Читать книгу The Royals Collection - Ким Лоренс, Rebecca Winters - Страница 77

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

IF ONE NIGHT could be said to be long enough to learn how to give and receive pleasure, then last night had been that night, Jazz reflected as she rolled over in bed, sighing with contentment. At some point Tyr had carried her from the cushions to the rug, and sometime after that he had carried her from the rug to the bed, where he’d made love to her again. It was as if they could never get enough of each other. They had a lot of time to make up for, Tyr had reminded her.

‘We’ve only been married a few hours,’ she had argued.

‘But I’m talking about all those years when I was away when I could have been with you.’

‘But then we would have been two very different people.’

Reaching out, she gasped with alarm. Where was Tyr? Panic-stricken, she shot up in bed and gazed around. It was still shadowy inside the pavilion with the first thin shafts of light slanting through the windows. Was last night a dream?

‘You’re awake, Princess.’

‘Tyr!’

Crossing the pavilion in a few big strides, her Viking lover, dressed in jeans and not much more, dragged her into his embrace. ‘You’re shaking,’ he exclaimed softly, keeping her warm in his arms as he kissed the top of her head.

‘I thought you’d gone away again. I must have been half asleep. The bed was empty, and—’

‘You don’t get rid of me that easily.’

‘Who says I want to get rid of you?’ She rolled closer. ‘I have plans for you.’

Laughing, Tyr kissed her. His sexy growl warmed her through, and, remembering his exhaustive attentions the night before, she reached for the buckle on his belt.

Tyr might have helped her with that belt buckle or he might have hindered. She wouldn’t know; they were in such a rush. Tearing off his jeans, he threw her down on the bed and drew her beneath him. Lifting her, he nudged one powerful thigh between her legs and took her with a deliciously firm thrust. The pleasure when Tyr began to move was indescribable, and she moved with him, fiercely and rhythmically, and as fast as she could. She cried out as she dropped into the abyss and Tyr fell with her. This was the best yet. And extremely necessary, Jazz concluded contentedly as Tyr fell back and they both began to laugh. Turning his head, Tyr stared into her eyes. ‘Why did we waste so much time sleeping?’

‘We must be mad,’ Jazz agreed wryly. ‘But as I’m not in the mood for sleep right now...’

Tyr took the hint and helped her to climb on top of him. Gripping his shoulders, she settled slowly into position. ‘Oh, that’s so good. So good!’ Her screams could probably be heard in the village, and, with Tyr holding her firmly as he guided her back and forth, she extracted the last ounce of pleasure and rode the storm.

‘This can’t get any better, can it?’ she managed later when they were both taking a break with their limbs lazily entwined.

‘Why do you ask?’ Tyr murmured without opening his eyes.

‘Because I don’t think I can take any more.’

‘You underestimate yourself, Princess, but perhaps we should find out?’

Jazz exclaimed softly with anticipation as Tyr brought her beneath him. Lifting her legs onto his shoulders, he pressed her knees back and took her in long, lazy strokes that she could do nothing to resist or control, and within seconds she had lost control again. ‘Stop—stop,’ she begged him, laughing as Tyr lowered her onto her side and curled around her. ‘I can’t take any more.’

‘You’re wrong,’ he insisted.

He was right, thank goodness. When Tyr moved behind her and his hand worked some sort of magic as he moved, the impossible became possible again. Arching her back, she thrust her buttocks towards him so he could see just how thoroughly she was enjoying his attentions, and how eager she was to assist.

When she quietened this time, Tyr embraced her and kissed her so tenderly, it took her a while to notice that the pavilion was filled with the most intoxicating scent. ‘What is that delicious perfume?’

Tyr pulled his head back to stare down at her. ‘Arabian jasmine and desert lavender.’

‘Really?’ She sat up, and then realised the pavilion was full of desert flowers. ‘You did all this for me while I was sleeping?’

‘I stopped short of bringing in the horses to trample the plants to release their scent as you suggested when we were down at the oasis.’

‘You’re a secret romantic?’

‘No need for such a frown. I might not be in touch with my feminine side, but I do know what matters to my wife.’

Jazz laughed and nuzzled close. ‘You are full of surprises.’

‘I try not to disappoint.’

‘Not a chance,’ Jazz confirmed. ‘But you didn’t need to do all this for me.’

‘Yes, I did. A bride should feel special, and I’m guessing you spent most of your wedding day feeling anything but.’ Tyr’s massive shoulders lifted in a shrug. ‘I wanted to make it up to you.’

