A Storm of Pleasure (2 page)

The feel of it—the grip as he moved deeper and deeper still—overwhelmed him, and Gavin thrust all the way in, filling her until she uttered that breathy gasp he already craved. Then she leaned her head back and released a longer moan as she reached her peak, a sound that sent icy and fiery shivers through his body and forced him closer to his release. Like an untried youth, he could feel his seed about to spill and he could not stop it. Thrusting hard and fast, he felt his entire body tighten and he waited for that moment of satisfaction, of pleasure. His angel cried out then, and he felt the spasms of the walls of her channel around his cock. He plunged once more into her and joined her in coming as his seed burst from him.

Her legs tensed around his waist and he watched the way her lovely lips opened slightly as they both experienced the waves of release within her. The magical sounds of her release echoed in his head, sounds that reminded him of the music played on a clarsach he’d heard once as a child. It spun out around him in the air as his body found a kind of satisfaction that had always remained just out of his reach. Not only did his body soar, but his heart and soul knew a moment, a scant second, of complete peace and fulfillment.

Something he’d never felt in the arms or body of any woman before this one.

He watched a smile play on her lips as her body continued to spasm around his flesh. Slowly, she began to drift into that lethargy that follows a good bit of bedplay, but Gavin’s cock remained hard and ready.

He wanted to touch that moment again…and again. He wanted to savor the release she gave him—release from pain, from the voices. He wanted her.

He laughed gruffly as the healer’s brew began to take control of his body. He was dizzy; the strong concoction was apparently more powerful than he’d first thought. Gavin rolled off her and lay at her side, watching the rise and fall of her chest and listening to the sounds of her body, now replete with pleasure.

A breathy sigh. The calming of her racing heart. The blood slowing in her veins. The easing of the tension in her muscles and the engorgement in the flesh between her legs. All sounds he’d never been aware of and now sounds he could hear individually. And yet, the noise that usually screamed in his mind was gone.

Once his ability to hear the truth had become apparent, so had that sound—at first a constant quiet hum that he could ignore. But as his ability to hear the truth grew, so too had that noise and it worsened when he was around others, as though he was hearing all the thoughts in their minds at once, speeded up and unintelligible.

He avoided crowds, he avoided people, all in the hope of lessening the maddening pain in his head, but in vain. It seemed that as his powers grew, so did his ability to pick up the jumbled thoughts of every person in his vicinity.

Yet, now, as his limbs and eyelids grew too heavy to move, he breathed in deeply and let the silence wash over him. After months and months of pain and torment, Gavin could not fight the supreme pleasure brought by this coupling and the complete silence. Another breath and he felt sleep pulling him into its grasp.

“My angel,” he whispered, both in thanks and as a plea for her to stay.

He smiled, realizing even in his stupor, she was most likely only imagined while under the influence of the healer’s brew. Ah, if he had to have a dream, even one caused by herbs and ale, this was a wondrous one to have. He might have Haakon seek more of the potion after all.

Then sleep claimed him and he thought and heard nothing.

K
atla watched as the Truthsayer faded into sleep before she moved a muscle. Her body ached in a not-unpleasant way from his use of her, but it had been nothing like Harald’s way of swiving her. That warrior had not shamed her as he could have by sharing her with his men once he had taken her maidenhead. His attentions to her were frequent, brief, and unremarkable. He’d even offered to take her as his second wife, giving her an honorable place in his household.

Nothing she’d done with Harald could have prepared her for what the Truthsayer had done. Her body had reacted under his touch like a thing unknown to her, shivering and trembling from her skin to deep inside as he caressed and kissed and even licked places she had not paid attention to before. Another ripple of pleasure shook her as she tried to move away from him without disturbing his sleep. Tugging her tunic down over her legs as she eased away, Katla sat a few feet from him and studied him now that passion no longer ruled her.

He was called Gavin of Durness, for the place where he’d been found and raised. His blond hair and light eyes spoke of Norse parentage, but none had ever claimed a link to him. That was all she’d discovered about him, other than some rumors of his powers.

No one, none of the earl’s trusted servants or men, spoke of his impairment, of the pain he suffered constantly or why he did not live on Orkney, closer to the earl’s palace. Clearly, he was mad or going mad and the earl used the churning, dangerous waters of the firth that separated Orkney from the rest of the southern lands to keep him from the view of his court.

For several days, she had watched him from above, through a hole worn by the river as it flowed into his cave, observing as he dosed and drugged and drank himself into a stupor—or as he tried to. He ranted, he cursed, he called out to people not present, and he swore to any god and against all of them. When he was not yelling, he was swiving. His servant came and went each day, bringing woman after woman to serve his master’s needs.

Gold seemed of no matter to him, nor did comfort or lack thereof. He lived in a cave that opened to the unruly ocean when he could live in the comforts of a noble’s palace. Because of the service he provided to the earl, one of the most powerful men in the Norse world, his every whim and command was fulfilled and obeyed. If she’d not spoken to trustworthy people, people who still held her in high esteem despite her father’s death and her brother’s uncertain fate, Katla would never have believed some of the wild stories and rumors.

