Tapestries 03 - Woven Dreams (11 page)

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Garrik’s frown disappeared as a slow, knowing smile covered his face. “I’ll pleasure her so much that hopefully she’ll forget all about leaving us.”

“You want her then? As a wife,” he qualified. “Even though we both know that she’s not telling us the truth?”

Garrik crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “If she would have me, I would gladly be her husband. I would be happy if she chose either one of us. Truly, I think she is lying out of fear. I sense no malice in her at all.” Jarmon had felt the same thing, but he was relieved to have his brother confirm his own suspicions. “Then we are agreed. We will do whatever it takes to try to convince Genny to stay with us.”

Garrik stuck his hand out and the two brothers clasped forearms, sealing their pact.

They parted when they heard Genny coming back from her trip to the woods. “Good luck, brother, and be careful.” Jarmon turned and loped off toward the river, knowing the next time he saw Genny that Garrik would have claimed her just as he had.

Genny strode alongside Garrik, having no trouble keeping up with him. She knew that he’d shortened his normally long stride for her. Both brothers were like that though, always doing little things to make her life easier. And they did it without a thought. She never felt as if they expected anything in return for their kindness.

She knew her heart had softened toward both men. How could it not? For the first time in her life, she was being treated as if she had value, as if she was indeed special.

She was enjoying tromping through the forest with Garrik. For the first hour, he’d regaled her with stories of his family. Genny was beginning to feel as if she knew his mother, brothers and sister-in-law very well. Since then, they’d both fallen quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. Both of them were content to enjoy the afternoon.

Several times, she wanted to stop and harvest some particularly wonderful specimens of plants, but she forced herself to keep walking. She wasn’t supposed to be from here, so she shouldn’t be familiar with the plant life. Sighing, she tucked her hands in the pockets of her dress. Perhaps if he got caught up in hunting later she could quietly pluck a few and stuff them in her pocket. She’d have to be very careful though.

Garrik glanced down at her and she gave him a serene smile. It wouldn’t do for him to discover what she was thinking. “Are you getting tired, Genny?” There he went and did it again, making her heart swell. “I’m fine.” He hesitated, but then accepted her at her word. “Just let me know if you’d like to stop for a rest.”

She brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face as she nodded. There was barely a breeze this afternoon and the sun was getting hotter. It was a good thing that the trees provided them with a small amount of shade.

Tall and strong, Garrik moved slightly in front of her, shifting some branches out of her way so that she could easily pass. She studied him as they continued to move 57

silently though the forest. He truly was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Garrik and Jarmon had been identical in looks before her brother Leon had maimed him. The right side of Jarmon’s face, still perfect, was a stark contrast to the scar on the left.

Garrik had slightly less muscle than his brother, although that didn’t mean much, because Jarmon was massive. Beside any other man, Garrik would look huge. She eyed his buttocks as he walked in front of her, feeling the heat of a blush creep up her cheeks as she did so. He truly did have a fine bottom.

He’d removed his vest and tucked it into the small pack he had slung over his shoulder. A deep furrow down the center of his back separated the muscles that bunched and moved as he continued to push branches out of their way. His body was bronzed from the sun and his long, pale blond hair—which he’d tied at the nape—hung all the way to his waist.

How would it feel to have him inside her body? Would he be gentle or rough?

Would she enjoy the experience as much as she had with Jarmon? The two brothers might have looked alike at one point, but they were very different people. Garrik was the more easygoing of the two, chatting easily, while Jarmon was more reserved. And while both brothers were constantly aware of their surroundings, there was a guardedness about Jarmon, his eyes wary and watching. Genny wondered how much that had to do with what had happened to him or if he’d always been that way. She suspected they had similar codes of honor and beliefs, but beyond that, she was still discovering their personalities with every moment she spent with them. So far she liked them both. Too much.

Garrik turned and placed his hand on her arm even as he held a finger to his mouth to silence her. Fear spiked through her, making her tremble. Was there someone up ahead? Had her brothers found her?

