Redeeming Her Viking Warrior

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‘You.’ She spoke before she could change her mind. ‘I was thinking about you.’

‘Me?’ She saw a flash of something in his eyes, quickly extinguished. ‘Then I’m flattered.’

‘Why can’t you mate?’

‘Why...?’ This time his expression seemed to freeze. ‘What?’

‘When I asked if you wanted to mate with me, you said you couldn’t. Why not?’

‘It’s complicated.’ He gave a small cough. ‘And you said you didn’t want a mate.’

‘I don’t, but I’m still curious.’ She ran her tongue over her bottom lip as her mouth turned dry. ‘Do you already have a mate?’

‘You mean a wife?’ He shifted beneath the furs, rearranging them slightly on top of him. ‘No.’

‘But you said that women liked you?’

‘They always seemed to, yes.’

‘So you like mating, but not having a mate?’

‘Ye-es, I suppose so. I did anyway.’

‘Some people come into the forest to mate.’ She drew her brows together. ‘It looks strange. Not the way animals do it.’

‘Really?’ There was a pained, slightly husky note to his voice all of a sudden.

‘They look at each other, with their faces together, like this.’ She leaned towards him at the same moment as there was a loud crack of thunder above. ‘But they seem to enjoy it.’

‘Yes, it can be...pleasurable either way.’

‘You mean there’s more than one way for people?’

‘A few...’

‘A few?’ Both her eyebrows shot up in surprise. ‘What are the others?’

‘This may not be the best time to discuss it.’ He cleared his throat, not that it seemed to help. His voice sounded even huskier, as if he were having trouble getting words out at all.

‘Are you all right? Here.’ She sat up and leaned over him, reaching for the flagon of water she kept beside the bed. ‘Drink some of this.’

‘Sissa...’ He sounded as if he were in some kind of pain.

‘What? You sound like you need it.’

‘I need something.’

She gave him a puzzled look and lay down again, one hand resting beneath her cheek. ‘So what does it feel like?’

‘What?’ He paused with the flagon against his lips.

‘Mating? How is it pleasurable?’

‘I don’t know. It’s hard to describe.’

‘You’re at a loss for words?’