Daughters of the Dagger 03 - Amber (12 page)

“
Nay,” he said. “’Tis the truth. Now have something to drink.” He filled a goblet with wine and pushed it toward her. Then he handed her a spoon.

She
surveyed the bowl in the center of the table and shook her head. “I think there’s meat in there. I gave up eating meat when I entered the abbey. And I don’t partake of the drink either.”

“Well, you are not at
the abbey now,” he pointed out, “and this is what they are serving so I suggest you either eat or starve. Besides, if there is meat in this pottage, I assure you you’ll have to look hard to find it. And you drink wine in church, so this is no different.” He pushed the goblet closer to her, hoping she’d take a swig and loosen up already. If not, he was going to have one hell of a night with her, especially when she found out they were sharing a room.

“The horses are set for the night,” said Sir Romney, sitting down to join them. “Did you get the rooms?” he asked, digging into the food hungrily.

“I did,” he said. “Your room is number four and ours is three.” He looked at Amber. “I figured you’d like the number of the holy trinity.”

“What?” Amber’s head snapped up when he said it
, but he just ignored her.

“I owe you some money,” said Sir Romney.

“We’ll call it even,” said Lucas. “After all, you paid the stable boy,” so don’t worry about it.”

“I can’t wait to get out of these clothes,” said Mirabelle, finishing off her wine. A serving wench came
by and replaced the empty flagon with a full one. Lucas quaffed his wine and refilled his cup, and Sir Romney did the same.

“Did ye want more wine too, Sister?” asked the wench standing over Amber.

“Nay,” she said, picking up her cup and finally taking a sip. Then to his relief, she picked up the spoon and reached over and started eating the food as well.

“Romney, sweetheart, will you be a dear and order me a bath?” asked Mirabelle. “I know how you like me to be clean before we couple.”

“It’s already taken care of,” said Lucas, finishing off his food and laying the spoon on the table.

“A bath too?” Sir Romney asked with a smile. “Well, I’d say someone is taking care of us for some reason, and I think I know why.”

“No need to thank me,” said Lucas, “as I’ve got one for us as well.”

He noticed Amber stiffen at those words, then she slowly p
ut down her spoon on the table and looked up toward him. “I will not be staying in a room with you tonight,” she told him. “’Tis not proper.”

“Oh, Sister Amber,” said Mirabelle,
“you need to relax a little. You’ll feel better after a bath.”

“They only had two
private rooms left,” explained Lucas. “It was either that or share a room and the same bed with a half dozen drunken, lusty men.”

“Then I’ll stay with Mi
rabelle and you two men can sleep together.”

“Oh no, that’ll never do,” said Mirabelle. “Sir Romney paid for me for the entire trip and I’m obligated to service him whenever needed, so I need to stay with him.”

“Then you sleep in the stable,” she told Lucas.

“I’m sleeping in a bed tonight and I don’t want to hear another word
about it.”

“Then I’ll stay in the stable,” she said.

Lucas was getting worried and he knew he had to do something fast, or she might do just that. He spied the serving wench coming with a tray loaded down with so much food and drink that she could barely see where she was going. He felt terrible for what he was about to do, but he didn’t have a choice. There was no way neither he nor Amber was going to sleep in the stable and he just had to secure it.

He quickly stuck his foot out and tripped the wench, and she
stumbled and dropped the tray of food and drink right on Amber. Lucas reached out and grabbed the woman just before she fell in Amber’s lap.

“Oh!” cried Amber.

“You bastard, you tripped me,” shouted the wench, squirming out of Lucas’s arms. He looked over to Sir Romney who had a grin spread across his face obviously knowing what Lucas’s intentions were.

The knight shot out of his seat and came to the girl’s side. “Now, now, it was just a simple accident, no harm done,” he said, looking over and winking at Lucas. “Here is a coin for your trouble now try to calm down.”

