Captive Heart (6 page)

Mylan rose to his feet and pulled Celiese up with a forceful lift. “I have no need for pity, Olgrethe, especially not from you. Would you rather I did not disrobe fully?”

Celiese chewed her lower lip nervously as she considered his question; she knew she was attractive, and, as she was now his wife, he had asked for nothing that was not his right as her husband. If he had avoided his friends to escape their pity he was doubtless lonely too, and that was a feeling she could readily understand. She pulled her hands from his, then knelt at his feet and began to loosen the laces of his soft suede boots. “I have lived in a house filled with brothers, Mylan. The sight of an unclothed male will not shock me.”

The tall man had to bend slightly to stroke Celiese’s fair curls. “Even f you are not frightened by my manhood. I am certain my scars must revolt you.”

Celiese hastened to disagree. “You did not believe me this afternoon? I will never mention your scars, if you will promise not to hate me for mine.”

Mylan pulled Celiese swiftly to her feet and held her before him, his grasp upon her shoulders firm, as if he meant to shake her. “What scars? Your beauty is without flaw. Tell me what you mean!”

Celiese replied softly, “Not all scars are visible, Mylan, the worst disfigure the spirit, not the body.”

“I am no coward, Olgrethe, is that what you mean? You think I have hidden like some quaking coward, so I need not see my family’s anguish when they look at me?” Mylan asked in a hoarse snarl, the bitterness of his mood twisting his handsome features into a cruel mask.

Celiese’s thick lashes nearly swept her brows as she stared up at him wondering how he could have misunderstood her remark so completely. “Mylan, I am delighted to have a man as fine as you for my husband. I most assuredly do not believe you are a coward and did not mean for you to think I had called you one. I was referring to my own faults, not accusing you of having any.”

Mylan sighed dejectedly as he dropped his hands to his sides, “I am a great fool, Olgrethe, but the confinement I have been forced to endure has not been easy for me. I am angry only with myself, not with you. Please forgive me.”

Celiese stood on her tiptoes to brush his cheek softly in a light kiss. “There is nothing to forgive, Mylan, but please try and remember that since we do not know each other well as yet, misunderstandings will be unavoidable. We must each be patient with the other.”

Encouraged by the sweetness of her gesture as well as her words, Mylan drew Celiese into his arms and held her tightly against his lean body. He did no more than hold her, but she stiffened in his embrace, her anxiety increasing tenfold as the seconds passed and he did not release her. She could not bear to be held so closely, for it reminded her far too vividly of the brute force she’d been unable to escape. When Mylan at last relaxed she stepped back quickly, her smile slight, for she had no control over her emotions, and they tore away at her heart with the fury of vultures picking clean the carcass of some fallen beast. She began to shiver uncontrollably.

“I did not think you would find my embrace so distasteful.” Mylan’s gaze raked over Celiese slowly, but he did not seem displeased, only amused by her reticence to accept his attentions.

Not wishing to offend him, Celiese apologized. “No, it is only that I am not used to a man’s affection, that is all. I know you do not mean to frighten me with your strength, but it is considerable.” Celiese looked down shyly, wishing she could fill her mind with thoughts of him rather than the dreadful memories from her wretched past. He was kind and dear, not a beast who would abuse her, and she wanted so badly to please him, but knew she would not.

Mylan’s expression softened instantly, her beauty enchanting him anew. “I have let you become chilled again. The furs of my bed are thick and warm; and that is where we both belong tonight.” He reached for the clasp on the gold brooch that held her gown at the shoulder, undid it deftly, then laid it aside with her other gold jewelry.

Celiese stood quietly as he undressed her, but she jabbed her fingernails into her palms until she was certain they were bleeding to keep herself from screaming hysterically. Standing nude before him Olgrethe would have been embarrassed, nervous because she did not know what to expect, but Celiese was anxious because she knew exactly what was going to happen. When the blond man bent to her feet his soft curls touched the inside of her thigh and she gasped sharply, shocked by the sensation that brightened her pale cheeks with a deep blush, and as he looked up she could only stare into his amber eyes, too surprised to speak, for the pleasure his presence brought her astonished her. After he had removed her suede slippers he did not rise but lifted his hand to her knee, then higher, and she had no desire to push him away. She stood trying simply to breathe calmly as the warmth of his touch flooded her cool skin with a delicious rush, leaving her whole body as flushed as her cheeks. He caressed the length of her thigh lightly, then let his fingertips trace the line of her leg to the tip of her toes before he again stood to face her, his smile a mischievous one.

