Page 63

“In the tub,” she elaborated, patting the water invitingly as though it were a mattress.

She forgot it would splash. Shaking the water droplets out of her eyes, she gave a rueful laugh.

“Though you might want to ask Bennett first for another two buckets of hot water to top it up. It is not as hot as it was.”

But James was already stripping off his clothes.

“I don’t care about that,” he said, flinging off his tunic.

“During my days of King’s service, I’ve often bathed in cold-water streams. Unless you want more hot water?

In which case, I can easily fetch more,” he said, pausing in the act of unlacing his crotch.

“No, no, I am content,” she assured him. “Do not go on my account.”

With a flattering haste, he finished undressing his gorgeous body. No matter how often she feasted her eyes on him, Gunnilde was sure she would never get used to his masculine beauty. It was astonishing how good-looking he was. She felt quite dazzled by it at times.

In no time at all, James slid into the water beside her, his long, well-formed limbs brushing up against her own shorter, chubby ones. Even if she were not trying to seduce him, there was no way Gunnilde could have arranged herself so their bodies would not be pressed against one another.

“You’re so tall and well favored,” she told him admiringly, stroking his thighs.

He made an involuntary noise in his throat. “ Gunnilde ,” he said huskily.

“Have you enough room?” she asked, pretending she had not noticed his hard cock and flushed face. She drew her knees up, wrapping her arms about them and obscuring his view of her breasts. Well, most of them, anyway. They were not so easily hidden.

“It’s not room that I crave,” he answered, meeting her eyes, his hair falling over his one eye. Gunnilde’s heart squeezed. Remember what you are about , she admonished herself. You are the one that is supposed to be doing the seducing here, not him!

“What, then?” Gunnilde asked, a small smile playing about her lips.

“Closeness,” he answered.

“Is this not close enough?” she asked coyly. He shook his head. “No? I hardly know how we could be closer still. Unless I come and sit in your lap?”

His nostrils flared. “Yes,” he answered, his voice deeper than usual. “Like you did at our wedding banquet when you rescued me.”

“Rescued you?” she queried as she clambered up onto her knees.

There was no dignified way she could do this, she thought as she scrambled inelegantly over him.

She was not lithe enough to do it with grace.

Not that James seemed to mind. His hands were at her waist, on her hips, urging her closer, groaning loudly as she settled her plump body atop of his.

“How did I rescue you?” she asked breathlessly, feeling the press of his thick, heavy cock against her soft belly.

“From that jester,” he whispered. “Do not tell me you have forgotten. It is burned on my memory like a brand.”

Gunnilde gazed down at him in puzzlement. “You mean—?”

“When first you kissed me,” he said in a gravelly voice.

“Well, in fact our first kiss was after we exchanged vows,” she reminded him.

“No,” he rumbled, his eyes trained on her mouth. “No, that was when I first kissed you, which was naught but a pathetic peck. Yours was much better.”

Was it? Gunnilde cast back in her mind, but surely hers had been just as close-mouthed an effort, scarcely even qualifying as a kiss? She looked back at James, but he gazed back at her so intently that she found she had to believe him. What had she done that had affected him so?

“You mean, when I did this?” she asked, slowly placing her hands on either side of his face.

He caught his breath. “Yes,” he hissed.

Oh . So, it had been her seizing the initiative. “You like for me to have the upper hand, James?” she asked, making him whimper. Goodness, he did like it, she thought with dawning realization. He liked it a lot.

“And this?” she asked, lowering her face to his and sealing her lips to his mouth.

In fact, this was quite, quite different, she acknowledged, as she ran her tongue against the seam of his mouth.

She wouldn’t have dreamed of kissing him thus at their wedding feast. Part of her wondered if he would not have shoved her off his lap if she had done such a thing!

Well, he certainly was not pushing her away now, she acknowledged as he sucked her tongue into his mouth with a needy groan. Gunnilde only allowed him the briefest stroke of her tongue against his own before she withdrew, making him gasp with dissatisfaction.

“We did not kiss in front of all our wedding guests like this,” she reminded him, tutting. “Such a thing would have been most improper.”

“Nay, you kissed me longer,” he insisted. “Much longer. Until the jester fully passed us by.”

“Did I?” she asked, frowning as though with the effort of recall.

“Yes,” he growled. “Do it right.”

She had to hide a smile. Do it right, indeed!

If she did it right, it would be naught but a simple pressing of her face against his own!

“Oh, very well,” she said, tossing her head.

It did not have quite the effect she desired, for her hair was wet and plastered down her back.

Still, James seemed to appreciate the gesture, his eyes roaming greedily over her face and neck.

To reward his patience, Gunnilde lowered her lips once more to his, this time she sipped sweetly awhile before teasing the tip of his tongue with her own. James gasped against her mouth, his hands landing on her waist, grabbing her there and squeezing in an encouraging fashion.

Gunnilde stroked her thumbs over his cheekbones, slanting her mouth over his and deepening their kiss until James’s tongue tangled enthusiastically with her own. His hands slid down her hips, cupping her bottom as if to pull her closer still, as if she was not already on top of him.

