Treasure So Rare (Women of Strength Time Travel Trilogy) (21 page)

His eyes were the darkest green she had ever seen.

"I did not think I would survive that night," he
added somberly. "I had been left for dead, but not before I had turned his
own dagger on him and stuck him in the heart."

Iliana's hands felt ice cold, and she buried them in the bed
furs. "Erik, how did you survive?" she asked, pressing a light kiss
along the scar on his neck.

"My brother Darien came looking for me. I had tried to
staunch the flow of blood but it was going badly. He found me, packed the wound
tight with cloth and got two men to carry me to land. I vaguely recall the
carriage ride as he dashed through the streets of Virginia to a surgeon friend
of his. I was lucky that day. The surgeon patched me up as best he could and I
wavered between life and death for ten days. Much of it I do not remember, but
when I finally awoke, I could not speak."

"Erik." Iliana soothingly pressed her lips to his
neck, moved along the scar with her lips, tears filming her eyes as she thought
of what he had suffered. "And yet you recovered," she said,
"although it must have been a painful and often disheartening
journey."

He nodded. "Just before I came through this time, I had
once again foiled this fellow's plans for slave trading. Our crews got into a
skirmish and he threw himself in the sea, to his death, I presume. None could
have survived with the gut wound he suffered. It was unjust in its way. Because
of the harm he inflicted on others, I regret I was not able to bring him to
justice."

"Justice may have been served upon him,
nonetheless," she said, pressing a soft kiss just to the side of his
mouth. "Perhaps he was eaten by a sea creature."

Erik looked at her, grinning. "Perhaps. I see you are
bloodthirsty."

"I hate the idea that he hurt you," she blurted,
"so it is fitting that he should meet such an end." Iliana frowned. "But
what of the first time, when he cut your neck and you managed to stab him? How
did he survive that?"

"You are right to question that, Iliana. I do not know,
but it was rumored he'd sold his soul to the devil."

Iliana shivered, then snuggled close to Erik. "That is
frightening, Erik."

"He was pure evil. How else would he survive a knife
thrust to the heart?"

Gently, Erik splayed his fingers along her jaw. She drew in
a deep breath, closed her eyes as his mouth touched hers. Many years of buried
need rose to the surface, engulfing Iliana, heating her body to liquid fire.

Iliana had thought this man was her enemy and now she craved
his touch. She wanted to be part of him, feel the breath in him catch as hers
did the same. She wanted to make love with him among the bed furs, as the chill
air outside threw frost upon the morning grass.

"How long have I waited?" he murmured against her
lips. "How long have I yearned to find you, Iliana -- to find you
again?" He smiled. "To have you in my arms. Do not tremble, my love,
do not fear me."

"I do not fear you, Erik. I fear I may
disappoint." She firmed her lips, allowed him to lift her face to his.
"I spent seven nights in your bed. Why then can I not remember?" she
asked with frustration.

The darkness of her hair flowed between them. Erik pulled
her ever closer, enfolded her in his embrace and she rejoiced in the heat of
his skin next to her.

Touch and the sensation of fingers over skin, a wild heat
enveloping them. Anticipation curled a tight knot in Iliana's stomach.

Her fingers played tentatively over his chest, daringly
moving across a taut, flat stomach.

His lips moved across her cheek, lightly caressed the skin
of her jaw, touched ever so briefly, too briefly, upon her lips.

Iliana lay flat on her back beside Erik, then leaned on her
elbow, closer, closer, her hips sliding across his lower body, her eyes
opening, looking at him, seeing her own reflection in his eyes.

"Your eyes are green like the emerald I seek," she
said in wonder.

Erik's gaze sharpened. "Aye," he said, "you
spoke those words before."

"'Tis true," she whispered, then frowned.
"How could I think you were him? You speak the truth where he knows only
deceit. You are not him, he is not you." A mixture of fear and relief
raced through her. "When you first arrived I cursed your arrival, your
arrogance, but as I learn about you, Erik, I am not sorry you are here. I am
glad you have found me, and I hope a time will come that I recall our time
together."