Her feet were frozen to the spot, but Garrik tugged her behind him. When he reached the edge of a large clearing, he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She began to relax and breathe again when she realized that she wasn’t sensing any tension from him. He raised his hand and pointed to the far side of the meadow.

A mother and baby deer were munching away, oblivious to the danger of the man approaching. Genny bit her lip in indecision. Surely Garrik wouldn’t kill one of the deer for them to eat. Not a mother and baby.

She knew that if her brothers were here, both animals would already be dead and they’d be boasting about the easy kill. Instead Garrik was holding her in his arms, sharing the magical moment with her. Everything inside her relaxed. He would not kill them. Garrik was nothing like her brothers. He respected nature and the order of things.

These animals would live another day and the baby would one day grow into a fine animal. Perhaps some day they might end up as a meal on the table, but not today.

His forearm was brushing the undersides of her breasts and she could feel his warm breath on her neck as he leaned down. “Genny.” He didn’t say anything other than her name, but it set a whole group of butterflies to fluttering in her stomach.

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She could feel his mouth, open and warm, on her neck. His tongue snaked out to lick at the vein pulsing heavily beneath her skin. Her head fell back against his shoulder. Between the warmth of the afternoon and the heat of desire beginning to course though her veins, Genny felt a sweet lassitude sweep through her body.

“Genny,” he whispered again just before he caught the lobe of her ear between his teeth and gently tugged. That seemingly innocent sensation made her moan with pleasure. “Why don’t you take off your dress? You’ll be much cooler without it.” His fingers were already at the laces in the front, loosening them. He eased her away from him long enough to sweep the dress over her head. Without the heavier garment, her body felt immediately cooler. The slight breeze penetrated the light cotton chemise. With two thin straps holding it up on her shoulders, the thin fabric flowed down to her knees. Her breasts pressed against the front and the outline of her dark nipples could easily be seen.

While she’d been enjoying the slight reprieve from the heat, Garrik had slipped the pack off his shoulder and set it aside. Her dress had been folded and place atop it. Next he unbuckled his sword, which he placed on the ground next to the pack. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, not wanting to face him just yet. The mother and baby deer had disappeared, slipping into the forest when she and Garrik had moved.

Suddenly restless, she meandered further out into the meadow. It truly was beautiful. Wildflowers in a variety of colors poked out from the thick bed of grass.

Spreading her arms wide, Genny twirled around in the center until she was giddy. She felt free and alive. The sensation was intoxicating.

When she finally came to a staggering halt, she glanced down at the ground, which seemed to still be shifting beneath her. A patch of lovely purple violets caught her eyes.

“Oh, aren’t they beautiful!”

“Beautiful.” Her head jerked up as he spoke. His pale blue eyes seemed to glow as he stared at her and not the flowers. There was a large bulge in the front of his pants and his broad shoulders gleamed with a fine sheen of sweat.

As he slowly stalked toward her, she found herself unable to move. He circled her slowly, his body brushing hers. The air around them seemed to thicken and she was finding it harder to breathe. He stopped behind her and she flinched when his finger traced one of the scars near the top of her back.

“Shh,” he crooned. “I would never hurt you.” Strong fingers slipped beneath the thin straps on her shoulders, slowly lowering them down her arms until they caught at her elbows. The fabric slipped down behind her, exposing her back to his view. “So much pain.” His lips started at her nape and descended toward the small of her back.

Slowly, tenderly, he kissed every scar, every welt. “Who did this to you?” Genny bit her lip to keep from crying. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears and she blinked to hold them back. Crying never solved anything. She shook her head. She didn’t want to talk about that part of her life and she couldn’t even if she did. Garrik and Jarmon could never know about her brothers.

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“No matter. They will not hurt you again. You will stay with us. Won’t you, Genny?” His hands slipped around her waist as he spoke and, before she could muster a coherent reply, they slid upward and cupped her breasts. “Look at yourself, Genny.

Watch me as I pleasure your breasts.”

All thoughts of a reply of any kind disappeared in a haze of sensual delight.

