The Battle Lord's Lady (19 page)

Now his left hand had reached the top of her
thigh, but instead of continuing upward, his fingers turned and
slowly, tantalizingly, torturously started to dip into the juncture
between her legs. He found the soft curls hidden between their
valley, and moved himself lower to part her lower lips and tease
the sensitive flesh until she moaned softly against his cheek. Her
little nub was already stiff. A gentle brush with his fingertip,
and a shiver ran through her body, forcing her to grasp the collar
of his shirt. Yulen felt her eyelashes brush against his temple
when she closed her eyes. She was slowly melting from the
undeniable sensations he was bringing to her as he continued to rub
her clit, spreading her legs to allow him easier access. And
although he couldn’t deny the demands of his own body or his
pulsing hardness pressed against the side of the tub, he knew he
had to prepare her for that moment when her body would be ready to
accept him. Otherwise, her first time would shatter her, instead of
bringing her the kind of pleasure he wanted her to remember...and
want again.

Carefully, he began to slide his middle
finger inside her. Her inner heat throbbed as her tight channel
closed around the digit. Gradually, he pushed further inside her
until he reached the thin membrane blocking his path. Yulen
retreated his finger, but kept his hand covering her mound as his
thumb continued to play with her nub. She hissed and involuntarily
arched her back in response. Dipping his head, he found a pale pink
nipple that had breached the surface of the water and closed his
mouth over it. Her reaction took them both by surprise. She cried
aloud and clutched him, dragging him partly over the rim of the tub
as she pressed herself tightly against his chest. Yulen had to pull
back or risk falling head-first into the water.

“Atrilan!”

She was literally shaking as she opened her
tear-filled eyes. “Don’t stop,” she whispered, begging.

“I’m afraid I must,” he apologized in a
ragged voice, then cleared his throat. He sat back on the heels of
his boots and began to unbutton his dripping shirt. She watched his
fingers as if mesmerized by their power over her.

“Are you getting in with me?”

“I think you need to get out now and let me
in. Are you finished?”

Mutely, she nodded and got to her feet. Yulen
paused to stare at her glistening body as it was revealed in the
candlelight. How he could have ever thought of her as a girl... Her
hunter’s garb had done its job too well, camouflaging not only her
extraordinary beauty, but the strength of her passion he knew lay
smoldering inside her. If that moment ago was any indication of her
hunger, Yulen knew he would find himself seriously challenged to
satisfy her demands. The mere thought of it made him close his eyes
and shudder in anticipation.

Atty quickly toweled herself off, sitting on
the edge of the bed and watching as the Battle Lord eased himself
into the tub. She smiled as he sucked in a breath between his
teeth.

“Sore muscles?” she asked, working now on
trying to untangle her wild mane with just her fingers.

“Hush,” he ordered with a touch of amusement
in his voice. “Could you hand me the razor and mirror? I forgot to
bring them over here.”

She found the items on the table and turned,
prepared to toss them to him. Yulen saw the playful look that came
over her face, and he held up his hands in surrender.

“I yield!”

Atty laughed aloud, her face flushed.
Hurrying over to him, she dropped to her knees and leaned in to
give him a joyful kiss. “Forgive me, but I love you,” she murmured
softly against his mouth. Smiling, he brushed back a handful of her
damp hair and brushed his lips across hers.

“No more than I do you, Atrilan,” he
affirmed. “Curse me for being a fool, but when you left, I had
never felt so empty or afraid in my life. I can’t let you go. Not
now, not even after you train my men.”

“Then we might have a problem,” she smiled
softly.

“Think so?” he teased. As he expected, she
raised up slightly to stare incredulously at him. “I was kidding,”
he admitted with a grin.

“So what are we going to do?” She rested her
chin on her fingers that curled over the edge of the tub. “You know
I can’t stay with you. I mean...”

“I know what you mean, but I can’t worry
about that. Neither can you. All I know is that you have to be with
me. Beside me or behind me, I don’t care. Just...” He groaned
loudly and threw back his head. “God, Atrilan! You’ve made me
tongue-tied!”

