This chapter contains adult content! You have been warned.

Chapter 11

Roxie clung to Reece as he embraced her tightly. She didn't realize just how much she had missed him until she was on the field fighting him. The Knight had moved and reacted the exact same way that she had seen Reece react when she had trained with him and as he stared down at her through his helm she knew…she knew it was him and her heart began to panic with fear that he would be recognized.

Roxie pulled back and said, "Reece what are you doing here? The Templars have a bounty on your head."

Reece smiled at her as he ran his hand through her silky hair; his touch sent shivers down her spine. He drew her against his chest and she breathed in his spicy, hot scent. His nearness and warmth sent fire sizzling along her nerve endings. Reece's handsome face and gorgeous body this close to her made her realize how much she ached for him.

"Seeing you…being with you one last time was worth the risk," he whispered in her ear as he trailed kisses down her neck.

She withdrew from his embrace immediately. "No, it isn't, Reece! I have already ruined your life. You can't put yourself in danger for me."

He looked at her questioningly, "Ruined my life? You're the best thing about my life. How can you think that you ruined it?"

"How can you not? It's because of me that you are now on the run, living a life under a false identity, always in fear that you might be found out or that the Templars might find you, never being able to return home to your family!" She exclaimed as voice broke and the tears that she had been fighting finally coursed down her cheeks.

Reese pulled her back into his embrace, "Oh my Love, this isn't your fault. You saved my life that day. You risked everything that day and I am still here because of you. Please Roxie you have to stop blaming yourself for this."

He slid his hand under her chin and lifted her head to face him. His thumb rubbed the tear away from her cheek; he slid his hand around to the nape of her neck and pulled her towards him. His lips brushed against hers and she melted against his chest as her arms slid around his neck. The feel of him back in her arms caused her head to spin. His lips covered hers as he captured her mouth with hungry urgency; he traced his tongue slowly around the inner edge of her mouth, and then slipped his tongue deeper, probing, and exploring. She arched against him as she lost herself in his kiss and in the taste of him.

He lightly nipped at her bottom lip and then pulled away slightly and whispered, "By the Maker, Roxie, I have missed you. I have dreamt of you every night." His lips caressed the side of neck and ear as he murmured, "I have longed for you my Love and I couldn't say good-bye to you in a letter. I needed to see you, to hold you and to love you one last time." Tears slid down her checks again as she realized that this was good-bye…their final farewell and that after tonight all hope of ever being with him again was gone.

Reece pulled away and wiped her tears. "Please don't cry. We have tonight, Rox, let's spend the little time we have together enjoying each other not crying over what we can't change."

For the first time she actually looked around the recess room. While their match had been going all of the weapons racks and sparring dummies had been removed and had been replaced by a table with food and wine, a large basin filled with hot water, an oversized sofa with lots of pillows and a satin rode and men's linen trousers laid across it.

Roxie looked shocked as she stared at Reece. "Where did all of this come from?"

Reece grinned at her, "AJ knew that I only had one night to be with you before I had to travel back to Orlais. He helped arrange this."

"AJ helped put this together?" Roxie asked dumbfounded.

Reece nodded as he walked over to her and started to unfasten her drakeskin armor, "The King really is a romantic at heart and I don't think there isn't anything he wouldn't do for family."

"The Wardens will worry about me if I am not back soon," Roxie replied.

Reece gave her a knowing smile and said, "AJ sent a note to the compound stating that he requested your presence at the Palace for a private family matter."

He led her over to sofa to remove her boots and then her gloves. She stood before him completely naked. His eyes hungrily roamed over her body as he memorized every curve, every line of her body, "You are so beautiful, Roxie." he sighed.

He pulled the sponge out of the water basin and carefully and lovingly washed the dirt and grime off of her. Her nerves jumped as she felt his warm palm and hot breath against her skin and desire spread like wildfire through every nerve ending in her body; every fiber of her being tingled with a devastating need to have his lips on her skin as he explored every inch of her.

