Claire Delacroix (25 page)

And certainly naught had fallen off.

Indeed, ’twas quite the opposite. He had never been so large or so hard in all his days.

And at the sight of his own enthusiastic arousal, Niall began to laugh. Because his Viviane, the woman he must take to wife, was no witch. The proof was right before his eyes.

Which meant that he could save his lady from a most dire fate.
He
would prove her innocence to the archbishop, he could swear to the fact that she was no witch at all. They could return to Cantlecroft, they could wed, and all would be right in Niall of Malloy’s world.

’Twas a dazzling prospect.

But first, he had to persuade Viviane to accept him. Niall also understood enough of Viviane to recognize that she would not be swayed from whatever course she had already chosen. His lady was cursedly stubborn.

Fortunately, Niall was more so. He would persuade her now, with whatever means necessary, he would overwhelm her with the power of his argument.

Niall grinned as he crossed the floor, feeling very persuasive indeed.

* * *

Viviane knew she was in trouble the minute she stepped out of the shower. The doorknob was jiggling and she had a pretty good idea who was trying to open the door. She froze and stared, her heart hammering as Niall softly swore on the other side.

She had a feeling that the little lock was going to let her down.

There was a moment’s silence, then a futile click as the knob resisted a hard wrenching. It whined slightly, metal scraped on metal, and the door opened with a jerk.

Viviane took a cautious step back, which was about all the room allowed, and braced herself for the inevitable argument.

She certainly didn’t expect the glint of sensuous determination in Niall’s eyes, never mind his banner of enthusiasm flying at full mast somewhat further south. Viviane’s mouth went dry as he stepped into the small space with purpose.

And they said women changed mood fast.

Niall backed her into the wall before she could make a sound. He touched her jaw with fingers so gentle that she nearly melted on the spot, then brushed his lips across her own.

Viviane forgot any protest she might have made.

“I apologize,” he murmured against her flesh, his breath making her shiver, his words making her objections fade. “For earlier, I spoke with undue haste and angered you for no good cause.”

Viviane might have gasped in delighted surprise, but Niall’s lips sealed over hers so resolutely that there was no room for even that. Her eyes closed of their own accord as Niall backed her into the wall, his lips tempting her to surrender all to him once again. He kissed with a thoroughness that belied anything else in the world. Viviane was certain she had his complete, undivided attention, and she couldn’t imagine wanting anything else.

Niall sandwiched her between his gloriously hard body and the equally hard and somewhat more cold wall. The towel Viviane had wrapped around herself fell beneath his persuasive fingers, she arched as his hands closed possessively over her breasts. Her head fell back as his fingertips caressed her nipples and his tongue slid between her teeth.

She couldn’t quite remember why she had declined him anything.

Niall’s muscled thigh slid between her own, one hand slipped over her flesh to seek out the heat between her thighs. Viviane caught her breath when his thumb slid over that sensitive spot and Niall grazed a line of kisses along her throat. He captured her earlobe in his teeth, his tongue flicked against the tender flesh there, the warmth of his breath driving her to distraction.

“Forgive me, my Viviane,” he urged quietly, but Viviane could only moan in agreement.

His fingers caressed her more deeply, his every touch stoking the flames that rose beneath her flesh. The hair on his chest tickled her aroused breasts, the warm strength of him made her feel cosseted and cornered.

Seduced by her lover true. Viviane sighed with satisfaction and surrendered to the moment.

This was more like it.

Viviane opened her eyes and found Niall’s gaze fixed up her with a dizzying intensity, the green hue of his eyes so piercing that it seemed he could see her every thought. A smile curved his firm lips, as though he could think of nothing but pleasing her beyond her wildest dreams. Viviane parted her lips, then forgot whatever she might have said when Niall leaned down to kiss her once again.

She was drifting in a haze of pleasure and had no desire to come back to shore. Niall coaxed and teased, his touch so sure that Viviane couldn’t have stopped herself from responding. She shivered and moaned, he caressed and kissed, and just when she thought she could bear no more, he cupped her buttocks in his hands.