Lucas nodded his thanks slightly as the knight sent the wench away. Then he looked back at Amber who was covered from head to foot with food and drink. She looked so funny trying to hold in her anger that he wanted to laugh, but didn’t dare.

“Are you a
ll right, Sister Amber?” he asked, helping her from her seat.

“I … I … ” She looked like she was about to cry and Lucas ushered her to the stairs and up them quickly. “You are soaked and need to get out of your soiled clothes. There is a bath prepared in our room, now go ahead and use it and I’ll come up later.”

He guided her to the room and closed her inside before she had a chance to object. Then he laid his head against the wood and closed his eyes. What the hell was he doing? He tricked a nun into getting undressed and into a bath and now he planned on convincing her to sleep in the bed with him as well.

He was changing his mind quickly about not believing in the devil. Now, he was starting to wonder if he was named Lucifer for a reason, because he felt like the devil for what he’d just done.

Amber sat in the hot
water of the tub still donned in her shift and braies though she’d removed her shoes, hose, gown, wimple and veil. The hot water felt so good against her aching body, as she wasn’t used to being on the road and riding a horse all day.

Back ho
me she had ridden horses often, but she rode sidesaddle, not like a man - the way her sister Ruby rode. Now she wished she’d taken Ruby up on her offer years ago in learning how to ride astride. If so, she wouldn’t be feeling so sore now.

In the abbe
y they were instructed to bathe in their shifts and underclothes as it was less temptation for one to pleasure themselves. She did it now not only because of her training, but also because she didn’t know when Lucas would be walking into the room, and she didn’t want him to see her naked.

She couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss he’d given her, nor the way she saw Mirabelle and Sir Romney rutting in the stable. She wondered how it would feel to make love to a man. Mirabelle seemed to enjoy it enough to make a living out of it. And though Amber did not a
gree with the girl’s profession, she still liked her. She’d learned not to judge while at the abbey, though the subject of whores had never been part of her training.

She’d washed her hair and body and was now just soaking, as it felt so good and relaxing that she’d almost forgotten how upset she was with Lucas
. Why had the man thought naught of sharing a room with her? Did he really think that she, a novice, would lie on the same pallet with a man who was known to be the devil?

She laid her head back against the tub and thought about the kiss she’d shared with Lucas. She could almost feel his soft lips on hers and his hand against the back of her head. She felt that tingling sensation again
, and this time it was between her thighs. And when she opened her eyes, she saw Lucas standing there in the doorway staring at her. The light from the candles in the dim room made the whole atmosphere romantic.

“I thought you’d be done by now,” he said, coming in and closing the door behind him.

She suddenly felt like a wanton woman for the thoughts she’d been having, and sank lower into the water in shame. “I … fell asleep, I guess. But I am ready to get out now. Just lay my bag with my extra clothes by the bed and leave and I’ll get out and dress.”

He threw the travel
bags over the back of a chair and sat down and started to pull off his boots.

“Uh
, I seem to have forgotten to pack your bag, so I guess you’ll have to wear your velvet gown.”

“What?” she sat up taller in the tub. “So you’re saying that I don’t even have my rosary or prayer book? What am I going to do?”

“Sorry, Sister, but no praying tonight. And if you need to find something to do … I am sure I can come up with a few suggestions.”

By the way he was looking at her, she had no question
in her mind what those suggestions might be. And before she could answer him, he’d disrobed and was heading for the tub.

Her mouth dropped open at the sight of his naked body
and she couldn’t find the words to speak. He stepped into the water with her and she scooted backwards, sitting higher, trying to get away from him.

He loo
ked at her with an odd expression upon his face.

“You’re bathing in your undergarments?” he asked
.

“’T
is the way we are taught to bathe in the abbey. ’Tis a way to resist temptation.”

“Resist temptation? With whom? One of the monks?” He sat his naked body down in the water directly across from h
er, his knees touching hers though she was pulling her legs so close that they were nearly up to her chin.

