Viking's Love (10 page)

“
I could have slit your throat while
you slept, Viking.” Allisande pressed the blade forward to make her
point known to him. “You should not have left the blade so close at
hand.”

“
You might kill me, Allisande, but my
men will kill you.” Joran measured his words as she pressed the
blade harder, nicking his skin now. He was infuriated by the sting
at his neck. He was livid he underestimated her again. “If you
value your life; you will drop the weapon.”

“
I want to go home!” Allisande held the
blade to his throat threateningly. “I did not ask for any of this!
Your leader has had his vengeance upon my family! Let me go or I
shall have mine!”

Joran looked up at her and could see she was
overwrought. Her blade held him pinned to the furs. He knew unless
he thought fast, she would cut his throat and be done with it. He
swallowed hard as he met her gaze without wavering. “Listen to me
very carefully, Allisande. You will go home in the spring when the
ransom is met. You will have grand stories to regale your
grandchildren with. Press the blade home; you die at the hands of
my men. Ask yourself if it is worth it to you.”

Allisande knew what he said was true. She
might succeed in killing Ivarsson, but twenty more of his men were
outside the enclosure. She couldn’t get away. They would make her
suffer for killing their leader. She felt indecision as she met his
thoughtful gaze. “You killed my father, Viking! I can do no less to
restore his honor, and mine!”

“
Your father had no honor! He attacked
me from behind! There was no plan to kill him by me! Ivar wanted
him taken alive, but he gave me no choice!” Joran glared up at her.
“And as for your honor; I haven’t violated you, and have let no
other do so!”

“
You seek a ransom of my brother when
you know our wealth lies in yon hold divided between your men!”
Allisande’s eyes were shooting sparks into his. “Do not play with
words, Viking! I mean to kill you for what you have done to me and
mine!”

“
I make no apologies to you,
Allisande.” Joran looked up at her with little apology expression.
“Ivar made the order for the raid. I saw it done. I made the demand
for your ransom to keep you alive. How your brother comes up with
it is of no concern to me, or should be to you. The debt will be
paid.”

“
You would force my brother to go
begging?” Allisande fumed as she pressed the blade harder, drawing
a trickle of blood at his throat. “It might interest you to know
the Lockwraithe’s have few rich friends left to leech off of since
your brethren have relieved them of their wealth over the
years!”

“
Collin will find a way to get you
back. I have more confidence in him than you.” Joran grinned up at
her devilishly. “Now, do you plan to kill me or not? All this talk
wastes time.” While she gasped in outrage at his impertinent
comments, he used her distraction to knock the blade away from his
throat. He grabbed her wrists in his iron-like grip. His blue eyes
were cold now and no longer teasing as they met hers. He applied
enough pressure until the sword fell to the planks with a clatter.
“You should never hesitate when you have your kill close at hand!”
Joran grabbed her wrists in a vice grip and jerked her closer.
“Come, my murderous little she-wolf! Come meet my
blade!”

“
Do it, Viking! I’m not afraid to die!
I would rather die than be forced to be any man’s
slave!”

“
I have another blade in mind for you
to meet, Allisande of Lockwraithe,” Joran said softly as he dragged
her down with him and forced her to lie on top of his naked form.
“You will find this blade far more to your liking, I think.” Before
she could know his intent, his arm snaked up around her neck and
forced her head down to his lips.

Joran kissed her forcefully, holding her
thrashing body still atop his. He grabbed her flailing arms. He
held them easily to her sides as his mouth slanted hungrily over
hers. The feel and taste of her was his undoing. Lust gnawed at his
innards and made him throw all caution aside.

He cupped her head and forced her still as he
plundered her soft lips. His hardness rose up between their bodies.
It strained forth as she wriggled atop of him. She fought him, but
he was too strong, holding her still and molding her to his hard
length with his hands.