As he got out of bed, she joined him, oblivious to the fact that she was naked. ‘Tyr Skavanga out at dawn picking flowers for me? I’ll be able to eat out on that story for years to come.’

They were close, almost touching, and with a husky growl Tyr yanked her closer. Lifting her, he encouraged her to wrap her legs around his waist, and, dipping at the knees, he took her deep. Thrusting rhythmically as he kissed her, Tyr made her forget everything apart from the wild ride he was taking her on, and by the time he lowered her to her feet, her legs refused to support her.

‘That must have been good,’ he observed as he carried her to the bed. ‘Perhaps you should just lie back on the bed and recover.’

He was joking. Having brought her to the edge of the bed, Tyr moved over her, and, bracing his arms either side of her on the bed, he teased her with the tip while she groaned.

‘You can’t do that,’ she panted out as Tyr drew the smooth tip of his massively engorged erection up and down the place that needed him the most. ‘Please,’ she begged. ‘Please. I need you now.’

‘This much?’

She shuddered out a wordless reply.

‘Or a little more?’

‘You’re not playing fair,’ she complained as Tyr withdrew fully, drawing a whimper of disappointment from her throat. But he rewarded her patience—and her impatience—by cupping her buttocks and positioning her to his liking, and hers, as he very slowly took her deeply again.

‘Was that worth the wait?’

Surely, he didn’t expect an answer? She was incapable of speech.

Pressing her knees back, Tyr stared down as he withdrew fully again and then sank deep. The look of concentration on his face alone was enough to tip her over the edge. Her wild cries filled the pavilion, and she had barely come down from that high when they fell on each other and, bucking furiously, raced towards the next inevitable conclusion.

The best thing about it, Jazz reflected when they were quiet for a moment, was the more pleasure Tyr gave her, the more her capacity for pleasure seemed to grow. Her hunger for him was insatiable. She would never be ready for Tyr to stop.

‘What?’ she said as he stilled to listen.

Tyr had tensed. Her legs were still wound around his, so she could feel every part of him on high alert.

Swiftly disentangling himself, he swung off the bed and stood in silence for a moment, towering and magnificent. And then she heard it too. One of the horses was whinnying an alarm, while somewhere in the distance came the answering yelp of a coyote’s call. Coyote were rare in the deserts of Kareshi, and were a protected species, but recently breeding programmes had been more successful than expected, and hunting packs could be large and vicious.

‘Tyr?’

‘Stay there.’

The note of command was in his voice as Tyr dressed quickly, but she wasn’t about to sit around, watching him tug on his jeans and boots.

‘Jazz. What do you think you’re doing?’

‘I’m coming with you.’

‘No, you’re not. You’ll stay here.’

‘Not a chance.’

Hectically throwing a shirt over her naked body, she hopped, skipped and jumped her way into breeches and boots, and burst out of the entrance of the pavilion in time to see Tyr running towards the stock pen. Grabbing a broom, she followed him, as lights started going on in the village.

The pack was big, the lead animals thin enough to risk human contact as they hunted for easy pickings amongst the cattle in the corral. Jabbing her broom in the air, she yelled to frighten them away. Grabbing hold of her arm, Tyr thrust her behind him, using his own body as a shield. ‘Do you never listen to a word I say? I thought I told you to stay in the pavilion?’

‘You don’t tell me what to do,’ she yelled back, wrestling free.

By this time, the lead animals, having measured their opponents, had slunk away into the scrub. And now the headman had arrived with a crowd of villagers following. Turning away, Tyr spoke to him, effectively cutting Jazz out. She was invisible again—surplus to requirements as the men discussed the next course of action. Was this the husband she adored, the man who had made such tender love to her?

‘Am I allowed to ask where you’re going?’ she demanded as Tyr, having issued his instructions, headed back to the village without another word.

‘There’s no time to discuss this, Jazz. I want to get back to order the equipment we need.’

She was running to keep up with him. ‘So I’m invisible when it suits you, but not in bed?’

‘Jazz—there’s no time for this.’

Tyr didn’t even break stride. He didn’t stop until they reached the village hall, where he could access the computers. She was about to follow him inside the building when he stopped her. Caging her against the door with his arms either side of her face, he brought his face close. ‘You could have been killed back there.’ He shot each word into her face like a bullet. ‘At the very best, you could have been seriously injured. You should have stayed in the pavilion when I told you to.’

‘So I’m supposed to hide under the pillows until you come back? Forget it, Tyr.’ Thrusting her hair out of her eyes, she made a contemptuous sound. ‘If you think I’m going to take orders, you picked the wrong wife.’

