Chapter 3
*Again, a warning of-- hee hee-- sexual innuendo, but no actual acts. It may be a bit rough, however. But if you're reading this, it's not like you care! And thank you for all the lovely reviews! I crave feedback so keep updating me and I will keep updating this!*
She was afraid the look into those eyes of his. Terrified she would see not a man, but a beast. She shuddered and did not dare move, for fear that he would catch her and in doing so touch her skin, perhaps sending him over the edge.
His gaze roved over her. She was a trifle thinner than he would have liked. Her ribs were visible beneath the taut skin pulled over them. He had expected to find that she would have some deformity as most miscreants had. The mark of a life lived in brutal conditions. But her skin was smooth, almost flawless. It was almost as though someone had pampered it. Everything else about her was enough to make any man's eyes wander.
She was young, but no child. Her body had reached maturity, but showed no other signs of age. He still could not tell whether she be fifteen or twenty. If he wanted to know, he would have to ask her. He rarely ever wanted to know, rarely ever cared. In his darkest transgressions he had taken them younger and never thought twice about it until he was finished.
He stepped toward her, his boots falling heavily on the wooden floor. He stopped, inches away from her, so that their bodies almost met, and he raised a hand to her neck. Drawing her close he prepared to taste those lips again, only this time, he did not intend to stop for anything.
"I beg you, please stop! If there is any honor in you, then you will not continue this," she murmured hastily.
This grabbed his attention.
"You think that taking your maiden head is something that will cause me guilt?" he demanded duskily, his lips close to hers.
"How do you know I am a virgin? I have had many men. A night with me could mean many visits to a physician. Is that what you want?" she stammered breathlessly.
He almost laughed, instead a slow smile spread on his sensuous lips.
"Were you not a virgin you'd not have taken such offense at my earlier inquiry of why you didn't choose whoring as your profession. And even if I were wrong about that and you could boast so many a man's desire, you would show the signs of disease, would you not? You have none. In fact, you're quite well kept, I'm impressed. So lying to me about promiscuity won't work. I will have you," he growled triumphantly, pulling her against him roughly.
She winced and attempted to push him away but she had not eaten properly in so long, her strength was gone. Even if she had gained all of it back in that instant, she could not have fought him off. He was too intent on having her, too strong a soldier. She would have to find another way of deterring him.
"Your servants will know!" she cried as he lifted her from the ground and tossed her at the bed.
Thankfully, she landed atop it and not beside it. At her words he did chuckle this time.
"You think they don't already?" he inquired.
"Everyone, the inn keeper included, will know that the great Count Adhemar must resort to picking up street rats to satisfy his appetites. Is that something you want them think, particularly after such a decimating loss in the joust?" she cried desperately, forgetting herself.
He was suddenly on top of her, crushing her, and she felt the cold tip of steel at her throat. He had drawn his dagger and had it pressed to the hollow of her neck dangerously.
"Aye. That's right I was there. I was there to see when you fell from your horse onto the flat of your--"
"If you finish that statement I will have my way with you-- only… I'll do it with this blade I have here in my hand…" he warned, brandishing the dagger that had had previously threatened her throat in full view.
Adriana's eyes found his for a chilling moment and she knew he told the truth. Her words died hesitantly, but she remained silent all the same.
Adhemar was almost convinced that this wretch was more than she seemed. Perhaps some kind of witch, or siren, luring him with her wiles and all seeing. How else could she have known those words? Those words that haunted him. For a moment her voice and the echo of Thatcher's had been one and the same.
"Get into the bath," he murmured, his voice lacking any animosity, perhaps making it even more eerie than if it had.
It seemed he was simply requesting her to take the bath. However, the dagger still glinted in front of her evilly. She gave a resigned nod and felt him remove his weight from atop her. He waited for her to get to her feet and watched as she slipped into the steaming water. She was able to sit and submerge herself in the liquid to her neck, grime floating about her form her own body.
For some reason she was more ashamed by this than her nakedness.
She began to rub at the dirt and her skin shown through as pale as cream. Her gaze drifted toward the bed to find that Adhemar was watching her distrustfully, his eyes narrowed. He had seated himself on the bed and sat with his back against the head board and one knee drawn up for his arms to rest on. The other leg was hanging over the side of the bed languidly. His shirt hung open at the neck and chest carelessly. He seemed infinitely calm, even though she knew he was not. She could only imagine what he was plotting as his eyes pierced her from a distance.
_______
"I'm finished," she mumbled coldly a bit later.
He rose from the bed without a word and reached into the barrel, yanking her out roughly as she dripped water everywhere. Forcing her hands toward him he pressed them to his chest violently and slid them into the gaping opening of the neck, her hands making contact with his feverish skin. They slid lower to his abdomen, then, to her horror they slid lower. He willed them to remain there, touching him.
"Make yourself familiar with this. Feel how warm I am, and how warm you could have been tonight. But because you're so insolent I'm going to let you sleep in the barn with the other animals."
He pulled her toward the door and called for Donal sharply who appeared quickly.
"Yes, M'lord?"
"Take her to the barn and make sure she stays there for the night. And if you so much as give her a horse blanket to cover up with, I'll have your head for it," Adhemar spat, tossing Adriana out into the freezing night.
Steam rose from her wet body and she shivered violently, but she was safe. She hadn't been subjected to his torture.
Donal nodded and led her to the barn wearily. He gave her an apologetic look before he closed the door behind him. Adriana looked dolefully at a pile of hay that was to be her bed. She wouldn't allow herself to dwell on the memory of how warm her new found adversary was.
