“Is that what you need?” he asked in a mock growl, turning her to face him. His eyes were burning with desire, and she felt passion sweep through her, turning her legs to custard.
She shook her head, unable to speak.
“Nay,” he said softly. “That's not what you need. I know what you need.” His fingers probed between her legs, and she gasped at the shock of sensation. Her sex was ready for him, moist and swollen.
“Aye, Ferrum,” she breathed.
“Aye, Ferrum,” he repeated back to her, his exploring fingers penetrating so that she lifted onto her tiptoes, clutching at his hand. “That's all I want to hear from you for the rest of the day. ‘Aye, Ferrum.' Got it?”
“Aye, Ferrum,” she gasped as two of his fingers plunged deeply in and out of her. She clutched at his shoulders, whimpering. She lifted one of her legs and wrapped it loosely around his waist to give him better access as he brought her just to the edge of a climax. Then he withdrew and smiled. “Turn around and put your hands on the tree.”
“Aye, Ferrum.”
“Stick your arse out for me.”
She obeyed, only to squeak and jump when he slapped it hard.
“No complaints out of you, little flower. You'll get whatever I decide to give to you.”
His words turned her insides to molten liquid. Ferrum's domination was more arousing than anything she'd ever experienced. Her legs were trembling as she waited. Would he spank? Or pleasure?
He gripped her hip, and she sighed in ecstasy as he entered her. He felt so good.
“Aye, Ferrum,” she moaned as he moved inside her.
“Good girl,” he growled and brought them both to a hungry climax.
When they had recovered their breath and Ferrum had slipped out of her and replaced her skirts, he wrapped his huge arms around her from behind and held her close to him. “You like being Ferrum's prisoner,” he said softly in her ear.
Her insides turned to mush again. She did. Some part of her truly did.
“What is there to go back to that's so important, anyway?”
She tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let her. “It's not—” she struggled against his hold again. She gave an exaggerated huff of exasperation. “I don't wish to be a slave, you damn brute. That's all. I want my freedom.”
“You're not a slave, Dani,” he protested, sounding hurt. He released her now and spun her around to face him, gripping her shoulders. “You're not. You've not been asked to serve in any way but to use your Sight. Using the gift God gave you to serve your own people is a duty, just as I offer my strength and steel to serve Briton.”
“And I can come and go as I please? I could leave if I wished it?”
Ferrum lost his patience. He kicked the tree behind her. “No woman but a whore has such freedom!” he growled. “Wait—” He'd seen the fury on her face at that and caught her arm as she whirled to run away from him.
“Ack. You know I always put my foot in it. I didn't mean—stop it, dammit!”
She'd started kicking at his shins to get away, twisting around in his grasp. He wrestled with her, grabbing her other arm.
“DANI!” he roared.
She froze, her eyes wide. He had never raised his voice to her before, and the sound of him thundering was as frightening as a bear at full snarl.
He took advantage of her inaction and grasped her other shoulder, pulling her in to face him. “Stop fighting me,” he said impatiently. “The last thing I want is for you to get hurt.”
She narrowed her eyes, trying to cover her fear, though she felt her face already starting to crumple into angry tears.
He started to pull her toward him, but she turned her face sharply away, rejecting any comfort he might be thinking to offer.
“Shite,” he cursed and released her. He stalked back to where he'd laid the buck down and heaved it over his shoulders, starting to walk without looking back.
She cursed him silently. Did he have so much faith she would follow? Mayhap this was her chance to escape. Except, as usual, she had no idea where they were.
* * *
“We can't leave for Umbria today,” he informed Phillip tightly, entering his tent at first light. The plan had been to pack up and head for their foster father's castle.
“What do you mean?”
“Dani's bleeding—seems bad. I don't want her to travel.” He had not been able to find the herb penny royal for her in any village, and now it seemed it was too late.
Phillip looked skeptical. “You mean bleeding, like a woman bleeds?”
His control was starting to snap. “I don't know, dammit. Yes! Or mayhap more like a miscarriage. She seems like she's in a lot of pain.”
Phillip still looked doubtful. “Ferrum, we need to keep pressing on.”