Warlord

She smiled at the sincerity in his voice. She didn’t miss the darkness that laced his words either. Bronson had a hard side to him, and even though he was gentle with her, it still came through.

“Ye plan to go to battle?” Her pulse picked up, because even if this marriage had not been one that was built on love, she found herself falling for her scarred warlord. The very thought of him injured on the field, or gods forbid not coming back at all, frightened her.

“Aye, love, but I donna plan on leaving ye a widow.” This fierceness came into his voice, and she couldn’t help but believe every word he said.

“Good, because I donna want tae be a widow, and I donna want my child tae be fatherless.”

There was a moment where he didn’t speak, didn’t move, and then a brilliant smile covered his face. “A wee one, lass?”

Emotion clogged her throat. “Well, I have not bled, and I have noticed changes, but I have no’ had the healer examine me.” There was a moment of silence between them. “But I feel like there is a little babe inside me, Bronson.” She stared into his eyes. “Yer little babe.”

“My Genevieve.” He leaned in and kissed her hard, possessively, and full of this powerful emotion.

“I donna know for sure, but I wanted ye tae know… just in case.” She added the last part on a breath, and although she couldn’t even think about losing him so soon after becoming his bride, it was a reality she needed to accept.

“Love, I am no’ going anywhere.” He gripped her cheeks in his hands and looked right into her eyes. She knew he was a man who never failed and won his battles, but sometimes the gods didn’t look upon someone favorably so many times.

But she just nodded and smiled, because showing her weakness wouldn’t help anyone in this situation. Before she knew what was happening, Bronson had her hand in his and was leading her down the corridor. He made several turns, and her bare feet were making this soft padding noise across the frigidly cold stone floor. Finally, he stopped in a corridor that only held one candle, pressed her against the wall once more, and took her mouth in a kiss.

She felt Bronson’s large hands flex and release on her hips, and Genevieve knew this coupling would be fast, furious, and so heated that it would be like she had disconnected from her body. The fire running through her veins could not be ignored. He kissed a path along her collarbone, and she realized he liked that part of her body. He moved his hands down and rested them right over her belly.

“If there isn’t a wee one in yer belly yet, I’m going tae make sure I put one in there tonight, lass,” he said against her neck, kissing and licking her flesh until gooseflesh popped out along her arms. “I’m going tae fill ye with my seed until it slides down yer thighs, Genevieve.”

She breathed out heavily. Only with Bronson had she heard such blatant sexual words spoken to her, and although she would have been highly offended by them, hearing them come from Bronson made her wet and so ready to take him into her body.

“I want tae see ye big and swollen with my babe.” He ground his hardness into her belly.

She wanted children, many of them in fact, but she always worried she wouldn’t be able to have them. What if she wasn’t carrying his child and couldn’t give him the sons he so desperately wanted? Her father had said her mother had a difficult time conceiving her. What if she had the same problems? She let her head fall back against the wall Bronson had her pressed against and sighed out as the fire in her body became a raging inferno. They were in one of the back hallways where anyone could see them if they came down this way, but that was an aphrodisiac all its own.

He pulled away, as if maybe he realized where they were as well.

“No, Bronson, donna stop.” She grabbed onto his arms and pulled him closer. He groaned against her neck and ran his tongue up the length of her throat until a shiver worked its way through her. “I need you to put out the fire inside me.”

She grabbed his head, tangled her fingers in his hair, and pulled his head away until she could look into his eyes. He flared his nostrils, and his eyes glazed over with lust. She glanced down at his mouth, and for the first time in her life, she was the one who took the lead. Genevieve took control of the kiss and gave back just as forcefully. He groaned against her mouth and grabbed a chunk of her hair behind her head.