He grinned as if he knew exactly what Britta’s intent had been. The lout! Her upper lip curled with disgust. ” ‘Tis scandalous.”
“I know.”
Say that again, husband, and I am going to tie your tongue in knots. “Do you not care that others will know?”
“No one can tell you are naked beneath this wisp of fabric but me,” he said smoothly, fingering the sleeve of her gown. “Do you not see? That is what is so tantalizing—knowing you are naked, just for me.”
Oh, Lord. He is doing it again. Making me feel all hot and fluttery. “I refuse.”
“I do not recall giving you a choice.”
Eadyth recognized an impasse when it hit her smack in the face. This was not the time or place to argue with her husband. He would not budge in front of his men. “Well, get my horse then,” she conceded grudgingly.
“There is no time,” Eirik said, smiling ominously as he folded his arms across his chest, daring her to challenge him.
What are you up to now, my husband?
When she did not snap back as she sorely wanted to do, he added, “You will ride with me.”
“In a silk dress? Are you bloody daft?”
“Tsk tsk! Such language. I will have to teach you better ways, wife.”
Yea, I definitely think he would look good with a knot in his tongue.
Then, before she could blink, he bent down to the ground, pulled the back hem of her gown forward and upward, handing it to her at waist level. She looked down, aghast, at the billowy leggings that were formed, like a laundress’ gown. Once again, before she could protest, he picked her up by the waist and lifted her astride the horse, then mounted behind her.
Her legs were spread wide atop the huge destrier and her bare, shoeless and stockingless legs were exposed up to the calves. The horse started to move then, and Eirik wrapped his left arm tightly around her waist to hold her steady. The reins were in his right hand.
“Oh, how could you? Everyone can see my bare skin.”
“Sigurd, get my long mantle. ‘Tis hanging from a peg in the hall. My lady has taken a sudden chill.” In a lower voice, he whispered in her ear, “See, Eadyth, how accommodating I can be? I think I am going to be an exemplary husband. Truly, I do.”
Mayhap two knots would be better. Eadyth started to tell him exactly what she thought of him, but she was stunned speechless by the hard ridge of his manhood pressing at her derriere and the rocking of her most private woman parts against the saddle as the massive horse ambled along.
And once Eirik had gathered his long mantle over his shoulders and hers, covering them both from neck to ankle, she knew what a lowly ant felt like when enticed into the spider’s web.
Wilfrid guiaed his horse to Eirik’s right and Sigurd to his left, the five soldiers following behind them.
When Wilfrid commented, “This is the fifth case of cattle being slaughtered, without the carcasses being taken for food, in the past three months,” Eirik’s left hand moved to her right breast, under cover of the mantle.
Eirik nodded, commenting, ” ‘Tis Steven of Gravely’s work, no doubt.” Meanwhile his long fingers were tantalizing her breast with expert manipulations—weighing it with his palm from the underside, making large moving circles over its whole, taking the tip between his thumb and forefinger and twisting gently. Oh, Lord.
She glanced back at Eirik over her shoulder, but he was looking at Sigurd, listening intently as Sigurd told him, “I think we must needs implement your plan to set guards at intervals throughout your lands, for the time being.”
“Yea, you are right, Sigurd,” Eirik said calmly, seemingly unaware of the havoc he was wreaking under the cloak. “I fear he will start the burnings in my lands, as he did at Hawks’ Lair, and then we may have dead bodies of people to deal with, not just cattle.” Meanwhile, he moved the reins to his left hand and was giving equal, seductive treatment to her right breast.