A touch of his hand during the peak of the full moon could bring forth the truth from anyone he chose. No secret could remained hidden from his ability to hear the truth within a person’s mind.

She sighed, seeing no sign of otherworldly power just now. He snored loudly as though to confirm her low opinion. But, there had been a moment, when his ice-blue eyes seemed to glow with some mysterious light and when her will seemed to fade, replaced by a call that rippled through her blood. Gavin of Durness shifted then in his sleep, reaching his hand out to the place where she’d lain.

“Angel,” he whispered.

So drunk that he thought her a Valkyrie first and then an angel! Katla shook her head in disbelief and looked up and down his sleeping form. Not an ounce of fat marred his body. Tight, lean muscles covered a tall frame, and she felt their strength as he’d held her and caressed her and when he pulled her on top of him. Because he’d not bothered to undress her or himself, they’d tupped in their garments so she’d seen little of his body. Now though, she realized he’d fallen asleep with his trews loosened and his cock was there for her to see. As he whispered “Angel” again, it filled and hardened as though ready once more for another bout of bedplay.

Katla smothered a laugh, afraid to bring him out of his sleep or to gain his attention again. Not afraid of swiving him, but of being discovered before she’d made all her plans. Her brother’s fate now lay squarely on her shoulders, and she had little time to discover something valuable to the Truthsayer, something she could use to bargain with him for his help.

The earl used the Truthsayer’s talents only for the most important matters, and her brother was not high enough in his esteem to warrant such an intervention. The Scots’ king had sent questions of his own about charges of treason against her father and brother and was demanding that Kali be sent to him for judgment. Only Earl Magnus’s own journey to the Norse king had delayed the matter. But on his return, expected in weeks, she did not doubt that the reprieve would end. Once Harald turned Kali over to the earl, there would be no guarantee of his safety or his life.

Standing now, she gathered her hair and tied it back. During the climb down the steep cliff to the cave, she’d lost her head cloth and the leather strap that bound her hair. No doubt the unruly mass of pale blond curls had made the Truthsayer think she looked like an angel.

She smiled then, for no one in her life had ever thought her to be such a soft creature as that. Hellion was more the claim and the curse, spoken in anger by her stepmother and her father as she tried time and time again to be more than just a daughter to the great warrior Sven of Gairsay.

And more than just the daughter of a freed slave woman who’d caught the eye of the powerful chieftain. Freeing her mother as she struggled to give birth to his child had been Sven’s only act of kindness, and it was said that Katla only had status in her father’s household because she resembled her dead mother so closely.

Searching around the cave, she found a blanket and covered Gavin with it.

This man was a stranger. He had used some strange power to draw her into his embrace and to make her lose her own will. At least for a short time…but even when her mind had cleared of the haze of his control, she could not make herself stop him.

Truly, she’d never felt anything like the sizzling sensations that pulsed through her body and soul as he touched and caressed her. Harald’s attentions had not been unpleasant, but never had they caused the waves of pleasure and desire that this man had. Small spasms yet rippled deep within her, and part of her wished to wake him, to crawl back into his embrace so she could feel them again…and again.

Shaking her head, she forced away such thoughts and walked around him to the rocky entrance. The roar of the ocean was louder there than the rushing of the river from overhead. She shielded her eyes from the sun and searched for the small, hidden trail on one side of the entrance. Climbing down was difficult, but climbing back up along the steep and slippery path would be even more treacherous. Katla reached down, gathered the length of her tunic and gown in her hands and drew it up between her legs, making it easier to climb.

It took more than an hour to reach the top, and her chest hurt from breathing so hard. Her legs screamed from her efforts, but she pushed on, now needing to get away from the open area. She did not want his servant to see her as he sailed back to the cave. Struggling to gain her balance, Katla searched the horizon to judge how much more time before sunset. Her father’s servant, now her companion, would return for her in five days’ time. She had only that long to discover something she could use to gain the Truthsayer’s help and prove her brother’s innocence. He lacked nothing he wanted or needed. His only demands were for ale and women, and his servant fulfilled those with all haste.

What could she find that would be valuable to him?

The village of Durness lay only a few miles away, and she hoped that she could discover something about Gavin’s early years there, something that would expose some need or want of his that she could fulfill in order to gain his cooperation. She had no plans past that, but the almost frantic tension inside her when she thought of Kali’s fate pushed her onward.

Katla found the rocks that marked her earlier hiding place and retrieved her sack. Pulling her cloak tightly around her shoulders, she started off in the direction of the village. With the jewelry sewn into the hem of her cloak and with the coins she’d managed to hide and bring along with her, she could buy much of what she would need.

If only silver would purchase the Truthsayer’s help.

