Chapter 16
Sixteen
Draven wanted to spend the rest of the day in her arms, but didn’t dare. There were too many people around who could easily get word to her father. Not that he feared for himself, far from it. He had accepted the possibility of dying young the first day he held a sword in his hand.
But he refused to see Emily harmed for his actions.
He left her with a kiss, then dressed and went to find Simon.
And find him he did. Simon was waiting for him in the hall with a look on his face as if Draven were the angel of death come to claim his unrepentant soul.
“You took her, didn’t you?” he asked as soon as Draven drew near.
“Is that not what you wanted?”
Simon looked away sheepishly. “Since when have you ever listened to me?”
“It appears today.”
Anguish contorted Simon’s face. “I didn’t mean for you to take her. I thought you would marry her first. ‘Twas my intent. Now what are you to do?”
“She wants me to send word to Henry and ask if he’ll sanction a wedding.”
“Will he?”
Draven looked at him. It would do no good to lie, besides he had never done such. Nor would he ever tell a falsehood to his brother. “What think you?”
“Henry can be reasonable at times.”
Draven snorted. “You mean capricious. If I catch him in the right mood, ‘tis possible he might forget what he said.”
“And how likely is that?”
Draven heaved a weary sigh. “Not, I’m afraid. He will see my actions as a personal betrayal against him since I am his champion.”
Simon hung his head. “I’m sorry I got you into this.”
“Easy, Simon.” He clapped him on the back. “You didn’t get me into this. I did. I knew the repercussions and I made the choice.” Draven smiled at the memory of her in his arms. “If it makes you feel better though, she is well worth it.”
Simon gave him a hard stare. “I hope you can say that when they’re scooping your entrails out and you’re still alive to feel it.”
“I’ve had worse.”
“Such as?”
“The day my heart was ripped out of me. I assure you the king’s executioner could never equal the pain I felt the day I saw our mother die.” He stared at the far wall where his father’s table had once stood. “I never faced all of it until yesterday. And now....”
“Now?” Simon prompted.
“I can’t say ‘tis all better for I still ache, but that hollow part of me has somehow been filled.”
Simon frowned. “What hollow part?”
It suddenly dawned on Draven just what he was saying. It had been years since he shared such confidences with Simon.
What had Emily done to him?
Stiffening at the thought, he looked at Simon drolly. “The hollow part between my ears. Now go and leave me.”
Emily went downstairs to wait for Draven, but he never showed. The servants had cleaned away the remnants of the dais and when she had tried to speak with Simon, he had offered a feeble excuse and vanished.
She felt like a pariah as she sat before the burning fire in the hall waiting for Draven’s return.
One of Draven’s hounds sat by her side and she idly stroked his ears as she stared into the sparks.
Most of the castle’s occupants had retired and she wondered if Draven had any intention of returning to the hall this night.
“What are you doing here?”
She jumped at Draven’s deep voice behind her. “Do you ever make a sound?” she snapped as her heart pounded.
“I thought you heard my footsteps on the stairs.” He moved to stand behind her chair.
Emily looked up at him over her shoulder. “I would ask you what brings you here, but I assume ‘tis time for you to start your nightly vigil.”
“Aye.”
She reached up and took his hand. He squeezed her fingers gently, then lifted it to his lips and kissed the backs of her knuckles. Warmth filled her at the gesture.
He released her hand and fished in his purse for a minute. Emily frowned.
“Close your eyes.”
She did as he commanded. He placed something cold and heavy around her neck. Emily stroked the object with her fingers and knew it for a necklace.
Opening her eyes, she looked down to see the emerald necklace the merchant had tried to talk her into at the fair in Lincoln.
“Draven?” she asked in disbelief.
“I saw the way you looked at it at the fair and I wanted you to have it.”
“But how?”
“I sent Druce for it the night before we left.”
Warmth filled her at his thoughtfulness. “Thank you.”
He nodded.
Emily rose from her seat and kissed him gently on his cheek.
Draven closed his eyes to savor the feel of her lips on his skin.
“Come upstairs with me,” she whispered in his ear.
God help him, but he followed. After all, what did it matter at this point? Henry couldn’t hang him twice for the same offense.
Besides ‘twas infinitely better to spend the night in her arms than walking the parapets.