“I know what you mean. When you kissed me, it
was like I couldn’t think for myself anymore.” Thick lashes brushed
her blue brows as her eyes lifted up to his. “What’s going to
happen tomorrow? When we reach your compound?”

“Well, for tonight, we’re going to try and
get some sleep.” He couldn’t help but notice the curtain of
disappointment that closed over her eyes. Reaching over, he gently
touched the tip of her nose. “No lovemaking, my blue-haired
warrior. Not until we get to Alta Novis.”

“Why?” She glanced down at where her breasts
rested against the side of the tub. “Don’t you want me?”

“Oh, God, in the worst way,” he laughed
softly. “But, like I told you earlier, I want our first time to be
special.”

Atty made a face. “You’re wanting me to teach
your troops first before we do, so that if I lose my skills, my
coming back with you won’t be a wasted effort. Right?”

Yulen immediately grew serious. “Wrong,” he
told her, leaving no room for doubt.

“Then why?” She shuddered suddenly,
surprising herself. “Just then...what you were doing to me,” she
said in a softer voice, trailing off.

He leaned over to kiss her forehead. “I
didn’t say I couldn’t do
that
again to you,” he murmured.

Her eyes widened.

“Go get in bed. Get the sheets warm for
me.”

She obediently walked over to the bed and
looked around. “Where are the nightgowns?” she asked.

“What nightgowns?” he said, raising one
eyebrow and grinning.

She turned to look over her shoulder at him.
It was then he noticed the two little dimples on her backside, just
below her hips. “What are we gonna wear? It’s gonna get cold
tonight,” she predicted matter-of-factly.

“Let it get cold. Don’t worry. I’ll keep you
warm.”

The flush on her face brightened to a deep
red. Wordlessly she slipped under the covers to wait for him. Yulen
hurried to finish soaping down and washing off, then shaved. The
water was easing his muscles to the point of languidness. He had no
doubt they would sleep deep tonight, despite the need that was
awakening in both their bodies.

After he dried off, he replenished the fire
before crawling into the bed next to her. He’d noticed her eyes
taking in his naked form, lingering for several seconds on his
halfway distended erection, and he wondered if she’d ever seen a
man unclothed before. For a split-second he felt a stab of
jealousy, which he quickly dampened. It didn’t matter any more. He
was going to be her first lover. No other man had claimed her, and
after today, no other man would claim her. Ever. As long as he
lived, he would be her only lover.

Her only lover.
Strangely, the implication connected to the phrase didn’t
frighten or intimidate him. He could only hope that when he finally
broached her with the same suggestion, it didn’t scare
her.

Her only lover. For the rest of their
lives.

Yulen smiled to himself. They would reach
Alta Novis tomorrow. And then...

Chapter Twenty

Proof

Sometime during the night, Atty rolled over
in his arms. Her soft buttocks nestled against his crotch as she
found a comfortable position and drifted back to sleep, but it was
too late for him.

Yulen opened his eyes, no longer able to rest
because of the veil of fire sweeping under his skin, seething in
his blood and making him sweat with need. His erection felt like
someone had rammed a pole through it, until it quivered and wept
for release.

He couldn’t make love to her. Not yet, and
definitely not now, but he had to find a safe middle ground
somewhere. There had to be an answer, and one that would not
compromise the budding emotions still growing between him and Atty.
And there definitely was no way he was going back to Alta Novis and
using one of his ready and willing mistresses to assuage his needs
before he took her.

His hands shook as he reached around her and
found a sweet breast. If he couldn’t make love to her the
conventional way, then he would need to bring himself—with a little
help. And he had no doubt Atty wouldn’t mind.

The full, round warmth in his palm felt
natural. Perfect. The nipple was immediately responsive beneath his
insistent fingers, and soon he felt her drifting out of sleep.

“Yul?”

“Shhh. Let me love you.”

Her answer was a slight nod. Her partially
damp hair moved across his belly and chest like a bolt of silk,
making him groan from the sensation.

