“Sweet,” he whispered once again.
As her eyes slowly came into focus, she realized he was still holding her, his hand now gently stroking her back. She wasn’t sure why her body had shattered like that, or if it was even normal, but one thing was clear. When she was with Rupert, she thoroughly enjoyed being ravished.
* * *
An hour or so later, Rupert glanced up at the ledge where Brigitta was. It was quiet, so he assumed she’d fallen asleep on the pile of furs.
After their lovemaking, he’d suggested she climb up the ladder to the ledge so she could rest. Then he’d busied himself in the grotto, trying to take his mind off a painful erection.
First he’d stacked some driftwood and dry grass in the fire pit and used the lantern to set it ablaze. Once the fire was well established, he’d extinguished the lantern to save the oil. He and Brigitta would need it later in order to leave the cave. Then he lay out her wet clothes on rocks not too far from the fire, hoping the heat would help them dry.
While he worked, he considered what to do now that Brigitta knew his true identity. After nineteen years of trusting no one, it was difficult to trust her. He wanted to. Deep inside, he suspected that was one of the reasons why he’d jumped her. It had been his way to lay claim to her so she wouldn’t betray him.
He doubted she would betray him intentionally, but he couldn’t risk her being around her brother. If Gunther thought she knew the true identity of the infamous pirate Rupert, he would stop at nothing to wheedle that information out of her. Knowing too much made her a danger to herself as much as to him.
Her offer to help had tugged at his heart, but how could he, in clear conscience, allow her to assist him? His plan involved battles and bloodshed. Much too dangerous for her.
He peeled off his wet breeches and stretched them out to dry next to Brigitta’s clothes. Then he swam over to the ladder and climbed to the ledge.
She was there, wrapped in a blanket, sound asleep, and his heart squeezed at the sight of her. He couldn’t risk losing her. When she’d confessed that she loved him, a startling realization had shot through him.
If he lost her, there would be no victory. Even if he won his revenge and gained the throne, it would all be meaningless without her.
And so, he’d reached out to her. And she’d responded so beautifully, melting in his arms and shattering with his touch. Even now, he wanted to rip off her blanket and make love all over again.
He winced as his cock swelled once more. He’d had more erections in the past five days than his entire life. He pulled a blanket up to his waist, then stretched out beside her. Just a short rest, he told himself, while their clothes dried.
As he drifted off, he realized he was still torn. Part of him wanted to keep her here on the island where she would be safe, but another part was tempted to ignore the danger. He wanted to grab on to her and never let go.
Somehow, in just a few days, she’d become as important to him as his quest for revenge.
Chapter Eighteen
When Brigitta woke up, she discovered the pillow beneath her head was Rupert’s shoulder. With a gasp, she sat up. Her blanket fell to her hips, and she jerked it back up to her chin.
Good goddesses, she’d been sleeping with him naked. Her mind raced, trying to remember what had happened, but she only had a dreamy recollection of some sweet snuggling in the dark.
“Don’t leave me,” he mumbled, pulling her back down.
She landed on his chest. “Rupert, wake up.”
He cracked open one eye, then closed it and smiled. “Good morning.”
Morning? She sat back up, holding the blanket against her breasts. Sure enough, there was sunlight beaming through the hole in the cavern. “We slept through the entire night? Sister Fallyn will be worried sick!”
He blinked sleepily at her, then tugged at her blanket.”Why are you hiding from me?”
She scooted out of his reach. “It’s daylight.”
“I know. I want to see everything I fondled last night.”
She huffed. “Honestly, we have more urgent matters to attend to.”
He smiled slowly. “I’m more urgent than you realize.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant, but then her brain was having a hard time thinking when he was smiling at her, stretched out on a pile of furs with his gleaming amber eyes, tousled hair, and sharp jaw shaded with whiskers. And then there were his gloriously muscled arms and chest, his skin the color of golden honey. Her gaze dropped to his navel and the narrow trail of hair that disappeared beneath a blanket that looked oddly like a tent.
