Heart's Ransom (Heart and Soul) (20 page)

“Gwen,” Talon called, taking a step after her,
and then stopped.  “Damnation.”  He growled, staring up at the stars in the night sky.  “Bloody bleeding hell!” 

Talon wandered the bailey for a long time, trying to sort through his rioting emotions.  Gwen was right.  And Talon knew in his heart he could never turn his back on his child, boy or girl.  But now he had to find a way to make peace with Gwen.  He felt terrible that his words had hurt her so.  He had to learn to mind his tongue.  He straightened his shoulders and strode into the keep. 

It was late, most of the servants already to bed.  Talon checked the solar first, but she was not there, then he knocked softly on the door to her old room, but Alys answered and said she hadn’t seen Gwen all night.  Talon frowned, where in the devil had she gone?  He even checked Eleanor’s room but Gwen was not there.  Worry grew within him.  He descended the tower stairs, returning to the great hall.  He entered the kitchens but did not see her.  Standing in the middle of the room he hauled his hand through his hair in frustration.  Where was she?

A tiny sound reached him and he paused, listening intently.  He thought he heard a muffled sound of someone crying, but more clearly he heard a muted whine - a soft whimper of a puppy.

Mince.

Talon followed the sound to a door in the kitchens, a small storeroom where they stored their herbs - woefully inadequate, Gwen had said, but it was all they had until she located a suitable room.  Yet it made sense.  Under the crack of the door, he saw a weak glow of a candle.

Taking a deep breath, Talon silently opened the door.  Gwen huddled in a corner, a tiny candle lantern flickering beside her.  She cradled Mince to her, her face buried in the pup’s coat as she cried softly, her shoulders shaking.  Mince whimpered, trying to lick her face occasionally and gazing at her with worried golden eyes.  The pup looked up at Talon, his confusion at what caused his mistress such distress obvious. 

Talon’s heart twisted and he took a step into the room, crouching beside her.  He had a feeling she was aware of his presence, but she didn’t look up.

“Gwen?” he asked softly, reaching to touch her hand.

She swallowed hard, trying to stifle her sobs, and lifted her head.  Mince took the opportunity to lick her face again, and she managed a sad smile.

“When I was little,” she whispered, her voice thick from crying.  “Just about Rose’s age, I found a stray puppy like Mince.  I brought him home and asked my father if I could keep him.” She snorted softly.  “That was a mistake and I knew it.” 

Mince continued to whine, repeatedly waving at her with his paw.

Talon’s hand tightened on hers, his thumb began to travel a slow circle.  He said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

“My father said I could keep him if I proved to him this pup was special.  He made me go to the river and tie the pup in a bag and throw it in.  If the dog survived, I could keep it.  I wanted to argue with him, to snatch the pup and run away, but I was terrified he would beat me if I did.  So I said nothing and did as he demanded.  It struggled and cried, eventually going under while my father forced me to watch.”  She sucked in her breath, tears streaming down her cheeks anew.  “Then my father told me how stupid I was for wanting such a thing, I was only a girl and incapable of intelligence.  He thrashed me and locked me in my room for three days with only bread and water.  I never asked him for anything again.”

Talon’s throat tightened painfully.

Gwen buried her face in Mince’s fur a second time.  “I was so lonely, Talon.  All I wanted was something I could love, that would love me in return.  That’s all.”  Slowly she lifted her head, gazing at him with agony in her eyes.  “Is that such a terrible thing to want?”

Talon squeezed his eyes closed as he pulled her into his arms and held her as tightly as he dared.  He stroked her hair, his lips brushing across her forehead.  “Sweet Jesu, Gwen, nay it is not.”  But he clearly remembered his own words not so very long ago.  He had threatened to drown Mince in the river.  Dear God, he was an idiot.

“Forgive my foolishness Gwen.  I never meant to hurt you.”

“I...I know, Talon.  I’m sorry too, but sometimes the pain is so raw....” her voice faded.

“Aye, Gwen.  I know exactly how you feel.”