“You are supposed to enjoy my touch, Olgrethe, and you need not be ashamed that you do,” Mylan offered sympathetically.

Celiese could not respond, for the beat of her heart roared like thunder in her ears, drowning out her efforts to compose a lucid response. She was captivated by the brightness of Mylan’s ready smile, enchanted by his eyes fiery brilliance, and she made no protest as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to his comfortable bed.

After casting off his own clothing swiftly, Mylan joined Celiese upon the soft furs, but when he pulled her into his arms the shyness of her hesitant kiss amused him once again. “How can any creature be so astonishingly beautiful, so sweet and bright, and yet so cold!” His lips brushed her flushed cheeks with light, playful kisses before he leaned back to look down at her, his golden glance caressing her delicate features softly.

“Co1d?”

Celiese could scarcely breathe with her husband so near, but his sly grin inspired her trust rather than feeding her fears. “Yes, the room is still a bit cold.”

Mylan chuckled at the innocence of her reply. “Olgrethe, when I kiss you, I expect you to kiss me, to accept my affection even if you cannot yet return it with any feeling for me. Until today I have had no desire to take a bride, but I find I want you most desperately now.”

“You are wrong, Mylan, for although we have known each other for no more than a few hours, I do have feelings for you and very tender ones.” That was part of her problem she knew, for she admired him greatly and did not want to trick him as cruelly as she had. As he leaned down to kiss her lips lightly she lifted her hands to his shoulders, caressing his warm skin slowly before she wound her fingers in his bright curls to pull his mouth down to hers. She opened her lips slightly, kissing him as he had kissed her that afternoon, her tongue teasing his playfully until at last he drew away.

“That is much better. Forgive me for teasing you when I promised to be a patient teacher.” Mylan could not recall ever being with so shy a young woman and reminded himself to be more considerate lest he frighten her needlessly. “Now, please kiss me again.” His mouth found hers warm and sweet beneath his own, her lips trembling only slightly this time, and he moved closer still, lengthening his kiss until he felt her acceptance along the entire length of her youthful body, for as she relaxed, the contours of her slender figure fit perfectly against his lean physique, as if she had been born to be his wife. The pleasure that flooded Mylan’s powerful body was one he had not forgotten but had despaired of ever sharing again with a woman as beautiful as the elegant creature who was now his bride. “You see, is this not a far better way to kiss?” But he gave Celiese no time to reply before his lips again caressed hers softly, for he truly did want to teach her well, to create within her breast the desire that was already pounding with such insistence within his own. He made his voice a reassuring whisper as he began to pay her pretty compliments, wanting her to feel the delight her loveliness gave to him as he covered her delectable body with soft kisses. Her skin was smooth, creamy to the touch and as fragrant as the gardens of wildflowers that surrounded his home each spring. She had the gentle perfection of a clear spring day, all its beauty and sweetness, and he was lost in his own romantic dreams as he continued to savor the swells and curves of her splendid figure.

Celiese smiled contentedly as Mylan’s lips trailed down her throat. She traced the ripple of muscles that moved across his broad shoulders with a slow, sensuous touch, for the skin of his back had been unmarked by the bear’s claws and it felt smooth and alive beneath her fingertips. She held him in a tender embrace as his lips slid across her breast, too lost in his tender affection to remember her fears of his love. She had never dreamed a man could be so gentle. The longings he aroused within her were exquisite, and as unexpected as his handsomeness had been, a surprise too marvelous to contain, and yet, as his fingertips slowly moved over her soft curves, the feeling continued to grow and the desire to deepen. His knowing touch grew more intimate. His bed had the softness of a cloud at her back, she was floating in his embrace, adrift on the tide of his passion, and she drew him close to her heart, hoping to return the pleasure his warm, sleek body gave to hers. As his lips returned to her mouth his honey-flavored kiss led her further into the madness, teasing her senses as deftly as his slow, sensuous touch drew forth the deepest of pleasures until she shuddered with joy, her surrender to him now complete.