When he was done she then eagerly removed all of his armor. She took the sponge from him and she began to caress his body as she drank in the sheer splendor of his body. She wanted to trace the alluring curve of his lips with hers, run her tongue along the slope of his cheekbone and brush kisses down his chiseled chest.

She put the sponge back in the basin as he stepped toward her. Her mouth quivered from anticipation as her lips parted as a tempting subtle invitation. She heard him murmur her name, low and deep in his throat with such urgency that her half-aroused body was flooded further with a fiery wave of rushing heat that seared her soul.

His mouth came down on hers hungrily, fiercely and that first potent contact sent scorching fire deep into her stomach and wrenched a low moan from her throat that vibrated deep in her chest. Her lips moved under his, equally impassioned and she give back to him all that he had gave to her. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the sofa and then he laid her back as he gazed over her soft supple body.

Roxie had one glimpse of his blue eyes before his head descended and his lips enveloped hers. There was such a longing and need in his kiss that consumed and devoured her. His fingers tangled in her hair as he cupped her head. His tongue encountered no resistance as it swept with fervent insistence into the softness of her mouth.

His voice stole softly through the silence, his breath mingled with hers. "Rox, the taste of your mouth is so sweet and delicious," he murmured as he kissed down neck to her collarbone. The scent of him enslaved her; the brush of his fingers against her throat was like little licks of flame against her already aroused body. She shivered as she ran her fingers against his taut skin.

He caressed his way down her body with his tongue and when he reached her breasts he flicked his tongue over her hard nipple; she moaned as he cupped her nipple with his lips, tugged at it and her body shuddered in response. She felt his arousal as he pressed against her thigh and she slid her hand down and rubbed it against his erection causing his hips to push harder against her.

She then slid her hand over his erection and lightly closed her fingers around him slowly stroking the length of him alternating between slow and fast, hard and soft. Breathing hard, his whole body jerked, his head fell back, his eyes closed in sensual rapture, "Oh Maker, Roxie my Love," he moaned. Roxie smiled with satisfaction that she could still make him cry out with pleasure.

Reece smiled at her and said, "I think I need to concentrate on you for a while." He kissed and licked his way to her stomach and navel. He pushed her legs apart and settled himself there. His fingers glided over the inner part of her thigh till they reach the source that ached for his touch and gently traced the outline of her folds with his fingertips till they reached the nub at the center and he ran his fingertips across it causing Roxie's hips move forward on their own. He followed the same path that his fingers just took with his tongue, but when he reached the source of heat that was now thrumming he swirled his tongue and then sucked at the same time causing Roxie's hips move forward involuntarily.

He lifted his head and grinned at her, "You taste even better down here." He thrust his tongue in and out of her several times and then replaced his tongue with his fingers as his tongue flicked and licked at her swollen nub. She moaned his name as she arched her back and pushed her hips forward as the pleasure in her continued to build. The sensation rippled through her curling her toes and she cried out his name as the pleasure washed over every inch of her body and she fell back against the blankets.

"Oh, my Reece," Roxie purred, "that…that was fantastic." Where had he learned that? But she quickly pushed the thought out her head. They had one night together; there was no time for petty jealousy.

He kissed his way back up torso, "You liked that, huh?"

She grinned at him and nodded. "I found a book in my Lord's library about it. I have been dying to try it out on you."

"Well, I am glad that I am the beneficiary of your studies," Roxie cooed as he took her nipple back into his mouth and it caused a jolt to roll through her body. She rested her hand on his chest, pushed him over and straddled him. She leaned forward and her breast skimmed the surface of his chest. His arms went around her waist and his lips parted, his tongue searched out hers and as she deepens the kiss the desire between the two of them began to build as she swirled her hips and moved in circles against his pelvis. He groaned a guttural cry into her mouth as he pressed her hips harder against him.

Roxie broke the kiss and began to kiss her way down his neck to the hard muscles of his chest. She licked his flat nipple, he moaned softly on an indrawn breath. She swallowed as excitement coursed through her and this time she gently, sucking the hard nub, his whole body jerked; then she kissed her way to his navel and then she slid between his legs and gently pushed them further apart. She kissed him knee, then up the inside of his thigh and then she took him into her mouth and his hips involuntarily thrust forward as he moaned loudly, "Oh by the Maker help me," as his head fell back and his eyes closed in sensual rapture.

