Page 89

It was a sorrowful thought.

The tower loomed before them and Thomas could immediately see the fortified door, which took his mind off his troubles for the moment. The carpenters he’d sent from Wark had done a remarkable job on it and as Maitland opened the door, he ran his hands over the panel, inspecting it.

There were two big iron bolts on the interior of it, plus a lock, all of it nicely securing the door.

He shut it, throwing the bolts to see how strong they were.

He was bent down, inspecting the iron bolts, but as he came up, a body suddenly pressed against him.

Hands were on his face and before he realized what was happening, Maitland was slanting her soft lips over his.

Off-balance, Thomas slammed back into the wall next to the bolted tower door, his arms going around Maitland of their own volition.

One moment, he was startled and in the next, she was in his tight embrace.

He was surely squeezing the breath from her.

Maitland’s arms were around his neck, her mouth on his, and when Thomas realized what was happening, instinct took over.

He could hardly believe it.

His heart was pounding in his ears as he suckled her lips, forcing her mouth open with his tongue and tasting her sweetness.

Maitland didn’t resist him, not in the least, and whatever fire was burning in his belly was burning just as hotly in hers.

She was soft and pliable in his arms, and he kissed her furiously, so hard that he drove his teeth into his soft lip, drawing blood, which Maitland licked off hungrily.

When she pulled back to look at him, he saw his own blood on her lips and it drove him wild.

He was on her again in a flash, picking her up in his arms, her feet dangling a foot or more off the ground.

He was suckling her lips, her cheek, her neck, moving against the wall until they stumbled into the chamber on the lower level that had once been used as a hall.

The hearth was dark but daylight streamed in through the small lancet windows, giving some light to see by.

But all Thomas knew was that he’d never been so hungry for a woman in his life.

Light or dark, he didn’t need to see her.

He only needed to feel her.

In truth, he could hardly believe he found himself in this situation.

Up until a few seconds ago, Thomas was positive he would have to go the rest of his life never having touched Maitland, and he was still shocked that she had thrown herself at him.

But he didn’t question it. He was bloody well thankful.

Somehow, they ended up backed into the repaired feasting table and he slammed his thigh into it, which caused him to pause in his sensual assault.

He pulled back for a moment, finding himself looking into her wide, beautiful eyes.

“Why, Mae?” he breathed, licking his swollen lips. “You told me not to tempt you.”

Maitland’s lips and cheeks were red from his bristly beard, her chest heaving with the force of her passion.

“I know,” she whispered. “All you’ve done is talk.

All I’ve done is resist. I… I have never had a man speak so to me, not ever.

I do not know what came over me, Thomas.

Suddenly, I had to touch you. I cannot explain it more than that. ”

Thomas had his big hands on her head, swallowing it up as he leaned in and kissed her gently. “You are not a passing fancy.”

Maitland sucked in a ragged breath. “Swear it to me.”

“I swear. God, I swear.”

“I… I have never had anyone love me before, Thomas.”

“If you give me the opportunity, I will.”

She put her hand over his mouth before he could kiss her again and when he looked at her, he could see tears glistening. “But I cannot carry on with a married man.”

He cocked a dark eyebrow. “I am not married yet.”

He had a point– an indisputable point. He wasn’t married at that moment, technical as it might be. Realizing that, Maitland could no longer control the passion that was burning holes in her. Leaning forward, she captured Thomas’ lower lip between her teeth, biting him gently, and Thomas groaned.

Madness consumed him. His mouth claimed hers once again and Maitland gave herself over to him, willingly and completely.

His big, warm body settled her back on the tabletop and he wedged himself between her legs, but she hardly cared.

She knew what was coming and she welcomed it.

She was eager to know the man, in every sense of the word.

Thomas didn’t keep her waiting. As his lips feasted on hers, he reached down and pulled up the edge of her long garment, pulling it up and sliding it past her hips. Yanking it over her head, he pulled her shift off with it, and both landed in a pile on the table behind her.

Then, he took a good look at her body, slender and white, with full breasts and narrow hips.

She was magnificent. He was in full protection, which was a problem, so he pulled off his gloves as Maitland moved to his belt, unfastening it.

The gloves and belt hit the floor, followed by his de Wolfe tunic.

Bending forward, he held out his arms and Maitland took hold of his mail coat, pulling it off as he shimmied out of it.

That, too, ended up on the floor, followed by his padded tunic.

Naked from the waist up, his lips claimed hers once more as he unfastened his breeches.

They slithered to his knees as he put his hand on her buttocks and pulled her hips to the edge of the table.

Thomas devoured Maitland’s lips as a big hand closed gently over a breast, feeling the silken skin against his palm.

Maitland groaned when he began tugging at her nipple, toying with the hard, little pellet, and when his mouth left hers and began nursing against that nipple, her head tipped backwards as she gasped in ecstasy.

Every suckle sent bolts of excitement shooting through her body and between her legs, a flame ignited that she’d only felt once before, back in the days when Henry had drawn arousal out of her.

Instinctively, her pelvis rocked forward, seeking his manhood, silently begging for him to fill her.

Thomas could feel her squirming and he knew exactly what she wanted.

As he worked her breasts hungrily, his fingers sought out the curls between her legs and he pushed his fingers into her.

She was already wet and swollen, her body preparing for his entry, and he thrust his fingers into her tight, wet passage, moving in and out of her, mimicking the thrusting that would soon be taking place.

Maitland groaned and opened her legs wider to him, demanding his entry, and Thomas could wait no longer.

Carefully, he positioned his engorged phallus at her threshold, thrusting into her slick body.

He was so big that Maitland gasped with the shock of his intrusion but thrust her hips forward to capture all of him.

Thomas had managed to arouse a side of her she never knew she had, one that was willing to overlook the complexities of the situation and surrender to the myriad of emotions she was feeling for the man.

None of that seemed to matter any longer. She needed to be touched, to be loved.

She needed to belong to him, forever.

Carefully, Thomas began to thrust, his arms going around her as he gathered her up tightly against him, her chest to his, the feel of her soft breasts against his skin, feeding his lust. Against him, Maitland groaned and gasped at the pleasurable sensations, her legs wrapping tightly around his hips, begging him to plunge deeper.

Thomas had never experienced anything so sweet in his entire life.

His body pounded into hers and she accepted all of him, moving with him as her pelvis met him, move for move.

It was magical, his manhood burying itself in her wet folds as her body tried to coax forth his seed.

Maitland’s hands moved from his shoulders to his buttocks, holding his body against hers as if to force him ever deeper.

Thomas surrendered without a fight.

His hot seed released and Maitland felt him shudder.

But he kept moving within her, his hand moving to the junction between her legs and stroking her until she, too, experienced her own powerful release.

Gasping as waves of pleasure rolled over her, Maitland had never known anything like it in her life.

It was all she ever hoped it could be.

As the ripples of satisfaction died down, Thomas remained buried in her, kissing her gently, showing her without words of the feelings that were growing for her. Come what may, she would always have his heart and there was nothing in the world, and no earldom powerful enough, to change that.

But he knew, even as he held her, that the difficulties of their situation had just exploded in all directions.

The Beguine had now become a mistress… God, how he hated thinking of her in that context.

She deserved so much more, more than he could give her at the moment.

But that didn’t stop him from being selfish about it.

He was in deep.