was greatly anticipating the moment of his ultimate release.
When it came, it came hard, and he grunted as he filled her womb with his seed.
He found himself praying for a healthy son from her.
It would be the greatest thing he could imagine.
For a man who never gave much credit to thoughts of sons or family or even wives, the past few weeks had seen his opinion of that change dramatically. Now, he could imagine a future.
Exhausted and spent, he collapsed forward, collecting her in his arms and holding her close as he lay down beside her.
He gently kissed her neck, her shoulders, and her hair, reacquainting himself with the taste and smell of her.
It was like a drug, one that flowed through his veins and flooded his senses.
Shoving his face into the back of her now-mussed hairstyle, he closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.
“I am taking you back to Black Castle,” he muttered. “We will be leaving this place tomorrow, early. I have a feeling it will be difficult to remove you, however, because I suspect that de Noble and his daughter have taken a great liking to you.”
Emllyn had been snuggled up in his arms, dozing lightly, but her eyes opened when she thought of the implications his words brought forth.
“More than you think,” she murmured. “De Noble has been trying to court me since nearly the day you left. I have been beating the man off at every turn and he keeps close watch on me. Removing me may be more difficult than you think.”
Devlin’s eyes opened as she spoke, processing her words. “I suspected as much,” he said. He did not sound pleased. “When I spoke of you to him, I could see his demeanor change. The man is jealous.”
“I know,” she said softly. She twisted in his arms so she could look him in the face. “What will you do?”
Devlin lifted a red eyebrow, reaching down to push a stray lock of hair from her face. She was such a glorious creature and he studied her features for a moment.