Joran sighed in delight as he settled her
upon his throbbing arousal, moaning softly against her lips, his
hands threading through her long silky hair. He rolled her under
him, trapping her there, holding her arms pinned above her head to
the mat as he pressed her down into the furs. “Ah, Thor’s teeth,
you are sweet to the touch, Allisande.” His large hands slid under
her tunic. The feel of her silken skin made him seek the full,
round breasts he exposed. She squirmed and tried avoiding his head
as it descended there.

At the first touch of his hungry lips upon
her breast, Allisande stiffened beneath him and gasped aloud. He
suckled the hardening pink nipple into his mouth, pulling upon it
with such passion she struggled anew, gasping in shock. “No,
please! Do not do this!” Allisande looked down at his golden head
moving voraciously from one breast to the other in the moonlight
with fear in her gaze.

“
I will have you now, my ornery little
wench.” Joran muttered thickly as he nibbled at one engorged peak,
looking up at her with lust burning in his eyes.

“
You disgust me!” Allisande struggled
anew, attempting to push him away. “Get off of me!”

“
Nay, I think not.” Joran’s tongue
snaked out to flick insistently at her nipple, his large hand
sliding down between her legs, making her cry out in outrage. He
rubbed her flesh there, heating her even with the barrier of her
clothing between them. “You will yield to me, Allisande. There will
be no force here. You want this as I do.”

Allisande couldn’t breathe as his lips
returned to hers. He became more demanding, parting her lips as his
invading tongue slid past. She was alarmed by the sensations in the
pit of her belly as he rubbed her slowly between her legs.

She gasped in denial as his large hand slid
down inside her pants and found her quivering mound with a low
Nordic exclamation. He tugged her pants around her hips. She kicked
and struggled futilely as he continued with his demanding kisses,
his big body pinning hers to the mat.

The feel of his fingers stroking her most
intimate flesh made her grit her teeth to keep from crying out.
Fierce, hot stabs of pleasure shot through her as he rubbed her
there with slow unhurried caresses that made her bones feel molten
and weightless.

A low cry escaped her as his long finger
thrust gently inside her tightness. She went still as his finger
eased into her tight sheath, eyes squeezed shut to feel an
insistent clamor of desire. She barely noticed him tug her pants
down about her ankles. His low whispers in Norse made her blush,
hearing his admiring words as he continued to rub her slowly.

Dazed violet eyes watched his golden head
descend once more to her breasts. A soft moan escaped her tightly
clenched lips. The feel of his lips pulling at each hard sensitive
peak made her tremble violently once more.

Joran’s mouth hovered with slow, blistering
intensity from one breast to the other, making her bite her lip to
keep from crying out from the pleasure. She was on fire and unaware
of anything except his mouth at her breasts and his finger stroking
within her growing wetness.

Joran eased over her, covering her body with
his. He was raging out of control. The feel of his hardness against
her hip made her tense up. He eased her slender legs open, his hard
lean hips descending to settle between them. The tip of his
hardness pressing against her made her panic with a sudden cry of
alarm.

Allisande fought to breathe as his lips took
hers in a fiery kiss. She trembled violently, knowing she pushed
him too far by attacking him. Gooseflesh spread over her chest as
his mouth lowered to her breasts once more. His hot mouth blistered
her flesh as his hips pressed downward, his hardness poised to
thrust inside her.

Panic made her react instinctively. Her knee
shot upward with a hard jab. Joran howled in pain as it rammed into
his groin. He fell back on the furs, cursing her. She skittered
away from him as he grunted in pain. She scurried to the far side
of the enclosure, yanking up her pants, prepared for him to pursue
her.

Allisande saw him doubled over in
satisfaction. “You touch me again; I’ll cut that foul organ off,
Viking!”

“
You will pay for that, you damned
she-cat!” Joran moaned as he lay on his back, his pain making him
gnash his teeth. “I can see you need to be reminded who your master
is, Allisande!”

“
Enjoy that thought, Viking! When my
blade strikes home, you will know I meant what I said.”

Joran’s expression darkened at her threats.
The pain in his groin lessened as he regarded her shape in the
darkness, poised to flee should he rise to come after her “You must
desist in these threats you make to me, Allisande. My people will
expect you to be whipped for such words when we arrive at my home.
Should you break our laws, I cannot say you were not aware of
them.”