He wouldn’t last long, but neither could he
rush it with her. Letting go of her breast, he slid his hand
downward until he reached the juncture between her thighs. Atty
shifted her position, turning slightly onto her back to allow him
access to her. Yulen felt her hand rest on top of his, fingers
curved over his knuckles, to follow him.

He dipped his middle finger into her folds to
find the little button already becoming taut for him. A little
shiver ran through her body with the first stroke, and he nosed the
back of her neck.

“Cold?”

“No.”

“Afraid?” he whispered, hoping she would say
no.

“A little.”

“Don’t be. Relax. Enjoy. I promise I won’t
hurt you.”

“Promise on your heart?”

The request drew a smile from him. “I promise
on my heart.”

His other arm was under her waist. Pulling
her tightly against him, he was able to find her breasts with his
other hand where he could play with her nipples as his fingers
stoked her need between her thighs.

Atty squirmed. Her breath became little gasps
as she writhed. Yulen shifted himself again, and this time managed
to bury his erection between her buttocks where her movements
masturbated him.

Harder. Faster. Yulen closed his eyes and
pressed his face against the back of her neck. He continued to hold
her tightly as Atty’s incoherent cries of release suddenly filled
the room. He kept her back and buttocks pressed firmly against his
raging need and continued to manipulate her as she arched her body
and shuddered violently. It wasn’t until she began to melt against
him that he found his own release within the grip of her butt
cheeks. Afterwards, he sighed into her fragrant waterfall of hair
flowing over his chest.

Carefully, gently, he removed his fingers
from the wet heat between her legs, leaving his hand against her
lower belly as his other arm remained where it draped across her
chest, one delicate globe of her breast still resting in the palm
of his other hand.

It was still dark outside. Nothing stirred in
the infant hours of the morning.

Together they’d found her pinnacle, and in
her ecstasy he was shocked to find himself launched over the edge
as well. The realization, and the way she rolled back over to
cuddle up against his length afterward, stunned him.

He had never before experienced this with a
woman, an experience where he’d found greater pleasure in his
partner’s release. It was almost like a reawakening.

Tenderly he brought the tangled bedclothes
back up around them and wrapped himself protectively around her. He
had no recollection of falling back asleep. Only of her soft breath
tickling the hollow of his throat where her face rested.

It was an insistent knock on the door that
awoke him. Yulen groggily opened his eyes and looked out the window
to see the last of the night’s stars fading in the dawning sky.

The knock came again. A quick glance down
showed him the sound hadn’t alerted Atty.

Yulen pulled away from her warmth and got out
of bed, walking over to unlock the bedroom door. MaGrath stood in
the hallway with an armful of clothing.

“I brought a fresh change,” he offered. Yulen
nodded and stepped aside to let the man enter. “A servant should be
here shortly,” he added, and his eyes narrowed as he took in the
woman lying naked and half-covered on the tousled bed. “Yulen?”

“Sheathe your claws, Liam. I kept my word.”
He began to dress under the physician’s baleful glare. “Don’t
believe me? Ask Atty, then.”

“How would she know? She’s an innocent...or
was, until last night.”

Sighing loudly, Yulen kneeled over his side
of the bed and brushed away a lock of hair from her face. The
greenish-yellow bruises were the only signs marring her perfect
beauty. “Atty. Time to wake up. Time to get ready to leave for Alta
Novis.”

She stirred, blinking sleepily as she slowly
looked around her. He had not called her by her full name, which
could only mean one thing. Spying the physician, she smiled softly.
“Good morning, Liam.”

“How are you this morning, Atty?”

“Fine. Tired.”

The answer raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you get
enough rest?” he asked, giving the Battle Lord another one of his
patented irritated scowls.

“Yes, until about three this morning when
Yulen woke me.”

“Woke you? At three? Why?”

Yulen decided to intervene before the
conversation went any further, laying the clothing MaGrath had
brought for her at the foot of the bed. “Hurry and get dressed.
We’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast. There’s a bath at the end
of the corridor if you want to wash your face.” Placing a quick
kiss to her temple, he grabbed his weapons belt and practically
pushed the man out the door.