‘I didn’t pick you. This situation was thrust on both of us.’

Her mouth fell open on empty air as Tyr’s harsh words resonated around them. Her stomach curled with shame because what he said was true, and everything they had been to each other last night was obliterated in the stinging aftermath of those few destructive words. She’d told Tyr she loved him, but now she remembered he’d never said anything in return.

‘You’re right about this situation being thrust upon us,’ she agreed, relieved her voice sounded so steady. ‘And in case you’re in any doubt, I don’t like this situation any more than you do. How can I, when I’m tied to a husband whose attitude towards women is stuck in the Dark Ages?’

‘Not now, Jazz.’

She was ahead of him when Tyr reached the door and stood in his way. ‘You will listen to me,’ she insisted, thrusting her hands out to hold him off. ‘I’m not the helpless female you seem to think I am. I’m your equal in every way. Either we do this together, and I mean all of it, Tyr, the good bits and the bad, or you can forget this marriage.’

A long silence followed, then Tyr pulled back. ‘Wait there and calm down,’ he advised.

Jazz ground her jaw, but at least she didn’t say anything she might regret later. She leaned back against the door, grudgingly accepting that if she had followed Tyr inside, the emails he had to send would probably not be sent, and right now the desperately needed equipment was more of a priority than her pride.

After sending the messages he came outside. Jazz had moved from the door and was standing a few feet away. She was the first thing he looked for, her eyes the first destination he sought. She was still angry and who could blame her? Taking hold of her shoulders, he brought her in front of him. ‘Understand this, Jazz—I will never allow you to endanger yourself. Understood?’

She tipped her chin up. ‘And I will never allow you to face risk alone. Got that?’ She stared at him, unflinching. ‘And now it’s time for you to tell me everything, don’t you think?’

Releasing his hold, he stood back.

‘Don’t you dare say there’s nothing to tell,’ she warned as he shook his head.

‘This isn’t the place, Jazz.’

‘Oh? Where is the place? Shall we wait until we’re sitting round the boardroom table in Skavanga?’ Firming her jaw, she gave him such a look. ‘There is no right place, Tyr, but there is a right time, and that time is now.’

‘That piece of paper we signed? It might make us husband and wife, but it doesn’t give you the right to rifle through my mind.’

‘Coward.’

Jazz had always known exactly which of his buttons to press. ‘I’m a killer, Jazz. And I’m very good at what I do. Is that enough for you?’

She shook her head. ‘You’re a soldier and a hero who was following orders,’ she argued evenly. ‘You never could shock me, Tyr, so don’t even try that tactic with me. You don’t frighten me and I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying put until you tell me everything.’

‘You think I’m a hero?’ he flashed. ‘Is that what you think?’

‘That’s what I know. Sharif hasn’t kept all your secrets, so I know exactly what you did.’

‘Everything?’ he said scathingly.

‘Enough to know the man I married is a hero,’ Jazz said quietly. ‘Enough to know you rescued your battalion by risking your own life. And before you start trying to frighten me off with tales of how dangerous that makes you, let me ask you one simple question: Would a brother who adores me agree to our marriage if Sharif thought you were a dangerous man? Isn’t it more likely that Sharif loves you as he loves me, and that he believes somehow, and even I’m not even sure how, yet, that I can help you?’

He said nothing for the longest time, and then he voiced his haunting thoughts. ‘I can never forget the children’s faces.’

Reaching out for him, Jazz gripped his hand.

‘There are no age limits in war, Jazz. No sanitised battlegrounds where only adults hold a gun and only bad guys do the shooting.’

‘Don’t you think I know that, Tyr? But you have never stopped trying to help people. You haven’t given a thought to yourself. You’re a creator, not a destroyer, and now it’s time for you to think about rebuilding your own life, when you decide what it is you want.’

They were talking as they had years back. They were older and the topics had changed radically, but so had they, he reflected as Jazz’s frank gaze pierced his heart.

‘Who do you think stood at my brother’s side when Sharif reclaimed the kingdom?’ she went on gently. ‘Who walked through the battlefield with Sharif so we could learn together what we had to do to repair the damage of our parents’ rule? I didn’t flinch then and I won’t flinch now, from whatever you have to tell me.’

He shook his head. ‘I don’t have time for this. I only wish I did. I can’t halt my work for selfish reasons. I can hardly keep pace with all the rebuilding in Kareshi as it is, so I certainly can’t indulge myself in marriage or children.’