“
They aren’t my laws, Viking! I don’t
answer to you or any other!”

“
You will only bring punishment upon
yourself if you persist, Allisande. My people will not be as
lenient as I have been with you. You are a slave. Should you speak
to me as you do; you will be punished.”

“
I have seen your lenience, Viking.”
Allisande scurried farther away, as far as the enclosure allowed,
disgusted to feel the moisture gathering in her eyes. “Everywhere I
looked at my home before I was dragged away showed me what a kind
and just master you are.”

“
There is no reasoning with you, girl.
You will not be happy until you are whipped or worse! Fine, do not
say I didn’t warn you ahead of time. As Chieftain; I can hardly
intercede, but abide by the law; know that much. If you proceed
with this defiance of yours, you bring upon your own
misery.”

Allisande wanted to reclaim her blade, eyes
glittering in outrage. “Do not worry, Master. I do not expect you
to be any less the foul swine you’ve proven to be.”

Joran was disappointed by her attitude. His
desire was diminished, but not his resolve to humble his feisty
slave. “I may consider chaining you to my bed should you continue
to bait me, girl.”

“
You wouldn’t dare!”

Joran’s handsome face was taunting, even if
she couldn’t see it in the darkness. “You’re my slave, Allisande. I
can do with you whatever I wish. Think of that when you seek to
anger me as you do. You raise a blade to me again, be prepared to
use it.”

“
If I wanted to kill you; you would be
dead. Mayhap I just wanted you to know that, Viking!” Allisande’s
expression was triumphant despite his warnings.

“
Perhaps, but do you a favor and prove
nothing more like this again,” Joran warned her grimly. “I am a
Chieftain here in my land. It holds more power than a mere lord in
yours. You do not understand your place. The next time you raise a
blade to me; I’ll be forced to seek your death for it. It is our
law. Think well on what you do here.”

Allisande said nothing at his admission she
could be put to death for attacking him in the future. He tucked
her sword under his mat without sparing her another thought. He
rolled over and resumed his sleep.

She finally let out the breath she had been
holding, fearing a beating that never came.

The thoughts of what nearly happened between
them made her squeeze her eyes shut in anguish. All the Viking did
was touch her and she succumbed. Just the memory of his body
against hers made her stiffen in discomfort, pushing away the
lustful images of them in his furs.

The brutal rape she lost sleep over was
replaced with the incredible sensations that made her hate herself
and him for nearly giving into them. Joran Ivarsson obviously knew
well how to seduce a woman.

She was forewarned. She’d not fall for his
hot, breathless kisses or his sure, knowing caresses again. No,
next time she would fight him tooth and nail as she should have
earlier.

A feeling of guilt assailed her to think she
nearly gave herself to her father’s killer. Even if her father
deserved it for trying to stab Joran in the back; he was still her
sire. The loyalty she should have felt made her cringe as she felt
each delicious stirring within her body from Joran’s touch.

Allisande thought of his warnings. She
shivered, reminded she was indeed a slave in his land. He had the
power to command her life and death here. Her face grew warm with
shame to recall the lust that blazed between them. The man thought
he would use her for his own pleasure now until Collin summoned her
ransom.

Tears of impotent fury filled her gaze to
know she had little or no control over her own fate now. She
couldn’t even hold her father’s death against him. She didn’t doubt
his claim her father was a coward.

That alone, made her hesitate to drive her
sword through his neck. Knowing her father abandoned them at the
keep and ran when the Vikings came pained her. Harold’s actions
were heartless.

Anger filled her as she thought of how her
father brought the Viking’s wrath down upon them. If what the
Vikings said was true; Harold was the cause of the misfortune that
befell his own people. The death he found at the end of Joran’s axe
was far kinder than what he would have received if King Alfred
discovered his conspiring with Ivar. She’d learned none of the
particulars. Whatever it was that made Ivar seek to kill Harold had
to have been bad. Joran refused to tell her the reasons for the
raid. She could only pray Collin found the means to get her
ransom.