She licked, sucked, and teased him with her lips, tongue and hand until she felt him begin to tense and she then pulled away, "Oh sweet Andraste….where did…"

"You aren't the only one that can read," Roxie mewed.

He grinned at her and murmured, "Thank the Maker for that." He rolled her over, slipped between her legs, gripped her hips and drew her to him. She raised her hips up to meet him, and in one quick movement he entered her. "Oh Roxie, I have dreamed of being inside you again for a year," he said as he slowly started to move inside her. "You feel incredible," he moaned into her ear. At first he began to move in long, slow thrusts, but as she wrapped her legs around his waist so that she can take him in deeper his pace picked. He moaned into her throat and ear, "Roxie, my Love," over and over again like a prayer as he worshiped her body with his. She arched her back as her hips pushed forward against him. Her body tensed at the same time his did and they rode the wave together as she called out his name again and again. He collapsed against her; buried his face in her neck as he kissed her and ran his fingers through her hair. "I love you, Roxie. I will always love you."

"I love you too, Reece, always and forever," she whispered in his ear.

Over the next several hours they eat, sipped wine and talked about their year apart from each other. They made their way over to the sofa and curled into each other's arms. He told her about being a Chevalier and the Lord that he had swore to serve and protect. She told him about being a Warden and killing darkspawn. He was quiet for a moment and then said, "Tell me about Wyatt."

She nearly choked on her wine, "What?"

"My grandfather had mentioned that you had been spending a lot of time with him and I can tell by the way that he looks at you that he loves you…"

"He has never made such a declaration," Roxie interrupted.

Reece smiled at her, "I know what a man in love looks like, Rox, and it's easy to see how much he loves you. It is also easy to see that you care for him, too." She started to protest, but he gently placed a finger over her mouth. "It's okay, Love. We have been apart for a year and we both know that tonight is the exception; that we can never have a life together. I don't want you to live your life holding out for something that can never be. I don't want you to be alone. I want you to find love again. You deserve to have love and happiness in your life."

She stared into his eyes for a long moment as she pushed back the tears and finally said, "I will never love anyone the way that I love you."

He smiled at her drew her against his chest and whispered into her hair, "Same here, my love, same here."

xxXxx

Wyatt sat on the battlements of the Denerim Compound and as he watched the sun rise he replayed the scene from last night once again over in his mind - Roxie as she leaped into his arms, Reece's hands in her hair, Reece's sultry voice as he told her that being with her one last time was worth the risk, Reece's lips on the side of her neck – it had been more then he could stand. He had quickly made his way back to the Compound only to be further affronted with a note from the King stating that Roxie would be detained at the Palace for the evening due to a private family matter. Is that what they are calling their little tryst; a "private family matter"? The King…his King was in on this little conspiracy. Wyatt had liked AJ and he thought AJ had liked him. The King had always been so warm and welcoming at all of the functions that he had accompanied Roxie too. He hated to admit it, but it hurt that AJ had helped organize this little rendezvous between the star-crossed lovers.

He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. How could he have been so stupid to allow himself to fall in love with her? He knew from the day that she had been conscripted that she was in love with another man, but he had hoped that time would ease the bonds of love and he had thought that that it had. Her eyes always seemed to light up and sparkle when she looked at him. Her voice seemed to always have an extra sweet lilt to when she said his name. When she was in his arms she would just melt into him like she was made for him and her lips were always yielding, passionate and hungry for him. And the way that she trembled and signed when he touched her he didn't think could be faked. Was he just someone that she had used to try and forget Reece? Was he someone to just pass time with until her next illicit date with Reece? She had never declared that she had feelings for him, but he thought that he sensed that she did. He had believed that she was sincere, but maybe he was just fooling himself.

"I thought I might find you up here." Wyatt turned to see Mirima as she entered the walkway.

