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The s, Hagan told hio into the church Hagan agreed Norsemen did not fear the dark, he assured Peter, but his men orn The church afforded the best center of defense, with the spiked wall they had built circling around it

Hours passed The surviving woathered what food and water they could The chieftain’s daughter ca by hian says another man will take watch You are to eat," she told him "Come, I have food for you" She led hiether, creating an aard table

He ate, wolfing down his food, then looking at her "Have I taken your share?"

"If you had, you would have been welcoh, of course, your kind take what you will"

He sat back "My kind?"

She shrugged "Vikings"

"Ah Vikings"

She lowered her head for a ht Perhaps it is not just Vikings"

"Oh?"

"Men Men always take what they will, and leave behinddevastation"

"Did you see these ht?" She looked away fro I came here and hid under the altar, as , by darkness Most of the ht You sahat befell them Some of the women and children made it to the church Most did not"

"I didn’t see you e met with your father and the others," he told her "I didn’t know the chieftain had a daughter What is your name?"

She looked at him, hazel eyes brilliant

"Nari," she told him "My na her fingers with his

CHAPTER 14

Cindy was sleeping soundly It was a wonderful, dreaht have been dead to the world

She akened by her husband’s touch

She groaned softly

His whisper was against her ear His hands were

"Want me to stop?"

Yes! she almost screamed aloud

But she didn’t She loved his attention; she was just so exhausted But though she had been afraid to admit it, she had wondered about her husband’s fidelity, and she had felt terribly jealous of the contessa, though she had deter that it wouldn’t show At first, of course, she had denied it to herself

She still tried to believe she rong She had fallen in love with Jared as a teenager, and in all their years together, she had never lost the depth of her feelings for hiain

She gathered what energy she could, turning against hi his cheek "Never stop; I love you," she told hiy seemed to mock her exhaustion She told him softly, "I’ht" He sounded like the saot the hots for two, babe" He did She didn’t need to move And he was so fevered and volatile she felt herself carried along

But then he grew rough, which soht

He found what he needed; she would have to ad her again, a rough touch, teeth

"Jared!" she found the anger and energy to stop him "Jared, God I love you, but I don’t understand this, you’re hurtingat the open

Now she was in pain and freezing

"Jared, please!" she whispered

He closed theShe didn’t feel hiy she had to rise enough to reach the bedside laone