The tent suddenly twitched.
She gasped. “It does leap.”
“It’s a damned cock.” With a wince, he dragged a hand through his hair. “If you keep staring at it, things will get messy.”
She frowned at him. “Why do you keep cursing your own … manhood? I’m sure it’s perfectly nice.”
“Nice?”
From the annoyed look on his face, she gathered she’d used the wrong word. How had he referred to her private parts? “More than nice. Sweet.”
“Sweet?” He sat up. “Holy crap.”
She groaned inwardly. Apparently, he was rather sensitive about his manhood. “Look, we have more important matters to address. We need to make plans for regaining your throne and—”
“I already have plans.”
“And first, I need to reassure Sister Fallyn that I’m all right.”
He waved a dismissive hand. “She’ll have other things on her mind. Stefan was planning to propose to her last night.”
“What?” Brigitta scrambled to her feet, still holding the blanket against her.
“That’s why Stefan came here to the cave. He was picking out a ring for her.” Rupert’s mouth twitched. “They may have been too busy last night to even notice we were gone.”
“Oh, dear goddesses. I have to hurry back!” Brigitta rushed over to the ladder. Sister Fallyn must have been shocked! Had she said yes?
With a wince, Brigitta realized she would need to drop her blanket in order to climb down the ladder. She motioned to Rupert. “Turn around.”
“I saw you last night.”
“It was dark. Please. I’m not comfortable with this yet.”
Rupert sighed, then flopped back onto the furs. “Fine.” He turned his back to her, taking his blanket with him and leaving his rump entirely exposed.
Her mouth dropped open as she eyed the long length of his muscular back, all the way from his broad shoulders down to his bare feet. When she dropped the blanket, she was tempted to crawl toward him.
She shook her head. What was wrong with her? “Give me enough time to get dressed before you come down.”
As she made her way down the ladder, more memories from last night came to mind. Good goddesses, a few kisses from the man and she’d let him take liberties with her. Mother Ginessa would definitely not approve. Sister Fallyn would be scandalized.
Or would she? Brigitta suspected the nun was madly in love with Stefan. He might have taken liberties, too.
* * *
Halfway back to the village, Rupert let Brigitta take the lead so he could trail behind and adjust his breeches. They had dried well, along with Brigitta’s clothes, but they were too damned tight in the crotch.
“Damned cock,” he muttered.
“Are you cursing yourself again?” She glanced back, then quickly looked forward when she caught him rearranging his load.
He snorted. She should try living a week with blue balls. And watching the sway of her hips wasn’t helping. “By the way, nice and sweet are not the words a man wants to hear describing his cock. Just so you’ll know for future reference.”
She slanted a dubious look back at him. “You think I’ll be referring to your manhood in the future?”
“Oh, you’ll be doing a lot more to it than referring.”
She scoffed. “Sure of yourself, are you?”
“Cocksure.”
>
She shot another look at him. Her attempt to look scandalized didn’t quite work when she was trying hard not to laugh. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Thank you.”
“Then which descriptive words would you prefer?” She glanced back, her turquoise eyes glinting with humor. “Something like … cocky?”
He grinned. Just saying the word had made her blush. “Rugged would be good. Or well-tempered steel.”
She covered her mouth to keep from laughing.
“Relentless. Powerful.” He waved a hand in the air. “Magnificent.”
She snorted. “Sounds cocky to me.”
“Ha! Come back to the grotto with me. I’ll show you some cocky.” He made a grab for her, and she squealed, then ran down the hill, giggling.
He caught up with her, grabbed her around the waist, and twirled her around while her laughter filled the air. Setting her down, he planted a kiss on her pretty mouth.
She grinned up at him. “You may be in big trouble.”
“Why?”
With a shrug, she resumed her walk along the path. “Now I’ll be expecting magnificent.”
He followed her. “You think I can’t deliver?”
