Desire's Fury (Viking's Fury Book 2) (8 page)

She shook her head.

“Turn back around.”

“Vile serpent,” she muttered.

“What did you say?” Hulda must have overheard her. “Milord. Dismiss this vicious-tongued girl for insulting you. The choice is obvious. And I will have her whipped for cursing you.”

“Wait.” Eva heard Roald stand up. “What words did she speak?”

“I won’t repeat them,” Hulda said.

Eva struggled to stay upright. Her legs were shaking and her heart skipped a beat every time she took a deep breath. Why had she subjected herself to such humiliation? How could Roald do this? Women were worth so much more. But if she didn’t do as she was ordered, her identity would be revealed. And she prayed to the gods he’d never know how she truly felt. That she’d give up her maidenhead to love him for one night.

“Tell me what she said, Hulda.”

“Very well, milord. She called you a vile serpent.”

His deep-throated chuckle filled the room. “I disagree with you, old woman. The gods didn’t choose this girl. They’ve chosen her.”

Though Eva couldn’t see where he pointed, she knew Jarl Roald meant her.

“Leave me,” he ordered.

“Come,” Hulda said.

The door closed and Eva thought she’d faint.

“Did anyone force you here this night?” Roald asked.

“No.”

“Do you regret coming?”

She shook her head, still turned away from him.

“Am I a vile serpent?”

Before she could answer, his hot breath pricked the skin on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and willed herself to remain silent.

“You smell as sweet as heather.” His fingertips circled down her arm. “You’re as smooth as Baghdad silk.” Wet warmth tickled her neck. “You taste like honey.”

She spun around then, unable to stay still. She met his steely blue gaze, the excitement she felt and the wetness pooling between her legs overpowered her senses. One touch from Roald had sent her over the edge—made her forget herself.

“You disobey me yet again, girl.”

She lowered her eyes, ashamed she couldn’t follow simple directions.

“What beauty do you hide beneath that veil? Are you a witch? A Valkyrie?”

She shook her head.

“Do you want me to love you?”

More than anything. Hunger unleashed inside her, but she didn’t know how to respond, how to express what she felt. “Yes,” she whispered, disguising her voice.

He approached her, his big fingers playing with the laces that held the flimsy gown together. She dared not look up again.

“Does it bother you there’s another woman I wish to bed?”

How long could she withstand this abuse? She didn’t answer.

“A golden-haired beauty from the mountains who disappeared. What I’d give to feel her writhe beneath me, to call out my name. Tonight I will call you, Eva. I will pump inside of you and pretend you are another woman. Will you fulfill that fantasy for me? Are you woman enough to do it?”

She’d reached her limit. “Pig!” She slapped him in the chest with fisted hands, then rushed for the door. But it had been locked from the outside. She leaned her forehead against the rough-hewn wood, tears threatening to fall. “Let me go.”

“No,” he said firmly. “Not until you give me what I know we both want.”

R
oald had recognized
Eva immediately. Didn’t she know the color of her hair stood out? That her shapely body would always attract his eye? That her ethereal beauty couldn’t be hidden by a veil? The fact that she’d disappeared had angered and worried him. But finding her in his chamber, playing with his heart and mind, infuriated him. It also made his cock rock hard.

“Face me, girl.”

She did.

Her low cut gown hid little. His blood boiled at the sight of her hard, rosebud nipples. “Your breasts were made for my hands and lips to worship. Know you are mine tonight. That door won’t open until well after dawn. No matter what I say to the guards.”

She shivered, but it wasn’t chilly in his room. “What if I scream?”

“No one will hear you, girl. And if they did, they’d only raise a cup in honor of me showing you pleasure. That’s what I do best.”

She clicked her tongue in disapproval. “You are arrogant.”

“I won’t deny it.” He took a step closer.

“You’re an animal.”

“I’m Norse.” He beat his chest with a fist, proud of his blood.

“Soulless bastard.”

There was nowhere for her to retreat to; he’d cornered her against the door. “Do you see it’s pointless to run? Unless you choose to come into my arms.” He spread them wide, hoping she would. “Mine,” he growled, desperate to hold her.

