Conquering the Dark Axe (33 page)

She tried to understand the trauma Rourke had
suffered and the anguish he struggled with daily not over just the physical
part of what had happened, but the mental as well.

‘Twas why she had not been able to bring herself to
reveal the news of the babe to him. She wanted it to be a happy moment when she
told him.

Lifting her gaze from the ledger she had been looking
over, she was surprised to see him staring at her, the sword now hanging at his
side.

He was not smiling. Alarm raced through her and she
asked him, “Are you well?”

His naked chest rose with the deep breaths he took
and he turned from her. A sheen of sweat covered his scarred back. Alexa rose
from the bench ready to go to him when his harsh words stopped her.

“I need to be alone.”

“Of course. I’ll be back-“she started.

“Nay,” he said turning back around to face her. His
green eyes steady on her. “You stay. I’ll be back.”

She started to argue, but decided against it. He had
ventured outside many times since waking, but with Goran or a guard at his
side. He was more than capable of walking around by himself, she assured
herself.

She nodded and was surprised when he reached out and
let the back of his knuckles caress her cheek.

“I shall be right back. I promise. I’m indebted to
you, but nevertheless we both need a break from this coddling, Alexa.”

His words stung and Alexa stood in the middle of the
room long after he left staring at the door.

Rourke rested his head against the chamber door,
both his hands spread on the wall to stop himself from returning to her and
taking her in his arms. Her hurt look had cut through him and he wanted nothing
more than to tell her how much she meant to him. The gratitude he had for her
steadfast diligence in seeing him well, overwhelmed him.  He’d yet to
regain all his abilities, his senses still off kilter slightly and he suffered
sporadic bouts of dizziness. Yet, he did not mention any of it to her.

Rourke knew come more time the oddities would pass.
The road to recovery had been made much easier with Alexa at his side. He
inhaled sharply and smiled even now at the way she fawned over him. He loved
her all the more for it.

Readily he admitted to himself his own deceit when
he'd feigned a bit here and there just to feel a lingering touch, a gentle
caress of her soft hands upon him. But now he had a new concern. Rourke took a
step back from the door and looked down the hall to the two soldiers leaning
against a wall. They cleared their throats and stood at attention. His brows
creased for a different reason however. He’d noted the tired lines around
Alexa's eyes and mouth, along with her peaked expression he'd witnessed when
she'd believed he'd not been watching her. Rourke released a heavy sigh. He was
partially the blame for putting it there, he knew. 

As much as he enjoyed the strengthening of their
bond and fondness for one another, he had come to realize his injuries had
taken a deep toll on her too.

He had said he’d profess his love if he returned to
her and he thought he had.

He’d tried to express his love in actions, with
gentle caresses and light kisses every chance he'd gotten.

But she did not seem to notice the depth of his
devotion and gratitude. Rourke grunted.

Time had come for him to stop hiding behind her
skirts and climb over that anxious rock and start being lord and master here
once again.

‘Twould be some time before he'd be able to swing
his axe as skilled as before or if ever again. Raven had thought to tear his
arm off but he had failed. Still Rourke knew he'd never possess the full range
of motion of those muscles ever again.

However, it made him no less of a man. His
swordsmanship had returned with a flourish tenfold as had his fine marksmanship
with his little daggers. He’d yet to miss a beat and had split the wooden staff
in two last eve during practice.

Had he not thought himself how weary he’d grown of
battle? Aye.

He wanted to make a life with Alexa.

It no longer mattered if she were barren or not. If
a child came later, he would be ecstatic. If not, he'd love her no less. She
was his whole being and he needed to make it known. Hearing her move about in
their chamber drew him from his thoughts and he turned and walked down the
corridor. 

He had a surprise for her that he hoped returned the
smile back to her face. And he would see it there afore he left to see Raven’s
head on a spike. Whistling a light tune, Rourke descended the stairs two at a
time.

Later that evening Alexa tried to still her feet
from going in search of Rourke as well as bite her tongue not to ask after his
whereabouts. Just when she believed she’d go mad with worry, she turned at the
sound she heard coming from the other end of the dark corridor she just
entered. Rourke was walking toward her.

He emerged from the shadows, his hair brushed back
off his broad forehead and he was staring at her. She stood rooted to the spot.

When he reached her, he said nothing but took her
hand in his and pulled her behind him back down the way she’d come. Alexa
quickened her pace to keep up with his long strides as she waited to see where
he was leading her. She asked but once where they were going and he did nothing
more than flash her weird look. She harrumphed over his odd behavior and just
as she was about to pull back and resist, she froze.

Seemed the entire inhabitants of the manor now
filled the hall that had been empty just moments ago, watching them.

Anxious, she looked about and found Goran near the
raised dais. He gave her a smile and simply nodded. Even more confused, Alexa
turned to her husband, but he pulled her forward until they stood near Goran.

“What goes on here?” Alexa demanded in a firm
whisper when he released her hand and made to walk away from her. She was still
slightly perturbed over his earlier need to be alone. 

At first she didn’t think he would answer, but then
he turned and winked at her. “Wait.”

Alexa would have argued had she not heard the
chuckle Goran unsuccessfully tried to muffle. She twisted her lips. Something
was afoot.

When Rourke returned Alexa forgot all else when her
eyes fell upon what he carried.

Weakness in her legs caused her to stumble back
against the bench and she sat down hard, a tightness started within her chest.
The room was so quiet. 

He held out her sheathed sword to her.

Alexa stared agog as he unsheathed the shining steel
for a brief second before sliding it back home hard. Her heart jumped. So
overcome with emotion at how he presented her treasured weapon in front of all,
she could only stare at her weapon, speechless.

After a moment she reached out and pulled her hand
back just as quickly.  His soft teasing whisper for her ears only did not
break the spell.

