Chapter 5
Sorry for the delay my friends but life has been too hectic for poor Adhemar and Adriana. I apologize for the wait and hope that you enjoy! (BTW this is a short one, don't be mad, I'm writing a couple chapters tonight!)
Adriana simply lay there on the ground, shivering. Before she knew what was going on, strong arms were pulling her to her feet unsteadily. With a jolt, she cried out and pulled away, knowing it was him. She could faintly hear the gentle trickle of a little stream running through the woods not far from them. She rushed off toward that sound without thinking. Adhemar followed, unconcerned about catching her. Her body was quaking so fiercely that all her speed and balance had been purloined. He just watched as she found the stream and knelt beside it, letting her hands be caressed by the cool water. His product being washed away seemed to calm her some. He slowly approached her and knelt beside the shuddering girl.
"Surely it wasn't cause for all this emotion…" he murmured silkily.
She winced at the sound of his voice.
"I have never touched a man so intimately, particularly one whom I despise so adamantly."
This affected him more than he would have liked and he responded in anger.
"If it is in you to despise me, then do so quietly, for it is also now your duty to respect me. That means doing as I say," he growled angrily.
She was silent for a long pause. Too long, Adhemar became uncomfortable with it.
"You will not break me," she muttered lowly.
"What?" he demanded.
"You… will not break me!" she shouted vehemently, "No man ever shall!"
She rose to her feet, challenging him more than ever with those eyes. He quickly rose to tower over her, but it did no good. He was dwarfed by her inflexibility.
"The only way to tame my heart is to fill it with love and no master may ever accomplish that," she explained firmly.
He caught her by the shoulders and glared at her, feeling the power of her gaze. His mouth opened and he meant to shout: "Fear is more of an effective tool in discipline than love could ever be!" But the words didn't come.
Instead he bent, and his lips met hers softly, more tenderly than he had ever kissed any woman. His surprise at this was almost greater than her own. When she broke from him words finally left his lips but they were not what he wanted to say.
"This is not lust. I-- don't know what this is…" his voice was no more than a whisper, blending in with the rustle of leaves about them.
The look in his eyes frightened Adriana terribly. What he said could not possibly be true! She pulled herself from him and started toward the caravan. He followed after, for the first time knowing absolutely that he would not have to chase her. He noticed that she did not pull away when he mounted their horse behind her, nor did her body tighten when his arms went around her. However she remained silent the rest of the ride back to his manor.
He was shocked to find that sometime during the short time they had spent together, his longing for her silence had ended and now he yearned to hear her voice.
Sorry for the delay my friends but life has been too hectic for poor Adhemar and Adriana. I apologize for the wait and hope that you enjoy! (BTW this is a short one, don't be mad, I'm writing a couple chapters tonight!)
Adriana simply lay there on the ground, shivering. Before she knew what was going on, strong arms were pulling her to her feet unsteadily. With a jolt, she cried out and pulled away, knowing it was him. She could faintly hear the gentle trickle of a little stream running through the woods not far from them. She rushed off toward that sound without thinking. Adhemar followed, unconcerned about catching her. Her body was quaking so fiercely that all her speed and balance had been purloined. He just watched as she found the stream and knelt beside it, letting her hands be caressed by the cool water. His product being washed away seemed to calm her some. He slowly approached her and knelt beside the shuddering girl.
"Surely it wasn't cause for all this emotion…" he murmured silkily.
She winced at the sound of his voice.
"I have never touched a man so intimately, particularly one whom I despise so adamantly."
This affected him more than he would have liked and he responded in anger.
"If it is in you to despise me, then do so quietly, for it is also now your duty to respect me. That means doing as I say," he growled angrily.
She was silent for a long pause. Too long, Adhemar became uncomfortable with it.
"You will not break me," she muttered lowly.
"What?" he demanded.
"You… will not break me!" she shouted vehemently, "No man ever shall!"
She rose to her feet, challenging him more than ever with those eyes. He quickly rose to tower over her, but it did no good. He was dwarfed by her inflexibility.
"The only way to tame my heart is to fill it with love and no master may ever accomplish that," she explained firmly.
He caught her by the shoulders and glared at her, feeling the power of her gaze. His mouth opened and he meant to shout: "Fear is more of an effective tool in discipline than love could ever be!" But the words didn't come.
Instead he bent, and his lips met hers softly, more tenderly than he had ever kissed any woman. His surprise at this was almost greater than her own. When she broke from him words finally left his lips but they were not what he wanted to say.
"This is not lust. I-- don't know what this is…" his voice was no more than a whisper, blending in with the rustle of leaves about them.
The look in his eyes frightened Adriana terribly. What he said could not possibly be true! She pulled herself from him and started toward the caravan. He followed after, for the first time knowing absolutely that he would not have to chase her. He noticed that she did not pull away when he mounted their horse behind her, nor did her body tighten when his arms went around her. However she remained silent the rest of the ride back to his manor.
He was shocked to find that sometime during the short time they had spent together, his longing for her silence had ended and now he yearned to hear her voice.