“At least you admit it was extreme.” She paused, drawing circles in his chest hairs with a fingertip. “Would you have done these kinds of things to me back then, five years ago?”
He shrugged. “Probably not. I have developed an appreciation for ... other things ... in my travels to other countries. That does not mean there is no pleasure in ‘regular’ sex. I shouldn’t have pushed you so far so fast.”
“Does that mean you release me from my ... obligations?”
“Hah! I can’t wait to see what we will do next.”
Chapter Fifteen
A good man is hard to find ...
Two more hours left by count of the timekeeping candle until Drifa’s night of horror ended.
The worst thing, though, was that Drifa wasn’t as horrified as she should be. She had enjoyed herself too much, even the depraved things Sidroc asked of her. She could pretend until all the Valkyries went home to Valhalla that she had been forced, but she was a truthful person at heart, and truth was, she had been a willing participant in the end. Seduced, yea. Forced, nay.
What did that make her? Wanton to the bone? Or susceptible to this man only? That latter was a horrible prospect. If she allowed the lecherous lout any inroads into her emotions, he would use the weakness against her. Best to gird her loins against him. And she needed to be strong for that moment when she told him of his daughter and her hopes that he would allow Runa to continue living with her at Stoneheim.
“Why are you stiffening up?” Sidroc whispered against her ear. She’d thought him asleep beside her in his bed, finally depleted. “Are you going to play the corpse again? If so, you will not be wearing a shroud.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, although he could not see, tucked up against her back as he was. If he did see, he would probably consider it an invitation for more wicked activity.
But his thing was not prodding her behind, so she figured she was safe. For now.
Belatedly she answered him. “I am asleep.”
He chuckled, and she felt his breath against her ear, which was sensitive due to all his ministrations. And, yea, she had to admit it. The man had made love to even her ears. “Then why did you stiffen in your sleep? Bad dreams?”
Nay, a nightmare. “Go back to sleep. We must rise soon, and you will have a long day of riding ahead of you into the mountains.” Although he had told her that he and Finn were to be engaged on a military mission into one of the many Greek mountains, he had not told her where or why.
“I can sleep in a saddle, whether it be horse or camel. ’Tis a talent I learned when traveling up one coast of the Saxon lands and down the other in endless battles for King Harald Bluetooth. We gained so much danegeld that betimes we horse soldiers walked so the horses could carry our plunder. I got a blister on my big toe the size of an onion.”
She giggled at the picture, despite herself. Big bad soldier felled by blister. Too bad it hadn’t been on his arse.
“Drifa!” he chastised her.
She realized that she’d inadvertently spoken aloud. Oh well.
“What will you do today?” he asked, smoothing her hair off her face. It probably looked like a bird’s nest with all the rolling around she’d done.
“Sleep.”
He pinched her shoulder lightly in reprimand.
“After I sleep, I will go see Rat Face.”
“You must be careful.”
“I will. My four hersirs as well as the guardsmen will accompany me. Plus, methinks it would be a good idea to make arrangements for my meeting with the empress so that I may remind the eparch that I can stay for only so long because the empress is expecting me.”
“Smart woman!”
“I am not King Thorvald’s daughter for naught.”
He chuckled. “After that, what will you do?”
“Well, I am not certain about today. But I want to meet with the head gardener of the Imperial Palace, for a tour and just to talk. To learn new things.”
“Have I not introduced you to enough new things?”