Redeeming Her Viking Warrior

‘Some words, yes.’ He took a long swallow and put the flagon aside. ‘Particularly those ones.’

‘You won’t even try to describe it?’

‘Moon’s eye, woman.’ He spun his face towards her again. ‘I’m trying to be good!’

‘But you just said that mating was pleasurable!’

‘It is. Very pleasurable sometimes, but I’m trying to be good with you. You’re an innocent.’

‘But I asked.’

He muttered something under his breath. ‘All right. It’s like losing yourself. You don’t think, you just feel.’

‘Mmm.’ She rolled on to her back again, feeling even more curious. Could mating really be as pleasurable as he said? Would it be pleasurable with him?

It wasn’t until he inhaled sharply that she realised she’d just asked the question aloud. Heat flooded her body, but now that she’d asked...

‘Would I find it pleasurable with you?’ she repeated the question. ‘If you and I were to mate, I mean.’

‘Sissa!’ He let out something between a cough and an expletive. ‘Trust me, I’m not good mate material.’

‘I’m only asking what if. I’m curious.’

‘Curiosity can be dangerous.’

‘But I want to know...’

Chapter Twelve

Sissa felt the hairs on the backs of her arms and neck prickle.

Curiosity can be dangerous...

That was definitely true. Until Danr had arrived, her life had been one of silence and safety. Somehow he’d made it more dangerous and yet she couldn’t bring herself to turn away from him either. Instead, she felt as though every nerve in her body was humming, waiting for something to happen. She could sense a similar tension in him, too. Just his expression made her feel breathless. He reminded her of Halvar when he was stalking his prey, crouching low, taking his time, waiting for the perfect moment...

She ran the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip, repeating her question a third time. ‘I want to know...would it be pleasurable with you?’

‘There would be some pain at first, but I would make it pleasurable.’ His eyes looked hooded. ‘I could make it pleasurable for you.’

‘You mean those things you said when you first came here? The ones that made me angry?’

‘Yes.’ One of his hands moved to skim the side of her hip. ‘If that’s what you really want?’

‘I didn’t say that.’ She was the one to clear her throat this time. Her breath was coming in shorter, almost ragged bursts, making it hard to think clearly. The situation seemed even more dangerous now and yet she wasn’t afraid of him either. Somehow she knew he wouldn’t hurt her or do anything she didn’t want. It was herself she was afraid of. If only she knew what it was she wanted... ‘But if we did...how would we start?’

‘Well...’ His hand trailed upwards, stroking across her stomach. ‘We’d probably start with a kiss.’

‘Like this?’ She wriggled closer, pressing her lips lightly against his. It was the way Birger had once kissed her on the cheek.

‘Ye-es.’ His eyes glowed brighter in the firelight, like stars in the darkness. ‘Only, perhaps more like this...’

Before she could ask what he intended, his mouth had found hers again, touching softly at first as if he were encouraging her to trust him, then with a harder pressure accompanied by a strangled sound from the back of his throat. His lips were warm and firm and seemed to have some kind of destabilising effect on the rest of her body, flooding her limbs with warmth and making her inner organs perform a series of strange and startling contortions. Her heart seemed to have leapt into her throat and her stomach was busy twisting itself into some kind of knot. It all felt alarming and exciting at the same time, as if the thunder and lightning outside had somehow burst into the roundhouse with them, eclipsing thought and leaving only a building fervour behind. After a momentary hesitation, she let herself yield to the feeling, embracing and savouring every reaction even when his tongue slid along the seam of her lips, coaxing them apart and then dipping past them into her mouth.

‘Danr?’ She murmured his name as they came apart finally.

‘Mmm?’ His lips drifted to the curve of her throat, nuzzling beneath her chin while one of his hands slid around to the small of her back, drawing her even closer towards him.

‘What would come next?’ She sounded as if she were panting.