Raine was still glaring at his brother while Alyx looked at Gavin with new respect.
“It’s been days,” Raine said finally. “I’d put my life on it that the girl is virgin no longer, and I’ll wager that Miles raped no one. Perhaps if he knew who she was, he released her, and all we can do is pray she doesn’t bear his child.”
Gavin’s snort said a great deal. “I’ll take half my men and leave now and try to find Miles. Maybe I can talk some sense into him. Perhaps the girl’s fallen in love with him and won’t demand his head.”
Alyx grabbed Gavin’s arm and shook her head vigorously. Elizabeth Chatworth was never going to fall in love with a Montgomery in less than a fortnight.
“A hellion, is she?” Gavin asked, then paused and raised Alyx’s hand to his lips. “Raine is going to take you home and you’ll meet my Judith. I’m sorry your wedding has been such a hurried affair. When this is all settled we’ll give a tournament in your honor.”
Still holding her hand, he looked back at his brother. “You’ll be safe at the Montgomery castle for a while. Take her there, let her rest. You haven’t seen my son yet, either. And buy her some clothes!”
Alyx was sure Raine would take offense at Gavin’s tone, but Raine was smiling. “It’s good to see you again, brother,” he said softly, his arms open. The brothers clasped each other fiercely for a long moment.
“Give Miles my best and try to keep him out of trouble,” Raine smiled. “And when he returns he can meet my wife.”
With one flashing grin, Gavin left them.
Raine turned back to Alyx. Her cloak had fallen open and the damp gown clung to her. “Now, if I remember correctly, we were just starting something when my little brother’s problems interrupted us.”
Alyx took a step away from him, gesturing toward the room they were in.
With a laugh, Raine swept her into his arms, carried her through the courtyard and back to their room. Heedless of the piles of dirty armor on the bed, he tossed her in the midst of it and in one gesture stretched out on top of her.
“Will I hurt the child?” he murmured, biting her earlobe. Her headshaking was so vigorous that he gave a warm, seductive laugh as his hand trailed downward and pulled at the linen gown. The coarse, poorly sewn garment came away from her body with one easy tear.
Alyx had never been very proud of her body, always wishing for more curves, but now, bloated with child as she was, she didn’t want him to see her in daylight. Her attempts to cover herself were brushed away by Raine.
Moving off her, he kissed her stomach, caressed it. “It’s my child who distorts you, and I love it as well as his mother.”
“Daughter?” she managed to say, hurting her raw throat.
“I only ask for your safety and, if God wills, the life of the child. I would love to have a daughter. With you for a mother, Bronwyn and Judith for aunts, I will gladly leave her all my estates. I’m sure she’ll run them better than I do.”
She tried to speak again, but he didn’t let her as he began kissing her neck again. When she felt him remove his loincloth, knew his skin was next to hers, she forgot her worries about how she looked.
She had no idea how much she’d missed him physically, how much she needed the caress of his hands. He touched her body all over, running his hard fingertips over her skin from toes to head, making her feel che
rished, loved. Even now when she could feel the power of his hunger for her, he took his time, loved her, touched her.
She lay on her back, eyes closed, her arms lightly about his neck as he ran his hands over her. When he touched her inner thighs, she opened her eyes, met his and the deep, dark blue piercing through her made chills run along her spine. The power of this man, the strength, the size of him, all held in leash as he fondled her, excited her horribly.
With an upward thrust of her body, she pressed against him, kissed his mouth hungrily, making him laugh deeply as he rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him. The armor surrounding them clanged and a couple of pieces fell to the floor.
Alyx ran her teeth down Raine’s neck, her hands sinking into the mass of muscle of his upper arms. Glorious! she thought, such a magnificent, splendid man—and all hers!
The laughter that came from her burned throat wasn’t pretty, but the deep, raspy quality of it was seductive. She ran her thumb down Raine’s ribs so hard he pushed her arm away as he sought her mouth. But Alyx applied her thumb to his other side, laughed again when he twisted away from her.
“Hellion!” he murmured, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her head back as he lifted his head and bit into her stomach.
Gasping, Alyx brought her feet forward, attempted to get away from him. Raine caught her left foot and proceeded to bite each one of her toes. The sensation that ran up her made her stop all movement.
She lay on top of him, stretched out, her feet in his face, his in hers. Two can play this game, she thought as she raked her teeth across the soft underpad of Raine’s toes. She was quite pleased to feel him jump beneath her, and another piece of armor went crashing to the floor.
Raine’s arms, longer than hers, slid up the sides of her legs, caressing and kneading so provocatively that after a moment she could think of nothing else but his hands on her body.
She began to tremble, shiver, and her skin seemed as hot as when the fire had been licking at her back.
Raine grabbed her hips and as if she had no weight at all, picked her up and set her down on his manhood with such an accurate thrust that Alyx let out a raspy squeal.