“With ourselves,” she answered. “And you can’t come in the
tub with me. You’re … naked.”

“That’s the w
ay most people bathe, my pure little dove. And don’t worry, I won’t disturb you from being tempted by yourself.”

“This is outrageous!” She
stood to leave the tub, noticing his eyes settling on her breasts. When she looked down, she realized the shift was wet and transparent and there was naught left to the imagination. It clung to her swells, and the outline of her nipples showed through. Her hard nipples. She was so embarrassed. She sat back down quickly and sank down into the water until it covered her shoulders.

“Well, either you like the looks of my naked body or you were playing with yourself before I came in,” he said with a smile.

“I do not play with myself,” she spat.

“Ah, then I guess you don’t hate me as much as you pretend. Your body doesn’t lie.”

“I may be a nun, but I’m not dead,” she retorted.

“Good thing. I was starting to wonder.” He took water in his hands and splashed it on his head, then
leaned forward dunking under the water, his face just above the juncture of her thighs. He came up slowly, very close to her, and she leaned back and looked off to the side.

“You know, this could be a very interesting position … that is . . . if you weren’t a nun.”

“I’m … not … yet,” she said, her breathing deepening as a reaction of his naked body so close to hers. Her mind was confused and she wanted to kiss him, yet she knew she couldn’t. She bit her bottom lip and didn’t move as he came closer. His face was right in front of her now, their mouths so close together that she could feel his breath on her lips.

“I’m very attracted to you
,” he told her.

“I … like you … too.” She couldn’t stop thinking of the kiss they’d shared and she wanted nothing more at this mo
ment than to experience it once again. His mouth came closer and she lifted her chin in anticipation. Her eyes closed as she prepared herself for the experience, and her heart thumped wildly against her ribs. Any second now, she’d feel his soft lips upon hers and mayhap even his tongue again inside her mouth. The idea scared her and excited her at the same time. The anticipation had her squirming beneath the water. She wanted this more than anything right now.

“Too bad you’re ready to take your vows,” he said, causing her eyes to pop open. He had pulled back and was scrubbing himself with the soft soap, rinsing his body as if nothing had almost just happened.

She felt disappointed and foolish at the same time. And very wicked. She would never be forgiven when she went back to the abbey and confessed that she sat in a tub with a naked man and wanted to kiss him. Nay, she had wanted to do more than just kiss. She felt the turmoil inside her and wanted to cry.

“You are an evil man to tempt me like that,” she said.

“You are so modest if you think you are the only one being tempted.” He stood in the tub and his waist was just above eye level to her. His manhood had grown enormously since he’d entered the tub and he obviously wanted her as much or more than she wanted him.

“Cover yourself,” she told him, “or have you no decency?”

“I noticed you didn’t turn your head this time. You like what you see, don’t you?”

“I’ve had enough of this.” She stood quickly
and turned her back to him, meaning to exit the tub but slipped. He was there for her with his hands under her armpits catching her, his fingers very close to her breasts. She felt the poke of his hardened manhood at her back and a wave of heat passed through her body.

“Whenever you’re ready, Sister, just say the word,” he whispered into her ear, his breath caressing her like the stroke of a lover’s hand. She straightened upward and turned her head to look at him. All she had to do was say yes and they’d be on the pallet coupling
just the same as Sir Romney and Mirabelle were probably doing right now.

She felt her face redden and his essence called out to hers in a fit of passion that she’d never felt before. Mayhap she wasn’t meant
for the life of a nun after all. She was curious to know how it felt to couple and Lucas was giving her that opportunity.

She wanted to take it and just forget about the abbey and her vows and go back home to her father, but then she thought of her sisters and her mother and how tarnished their souls were right now. She needed to become a nun for them. To save them from the fires of Hell.
It was up to her now, and she was their only hope.

She looked up into his beautiful clear blue eyes and wondered how she could have ever thought they were the eyes of a devil. No devil would ask for her permission before he thought to touch her. Perhaps he was naugh
t but an angel fallen from the heavens and he needed her to bring him back to the light.

