“You allowed all the Thoragassons to see you take me into this sleeping chamber with you. If you are betrothed to Letta, why would you wish to hurt her by doing it?”
“I believe a woman should know that a man will always do as he wishes. If I wed with her, she won’t be surprised when I take other women to my bed.”
“You are like Erik, then.”
“Oh no,” he said, then wished he’d kept his mouth shut. “What is wrong with my brother? Other than his wanting to bed you?”
“He strikes Sarla.”
“Nay,” Merrik said slowly, turning now toward her, for she had his full attention. “Erik is used to having what he wants, but to strike Sarla is absurd. He is a brave man and he is my brother. You are making that up because you dislike him so very much, because you fear him.”
“Look at her face.”
“You are wrong.”
“She said that he hits her whenever she displeases him. He hit her three nights ago when you kept me from him. It was his disappointment, she thought.”
Merrik struggled with her words, with the image her words provoked in his mind. Erik strike gentle Sarla?
Laren sighed. “If she proves barren, I doubt not he will kill her, that or simply send her back to her family. How long does a man give a woman to bear him children? Three years? Perhaps four?”
“No, he would not do that. Cease your tales, Laren, for I will give you no silver pieces for your stories. If you wish to, though, you could tell me who you are and where you come from.”
“Perhaps once I am free of you, Cleve and Taby with me, I will send a messenger back to you, for then I would have nothing more to fear from you.”
That nearly sent him over the edge. “Your damned arrogance and pride! You gall me, woman. You fear me? For what reason? Have I ever hurt you? Damn you, I did not take you when you offered yourself to me, and you were more than willing, were you not? No, I didn’t take you because—”
He seemed to realize that what he intended to say wouldn’t result in the conclusion he sought. He shut his mouth.
She said flatly, “You didn’t take me because you find me ugly.”
“That is not true.”
“The other reason you didn’t take me is because of Taby. You love a child who isn’t even of your blood. He could be the son of a savage from the stinking bogs of Ireland, stolen by Viking marauders just like you and your kind. I will accept that you care for him even though I will never understand the depths of your feelings for him. What did you do, Merrik, promise him you would protect me as well as him? Did you swear to him you wouldn’t ravish me?”
“You should select another word. Ravish doesn’t apply to us.”
She sucked in her breath, fleeting memories of those incredible feelings whirling about the edges of her mind. “Even if I threw myself upon you naked, you would do nothing. You would cast me aside.”
Merrik frowned into the darkness. He said slowly, carefully selecting his words, “You sound as if you want me to take you, make you my concubine.”
Ah, she thought, here was the rub, here was the truth, unmasked, but she wouldn’t admit it to him. She merely laughed, saying, “Perhaps I would want you to take me just one time so that I would know what it is all about. Then it would be enoug
h. Then I could forget about it. But know this, Merrik, I would never want you for anything more than just a brief diversion, an amusement for just a single night that might please me as much as a good story.”
He had saved her life, damn her. He had cared for her, protected her from his brother. He wanted to strangle her. He lurched toward her and came down on top of her. His hands closed about her neck, but didn’t tighten. “You damnable witch,” he said, then found her mouth in the darkness and kissed her hard, not caring if he hurt her. Let it be an amusement for him, and let her cry in pain at such a diversion.
His rage increased when she didn’t move, just lay there, suffering his attack. He felt the softness of her belly, the giving weight of her breasts against his chest.
“Damn you, fight me.”
12
SHE DIDN’T FIGHT him, oh no, fighting him was far from her mind. She lurched up against him, grabbed his face between her hands and brought him down to her. She found his mouth after kissing his chin, his nose, his cheek, and she kissed him hard, her lips parted this time, and he was so surprised, so utterly dumbfounded by her actions, that he froze over her, not opening his mouth, not doing anything at all, save trying to control the heaving breaths that bespoke his lust.
He jerked away from her, his heart beating so fast he wondered if he would survive it. He remained on top of her, but he was balancing himself on his elbows above her to keep distance between him and that wonderful mouth of hers. “Why did you do that, damn you? You were lying there as if you were dead, or suffering me until I would get done with you. And then you attacked me.”
“I would do it again if you would only come back down to me. It isn’t fair. You can force me since you are the stronger, but I cannot force you to do what it is I want.”