“Don’t touch…”

In one fluid movement, he pressed her flat against the door with his body and ripped the veil from her face. “Eva. My sweet Eva.” He devoured her soft lips, giving her no time to recover from the shock of him knowing who she was.

Rigid at first, when his tongue met hers, she melted beneath him.

“Did you think I’d want another in my bed?” He lifted her hands above her head and used his knee to spread her legs wide. “Foolish, girl. Don’t the spirits tell you when a man wants to fuck you?”

Unable to contain his desire, he roughly untied the laces on the front of her gown. It gapped open all the way to her navel, revealing two milky white breasts. He lowered his head, sucking on each nipple, a blind fury rising inside him.

He freed her hands and dropped to his knees then, lifting the hem of her dress. What greeted him between her lush thighs pleased him. Golden curls crowned her center.

“What are you doing, Jarl Roald?”

He gazed up at her. “What I should have done the night I met you.” He buried his face between her legs, tongue and fingers taking possession of her wet core. He sucked her nub mercilessly, loving the taste of her, dreaming of the moment he’d bury himself inside her.

Her body jerked uncontrollably as his fingers circled and sank deeper. By the gods he’d found paradise on Odin’s green earth. No woman had ever consumed him so completely. Without thinking, he lifted her above his head and carried her to his bed, lowering her to the mattress. Then he spread her legs even wider, breathing in her scent, enjoying the way her saturated core glistened in the candlelight.

She squirmed a little, the look in her eyes revealing what she wanted—what she’d come here to give him. Her body, her blessed maidenhead. And for the first time in his life, Roald cared whether a woman he bedded was a virgin.

“Mine,” he whispered as he positioned himself between her legs again, lowering his mouth to her entrance. “Beautiful, Eva. Wet, sweet girl. Everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I knew you’d be.”

Like a Berserker, he took her again and again with his tongue, making her scream and tremble, her insides convulsing around his tongue and fingers.

And just when he knew she couldn’t take another lick, he stood up and stripped his clothes off. “I can’t wait, Eva. Will you give yourself to me?”

She shifted to her knees, staring at his cock with amazement. “Is this my reward for coming to you tonight?” she asked.

“You can have whatever you want.”

“Anything?”

He nodded.

“Come here, then.”

Proud she was impressed by his engorged member, he walked to the edge of the bed where she could reach him. But instead of caressing him or licking his shaft, she flicked the base instead.

“Ouch!” He jerked out of reach. “What are you doing?”

“What my mother always taught me to do whenever I encountered an erection.”

“Just how many cocks have you seen?” he asked angrily, jealousy blooming in his gut.

“Just yours.”

“So why am I the victim of this cruel act? And what does it mean?”

“My mother told me if you flick a man’s penis in the right spot it will wilt.”

The purpose dawned on Roald then. To protect her against overexcited patients. “I will personally thank your mother someday. But never try that on me again. Understand, woman?”

“Aye.”

He pushed her back on the furs and she opened up for him.

“Love me, Roald. Give me a cherished memory to carry in my heart forever.”

He groaned as he covered her body with his, pumping his hips. “You can never take this back, Eva. Never.”

She locked her hands behind his neck. “I am yours.”

As he buried himself balls-deep, he took her mouth at the same time, swallowing her little moan. He moved gently at first, but her slick core sucked him in and he couldn’t hold back.

“
Si navnet mitt,”
he said.

“Roald,” she cried out.

“
En gang til
.”

“Jarl Roald…” She granted his wish again.

He wanted her to cry his name all night long. Maybe forever. “This is just the beginning, sweet Eva. By first light, you won’t be able to walk.”

S
ure hours had
passed since she first coupled with Roald, Eva sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Only the braziers provided any light in the room. All the candles had burned out long ago. The throbbing ache between her thighs hadn’t gone away completely. Though the jarl had gifted her with so much pleasure, something as simple as watching him sleep peacefully beside her reignited her desire.