Erik laughed, and he gave her his grin. "It matters not,
now does it, my lady Iliana? Tonight is the beginning of our first time
together. I hope it pleases you so that you never think to leave again."

Iliana sighed. "And this time I will recall each touch,
each breath, each moment we spend together." She helped Erik as his
fingers worked at the tie around her waist, and she wriggled her hips, pulling
the linen shift up. She sat up, allowed him to pull it over her head and drop
it at the bottom of the bed.

She shivered in the chill air, and he pulled aside the bed
furs and nestled her down under their warmth. Quickly, he divested himself of
his leggings and she opened the furs and he moved in beside her, pulling her to
his chest, wrapping his arms around her.

He looked down at her. "Why do you frown?"

Iliana concentrated on the connection of their skin from
breast to toes. "It is the first time I have remembered a man's strength
enfolding me. It feels so right, so much a part of me, I want to never forget
this moment. My soul sings for my own strength, but also rejoices in
yours."

"We are well matched," he said.

She studied his face so close to her own, the green eyes
intense as he brought her closer, and she pressed up tightly against him,
winding her legs around his longer legs, heat rising unbearably inside. He
rubbed his hard body against her softer one, and the friction made it difficult
for her to breath. She wanted to feel all of him right now, without delay, but
he took his time, his warm calloused hands tenderly tracing her body, making
her shiver and jump as one hand moved up the tender skin of her inner thigh.

"Erik," she muttered, lost in a deep, heated
sensation.

She clenched her legs tightly around his hand, then relaxed,
lifting her head so that she might kiss his mouth. He dropped his mouth to her,
lightly playing with her lips, tracing the contour of her mouth, and then Erik
plunged his tongue into her mouth, again and again, his lower body likewise
thrusting against her.

Iliana rode the sensation of heat and desire, craving his
body inside hers until neither one of them knew where his hard body ended and
her softer body began.

"Iliana," he murmured, kissing down over her neck,
kissing her breasts, gently shaping them in his large hands. "So
perfect," he murmured, "so perfect for me."

His lips moved down her body, and Iliana shivered at his
teeth nipped ever so gently at her skin. She traced the contours of his skull,
her fingers beneath his long blond hair, moving down to his shoulders, feeling
the flex of his well muscled neck and shoulders.

"Erik, I want you inside me now," she whispered,
and opened herself to him. She caught a quick indrawn breath, her eyes locked
with his as he thrust inside her deeply. Iliana gripped him tightly with her
arms, felt his big hands at the top of her hips, guiding her, thrusting inside
again. A deep spiral began inside, a physical sensation that ran like wild fire
all the way to her fingertips and the tips of her toes. Like a lightning shock,
she felt the thrust of his body, touching a place inside so deeply and tenderly
she began to shake. Sensation took over so that she was out of control.

Deeply emotional and trusting, they joined their bodies
again and again. Iliana felt herself tense as sensation took over. Erik's arms,
body... his scent wound evocatively around her, capturing her in body and
heart.

"Erik."

His kisses fell upon her throat and she drew her head back,
the tension unbearable and yet so ecstatic. When had making love ever been so
wondrous and full of joyous delight?

"Iliana," he said, "come to me. Be mine,
Iliana."

She squeezed him tightly as he came back inside her, and he
groaned deeply. An incredible wave took her to new heights, her tension flowing
into him, overtaking him also.

Iliana did not contain the cry that escaped, and suddenly as
if separated from her body in a moment of true ecstatic coupling, everything
came pouring back into her, as if the sea flowed into the beach, it all rushed
into her mind, her memory. She saw his face, their time together aboard the sea
vessel, standing together looking out over the sea.

It hit her with such incredible force, the joining of his
body with hers, the flesh of one love calling to another, a final wild crest
before they both fell back to the bed. Erik gave a muffled shout, his lips
taking her once more as his body gave one final thrust. They both lay, barely
able to move. The air grew even more chill on her damp skin.

Erik stirred himself, pulled the bed furs back over them
because somehow they were now on top of the furs.