“Oh, I’m sure it’ll be…” She glanced back with a sly look. “Sweet.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Now you’re asking for it.” When she laughed, he found himself grinning like a fool.
He took her hand and walked by her side. No doubt they would soon be arguing over her future role in his plan for revenge and conquest, but for now, for these few minutes as they crossed the green hills beneath a bright-blue sky, it was the happiest time in his life.
When they crested the last hill before the village, he spotted Sister Fallyn pacing in front of Stefan’s cottage, situated behind the village on another hill.
“There she is.” Brigitta waved her arms in the air. “She looks upset.”
The nun saw her and waved back. Stefan peered through the cottage door, then followed the nun as she ran toward the village. Brigitta lifted her skirt to hurry down the hill.
The village and fields were mostly empty. Rupert suspected the celebration had lasted long into the night with a great deal of drinking. So most of the islanders were sleeping in this morning. The fire on the beach had been extinguished, leaving a pile of blackened wood and ash. The tent canopies were still up, shading the long tables and empty chairs.
“Brigitta!” Sister Fallyn stopped in front of the tavern just as Brigitta reached the edge of the village.
Within seconds, they were embracing each other.
The nun’s smile quickly faded as she took Brigitta by the shoulders. “Don’t ever do that again. Ye scared me self something terrible.”
“I’m perfectly fine,” Brigitta assured her. “I meant to come back earlier, but I fell asleep, and the next thing I knew, it was morning. I’m so sorry ye were worried.”
“Humph.” Sister Fallyn aimed a suspicious glare at Rupert as he approached. “He should have brought ye back. ’Tis not fitting for a princess like you to be out all night.”
“Good morning,” Rupert told the nun, noting her hands on Brigitta’s shoulders. No ring.
“Come here.” Sister Fallyn dragged Brigitta toward the pier. “I need some privacy to talk to you.”
Stefan sighed as the nun walked right past him without a look. With a frown, he approached Rupert. “I should clobber you.”
“The proposal didn’t go well?” Rupert asked.
“It went well enough,” Stefan grumbled, casting a forlorn look at Sister Fallyn in the distance. “She was surprised, but happily so, I think. She said she needed to be alone to consider it, so I left her at my cottage and went to your place. Then about an hour later, she was banging on the door, frantic that Brigitta hadn’t returned. I assured her that the girl was safe because she was with you. Then she went into a full panic.” He paused, aiming an inquisitive look at Rupert.
He shrugged. “And then?”
Stefan snorted. “Fallyn insisted I retrieve her before a ravishment could happen. She even threatened to never marry me if I didn’t rescue the princess from your evil clutches. I told her the tide would roll in during the night, making it impossible to reach you.”
Rupert nodded. “Well, that’s true.”
“For a few hours, yes, but not the entire night.” Stefan glowered at him. “I saved your ass, and now Fallyn isn’t speaking to me.”
“She’ll get over it.” Rupert winced when Stefan punched his arm. “Once I have the throne, she’ll approve of me.”
“That could be months,” Stefan growled.
“It may happen sooner than expected.” Rupert shifted his weight. “We’ll need to adjust the plan. Brigitta knows everything.”
Stefan stiffened. “You … you told her?”
“No, she figured it out on her own.” Rupert glanced over at the two women, who were whispering by the pier. With a movement of his hand, he brought their words to him on a breeze.
“That pirate will never be suitable for you,” the nun was fussing. “Ye’re a princess.”
“He’s an honorable man,” Brigitta insisted. “And I love him.”
Rupert smiled.
Sister Fallyn looked appalled. “Heavenly goddesses, child, did he use his sorcerer powers to seduce you?”
“I…” Brigitta brushed her hair back from her face. “I want to know about you. Did ye accept Stefan’s proposal?”
The nun huffed. “I’m not talking about that man.”
“She’s Gunther’s sister, and she knows everything?” Stefan asked, breaking Rupert’s concentration. “Do you realize how dangerous that is? What are we going to do? Hold her prisoner here until—”
“She wants to come with us,” Rupert said quietly.