They remained silent a long moment as Talon held her.  She sniffed a few times and tears continued to leak down her cheeks, but she had stopped sobbing.  Finally, he rubbed her arm.  “’Tis late, Gwen.  Let’s get some sleep.”

She nodded and blew out the candle.  Talon helped her to her feet, his arm still around her shoulders.  She held onto Mince as Talon guided her up the stairs.  Since Gwen had begun sharing his bed, Mince had been a bit lost, continuing to sleep in her room, but every once in
a while he would try to follow her into the solar and Talon would shoo him out.  This time, he took the pup from her and found an old cloak which he piled in the corner.  Mince sat on it, sniffing, then looked up at him curiously.

Talon couldn’t help but smile as he scratched the pup’s ears.  “Now who’s the saphead, eh?” he whispered to the dog.

But the tiny smile on Gwen’s face made it all worth it.

Talon returned to her, carefully removing her gown, and then his own clothing.  He wanted to make love to her, to show her with his body how much he cared about her.  But he resisted the desire, instead pulling her into his arms.  She settled her head against his chest, her arm across his waist. For some reason, he thought it more important right now that he simply hold her close while she slept. 

****

Gwen opened her eyes to darkness broken only by flickering golden glow.  She was surprised not to find Talon in bed with her.  The events of last night remained emblazoned on her mind, but with them was Talon’s gentle but also powerful comfort.  His strong arms had sheltered her from the pain of her past.  For so long she had desperately wanted someone to love,
who would also love her.  Now she was beginning to realize Talon was that man, his actions, after their argument, had proven that to her last night.  He had listened to her speak of her childhood without rebuke and then he had held her close the remainder of the night, understanding the pain of suffering under another's disregard and hatred.

Drawing a deep breath, she searched the dark room, illuminated only by a single candle.  In the shadows she spotted Talon sorting through his clothes.

She could only stare at him and enjoy the sight before her.  He stood in profile, wearing nary a stitch.  The faint glow of the candle highlighted his bronze skin and the power residing under it.  He truly was a thing of beauty to watch.  Every line seemed in perfect symmetry, from the way his tawny hair tumbled over his shoulders to his wide, powerful chest, sweeping down to a rock hard stomach, lean hips, strong buttocks, and long heavily muscled thighs. 

He turned slightly, his attention focused on his clothing, and Gwen’s gaze stopped, her eyes wide.  He was also powerfully aroused.  She blinked, trying to think through the sudden inferno that burned within her, curling low in her belly.  Curious as to why he had not awakened her to remedy the situation.  Her lips tugged upward slightly.  She wouldn’t have minded at all.

He turned his back to her, his muscles tense.  Perhaps his confidence had not returned completely.  Perhaps because of the pain Eleanor caused him he still found it difficult to believe a woman would want him with the same intensity.

That was something she had to correct immediately.

Silently, she slid out of bed and approached him from behind.  He still appeared oblivious to her and she slid her arms around his waist, holding him tightly, her hands on his chest, resting her head against his back.

The moment she touched him, she felt his muscles jump then he abruptly froze.  His hands gripped hers but he remained unmoving.  “I did not mean to awaken you,” he said softly.

“I know.  But I’m glad I’m awake now.”

She felt his ribcage expand and contract as he took a deep breath, his fingers lightly caressing hers.  He stared at the table before him but did not move.

“Why didn’t you wake me, Talon?”

He lifted a shoulder in a halfhearted shrug. 

“You haven’t changed your mind about us, have you?”

“Nay,” he said so sharply he startled her.  Again he sucked in a breath, his grip tight on her hands.  “Nay.  I just....” his voice faded into nothing.

“Go on, Talon.  I’m listening.”

“I just expect you to come to your senses at any moment, to hate me for what I have done
to you, to push me away in anger, to run from my bed and me.  I have only taken and not given in return.  You deserve more.”

She smiled and kissed his back, her arms tightening around his waist.  “But I have come to my senses, Talon, and this is where I want to be.  You give me more than you realize.”