"Dearest Iliana," he said, tenderly brushing the
hair back from her damp brow. Iliana felt as if she could not move, as if every
bit of strength had left her body.

"I feel gloriously alive," she said.

She touched her palm to his shoulder and then down over his
muscled chest. She shook her head in wonder and she smiled at him. "Erik,
Erik."

She tried to hold back the flow of tears, but they erupted,
and then came the deep sobs. For him, for herself, for everything she had
forgotten or hidden even from herself.

Erik pulled her close, held her, comforted her with soft
murmured words.

Finally, she looked up from his shoulder, which was now wet
with her salty tears. But she smiled at him. "Erik, I remember. I remember
it all." She shook her head and she gave a soft laugh, staring directly
into his eyes. "How could I have forgotten our time together? How could I
have forgotten you?"

"By all the saints, you have remembered," he said.

¤¤

Erik did not try to contain his grin. Against all odds he
had found Iliana, and now she had remembered their time together, the short
time that had been imprinted upon his mind and heart. She lay curled against
him, her legs entwined with his, her soft skin responsive to his touch. Even
now, he longed for her again.

"Erik," she said, sleepily. "I must return to
my chamber. I must return to William."

"Lie still," he said. "I will bring William
to you."

Erik rooted around on the floor and pulled his leggings back
on and walked across the cold stone in bare feet. Even though it was the spring
season, the nights were still cold and bitter. He left the chamber and Iliana,
closing the door, her sleepy eyes watching him as he left.

He hurried down the hall and into her chamber, lifting a
sleeping William with his covering from his warm little nest. The girl beside
him stirred and he put a finger to his lips.

"Go back to sleep. William safely comes with me."
And he left the room, carrying William in his arms.

He looked down at the child, his dark curls and long
eyelashes so like his mother's. The baby stirred, opened his eyes for a moment,
and forever caught Erik's heart when he gave a drowsy smile and said,
"Da." And still with that smile he closed those green eyes and fell
back asleep.

Erik entered his chamber and opened the bed furs to place
William beside his mother. She smiled and snuggled the child next to her, then
Erik lay down, pulling the furs around them in a warm cocoon.

"Now you may sleep," he said.

"Yes." Iliana, rising on an elbow, pressed her
mouth to his warm lips in a lingering kiss. "Here I have all I need."

¤¤

John the storyteller had not come to the keep to tell his
tales for a month or more and the children were excited to learn he would
arrive to tell stories after the noontide meal. Iliana noticed even the men at
arms stood idle after the meal, instead of returning to their warfare practice
or sentry duty, as if they too were interested in hearing his tales. Iliana
still thought it a good idea to employ a storyteller, but some of the stories
she did find rather gruesome. The children, however, appeared to appreciate
every gory detail with which they were regaled.

Early morn, Ulrich and Erik rode out with fifteen men to
check word of suspicious camps in the forest to their south. Upon hearing that
news, Iliana had been filled with fear. To the south were the three shadows her
tapestry had shown. Such was the distance, she knew he would not return before
nightfall.

Shortly after the noon meal, John arrived quietly and
entered the hall, standing before the dragon tapestry, waiting for the children
to gather in the hall. Before long the hall was filled, wide-eyed children
sitting on the floors, men standing in the corners and even the cook and the
girls clearing away the meal stopped in their duties to listen as he began his
stories.

Iliana went about cleaning up the tables, listening as she
came back and forth between the kitchen fire pit and great hall. The children
sat in rapt awe, but again she did not care for the stories about dragons
carrying children off to their caverns, where they let their young play with
the children. It was left for the children listening to wonder if the dragons
ate the children at story's end.

For Iliana, it felt too close to what could actually happen.
And yet, watching John tell the tale, she could see he was a good storyteller
and he enjoyed keeping the children guessing and listening intently.

After many stories, when it was time for him to go, he did
not linger, for he had places to travel before nightfall. Iliana was not sorry
to see him go. She noted he looked as if he might have been in another fight,
for his left ear was bloody and bruised.