If only…

But, five days later, she found herself with less silver than when she’d started and no more information to help her in her quest than when she’d arrived.

The day her companion would return from the north dawned bright and sunny, and even the tumultuous sea glistened calmly beneath the sun’s rays. The rare turn of weather made walking back to Gavin’s cave easier than usual. She trekked along the rough path that connected Durness with the other villages scattered over the north coast, watching the sea for any sign of the small boat that would come for her.

She reached the clearing where the trail to the cave began and decided to use the time to spy on Gavin once more. Mayhap she would see something or hear something useful. Following the river as it flowed toward the sea, she soon approached the smallest of the openings in the cave’s ceiling. Peering down, she searched for Gavin or his servant.

And was met by only the sound of rushing water.

When several minutes had passed with no sign or sound of people below, Katla crept to another of the ceiling holes and watched and waited once more. This one looked down nearer the sleeping area. Protected within one of the back chambers of the cave, he slept in the driest and most private part of the large dwelling. This ceiling hole looked down on the short corridor that led to it.

Nothing. No sound but that of the falling water.

Sliding back from the opening and standing, she shaded her eyes with her hand and searched the horizon to the north. A boat bobbed on the sea, still a few miles off but on its way to the shore. She had but a short time to reach the cove.

Pain sliced through her heart at that moment, for she had failed. Harald had given her a month to find the answers she sought. He’d not asked how she intended to do so, and she’d not bothered to tell him the truth of her quest. Their bargain, that she would return to live with him as his concubine in exchange for his giving her a month to pursue her search, was nearly at an end. It had taken weeks to find the Truthsayer.

The thought of her failure and what it meant to her brother and the idea of a future as nothing more than a bed warmer for one of the earl’s men left a bitter taste in her mouth. Katla had seen her mother’s life, empty but for the occasional attention from her father, and had vowed never to accept such a one for herself. Now, it was either save her brother or follow her mother’s path to heartbreak.

Despair filled her as she watched Godrod bring the boat to shore.

“How do you fare, lady?” Godrod asked as he jumped over the side into the shallow waters and held the boat steady for her. “I have not seen such a look on your face since the day your brother was taken.”

Katla pushed her hair away from her face and climbed into the boat that would take her to her unwanted fate. “I fear I have failed, Godrod, and my brother will pay with his life.”

The old man smiled sadly as he helped her over the side of the small curragh. “You cannot be responsible for others, lady. Your father asked too much of you.”

Tears threatened then; her throat grew tight and painful as she felt them run down her cheeks. Turning away so he and the others could not see the extent of her weakness, she watched in silence as Godrod pushed the boat free of the sand and climbed over the side to take the empty pair of oars.

Godrod and the others did not speak as they rowed away from shore and then raised the sail. It would take most of the day to sail across the straights to Orkney and then to reach Birsay on the northwestern coast of the main isle, where Harald lived on the earl’s estate. Soon, though, the men began to talk among themselves, accepting that Katla wanted none of it. Only when their talk turned to the Truthsayer was she interested.

“Has he returned to Birsay, Godrod?” she asked.

“Aye, lady. The earl sent word of a dispute that needed settling and called the Truthsayer to Birsay for the full moon.”

How stupid she’d been! To forget about the timing of his power and the link to the full moon of the month. Katla had always been known as a logical and organized woman, skilled at keeping her father’s household running efficiently; yet in this moment, she felt like a lackwit.

“Godrod,” she said, feeling a measure of hope once more. “Do not sail to Birsay. Land on the coast a few miles away and I’ll make my way there on foot.”

“But, lady,” Godrod began. “Harald is expecting you back.”

“He gave me a month, Godrod, and it is not over yet. I cannot forsake my brother until I have exhausted all possibilities.”

She watched as Godrod debated obeying her command, clearly not at peace with this change to her plans. But he’d sworn to her father to be her protector, and she depended on that oath to assure his agreement.

If Gavin the Truthsayer was going to proclaim a truth, she wanted to be there to see it. She needed to watch and discover how his power, his gift, worked. Finally, Katla released her held-in breath as Godrod nodded.

She smiled then, nodding back, and then she turned her thoughts to how she might best observe the Truthsayer without being identified. He would be taken to the earl’s home and feted until the ceremony. The moon would reach its fullness in three days, so he would stay there in seclusion, she’d been told, until he was taken to the hall for the truth speaking.

If she could find a way to see him before he was taken to the ceremony…. If she could find a way to ask his help…. If she could make him believe she had something to offer in exchange for his help, then mayhap she could save Kali’s life and her own future as well. For if Kali was proven innocent and inherited all that was their father’s, then he would be a wealthy and powerful chieftain among the earl’s men and she would once again be a prize to be bestowed upon an ally or friend.

In saving Kali she would save herself, too.

By the time they reached the shore some miles south of Birsay, Katla had the beginnings of a plan to get into the earl’s home and see Gavin. This time she would speak plainly to him and surely he would see fit to help her.