‘You talk as if you’re doing this alone,’ Jazz interrupted. ‘But you’re not alone any longer, and I don’t want you to stop your work. I want to work with you, Tyr. I want our children to know the satisfaction that comes with building and repairing. I want to mine your time and your energy, and your vision for Kareshi. I want to share you with Kareshi. Just one small step at a time,’ she argued stubbornly when he obviously looked unconvinced. ‘And if there’s more you haven’t told me, I know you will, but not now, not all at once. Wounds take time to heal and even you can’t rush that process.’

‘You always were stubborn,’ he murmured, flashing her a glance.

‘You bet. And I haven’t changed,’ Jazz assured him.

Taking hold of both his hands, she stood in front of him. ‘Submit,’ she suggested in a whisper. ‘You know you’re stuck with me for life.’

A few tense moments passed and then with a laugh of triumph he kissed his love, his passion, his life, his soulmate Jazz, and one kiss led to another as the flame between them raged white-hot. There might have been people around, but neither of them noticed. Passion as fierce as theirs could accept no restrictions. They remained locked in their own world until the headman passed on his way home and made some remark. ‘What did he say?’ he asked Jazz.

‘He said a passion as fierce as ours is a blessing for the village,’ Jazz explained, smiling, her lush mouth still swollen from his kisses. ‘That blessing comes in the form of many children, all in the service of Kareshi.’

‘We’d better get on it, then.’

Jazz faked a punch. He dodged out of the way, then, grabbing hold of Jazz’s wrist, he strode back at speed towards the pavilion. He paused at the entrance. ‘You were scared for me?’ He wanted to hear her say it again.

She smiled into his eyes. ‘You have no idea, do you, Tyr?’

‘No idea about what?’ He frowned down at her.

‘About how much I love you, you inflexible, infuriating man. You have to accept people care about you, and I’m one of those people. So if you face a pack of wild dogs on your own, or any other danger you care to name, you’d better get used to the idea that I’m going to be right there by your side.

‘What are you doing?’ she demanded as he swung her into his arms.

‘Shutting you up the only way I know how.’

‘You can try,’ she fired back at him as he carried her into the pavilion.

‘That would be my absolute pleasure, Princess.’

Mine too, Jazz thought as Tyr started kissing her. Tyr was exactly what she needed—a challenge—a man she could pit herself against in every way. A man she could love, she amended as Tyr held her close and kissed her deep. Every inch of his hard, toned body was pressing into hers, and her desire for him had never been stronger.

‘Now, let’s get one thing straight.’ Dipping his head, Tyr hit her with his uncompromising stare. ‘You won’t put yourself in danger again, because if something happened to you—’ He stopped. He took a breath. ‘My life would be over. You’re everything I need, Jazz Kareshi.’

‘Jazz Skavanga,’ she reminded him, laughing as she wound her arms around his neck, sighing as Tyr kissed her neck.

‘I love you, Jazz Skavanga, and I won’t risk losing you ever again.’

‘You love me?’ Pulling back, she lifted her chin to stare into his eyes.

‘More than life itself.’

‘You love me,’ she repeated, savouring the words.

Reaching for her hands, Tyr enclosed them in his. ‘Will you marry me, Jazz?’

She laughed as she leaned forward to plant a kiss on his mouth. ‘We’re already married. Are you asking me to commit bigamy?’

‘I’m not sure that’s strictly possible when you’re marrying the same man, but when we marry this time, I want it to be for you and me, and not because tradition demands it, or the people demand it. So, what do you say, Jazz? Will you marry me?’

Lifting Tyr’s hands to her lips, she kissed them and stared into his eyes. ‘Of course I will.’

Tyr’s kiss was tender and cherishing, but when he pulled back he was frowning.

‘What’s the matter?’ she said. ‘Not having second thoughts, I hope?’

Tyr laughed. ‘Far from it. The only downside to loving you so much is that I keep on having to make love to you.’

‘Oh, no.’ She pretended dismay. ‘But is that permitted when we’re not even married yet?’

‘Let’s break the rules. Unless of course you have some objection?’

‘None I can think of right away. Oh, well, maybe one...’

‘Which is?’

A tremor of anticipation ran through her as Tyr’s gaze dropped to her lips. ‘Don’t think for one moment that I’m going to promise to obey you.’

‘And break the habit of a lifetime?’ Shaking his head in pretended dismay, Tyr smiled faintly as he glanced at the bed. ‘You’re such a bad girl, you’ve given me no alternative but to send you straight to bed.’

‘Really?’ She slanted a look at him. ‘I was hoping you might say that.’