Jarrod groaned deep in his throat, unable to withhold the sound of his pleasure, hearing an answering moan from her. Even more ardently now, his mouth moved from hers to trail over her soft cheeks and then down the delicate line of her throat.

  He leaned away from her to pull off his tunic.

  When he moved back to her, Aislynn contacted smooth bare flesh over hard muscle. She sighed at the immediate quickening of her pulse. She tilted her head back as his lips left hers to press hot kisses to her face and neck.

  Her heart thudded in her breast as the warm sensations that turned liquid found their way even lower in her belly. Aislynn had never felt so…so very…Her hips arched as if her body understood far more of what was happening than did she. Her hands, which moved with utter abandon over his hot, smooth chest, seemed to have developed a will all their own.

  Jarrod felt himself harden even more at her touch, at her nearness. There was something about this woman, her soft warm woman scent, the velvet of her skin that caused his pulse to pound with a dizzying beat. With unexpectedly trembling arms, he laid her back into the softness of the hay. In the gentle light that trickled through the rough board walls, she was lovelier than anything he could have imagined. She was small and delicate yet so perfectly formed, all woman from the top of her white-blond curtain of hair to the tips of her tiny little toes. The curves in between were full and all female. He dipped his head to her breast and she reared up beneath him, holding him to her tightly.

  Never before had being with a woman been such a banquet of taste, touch and feeling.

  Aislynn’s mind and body whirled with ripple after ripple of inexplicably delightful sensation. It was as if Jarrod had awakened some slumbering force inside her, a fiercely passionate creature that cared for nothing but her pleasure.

  She held him to her, instinctively laying claim to the feel of his flesh, his touch, to him. Even the ragged sound of his hot breath against her ear was strangely thrilling.

  Aislynn slipped one hand to his chest and over that tantalizing expanse of firm flesh, across a corded neck. She tangled her fingers in thick, coarse hair. A low sensuous moan was her reward. The sound made the fine hairs on her body stand to attention, leaving a delicious tingling along her flesh.

  “Jarrod, Jarrod,” she moaned with naked wanting.

  He heard her need and felt an answering desire inside himself. Slowly he leaned up on his elbow, his hands unexpectedly unsteady as he gently slipped his other hand down her belly, for a moment enjoying the rousing quivering of that flat plane beneath his hand, before dipping lower. His fingers found her and he swallowed hard at finding her so damp, so eager for him. A fierce, driving need such as he had never experienced coursed through him. “Aislynn,” he whispered.

  His mouth came back to her and she leaned up, meeting him without restraint, her mouth hot and wet with longing. When he eased her back into the hay and placed his hand on her thigh, Aislynn opened to him without hesitation and his manhood throbbed in response.

  Jarrod closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he tried to get hold of himself. But when she gasped his name once more, Jarrod knew he could wait no more.

  Without breaking the contact of their mouths, he moved over her, sliding between her silken thighs, and found her. As he hesitated at the barrier of her maidenhood, she rose up beneath him and it was breached.

  She gasped, as he did, his mouth leaving hers as he held himself immobile by gathering shreds of self-denial that he had not known he possessed. Hoarsely he whispered, “Pray, forgive me, I did not mean to cause you pain.”

  Aislynn could not deny that it did hurt, yet the ache that had been growing in her from the first time he’d kissed her was far more compelling a master than any mere physical pain could ever be.

  She whimpered in frustration, her body tightening on him convulsively. “Please go on.”

  For a brief instant Jarrod Maxwell became very still, and then, ever so slowly, he began to move inside her and Aislynn sighed with relief. But that relief was short-lived, for as he moved, she seemed to draw the same instinctual rhythm from her own body and the ache began to grow more pronounced.

  Her breathing quickened and she found her hands reaching out to hold his lean hips of their own accord. She knew nothing beyond the fact that the feelings inside her seemed to be building beyond what she could bear, what anyone could bear. But the feelings were oh so wonderful, so pleasurable, that neither could she bear for them to stop. She felt as if she was climbing toward something she had never known, some inescapable summit and that only Jarrod could guide her.

  And when she did not believe there could be any more ecstasy in all of creation, she arched as a burst of pleasure rolled over her. It was so intense the world disappeared and she cried out in inarticulate joy.

  Jarrod was aware of her release and the sheer intensity of it, in spite of his own building need. He held her, reveling in her abandon, when she cried out and arched beneath him.

  Only then did Jarrod give in to his own passion, which, now that he had given it free rein, quickly grew to a fierce white point of unutterable pleasure. “Aislynn!” Her name escaped him without conscious thought.

  When he stiffened and arched against her, Aislynn felt her own body press against him. She knew that he had gone to that same peak of joy where she had just been, and that she had been the one to take him there. She choked back a sob of happiness. It was awing, that this strong, deeply private man had been moved beyond his accustomed control of himself because of her—Aislynn.

  Slowly he rolled away from her to lie on his back in the sweet hay.

  Aislynn took a long, deep breath. Only as the feelings ebbed did she begin to feel a sense of self-consciousness and uncertainty.

