“Aye,” he said, images of his wife standing in front of him naked rushing into his head. He tried to chase them away. It would do him no good to strip and have his shaft fully erect in front of her after what she had been through. But he could not stop the ache, the need for her. He realized then how she must have felt earlier and how selfish he had been to refuse to make love with her.
He did not wait, did not seek permission, or offer an explanation, he pressed his lips to hers and ravished her mouth with a kiss he sensed they both needed.
Annis could barely catch her breath, he kissed her with such hunger and command. He left no doubt as to his passion, it boiled to a point where it would be too hot to handle, and the thought sent a shiver of anticipation through her.
She had to tear her mouth away to get a much-needed breath and his lips went directly to her neck, nipping, nibbling, kissing, and fueling her passion.
He carried her to the bed and dropped her down on it, pushing her garment out of the way and spreading her legs before dropping down over her, his hands braced on either side of her. He rested his face close to hers, his blue eyes fired with a scorching passion.
“Never. Never walk away from me like that again. It felt as if my heart had been ripped from my chest.” He shut his eyes a moment. “And when you disappeared into the darkness, I feared hell itself had opened up and took you from me. I will not lose you, Annis.”
She gasped as he sunk his shaft into her with a deep and hard thrust. It was what she had wanted from him, needed from him—to forget everything else and know their love was strong no matter what was happening around them. That nothing—no one—could take that away from them.
“You are all I want. All I need. All I love,” she said, tears tickling her eyes.
His manhood stilled and throbbed inside her impatiently, and taking a strong breath to temper his desire, he rested his brow to hers. “Your demand taunted old memories and I foolishly failed to see that your need for me was driven by love.”
Annis smiled. “It is time to make new memories that will drive the old ones away.” She wrapped her legs around him. “Do not keep me waiting, husband, my need for you—only ever you—is insatiable.”
He did not keep her waiting. He could not, his own need just as voracious for her.
Annis knew it would be quick, the incident having fueled their love and fear of losing each other. Each deep, forceful thrust she felt assured her of their love, of their need to join, to know they had survived the ordeal.
She burst in a climax that stole her breath and pounded her heart until she thought it would explode, and he tossed his head back and released a feral roar as he joined her, letting her know he felt the same.
When she was finally able to speak, Annis said, “We need to shed our garments.”
He lifted his head to grin at her. “Cannot get enough of me?”
She poked him and chuckled. “Never. But it is a more practical reason I say that.”
He realized then their garments were wet, and he hurried off her and the bed, reaching to take her hand and pull her up. He rid himself of his clothes quickly, then set about helping her off with hers. They worked together spreading their garments over the benches and table Brogan moved closer to the hearth so the heat could dry them.
Annis grabbed the bowl of cheese and bread on the table and hurried to the bed to slip beneath the blanket and made a face when her feet hit a wet spot.
Brogan rectified that by replacing the wet blanket with the dry one at the end of the bed, then he crawled beneath to join his wife, sitting with her back braced against the pillows.
“Do you think we are safe here? Or will the mercenaries send another man when this one fails to return?” she asked, cuddling in the crook of her husband’s arm.
“With him having drawn the short stick says that none wish the task of stepping foot on the witch’s land, and they will give his return time. The rain and darkness would also have someone thinking twice. Not to mention the howl of the wolves.”
“The wolves howled?’ she asked and perked her ears to listen.
“Several times, but you were far too engaged to notice,” he said with a playful wink.
She frowned. “You were not too engaged to notice?”
“I was definitely engaged, but I also kept an alert ear for other sounds to keep us safe.” He laughed. “Until the end, when our lovemaking completely consumed me, but by then the wolves had calmed and I knew all was well.”