“I can always put it back if you do not wish to have
it, hellion.”

She reached out again with both hands and was
surprised that her hands shook. Her eyes never left his face as both her hands
closed over the sheathed sword.

The red and black ribbon he held in his hand he held
out to her a second later. The strip of material, a keepsake of her link to
Lisbeth made her breath catch and burn in her throat.

Taking it, she crushed it in her fist as tears stung
her eyes. 

With her hands still shaking, she tried to tie the
material back around the hilt of her sword. When his fingers touched hers to
assist, Alexa choked on a sob.

He tied it tightly to the same blade she’d
threatened to behead him with that day so long ago when they had first met at
her sister’s grave.

It seemed so very long ago. 

Alexa swallowed and lifted her gaze to his and was
blessed with one of those bright smiles of his that made her shudder to her
toes.  Tears blinded her and she lost focus of his beautiful face as he
started to speak.

“You are a true gift, my lady and I long to see you
happy and full of life again. Not worn and tired as you have been in nursing me
back to health.” When she could not answer, he whispered, “Alexa?”

His soft voice was the tipping point.  The
tears she could not stop nor had wont to spilled like a river down her flushed
cheeks.  Alexa did not care if he did not like her tears this day and let
out a big sob as she launched herself into his arms. 

He caught her as the room erupted in praise. 
Rourke’s large body stiffened for a moment but Alexa simply clung tighter to
him, her long lean arms wrapping around his strong neck.

After a pause, she felt the tension leave him and he
returned her embrace.  The room went wild. But she was oblivious to it.
All she saw was him. She drew back and pressed her lips softly against his
mouth. Rourke felt his chest tightening over the emotion he read in her eyes.
Something inside him popped and warmth spread over him from head to toe under
her all-consuming stare.

She whispered softly, “This-This means so much. I
cannot tell you how much. Thank you, Rourke.”

“Aye, I know it does. I should have returned it to
you long ago.” Rourke was surprised at the hoarseness in his own voice. 

She gave him a surprised look before her cheeks
flushed with pink. He bit back a grin when she batted her lashes at him and
tilted her head to the side.

“Now ‘tis I that would like a moment
alone
with you.” She told him with a smile.

Molten heat shot down to his groin and Rourke forgot
the others in the room in an instant. “Is that all it will take? A moment,
hellion?”

He almost felt bad for teasing her over her play at
seduction when her flush deepened. But when she told him in his ear just how
long, it was he that felt warmth spread up his neck. Ignoring her cry of alarm,
Rourke held her to him fiercely and strode from the room with her still in his
arms. The sword she held dangling over his back.

“I am not so sure if this is a good idea after all,”
Alexa’s hoarse tone was thick with the passion she was feeling. She squeezed
his hand while she stood between his legs as he continued to remove her
clothes.

“Wanton and bold, now you aim to change your mind.
Or do you doubt I am up to it?” Rourke drew a lazy finger down the space
between her breasts.

Alexa shivered from the light touch and the sound of
his groan. She looked down between them. His breeches showed the evidence he
was more than up to it. Still she hesitated even though her body swayed into
him when his thumbs flicked over her hardened nipples.

“It may still be too soon, Rourke.” She moaned and
closed her eyes when he kissed the side of her neck.

“Then, healer, you can do all the work. Let it be
known ‘twill be your last night of duty of course.”

Alexa pulled back and met his gaze. She laughed with
him as he vocally teased her unmercifully for her coddling and watching his
every move. Then he gave her a serious look and thanked her for all she had
done in seeing his way back.

“What say you?” Alexa could not help but tease in
wanting to hear his words again.

Rourke tamped down his mirth and replied. “My head
hurts. I seem to have all but forgotten that quickly.”

She shoved him and stepped away from him in her
naked glory. Her expression morphed into one of indignation as it always did
when she believed that he knew something she did not. Rourke swallowed hard as
he lifted his eyes from the dark patch between her thighs. Passion took hold of
him and he licked his lips.

“Do you remember now?” she asked him. She spread her
arms wide, causing those delicious breasts to bounce and rise. Her pose and
naked flesh called to him.  

“Aye, I remember, hellion. Get in the bed.” he
growled.

She squealed with laughter when he reached out for
her and ran for the bed. In a matter of minutes, Rourke divested himself of
every stitch of clothing and joined her there. He laughed with her when she
rolled him onto his back and took the lead.

FORTY

Rourke reached out to pull Alexa closer but her side
of the bed was empty. He groaned, missing her and looked over to the window. A
smile came to his lips. The window covering had been pushed back and dawn was
just breaking through the clouds. He closed his eyes again, still feeling worn
and knew she would be back soon. 

Alexa.

He loved his hellion and was quite randy for her
again.  Nay, it was more than that. He wanted to hear the hoarse lilt in
her throaty whisper near his skin, his ear, his mouth. Aye, she fit perfectly
by his side.

As he thought it, he reached out and swept her
pillow up under his arm. Her scent filled his nose and he hardened.

Where was she?

The aroma of food came to him. His stomach growled
at the scent and thought. He rolled over.

For the first time in two weeks Rourke found he
truly wanted to eat. The sound of the door opening drew his attention and he
watched Alexa creep in and hush the servants that accompanied her. The servants
carried what only Rourke could describe as a feast. A scrumptious and
mouthwatering feast. His eyes widened as they followed his wife's instructions
and set the platters at the foot of the bed. When the servants greeted him, her
wide amber eyes turned on him with shock that he was awake. Her hands came to
rest on her hips and she shook her head. She never looked more beautiful to him
than she did in that moment. He responded automatically to the servants, but
was unable to look anywhere else but at his wife. He took in the sight of her.