page6 (2/2)

“Well, Helga didn’t ood impression on her future mother-in-law”

Reece chuckled “There’s nothing unusual about that,” he said “Do you mind if I wash up?”

Her eyes drifted over his hard muscled chest, sprinkled with dark chest hair The tips of her breasts tautened, iainst her sensitive nipples She blinked hard and her attention shifted to the narrow, strip of hair that ran between his washboard abs and disappeared into the waistband of his pants The ache centered between her thighs caught her off guard Oh geez, she was picturing hihs The secret in his pants thrusting deep into her body

“Of course not,” she breathed, soh brain cells to remember his question “If you smell half as bad as your bed, you could use a bath”

“You want rinned at her

“Don’t be ridiculous” She turned her back to hiiven It was quite sith nuht-lined bodice

“Don’t forget I know you, Lara I know that look And baby, let ood between us You don’t have to play coy with me”

“Who’s playing? I don’t want you, okay?”

“I also know all your spots,” he added

“I don’t have spots,” she said testily

He chuckled again “Oh Reece,” he gasped, ht there Don’t stop Oh, faster, Reece Faster Oh, yes, that’s the spot Yes Yes!”

“Stop that!” she delare at hi it up, because I never call out like that during sex”

“You do when you’re with me”

“Whatever!” She huffed and turned away again He’s such a liar! She would never give herself over to passion so freely that she’d cry out like that Her previous experiences withIf it weren’t for her trusty vibrator, she wouldn’t have knohat an orgasm felt like

Lara pulled the baggie shirt off over her head and hurriedly slid into her new dress She kicked the hideous pants off and sown It was a little itchy, but beat that ugly outfit she’d been wearing by aas Reece busied hi Rather than stand there and torture herself with is of his wet skin, she headed for the door

“I think I should go help, ue I’ve done to poor Helga’s reputation”

She chanced a glance at hih his da the unruly strands behind his ears His eyes, usually covered by one stray lock or another bore into her intensely, hitting her with the force of a battering ram Her knees wobbled

“You’re a knockout in that dress, Lara I thank God those Vikings can’t see the real you I’d have to bring Axe Junior to dinner to keep them at bay”

She was pleased with his co how he affected her Good thing he wasn’t looking at her feet, or he would have seen her toes curl under

“Axe Junior?” she questioned

He pointed to the sroup of weapons, which included the long sword he’d brandished in the main hall “Axe Junior Axe Senior is too unwieldy to carry in polite company” He pointed to the two handed axe below the small hand-axe

“No probleer quoted do “…po

lite”

“You ed, but not barbaric”

“I sao of theht out there in the open”

“Is that what has you so hot and bothered, sweetheart? Or was it because Idirty to you”

She rolled her eyes at him “Screw you, Jericho”

“Whenever you’re ready, you know I am” He winked at her

She opened the door, refusing to look at hiain “You’re impossible”

She left the rooh Lara spotted cranky, tiredover the fire in the center of the roo one orhouse was very full now All of the bunks were occupied by two orthe men Wives, she presumed The slave women would drop off filled bowls of stew to those in attendance and collectback in line Lara followed their example She retrieved tls from a table near the exit door and nized the woman in front of her as the one who had been next to her on the long boat She had an ugly bruise on her right cheek and kept her eyes downcast Lara re the past, but that didn’t a had somehow helped her people escape and that was the fate of these mistreated women Lara wanted to believe that with all her heart

The line moved quickly When it was Lara’s turn, cranky, tired, mother-in-law-to-be paused “I need a break,” she said, handing the spoon to Lara “You take over” She took the bowls out of Lara’s hands and stood waiting for Lara to serve the stew Lara was very careful in ladling the stew into the bowls She worked hard at ignoring her ruh this stew looked rease with soetables or roots or sticks thrown in, Lara illing to forgo her rule about only eating things she could readily identify