XXVI

"I wish that… no… it's no use..."

"What is it?" Sarah placed a gentle kiss upon her beloved's chest to set him at ease. He was not the most talkative and certainly not whilst lay in bed with her.

"It is silly to think of such things now…" He was playing with a lock of her hair. She raised her head from his chest and looked up at him, an amused smile upon her face.

"Go on…" she prompted. He went to kiss her hungrily, his hands moving down her body to pull her up but before his lips could claim hers, she placed a hand over his mouth. "Oh no you don't! I know this tactic well! Come on now; tell me what you were thinking about…"

His eyes were pure amused wickedness as he began to kiss her fingers whilst pulling her up so that she was now straddled upon him. She bit her lip to stifle a moan as he began to grind up against her. "I would say that is fairly obvious wouldn't you?"

She rolled her eyes and knew it was futile, there would be no more discussion about anything. But then he surprised her, his thumbs ghosted over her hips before one hand lay flat upon her stomach. "So beautiful…"

Her mouth fell open; she had not expected to hear him say that. He looked up at her proud, his fingers still caressing the sensitive skin of her midriff, "you shall bear me fine sons my sweet..."

She was about to argue that considering their current situation that seemed unlikely but decided against it, not wishing to spoil the moment. He slid one of his hands slowly and deliberately up her body, stopping to fondle her breasts and she closed her eyes, her head falling backwards, her breath hitching, her body arching into his touch. His hips were still moving, grinding into her, but he made no move to take her fully, merely enjoying touching her, teasing her, driving her mad with anticipation.

"…I will build a grand house for us all on the Gisborne lands…" he continued, one hand digging into her hip to hold her steady as he shifted to sit up, the other moving up to cup her jaw, his thumb sliding over her bottom lip. She moaned.

"…no more forest, no more bedrolls…" his lips made contact with her throat, and the vibration of his deep voice against her skin made her shiver. "… I will have a bed fit for a queen put in…"

She groaned as he trailed hot open-mouthed kisses down her throat, "Guy please."

She could feel him smirk against her skin. "What? You don't want to talk now?" His voice was husky and he continued moving down her body with his mouth.

"Oh God." She was panting now, her voice thin and she wondered that she was coherent at all.

"Perhaps you are with child already?" He whispered against her collarbone, sinking in his teeth. She cried out and he sucked hard enough to leave a mark. Not long now, he knew, not long, for her cries did things to him she would never know. "...perhaps we made a little one in the forest…"

She felt his fingers splay over the small of her back and as his lips hovered over her nipple she whimpered. God when had he become such a tease?

"Perhaps we've already made one in this bed…" he took her nipple in his mouth, gently raking his teeth over it and she cried out again, louder this time. "… or perhaps we'll make one now hmm…?"

"Guy…" her voice was thick with lust, her fingers slid up to the nape of his neck, tangling in his hair, and pushing him closer to her.

He laughed quietly before lavishing her other breast with the same attention he'd devoted to the first. He then raised his head up to get a good look at his work: oh yes, that would do nicely - she looked utterly delicious, her body writhing under his lips like that. "What say you my lady? How about it?"

She opened her eyes to see Guy smiling at her, the picture of wickedness. "You are a devil." She teased breathlessly.

"Oh no, I won't have that, I haven't done anything yet." She felt him shift beneath her and could feel him rock hard at her core. She gasped.

"Perhaps I should stop with this sinfulness...?" He stilled his hips and she literally growled. He bit his lip to stifle his laughter; did she know how adorable she was when angry?

He moved his lips close to her ear and after what seemed like an expectant eternity whispered:

"Or perhaps you would prefer to find out how devilish I can be?"

Archer was a good way off from Guy's chamber but still he heard it: the unmistakable sound of a woman crying out in pleasure. He stopped dead in his tracks as if he had just walked in on them both but then he grinned, shook his head and continued on his way. His grin became a laugh as he came ever closer, he had been worried about not being able to find the right room but now realised that he needn't have been; indeed, based on the enthusiasm of her pleasure he shouldn't wonder if the entire castle knew where his brother was currently located. In fact, God himself would probably know, for she was taking HIS name in vain so often it was positively blasphemous.

He cleared his throat loudly as he neared the door but they had either not heard him or were carrying on regardless with what he liked to call a vigorous bout of horizontal dancing.

He knocked loudly upon the door. "Guy?"

At first, there was silence but then upon hearing a loud male groan that was certainly not one of pleasure, he had to clamp his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

"What is it?" the very impatient voice of his brother barked from inside.

"Guy, they're asking for you downstairs." Archer tried to hide the amusement in his voice but it was impossible.

"So?"

Archer could hear the continuation of the primal rhythm that everybody who had ever had sex in the world knew so well. He shook his head laughing quietly; he couldn't say that he blamed them. "So… they sent me to fetch you."

He heard various noises from inside including a male groan, this time of pleasure, before he eventually received the exasperated reply of "What is so important?"

"It's Kate; she's flown the coop apparently…" Archer replied grinning broadly, he knew this wouldn't go down well and it amused him no end.

"I. DO. NOT. CARE." Each word was punctuated by a loud banging of the head of the bed against the wall. Archer bit down hard upon his bottom lip to stop the fit of laughter threatening to emerge.

"Guy!" Sarah protested loudly at the sudden gear change in their lovemaking and Archer found he could hold back no longer – his body shook with laughter and he struggled to get a grip on himself. God, what had he gotten himself into here? As he calmed down and put his ear to the door, he heard whispered apologies and endearments from his brother and then the sound of kissing.

Hmm… perhaps it's time for a different tactic…

"Look Guy, I know it's not exactly on your list of priorities right now…" He began tentatively

"You can say that again." came the muffled reply from the bed chamber.

"But let's put it this way, if you don't finish up here soon they'll send Much and believe me, the last thing you want is him up here wittering on at you from outside the door…"

Silence.

Guy was deliberating.

Archer smiled. He knew a good argument when he saw one.

"Alright! Alright! I get it! Now will you bugger off so I can finish fu…"

Guy didn't finish the sentence and Archer assumed from the noises that emanated from the man after that, it was because Sarah had shut him up by doing something especially pleasurable to him.

He took this as his cue to leave.

Not long after, Archer was sitting in the great hall with the others as Guy descended the staircase with the nonchalance of a man who had not been enthusiastically and energetically fornicating all evening but merely resting. He casually smoothed down the front of his leathers, glanced coolly at the men assembled and calmly asked,

"So, what's happening?"

It was at that moment that Archer decided that he liked his brother.