He lifted her in one smooth movement and impaled her upon himself, his legs braced against the floor. Viviane could not touch the ground, she was trapped between her golden knight and the wall, she was full of his strength.

Their gazes locked and held, he squeezed her buttocks in his great hands, and he began to move within her, his every motion languid and powerful. He rubbed against her deliberately, making Viviane writhe, his small smile telling her that was precisely his intent.

And she had no complaints.

“You’re teasing me,” she charged softly, and his grin widened.

“Nay, to tease is to tempt without granting satisfaction.” Niall bent and grazed her neck with a searing kiss. “Trust me, Viviane, I intend to grant satisfaction as you have never known it before.”

Viviane shivered as he stroked deliberately within her once again. He shifted to let one hand move between them and coaxed her yet higher with ease. He lifted her against him and suckled her breast, his fingers dancing, his hips thrusting in a persuasive rhythm.

Viviane gripped his shoulders and hung on as the crescendo rose within her again. Niall growled against her flesh, he moved with renewed vigor, his grip tightened upon her. She could feel his own heartbeat thundering beneath her fingertips and savored the knowledge that he too was strongly affected.

She framed his face in her hands and kissed him with abandon, loving the way he buried himself within her. She swallowed the roar that came with his release and held him ever closer as he trembled with the force of his orgasm. When he lifted his head and stared down at her, his eyes dark with passion, and whispered her name, Viviane shook to her core and cried out herself.

“Wed me,” Niall murmured unevenly against her shoulder in the trembling aftermath. Viviane was sorely tempted to do precisely that. “Come, Viviane, be my bride, my partner, my lover.”

She pushed a hand through the golden thickness of his hair and smiled up at him. She sighed and ran a fingertip along his jaw line, not quite willing to end this magical moment. “I like this way of asking much better.”

Niall smiled crookedly and squeezed her buttocks. “I could ask you again,” he suggested, a wicked gleam in his eye.

Viviane looped her arms around his neck, very pleased to find that they’d just had a misunderstanding. Barb’s books were right. She crossed her ankles behind his back, not in the least bit ready to surrender his warmth. “You can be very persuasive, sir.”

Niall half-chuckled, his quick glance revealing his interest in her answer. “And are you persuaded?”

“Not quite,” Viviane conceded. She tapped a playful fingertip on his nose. He had a perfect nose, she decided, aquiline and noble. A good straight nose that would suit their children.

For there would be children if they continued at this rate.

Niall’s eyes narrowed assessing. “Not quite?” he echoed with a precision that should have warned her.

Viviane smiled. “Well, it’s a great beginning, but you’ve hardly dropped to one knee and sworn undying love. Shouldn’t you depart on a quest to win my favor, or bring wondrous gifts from afar, or wear my sleeve in a tournament to show your devotion to me? I mean, you haven’t said a word about
love
!”

Niall stilled dangerously. “I could love you again, if you need further persuasion,” he rumbled, but Viviane shook her head.

“No, no, no. That kind of loving isn’t the same kind of loving as what I mean and you know it.”

He steadily held her gaze, his eyes darkening slightly.

But Viviane was too delighted to pay much attention to such warning signs. She twined her arms around his neck a little more tightly. “People who love each other would do anything for each other, regardless of the risk to themselves. They put their loved one first, they think about their loved one, they think about pleasing their loved one...”

“Have I not pleased you and put your pleasure first?” Niall demanded.

“Of course! But it’s not just with bodies.” She smiled up at him and tapped a fingertip on his chest. “Love comes from the heart.”

Niall, though, extricated himself from Viviane’s embrace and put her solidly on her feet, his scowl back in place once more. He propped his hands on his hips, the move filling the bathroom with tanned disgruntled knight.

“I had always thought my heart was within my body,” he charged, his eyes narrowed.

“Niall! Think about it!”

“Aye, I do think about it and I listen to all you say, as well, even being the nonsense that it is. Indeed, it seems to me that each time I ask your favor, you do change the terms of your agreement!”

“What?”