Stefan snorted. “How can we possibly trust her?” He lowered his voice. “Is that why you spent the night with her? Are you going with Ansel’s plan to get her pregnant?”
“No.” Rupert glared at him. “I will not use her.” A barking sound drew his attention. A shaggy black-and-white dog was loping down the beach, headed for the women.
Brigitta stiffened, her hand pressed to her chest. “Brody?”
Sister Fallyn turned to look at the dog and stumbled back in shock. “Heavenly goddesses, it can’t be.”
The dog barked as it came to a stop before them. With a grin, it sat down and lifted a foreleg.
“Brody!” Brigitta lunged at the dog, pulling him into her arms. “Oh, Brody, I was so worried about you.”
“What the hell…” Stefan mumbled.
How on Aerthlan did a dog get on this island? Rupert strode toward the animal with Stefan by his side. “You know this dog?” he asked in Tourinian.
“Yes!” Brigitta laughed, rubbing the dog’s ears. “It’s Brody!” She cradled his long face in her hands. “I was afraid we’d lost you.”
“How?” Rupert asked. “Where did you lose him?” The dog glanced at him, and Rupert was momentarily taken aback by the sharp intelligence in the dog’s blue eyes.
“He was on the Eberoni ship with us,” Sister Fallyn explained. “He belongs to King Leofric and Queen Luciana. They sent him on the voyage to guard us.”
“When you kidnapped us, I thought I saw him jump overboard,” Brigitta added. “But when I couldn’t see him in the water, I thought I must have imagined it.” She patted his head. “Poor baby, did you swim all this way?”
Sister Fallyn made the sign of the moons. “It’s a miracle.”
Stefan snorted, and Rupert exchanged a look with him. There was no way the dog could have stayed alive in the ocean for a week or managed to swim a long distance to an island no one else knew about.
Brigitta rose to her feet, still patting the dog. “You must be starving!”
The dog barked in reply, then grinned at her, his tongue lolling out.
“There’s some leftover lamb in Rupert’s cottage,” Stefan suggested. “We could take him there.”
/> “Brigitta, you should come with us,” Rupert told her. “So we can have our talk.”
She nodded. “I need to fetch something from Stefan’s cottage. Then I’ll come.”
Sister Fallyn huffed. “I can’t allow you to be alone with them.”
“This is important,” Brigitta whispered to her. “It’s about our future.”
“Fallyn, you didn’t sleep at all last night,” Stefan said. “Why don’t you get some rest?”
“Since when am I talking to you?” Sister Fallyn shot him an annoyed look, then grabbed Brigitta’s arm. “Come with me.” She marched off to Stefan’s cottage with Brigitta in tow.
“I’ll be along in a moment,” Brigitta called back.
“Nay, ye will not,” Sister Fallyn hissed back in Eberoni.
“I will, too,” Brigitta argued.
With a groan, Stefan trudged toward Rupert’s cottage. “She’s taken over my house and won’t even speak to me.”
Rupert followed him. “You think that’s bad, Brigitta wants to help me gain the throne.”
Stefan gave him an incredulous look. “How on Aerthlan would she do that?”
“I don’t know, but she thinks she has to atone for her father’s sins.”
“It’s not her fault her father was a murderous bastard.”
“I know.” Rupert opened the door to his cottage, and to his surprise the dog scampered right inside.
Stefan snorted. “Making himself at home, I see.”
Rupert followed Stefan inside. “There’s something really fishy about that dog.” As he closed the door, he noted that the dog had trotted over to the empty hearth.
He was a fairly large dog with long fur in black and white splotches. There was a large black spot over one eye.
“I’ll get him some food.” Stefan wandered over to the table.
The dog barked as if he wanted their attention. Rupert stepped closer, then halted with a jerk as the dog’s form suddenly began to shimmer.
“What the…” Stefan dropped a knife on the table with a clatter.