Read The Knight's Prisoner Online
Authors: Renee Rose
The Knight's Prisoner (15 page)
It was done.
* * *
Ferrum had worn a path with his pacing. They'd been gone for hours. The rest of the party had laid down on their bedrolls, but there was no way he could sleep until she came back. He paced through the night, and at first light, he stood at the woods' edge, watching the road from Camelot. An hour later they appeared. The relief was overwhelming—he took a deep breath for the first time in hours. He gave a low whistle to let the rest of the party know, and started walking down to meet them. Dani ran into his arms, and he kissed her face, her lips, her head. “Thank God. Are you all right?”
“Aye, it's done,” she said, breathless from running to him. “I stabbed him with the needle and he went off to his chamber, hopefully to sleep forevermore once the poison does its work. It took us awhile to collect payment and Edwin insisted we would look suspicious if we left without it. I was afraid they'd make us stay the night, but we got out at last.”
He nodded approvingly at Edwin, whose face was alight from the excitement of his first mission. Pulling Dani closely against his side, he led her back to their makeshift camp, where Phillip stood waiting.
Phillip took one look at her and smiled. “You've done it,” he said triumphantly.
She grinned back. “Aye, my lord.”
“What now, my lord?” Edwin asked, jogging up behind them.
“Now we wait until we receive word he's dead. After that…” Phillip rubbed his red beard. “We'll return to Umbria for the troops and beat down their gate.”
“Nay, my lord,” Dani said boldly, then shrank against Ferrum’s side, surely realizing it was not proper to contradict the prince. She stammered. “Forgive me, it's just that I had another dream that was not a dream.”
Phillip eyes lit up. “What was it, Lady Danewyn?” he asked, smiling at the way she blushed to be called 'Lady'.
“You simply walked through the gates, and Sir Ferrum shouted 'bow down to the rightful king, the Red Fox has returned.' They all bowed down and accepted you.”
Phillip considered that. “Is this the day I take the throne, Dani?” he asked.
Her entire body shuddered with the answer. “This is the day,” she said breathlessly.
He picked up her hand and kissed it. “You were as brave as my bravest of knights last night. You risked your life for Briton, and she owes her freedom to you. You will always be the most honored of ladies in my castle.” He turned to Edwin without waiting for the flustered Dani to answer. “And you, lad, will be the youngest squire ever to serve the king.”
Edwin's eyes grew round. “Verily, my lord? Squire at age 12?” He dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “Thank you, my lord.”
Dani had recovered, and she curtsied her thanks as well.
Edwin stood and turned to Ferrum. “There were two men she had to service, but it couldn't be helped,” he announced. “And it was only sucking cock with Sir Andrew.”
Phillip cleared his throat to shut Edwin up. Bile rose in Ferrum’s mouth, and he felt Dani's body stiffen by his side. He pulled away to look into her anxious face. It may make him ill to think about, but she wasn't to blame. “It's all right,” he said firmly. “It was unreasonable of me to make demands when you were risking your neck for us all. I apologize.”
She blinked rapidly at him and took a large gulp of breath. He cupped her head in his hands and spoke softly. “Are you really all right? Are you hurt in any way, Dani?”
She shook her head.
“Do you need anything?”
“Just you,” she whispered, her lips trembling.
His cock went hard. He picked her up under the armpits like a child, lifting her to wrap her legs around his waist. “We'll be back in a little bit,” he said, turning to walk away.
“Ack, Ferrum!” Phillip called out, sounding exasperated.
“Aye, my lord?” He turned around and craned his neck to see around Dani's body.
“Never mind,” Phillip said, waving his hand in disgust. “Enjoy yourselves. Try not to wake all of Camelot, would you?”
He snorted and carried his woman into the woods, looking for a suitable place to claim her. There was nothing but trees—no fallen logs or boulders to perch upon. Growing impatient, he simply pressed her back against a tree, cushioning her with his arms. She freed his erection and guided him in, and he drove into her with such force that the tree shook and cracked a bit every time he slammed into her. The need to take her, to mark her as his own, to possess her in every way possible was overwhelming. He knew he was acting like a beast but he could not stop himself. He pounded into her, flesh slapping flesh, and when he was ready to climax, he removed one of his arms from behind her to pinch her nipple hard. She cried out, bucking and shuddering her own release.
He lowered her but kept hold of her torso, guessing her legs would be wobbly. Leaning forward, he began the seduction he had skipped, kissing up her neck. He brought his lips to brush her ear, finding her earlobe, which he pulled into his mouth and sucked. “My love,” he murmured when he released it.
“Ferrum,” she breathed.
He loved it when she spoke his name. She lifted her lips to his, and he claimed her mouth, attacking it with his, plunging his tongue into her mouth and sucking at her lips with aggressive possessiveness. And still, he needed more. He leaned her forward over his left arm and started spanking her with his full strength, hand meeting the flesh still bared from their coupling.
“Ferrum!” she cried out, alarmed.
“I'm not angry with you,” he soothed as he rapidly smacked away. “Not even a little bit.” He continued to spank her. “I just need this right now.”
She made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a cry and clutched at the arm supporting her. Her silvery blond hair was loose, falling over her face, swaying with each blow. He couldn't say why he needed this—except it was the same reason he'd needed to claim her a moment before. He wanted to feel she was wholly his. He watched as her beautiful bottom turned from creamy white to pink and then red. It was deeply satisfying to see his marks on her—to know she accepted them without quarrel, that she submitted to his hand this way. With each resounding slap, he felt all the anguish that had built in him overnight completely release. When her lovely curves turned a deep shade of red, he stopped himself abruptly and pulled her up to look at him, suddenly worried she would be upset. She was panting and her face was flushed, but she met his eye and held it. There were no tears.
He smiled slowly. “That's my girl,” he said lovingly, stroking the heated flesh with his equally hot hand.
She smiled back—a womanly, knowing smile. “Aye, Ferrum.” She took his hand in the two of hers and brought it to her lips to kiss. “I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I saw something else—in our future.” Her eyes were dancing, and there was a happy glow to her.
He cupped her face tenderly. “Tell me.”
“A baby. And I survived it. We were on a beautiful bed in a chamber, playing with our baby boy. He looked just like you.” She smiled at him with the serenity of an angel.
His eyes swam with tears, and the earth swayed under his feet. When it righted, Dani was clutching his arm, looking worried. “Ferrum?”
He dropped to his knees and kissed her hands, then her belly. “Praise God and all things holy,” he murmured.
She giggled. “I'm not pregnant yet, you silly man.”
“I know. I'm just so happy.” His eyes teared up again. Every time he'd lain with her since her miscarriage, he'd feared losing her as a result of another pregnancy. They still hadn't obtained the penny royal she required. To know that danger was no longer a concern was a gift; to learn of a child was overwhelming joy. He stood and picked her up as if she were the most delicate flower in danger of being crushed. She looped her arms around his neck and tilted her head back for a kiss. He obliged, sealing his lips to hers reverentially in a solemn pledge of his undying love for her and their future child.
“I love you, little flower.”
She rubbed the scarred side of his face, and it filled him with warmth. “I am yours, Ferrum. Yours, alone.”
The End
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Renee Rose Links
You can find author interviews, excerpts of upcoming books, and general thoughts from Renee Rose via her blog, her Facebook and Twitter pages, and her Goodreads profile, using the following links:
http://www.reneeroseromance.com
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