Looking down, she was enthralled with the sight of his large, dark hands wrapped around the much paler swells of her breasts. His fingers kneaded and caressed as his thumbs began to trace the outline of her nipples. They puckered tight, the nubs pressing into the pads of his thumbs.

“Let me love you, Genny.” His low voice, filled with need, was as seductive as the slow movements of his hands.

“Yes,” she all but moaned. Her knees buckled and he lowered her gently to the ground, kneeling behind her. There was no thought of denial. She wanted Garrik as much as she’d wanted Jarmon. Wanted to feel her body tighten around his swollen shaft as he thrust deep into her warmth.

All her life, she’d hardly dared to dream about having a normal life, the kind of life most women of her world enjoyed. Only since she’d begun creating the tapestry, which had become her escape, her secret pleasure, had she even begun to entertain thoughts of having a husband of her own as well as a brother-in-law who would protect, care and pleasure her as well. Mostly it had been nothing but a fantasy, something that she’d never really believed would happen. Now she had the opportunity to live her dreams, if only for a few days. She openly embraced each experience, knowing she might never have the chance again.

The threat of her brothers and the Luthers almost overwhelmed her and she struggled to push the painful thoughts aside. She didn’t think they’d just let her go. No, Leon would not want to lose the gold and the alliance her marriage would bring. They were probably searching for her even now. She shuddered and shoved the thought from her mind.

“Genny?” Garrik’s hands stilled on her breasts. She knew he’d sensed the change in her, but he had misinterpreted the cause. He removed his hands and began to slide the straps of her chemise back up her arms. “It’s all right if you’re not ready,” he soothed.

“No!” she all but yelled. She would not let her brothers taint this experience. “No,” she said again, and this time the word was softer. “I want your hands on me.” She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry as she spoke the words she knew he needed to hear. “I want you, Garrik.”

He shifted behind her, pressing closer. His knees surrounded hers and he embraced her in his strong arms. His chest covered her back and she could feel his erection pressing against her lower spine. “You are sure?” Rather than reply, she pulled away and scooted around so that she was facing him.

His arms dropped back to his sides and he made no move to stop her. He watched her carefully, as if he was afraid to make any sudden move that might frighten her. But it 60

was the expression on his face that gave her the courage to continue. His blue eyes were soft with an emotion she didn’t dare to put a name on, but she felt an answering yearning in her heart. How had he come to mean so much to her in such a short time?

Gripping the hem of her chemise in her hands, she tugged the fabric over her head and tossed it aside. She rested her hands on her thighs and waited. Her sex was aching to be filled in spite of the fact that she was still a bit sore from earlier. Cream seeped from her body, coating her sheath, preparing for his possession. The heat carried the scent of her arousal to her nostrils as she sucked in a deep breath.

Like some great statue carved from stone, Garrik watched her. His eyes skimmed slowly over her body, taking in every curve, every hollow. “Part your legs.” His voice was hoarse with need and she sensed that his control was precarious at best. Rather than frightening her, it pleased her that he wanted her as badly as she wanted him.

She slid her legs apart. The ground was warm beneath her, the grass tickling her sensitive skin.

“Put your hands between your thighs and spread the lips of your pussy wide.” Heat coursed though her, sending another shower of cream through her core. “Show yourself to me.”

Slipping her hands between her legs, she did as he asked. It felt almost surreal to be sitting on the edge of a beautiful meadow in the hot summer sun, totally naked with her legs spread wide, exposing herself to a man. She looked down at herself. Her skin was glowing from the combination of sun and perspiration. Her nipples were diamond tips, begging for his touch. Damp curls clung to her mound. Her fingers were slick as they spread the folds of her sex wide, the pink flesh glistening with cream, slippery and wet.

Garrik reached out and his large hand covered her mound before he slid a long, thick finger straight into her. She moaned and squirmed as her inner muscles wrapped lovingly around him.

“You are so wet and hot.” She could hear the mixture of awe and pleasure in his voice. “And it’s all for me, isn’t it?”