Dimly, it occurred to her that there was one way their bodies could be closer. If he was inside of her. Was that a thing they could do right now? Pulling back her face, she gazed down at James, letting her eyes travel over his flushed face.

“James?” she whispered. He did not answer, just gazed at her, his breathing ragged, his eyes unfocussed. How should she propose such a thing? She took a deep breath. “I want you inside of me. Right now.”

He shivered, then heaved up onto his haunches.

“James!” Gunnilde squawked, finding herself suddenly hefted up out of the water.

What was he doing? She gaped down at him, amazed that he could bear her weight as he settled on the edge of the tub, with her still clinging onto him, perched precariously on his thighs.

“You—you’re getting water all over the floor! ”

He was panting hard and did not answer, his attention focused between her legs as he parted her cleft and started gently rubbing her there. “I want you to be wet for me, not just from the bathwater,” he said tersely.

Oh. Gunnilde touched her forehead to his and reached down to guide his thumb. “Touch me here,” she told him bossily. After all, he liked her bossy. With a nod, he started circling the pad of his thumb just the way that she liked. “That’s good, James,” she told him in honeyed tones. “Very good.”

He gave murmur of agreement, then slipped a finger up inside of her.

Gunnilde’s breathing hitched. “Oh!” she whimpered, shifting restlessly against him.

She was definitely wet from his ministrations now.

Very wet. “Another,” she requested. He grunted and added another finger, stretching her to make her ready.

Suddenly, every glide of his fingers, every touch of his thumb thrilled her to her very core.

She pointed her toes, arched her back, and cried out at the sheer pleasure of it all.

James seized hold of her buttocks, tugging her forward, so she slid down his wet, muscular thighs toward his throbbing cock which jutted out toward her.

Unable to withstand the temptation, she wrapped her fingers around it, squeezing gently.

“ Gods! ” James uttered in a guttural voice. He thrust himself more firmly into her hold, closing his eyes, chest heaving. “Fuck, Gunnilde,” he panted. “I can’t—”

“Oh yes, you can, James,” she insisted sweetly. “You can do it now. Come inside me. I want you to.” She leaned back, widening her legs and positioning him right where he needed to be.

James thrust up with his hips. “ Oh! ” Her eyes watered to find him so firmly lodged inside of her. He stilled at once, his eyes searching her face in query. Gunnilde wriggled a moment to check all was well. She breathed out in relief.

“Yes?” he asked, a tense look on his face.

“Yes,” she agreed. “More.”

He breathed out shakily and bucked his hips again, once more, twice more, his fingers digging into the flesh of her hips until he was fully sheathed. Then he gave a low groan of relief, his mouth seeking hers again. Gunnilde kissed him back with all the wild longing she felt.

Feeling a warmth steal once more over her limbs, she realized that James was sliding back down the side of the tub, until they were half submerged in the water.

Tearing her lips from his, she sat up to take stock of the situation.

James’s head was tipped back, and he was watching her through desire-glazed eyes.

“You’re incredible,” he said.

Gunnilde hesitated. Stupid to ask for clarification. He meant her body, of course. Still, she could not help herself. “Do you really think so?” she whispered.

He nodded and she felt a pang in her chest. How could he look so terribly sincere? He also looked calmer now he was inside her, which was unfair, as Gunnilde was feeling anything but. She wriggled against him and gasped at the sensation of fullness. “James,” she whined.

“Let’s stay like this awhile.”

“Like this?” He nodded. “I don’t know if I can. I need...” She bit her lip.

“What?” he asked throatily. “Tell me.”

“To move.”

“Move, then,” he said it like almost like a challenge. “Move on me.”

Gunnilde released his shoulders to reach up behind him and grip the edge of the tub, then she shifted herself over him, making him grunt.

She undulated, which felt nice, so nice, but wasn’t enough.

She needed more . More friction. She ground herself down on him, forward, then back, making him gasp and draw his knees up behind her, feeling him deep.

“Yes,” he hissed. “Don’t stop.”

All the while, she felt the heat of James’s gaze on her as she took her pleasure. His hands slid down from caressing her breasts to clasp her hips tight, urging her movements to become brisker and brisker, until it was more of a bounce. His eyes roamed greedily over her jolting breasts.

She rose up on her knees, only for James to growl and slam her back down onto his cock. She cried out at the sensation.

“Again,” he urged thickly. “Do that again.”

She did so, panting and sobbing and clutching the edge of the tub for dear life. The water churned around them, slopping over the sides. “J-James,” she moaned brokenly.

“Don’t stop,” he rasped, his hips now moving furiously beneath her own. She whined as it all grew too much, tightening her thighs about him, her inner muscles, and throwing back her head.

James shouted aloud, surging forward to press a hot, breathless kiss to her throat. Feeling the scrape of his teeth there, she exploded in a shower of stars and felt him join her with a ragged groan of deep satisfaction.