  And when she turned to her side in the hay, it was clear that Jarrod felt the same. He wiped a trembling hand over his face. “Dear God, what have we done?”

  Gingerly she shook her head as she pulled the cape up over her and sat up. “I do not know. I…”

  He halted her with a raised hand. “There is no need to try to explain. We have allowed the fear and worry we have felt for Christian and emotion over my foolishly telling you about my mother to carry us away. And there is really no significance to the tale of my mother. I have put it behind me years ago.”

  Aislynn did not know what to say. Clearly this was not true or he would not have kept the truth to himself for all these years. Not even telling Christian and Simon.

  Oblivious to her thoughts, he went on. “You are not to blame. It is I who should have done something to prevent this. I have taken that which was not mine to take.”

  She turned to look at him. “I am not a helpless child, Jarrod. I thought we had settled that. I am as responsible for this unfortunate episode as anyone.”

  He grimaced. “So be it then. What should we do about this unfortunate episode?”

  Too many times Jarrod had made it clear that he had no desire to be tied. Now she understood that he had been so hurt by the events in his life, by his mother’s rejection, that he had no desire to love. She shrugged. “What is there to be done?”

  He looked away, his lean jaw flexing. “We could be married.”

  Her eyes grew round with horror. Not at the notion of marrying him but of how strong a reaction of yearning there arose inside her. To cover her own unwanted feelings, she spoke quickly, sharply, “Nay. I have given my promise to marry Gwyn. I would take on my place as lady to his keep. I would also fulfill my father’s faith in me.” Though he had never said so directly, she knew her marriage was important to the peace of Bransbury.

  His face was a stiff mask. “I see.” He gestured to the flattened spot between them. “And what of this? Would you simply attempt to hide it from him? If he has the least experience of women he will know.”

  She raised her chin. “Do you imagine that I would attempt such a dishonorable act?” Her voice quieted. “I will tell him, and it will be his choice.” She faced him directly. “But have no concern. I would not trouble you even if he were to refute me because of it.”

  He bowed. “So be it. You shall have matters to your liking.” He reached out for his garments and pulled them on without paying her the slightest heed.

  Aislynn, keeping her gaze carefully averted, did not know what to say.

  At last he stood, the sketch Christian had made in his hand, and she realized it must have fallen loose in the hay when he removed her garment. He quirked a black brow. “I trust you will understand if I do not sleep here with you. I will take the drawing with me so that I may study it.”

  She looked up at him. “But where…”

  “Let that not concern you. I will pay Hagar for another night’s lodging and fetch you at daybreak.”

  Seeing the tightness of his body, Aislynn knew there was no point arguing. And how could she do so after what had just happened? Even now, when she knew that what they had done was terribly wrong, the sensuous memory lingered inside her body and mind.

  Jarrod found no more than a fitful rest.

  He waited until long after he had gone into the cottage to fetch Aislynn’s clothing, as well as to pay Hagar for the second night’s lodging, to reenter the animal shelter and settle himself in the corner against the outside wall. Aislynn had been right in that Sean had not left Hagar alone with him. Jarrod, feeling some sympathy for the poor woman, had asked no questions, but he had felt compelled to give his thanks for what she had told Aislynn.

  She had accepted graciously in spite of her son’s glowering looks and told him that she could not but return Aislynn’s goodness in kind. She also insisted on giving him a small bundle containing bread and cheese upon which they might break their fast. Gratefully, Jarrod accepted.

  He’d used extreme care in being quiet as he entered the shed. When he heard no sounds from above, he felt relatively certain that Aislynn was asleep and climbed the ladder to leave her gown and cape in the hay at the top of the ladder.

  He berated himself for the images that came into his mind, her gaze dark with passion, her body soft and yielding against his. God help him, if only he could put it from his mind, for he felt nothing but a fool.

  He had done something with her that he had never done before—going far beyond the unbelievable fact that he had told her about his mother, which he could hardly credit as being real. He had asked her to become his wife. And despite the fact that she had given herself to him with an abandon that had shocked and amazed him, she had said no.

  What he could have been thinking of, Jarrod had no idea. He did not love her, had only thought to do the right thing, to act with honor. And perhaps to have the right to bed that sweet and willing body again.

  Even now, his body tightened at the memory of the passion they had shared. For not only had her responses been remarkable, but his own as well. Never had he felt so alive, so lost in his own feelings as he had with Aislynn.

  It was nothing short of self-destruction to continue thinking this way. She had made herself quite clear. She would marry her Gwyn, her good and decent man. She would be the lady of a noble keep as she had been reared.

  Jarrod would do better to plan their journey from here. Now that he knew that Christian was well, he could return Aislynn to her father with all possible haste. Though he took out the drawing and studied it with as much care as his distracted mind would allow, he could see nothing that helped him to know whence his friend might have gone. Though the image of the dragon did give him pause, he could not quite fathom why, and eventually gave up trying.

  A trickle of light that filtered through the rough-hewn walls woke him from that restless slumber and he went to the end of the ladder, calling up, “It is sunrise. We must be on our way.”

  Her reply was curt. “I come.”

  Good, he told himself. There was no point in their making pretense that neither felt. Aislynn was no more communicative when she joined him outside. And without another word exchanged between them, they started down the mucky road.