But desire hadn’t wakened her. Something else had. A dream. The first she’d ever had or at least the first she could remember. She’d spent years begging the gods to bless her with visions, to help connect her to the spirits. A
noaidi
must enter the netherworld in order to be recognized as a true healer. Otherwise, she remained incomplete.

For this very reason, her mother had forbidden her to practice her art in the open. Shame had followed Eva wherever she went for not being able to dream.

She flipped the fur back and quietly slipped off the mattress. Her gown was on the floor and she grabbed it up and dressed. Then she walked to the table and poured herself a cup of mead. What reason existed for this sudden night vision?

She gazed at the sleeping man in his bed. Stretched out on his side, he looked so fulfilled. And she felt the same, like all the pieces in her soul were finally together. Could lovemaking really change everything? Could a woman find her heart after bedding a man? Never had a man looked at her so fiercely. Roald’s blue eyes were a summer storm as they joined, dark and utterly possessive.

Did she belong to him now?

No.

She belonged to the earth. To her mountains. To her people. Like any other
noaidi
, this night would serve as one of many memories that added to her experience—that made her a better healer.

She searched for anything to wrap about her shoulders and found a blanket hanging over the back of Roald’s chair. Satisfied she’d covered herself appropriately, she tested the door again, hoping to find it unlocked. Fortune smiled upon her. She stepped into the short corridor, determined to check on Silvia before she left to go home.

The great hall was quiet, dozens of men and women sprawled out asleep on the tables, benches, and floor. She walked carefully around them, not wishing to disturb anyone. She’d not give these people a reason to gossip about her. Or give her host a reason to regret inviting her here.

Reaching Silvia’s chamber, she cracked the door and peeked inside. A smile spread across her face. Silvia and Konal were wrapped in each other’s arms, the sound of light snoring signaling the lady would be fine.

If Eva’s mother could only see her now. Witness the success of her dedication and faith; see the results of her hard work. Nothing had ever delighted Eva more than knowing a husband and wife were joyously reunited.

“Live a long and happy life, Lady Silvia,” she said as she closed the door. “May the gods give you many children.”

“Do you wish the same for yourself?”

Roald’s husky voice startled her. She turned around to find him naked.

“Good morn,” she whispered, trying to avoid staring at his manhood, which was very much awake.

“You left without telling me.”

“I-I am sorry, Jarl Roald. You were resting.”

“I’ve called for a day of rest,” he said. “My father’s memory will be honored.”

“Yes.” So much had happened over the last two days, she’d nearly forgotten the solemn occasion. “My deepest sympathies are with you and your family.”

“I believe you mean it.” He tilted her chin upward. “As I believe you want me.”

She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. “I will never forget our night together, Jarl Roald. You changed me for the better.”

“Aye? In what way?”

“I do not wish to bore you with details of my life.”

He fingered a strand of her hair. “Nothing about you is ordinary, Eva. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to know.”

She scanned the corridor, worried someone might catch them together. “Do you often stand naked in the middle of the passageway?”

He chuckled. “Tis my home. I can strut across the practice field naked if I wish.”

She rolled her eyes, the extent of his arrogance almost as shocking as his erection. “Here.” She offered him the coverlet she’d been wearing. “Wrap this about your hips.”

He did as she asked. “Do you feel better now?”

“I find it much easier to converse with you.”

He laughed again. “As lovely as you are,” he said. “Your fertile mind is what I favor most, Eva. No woman has ever made me laugh more than you.”

“I am pleased you’ve found a use for me.”

He gripped her arms then, pulling her in for a kiss. His soft lips lingered on hers, sending a chill up her spine. “Come.” He escorted her back to his chamber.

“Now tell me how I’ve changed you.”

She sat on the edge of the mattress, too short for her feet to reach the floor. “A
noaidi
must dream in order to be recognized. We must commune with the spirits and gods through our visions. Tis how we grow in strength. But until this morn, I’d never had a dream.”

Roald stood in front of a brazier, warming his hands. “It seems I must avowal for both your chastity and talent to your mother.”

“Chasity?” Eva nearly choked. “I’m afraid that is long gone, sir.”