Mylan shifted his weight gradually, tenderly cradling the delicate beauty in his arms as he moved to possess her fully, to make her truly his wife, but as his first forceful thrust went deep within her he stopped abruptly, stunned by the ease with which her slender body had accepted his.

Celiese felt Mylan stiffen and dropped her hands from his shoulders to cover her face. She held her breath waiting for him to strike her, for a brutal beating was the very least of the punishments she expected from him, but he called her name softly, and when she lowered her hands to look up at him his mouth returned to hers with a soft caress that seemed endless in its delights. His desire drew her back into his dream of love, and she lifted her arms to encircle his neck as he began to move within her, his strength tempered with such easy grace that she wanted all he could give of this new and even greater pleasure. Her whole body seemed to burn with the heat he infused, the flames of his passion searing her to him in an eternal bond she would never seek to dissolve. She moved with a graceful rhythm to accept his loving, drawing him ever deeper into the magic he had created so thoughtfully for her, until at last he buried his face in her flaxen curls and she clung to him still, her heart too full of love to let him go.

When the bright haze of passion had at last cleared his mind Mylan covered Celiese’s face with kisses as gentle as the summer breeze and drew her close to his heart. He had thought he’d married a girl little more than a pretty child, but had found his bride to be a woman of astonishing depth and spirit, and she simply fascinated him. “I will keep your secret, Olgrethe, if you will but tell me the truth.”

Celiese drew her fingertips through his thick curls and along his cheek as she tried to imagine how she could possibly tell him the truth about anything. “Do not ask, Mylan, for I am yours now, and you must love me enough never to ask.”

After a moment’s pause, Mylan whispered softly, “Did you love him?”

“No.” Celiese could not suppress the shiver of disgust that coursed down her spine. “No, there was no love between us, never that.”

“If you wish him dead, I will kill him gladly for your sake. You need but speak his name and his life is over.” Mylan sealed his vow with a slow, deep kiss that left them both dizzy, entwined in each other’s arms, too content ever to part.

Celiese could not accept his gallant offer, for she feared too greatly for his safety. His love now meant more to her than avenging her honor ever would, and she’d not risk his life for any reason. “No, our marriage was meant to bring peace, not further strife, Mylan.” She snuggled against him, for she had found a paradise in his arms she’d not imagined existed on earth and knew he had shared the same exquisite joy he’d given to her. “Is this not enough, Mylan, am I not enough to make your life complete?” Her fingertips traced his scarred chest with a seductive caress before slipping down his flat stomach and encircling his waist to draw him near. When she lifted her lips to his he responded eagerly to her enticing affection, enveloping her once again in a passion-filled dream that left her glowing with the pleasure of his love. She was the most talented of pupils, the most loving of wives, and had learned swiftly how to please him as greatly as he pleased her. When at last she fell asleep in his strong arms she prayed their marriage would last forever, for she had never felt more truly a woman nor more dearly loved than she did lying in Mylan’s affectionate embrace.

Chapter Four

Celiese awoke slowly from her beautiful dreams of love. She stretched languidly, pressing her lissome body closer to Mylan’s to savor his comforting warmth. He lay sleeping so soundly that she did not try to wake him, but propped her chin on her elbow to study the planes of his attractive features in the dim glow that was all that remained of the once bright fire upon the hearth. The scar upon his cheek was faint, a wound suffered at an earlier time than the bear’s attack, and she grew curious as to what had caused the mark he’d always carry. Perhaps it had been no more than a boyhood game that had ended too roughly, the result of a brawl with his brothers or some boisterous friends. She would not ask though, she’d wait until he wished to tell her, as it was so slight a flaw she’d not make him think it disturbed her by calling his attention to it. Her eyes continued to sweep his face with a loving caress. He had become so dear to her in the brief time they’d shared, and he would be the husband she had not dared hope ever to have. She could not stop smiling as she watched him sleep. His dark lashes were as thick as her own, and she leaned down to kiss his eyelids sweetly. Her light touch did not wake him, although a slow smile came to his lips. He had a marvelous smile, so charming an expression that she was tempted to wake him just to see it again, but she knew that would be foolish, since he’d surely smile at her whenever he chanced to wake: She laced her fingers in his as she moved closer to snuggle against the curve of his lean body, and yawning dreamily, she drifted over the edge of sleep before any thoughts save those of him could fill her mind.