  The path along the cliff face was no less treacherous than before and demanded their full attention. Even after they’d traversed the worst of it, the tense and unbreakable silence remained.

  When finally they reached the camp that Ulrick had made for himself and the horses, Jarrod could only imagine how exhausted Aislynn must be. Yet he could tell from the set of her slight shoulders and the determined tilt of her head that she would never admit it—at least not to him.

  It was his preoccupation with her that made Jarrod slow to recognize the anxiety that dampened the knight’s welcome as he came forward to meet them.

  It was Aislynn who said, “What is it, Sir Ulrick? What has happened?”

  “I believe someone was here at this camp, last eve. Someone who did not mean good.”

  Jarrod looked at the older man. “Why would you think such a thing?”

  Ulrick shrugged. “After you had gone on with the lady Aislynn, I came back this way and made camp as we had discussed.” Jarrod nodded as he went on, “The first night went well. But last night, after dark fell, the horses became restless, unaccountably so. I called out, thinking it might be some other traveler drawn by the light of my fire. I will admit that I would not have been averse to a bit of company in this desolate place.” Ulrick scowled. “There was no reply and I thought that it must have been some animal that had startled them. But when I was feeding them this morning I saw footprints in the sand.”

  “Footprints?”

  “Aye, directly behind the horses, where someone had used their bodies to hide his presence.”

  “How do you know it was a man?”

  The knight grimaced, raising his own large boot. “No woman I have ever known has had feet nearly the size of my own, Sir Jarrod.”

  Jarrod did not question this assessment further. There was likely no woman in England with feet of such a size.

  “And it was not someone who simply stumbled upon me, then was too shy to come forward.” He made a sweeping gesture to indicate the high cliffs on one side and the churning sea on the other. “There is no place close by for them to have come from.”

  This also was true.

  He recalled Aislynn’s certainty that she had seen someone lurking about their camp the night after they’d left Clumney. She could have seen someone and that someone might still be interested in their movements. And there was only one man he could think of. “Sir Fredrick.”

  Aislynn was nodding as Sir Ulrick said, “I was thinking along the same path.”

  Jarrod turned to Aislynn with open apology and regret. “You asked me to notify the law of his aggression and I would not heed you. I have very likely put you both in grave danger by not listening. If this madman has gone to such lengths to follow us, he is undoubtedly determined to do harm.” He did not wish to worry Aislynn by telling her this, but neither could he refrain from doing so. Surely, he reasoned, she would have a more than usual care with her person if she knew there could be danger in not doing so.

  Aislynn looked at him with surprise. And in spite of the fact that she wanted to go on resenting and hating Jarrod Maxwell until the day she died, she was unaccountably drawn to him by his willingness to admit his mistake so openly, so regretfully.

  But she forced herself to concentrate on the business at hand. “I thank you for your apology, but there is no point in belaboring what can not be changed. We must determine what we will do now.”

  Jarrod bowed and nodded. “We must move on as soon as we can be ready to ride. This position would be difficult to defend. And we must now have a care as we ride, as well as setting up watch when camp is made for the night.”

  Ulrick nodded. “Aye. I will ready the horses immediately.” He hurried to do so.

  Jarrod then turned to Aislynn. “You can help us to protect you, Aislynn, by keeping your guard and informing me of anything that might seem the least unusual.”

  For reasons she could not, or would not, even begin to examine, this show of faith in her judgment warmed Aislynn to the core. Aislynn replied, “I will,” and turned away, unwilling to let him look into her eyes, see the truth of how she was feeling.

  He spoke gently. “I am very sorry if this has frightened you, Aislynn. I thought to arm you against harm by telling you.”

  She looked up at him quickly, grateful for the fact that he had misread her reaction. “I am not frightened. I am pleased that you trust me enough to believe that I might be of help.”

  He shook his head, a rueful smile touching his mobile lips despite the gravity of the situation and all the other unpleasantness that had passed between them. “I should have known that you would not be frightened. You have proved yourself more than brave and willing to face difficulty head-on in the past days. As well as having your observations confirmed.”

  Their gazes locked—held for what seemed an eternity. What had passed between them in Ashcroft, the things they had said and done, the things she had felt, suddenly seemed more real than anything else in her life.

  Into the silence came the sound of Ulrick’s voice. “The horses are ready.”

  Jarrod stepped back, the spell between them broken, replaced by cool civility. “We must be on our way. It would be best if we moved into less treacherous terrain by nightfall.”

  Aislynn cast her gaze out over the sea, calling herself ten times a fool for letting herself react to Jarrod yet again. She held her head high. “Aye, I am ready.”

  With that, she moved off to allow Ulrick, who now stood watching them, to help her into the saddle.

  Chapter Twelve

  They set out immediately. Jarrod took the lead, keeping a constant eye peeled for any sign of their unwanted pursuer.

  The anxiety he felt over this was preferable to the prodding knowledge that Aislynn could, with a soft look, destroy the wall of reserve inside him. When she looked at him the way she had when he’d told her he had faith in her abilities, he wanted…

 

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