*Again, a warning of-- hee hee-- sexual innuendo, but no actual acts. It may be a bit rough, however. But if you're reading this, it's not like you care! And thank you for all the lovely reviews! I crave feedback so keep updating me and I will keep updating this!*
She was afraid the look into those eyes of his. Terrified she would see not a man, but a beast. She shuddered and did not dare move, for fear that he would catch her and in doing so touch her skin, perhaps sending him over the edge.
His gaze roved over her. She was a trifle thinner than he would have liked. Her ribs were visible beneath the taut skin pulled over them. He had expected to find that she would have some deformity as most miscreants had. The mark of a life lived in brutal conditions. But her skin was smooth, almost flawless. It was almost as though someone had pampered it. Everything else about her was enough to make any man's eyes wander.
She was young, but no child. Her body had reached maturity, but showed no other signs of age. He still could not tell whether she be fifteen or twenty. If he wanted to know, he would have to ask her. He rarely ever wanted to know, rarely ever cared. In his darkest transgressions he had taken them younger and never thought twice about it until he was finished.
He stepped toward her, his boots falling heavily on the wooden floor. He stopped, inches away from her, so that their bodies almost met, and he raised a hand to her neck. Drawing her close he prepared to taste those lips again, only this time, he did not intend to stop for anything.
"I beg you, please stop! If there is any honor in you, then you will not continue this," she murmured hastily.
This grabbed his attention.
"You think that taking your maiden head is something that will cause me guilt?" he demanded duskily, his lips close to hers.
"How do you know I am a virgin? I have had many men. A night with me could mean many visits to a physician. Is that what you want?" she stammered breathlessly.
He almost laughed, instead a slow smile spread on his sensuous lips.
"Were you not a virgin you'd not have taken such offense at my earlier inquiry of why you didn't choose whoring as your profession. And even if I were wrong about that and you could boast so many a man's desire, you would show the signs of disease, would you not? You have none. In fact, you're quite well kept, I'm impressed. So lying to me about promiscuity won't work. I will have you," he growled triumphantly, pulling her against him roughly.
She winced and attempted to push him away but she had not eaten properly in so long, her strength was gone. Even if she had gained all of it back in that instant, she could not have fought him off. He was too intent on having her, too strong a soldier. She would have to find another way of deterring him.
"Your servants will know!" she cried as he lifted her from the ground and tossed her at the bed.
Thankfully, she landed atop it and not beside it. At her words he did chuckle this time.
"You think they don't already?" he inquired.
"Everyone, the inn keeper included, will know that the great Count Adhemar must resort to picking up street rats to satisfy his appetites. Is that something you want them think, particularly after such a decimating loss in the joust?" she cried desperately, forgetting herself.
He was suddenly on top of her, crushing her, and she felt the cold tip of steel at her throat. He had drawn his dagger and had it pressed to the hollow of her neck dangerously.
"Aye. That's right I was there. I was there to see when you fell from your horse onto the flat of your--"
"If you finish that statement I will have my way with you-- only… I'll do it with this blade I have here in my hand…" he warned, brandishing the dagger that had had previously threatened her throat in full view.
Adriana's eyes found his for a chilling moment and she knew he told the truth. Her words died hesitantly, but she remained silent all the same.
Adhemar was almost convinced that this wretch was more than she seemed. Perhaps some kind of witch, or siren, luring him with her wiles and all seeing. How else could she have known those words? Those words that haunted him. For a moment her voice and the echo of Thatcher's had been one and the same.
"Get into the bath," he murmured, his voice lacking any animosity, perhaps making it even more eerie than if it had.
It seemed he was simply requesting her to take the bath. However, the dagger still glinted in front of her evilly. She gave a resigned nod and felt him remove his weight from atop her. He waited for her to get to her feet and watched as she slipped into the steaming water. She was able to sit and submerge herself in the liquid to her neck, grime floating about her form her own body.
For some reason she was more ashamed by this than her nakedness.
She began to rub at the dirt and her skin shown through as pale as cream. Her gaze drifted toward the bed to find that Adhemar was watching her distrustfully, his eyes narrowed. He had seated himself on the bed and sat with his back against the head board and one knee drawn up for his arms to rest on. The other leg was hanging over the side of the bed languidly. His shirt hung open at the neck and chest carelessly. He seemed infinitely calm, even though she knew he was not. She could only imagine what he was plotting as his eyes pierced her from a distance.
_______
"I'm finished," she mumbled coldly a bit later.
He rose from the bed without a word and reached into the barrel, yanking her out roughly as she dripped water everywhere. Forcing her hands toward him he pressed them to his chest violently and slid them into the gaping opening of the neck, her hands making contact with his feverish skin. They slid lower to his abdomen, then, to her horror they slid lower. He willed them to remain there, touching him.
"Make yourself familiar with this. Feel how warm I am, and how warm you could have been tonight. But because you're so insolent I'm going to let you sleep in the barn with the other animals."
He pulled her toward the door and called for Donal sharply who appeared quickly.
"Yes, M'lord?"
"Take her to the barn and make sure she stays there for the night. And if you so much as give her a horse blanket to cover up with, I'll have your head for it," Adhemar spat, tossing Adriana out into the freezing night.
Steam rose from her wet body and she shivered violently, but she was safe. She hadn't been subjected to his torture.
Donal nodded and led her to the barn wearily. He gave her an apologetic look before he closed the door behind him. Adriana looked dolefully at a pile of hay that was to be her bed. She wouldn't allow herself to dwell on the memory of how warm her new found adversary was.