“I can’t,” she said and pushed away from him and stepped from the tub. She would never forget the look on his face just standing there wa
nting to couple with her as she denied him. He looked so abandoned, just like that little orphan baby left on the steps of the church.

She held back the tears
she knew she needed to let loose, grabbing for her soiled habit on the floor. He threw a drying cloth around his waist and then came to her with another cloth and wrapped it around her as well.

“Don’t wear those
,” he told her. “They are dirty. Besides, I rather like being able to see your face without that damned wimple. I didn’t even know the color of your hair until now.”

He helped her to a standing position
while a tear escape her eye. He took his thumb and wiped it from her face, then reached up and ran a hand through her wet hair.

“Brown,” he said. “I would have thought blond by the color of your eyes.”

It felt so good to have him touch her that another few tears escaped.

“I had long hair
at one time, but had to cut it when I entered the abbey,” she told him. Her hair didn’t even touch the top of her shoulders, but at one time was down to her waist like her sister Sapphire’s.

“I was a little worried that you’d be bald under that wimple like Sister
Dulcina,” he told her. He grinned and that made her laugh.

“Most nuns have their heads shaved under the wimples,” she admitted. “Or a
t least very short hair. ’Tis because of the heat of the wool clothing that they do it. Besides, no one ever sees them without a wimple. How do you know Sister Dulcina is bald?”

Lucas gave a deep sigh before he answered, knowing it was time to tell Amber the truth. “Amber, let’s get dressed and sit down and have a talk. There are a few things you need to know about me.”

“But I don’t have my bag with my extra gown
, and now my undergarments are wet.”

“Then wear thi
s.” He walked over to the travel bag and removed her velvet gown and held it up for her to see. She hesitated, and he knew she needed persuading. “It’s either this or run around naked, but if you do that - I can’t guarantee you’ll still be a nun by the time you leave this room in the morning.”

That did it. She grabbed the gown quickly and pulled it to her chest. “Turn a
round while I dress,” she ordered.

“Of course.” He went over to the bed and started to dress as well,
looking over his shoulder to see her back turned toward him as she stripped off her wet undergarments. If he wasn’t hot and bothered before, he certainly was now. She first removed her shift, and with her hands over her head he could see the sides of her bare breasts. The perfectly rounded swells of her buttocks drew his attention downward next as she bent over to remove her wet braies. Then she turned to get her gown, giving him full view of her dusky hard nipples and the thatch of hair between her thighs. She looked up and caught him, but he looked away quickly, mostly to hide the fact his arousal was back again.

What the hell was he doing? he wondered. He’d never sat in a tub naked with a woman before and not touched her. He knew he could have her down on that pallet and pumping into her making her squirm and scream in a matter of minutes right now. He saw the way her body reacted to him. All it would take was a little coaxing.

Nay, he decided, he couldn’t do it. Not only because she was a novice about to take her vows, but because Father Armand had ordered him to deflower her. The priest didn’t want her becoming a nun, and neither did Lucas. But he couldn’t take away from the girl the last thing she had left after the church had already taken everything else.

He knew what she was going through, because he had been in t
he same situation a few years ago. If he deflowered her now, she’d regret it, he knew she would. And so would he.

“I’m ready to talk,” she said, causing him to turn around. She stood there in her russet velvet gown with her wet hair hanging down to her shoulders. No more wimple and veil. No more black robe or prayer book either. In these clothes it was going to be hard to keep away fr
om her and not forget she was a novice in training to take her final vows.

“I want to see this on you, to
o,” he said, going to the travel bag and pulling out the amber necklace and ring.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t,” she said, her eyes fastened to the pieces.

“Just try them on.” He held them out. “I’m sure they’d look beautiful on you.”

She meekly held out a hand to take them, then drew back and shook her head. “I’ve vowed to give up these pleasures in life.”