He shook his head, as if her response baffled him.  Gwen knew it would take time for his wounds to heal, so badly had they festered in his heart.  She was abruptly grateful she had been raised in the Marches instead of the royal house.  A timid mouse, Talon did not need.

Slowly, she allowed her hands to move up his chest, lightly caressing his smooth skin, exploring every cut and curve of muscle.  His hands gripped her arms tighter as if warred between stopping and encouraging her.  Instead he pressed her hands more firmly against him.  Gradually her fingers traced downward to his stomach, then slowly moved back up.  Each time she descended a little farther, to his bellybutton, then caressing the narrow line of hair that descended down the center.

He sucked in his breath, his body coiling tightly under her hands.  “Gwen...,” he said, his voice strangled, as if in warning.  But she knew exactly what she was doing.  Her fingers traced lower, brushing across the wiry hair between his thighs, then ascended once again, returning to tease his flat nipples.

He remained unmoving, his muscles clenched as tightly as his jaw.  “Gwen....”

She ignored him, her hands dropping even lower.  From behind she gripped his shaft and began to stroke him.

“Sweet Jesu,” he growled and flinched slightly.  His body coiled even more but he threw his head back and drew a deep breath through his teeth.  She continued to stroke him with confidence, marveling at the softness of his skin yet the hardness of the flesh under her hand.  He groaned savagely, lowering his head, and his body became a strange combination of coiled power yet more relaxed movement.  Subtly his hips shifted forward.  His grip loosened on her arms.

Emboldened, Gwen intensified her actions but only slightly.  Talon once again threw his head back, gulping deep breaths, but his expression gradually changed from vicious control to one of pleasure.  “Ah, Sweet Mary, Gwen, that feels glorious.”

She pressed herself closer behind him, savoring the feel of him against her breasts.

His right hand released her arm and he reached around behind him.  Suddenly his fingers found the juncture of her thighs and she gasped at the damp heat that surged when he touched her.  He found her most private place, his fingers working it mercilessly.  Gwen could barely maintain her feet with the sudden glorious riot exploding in her body.  Her hand faltered slightly but then she continued, determined he would not sway her.

A powerful tremor rocked through her, the energy building to an almost painful intensity.  Talon’s hips moved subtly in time with her hand, instinctively mimicking the action of love
making.  She felt moisture bead on the tip of his cock.  His body shuddered violently and she knew he was on the edge.

She marveled at the power she felt within her, that her touch could control him so completely, that simply caressing him could provoke such an intense response in him.

Suddenly he grabbed her hand, pulling it away, and spun in her arms, the movement so quick she barely realized what happened.  He swept her up in his arms, growling her name like a maddened beast.  Her heart lurched and pounded under her ribs as he lifted her to kiss her hard, his mouth possessing hers, his tongue invading her mouth and sending her senses spiraling.

Her arms latched around his neck as he pushed her back into the wall.  With one hand he encouraged her to wrap her legs around his hips and once again lifted her into his arms.  She did so and he thrust inside her.  She gasped as her vision exploded in colors.  He drove himself in deeply, moving harder.  Her body coiled around him and he grunted, struggling to breathe.

Gwen nearly melted at the glory surging deep within the core of her being.  Talon kissed her feverishly, his lips traveling from her mouth to nip her throat, his tongue tracing liquid fire over her skin.  The tremors within her increased, she heard her voice crying his name as her body moved in time with his.  Suddenly the world shattered as everything within her convulsed in magnificent pleasure.

He growled her name as he instantly followed her over the edge.

Within moments everything stopped as they panted together and tried to remain standing.  The speed as well as intensity at which everything had happened was dizzying.  A light sheen of sweat covered his skin.  Their heartbeats echoed as one in her ears.  Talon’s muscles trembled and Gwen stood on her own but Talon scooped her up and carried her to the bed where he crawled in next to her and held her tightly.  They remained silent for a long moment, simply enjoying the aftermath in each other’s arms.