“You said I did not ask nicely enough,” he said savagely. “I ask more
nicely
and still ’tis not enough. Now you would have deeds and tournaments, I must ride to war in your name, sacrifice all for the pleasure of your smile, grant all I have to surrender for your happiness alone.” Niall flung out one hand in evident annoyance. “We do not have
time
for such whimsy!”

Viviane had a sudden sense that they were talking about different things again.

And that that wasn’t a good thing at all.

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Viviane folded her arms across her chest, feeling suddenly cold. “What has time got to do with anything? Even if I was pregnant right this minute, the baby wouldn’t come for nine whole months!”

But even faced with such ‘good sense’, Niall shoved a hand through his hair and growled in exasperation. For some reason, his gaze fell to Viviane’s moonstone pendant, the sight obviously doing little to improve his mood.

His annoyed gaze flicked back to meet hers once more. “Will you wed me this day or not?”

So much for his persuasive manner! “Well, if you’re going to put it that way, no!”

“Even knowing ’tis the most honorable choice?”

“I don’t care about honor, I told you that!”

“I do!” Niall roared, his eyes flashing. “I care about responsibilities.
I care about good sense!
”

“I care about love!”

“Feminine whimsy,” Niall said with a dismissive sweep of his hand. “No marriage of value was made on the apparent merit of love.”

“Apparent merit? Love might be whimsy to you, but it’s important to me!” Viviane poked a finger into his chest. “And that
counts
!”

“Love is a lie, Viviane, a lie concocted by men of dubious character to persuade women to part their thighs and no more.” Niall’s brow was dark, his manner intent. “Love is no foundation for a good match and never will it be.”

“Don’t talk to me about arranged marriages!” Viviane retorted. “Besides, you seem to have found your way between my thighs well enough.”

“Viviane!” Niall’s expression turned appealing and Viviane’s resistance melted. “There is a critical difference, though, for I would stand by my deeds. I would treat you with honor, I would not leave you to bear the burden of what we have done.”

Viviane folded her arms across her chest, holding his gaze. “Do you love me?” She held her breath, but didn’t have to bother for long.

Niall immediately shook his head. “I do not believe in love.”

“Then we have nothing further to say,” Viviane said, disliking the little catch in her voice. She might have turned away, but Niall snared her elbow.

“I say we do,” he insisted.

Viviane froze and waited. She couldn’t look away from him, his manner was so compelling, his attention so completely fixed upon her. Could he really not love her? It was impossible to believe.

Niall considered her for such a long moment that Viviane felt like a mouse cornered by a clever cat. Then he smiled, as though that cat had just spied dinner.

He braced his hands on the wall over her shoulders and held her gaze, exuding male confidence. “I shall make you a wager, my Viviane,” he rumbled.

“What kind of wager?” Viviane hated how breathless she sounded. It was all his fault for using her name that way, but even knowing that didn’t help her catch her breath.

Niall’s smile broadened as though he knew exactly his effect upon her. His gaze danced over her, the hue of his eyes a vivid green. “I shall persuade you to put your hand in mine,” he vowed so seriously that she shivered.

“You’ll only persuade me with love,” she charged breathlessly.

“Nay.” Niall bent and kissed her earlobe so slowly and sensuously that Viviane trembled. “I shall persuade you with good sense.”

That was so ludicrous that Viviane might have laughed, if Niall hadn’t been nuzzling her below her ear in such a distracting way. His tongue traced a beguiling path down her throat and Viviane’s toes curled when he nibbled leisurely on her shoulder.

She was melting away, her bones were dissolving, her knees were weak.

“A man of repute will keep his word, feed his family and defend his own hearth,” Niall breathed. “Be warned, my Viviane, I shall persuade you that I am such a man of merit. I shall prove the truth of it to you.”

Viviane parted her lips to argue that she was already persuaded of that, except for one pesky detail, but Niall kissed her lingeringly instead. In fact, he kissed her so thoroughly that she almost agreed right then and there to marry him, regardless of his ideas.

But she did know better. Love had to be on the agenda. It mattered to her, which meant it should matter to him.