"I came up here to be alone," Wyatt grumbled.

Mirima looked Wyatt up and down as she retorted, "You look like hell. Have you been up here all night?"

Wyatt glared at her, but said nothing. She sat down beside him, leaned back against the wall and handed him a mug of coffee. "Thanks," he muttered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

"NO!" He snapped.

She didn't reply. She just sat with him, sipped her coffee as they watched the sun climb higher in the sky and the Compound started to come alive with activity. The early risers were already in the sparring ring training, the cooks were in the yard gathering up eggs and just as the guard shift was about to change at the main gate Roxie walked into the Compound. Wyatt bent forward and watched her progress across the courtyard. She was dressed in a court dress and a servant followed behind her as he carried her armor toward her quarters.

Mirima eyed him suspiciously, but said nothing. Wyatt tracked her movements until she had gone inside and then leaned back against the wall again.

"Not talking about isn't going to make the problem go away," Mirima finally said.

Wyatt let out a long sign, "I don't even know where to begin."

"How about the beginning," Mirima said.

So he told her about what he had heard and saw at the recess. She was quiet for a moment and then replied, "So you heard him say that being with her one last time was worth the risk, but you didn't wait to hear her reply? Wyatt you have no way of knowing if anything happened between them. She could have turned him down."

Wyatt shook his head, "No, you didn't see her face when she realized it was him. You didn't see the way she leaped into his arms. There is no doubt in my mind what happened between the two of them last night and there is no doubt that she still loves him."

Mirima was silent for a long moment and then she said, "Wyatt, I have seen the way that she looks at you. I have seen the way she lights up when you come into a room. I have heard the way she talks about you when you are not around –it's with love and pride. She may not know it herself yet, but she does love you."

Wyatt looked at her with a shocked expression. She smiled, "You don't see it because you are too close to the situation, but you could ask anyone who has traveled with the two of you and they will tell you the same thing."

"But Reece…"

She held up her hand to silence him, "I am not saying that she doesn't have feelings for Reece. He was her first love and from what I have gathered her first lover. A girl never completely gets over her first love. He will always be a part of her because he was the first person that she gave herself to completely."

Wyatt raised an eye brow and said, "Is this your version of pep talk?"

Mirima smiled, "Yes! Wyatt, just because Reece will always be her first love, that doesn't mean that he will be her greatest love."

Wyatt nodded, but didn't say anything so she continued, "It is my understanding that Reece is on the run from the Templars. Obviously, this trip is a one-time thing. They were pulled apart very abruptly. This visit might be what she needs to bring closure to the relationship so that she can put the past behind her and move forward with you."

"You think so?" Wyatt asked.

Mirima nodded as she stood up. "She loves you, Wyatt. You just need to be patient, put your stupid jealous aside, continue to do what you have been doing and she will realize that the man that has stood beside her and supported her is the man that she truly loves."

"Stupid jealousy? You didn't see him with his hands all over her?" Wyatt retorted.

"Is that all that you got out of that little talk? Didn't you hear a word I said? If you overreact to this Wyatt you will push her away. Whatever happened between Reece and her last night will be eating her up today with guilt because she loves you, but if you come off as the scorned wannabe lover you will drive a wedge between the two of you."

"Somehow I doubt that she will be feeling guilty about being with her 'first love'," Wyatt replied sarcastically.

"Oh really," Mirmia pointed down at the training yard. "When was the last time you saw Roxie in the training yard before she has at least three helpings of breakfast."

Wyatt looked down in the training yard. There she was with both of her blades in hand as she danced, twirled, kicked and stabbed at the training dummy. She looked deadly and beautiful as she repeatedly worked the dummy over with her blades and feet.

Wyatt smiled as Mirima said, "That my friend is a woman working out some issues. Give her time." Mirima left him alone again to watch the woman that he loved work over the training dummy. He would try to follow Mirima's advice…but just then the image of Reece's lips on her neck flashed across his mind and he felt the jealousy rise again. He stared down at Roxie and he tried very hard to push it back down.