She led him to her room where the fire had burned low in the hearth, and a single tallow candle lit the room. It smelled of roses and apples, and the smell instantly warmed him.
Draven stopped in the center of the room and pulled her into his arms. He leaned his face down into the hollow of her throat and inhaled the precious scent that was his Emily.
She cupped his elbows in her hands and nuzzled her head against his neck. Draven swallowed. She had seen him in ways no one ever had. When he looked into her eyes he didn’t see the bastard demon born of hell, he saw himself as he wanted to be. Kind, heroic, noble, and most of all lovable.
He touched her lips with his fingertips. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For seeing the best inside of me.”
She smiled at him. “I only see what is there.”
Not believing it for a minute, he leaned forward and kissed her.
Emily surrendered herself to him with a gentle moan of pleasure.
“I have never seen anything more wondrous than you,” he said softly.
She smiled at him. He enveloped her with his arms and held her close to the heat of his body.
Emily trembled. For some reason, she felt as though she’d come home after a long absence.
Something about being with this man just felt so very right.
She looked up to see if he felt it as well. She didn’t know, but his gaze burned into hers.
He dipped his head toward her lips and she welcomed his kiss. Emily moaned deep in her throat as their lips met. This was what she had been aching for. Time alone with a man she loved as he rained kisses on her.
With a boldness that astounded her, she took his lips between her teeth and tugged gently. She wanted to devour this man, to feel every inch of him against her and to never, ever let him go.
Draven’s head swam as he tasted the sweet nectar of her mouth. She clutched at his back with her hands, pulling him so close to her that he feared he might actually hurt her.
In her innocence, she rubbed her breasts against his chest, searing him with heat. Draven moaned as she shifted her weight in his arms and her hip collided with his swollen groin.
“Emily.” He groaned, trying to pull back from her.
Instead, she leaned forward, recapturing his lips with her own.
His will shredded by her touch, Draven was past the point of rational thought. All he could focus on was the manifestation of his dreams. The pleasure of her smell, the feel of her hip grinding against the part of him he had longed to give her.
“Make love to me, Draven, for the rest of the night.” Emily buried her hands in his hair.
She felt him tugging at the hem of her gown, lifting it up so that he was able to touch the bare flesh of her buttocks as he kissed her fiercely, demandingly.
She reveled in the feel of him, in the knowledge that she would never want another man the way she wanted Draven.
Never.
Ecstasy tore through her as chills erupted the length of her body. She wasn’t sure what thrilled her more, the feel of his tongue stroking her neck or the strong hands that touched her in places no other man had ever touched.
Draven cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.
Emily closed her eyes.
“Here.” His voice was a ragged whisper in her ear. “Touch me here.” He took her hand and placed it on the bulge of his breeches.
She widened her eyes at the feel of him throbbing in her palm.
Her first instinct was to pull away, but the look of pleasure on his face was so great that it spurred her on.
She lifted her hand up to the waistband of his breeches, then boldly plunged her hand down through the tangled curls between his legs to touch the flesh of him with her hand.
He shook all over. Emily smiled in satisfaction at the thought of the power she had over this man who claimed he needed no one.
Draven laid her down then, against the hard floor and pulled her gown from her. Exposed to his gaze, she trembled in uncertainty. Her face warmed as his gaze ran over her.
“My Emily,” he whispered. “I want to see you, to touch you, but most of all, I want to taste you.”
He dipped his head to her breast. Emily arched her back at the sensation of his tongue playing across the taut peak. Moaning, she cupped his head in her hands and held him close.
Draven ran his hand down her stomach and over her hip. Her entire body ached with need. Bittersweet pleasure tore through her.
And then he trailed his hand around her thigh and touched the center of her body. Emily gasped as pleasure whipped through her while his fingers caressed the tender folds of her body.
Draven laughed deep in his throat as he pulled back to look down at her. Over and over his fingers stroked her, teasing her with a promise of more pleasure, until he pulled away.
Emily whimpered in disappointment as he rose to his feet and pulled his breeches off.
Draven held his hand out to her. Emily took it and allowed him to haul her to her feet. He led her to the foot of the bed.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
His deep throaty laugh warmed her. “You haven’t been reading your book lately,” he teased as he placed a kiss on the back of her neck.
Emily shivered.
Draven stood behind her then. He pulled her back against his chest and ran his hands over her breasts, down her waist and to her hips.